Oleg Semonov - Bio and Journal

[*Protoss119]

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Name: Oleg Semonov
Titles: Honored Brother of the Holy Order of Russ, Župan of Kolegrad and Sovece (local; these titles have no in-game function whatsoever and are just background fluff)
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 25
Profession: Paladin, landed noble
Languages: Common
Accent: Nordic


Physical Information:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: ~190 lbs
Body build: Broad-shouldered, muscled
Hair style: Small ponytail, with two braided locks on each side of his forehead; long mustache and sideburns
Scars: One long scar on his chest and his back
    Coloring:

• Hair: Dark-brown
• Eyes: Hazel
• Skin: Fair coloration

Mental Information:
Alignment: Lawful Good
Philosophy: "Your honor is your life - let none dispute it.  Serve the cause of honor and justice in all things.  Defend the innocent and rule your subjects well."
Deity/Beliefs: All of the Aesir, but Rurik above all (see below)
    Personality:

• Honorable - Like many from Midgard, honor is at the core of Oleg's being.  For Oleg, this is compounded by the code of conduct he follows as a paladin of the Holy Order of Russ.  He considers poison, assassination, and mental manipulation to be the tools of cowards, and is likely to take issue with those who partake in such actions, labeling them nidings.  In addition, he will not tolerate the torture and killing of prisoners of war, instead opting to either hold them for ransom or, if their crime is particularly heinous, try them before a court of law.  Above all, he will not conscience the deaths of the innocent.
• Honest - Going hand-in-hand with his code of honor, Oleg is honest in his dealings with others.  When in a position to provide hospitality, he does his best to let no harm come to his guests.  When he gives his word, he will not break it.  However, when negotiating with hostiles, although he will not tell an outright lie, he is not above exaggeration and half-truths.  To deceive a foe is acceptable in warfare; to give one's word in bad faith is not.
• Proud - Although not (consciously) arrogant or condescending, Oleg takes considerable pride in his station and his membership in the Holy Order and considers some actions beneath him.  Most of the time, this goes hand-in-hand with his honor, but other times it finds expression as self-righteousness or an unwillingness to perform actions he considers "unmanly".  When not in battle and not among friends, he maintains a stately, stony demeanor; with friends in private, he is considerably more relaxed and emotional.
• Diplomatic - Oleg glories in battle, but when faced with a conflict, it is not his first instinct to draw steel unless the other party should draw it first, or in a combat situation.  His experience in statecraft lends him a calm and steady demeanor and a strategic outlook when negotiating with others.
• Studious - Oleg is an avid reader, and eagerly devours any book knowledge that comes his way.  He is particularly fond of histories, sagas both fictional and historical, theological texts, and anything concerning warfare, and applies the lessons therein to his governance and his life in general.
• Vengeful - When honor is slighted, Oleg does not forget or forgive.  He will pursue enemies who have shamed him relentlessly and offer no quarter.  Allies who have wronged him will be shunned until they have fought him in the holmgang, a non-lethal duel, whereupon he considers the matter settled, whether he wins or loses.

Additional Information:

Gear: Oleg is a veritable walking arsenal, with three different swords, a mace, a long seax, a bow, and a blunderbuss all on his person.  He goes into battle wearing heavy lamellar armor and carrying a tear-shaped kite shield with a golden tryzub on a light-blue background painted onto it.  He wears a wool cloak dyed red, with a wolf pelt draped across the shoulders and a white valknut painted onto the back of the cloak.  His spectacle helmet has two opaque lenses in each spectacle, and an Aegishjalmur is carved onto the front.  Outside of combat, he wears a red tunic of either cloth or troll-skin, and sometimes a golden circlet or a pair of laurels.
Jewelry: Two wooden pendants - one a mjolnir hammer and the other a shield with a yellow tryzub painted on a light-blue surface - hang around his neck and act as his holy symbols.  In addition, he almost always wears a golden sphere amulet around his neck, as well as another, silver holy symbol depicting seven stars surrounding a pair of eyes, that of Selune.
Habbits/hobbies: Oleg is an avid collector of maps, and studies them as thoroughly as he would a book.  He is also known to play hnefatafl, a board game similar to chess.
General Health: In rude health
Favorite Drink: Oleg usually drinks mead, but always abstemiously.

Oleg worships a homebrew deity native to his culture:

Rurik
Lesser Deity
Symbol: A golden Tryzub on a light-blue shield
Home Plane: Ysgard
Alignment: Lawful Good
Worshippers: The Russ, barbarians, fighters, paladins, leaders, nobility
Portfolio: War, conquest, leadership, justice, honor
Clergy Alignments: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Good, Law, Nobility, Protection, War
Favored Weapon: Longsword
 
Rurik is the god of those native to the Lands of the Russ, and it is from him that the Russ take their identity.  Before his coming, the petty princes of those lands waged war with one another and ruled without honor or wisdom.  One evening, on the edge of total anarchy and civil war following the death of their Grand Prince, the town of Durzino invited a young warrior from Nordheim, Rurik, to lead them.
 
It took time for Rurik to grow accustomed to Durzino's ways, but within five years, he had transformed the struggling town into a mighty city and won the adoration of its citizens.  He led the city's soldiers on a war of conquest against the other princes and united the Lands of Russ under his just rule.  When the wars were finally over, he proclaimed himself King of All Russ and formed the Holy Order of Russ from his surviving companions; they would be the King's bodyguards and his agents of law and justice.
 
Rurik ruled well into his old age, and the Valkyries came to bring him to Ysgard in his 87th year of life.  At that moment, he suddenly bolted from his deathbed and fled them with all the speed of his youth.  Though he ran across the breadth of his lands, he could not escape the Valkyries and he was brought to Ysgard.  The council of the Aesir, however, invited him into their ranks - perhaps out of Odin's amusement at the chase, perhaps because they had seen the despair of Rurik's people at his passing, or perhaps because the Norns had destined it at his birth.
 
Dogma
 
Rurik values shrewd, conscientious leadership.  He demands that his followers go out of their way to lead - to provide direction where men are listless, to mediate and reconcile where others are divided, and to provide and uphold a common law where communities are mired in unrest and anarchy.  That said, there is no dishonor in following another, provided his rule is just.
 
A leader's first duty is to his people, else he is no leader at all.  As such, the responsibilities of his station come before all other pursuits, and he must be ready to sacrifice his own comfort for the well-being of his people if the situation requires it.  Those responsibilities include the meting of justice and the defense of the community.
 
Conquest to expand the breadth of one's borders is optional, and war in the defense of the community and all that is just and good is rewarding for the spirit and brings great honor, but a leader had best ensure his people are prepared for the burden of war, and that he is able to provide for any new peoples who fall under his dominion.
 
Clergy & Temples
 
Rurik's followers are the nation of Russ, and as such, the line between public officials and clergymen is blurred in the Lands of Russ.  Kings come and go, and so too do their decrees, but the laws and institutions created by Rurik are venerated and have lasted to the present day.
 
One such institution is the Holy Order of Russ.  Originally created to guard Rurik's person and enforce the laws when he became King, they have expanded their mandate to fighting evil and injustice in general.  Paladins of the Order have been known to travel across Midgard to that end, righting wrongs, vanquishing evils, and forging their own legends as rulers.
 
Outside the Lands of Russ, however, Rurik is not well known.  A few "missionary expeditions" which behave akin to traditional temples exist in the more civilized towns and cities of Ruovellir, and Russ living elsewhere worship Rurik in private.
 
Despite being a god of law, justice, and war, Rurik is not particularly strict.  He does not enforce a rigid chain of command amongst his worshippers - as a mortal, he allowed the Veches of every town, village, and city to choose their own leaders after he conquered them, and the Holy Order of Russ "officially" counts each member as an equal, although older and more prestigious members might hold more influence - and he does not forbid drink, sex, and other leisurely activities within reason and as the law allows.  Indeed, he encourages his followers to win land for themselves and their followers.  However, indulgences at the expense of the people's welfare will summon his wrath.

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov

Before you is the journal of Honored Brother


Олег Семонов

of the Holy Order of Russ.  This is his property and all others are advised to return it to him if found, and not to peruse its pages without his leave.

(Behind the cover page are several maps, each with annotations in the margins)

Russ, my home.  I am sworn to defend these lands, where the law is equal and just and each man is free except for the fealty he owes his liege.  There are no thralls here; Rurik's defiance of Heimdall, no doubt.  Locations of note include Kelisetr, which was the staging ground of a Nordheimer warlord who thought to use it as a base to raid the mainland and was forced to bend the knee to the King when he was discovered before he could launch a single attack, and Koschei's Redoubt, home to the ancient lich Koschei "the Deathless".  Koschei came into being hundreds of years ago.  He looks old - older than the oldest wiseman I have ever seen, yet able to lift a sword as though he were in his prime.  He hid his soul inside a needle, inside an egg, inside a duck, inside a rabbit, inside a golden chest.  With his newfound immortality, he attempted to conquer the lands of Russ, but a warrior named Ivan of Lenusa destroyed his phylactery anyhow, and he sued for peace and bent the knee.  He has been a "wild card" ever since, sometimes helping, other times resisting the rule of Russ.  Only the larger geopolitical concerns prevent me and my brothers from destroying him for good.

Ruovellir is home to the most powerful and most advanced kingdom in the known world.  Their industries are second to none, their armies clad to a man in heavy plate, and many of their soldiers man cannons or carry handgonnes.  This kingdom is older even than Russ, with the Nordheimer warrior Ruo having conquered it long ago.  Its capital, Ruoberg, has never been taken by force of arms.  It is also the most diverse in its populations - men, halflings, alfar, and even some orcs live there.

The Eldfjall mountain is home to dwarves who have been known to trade with man and forge items for the gods themselves, but distrust both and are keen to sense betrayal in any action.

Not much to say about the isle of Arnheim, but Augaturn Tower plays host to a cabal of Seidrmen - wizards - dedicated to knowledge and learning.  Perhaps once upon a time, I, like many, might have called them unmanly for it, but...Sigil has a way of erasing the old prejudices.  And there is no doubting their power.

The Jomsborg is home to the Jomsvikings, heavily-armored mercenaries, and the most fearsome raiders in the known world.  Other vikings from Nordheim will raid out of necessity or a desire to get rich, and concentrate their aggression on small villages whose people cannot resist them.  The Jomsvikings will raid any target, anywhere, no matter the opposition, for the sake of proving their mettle and the worth of the "old ways".  They are as like to slay a terrible monster as they are to enact a slaughter of the innocent.  I do not treat with them!

Nordheim is home to the oldest peoples and the oldest ways.  There is no king that unites all of Nordheim, although many have tried.  It is best to understand Nordheim in terms of clans, families, personalities, not sovereign kingdoms.  Most vikings come from here, but the peoples of Nordheim are not intrinsically hostile to outsiders, and I have treated with them many times.  The only exceptions to that are the Orgeffberg, a fortress belonging to a powerful vampire lord, and Uruk-Goroth, an orc fortress whose inhabitants are hostile.  The orcs of Uruk-Goroth are fairly typical - they are heavily-armored and warlike, but not particularly creative.  They treasure iron as much as man treasures geld, and have fought the Nordheimers for it.

Aldaland is a warzone - once long ago, they had one king, but now there are many petty kings who vie for an empty throne, as their ancestors did before them.  It is the mercenary's paradise - a viking who raids a village may soon find himself in the employ of an Aldalander nobleman - and the alf's playground.

It was thought that the alfar were part of the fair folk - fairies, nymphs, and the like - but since coming to Sigil, I have been reevaluating that assumption.  Certainly they seem to accompany the fair folk, here in Midgard.  Those following the Seelie live in Nordalfskogur, and those who follow the Unseelie congregate in Sudalfskogur, known by most as the Bower of Bliss.  Neither of the fey courts are friends of man, but the Unseelie are markedly more cruel in their interactions.  Still, neither demonstrate much care for the lives, feelings, and property of those they annoy.

Many have noted that the alfar command far more influence in Midgard than they could possibly project from these two small islands, and have thusly asked - where are they all coming from?!  Many brave warriors have launched expeditions to the Bower of Bliss to find out.  None survived.

For all that, there are still plenty of alfar - particularly in Ruovellir, but there are a few alf communities in Russ as well - who live side-by-side with man and worship the Aesir, Frey in particular.

Batmyrtur is another dwarf fortress, this one long abandoned.  Some say a terrible calamity befell it, and the dwarves were possessed by a murderous megalomania.  Perhaps I might find out one day...

Karlingheim is home to the Karlings, a civilization much like Russ...some of the time.  Like Russ, it was united by a mighty warrior and leader, Karl Magnus, who declared himself High King and fashioned the identity of the Karlings.  Like the later kings of Russ, he forged a controversial alliance, this one with the orcs of Uruk-Gorkil, who provided him and his army mighty weapons and armor - rather less controversial than the subordination of Koschei.  Unlike Rurik, Karl Magnus had many children, and his lands were divided among his sons after his death - and so did Karlingheim descend into civil war as the separate kingdoms laid claim to the crown of their father.  This always happens.  You would think that they would have found a better means of succession by now.

When the Karlings are united, they are able to rival Russ in power, and have opposed us many times.  When they are divided, as they so often are, they are irrelevant.  Unfortunately, the former is currently the case.  The current High King, Leufroy IV, came to power after slaying his brother, who was assisted to the throne by the previous king of Russ in an attempt to head off a rival.  Now our current king is suffering the consequences.

West of Ruovellir are these islands.  Sturmeyja was settled long ago, first by colonists from Ruovellir, and then not long after by Nordheimers.  The two halves have been fighting ever since.  No amount of intermarriage will change the fact that there is no sense of unity or common identity between the two groups.

I am not sure how to describe the people of the Isle of Skona.  They are not colonists or descendants of colonists.  They mostly keep to themselves, and their heavily-forested island dictates the way in which they fight - they are lightly-armored or even bare-chested, usually carrying javelins, setting traps and ambushes instead of fighting openly as a true warrior should.  The men of Skonavik are open to trade, but I find they don't have much to offer me.

Kraken's Doom is a monument to folly - long ago, its founder, Hrolf Krakendoom carved the entire keep out of the side of a mountain to prove to the gods that he could match them in skill.  As a work of craftsmanship, it is very impressive; as a keep, it is defensible; but as a land holding, it is very poor.  There are no farmers here; all who live in Kraken's Doom are either warriors, sailors, fishermen, or all three.  All they have to trade is fish.

