The following is dedicated to the late Dorn Dundragon who fell too soon; may he ever haunt the shadows of our hearts. This letter was sent two days after Dorn's death.
Adolfo knows of it as Syvil went through him both to find Mindartis,
and a messenger trustworthy enough to send. As Syvil asks him to do this
it is with empty eyes and without the smile one would have expected
from the otherwise almost impolite glee he usually shows. Adolfo, worried,
opens the letter and reads: It is written in a hand he has seen once before, it
belongs to a certain Half-Elf and one who knows him can quite picture the smile that
usually creeps across his face. My good Mindartis, I hope
matters are well with you and that nothing has gone awry. Not knowing
where you are I can only wish you a pleasant trip and a swift return for
things are not the same without you. A small splotch has been made with the ink in the middle of the following paragraph: We
launched an assault on a keep by the ocean thought to be the hideout of
the Scarlet Blades. While our endeavour was successful I regret to tell
you that Dorn Dundragon has fallen. He was felled by arrows as we
were laying in ambush for the enemy commander. Better is the news that
much bounty was found, and while this does not make up for our loss it
seems to have bolstered the spirits of the company, which had taken to
worse times financially. I bid thee a speedy return and good health. Yours in confidence, Syvil Dernsson Adolfo and Syvil's views Frustrated with himself, after Dorn's death Syvil spends the first few
days going to the memorial site and finds himself just standing there;
head empty and stare more so. Did he fail Dorn when he led them around
the keep? Should he had protected him better? These doubts shake
him in his foundation for never before has he tried his hand at leading
like this and failed to miserably. The fact that he was not alone in
taking the risks is what saved him for Adolfo was much concerned about
the shadow that slipped out at dawn, returned after sundown and took no
meals. It was only when the man had promptly locked the door one morning
and cornered Syvil that he managed to draw these thoughts out of him.
They talked for what seemed a very long time; sitting by a table
overlooking the sea as the sun was just rising. In fact it was just a
short while and then Adolfo sent Syvil to the market with a shopping
list. For the next few days this became routine - Syvil would rise, pick
up Adolfo's list and go to the market for him. At first it was
difficult, this was after all where he had met the always enigmatic Dorn
for the first time. And somehow Syvil never managed to buy the fruit
Adolfo had asked for. The patron said nothing at this, simply looking at
Syvil and smiling before going about his business. Yet one cold and
crisp autumn morning, as there had almost been the first frost of the
year, Adolfo woke to find that Syvil had gone already, for a weeks worth
of fruits was piled on bar. After that Adolfo would see Syvil as
usual at dawn, and their little dance continued. But Syvil would no
longer shut himself in his room afterwards, rather he could be seen on
the patch of cobbled stones and defiant grass behind the Tipsy Meramid;
twirling a wooden staff with one hand. And Adolfo would close the
shutters and keep an eye on the back door, for a few days the elf had
privacy and peace of mind, even in this bad apple of a city. Time
passes, four days into Syvil's traning Adolfo stops watching the door
or closing the the shutters and on the fifth day Syvil gets company.
Vallith has been asked by Adolfo to see to fixing things; knowing Val
used to be a commander and suspecting from what Syvil told him that it
is indeed guilt that eats him away so. As you take breakfast one morning, with Lilla at your side,
Adolfo comes over. You notice that he has not closed the shutters to the
window out back; something he has done these past few days. Outside you
can see an already sweating Syvil dancing about with a wooden staff. Ahh, good morning to you Vallith. Hope you are having a pleasant meal? He
looks at you with an unusually careful gaze. As if he might think
better of this any second. But he sits down and locks eyes with you. You
were a commander once, were you not? No don't answer, I know already,
of course. The De Loom's are not a family spoken ill of, not by good
folk anyway, and you might even have been known here in Haven by name
long before you ever set sail towards these shores. The somewhat sentimental tone is replaced by a mischievous, almost steely, glint in his eyes. I
will not beat around the bush as it were. I worry for Syvil. He's not
been right since that business with the keep. Perhaps it is blame,
perhaps trauma; I can't be sure. For these past few weeks, and I think
that discreet looking woman friend of yours might have already told
you, I have been seeing to Syvil. Been put wrong in a bad way he has.
