Intermission: Trelor's Journal

5 Alin, 7392 AC

Today was boring. Mal finally asked Brilla to the springtime dance. Goody for him. Reminder to tease him later.

Farm’s fine. Mom and Dad are fine. Jelinna’s stupid. She didn’t want to help me clean out the horse poop from the stables so Dad’s going to make her do it without any help tomorrow. That would be funnier if I hadn’t done most of it already. DuMb SiStEr.

Some orcs came to the edge of the farm today. Begging for food again. Dad ran them off. He’s sending a letter to Lord Mannon tomorrow to talk about getting fencing set up to help keep them out. They smell, and they steal, and they’re even more useless than Jelinna. I hate them.

I can’t wait until I’m old enough to ask someone to the springtime dance.

18 Alin, 7392 AC

The dance was hilarious! Mal spilled a drink on Brilla so she picked up the whole bowl and dumped it on his head! Reminder not to tease him for a few days.

Lord Mannon’s sent a bunch of workers to help put up a good fence around our farm. Let’s see the dumb orcs try and get in now! He’s even had a couple of armoured soldiers patrolling to keep us safe while the workers build. A few orcs came around again today but they kept their distance. I could see them muttering to themselves from afar. Dummies.

Dad sent a great shipment north to Tezef today. He says there’ll be enough money this month that he’ll buy me that telescope I’ve been wanting forever. I want to see every little detail of the skyglyph! ExCiTiNg!

12 Lora, 7392 AC

The fence has been finished for a couple of weeks. We haven’t seen any orcs in a long time. Dad’s never been so happy.

Mom says she was at market today and some men in white-and-blue cloaks were talking about the Maker and about how they wanted to change the world for the Maker’s glory. I love the Maker but I like the world the way it is… especially now that the orcs can’t get close to the farm. I know the orcs are still fighting some of Lord Mannon’s soldiers near Ushad but I still feel safe.

Maybe one day we’ll be lucky and Lord Mannon’s soldiers will kill them all! I wonder if I should join them when I grow up… HmMmMm…

19 Salea, 7392 AC

The last of the harvest came in today. The orcs seemed to have stopped attacking the fence; Lord Mannon’s troops ran them off... looks like for good this time.

Jelinna’s been batting her eyelashes at the boy from the general store down the road. As if! He’s like a million years older than she is. She buys honey candies called Li’l Stingers from him whenever she has pocket change.

Dad seems a little more relaxed now that the last of the food is secured in the storehouse and the rest is shipping off to Siraj. The last payment for the year will come in and he’ll be able to enjoy the winter months in peace.

Next year I’ll be old enough to apply as a cadet for Lord Mannon’s troops…

1 Silium, 7393 AC

The snow is beginning to melt. I spoke to a nice man today about signing up for the troops, and he said he’d talk about it with Mom and Dad. I hope they aren’t jerks about this. I know Dad wants me to run the farm but I’d rather protect Ushad from the orcs in the outskirts and make sure everyone else’s farms are safe, too. Why can’t he understand that we don’t all have to be farmers?!

Those weird white-and-blue people were harassing Mom at the market today. They were saying how the Maker wanted this to be a “land of law” and that we could never have that with the orcs attacking every day. I mean, right? That’s why we kill them when they get close. But the Elyde – that’s the weird blue-and-white people – the Elyde think we should make a place for them in our cities. Yeah, right! Maybe if they stop stealing first.

I hope I get into the troops…

5 Silium, 7393 AC

Dad flipped his lid. The man I spoke to came to talk to him about my wanting to join Lord Mannon’s soldiers and Dad threw him out of the house. He locked me in my room and told me to think about what it means to be a farmer. How can he even think that after what the orcs did to Brilla last week?!

This is my last entry here. I’m going to tie my sheets together and run for the recruitment center. Sorry, Dad. I’m going to be a man now.

5 Silium, 7393 AC

I made it. Signed up and everything. I told them Dad had a change of heart and gave me permission and by the time they check I’ll be all official and then there’s no going back. The officers are getting my application signed by the local nobleman while I write this.