Roughly southwest of Ruovellir are the Borkriklif Mountains.  The mountains are a popular target for raids by both orcs - who stand in contrast from most other orcs by being willing to trade - and vikings wishing to test their mettle against the mindflayers, who live in a great underground society beneath them.  They are fearsome foes individually, but my understanding is that they have been torn apart by internecine struggle.  Small wonder why man and orc alike are so willing to challenge them; they sense weakness.

With that in mind, I was actually rather surprised to learn that the mindflayers were such a terrible threat elsewhere in the multiverse.  Here, at least, the threat of the mindflayers is well-contained.

When Ragnarök finally arrives, it is said that Loki shall take the field with all of Hel's people - the living dead.  Hel has her own realm of Niflheim, which I now know to be in the Gray Wastes - yet here, in what men have named Daudaeyja, the dead are amassed under the rule of the "death kings", liches, draugar, and other powerful undead devoted to Hel.  They have even been known to sail from this island in rotting keels to raid villages in death as they did in life.  I am not certain of their relationship with the various vampire lords, such as the one who rules Orgeffberg in Nordheim; I would imagine they are allies, being Hel's people.  Some have said that Daudaeyja is the "staging ground" for Loki's invasion of Midgard, come Ragnarök.  I could not say.

Regardless, the prospect of taking the fight to the enemies of the gods inspires more pious warriors to raid the island; this current map is essentially stitched together from those of multiple expeditions to the island, and even then, there is much we do not know.  Among the most infamous are the Blood Knights of Odin.  Hailing from Aurnes and other parts of Ruovellir, these knights, with their winged and horned great-helms, commit their lives to defending Midgard from the monstrous, playing host to paladins in a very similar fashion to the Holy Order of Russ.  But where Russ's bogatyrs are dedicated to defending our people and ruling well, the order of the Blood Knights have acquired a taste for conquest and have become far more ruthless as a result, reflecting all the evil of good.  At times, there is little separating their actions from those of the Jomsvikings.  Even Russ has been a victim of their campaigns of aggression, up until they were defeated on the ice by the forces of Oleksander I.

More often, their aggression is taken out on the neighboring islands, whose natives are similar to those of the Isle of Skona in their methods - a necessity, given the heavy armor and martial training of their foes.  Sometimes they band together to defeat the forces of Hel, but if this should result in a lasting alliance, I will be pleasantly surprised.

East of Ruovellir is Elgeyja, whose people are besieged by monsters, vikings, and each other.  It is good, then, that the Brotherhood of Eikthyrnir, a monster-hunting order of paladins like us, make their home there, in the fortress of Eikarvikir.  They draw their members from the isle's greatest and most honorable warriors, almost exclusively wielding spears and throwing axes - the latter being a custom adopted from the Karlings, surprisingly.  They are an odd bunch.  They demonstrate power over thunder and lightning, which would lead me to associate them with Thor, but I do not see a warhammer among them besides the mjolnir pendants all pious men of Midgard wear.  The brotherhood is loosely organized, and its members are expected to abandon the grudges they had against their fellows to better serve the realm.  Such grudges are hard to forget, however, and the Brotherhood has been ripped apart by old feuds coming to life more than once in its history.

Nonetheless, their presence is welcome, for just across from Elgeyja is the fabled Jarnvidr, the home of trolls, freakish jotnarr, giant wolves, huldrekall and huldres alike, and other such monsters, all sired by the jotuness Angrboda.  In the oldest times, before the people of Nordheim had even begun to explore the world in their longships, these monsters made their way across the world, though I could not say how.  They pour from that benighted forest still, and a man who goes there shall know no rest - he shall be constantly assailed by its inhabitants, attacked in mind and body.  In fact, the island Jarnvidr was situated on was thought to be in another world, "east of Midgard".  Since I have begun exploring the planes, I have begun to consider that the Jarnvidr situated in Midgard may not be the true Jarnvidr - but if it weren't, I do not know where to begin to find the real one.  All of these monsters must come from somewhere, after all.

[*Protoss119]

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

A wayfarer should not walk unarmed,
But have his weapons to hand;
He knows not when he may need a spear,
Or what menace meet on the road.

Those were Odin's words, passed to man in the earliest days, and repeated by the vitki and gothi of ancient times - the Hávamál, the sayings of the high one, were repeated from age to age, up until man learned how to write.  Now Ruoling printing presses produce Odin's words by the shovel-full, preserved in immortality and trivialized at the same time.  Maybe I would have scoffed at such a thing once - the words of the Allfather, reduced to rote! - but I have sailed into the stars now, and find constant need for them.

I am Oleg Semonov of the Holy Order of Russ.  At home, I am župan of Kolegrad and Sovece, but I very quickly learned that such titles hold no weight in the City of Doors.  Just as well.  I keep my business as ruler and as adventurer separate.  Outside of Midgard, I am just a paladin, as the Karlings call them - no more, no less.  I have finally decided to make use of this journal, years after it was given to me.  Are you happy now, Andrei?

I have been in the service of the Holy Order for over a decade.  I was taken into the service of Rogvolod the Seer when I was 14 years of age.  I was known to my peers and kinsmen as fairly strong, honest, and kind, but I do not know if these characteristics alone were responsible for my acceptance.  My origins were low; Papa Yaroslav was the owner of a cattle ranch.  I have three brothers by blood: Vladimir, the oldest; Andrei, the second youngest; and Yaropolk, the youngest.  Vladimir went off to become a viking shortly before I was accepted into the order; I've not heard from him since.  Andrei still works at Papa's ranch.  When I was given Kolegrad, I offered for my family to join me there, but Papa's stubborn, and in any case doesn't want to be left with nothing in case something should befall me; Andrei takes after him.  Yaropolk is the only one who stays with me at court.

My low origins are important because most of the time, the Order prefers to recruit from the nobility.  Noble sons are already fairly well-educated, well-fed, and may even have some early combat training.  At the time, I was flush with excitement, and Mama and Papa were proud, but Babushka was the only one who expressed doubts and suspicion over it.  Taking all of these factors into account, I can somewhat see why.  Rogvolod is called "the Seer" because he has a tendency to take actions which are seemingly nonsensical, but which pay great dividends later in time.  As such, some suspect that he is able to see the future.  To me, he is certainly well-read and possesses a great strategic sense, but even I cannot guess what led him to offer me a place in the Holy Order.

Nonetheless, I accepted his offer, and served as his kertilsvein - his "candle-man", equivalent to an Aurnesian squire - for two years.  During that time, Rogvolod taught me the ways of war, of tactics and strategy, of leadership, all while I fought by his side and maintained his armor and weapons and tended to his horse and his vast collection of books.  At 16 years of age, I was brought before King Ivan III and dubbed a bogatyr - a full and independent knight - of the Holy Order.  Then I wandered Midgard for four years, serving the cause of honor and justice and bringing glory to my name.  I must have inherited Rogvolod's hunger for book-knowledge, for I found myself building a similar collection of histories and sagas and battle manuals.  At 20 years of age, I was brought before the current King, Ivan Kasmir, and created župan - roughly equivalent to a baron - and given the castle of Kolegrad and the village of Sovece to rule and defend.

As for why I continually switch from Russ to Aurnesian terms, it is because there is some similarity between the ranks in both kingdoms, and it is also mostly for the benefit of outside readers.  Like Jaeyna.  Jaeyna, if you're reading this, please stop reading this.  Unless I gave you my leave, in which case, please continue reading this.  Or don't.  Whatever.  If I haven't told you all of these things already, I soon will.

Kolegrad is a stone keep surrounded by a small castle town, with a wooden palisade around it and many watchtowers.  I am still in the process of building a vast library in its walls; at present, it is merely respectable.  The previous owners seem to have been fond of tapestries and banners, for I have found many draped upon its walls.  There is little to say about Sovece, either, except that like many villages, it elects its own posadnik, or mayor, at the village Veche, roughly equivalent to a Nordheim thing.  It is my duty to protect them, and to work with the posadnik towards the prosperity of the village, and it is their duty to offer me taxes and military service if the situation calls for it.  I have kept their taxes in a chest in Kolegrad, one that I keep separate from my personal finances, one whose coin shall go to the development and maintenance of Kolegrad and Sovece and to that end alone.  In the meantime, I sometimes - in fact, somewhat often - continue adventuring and leave the rulership of my domains to my steward, Yekaterina.

So it was for 5 years.  My discovery of Sigil was fairly recent.  We were holding a blót, a sacrifice to the gods, in Sovece when I was informed that a band of vikings was approaching in arms.  I quickly devised a plan to lead the villagers to the nearby Odinnseyja Cave and allow huntmaster Pavel to stage an ambush in the village.  While we were hiding there, a young boy had evidently taken the eye of the horse that we sacrificed to the gods.  When he turned back up, in an apparent panic, he told us that he had approached a part of the cave, and an oval of bright, golden light came into being.  When he ran off, it disappeared.  At first, I thought the boy had lost his mind.  Nothing happened when I approached.  It was only after he approached, with the horse's eye in hand, that the oval appeared again.

I stuck my sword into it.  Nothing happened.  I stuck my arm into it.  Nothing happened.  I stuck my head into it...and was greeted by the sight of a vast city, larger and grander than Samarno or Ruoberg or anywhere else, and strange men and women of all shapes and sizes walking the streets.  In shock, I pulled back.  I held onto the horse's eye, and went back to Sovece after ensuring my people were safe.  The ambush, at least, was a success, and we routed the vikings without suffering any losses of our own, in life or in property.  I hurried to Samarno to report to the King the finding of this portal - at least, I assumed it was a portal at the time, for everything seemed quite real when I stuck my head into it, despite the strangeness of it all.  He bid me explore what lies beyond and carry out the work of Rurik there, and so I have for the last year or so.

My adventures in the planes and primes must wait for another time.  Instead, I will take this time to explain my absence from Sigil for the past few months.  There exists a group of horse nomads in Russ known as the Chmiel peoples.  They were native to Karlingheim for centuries until just three years ago, when Leufroy IV defeated them once and for all at Onnenbach.  The Chmiel peoples fled across the sea, and into the lands of Russ, south of Marna.  The boyar of Vidna Castle, Malk Visnok, offered them amnesty and shelter, but not out of the kindness of his heart.  Instead, he meant to exploit their labor and their arms, and so he did for the next three years, beyond the eyes of my brothers.  Just three months ago, however, the Khan of the Chmiel peoples, Bohdan Manastar, rebelled against the authority of boyar Visnok and appealed to the King for justice.  He captured Vidna Castle and Tatrina, forcing boyar Visnok to flee to Samarno, and put Marna to siege.  In response, the nation of Russ, myself included, was called to arms.  I raised the leidang in Sovece and brought my druzhina, my personal guard, to the muster.  It was a hard thing, calling Sovece's young men to arms, and without my druzhina, Kolegrad and Sovece would be ill-defended.

Then as I met with my brothers and my peers for the muster, I received word that Koschei the Deathless had pledged an army of the living dead to our cause.  None of my brothers, myself included, were happy at the news.  We were even less happy to hear that not only had Marna surrendered to Manastar, they had pledged fealty to him as well, citing our "use of the living dead" and our "alliance with Hel" as the impetus behind their decision.  As though we had welcomed Koschei with open arms!  I suspect that he offered his "assistance" with this result in mind, hoping that the nation of Russ would become divided against itself by a seemingly innocuous action.

I did not actually stay in the campaign for very long.  To make a long story short, we recaptured Marna.  On account of its duplicity and treason, the King's vengeance was great, and the city was thoroughly sacked.  I cannot imagine that I would be very forgiving towards those who broke an oath to me, but to slaughter and plunder civilians?  And your fellow Russ, no less?  I could see that there was nothing just or honorable about the conduct of this war, and I raised my objections both to my King and to my brothers.  He would hear none of it.  All who would call themselves Russ and give false fealty to the King were outlaws, and would be treated as criminals, not as warriors.  Angrily, I quit the campaign and brought my forces home.  By the letter of the law, I had done my bit for my King, anyhow.  I was not alone in my objections; some of my brothers in the Holy Order felt the same way, and they joined me in quitting the campaign when I did.

Owing to the brevity of my part in the campaign, the leidang returned to their homes with very few losses and my druzhinniki returned to their duties.  We were fortunate that there were no attacks on the village or the castle while I was away.  In any case, it does not seem like the rebellion will reach Kolegrad or Sovece any time soon.  Now I turn my attention back to Sigil and the planes.  I strengthen myself for the trials ahead.

This whole episode has driven me to reflection.  I was directed by my King to explore Sigil and the planes and to serve the cause of Rurik - a broad mandate, and with very few parameters.  I have made close friends beyond Midgard, but none of my exploits are known to my brothers - indeed, no tale of my deeds and discoveries makes it past the walls of Kolegrad - and I wonder how soon it will be before my King begins questioning the value of my explorations.  He will want to see definite advantages to exploring the cosmos, something that can be used to guarantee the security and independence of Russ.  We are surrounded by rivals.  Although Ivan III was a great warrior king, his successes came at our neighbors' expense, and we may be feeling their wrath soon.

I fear that I am on thin ice.  I most likely am on thin ice as a result of my altercations with the King.  I need something to demonstrate the value of what I am doing.  But I have friends out there, and I owe them my loyalty, too - unconditionally.  I must do my duty - to whom? - or else be unworthy of - what?  My possessions?  Or my friends?  A leader's first duty is to his people, else he is no leader at all.  Through all of this, I have successfully defended my people from all comers and improved their livelihoods.  Do they need further assistance?  Or is it time for me to move on?

I have decisions to make.  In the coming days, I shall decide where I stand.  But for now...

Foolish is he who frets at night,
And lies awake to worry
A weary man when morning comes,
He finds all as bad as before.

[*Protoss119]

Notice from the Župan of Kolegrad and Sovece:

Attention, men and women of Kolegrad and Sovece!  Heed this message!

