Demons and Sins

The next morning most of the Army breaks camp and continues the ride north - some dozen of the engineers and carpenters stay back to begin constructing a waypost, in advance expectation of Drezen being retaken, so that Kenabres might send supplies.  The Army makes good time, reaching Villareth Ford in late afternoon, where the scouts report a small army of Tieflings and Dretches (a type of blob-demon) are camped.  Battle is Joined! In a makeshift prison, a good dozen crusaders are found, led by Kamilo Dann, a human mercenary.  "A mercenary, leading Paladins?"  asks the Army somewhat incredulously, but upon meeting her I am certain you, too, would offer to serve under Ms Dann - a more steely-eyed and capable soldier and commander would be difficult to find.  The cavaliers join the army, equipping themselves from the stores. The Paladins sustain no casualties, and only minor injuries; between Kendra, Sosiel, and the Paladins' ability to heal minor injuries, ev...

Sometimes, late at night, when all of the wine that there is to be drunk has completed its job and yet we are still unwilling to commit to slumber - sometimes it's a fun exercise to sit back and think about ways in which the world can end. No?  Maybe it is the philosophical bent that YHN finds himself curving towards that leads him to consider endings. Most Golarion scholars, when thinking about threats to the world, will include Rovagug, the God that slumbers at the center of the world, and Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, who is trapped beneath Gallowspire.  Some parallels between them, there - Rovagug who wishes to destroy all of creation, and Tar-Baphon, who wishes that all life become un-life; both trapped under the surface of Golarion, at great expense - and both unable to be destroyed outright, but could only be contained. Several people might also add the Dark Tapestry and the Elder Gods who live behind it, or the dark and unknown forces of the Fae, or of...

Let us check back with an old friend, gentle readers - Kand the Wizard, who traveled briefly with Our Heroes in Sandpoint but left to seek his dwarven fortune as a Thassilonian Scholar in the city of Magnimar. Do you remember Kand the Wizard?  I'll give you some time to read back in our Missive.  Your Humble Narrator will wait here for your return. There!  Now we are all together in our Journey along with The Heroes, yes? Kand did some work with Lyrie Akenja.... oh, dear.  Yes, We'll wait again. No - it was AFTER the Glassworks.  Lyrie was the researcher in Thistletop.  With the cat familiar!  Yes that's correct.  It's fine to take another pause, yes - being the written word you can just pick back up with this once you're done. Okay?  Okay.  Lyrie had a friend Orik - no, wait!  He was just a mercenary that fell in with Lyrie.  You don't need to... oh, well - yes, I see.  Fine. ... ... ... Okay?  Okay...

Our Heroes return to Turtleback Ferry, where they are hailed as heroes, yet again.  Another day, another town saved: "Yes, thank you, I'll accept your free drinks and lodging, sorry about looting those mansions, all in a days hero-ing work, don't you know." Then it's off to Fort Rannick, albeit somewhat resignedly.  "Can't anyone solve their own problems?  Ah, well - another day, another fort overrun by ogres and a Lamia Matriarch.  Ho-hum." Your Humble Narrator must apologize, at this point.  The flood in Turtleback Ferry ruined a mahogany table that YHN inherited from his great Aunt, in which he had stored the second draft of his manuscript: "Narrators: The True Heroism in the Heroic Journey".  YHN had been told by over two people who read it - one of which is in the publishing industry - that it truly was an epic work of journalism and research, and was likely destined to be considered a defining work of our generation.  So please fi...