Hope I don’t get caught while they have it signe

5 Silium, 7393 AC

Okay so it turns out they check with your parents after all.

17 Tholin, 7393 AC

Jelinna is dead.

She was working in the fields when some orcs brought the fence down. They ran in to steal as much as they could. She saw them and we think she started shouting to get someone’s attention. One of the orcs hit her to keep her quiet. He got her in the head and she didn’t

I managed to convince Dad to let me enlist. I don’t want this for anyone else

I’m sorry Jelinna

18 Alrai, 7397 AC

I have passed. My name is now First Soldier Trelor Hanbeck. I am authorized to patrol Ushad and to kill on sight any orcs that trespass within the city in the name of Lord Mannon. I have named my thin sword Stinger in honour of my sister, both for the candies she loved and for what she left on my arm whenever she cracked her swimming towel at me.

I’ll protect everything for you, Jelinna.

3 Salea, 7397 AC

I killed my first orc today.

He was attacking a little boy and his dog near the edges of town. The boy was hauling a cart of wheat. The orc must have noticed him and thought he could take it before anyone caught him. He was wrong.

Stinger is but a thin sword, but its point is sharp and it is an effective weapon, particularly against an unarmed bastard. First I rendered his right leg helpless so he couldn’t run. Then I gave him ten seconds to get away from me or I threatened to finish him.

He didn’t get very far.

Jelinna, I almost felt bad, but then I remembered what they did to you, and what they did Brilla. I won’t feel that weakness again.

6 Nuvea, 7398AC

It’s been over a year since I began patrolling the streets, and I almost feel like I need to begin watching for more than just orcs. The blue-and-white Elydes are becoming more numerous. They preach their bastardized version of the Maker’s tale nightly on the street corners, and last week I swear I saw two of them talking to an orc in the shadows of the hills outside the city. I have mentioned this to Lord Mannon but he seems unconcerned.

I suppose this makes a certain amount of sense. He lives in the mansion by the river. It has thick walls and security. He need not venture into the city to see the orcs attack our people, or worry over the twister words of the Elyde. This doesn’t affect him. Yet.

I will gather evidence. I will be patient. I will wait. And If the Elyde are conspiring with those murderous orcs, I will bring them all down.

11 Lora, 7404 AC

Siraj is fallen.

The Elyde have spent years weaving their way into every city and town in Iquai. They got close to every nobleman, every lord, from Tezef to Siraj, itself. My warnings fell on deaf ears. No one believed any civilized folk would conspire against the crown with orcs. But they did.

The Elyde armed and organized the orcs in every major city, every tiny hamlet, coast to coast. They must have been planning for this week, because two days ago they attacked. The orcs were always fiendishly strong and brutish when unarmed, but with access to smelted metal weapon and armour, they were overwhelming. They crushed on-duty security and killed Lord Mannon, as well as his Lady and children. From what we hear of travelers, who arrive in Ushad searching for a safe city, this has happened elsewhere. Saloria. Tezef. Westbridge.

Even now the Elyde are pronouncing the death of King Rodric and his whole extended family in Siraj. They are appointing themselves custodians of Divine Law and pronouncing the Maker’s will to be that of their own. The orcs are to be their forceful security hand. I have looked at my badge numerous times today. What it means will change with this. And I couldn’t stop it.

Jelinna, I’m so sorry. I never stopped being powerless.

Hiram, Samson, and Linea have decided that any resistance to the orcs must be done from underground. Linea merely wishes to help those who the orcs have harmed, but I think Hiram and maybe Samson are willing to push things a little further. I admit fully to having no idea what to do.

7 Tholary, 7406 AC

I am writing this entry on behalf of its owner, Trelor Hanbeck. He died today, bravely fighting off a trio of orcs who were abusing a mother and her young girl. The girl wanted to buy some honey sweets but of course they didn’t have the money for it. The mother tried to steal few for her but was caught. Trelor went off on the orcs when they hit the girl in the head. The mother managed to gather her child and run while Trelor held them back. He died for his bravery.

Trelor, I will always remember your courage and your willingness to do what’s right. I’ll make sure your spirit and your morality is passed on to my little Minerva