This bulletin speaks with the voice and authority of the Župan.  Župan Oleg is departing to address his concerns outside of the lands of Russ.  In his absence, he is dividing his authority among the following persons:

• Steward Yekaterina shall be responsible for holding council and for meeting with the posadnik of Sovece.  In times of peace, all officers of the court and all residents of Kolegrad and Sovece shall answer to her.  She is responsible for the budgeting of our coin and the meting of justice in Oleg's absence.
• Druzhinnik Askold shall be responsible for the defense of Kolegrad and Sovece and the command of soldiers.  In times of war, all officers of the court and all residents of Kolegrad and Sovece shall answer to him.
• Huntmaster Pavel shall be responsible for the maintenance of patrols and scouts.  He will command when staging an ambushes or overseeing a hunt.
• The Župan's brother, Yaropolk, will be responsible for maintaining the household and overseeing the servants of Kolegrad.

He further issues the following commands:

• Kolegrad is to be prepared to host guests as needed.  It is possible, but not guaranteed, that a summit may be held soon in Kolegrad to discuss matters of import to his interests outside of the lands of Russ.  The Župan is counting on his trusted officers and servants to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hospitality.  The steward is authorized to purchase additional food stores, including delicacies, in order to account for the varied tastes of our guests.
• Nid-poles shall be erected outside of the walls of Kolegrad, and the horses' heads turned toward the Odinnseyja Cave.  The curses of the gods shall be turned on Sabine Bernadette, a vile Seidrwoman and niding who launched a cowardly slaughter of men and alfar in a house of the gods.   This curse shall also be turned upon the spirits of her homeland, that they may wander astray, and not reach or find their home until they have driven Sabine from her homeland and into Nidhoggr's jaws.

These changes and commands shall be carried out immediately upon the writing and distribution of this notice.  Upon the Župan's return, he will assume again the responsibilities of his station.

Signed, in sight of the Aesir and the men of Russ,

Oleg Semonov

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

It has become typical of anything involving Aria to invoke a whirlwind of emotions.  I did not know it was possible to feel so many different emotions over the course of a single meeting.

The nid-poles are being erected as I write this.  I have no idea if they will be of any effect in an entirely different prime.  In fact, nevermind my fellow Russ; I have no idea if the Aesir themselves are able to see what I am doing, let alone if they have any power or presence in primes other than Midgard.  I suppose they must - but in competition with other powers?  Who can say?

Yesterday, Selenda returned, and met with me and Sharon.  The situation in Aumaa has deteriorated.  Deprived of the Vali, the Aumaati are being conquered by the Caledrians.  They just barely repulsed an attack on Ilus Taevas, but had to resort to...questionable...means to do so.  They harnessed shards of the now-destroyed Heartstone in order to turn them back, but considering that it had been corrupted by Salarak before we destroyed it, I have concerns over the continued use of the shards.

So, too, does Jaeyna, evidently.  Evidently she stole the shards and vanished.  Selenda charged us with finding her and convincing her to return the shards, but I instead proposed that we first find her and then meet at Kolegrad or another neutral location to discuss the fate of the shards, although first we must find planeswalkers to join us.  My primary concern at any such summit will be to allay the desperation of the Aumaati and to determine the properties, corrupting or otherwise, of the Heartstone shards.  We need information and we need to buy time for the Aumaati.

My history with these two have been the defining moments of my life.  A year ago, I answered the call of Selenda Alenar and Jaeyna Silmist, of the Aumaati and Rahvassi alfar, respectively, to purify a corrupted piece of the Heartstone and prevent the fall of Ilus Taevas, which at that time soared above the mountains, its flight powered by the Vali which fed the seidr of the Aumaati.  They hailed from a prime known as Aria, and it was populated by alfar, there known as Al'vi, who were raised by a handful of dragon-gods.  Aukeisier was the dragon-god of the Aumaati, Kuutantsija the dragon-goddess of the Rahvassi, Vanatamme the dragon-god of the Makajati, and Salarak the dragon-god of the Reeturi (svartalfar).  We accomplished the task by virtue of securing a fountain in Tume'auk, their underworld, roughly analoguous to the caverns within and beneath the Borkriklif mountains in Midgard.  Then, however, we found that not only had the Aumaati Coronal at the time, Elluin Olanan, been censoring and destroying historical documents that Selenda and other Seekers had been retrieving in order to promote their version of history, but that Aukeisier had sought to make the Aumaati into the "master race", and raped the minds of the ancient Aumaati so that they would accept his doctrine - and when Salarak rebelled against him, he slew him and transformed him into the Heartstone, leaving him in agony for thousands of years.  When we brought the shard of the Heartstone to the fountain, we rejuvenated him and allowed him to possess the Aumaati by the same method that Aukeisier once did.  To make a long story short, we slew him - killed a god! - at the cost of the Vali itself, and only through Vanatamme's grace did we save the city of Ilus Taevas from falling to its destruction, although it is now ground-bound.

Now the Aumaati are fighting for their survival against the Caledrians, a human empire.  During the war against Salarak, we fought alongside the Caledrians while on the hunt for a Reeturi officer.  It is hard to find an exact analogue for their style of fighting, but the way in which they fought seemed roughly analoguous to Aurnes or even Ruoberg, although what business their infantry had wearing plate armor in the middle of a desert is beyond me (although I'm one to talk...).  Now, however, I am told that their technology and their command of the seidr far exceeds that measure.  The Rahvassi, their allies, are beset - conveniently - by a Kurja (orc) host with a new leader, after we slew the old.  Selenda believes the Caledrians have something to do with it, and given the timing of the attack, I must concur with her assessment.  She has not heard anything from Thalladen Irongul or his fellow dwarves, either.  Before the expedition to Tume'auk, Jaeyna and I brokered an alliance between the Aumaati and the Irongul, one which endured by the skin of its teeth despite the meddling of the Coronal, and which allowed for cooperation between the two peoples once Salarak was reborn and then defeated.  The Ironguls have been cooperating with the Vatassi - those svartalfar who rejected Salarak - in order to prevent the Reeturi from launching new incursions.  Reestablishing the alliance between Aumaati and Irongul will be critical, but because the Aumaati now consider the Vatassi to be enemies thanks to the manipulations of Sabine Bernadette, this will be easier said than done.

I am not certain I have enough words to describe the profound influence Selenda and Jaeyna have had on my life.  Selenda is a Seeker of the Aumaati, roughly analoguous to a paladin like myself.  In fact, it seems as though we have a great deal in common.  She is also nobility, although she comes from an established line, whereas I was until recently a commoner.  She prizes honor and justice and bravery, as I do; in fact, I have no shame in calling her the most honorable woman I've ever met.  We are both close friends of Jaeyna, although Jaeyna and I are rather more intimate.  For those reasons, among others, I have named her sword-sister - she is kin to me, although not by blood.

Among those "other reasons" is regret.  When I first met Selenda and Jaeyna at Chirper's those many months ago, I did not regard it with the gravity that I should have.  This was more than a mere job proposal - this was first contact between Aumaati and Rahvassi and Russ, between Aria and Midgard!  There were - and remain - opportunities for cultural exchange, to negotiate the logistics of trade and mutual assistance between distant worlds!  And clearly the planes were not unknown to Selenda - she had read the histories of the other primes and noted the similarities between the Al'vi and other alfar, particularly of Toril.  But Midgard is new to this...extraplanar community.  What are the odds of encountering a people who share the values that Russ do?  And alfar, no less!  They must be astronomical.  Even now, my mind is awash with the possibilities.  Now I am not sure if they will ever be realized.

Selenda also turned Jaeyna over to my keeping when we first met.  I did not know how close they were then, and did not see the implications.  She placed a great deal of trust in me, a total stranger, to keep her best friend safe.  I should have recognized the gesture of trust for what it was.  I should have reciprocated.  I should have paid more attention to her.  Oh well.  I can only hope I made up for my inattentiveness later, after we rescued her from Salarak.  She was not spared the possession, and we were forced to flee Ilus Taevas before we could retrieve her.  Jaeyna and I devised a plan to rescue her by goading Salarak into sending her to us - indeed, it was probably the first thing that came to my mind when she mentioned the possibility of rescue - and we retrieved her.  She avenged the slight against her honor and slew Salarak.  I cannot imagine a stronger message - not even a god can slight her honor and live to get away with it!

Yet recent events have challenged her faith in the cause of honor and justice.  I can imagine that she has entirely cast off Aukeisier - I cannot fault her for that much - but when I spoke to her yesterday, she was prepared to set honor aside for the sake of survival.  I made my appeal, but I am not sure I got through to her.  One thing is for sure - if she cannot stand for honor when times are hard, what business does she have standing for honor when times are good?  It is rather obvious that she has been tested by the massacre at Rahune, and by the desperate circumstances that she and the Aumaati now face.  I think it goes deeper than that, however.  The Vali, the source of her power, is gone.  Aukeisier, the foundation of her faith, has proven false.  People whose trust she could take for granted, such as the now-disgraced Elluin Olanan, have proven less than trustworthy.  When her very sense of self is under attack from all directions in such a way, can she truly be blamed for harboring doubts about the worth of honor and justice?  Particularly since Aumaati honor and justice is derived from Aukeisier's will?

This is an extremely dangerous time for her and all Aumaati, as much for their souls as their lives and nation, if one will pardon the pretension on my part.  Perhaps when we've bought Aumaa time to catch its breath, I would teach her of strategy and tactics, of politics both domestic and foreign, maybe even the histories of my people, so that she might learn how better to manage these crises, these emotions, without losing sight of honor's worth.  But that is probably arrogance on my part.  As far as I know, she has twice my experience in the field and is still considered young.  She is also busy leading the war effort, and as such is learning the ways of war and leadership by the sword.  I've also heard only vague statements of the Caledrians' increased technological, industrial, and magical capabilities, although they are capable of fielding at least one mage-assassin capable of mimicking others.  I must face them in honest battle.  If I can do that, I can contextualize anything I have to teach her to better suit the current strategic environment.

And then there is Jaeyna.  I struggle to describe her without succumbing to flowery prose.  She I have "known" other women before, but they were always fleeting affairs with other adventurers that I had traveled with, the odd dalliance with a ravishing shieldmaiden and what-have-you.  I knew a red-haired huntress who once claimed that adventurers...fornicate, and I cannot claim to be the exception, nor would I try to.  With Jaeyna, it is different.

Jaeyna used to be a seeress of the Rahvassi.  She was blind as a result of possessing the Sight, the means to see the future as the seers of Midgard do, but other Rahvassi seers evidently did not possess this handicap.  We later learned that it was because Kuutantsija herself was inhabiting Jaeyna's eyes.  After we destroyed the Heartstone, she lost the Sight, but regained her vision - a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

Upon our first meeting, Selenda allowed her to stay with me at Castle Kolegrad while she reported back to her superiors.  Prior to that, I hadn't formed a solid opinion of either of them, but afterwards, she became my guest.  I enjoyed hosting her.  She found something beautiful about my homeland - the smells and sounds, she said, since she could not see at the time - and...it felt good.  The alfar of Midgard do not disguise their disdain for the works of man and our supposed "barbarity".  I paid them no mind, but upon arriving in Sigil and beholding its incomparable splendor, I feared that Midgard would not measure up.  For her to have found beauty in my homeland...it set my heart aglow.

We grew close after that.  She was beautiful and remains so, with purple hair and blue eyes, and more importantly, she is kind and compassionate and...innocent.  She loved me without ever seeing my face.  I loved her, thinking she never would.  We entered her dreams once, and Kuutantsija showed us a possible future wherein Jaeyna gave her life to restore the Heartstone.  I distinctly remember breaking down and sobbing like a young boy...not my proudest moment.  For all the heartbreak, however, we succeeded in destroying the Heartstone and slaying Salarak without sacrificing her, and after that, she regained her sight.

After that, she split her time between helping Selenda and staying with me, learning how to fight and how to sail, being with me as I traveled Midgard and showed her all that we had to offer.  After the massacre, we located Triana to inform her of what was going on, but afterwards, she stood behind to keep an eye on Selenda.  Now, however, she has stolen the remaining Heartstone shards.  Shortly before that, she had been arguing with Selenda over their use.

I have always been drawn to the exotic, the unconventional.  The highborn ladies of Russ would have nothing to do with me when I was a newly-dubbed bogatyr, doubtless on account of my common origins.  Once I made a name for myself, they were suddenly legion and much more interested in me, but I rejected them all.  I did not know them.  They had not blooded themselves with me.  Many in Russ would and have described that behavior as odd, I am sure.  I am probably expected to marry by now.  Is Jaeyna to be the one?

And if so, how?  I love her, and I cherish every moment with her, but there are so many unanswered questions.  What is her station now?  What is her station in Midgard?  What is my station in Aria?  What is expected of a spouse in Rahvas Udu?  What would be expected of her in Russ?  What is permitted?  Is marriage even in our future?  Where shall we go with all this?  Suppose we cannot marry, for whatever reason.  What then?  I am not certain this has ever been attempted, save between the Aesir and Jötnarr, the giants.

One way or another, first I must find her and hear her out.  I must bring her to safety in Kolegrad, and then reconcile her and Selenda before any other harm comes to their friendship.  Once I dreamt that the three of us were around a table, planning something.  I do not know if we were all living in the same house, or if we had simply agreed to meet there, but we were deciding who among us to help this time around - that day?  That week?  That month?  I do not know.  The last thing I remember before waking up was the three of us approaching an ancient temple of some sort - I am unsure who we decided to help that day, in the dream.  Perhaps the gods have sent me this dream - it would not be unprecedented - but I do not know if they pay heed to any world or person beyond Midgard, with the exception of their own domains in Ysgard.  But that dream has not left me since.  Now that I am released from putting down the Manastar rebellion, I intend to make it reality - an informal society of friends, based on shared values and shared experiences, dedicated to helping its members pursue their agendas and upholding the cause of honor, justice, and compassion.

Jaeyna is my love, and Selenda is my kin.  Here in the sight of Rurik and the Aesir, I declare these two to be under my protection, for as much or as little as they should need it.  Now as before, a blow against one is a blow against all.  Let all those who raise their hand against them suffer my wrath, and the wrath of the Aesir!

[*Protoss119]

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov

If you find a friend you fully trust
And wish for his good-will,
exchange thoughts, exchange gifts,
Go often to his house.

What a difference a day makes.  By the Allfather, I was stabbed in the heart by a cowardly niding - I have no right to be this happy.

