To Fairfield Regional Head,
Southern Anuire Shipping and Imports

I am sorry to have taken so long to send out this missive of introduction and greeting, must my fellows and I have been very busy getting our affairs in order and setting up shop as it were (you may have noticed the new church of Cuiraécen founded by Father Kenrik, the additional guard force trained by my friend Javiero, or my own small shop Majid’s Fine Curiosities). We decided on Fairfield due to our pleasant past dealings, and our ongoing friendship with Baronet Bloodwater. Overall, the city has been quite welcoming to my new venture… save for the Spider River Trading Company. They have fought me at every turn, even going so far as to send thugs to burn down my fledgling shop! I can only hope that they soon turn to minding their own business, as I have it on good authority that they have over-extended a bit in their efforts to keep me from gaining a foothold. If only I were in a position to capitalize on this oversight…

Anyways, I just wanted to introduce myself to the other honest merchant in the area in hopes that we may have happy and lucritive dealings in the future.

-Majid
of Majid’s Fine Curiosities

It has perhaps been the longest few days in my two centuries of life.

Galloway ordered us to lead the left flank of the attack into Rhuobhe. Govannon was to command the forces assembled there and the men were jokingly calling us “Govannon’s Six”. Each of us paired off with a force battalion of men numbering in the hundreds. Miri and I were to lead one of the faster moving battalions while the others worked from the back to better plan for the chaos of the coming battle. When all our forces were prepared, we met the army of Ghealles on a rolling plain by the edge of the forest. The armies sized each other up and the generals stared at each other from across the plain. It was then that we got a good look at the elven general. The others wondered who might lead the army of the Manslayer…but the golden hair and the familiar way he held himself could only belong to Ceallach. My father led the army against us.

A pitched battle was fought. Men and horses died around us and at times the rain of Sidhelein arrows seemed to be unending. Battalions on both sides broke ranks, but our middle held. Five Sidhelein heroes were captured. Their forces were routed and their final remaining battalion threw down their weapons in resignation that they either surrender or be butchered by a superior force. Though some of the battalions were badly wounded, we didn’t loose a single squad.

Govannon gathered our forces to celebrate, but we were quickly joined by Galloway. The other fronts succeeded in their own assaults and he wished for us to accompany him in his vanguard.

We were to ride into the very heart of Rhuobhe and take the fight to the Ghealles themselves.

The way was long and we were ambushed by Sidhelein bladesingers in what the humans describes as an unnaturally heavy mist. We became separated in the mist and the bladesingers used our confusion to their advantage. It has been a long time since I fought any from the school of the Striking Serpent. We eventually beat them back taking a single prisoner. He proved to be uncooperative and when he found out who I was…I will only say that Ceallach told them about his “dead daughter” and that prisoner was dispatched of quickly and brutally.

We moved on to an ancient elven city in the heart of the forest. The army began to sack the city while Kenrik directed them not to burn down the forest and city around us. I tried to get the remaining Sidhelein to run, but alas some were lost. Our looting of the city was thorough. We were about to move on when we heard a voice from above us in the walk ways between the tree houses. Tall, menacing, and with a mane of black hair; Rhuobhe Manslayer stood above us and mockingly called to parlay with Galloway.

We looked at apprehensively at each other for a moment as Galloway climbed the ladder to the walkways above. We followed behind him quickly.

The Manslayer and Galloway talked as if they were the only two there; referencing something that happened far in Galloway’s past. Galloway, caught of guard, demanded to know how the Manslayer knew so much about him. Something about him slaying a dragon.

We watched the coterie around the Manslayer tensely and waiting for them to act on some unseen signal. Eoindeln stood among those gathered against us. Galloway drew his sword and told us that the elven wizard held a book and we should get it and get out as fast as possible. Rhuobhe drew his twin longswords made from a matte silver metal. Chaos erupted around us.

