Aelric's
Journals
| Aelric Barimen Carinor (QOA) | The Land of Arnok |
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Last updated: 12 Jan 2000
by: Patrick Franklin
I sit here in an odd predicament. I knew my time
in Arnok was beginning to wan. People began to glance oddly in my direction
in the castle, and King Albrecht grew nervous when I entered the room.
Perhaps it was the demons I wore around my neck to remind all of the deeds
I had done. Perhaps it was my face -- 40 years old and not a day changed
since I walked the pentagram to defeat the evil Diablo. Whatever the case
may be, I knew I could not stay. I removed myself from politics, and slowly
withdrew from Albrecht. It was hard to leave the land I loved, but I knew
more was out there for me. There had to be.
I started with a quest I had thought about a great
deal since my mother died. My father. Who are you? where did you go? I
left for my home town to discover as much as I could about him. No one
knew much, though. I met Gillian that day. We had been seeing much of each
other over the past few years. I knew she wanted to go in front of the
High Priest of the True one of the Light and proclaim ourselves, but I
was unsure about it myself. She looked well, and her form was still normalized.
She had not started showing much at all. It was good to see her.
I brought forth the power I had learned to master,
but couldn't understand fully. The Pentagram. I discovered a break in the
realm and walked into it. I reappeared in a place much similar to my Arnok,
and yet different. I sighted a city in the far distance and headed for
it.
As I approached the city, I knew that Darkness lie
in its heart. Foulness exhumed from it -- for it was constructed of human
bone. I entered undiscovered and looked in on the temple in the city. ALbrecht
was there, but NOT the Albrecht I knew. I sought out more information on
the topic in a local inn. A demon kindly provided me with the answers I
sought. Until, though, until the girl entered.
I could not enter her mind. It simply was not there.
Most unusual. We talked briefly and she told me she could help me. I followed
her suspiciously to her room. I sensed an odd feeling as we walked into
her house in town. A most alarming experience. I did not like her advances
on me. They seemed....cold. As if her mind were an arctic blizzard trying
to force into mine. I shielded and she seemed to stop. Fortunate for her.
We talked of a great many things, of which swim through my mind. Sand,
Queen of Nightmares. Of an evil so great, that it threatens existence.
I will find this evil, and dispose of it. For the Light -- the LIGHT WILL
prevail. The demons warn me of her, and I am being cautious, but they mock
me. I mock them. For I won, and they did not.
So, as I sit here and write, I know I prepare my
mind for battle. Fire, protection, heals -- these should prove to be useful
spells. I will keep a spell in reserve as well, a spell of immense light-annihilation.
For if I go to the heart of true evil, I will use all the powers of the
Light to destroy it.
Light Illumine me, and keep me safe from the Darkness.
I rest, and await her Lady to ready for our battle.
Aelric, The Light Warrior
I feel very far from where I have been. My world
has unraveled in front of me, and I scarcely know where to begin. I am
angry. I am frustrated. And I am lost. I began a journey to find my father
and met a woman. Victoria. And as we set out to destroy an evil most foul,
my world has crumbled. Arnok -- is not real. Gillian -- not real. The One
True One of the Light...does not exist. Instead, my world is one of infinite
things and three 'poles' of reality. 3 places are real -- why can't Arnok
be so? I refuse to believe that my home is fake. The people I love, and
have protected all these years...fake. I will fight them. I will MAKE it
real.
Things have happened so quickly. The wench that
is Victoria led me into a trap. It MUST have been waiting for someone,
and I stumbled on in. I was attacked by the facsimile of Albrecht, the
evil copy of him. He was dispatched easily with my powers. He was under
some control from a man who called himself Derek. I managed to wrestle
the stone from him that was used to control him. I will study this later.
We left the castle to burn. The Light returned to that realm. I will set
out to right the wrongs in other lands as well.
The wench betrayed me, though. FOOLISH! I was so
eager to find this true evil, I did not listen to my gut about her. We
moved through a gate that she created, and awaited her sister, Meredith.
She is unlike any woman I have ever met. She radiates pure mental-ism.