I spoke with Selenda again, and I feel things are now better than they were before.  Selenda was receptive to my offer of tutelage, so whenever I have spare time, I will mentor her in the ways of command and strategy.  We may both be paladins, but Selenda told me that Seekers are lone wolves more often than not, whereas we of the Holy Order of Russ are trained to be bodyguards, commanders, rulers, icons all - the "perfect knights" to borrow again from Aurnesian terminology.  She referred to herself as a "face" of the army, but does not herself command.  Outside of the use of the Heartstone shards, the only way she can regain the use of the seidr that she had before would be to embrace another deity or turn to more...arcane methods.  But to inspire those around her in calculated fashion?  To leverage her reputation for heroism?  To wield force of personality as a shield and a weapon?  Yes, these things can be taught.  Just in time, too; I am approaching the age at which I am expected to take on a kertilsvein.  Now when asked, I can simply say Selenda is mine!  Although, she is no green girl, so it is not a perfect fit.  Oh well.

I must now reconcile Jaeyna and Selenda and find a solution to the question of what to do with the Heartstone shards that would be acceptable to them both.  Selenda tells me that their last conversation occurred a few days before Jaeyna stole the shards.  I suspect Jaeyna took the time after the argument to scout or "case" wherever the shards were being held before she performed the theft - or so I hope.  If something more sinister is involved, there will be Hel to pay.  Worse, if she killed anyone in the process of stealing the shards...I am not certain how much I would be able to help her.  I doubt that she would do such a thing, however.  Kuutantsija's sight or no, she was always wise, and I don't think she would consciously do something like that which would be detrimental to her.  In any case, the Aumaati authorities have not called for her death, and Selenda still suggested a means of dropping the charges of theft, so presumably things have not escalated so terribly.

Still, if I can reconcile them, I may be able to teach Jaeyna the same thing as well; I have already taught her to fight and to sail.  This would be a good step towards building strong bonds between the three of us and making the dream I had a reality.  Selenda tells me that the Caledrians have been falling back as a result of their defeat at Ilus Taevas and holding in anticipation of a counter-attack.  This indicates that the situation is less desperate than I initially anticipated.  I suggested to her that the Aumaati launch raids against caravans and patrols in the hopes of capturing food and supplies as well as officers for ransom.  I believe this will affect the morale of the Caledrian army, the pace at which they can mobilize their forces, and the effectiveness of their soldiers; a starving man is a beaten man, no matter how seasoned.  I wonder if the Caledrians have baggage trains...even if they carry all of their gear on their person, making off with their spoils and camp followers will deal a sharp blow to their morale.  And if they don't, then stealing their food and supplies will hamper their progress, and the blow to their morale will be all the sharper.  That may have to wait until the Caledrians are on the move again, however.  The Aumaati may believe the situation desperate enough to warrant the use of possibly-corrupting shards of the corrupted-and-destroyed Heartstone, but I see a path to victory.

And victory will be necessary to restore the pride of the Aumaati.  "Keegi ei ela so jas", Selenda once told me - "no one survives war" - and Salarak's possession brought war into the lives of every living Aumaati.  What I have said of Selenda in my previous entry applies to the Aumaati as a whole as well - but Selenda was able to avenge the slight against her honor, one of the few to do so, and the only one to do so in direct combat with the one who wronged her.  Who can say how many Aumaati were not so lucky?  They need a victory to reclaim their identity as just and honorable warriors.  They eked one out at Ilus Taevas, but only as a result of an act of desperation - that will not suffice.  The Aumaati have collectively lost their innocence, which is a terrible thing since faith in the power of honor and justice is derived at least in part from innocence.  It is natural for innocence to be tempered by reality and experience, but the most resilient never lose it, and have the power to sway hearts and minds as a result.  Perhaps it can be reclaimed...

Innocence...I believe it characterizes my view of the planes as well.  I have never felt so old and so young at once as when I walk the planes and interact with those of other worlds.  It is exhilarating, and no matter how strong the stench of Sigil gets or how ugly the sights, I have a difficult time seeing it as anything but the nexus of a gargantuan multiversal community, with potential untapped, new peoples and civilizations undiscovered...the final frontier.  For all that I despise base vikings and reavers, I must admit they are often gripped by the same wanderlust that I felt during my bogatyr years.  If only they knew what was out here...

But Selenda cautioned me that the multiverse was vast and full of dangers.  The differences in technology and command of the seidr can vary immensely between primes; an extraplanar invader could dramatically alter the balance of power within a given region.  I fear that ship has already sailed, however.  My companions and I dramatically altered the status quo of Aria by...virtually all of our actions.  King Ivan Kasmir is hoping for me to find something across the planes that will do the same for Russ and guarantee its security.  Yet Selenda's warnings are not without merit; unscrupulous planeswalkers can also exploit undeveloped primes for personal gain, poisoning the hearts and minds of the prime's inhabitants against all outsiders, everywhere.  This cannot happen.

My record during and after the war against Salarak suggests a practical means of building a multiversal community without dramatically altering the balance of power across primes.  I hosted Jaeyna at Kolegrad when I first met her and Selenda.  During the war against Salarak, I extended my hospitality to Selenda herself, and I held a feast at one point for my other companions.  In the immediate aftermath of the war, I had food and material aid from my stores at Kolegrad discretely delivered with the aid of Jaeyna and the Rahvassi in the months leading up to all of this, while Aumaa was still rebuilding, but I am just a Župan - whatever aid I had to offer was doubtless a drop in the ocean compared to Aumaa's allies in Aria itself.  Selenda told me that the Aumaati have known of the planes for a few centuries at least, but admitted that it was hard to place when exactly they learned of it since much of their history had been lost.  Regardless, they have traveled the planes for far longer than we have.  An alliance based on mutual defense by individual warriors - heroes and adventurers in service to our respective kingdoms - and trade in food, goods, and knowledge, may be possible because there is precedent.  Although Thor defends all of mankind from the most grievous of threats, the fact remains that Midgard is new and its people uninitiated in the ways of the planes - except for those seidrmen at Augaturn tower, if half of what I have heard about that place is true - and we could all do with allies and some guidance.  The logistics and "hows" of such an alliance remain to be worked out.

It may be to Aumaa's benefit as well.  Selenda expressed her doubts to me that the Aumaati will ever regain the power they had before, at least in her lifetime.  She may be right about that, but that does not mean that Aumaa cannot be a major player and contributor in the new world.  First, though, Caledria must be defeated.  This is accomplished not by adopting the dishonorable tactics of the enemy - assassination, the slaughter of innocents and prisoners, perfidy and oathbreaking - but by mending rifts with Aumaa's old allies - Rahvas Udu (presently besieged by kurja), Irongul, the Vatassi - seeking new alliances with Caledria's neighbors, diplomatically isolating Caledria, and then, when Caledria is brought low, and the perpetrators of its crimes punished by all peoples wronged?  Inviting them into the resultant new order and helping them to rebuild.  If Aumaa can wage the war honorably and establish justice in accordance with the consensus of itself and its allies, they will create a lasting peace and a stable realm, over which they can exert much influence.

I cannot say how long that will take, though.  I intend to bring that future about swiftly, but the reality is that I may be dead long before that outcome is ever achieved.  I must admit that death has been much on my thoughts lately, particularly when it comes to my future with Jaeyna (and Selenda as well, to a lesser extent).  They have centuries; I have decades, and scant few of them.  I do not fear the death in battle; I welcome the valkyries to summon me home to Valhalla.  Each must die someday.  But there is no denying that my passing would cause Jaeyna terrible grief.  What then?  Does she live with that grief for centuries?  Does she maintain her friendship with Selenda?  They certainly established it well enough without me.  What becomes of the dream?  I love her too much to turn a blind eye to what should happen after my passing.  I have gifted them both some things in the present.  I gave Jaeyna my old sword, forged by the smith at Sovece, that I carried into Sigil when I ventured into it for the first time.  Later, I gave Selenda my holy symbols as a token of our kinship; they aren't particularly difficult to make, but she found them beautiful nonetheless.  (That makes two women who found something beautiful of Midgard.  Am I truly that easy?).  I also gifted her my copy of the Havamal, so that she might benefit from the wisdom of the Allfather.  Yes, Yaropolk, I gave her that "antique" Havamal that you found, that you can literally find in any Samarno bookstore worth its salt!  Also, stop reading this!  You may be my brother, but you are also my annoying younger brother, and you are not going to have my leave to read this in the near future.

Yet I don't think this is enough.  I would like to leave them both something after I die, as much to keep them afloat as to serve as mementos.  But what?

At any rate, it may be too early for me to be thinking of my will.  The time to search for Jaeyna is approaching soon.  Sharon has suggested some planeswalkers - only one of which I've even heard of, but I trust her judgment - to accompany us, and I am building a reserve of geld, just in case.

Cattle die, kinsmen die,
We ourselves shall die:
But fair fame never dies
Of one who has earned it.

Cattle die, kinsmen die,
We ourselves shall die:
But I know one thing that never dies,
The glory of the honored dead!

[*Protoss119]

Notice from the Župan of Kolegrad and Sovece:

Attention, men and women of Kolegrad and Sovece!


Župan Oleg has returned, and Kolegrad and Sovece shall return to his governance.  He brings an honored guest, Jaeyna Silmist, who shall be given the run of the castle, the protection of its soldiers, and the cooperation of its servants.  Guard shifts shall be increased from three to four, to provide for the security of his guest and his people.  All instances of foreign persons traveling through the Župan's lands are to be reported to the Župan, one of his officers of the druzhina, or the Posadnik of Sovece.  No other action is to be taken against them.  The Župan will update his list of guests in the days to come.

Although the Župan desires increased vigilance, he reminds the people of Kolegrad and Sovece that winter has come.  If a stranger begs of you a place by your hearth for the night, provide it and share with him bread and salt, no matter where he comes from.

Signed, in sight of the Aesir and the men of Russ,

Oleg Semonov

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

Again I say, it is typical of anything involving Aria to invoke a whirlwind of emotions, and yesterday proved no different.

Jaeyna is returned to us, safe and sound.  That on its own would be enough to make my heart soar, but we made several other discoveries that are of equal import.  We now have verbal confirmation from one of the kurja we fought that the kurja and their new chieftain are working on behalf of the Caledrians.  They mentioned "hummies" with "black cloaks" that they were evidently forbidden from harming.  In combination with the timing of the kurja attack on Rahvas Udu, this serves as proof that the kurja are being either directly hired or indirectly manipulated by the Caledrians, as the Salan'jai reeturi did before them.

As an aside, the kurja of Aria are so damned stupid.  No orc of Midgard would ever behave the way they do, and no one ever accused the orcs of Midgard of being cunning, either - but at least they can speak full sentences in Common!  The only worthy foe among the kurja I have faced was Razorface, a horrifically strong kurja sub-chieftain in Tume'auk with an incredibly stupid name.  Razorface nearly cleaved me in two with his very first blow, but no amount of physical strength could save him from my companions.  He is dead now, and now as before, his name shall inspire laughter in all who hear it.

My companions and I have now faced the Caledrians in honest battle.  No sign of their seidrmen yet, but they are in possession of airships, and their crossbowmen possess mechanized crossbows that looses bolts as though each man were half a dozen.  Their crossbows vaguely remind me of that Chu-ko-nu I came across that belonged to a people worshipping the "eastern" powers.  (East where?  Certainly not Midgard, to be sure)  Derik Ranloss took one for study.  Hopefully his examination proves fruitful.  All the same, advanced though they may be, these mechanized crossbows are not handgonnes, and a well-crafted shield can still absorb the volley of bolts.  I read accounts of battles between Russ and Ruovellir where warriors chose to abandon their shields and instead wield their weapons with both hands because wooden shields were useless against Ruoling shot; I am certainly glad that I will not have to abandon mine.  The Caledrian airships, however, have no analogue in Midgard, no more than any other airship in Aria.  I will need to carefully consider the influence of airships upon warfare, and how to adapt the formations, tactics, and strategies used by the people of Midgard to a world where airships are present.  And perhaps, insodoing, I might find a way to placate my king as well...

Jaeyna also revealed to us that she had hidden the Heartstone shards somewhere in Jermani, in a location only she knows.  During the war against Salarak, we passed through Jermani on our way to meet the Makajati, but we did not have much of a chance to interact with the people there.  Jaeyna mentioned that the Jermanians were no friends of the Caledrians, which is excellent news for us.  If we can bring the Jermanians into a coalition with the rest of our allies, that would be a major step towards isolating the Caledrians diplomatically.  If every power is waging their war independently, then the Caledrians will destroy us piecemeal.  If instead we combine our efforts...

Ah, but look at me.  I am of Russ and Midgard, and here I am, speaking of the Aumaati and their allies as though they were my own people.  It is not an incorrect sentiment...

Most importantly, Jaeyna revealed why she stole the shards.  I guessed correctly when I suspected that the possibly-lingering influence of Salarak within the shards was the reason why she stole them, but it was not the only reason.  Jaeyna received a dream from Kuutantsija - the most vivid vision she had received from her since losing the Sight - that the Vali would corrupt Selenda and kill her.  She saw the wounds Selenda had received, wounds that no mortal weapon could inflict - dark bruises, as though veins were rupturing - and concluded that by wielding the shards, Selenda was taking the entirety of what remains of the Vali into herself, and the strain on her body is too much.  Certainly we have seen the results of the shards' use - after the Caledrians arrived, Selenda flew with blinding speed towards an airship and destroyed it single-handedly.  But Jaeyna informed us that she was also concealing her shard-inflicted wounds with bandages until they could be healed.  I should have known!  When she first came to meet Derik, Lannia, and Katani, her left arm was covered by such a bandage.  Even though she was tight-lipped about the skirmish in which she earned such a wound, I thought nothing of it.  I should have known!!

Now our plan is to locate the Heartstone shards and allow those among us who can wield the seidr to study them, and then to meet with Selenda at a neutral location to decide the fate of the shards based on what we have found.  I am halfway tempted to meet with Selenda now, both to share what Jaeyna has told me about her shard's effect on her and also to reassure her.  As we were pursuing Jaeyna, we were suddenly met by an Aumaati band, led by a knight-commander named Ruvaen, and with Selenda in tow.  Selenda looked ashamed, never looking us in the eyes; I suspect Ruvaen forced her to reveal our plans to him and then to go along with his own plan to capture Jaeyna.  Our resulting disagreement was rudely interrupted by the Caledrians, who managed to wound Ruvaen and leave Selenda in command before promptly dying from the wounds inflicted by us.  She made the decision to let us pursue Jaeyna and then proceeded to destroy the aforementioned airship.