Miri led the charge against the elven guards and we tried to focus our magics and attacks to the wizard and those guarding her. Eoindeln covertly tried to help us, or at least not harm us in our attempts to battle the Manslayer’s guards. We quickly outmatched and started to realize how bad things were going for us. Majid tried to heal Galloway’s wounds, but they smoked and burned rather than healing. The onslaught became to much and Charles Galloway fell before the Manslayer. Just as the Manslayer was about to deliver the killing blow, Galloway shifted slightly and chose rather to fall to his death. Enraged, the Manslayer turned on us. I stepped forward to try to give the others enough time to grab the book and get out of the city. Rhuobhe looked down at me and said that my father would be happy to know I died fighting against the cause. The wounds from the Manslayer’s swords were like nothing I had encountered. It was as if I could feel my life ebbing from my body. As everyone else disappeared into the surrounding forest, I made a break for the edge of the woods. I knew that I would not be able to make it in time, but a parting arrow in my back knocked me into the cover of the forest were I was able to meet up with the group.

Wounded in both body and pride, we limped back to the army’s encampment. The rest of the men burned and looting in their retreat headless of their safety or ours. We arrived back to the encampment dodging questions from the senior staff. We met in Galloway’s tent and started to pour over the book we risked out lives for as well as Captain Galloway’s personal log and diary.

We looked to each other with a sense of sadness and apprehension.

Charles Galloway, famed mercenary captain,our employer and friend was dead.

What now?

We returned from our battle in the rat warren and were immediately ushered to a private audience with Galloway. None of wanted to talk about the disgusting rat king, which turned out to be a ugly tangle of dire rats of an Awnsheghlien or anything we faced. The battle was over and we were more than content to dream of the vast wealth we found in the warren and how we were going to spend it. Our dreams were cut short, however. The job I’d been dreading was now at our doorstep. With not one, but two employers, we were slated to engage the collected forces of the Manslayer and preemptively wipes of the threat of a legion Ghealles.

We do not have much time to prepare. The war machine is churning and the rest of the mercenaries have been making their last arrangements.

Fiara, I’m leaving this book with you in the hope that you will merely be safeguarding it for me while we are successful. Sometimes life doesn’t always work out the way we plan and sometimes life isn’t fair.

I’m leaving you my spare longsword and a map I stole from the rest of the group. The map and the coin that I found in the cabin where I met your father long ago might hold the answers you seek. You are a scion of Masela, you are Sidhelien, and most of all you are loved. Never for a moment doubt that you are not in control of your senses. You have always made me proud.

In the event I fall in battle, seek your grandmother and great-uncle in the Elvenmere and let them know what befell. They will help you and they love you as much as I do.

Sometimes I wonder if my father and I never got along because we were so alike and all my sins he saw himself commit. It was never you he hated. It was me. And I mean to bring Ceallach Aurethrin home. Whether I drag him home alive or dead is up to him.

Galloway had a job for us all right.

He’d been monitoring the elven migration to Rhuobhe and is hoping for work if the Manslayer is indeed making a move. The neighboring countries will surely want the army there to prevent a possible attack. The prospect of fighting a legion of gheallies does not sit well with me and I can tell the rest of the group is not thrilled by the idea either.

Galloway sent us north to where one of his insiders found to be the source of the wererats (conveniently on the northern route elves from Tuarhievel would use to get to Rhuobhe). This was supposedly the warren where all the rats were coming from.

Travel was swift and in no time we arrived at our destination no time. The warren was well guarded and tried to devise a clever plan to get in with little problem. Govannon tried some illusionary work, but either it wasn’t terribly convincing or they were ready for possible intruders. We resorted to our specialty: focused attacks on leaders and quick and brutal dispatching of lesser targets. Aside from some trouble with larger dire rats, we were able to disable the outside forces.

We moved inside, wasting very little time, hoping to catch the rats unaware of what had happened on the battlements. We were assaulted with swarm after swarm of vermin and their wererat controllers. Wave after wave, they came at us. We finally were able to clear our backfield and move farther into the warren. Already our resources were running thin and a sense of urgency is running through to the group. Get to the heart of the warren, kill the rat king, and get out alive. Quick thinking and a long hallway aided us to meet the rats in what we’ve loving termed as the “meat grinder” to keep our backs clear and focus at the waves coming toward us.