I tried to poke into her mind, and met a brick wall. With spikes. Despite
all my efforts to block her, she forced images into my brain. I am still
sorting them all out.
I discovered in time before I did anything to hurt
Meredith. Im not sure I COULD have hurt her, but it was better I didn't
try. We escaped the castle Victoria had us in with my Pentagram vision.
It seems Meredith is having problems with her powers. She contacted a strange
man via a picture on a small card, and he stepped THROUGH the air FROM
the card. An amazing feat of magic. They call them "trumps". We went to
a city submerged in the water -- but I did not drown and did not need my
magic to prevent my death. We then left to discover about my jewel. I lost
all control in that vile woman's presence. We leapt in with a card, and
this, WOMAN-- Emma, DEMANDED my amulet and jewel. She then WHISKED me away
into a box of some sorts. I was furious. I managed to calm myself down,
and she did return my things.
(scratched in margin: Note - must examine the jewel
Emma wears....the demons in the amulet became quite irate in its presence...)
Last weird of the day, we left for Amber. They call
it a 'pole' of reality, though to me it seems no more real than Arnok.
I studied a great deal in the library, and I am aquainting myself with
this place. It may be the key to making Arnok real. It may hold many keys
to many things that may help me, my mission in Light and my home. The Light
is there. It must be. I must hold on to that, if nothing else. I was created
for a reason -- I am the chosen one. The Light Warrior.
Light Illumine me, and guide me through this whirlwind,
Aelric, The Light Warrior
I write this from my room in Tristram. It is good
to be back again. But, my secret is out, or soon to be. I can control no
longer the flows of my own life, but I will get control back. I must. For
the safety of those I love, born and unborn, I must regain control. I brought
Emily to Arnok today. We rode six hours by horse to reach the grove of
trees north of town that I spent many a day camping in. Emily insisted
on seeing the Pentagram I walked, though, and then wanted to eat a meal
at the Inn. It was good to see Ogden. I asked Emily for a trump of me to
give to Gillian, and it took her a bit, but she did make two trumps of
me. I left her then to rest and set a guard to watch. She left her room
and he roused me from my slumber. Before I could stop her, she had met
and talked to Gillian. She knows, I am sure. I am going to move Gillian.
Someplace safe. I wonder where that would be now though? Is any place safe
now? Emily offered to protect Gillian, but she of course refused. I am
the only protection she needs...right? Pray to the Light that it be so.
I learned a lot today though. I tried to stop Emily,
using my mind, and was bested again. It would seem her analysis of the
situation would be correct. Here in Tristram, I am a big fish in a small
pond. Out there...I am a small fish in an ocean. I need an edge. I need
to an advantage over them all. I think I will speak with Emily, and learn
where I can better myself with my sword. I am not sure that is the edge
I need...but it will be a start. Perhaps my edge lies in this stone. Can
I use its power? I will need to study this more.
Light Illumine me.
Aelric, The Light Warrior
Emily and I investigated the Broken Pattern.
She could not identify its origin, for it is not a reflection of the Pattern
in Amber. We trumped to Amber. I have asked my servant from here to join
me in Amber, and he has agreed. Aaron has always been a good friend.
I spent some time among the books of Amber
City. Abyss, Pattern, Logrus, Trump, The Golden Circle, the Patternfall
War...there is much to learn here. Emily has provided me with several trumps
of Arnok and Amber. It will be much easier to maneuver through than finding
the tears in the veil.
The search for Victoria grows cold. I cannot locate
her. Summoning the Broken Pattern to help find her here in Amber is very
difficult and strenuous. I must ask Emily about this phenomenon.
Caine has taken ill. Apparently, it was attack by
the Queen of Amber to remove him from her council. I can think of more
humane ways to dismiss a councilor. I think women are unfit rulers of Amber.
Perhaps a KING should take control. Upon Caine's request, I have moved
out of my quarters in NewCastle. I pray to the Light that Caine is alive
-- he looked terrible the last I saw of him. I received a trump of him
from Meredith, and the card is cold. He is alive, but in what condition
and where I do not know. I will seek him out. Perhaps I can assist him
in his recovery.
Aelric