Now I must contact her and reassure her that I do not hold Ruvaen's actions against her.  A warrior oftentimes finds his honor and his duty in conflict with one another, and the true test in life is to reconcile them; if one cannot, then he is forced to choose.  It would be desirable but unrealistic to expect her to risk her position among the Aumaati to protect us when they are so desperate.  This incident also reveals the limitations of her being a mere "face" of the war effort.  I wish to teach her to wield her reputation as a shield against her political opponents, so she is not left wholly powerless despite her valor and heroism.  To do this, I must help her to determine for herself the values that she holds dear, that she can inspire the Aumaati to embody.  She should be a paragon to them, with the capability to set the Aumaati people right when their leadership have strayed from the principles the Aumaati hold dear.  As I mentioned before, however, she and other Aumaati largely drew their values from Aukeisier's teachings, and now that Aukeisier has been revealed to be false, there is no agreement among them as to what it even means to be Aumaati.  All there is right now is survival, and in the wake of all of these challenges to the core of her being, all there is for her is her orders.  She may even be well aware that the Heartstone shards are killing her, yet does not care since she has already lost so much.  No matter how little sense it makes, I cannot allow that.  It would be wrong of me to deny an honorable warrior Valhalla, but at least with the men of Midgard, our doom is already woven into the skein of our lives by the Norns, and we cannot see our doom until it is upon us.  Maybe it is the same with the Aumaati, maybe not.  But I cannot allow an honorable warrior to succumb to despair.  Not if it means Salarak will have the last laugh, not when there are worthier causes to die for, not when her friends and loved ones still care for her, not when I have so much more to share with her, not when I still have a chance to make the dream a reality...

I digress.  All this may be easier said than done.  Jaeyna mentioned that the Aumaati would not appreciate our spiriting her away from them and offering shelter to her at Kolegrad.  But Sharon and I are friends of Aumaa, and were awarded the Golden Sphere of the Aumaati after slaying Salarak; indeed, I went further than that and provided food and material aid while the Aumaati were still rebuilding.  Their leadership may have changed, but are they truly mad enough to wage war across primes while they are so menaced by the Caledrians?  And against one of their heroes, no less?  It might be worth asking Jaeyna first, at least, but for all these reasons, I must speak with Selenda.  I am still committed to defeating the Caledrians, and she knows that.

Some days, it seems as though I know Selenda's mind better than I know Jaeyna's.  Selenda is a warrior, like me, who knows and values honor and justice, as I do.  Knowing her mindset is relatively easy for me, even given the cultural and indeed physiological differences between our peoples.  But I could not guess what Jaeyna was doing with the shards, or what her intention was with them, besides keeping them away from the Aumaati.  During the war against Salarak, when she was still blind, she admitted to me that she was not a warrior - and she wasn't, being more skilled with seidr and the Sight than with sword.  I have taught her to fight and to sail now, and she is a formidable combatant, holding her own against the Caledrians, but does that make her a warrior?  It is as much a state of mind as an occupation.  Is it realistic to expect her to be?  For all that I am drawn to the exotic, expecting her to be more like a woman of Russ would be foolish.  All the same, though, she is still wise and compassionate and beautiful, and she found something to admire from my home.  She has blooded herself with me, and she even saved my life during the massacre at Rahune, crossing swords with Sabine Bernadette where I could not.  She does me much honor as it is, and I love her.  I would show her everything Midgard has to offer if I could.  The trouble is if I should start offering the same to Selenda...I will not suffer a love triangle.  That is not what I had in mind when I thought of bringing the three of us closer together.  And in any case, to argue over possession of the sword between my legs is just dumb.  There are better things to argue about.  It would serve me well, then, to set the ground rules of our relationship now, before anyone gets the wrong idea.

Speaking of Sabine Bernadette, Sharon has expressed interest in infiltrating Caledria and finding more information concerning that cowardly niding and the means by which Caledria and its seidrmen have amassed so much power in such a short period of time.  That may be possible, but I cannot be a part of it.  I am no sneak-thief, and my allegiance to Russ is evident on the whole of my person.  Rurik would have his servants speak truth in all circumstances.  In truth, I would make a poor spy.  The others would be better suited to such an infiltration; I would have to stay behind.  Just as well...I mean to tend to Jaeyna and Selenda in the meantime.

Jaeyna seems to regret stealing the shards at all.  She mentioned that perhaps it was not her call to make whether the Aumaati would use the shards or not.  But if a drunken man threatens to drink himself to death, does one let him?  Or does one take away his drink, so that he recovers and sobers up?  Loyalty means more than mere unquestioning obedience; that is thralldom.  Loyalty means staying true to the values held dear by your liege lord, your friends, your family, and so forth, and keeping them from destroying themselves.  Selenda thought that Jaeyna had the best intentions in mind when she stole the shards, and when we mentioned to Jaeyna that it was Selenda who came to us asking to retrieve the shards, she believed us immediately.  It would seem that reconciliation is not so far off; it is once again the Aumaati leadership that threatens my plans.  The time is fast approaching to tell Jaeyna and Selenda of the dream I had, and my fervent wish to make it reality...

All this can wait, however.  Jaeyna is safe.  Once again, we have a moment to ourselves.  Kolegrad is far from all the troubles of Aria, from the struggle against Caledrians and kurja and Aumaati.  Here, it is just she and I, all the beauty of Russ and the flower of Rahvas Udu, all under Freyja's gaze.

(Sod off, Yaropolk.  It is my journal.  The language I use can be as flowery as I damned well wish.)

[*Protoss119]

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

It has been a busy week.  Jaeyna told me more of the Jermans, and in truth they fascinate me.  They seem very similar to the people of Nordheim, but with a healthy reverence of bears.  They may even have Berserkers in their ranks; Jaeyna told me that their strongest warriors wear the pelts of bears as cloaks, similar to the way Berserkers do.  Many more of them are hunters, however, and they are a nomadic people, with little use for walls - probably the biggest difference between them and the people of Nordheim, since even the latter recognize the need for walls.  It is considered custom to look them in the eye while being spoken to.  They possess a custom similar to the right of strangers to bread and salt - when food and drink is offered, it is customary to consume it as a sign of unity and an insult to refuse it.  Proud, strong, and honorable, they will be worthy allies if I can bring them into the fold, although to be perfectly frank, I am interested in meeting them for its own sake.  To have encountered a people with values so like our own...it validates and heightens my sense of wonder at the multiverse, and is firm proof that the multiverse is not so full of horrors.

I also spoke to Jaeyna about the dream I had.  She said she would enjoy it, and that she was planning to convince Selenda to leave the Seekers and leave Aria, so that she might serve the cause of honor and justice across the multiverse, unbeholden to any government.  We all concur that she needs time to come to terms with all that had happened to her in the past two years.  However, it would be hypocritical to expect Selenda to break with her government to explore the planes, yet maintain my own position as Župan of Kolegrad, with all of its responsibilities; why is it that she should be convinced to abandon hers, yet I might keep mine?  Of course, I have had confrontations of my own with my King as well, and he has the power to revoke my lands and titles, which he has thankfully not exercised.  We shall see if I can find some advantage for Russ across the planes to placate my king.  As it stands, if Selenda should for any reason lose her titles and position in Aumaa, I intend to offer her a position in my court at Kolegrad, as one of my druzhinniks.  We are both warriors, people who yearn to defend our respective peoples by the sword.  I will foil the attempts of the Aumaati government to deprive her of that opportunity, if I can.

A guest should be courteous
When he comes to the table
And sit in wary silence,
His ears attentive,
his eyes alert:
So he protects himself.

Sharon also invited me into her new home in Baha in order to celebrate her marriage to Leyana.  I did not know Leyana that well, but Sharon did me honor by inviting me into her home, so I went.  I did not know any of the guests all that well, either, although I had worked with some before.  Others, I did not know at all.  I was very uncomfortable throughout the initial festivities, in part because the last time I had attended a social function, I was stabbed in the heart, and in part because I had no intention of partaking in the games, pranks, and other such buffoonery that they had planned.  Compared to Jaeyna and Selenda and my brothers in the Order and my warriors at home, these were strangers to me, acquaintances but not close friends; some of them were not even that, having never blooded themselves with me.  I resolved to be a good guest, but I would not make a motley fool of myself before all these strangers.  When my patience finally ran out, I excused myself early and left.

Some time later, though, after my choler went down, I came to the conclusion that I had not been a good guest at all.  To decline to partake in the festivities is one thing, but to pointedly refuse to enjoy oneself in the house of a friend is quite another.  Thus, I returned after the festivities had died down, offering my apologies and a bottle of rare spirits for the couple, and joined them for cake.  Leyana is of the fair folk, part of the Unseelie court in particular, but she was far friendlier than anything I had come to expect of the Unseelie, and the fact that Sharon trusts and loves her speaks to her quality.  She referred to something called the "cyclical reign" and to herself as the "gentle winter day".  The people of Midgard by and large despise the Unseelie, and rightly so.  Yet with Leyana, I have an opportunity to know the mind of the fair folk that no other man of Midgard has ever had.  In truth, although we have worked together, I do not know Sharon that well, and I know Leyana less, but for them to have invited me into their home, both must have considered me a friend.  If that is so, then perhaps I should spend more time with them, to know them better and to learn things that no one else in Midgard might ever hope to learn (so, business as usual?).  From what I heard, they have dealt with no small number of stalkers and idiots as well.  I offered my services as a huscarl, but they politely turned me down.  Just as well...I am already splitting my time ruling my people, exploring the planes, and aiding Selenda and Jaeyna.

Finally, I have spoken with Selenda.  Her superiors were not pleased with her for allowing us to bring Jaeyna to safety.  As we suspected, Selenda is being torn between her duty to her people and her friendship with us.  She was skeptical of my plans to build a coalition and isolate Caledria diplomatically; to her, why waste time gathering allies when the shards would provide all the strength they would need?  I shared the misgivings that we all had about the shards, but Selenda claimed that she has taken steps to mitigate the damage done to her person in using the shards.  She correctly pointed out that we currently have no evidence of there being any lingering influence of Salarak in the shards - we must collect that evidence, if any, when we find the shards.

She also told me that she was not as coerced by Ruvaen as I was led to believe.  She shares the objective of retrieving the shards at any price.  She claimed to have spoken for us prior to Ruvaen's interference, but in the end went along with his plans.  It would have been her duty to inform her superiors of our intentions, anyhow, so perhaps blame more accurately lies at the feet of the Aumaati leadership, since it is clear they intend to act in bad faith.  She took responsibility for the betrayal, but it is not my wish for her to be my foe.  But to sacrifice everything, burn every bridge, for the sake of survival in the short term?  That is as anathema to me as it should be to them, to her.  I broke with my own king over issues such as this.

I gave her my counsel to wield her reputation as a hero of Aumaa against those who would seek to coerce her.  She already disagrees with the leadership, and I imagine it is clear as day to her why, besides the struggle for survival, the Coronal wants these shards so badly - they are the last vestiges of the benevolent Aukeisier's might, and he would use them to rewrite history as Elluin Olanan did before.  I told her that just because Aukeisier had proven false, the values that he (purportedly) stood for - honor, justice, kindness, compassion - are not, since they clearly have such power across the rest of the multiverse.  She was noncommittal to that idea.  In fact, apart from the urgent need to retrieve the shards and my suggestion to wield her reputation as a shield, I feel she was noncommittal towards basically everything I suggested.

She fears I do not trust or believe her on her word alone, at least when it comes to the use of the shards.  It shames me to admit that perhaps she is right.  It is no secret to her that I sympathized with Jaeyna's concerns, her rationale for stealing the shards.  But if it should turn out that the shards are indeed free of Salarak's influence, then they should return to the Aumaati, although the evidence we currently have points towards the shards being extremely unsafe at the least.  I am mediating between Selenda and Jaeyna in this matter, and as such, I take no side until all of us have the answers we need.  This is not a stance that will win me friends.  To take the middle path between two options does not always produce the best outcome, but my objective is to collect much-needed information, and to reconcile Selenda and Jaeyna.  It is a perilous, narrow path, and it feels as though I am walking on a tightrope.  If even one step should go wrong...

And it also clashes with the the other roles that I had hoped to play.  I sought to mentor Selenda, to show her a way to guard herself against political pressure.  Maybe I have done that, maybe not, but I strain the relationship between mentor and learner by taking on the role of mediator and putting so much distance between me and her, at least when it comes to the shards.  I do not want either Selenda or - Allfather forbid - Jaeyna as my foe.  I will not draw steel against either of them without being struck first.  But neither will I flinch in the face of death.  The one who strikes me down will have only rewarded me with Valhalla and a place among Odin's einherjar.  All the same, I would rather meet my death with those two fighting beside me.  I did not have the opportunity to tell Selenda about the dream I had, and things like this make the dream less likely to be made reality.  It grieves me that I should have to withhold my trust in both of them in the name of finding out the truth and settling this matter for good and all.  If indeed I have done even that; Jaeyna and I are still joined at the hip, as they say.  She trusts in me, and I trust in her.  That does not exactly make for an unbiased mediator, does it?

I met with Selenda in part to assure her that I did not hold Ruvaen's actions against her, but now it may be me who needs reassuring.  I can think of other reasons why Selenda would want the shards so badly as well - she wants vengeance against all those who perpetrated the massacre at Rahune and slew her husband.  The shards will help her accomplish this goal, and in swift fashion.  I cannot say I do not wish the same - it was at Rahune that I was stabbed in the back, through the heart, by the coward Sabine Bernadette.  But there is a right way and a wrong way to take vengeance; if one takes vengeance through dishonorable means, then it is not a victory for the cause of honor and justice - it is hollow.  And although we do not yet have evidence of any lingering influence of Salarak, someone who wants for vengeance so badly, who has had her faith in the cause and the values she held so dear challenged at every turn, who is without direction except for the orders of her superiors - someone like that would be easy prey.  It may be that I must keep meeting with her to help her through this difficult time, but at the same time, she and her superiors desperately want the shards.  It may be that any lessons I have to teach will have to wait until the matter of the shards is resolved.