Our brief rest is almost over. I just hope we can outlast them…

There has been too much on my mind to properly put pen to paper.

We returned from the Mhor’s lands with little fanfare. We were tired and just happy to see familiar faces. Galloway allowed us some time to clean up from the road before we had our debriefing meeting. I admit, I was too tired to pay much attention and was distracted by my own want of a good bed and simple food..

Galloway allowed us to go about our business so long as we were reachable. He had plans for the army concerning the wererat problem, but we could take what little rest until then.

Govannon and Majid eagerly returned to Dumaire with their eye on claiming the source under the city. Kenrick was convinced to do more research on the possible cure to lycanthropy, but you could see in the way he held himself and the set of his jaw that he had other things on his mind that he would rather do.

Javiero was only too glad to leave again and do whatever posturing humans of noble birth are want to do.

Miri has some idea to take Jude along with her to the Southern coast, but for what I’m not sure. They traveled with Fiara and I briefly before we headed off to the Elvenmere.

Our return home was quiet. Fiara said little, but she could probably feel the tension radiating off of me. This trip home, I was going to find my father and give him a piece of my mind. Fiara would stay here in the safety of our people and he would except that or else.

My mother, the picture of grace and courtesy that she is, was crying when we got home. In my centuries of life, I have never seen her cry. Not when my father and I came to blows over Fiara. Not when I left home in anger. She would not tell me what was wrong an maintained that it was “only nothing”. I didn’t know what to do, but as upset as I was at my mother’s distress I asked where my father was so I could deal with him. She said that he had left for a bit and turned the conversation to more pleasant topics. She never did like to see us fight.

I left Fiara with my mother and checked in with my uncle Jaedenar at the training schools. The mood was subdued, which was unusual. When I asked about my mother, he looked very sad. I knew they were as close as two siblings could get, so I pressed him as to what was wrong. I was not prepared for the answer.

Rhuobhe Manslayer called the ghaellies home…and my father answered the call.

He was apparently not the only one to leave, but I could not get the picture of my father out of my mind. How could he do this? How could he do this to my mother?

Ceallach Aurethrin. Tall for an elf, with the same golden blond hair and intense green eyes that I had. The same set of jaw when we were angry. The same temper and unwillingness to back down. We were always so similar, I was just a younger version of my father. I was, until I had Fiara. I think that bothered him more than anything. I became an embarrassment and my daughter was an abomination in his eyes. We hated each other ever since.

I decided to clear my mind. I searched for the old cabin from when I first met him. I wish I knew his name, something I could attach to the gentle face from so many years ago. Years ago… he…he won’t look the same now. Fifteen years wasn’t so long for me, but what about him? The only thing I could find in the cabin was a small coin left forgotten under the bed. Otherwise the place had not been touched. Maybe he forgot about me.

With so much sadness and heartache, I think it was time to leave again. I asked Fiara to stay here with my mother, but she didn’t want to. It didn’t feel like home for her. I couldn’t really blame her, but I had hoped.

We met back up with the rest of the Six at the source and discussed our plans over dinner. We were attached by a squad of wererats while eating. I think people were more annoyed that the Shepard’s pie was ruined than us being attacked in our own sanctum. After a brief and blood battle, we had a handful of “volunteers” for Kenrick’s cure. Fiara, I was told, cut the wererat leader in half after performing some amazing feats of dexterity and brutality. I think she’s starting to manifest blood powers, but I can’t recall anyone in the family having the ability to do what Miri described as “Fiara be in battle rage, run though waters, rip rat in half and kill good.” Miri seemed proud but my poor daughter was terrified. I will have to try to find out how I can help her.

Unfortunately we’re expecting Galloway soon, and will probably be deployed on another mission.