Sure you've seen it before, commander? Think you could do me a favor and
set him straight again? If you don't I fear we might lose him entirely. Outside
you see Syvil moving ever more aggressively, there seems to be an anger
in him that was not there before; the usually reasonable elf would
subdue rather than kill but those movements are not to pacify but to
rend. Yes... He's slipping isn't he? We don't put it on signs
up front, it would scare away all the tough ones, but we don't look too
favorably on cold hearts and thirsty blades in the Sashes. We relish a
good fight aye, but we are not the Scarlet Blades to revel in bloodshed. Adolfo sighs and returns to the bar; starting to wipe it with a blue dishcloth he keeps laying around. If you will help, see about it soon; not sure he will last very long. Vallith's and Lila's point of view "Taking
in account the risks, I felt that the worst could happen as in any
situation, but a commander should combat any complication. Perhaps I've
gotten rusty. I won't blame myself.... We were going in blind. I'm more
so happy we didn't lose more. As my brother Demere would say, "Pray for
the best, and expect the worst", those words reign more true everyday.
Never really put my faith in the gods though, my spear held my faith,
but in the last month or so I've been thinking about it. I've seen the
undead for the first time! Death is nothing new to me, but to see them
rise and fight... It's unnatural, unsettling, CHEATING! The thought of
my comrades coming back as those things sicken me. Perhaps I'll visit a
temple." For the next few days Vallith spends some time in a
brothel; his own way of honoring a fallen comrade. Seeing that this
isn't quite helping his sinking feeling he decides to visit the temple
of Helm (A commonly worshiped god where he's from) to speak with a
Priest (A conversation that DM can help me with later). After
spending quite sometime at the temple Val goes out to find more
information about this misdirection that put them there in the first
place. Talking to guards, merchants, thugs, maybe looking into other
guilds. "I want to find that lovely, hell cat of a woman, I have a few
questions for her." Haven't spent much time in the Tipsy Mermaid
since the siege, Val decided to spend a bit of coin there. Noticing him
at the bar Lilla comes over to join Vallith. "Fancy seeing you her,
you're usually at the Winking Goat", Lilla says. "Yes, haha, figured I'd
come see how everyone has been. What's it been, a week or so?", "2
actually" Lilla says laughing. "That long, huh, my apologies I shouldn't
have been away for so long just a bit on my mind." "Yeah things have
going great seemingly, we got some new recruits, and not just some run
of the mill ones either." "Is that true aye, that's great to hear, and
oh where's my Syvil?" Val ask. "Oh... Yes Syvil, he's been quite distant
as of late, ever since Dorn's death. Hadn't seen him either for a bit,
but now he just trains in the courtyard not really speaking to anyone
but Adolfo." Val take a drink, "I see... A brush with death and a loss
of a friend; makes sense... Such a caring heart, shame he chose this
line of work." "Stop it! He's very capable and strong willed, he's just
going through a tough time right now" Lilla says hitting Val. "I'm very
sure he is, and there's something special about him that I can't quite
figure out. I doubt he knows either, and I can't see myself letting him
die. But enough of this, let's drink to better days!" "Well said Val",
Lilla says. Next morning Vallith comes down to eat breakfast with
Lilla where he is approached by Adolfo. He tells him about Syvil
gesturing towards the window. Val looks out the window with a concerned
look. "Very well I'll see what I can do." Vallith walks out to
Syvil. "No no no, you're doing it all wrong. You're thinking like a
brute, this is no sword and board, my friend, let distance be your
shield" Val says with a chuckle. "The shield is a precaution, it's
better they can't hit you at all. Make them work for it. Let me show
you" as Val grabs a staff and gets into a stance "Now come at me Syvil,
show me what your conviction." As Syvil rushes in Val does a spin and
twirls the staff with a tremendous force that stops right in front of
his face. "You see, distance." Val takes a breath, "I hear you yourself
have be distant, why is that?" Syvil stays quiet, "Could it be from our
current loss... I see, there's no need to speak of it now. You shouldn't
blame yourself for this, it will only hard your heart." "But that's not
really why I'm here, as I said before, you have my curiosity. I plan on
seeing how things unfold for you." "Look at me Syvil there's only 2
things that happen to men like us, you either die for a cause or live as
a shining example. Which will you be?" Vallith offers to train with
Syvil. Adolfo and Syvil's View Some
weeks later, with fresh bruises from a bout with Vallith, Syvil meets Adolfo in the bar as usual, and he bows deep, a
wetness to his eyes; but a smile on his face. He makes that gesture
he's been seen doing before, two fingers from the left shoulder dragged
diagonally down the torso. He turns and walks over to the job board ready for what now comes; a new start. I would like to thank Stephen and Reamous W (Vallith "Splinter" DeLoom) for their help and guidance in writing this piece, and Derek (Dorn) for his wonderful portrayal of Dorn Dundragon. I further want to thank Sloth S and Stephen for their parts in portraying Lilla; she makes a minor appearance above and we hope you will enjoy reading it. The pieces written from Adolfo or Syvil's point of view were written by Simon (Syvil). The pieces written from Vallith or Lilla's point of view were written by Reamous W (Vallith "Splinter" DeLoom).