If Selenda still has the two holy symbols I gave her when we were fighting Salarak, then she is still my kin.  Hel, she would still be my kin even if she had misplaced or destroyed them - those holy symbols are not particularly difficult to make.  But there is a creeping feeling that, despite all my efforts, the issue of the shards will not be resolved without bloodshed...

[*Protoss119]

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

Never a whit should one blame another
for a folly which many befalls;
the might of love makes sons of men
into fools who once were wise.

There is a new face in Sigil that I have met - Christena Claire of Epontos, a swordmaiden from the prime of Vulacia, where the Olympian powers hold dominion.  Until now, the majority of people I have met who come to Sigil have been from Toril.  This is the first follower of the Olympian Gods that I have met.  She is a follower of Athena, and seems to carry herself with honor.  Although there are cultural differences between us, ultimately we stand for the same thing - and in truth, it is the cultural differences that fascinate me.  I eagerly await the day that we may fight side-by-side.

I also spoke with Jaeyna again to determine the direction of our relationship.  I am told that Rahvassi often marry for love - a peculiar concept, but not unheard of, I suppose - and that couples are usually introduced to one another by a friend or family member, and they either discover their latent attraction to each other, or they do not, and it was not meant to be.  It has not escaped my notice that this is exactly what happened when Selenda allowed her to stay with me, although I cannot say that I was smitten with her in the immediate, no more than she was with me.  She was my guest, one of the very first I had from foreign lands, and...well, I have explained how this all happened already.

She also mentioned that couples were expected to be loyal to one another.  No more ravishing shieldmaidens for me.  Just as well - I had flirted with all of two women since I came to Sigil, not counting Jaeyna herself, and neither attempt went anywhere.  At least I will know for sure my heirs are of my blood.  The question of inheritance in and of itself will be very tricky.  I, an upjumped commoner, was made Župan after the house of the previous rulers died out.  In effect, my investiture is as much a stopgap measure as a means of policing nobility above me.  It goes without saying that my children are not members of the Holy Order of Russ by birthright, although they would be nobility...and it is not a guarantee that my children will inherit my lands.

I have elaborated already on my troubles with the highborn ladies of Russ.  It seems I am setting contradictory standards - I disdain the thought of marriage to a highborn stranger for the sole purpose of producing heirs, but I will not open myself to scandal by marrying beneath my station.  Could it be that I was hoping to marry a highborn woman who was nonetheless all I desired in a woman?  Brave, honorable and just, compassionate, beautiful, physically fit but shapely?  It would seem impossible.  And if that was something I expected in any partner I might find across Sigil, then that means forming a marital alliance that stretches across whole worlds.  Although, on the other hand, Sharon married a nymph and no one, myself included, paid any mind to what lands she would gain from it or how she would produce an heir.  It is curious how my time in Sigil has shaped my thinking, but as long as I hold land in Russ, I will be subject to their social mores.

So after our talk, I was struggling with how to propose any possible marriage to Jaeyna to my king, since inevitably I will need his permission to marry, especially in a case so rife with implications.  The answer struck me like a hammer blow.  I should simply win her some lands to her name!!  Not only does this solve the issue of status, but it also demonstrates that there are indeed things of value to Russ waiting beyond Midgard.  I am not so certain Jaeyna would want such a thing, however.  She once told me that, had she not had the Sight and her natural vision was restored to her (which came to pass after a fashion), she would wish to explore the planes.  I assume that is still true, so it may be that she has no desire to be bound by duty in such a fashion or to play the game of politics.  Although, she could always appoint a steward to rule in her stead, as Yekaterina rules in Kolegrad when I am away.  The alternative would be to surrender my lands so I would no longer be bound by the social mores and expectations of Russ...but it would be damned foolish to deprive Jaeyna of security in that fashion.

Speaking of freedom from duty, Jaeyna expressed her desire to bring Selenda out of Aria and to make her a free agent, not bound to any lord.  I suppose that includes me, does it not?  Bleh.  It is not as though I intend to demand anything of her apart from staying the honorable course, if it comes to that.  More importantly, what becomes of the three of us, then?  It was my wish for the three of us to travel the planes together, aid other imperiled primes, and fight injustice and dishonor at every turn.  Selenda may be a free agent in that case, but would it mean she travels alone if it meant traveling unburdened by us?  Maybe I am overthinking it.  Freedom of choice is her priority...and if she should succeed, if Selenda chooses to travel alone, then perhaps I should respect that wish if it means respecting Jaeyna's desires...but then, what of my own?

Perhaps it reflects the uncertainty in which I hold our relationships.  Selenda and Jaeyna are best friends - joined at the hip, as they say, at least until recently.  I would like to earn that level of friendship with Selenda as well, assuming I have not already - she trusts me and Sharon with her life, she said, and I named her sword-sister.  However, Jaeyna and I love each other, and by definition she will not be as close to either of us as we are to each other.  But I want her to be a part of my life, as surely as Jaeyna does her own.  Where is the point where we are more than friends but not lovers, since fidelity is expected of me?  How does one describe it?  How do I reach this point?

Is reaching this point possible?  I have been thinking back to my conversation with Selenda.  Honestly, what was I expecting to hear?  "Oh, Oleg!  I am lost and confused and need your guidance and the teachings of Rurik and quite possibly the sword between your legs as well!"  Pfah!  Her belief in everything around her may be challenged, but she is not clay to be shaped by my hands.  It would be vain to think otherwise.  Yet at the same time, I cannot help but think...

Bödvar Bjarki was a mighty berserker in the service of Hrolf Kraki, so powerful in his rage that he could assume the shape of a bear.  When the yeoman Hrani offered magical weapons to Hrolf and his band of warriors and berserkers, Hrolf refused them, and Hrani was revealed to be Odin in the guise of a peasant.  Thus refused, Odin offered his favor to the army of Skuld the half-elf, who fell upon them at the town of Forchebach, in Ruovellir.  "Here have many men assembled against us," Bödvar said to his companion Hjalti, near-roused to the terrible anger typical of such men, "nobles and commoners, who press from all sides, so that shields can hardly hold them back, but I can't spot Odin here yet. I have a strong suspicion he'll be lurking round here somewhere, dirty treacherous devil that he is, and if anyone could point him out to me, I'd squeeze him like any other miserable measly little mouse, and I'll have some none too reverent sport with that nasty venomous creature, if I get a hold of him, and who wouldn't have hate in his heart, if he saw his liege lord treated as we see ours now?" He and the rest of Hrolf's companions were felled by Skuld's host, but not before wreaking such havoc that words cannot describe.  They were no weaker for having opposed Odin, even though they were all killed.  I wonder if that is Selenda - it is no secret that she loathes Aukeisier for wholly understandable reasons.  And now the Viis'draakon have vanished from Aria.

And I have thought on the weapons Hrolf refused.  One of them was Tyrfing, a magical sword of incredible power.  It was forged by the dwarves for Svafrlami, an ancient king of the Russ, and able to cut through mail and stone as though it were cloth, but was cursed so that, when unsheathed, it could not be sheathed again until it shed blood, it would bring about three evils, and it would eventually kill the wielder.  "The sword Tyrfing goes about in the world," Hrolf said, "and each owner gets victory from it, but he becomes an evildoer and in the end the sword is his bane."  Are these shards to be Selenda's Tyrfing?  My companions and I have seen her perform incredible feats with the shard she possesses, but...well, I have made my desire for the shards to be studied abundantly clear.  If Selenda shares Bödvar's fury and desire for redress, both against the Caledrians and against Aukeisier, then the lure of "ultimate power" as it were would be very difficult to resist, and once accepted, doubtless it dominates the wielder's destiny, as Tyrfing does.  But having tasted ultimate power, were she to turn away from it, refuse to be ruled by it...that would be true strength, a decision for which I would be proud of her.

To Hel with it.  I need rest.  I will speak more with Jaeyna when she returns.  It would be good to discuss this now so we do not have it hanging over our heads when we go to retrieve the shards.  If one should think this obsession unbecoming of me, then perhaps it is - obsession, brought on by the terrible fear of losing what I could have had.  Selenda lost her husband, and the life that could have been with him, and the pain it causes her is obvious.  Before I was made a bogatyr, Rurik scoured the fear from my soul.  He shields me from the rest...so I thought, anyhow.  No man may put me to rout - where once I might have felt fear, often there is only anger.  But I have felt plenty of fear for these two, the sort of fear a doting parent feels when their children are of age and exposed to the dangers of the world, desperately hoping that no ill should befall them.

Foolish is he who frets at night,
And lies awake to worry
A weary man when morning comes,
He finds all as bad as before.

I have been very foolish indeed.

[*Protoss119]

Excerpt from the Meditations of Oleg Semonov:

On Vengeance

A true bogatyr in the service of Rurik is second to none in his honorable conduct - and therein lies the rub.  He is surrounded by those who do not believe in his mission, or who, if they indeed follow the path of the warrior and are not mere leidang peasants, do not hold themselves to the same standards of honor as he does.  Doubtless there are those who see the bogatyr's honor as a weakness - and if a bogatyr does not avenge slights against his honor, they will be right.  It falls to the bogatyr to be his own agent of retribution when it comes to matters of honor, and in matters of honor, he cannot afford to compromise.  If a viking attacks a man with a sword, does the man smile and think nothing of it, even as he is hacked to death?  A bogatyr is defined by his honor, and if he does not stand for it, then what is his worth?  The gods, too, have no use for men without spine.  Of what worth are they in Valhalla?  Of what use shall they be, come Ragnarök?

Too often, though, one cannot immediately secure his revenge.  All too often have I seen and felt the desire for retribution.  It boils one's blood, and the fixation, the urgent need to avenge oneself lest the world think the perpetrator has escaped with their crime, grows so strong that it becomes all one can think about.  It is a way of going about things that is personally destructive - a naked pursuit of vengeance causes a bogatyr to neglect his other duties.  Yet to ignore such a slight makes one less than a man.  The answer is to take small steps.  First, find a worthy foe or foes and defeat them honorably, so that the gods see that you are still worth their attention and favor.  Second, find the allies and subordinates of they who slighted you and destroy them, provided that they are themselves warriors and involved in the perpetrator's slight against you; otherwise, either bring them to your side or leave them be.  This demonstrates your resolve to your foe, and it is a warning to them that their slight against you will not remain unpunished for long.  Finally, avenge yourself against the perpetrator, and having settled the matter, move on.  If you are able to skip any one of these steps and proceed with avenging yourself against the perpetrator, do so.

Understand, too, that the desire for revenge is not an excuse to abandon honor.  There is a right and a wrong way to take revenge.  The wise bogatyr avenges himself in the honest way, doggedly pursuing his foe with a mind towards settling the dispute with however much or little bloodshed as required.  The niding who lets his anger consume his sense adopts the tactics of his enemy and the way of dishonor - he slays his foe with poison, kills him in his bed, murders the innocent, gives his word in bad faith, and furthers ill will against himself all in the name of avenging the slight against his honor.  The spineless man, in taking no action at all for the slight against his honor, invites others to follow in the perpetrator's footsteps - or he lies in abject despair, wailing "How could it have ever come to this?  There is no hope!  Behold how I have suffered and weep!"  Neither of these latter two shall know peace, for the first shall be hunted by the perpetrator's friends and family for the rest of his life, and the second shall be scorned by all true men and denied Valhalla.

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

One of these days, I will finish my book of meditations.  Our expedition to retrieve the shards went exceptionally well; we have the shards, and accomplished a great deal more besides.  Now my more magically-inclined companions must study the shards to determine the extent of Salarak's presence and influence, so we may finally put an end to this dilemma, one way or another.  Now that the shards are secure, we also have time to infiltrate Caledria and gather intelligence about their newfound increase in power.  It may be harder now that we are known to the Caledrians - as strangers to Aria as much as enemies - but I would still rather find out now than in a moment of crisis.

We have captured a Caledrian gunship that Jaeyna is planning to repair and captain.  Captain Jaeyna Silmist...the very thought makes my head spin and causes a stirring in my heart and in I will not give Yaropolk any more cause to mock me than he already possesses.  I may have taught Jaeyna to sail, but I never would have imagined her achieving such status.  She has come very far since I met her those two years ago.  It also neatly solves the problem of status.  There is a popular saying among Nordheimers: "every captain is a king aboard his ship."  Jaeyna may not be a landowner, but a powerful airship, the likes of which no man in Midgard has ever seen before, certainly is a viable substitute, and a persuasive argument to my king in favor of marriage.  Yet I remember Selenda's warning as well...for Russ to come into possession of an airship would dramatically alter the calculus of power between Russ and all of its neighboring kingdoms.  It may be that for Russ to possess such a devastating weapon would cause all of her neighbors, already smarting from the actions of Ivan III, to view her as a threat to their continued existences, and redouble their efforts to combat her.  They may even try to take possession of the airship themselves.  Having said that, if I should ever succeed in making my dream a reality, then the airship would prove an ideal base for us to conduct our work.

Speaking of altering the calculus of power, the vast technological leap that the Caledrians have made became even more apparent.  For one thing, they do indeed possess cannon, although I have yet to see any Caledrian soldiers carrying handgonnes.  I will most certainly need to invest in something heavier than the lamellar I currently possess.  I might invest in Ruoberg steel, or if need be, I might bargain with the dwarves to acquire armor without equal...though I am hesitant to know their price, since the dwarves have been cheated even by the Aesir and are known to lay terrible curses on their wargear.  Tyrfing was one such cursed weapon.  Another was Andvaranaut, a magical ring with the power to produce gold.  Some say the dwarf Fafnir was transformed into a dragon as punishment for the murder of his brother to attain the ring; others say he transformed himself.  All the same, Fafnir was cursed in that he could now defend his treasure, but never enjoy it.  The hero Sigurd would one day slay Fafnir, but his gold was cursed so that Sigurd would be fated to die when he took it.  I will have to think carefully about what path I take, but one way or another, my current equipment will not suffice.  A shame, too.  I still take pride in bringing the appearance of the Russ bogatyr to Sigil and the planes.

In addition, the Caledrians' military customs seem to have grown more sophisticated than anything I have ever seen - not even Ruovellir is so complex in its nomenclature.  Even the lowborn soldiers are given register numbers for no reason that I can think of.  And what is a "private", anyhow?  There is a title that, by design, denotes absolutely nothing.  If a man carries a weapon, he is armed.  If he carries a weapon for a living, and holds himself with honor, he is a warrior or soldier or mercenary or what-have-you.  If a woman does it, she is a shieldmaiden.  A man of high birth is nobility.  A noble who holds land may hold any number of titles, usually in proportion to the amount of land they own.  Rank bestows authority and privilege, and it boggles the mind to hear of a rank that confers neither.  In addition to this non-rank, the Caledrians seem to possess communication rites and procedures that border on the superfluous.  After we captured the airship, we discovered a strange magical device that was apparently used in communications between the ship - referred to as "Windfall-Base" - and an unknown party known as "Windfall-1".  The other party requested authentication codes, which we scrambled to find.  Derik Ranloss eventually found a usable code and crossed it off of a list, talking down Windfall-1 in the process.  I suppose I will think more on this and try to get past its superfluousness.

As for why I have mentioned my book of meditations, it is because the cowardly niding Sabine Bernadette decided to grace us with her voice - but not her presence! - when we retrieved the shards.  She demanded our surrender.  We responded by slaying dozens of Caledrian soldiers, including their perfidious officer, Grann, who, when we revealed the Caledrians' treachery toward the Jermans, I let go with our prisoners rather than violate hospitality and provoke my host, took advantage of my mercy to track us to the shards.  I am growing tired of waiting.  Let her present her neck to me, that I might sever her head from her shoulders and avenge myself at last!  Oh well.  I suppose I shall have to settle for demolishing the empire she serves.  That is not wholly part of my vengeance, mind you.  Even if I had not been stabbed in the heart at Rahune, it would be necessary to punish Caledria's leadership for their part in it, and then having established that precedent, invite its new leaders into a new international order from which they might benefit in order to head off vengeful notions of their own.  But I do not deny that the prospect of demolishing her works and pummeling Caledria into a form that she will no longer recognize brings me a savage joy.

The host in question was a war-leader of the Jermans named Rowan of Farwatch.  I seem to be making many new friends as of late, for Rowan has proven himself to be a gracious host and an honorable warrior.  He is no friend of the Caledrians, but seems to be constrained by his elders in a way that a Jarl of your average village in Nordheim would not.  The Caledrians were offering peace to the Jermans, an offer that, in light of the Caledrians' newfound power, the elders were seriously considering.  After we found evidence of the Caledrians' perfidy - they were planning to appease the Jermans so that they might focus on "the project", which we assumed was the destruction of the Aumaati, before violating the peace - and presented it to Rowan, he came to our aid with other Jerman warriors when we were fighting Grann and his troops.  Although he could not commit to an alliance with the Aumaati just yet, I count him as one of our allies, and I hope to establish a closer friendship with him in the future.

Who knows?  Perhaps if my dream should become reality, three may become four.  And four may become five, and five six, and who knows what shape the dream may take from there?

[*Protoss119]

Notice from the Župan of Kolegrad and Sovece:

Attention, men and women of Kolegrad and Sovece!  Heed this message!


This message speaks with the voice and authority of the Župan.  The Župan anticipates a hostile response to actions taken in the service of Rurik, and hereby summons the leidang to arms.  All men of fighting age shall equip themselves as they are able and escort their fellows to Kolegrad.  All men and women of Sovece shall take refuge behind the walls of Kolegrad for the duration of the emergency.  The Župan does not expect the leidang to be called for more than three months.  Horsemen shall be sent on regular patrols to scout for enemies and to ensure that your possessions are not stolen.  The gods are watching - carry yourselves manfully in defense of your home, so that you might go, with your head held high, either to home or to Valhalla!

Signed, in sight of the Aesir and the men of Russ,

Oleg Semonov

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

I have added a new map to my collection.  It is behind the others.  My "annotations", such as they are, are growing unwieldy.  Perhaps I should cut back...

Much has happened since I last wrote, and it is only now that I have an opportunity to put my thoughts to parchment.  I have had the opportunity to fight alongside Christena Claire a few times.  She is indomitable in the field, capable of shrugging off blows that would fell lesser men - and some that would fell me in a single blow!  She tells me that she is on a quest to break a curse placed on Persephone and free her from her husband Hades, the ruler of the Underworld in Pluton - he is presumably the source of the plane's name as a whole.  I know little of the Olympian pantheon, but I have heard that they are mercurial in nature, quick to take offense at overweening pride and fickle with their attentions.  They are not to be trifled with, and while I am happy to help Christena in this quest, I cannot help but ponder the implications of a follower of the Aesir involving himself in Olympian matters...

One of the battles in which we fought together was inside of this strange psionic crystal, against a malevolent entity and its hordes of spirits and crystalline constructs.  Minerva in the Bazaar brought the crystal to my attention; the entity was cracking the crystal open, and threatened to open a dimensional rift that might have posed a danger to Sigil.  She gave me a scroll that would allow me and any of my companions to enter the crystal and deal with the entity inside.  Christena and I and a few others moved the crystal to the Astral Plane to minimize the risk of failure and then dealt with the entity and its servants, cleansing the crystal before it could be shattered.  I will admit that I have been taking the Bazaar's merchants, including Minerva, for granted; if she should have more work in the future, I will be glad to strike up a closer relationship with her and the other merchants of the Bazaar.

I have also met one of Christena's new friends, a svartalf named Ashera Bel'yana (although she says she is not a svartalf?  Or that svartalfar are distinct from the "drow" of Toril?  I am confused...).  She seems capable, and if she is a friend of Christena, honorable too.  We have spoken and fought together to some extent.  One instance was at Sharon's estate, where Sharon gifted me a bottle of Ysgardian mead.  Ysgardian mead!!  Suffice to say, I was popular with my court at Kolegrad, at least for one night; certainly they learned how strong the drink is.  The remainder shall be kept under lock and key in a location known only to myself and completely inaccessible to Yaropolk.  Yes, you, Yaropolk.  Did you really think I would leave the location here, so that you might make an even bigger fool of yourself?

The most important developments, however, were relatively recent: Salarak lives.  He is trapped in what remains of the Heartstone shards, but remembers us.  He possessed Lannia Ranloss and attacked me and Sharon before we could force him out.  Later, Sharon and I spoke to Selenda about our findings, including Lannia's visions prior to being released.  It appears that Selenda made a bargain with the still-living Salarak, threatening her own life before he could possess her; in exchange for keeping Salarak in existence, he gave her his power in order to fight off the Caledrians during the attack on Ilus Taevas.  Selenda claims that Salarak is not as we knew him - rather, he is unfocused, confused - but he clearly recognized Sharon and me, and our actions against him, which makes me doubt Selenda's claim.  The unnatural wounds she had been taking were a result of her being physically unable to control all of the power Salarak was offering to her.  According to her, Salarak also claims that Aukeisier means to return to Aria.  Aukeisier was responsible for casting down Salarak when he attempted to make the Aumaati the "master race" above all others, but more than that, he was responsible for raping the minds of the early Aumaati, twisting them to accept his doctrine.  Selenda has no desire to see Aukeisier do so again, no more than I would.

Some of the things she said vexed me greatly that day.  I brought up that Salarak was a deceiver, and had deceived us in the past in order to corrupt the Vali in the first place - but suddenly, it is Aukeisier who is the "great deceiver", as though Salarak's race-wide possession had never occurred!  I counseled her that the values Aukeisier advocated were not wrong just because Aukeisier himself was false - did she suddenly go deaf to such counsel?  When did she suddenly become more receptive to the counsel of her greatest enemy than her friends?!  Suffice to say, our efforts to persuade her to surrender the shard so that it might be destroyed failed - in part because Sharon suddenly started advocating their return instead of their destruction.  There is no redemption for Salarak.  To rape the mind of a man is already a grave crime.  To do so to an entire people?  The only just answer is death.  As long as I thought Salarak was indeed slain, all was well.  I cannot believe he has escaped justice.  More than that, I cannot believe that Selenda is standing by him!

I was tempted to toss the Golden Sphere of the Aumaati around my neck back to her, to declare her a lost cause...that was how angry I was.  I am looking at it now.  Selenda told us that for outsiders to receive their people's highest honor would have been unheard of in ages past.  It was I, Sharon, Saelyn, N'havitis, Argent, and Danae who all received it from her very hands.  The Golden Sphere has always meant more to me than a gift of thanks from the Aumaati people as a whole, although I cannot deny the political clout it gives me - such as it is, with the Valenai now leading the Aumaati.  I have always taken it to be a token of friendship and favor from an honorable people - and one honorable person in particular, as surely as the holy symbols I gave to her are tokens of my favor.  Friendship is not something given lightly, and Midgard has a way of hardening the heart.  But looking at it...

And perhaps I am being too hard on Selenda.  She told us that she never would have made such a bargain if the situation were not so desperate, and that two years is not long enough to forget what Salarak did to her and her people.  Kuutantsija showed Jaeyna a vision of Selenda being corrupted and torn apart by the Vali - but although I have come to trust Kuutantsija's visions, not only do I not know how Jaeyna is receiving them, I also cannot help but consider the possibility of a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Selenda mentioned that the more people using the shards, the less severe her wounds will be.  If we destroy the shards we have, we betray Selenda's trust - which could mean that she turns to Salarak for her vengeance, and gives no heed to her body in her desire to destroy us; after all, she did mention that the power felt as though her desire to protect her people and destroy the Caledrians had been made manifest, so how much stronger and more dangerous could it be were we to aggravate it?  And her people are dying.  The Caledrians are compounding their perfidy in Jermania and dishonor at Rahune with atrocity in the field.  If it were me and the Russ were being slaughtered like this, who is to say that I would not make the same choice?  Who is to say that choice was not already made when the kings of Russ accepted the fealty of Koschei the Deathless, to benefit from his capabilities after his defeat?  That is one reason why I value Selenda and wish to share in her journeys - because one day, I will face the same choices she does.

I feel ashamed now at wishing to cast her aside so quickly over this.  Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way - instead of attempting to work around her to save her, denying her agency in our attempts to save her soul, it might be wiser to work with her instead, to be her conscience, as I told Sharon and Jaeyna.  I daresay I would mislike it if someone were to, as they say, go over my head, or gods forbid, dishonor me "for my own good".  So it must be with Selenda, as a fellow warrior.  Or I may be wrong, and she is already lost, and returning the shards is facilitating a great evil.  The path of honor is narrow, and fog such as this hides the way forward.  Between returning the shards and destroying them, all I see are two different dooms.

This is especially the case when I consider the issue from a strategic perspective.  As it stands, the Aumaati do not have the strength to confront the Caledrians in a major battle.  They have been winning back territory, but at cost, and as yet, nothing major has been won since the Caledrians pulled back.  Sharon pointed out to me that the other peoples of Aria may not be so likely to stand with the Aumaati if they are seen as a sinking ship.  This is half-true.  Nations balance against or bandwagon with the most powerful nation depending on their position and their ability to form a coalition capable of halting that nation's advance and creating a balance of power.  We saw the elders of Jermani seriously consider a Caledrian peace proposal because the costs of conflict were growing too great, and with Aumaa weakened and Rahvas Udu paralyzed by the kurja, their chances of forming a coalition capable of balancing were slim.  Perhaps if the Caledrians were not so perfidious in their dealings with the Jermans, they might have succeeded in neutralizing the Jermans as an adversary, since Jermani would have ceased to be a threat to the nation's security.

I am not so convinced, however, that returning the shards will make an end of our problems.  Although the Aumaati would now have the strength to defeat the Caledrians, the Valenai would be vindicated by victory.  All of our efforts in the previous two years in exposing Aukeisier's wrongs will have been undone.  Were I a man given to betting, I would bet on the Valenai attempting to re-establish Aumaati hegemony through the power of the shard-bearers, acting unilaterally against threats and alienating the allies we gathered two years prior.  This would not result in a stable world, which is ultimately what I am hoping to build.  Selenda mentioned the care and assurances she made to ensure...what?  That Salarak does not retake control?  That the power of the shards does not kill her?  I do not know what these assurances are, and I mean to find out when I next speak to Selenda, but either way, I doubt the other shard-bearers would be so careful in their use.

Of course, the only reason that this should be an issue at all is because Caledria is far more powerful than it should be.  Jaeyna revealed to me that the designs of the Caledrian airships match those found in blueprints in Sigil's own Hall of Records almost exactly.  The Caledrians - and the cowardly niding Sabine Bernadette in particular, more likely than not - have been using extraplanar knowledge to rapidly strengthen their empire.  Not enough that this niding stabs me in the back like a coward, in a chapel of the gods, and orchestrates the death of Selenda's husband and numerous others; now she threatens my dreams.  To think, if not for her, Selenda's sons might have squired for me, and mine for her.  It would have brought Russ and Aumaa closer together, and would have established once and for all where we stand with each other and given meaning to the name of sword-sister, and would have brought me great joy to see my sons with Jaeyna and hers with Elandor fighting side-by-side across the multiverse, besides.  Now, though, I fear that Aria shall recoil from the larger multiverse, seeing only the terrors that niding has brought and willfully blinding themselves to the good that has come of it.  I sent food and material aid from my own stores to Aumaa, and that is how I am to be rewarded?  Will I be left with a paltry trinket from them in the end and then told to leave and never return?  As though I could simply unmake my experiences with Jaeyna and Selenda!  "You have had your fun with these two, now it is time to leave them forever."  My time with them has been too meaningful, and they are too dear to me...

Perhaps a reader (YAROPOLK!!!) might think that my feelings for Selenda resemble those I have for Jaeyna.  I have told this to Jaeyna, and I will tell this to Selenda, and I have even written it in this very book, but allow me to once again set the record straight on parchment: Jaeyna is the one that I want.  I have no interest in Selenda and Jaeyna fighting over the sword between my legs.  There are worthier things to fight over.  That being said, Selenda is my sword-sister, so of course I care very strongly for her, as I do for Jaeyna, albeit in a different fashion.

There must be a way to find the truth of all this.  As is, should we return the shards, I will have oaths from Selenda that she do everything in her power to ensure that Jaeyna is no longer outlawed, and that she does not exceed the "assurances" she has made for herself, whatever that may be.  I will not have her kill herself in this matter, nor will I allow her to give herself fully over to Salarak, no more than she might.  I also mean to offer to take her on as my kertilsvein.  I wrote about this in jest before, but no longer.  She is no green girl, so not for her the menial tasks of carrying my gear, cleaning my armor, girding me for battle, tending to my mount, and so forth.  I have servants for that.  But I have only decades where she has centuries, and I would teach what I have learned to someone worthy before I pass on to Odin's hall.  Selenda is the only one I have met who is worthy of that honor, excepting Jaeyna, who is worthy by default.  And if there is to be a new age of interconnectedness between our primes, then for her to be vested with the power and authority of a bogatyr must mean something across primes.

And should we destroy the shards, we must be prepared to do battle with Selenda.  I can think of no other outcome in that case but bloodshed.  We would also have the rest of the Aumaati to contend with, and because I have hosted Selenda at Kolegrad before, she would know how to reach Midgard and my lands.  It is for this reason that I have called the leidang, so that if we should choose to destroy the shards and court the wrath of the Aumaati, they will find that the men of Russ are not such easy prey.  For me, as an officer of Russ, to have taken part in the destruction of the shards cannot be interpreted as anything else but a declaration of war by Russ against Aumaa.  I have no desire to drag my people into a war against a foe they do not know exists, let alone drag my king into a war to which he did not consent.  I have brought my people behind Kolegrad's walls in case the Aumaati should grow desperate enough to strike first.  Selenda knows we have the shards now that our diplomatic efforts have failed; I would not put it past them.

I have heard it said that knights and lords are held to two different standards; the bogatyrs are charged with defending the innocent and fighting with honor, and the lords are charged with defending their people and seeing to their well-being; honor does not enter into it.  My position, and that of my brothers, is predicated on these two standards being reconcilable, and the "knightly lord" who embodies honor and serves his people is an achievable status.  Now, however, these statuses are in conflict.  Returning the shards would be the lordly thing to do, reversing the strategic decline of the Aumaati and allowing them to balance against the Caledrians, whereas destroying the shards might be the knightly and honorable thing to do, dispensing justice to Salarak and preventing him from carrying out his plans.  I am not certain either of them are the right and moral thing to do...whichever course I take, may the gods forgive me.

[*Protoss119]

Notice from the Župan of Kolegrad and Sovece:

Attention, men and women of Kolegrad and Sovece!

Župan Oleg has returned, and hereby releases the leidang from duty.  The people of Kolegrad and Sovece are commended for their bravery in a time of uncertainty.  If upon your return you find that any of your possessions have been stolen, inform the Posadnik, one of the officers of the druzhina, or the Župan himself, and you will be compensated.

He also brings with him a guest, Selenda Alenar, who has been wounded in battle outside of Russ.  She shall have chirurgeons to see to her care, and guards posted at her door to see to her safety.  The Župan is to be informed of her recovery, so that he and his companions might have words with her.  When she is recovered, she shall have the run of the castle, the protection of its soldiers, and the cooperation of its servants.

Signed, in sight of the Aesir and the men of Russ,

Oleg Semonov

Excerpt from the Journal of Oleg Semonov:

I am not certain where to begin Yes I am.  Selenda is with us now, at Kolegrad.  She is critically wounded, both by the shards and from a great fall that left her with many broken bones and a concussion.  What is worse is that her shard was stolen by the cowardly niding, Sabine Bernadette.  We arrived just as she left.  It may be that we saved her from an even grislier fate - I thank Sharon for that, profusely.  For now I have spent the last day or so in prayer, giving thanks to the gods for victory, for allowing my close friends and loved ones to live, and to beseech them for their aid in helping Selenda recover from her wounds and for Jaeyna to conquer her nightmares.

Jaeyna's nightmares have been getting worse.  Now she sees us delivering the shards, only for Selenda's eyes to turn red and for her to turn against us.  She saw the shardbearers succumb one by one to Salarak's influence.  I do not think these dreams are literal interpretations of what will happen...but that does not mean it will not happen in some fashion.  The frequency and intensity of these nightmares suggests that they are not mere dreams. That Salarak seems to be speaking semi-truthfully under interrogation makes little difference.  We communed with Salarak's spirit with a spell preventing him from lying, but allowing him to speak cryptically and give us half-truths.  Aukeisier indeed intends to return, but Salarak knows not when, only that "what was grave to one shall be womb to another."  I suspect this to be in the Heartstone chamber, where we slew Salarak.  When Ilus Taevas began to collapse as a result, Vanatamme intervened, catching the city with huge vines and tree trunks, and creating a new crystalline stone where the Heartstone once was.  It may be that this is the "womb" that Salarak refers to, but Jaeyna thinks otherwise, suggesting that Aukeisier's rebirth would be marked by something associated with the sun, heat, or fire.

Regardless, Sharon and I made the decision to return the shards.  The Caledrians were massing for a major offensive on Rahuko, leaving us no more time to gather more allies.  Rationalizing that Salarak's fear of Aukeisier could be used to keep him in line, and recognizing that the strategic situation did not currently favor the Aumaati, I authorized their return.  Only a fool takes Salarak at his word, but I would sooner have his power on hand should this reborn Aukeisier seek to repeat his shameful domination of the Aumaati - and if he does not, then there is nothing to fear...except for the state of Selenda's mind and soul by the time Aukeisier returns.  Jaeyna made contact with the Vatassi, Triana Maeervs, and the dwarf leader Thalladen Irongul as well.  It seems that Selenda was instrumental in clearing Triana's name after we discovered Bernadette's machinations.  As is, for the average Aumaati, I suspect the much more visible threat of the Caledrians takes priority over settling racial grudges.

Jaeyna and Selenda have been transformative influences in my life, but I cannot say the same of Triana.  Her brother, Nassur, gave his life saving us from Salarak's wrath not long after he was reborn, when he attempted to destroy the fountain in Tume'auk that cleansed the heartstone to begin with.  Triana decided that was a good time to abandon all thought of honor, thinking to torture and then execute Valitu Ullas, the reeturi who tortured her brother, despite my protests (it never reached that point on either count), and then when we journeyed further into Tume'auk to retrieve Salarak's bones, executing a prisoner that N'havitis had mentally dominated (something of which I also disapproved...).  I think of that prisoner often.  It was true that Salarak could have possessed him at any point, but how hard would it have been to dispose of him non-lethally?  To bind his limbs and then teleport him elsewhere?  If the others were not prepared to treat this prisoner honorably, then they should not have taken him.  Triana blackened our cause with her actions.  What was worse - and why I direct my anger towards her still - is that I abetted it.  I know how to choose my battles, but by failing to punish her for that transgression, her crimes became mine.  Nothing Selenda or Jaeyna said after the fact changes that.  This is a crime that still needs righting, by a proper funeral for the fallen prisoner if nothing else.  I wonder what state the corpse is in...

All this said though, in this matter of the niding Bernadette, she is the wronged party, one of many.  I just hope she does not attempt to steal my vengeance from me.  Vengeance is mine, not hers.  Were Selenda or Jaeyna to kill Bernadette, I would still be content; they are my closest friends, and honor me as I honor them.  Triana is not.  I will not have her profane my quest for vengeance with her "survivalism".  Jaeyna is content to have her aboard the ship, though, so I will honor her wish.  I love Jaeyna more than I dislike Triana.  Besides, it is her ship.  It would send the wrong message, and potentially keep her from becoming the leader I know she can be, if I were to throw a tantrum over Triana's presence...particularly since I asked her to accept our decision to return the shards.  Besides, I like it when she takes charge.  Which is a queer thing for a Russman to say, but there it is.

As for Thalladen, it was my task to recruit him and the Irongul dwarves for the expedition to Tume'auk to find the fountain - my first task after coming into the service of Selenda, in fact.  It was not easy - I did not know the political landscape or the cultural customs of the Irongul dwarves, who held a grudge against the Aumaati for aggressively pushing the Vali and attempting to provoke the Ironguls to aggression.  Were it not for Jaeyna, I do not think I could have succeeded.  As is, the alliance was tested when the Aumaati Commander, Tavel Arrand, received orders to claim the fountain for Aumaa, despite my agreement with the Ironguls allowing both parties to jointly defend it and guarantee free access.  Only by the grace of Rurik did I manage to talk both parties down from the brink of violence.  In those days, the alliance between alf and dwarf was held together by force of will alone.

These two joined us in defending Rahuko's harbor.  Rowan of Farwatch brought his Jerman host to defend the east gate, and fought with all the valor and ferocity that I expected of them.  Our task was to defend the Rahvassi battlemages, who were maintaining walls of force preventing troops and airships from pushing further into the city.  It fills my heart with pride to say that the Caledrians were utterly crushed at our hands.  Sharon, Triana, Thalladen, a newcomer by the name of Sol, a group of Aumaati knights, and I held the harbor against all comers.  They did not breach even the first force field, and were beaten back at every turn.  There were close calls, but thinking of it now fills my heart with savage joy.  The Caledrians, on the cusp of final victory, instead experienced utter ruin.  I will remember this battle for all time.

But my pride is dampened by the knowledge that taking Rahuko may never have been their goal.  Sabine Bernadette approached as an envoy, demanding unconditional surrender.  It seems even the nid-poles have limits, since she did not seem overly-inconvenienced by them.  Sol noticed something was off about her, and Sharon cast a spell on her, and she seemed to...melt, momentarily.  When I tried casting a dispel on her hoping to achieve the same thing, however, she was better prepared.  So cowardly is this woman that she will not even face us in the flesh, instead relying on these...ice simulacrums to carry out her shameful agenda.  When Selenda joined the fray against the Caledrian airships, they focused all their weaponry on her...and they must have succeeded at bringing her down, or pushing her to the absolute limit, for we saw her fall to earth.  With the harbor secured, Sharon brought us to the crash site, where we found the cowardly niding Bernadette, with two other seidrmen having bound Selenda in place.  The Caledrians broke off their attack after we rescued her.  I suspect the shard was the true goal of this battle...but why Selenda's?

Either way, the strategic situation is now reversed.  Aumaa now has strength and allies, and the Caledrians are crippled, with their sole hope being the one shard they now have in their possession...so I like to think, anyhow.  Now we intend to make for Rahvas Udu and put down this kurja menace, robbing Caledria of their catspaw and allowing us to complete our coalition, isolating Caledria, maximizing the chance of our "victor's justice" being meted without controversy, and bringing stability to Aria at last...until Salarak or Aukeisier make their moves, anyhow.  Yet all I can think of is the Seeker who rests in my halls.  I am glad she is here.  Uncommonly so, in fact.  Any good man, high- or lowborn, opens his doors to those in need of food and shelter, and I am no exception, but...I suppose it is simply the opportunity to make up for lost time that brings me such odd joy.  Of course, if current trends hold, that giddy feeling I am experiencing is likely to immediately collapse just moments into my next conversation with her.  The entire point of my seeking to know her better was to avoid, how you say, placing her on the pedestal, and it did not even work!

Even so, I am looking forward to her recovery.  I know Jaeyna is, too.  We have much to talk about - the shards, the matter of kertilsveinar, the dream I had, Jaeyna's nightmares, Ruvaen being his arrogant self...maybe even Elandor, her husband who was slain at Rahune, if she wishes.  I can only imagine how she feels.  For her to have been critically wounded by the shard, and then have it confiscated from her by an enemy as low as Bernadette...this must not feel like victory at all for her.  The absolute worst thing to do would be to tell a warrior, when they suffer dishonor or misfortune, to "deal with it", "stop whining", or other such nonsense, or even mock them for their misfortunes.  If we were expected to suffer every slight in silence, what would be the point of fighting against injustice to begin with?  And why validate the dishonorable actions of the enemy by blaming the victim, or encouraging them to blame themselves?  Even if Selenda were not my sword-sister, I would stand in solidarity with her as a fellow warrior, as I did two years before.

Jaeyna believes Selenda will attempt to acquire one of the six remaining shards and return to the field as soon as possible, despite the grievous wounds she suffered from using the shards.  I know that if I were in her position, I certainly would.  I think wounded pride will have as much to do with it as a desire to protect her people.  In my experience, warriors often feel alone or isolated.  They hold themselves to a higher standard than others in order to inspire others to brave deeds and honorable lives, and to fail is to show all around them that they are mortal after all.  I know my brothers in the Holy Order would back me to the hilt in the face of misfortune, and I them, but they are not always around.  Thus, the best thing I can do seems to be empathizing with her, as I did two years before, while counseling patience...after all, gods only know I have been patiently awaiting the day Bernadette dies by my hand.  The irony is not lost on me, either; two years ago, I was counseling Selenda not to wallow in despair and to harness her anger at Salarak, and now it seems I will be advising restraint and a cooling of tempers.

Some (Yaropolk) might wonder why I have devoted such attention to these two alfar.  Why, it seems as though I am closer to these two than I am to my fellow Russ, or even to my brothers in the Order!  I wonder if they might be right in claiming such, but the reason is simple.  If one of my warriors or one of my brothers falls in battle, I can feel joy as much as grief, because I know that they are destined for Valhalla, where I hope to see them again and fight at their side until the coming of Ragnarök.  With Jaeyna and Selenda and anyone else I befriend among the planes, however...if they fall, I may never see them again.  Upon their death, the Rahvassi become one with the dreamscape, their spirits joining it completely, and the Aumaati purportedly go to the golden palace of Aukeisier, a prospect significantly less appealing now that he has been shown to be false.  I know my life will be short compared to theirs, so it is my wish to cherish and build upon our friendship for as long as possible, because there is the possibility that I may never experience such a thing ever again.

I can see the sun coming up.  Well, not "see" as such.  The clouds are still thick, and snow is still falling...but it is morning.  I do not know what the immediate future holds, and I know there will be more challenges further on, but for now, I am hopeful, a welcome break from the uncertainty and constant worry.  In the immediate, I see a path to victory.

Oh, and before I forget - I also found time to meet with Leyana to speak more of the Unseelie fey.  What she describes is fascinating - the sheer variety of Unseelie and the way they perceive mortals is in some ways expected and in others, surprising.  I'm not certain if a rapprochement with the Unseelie is in Midgard's future, but if I draw nothing else from my time in Sigil and the planes, an account like this - from an Unseelie, no less - could be very valuable and could change the way in which we perceive the fey.  I will leave the exact details for another time, but suffice to say, scholars will be salivating over this.