Post by Warlord247 on Dec 24, 2022 22:59:29 GMT
The following is journal 1 of 3 of a character I have made for D&D (dungeons and dragons if you don't know). Each one will follow him under a new alias after a major change occurs in his life. I hope yall enjoy!
After years of hoping I, John Hastings, with the help of my parents, shall finally take up apprenticeship with the great Adam Harrison, the hero of this town. I, as any young swordsman, would have no greater honour than to learn the way of the sword from him. He has kept our town safe for a decade and one half, and it is said that all he had trained became great swordsmen of their own right. My apprenticeship shall begin in a fortnight’s time.
I am currently giddy beyond belief with the prospect. My years of personal training, of honing my skills, hath made me stand out amongst my peers. Mother and Father have been an instrumental part of this training of course; I could not have done it without them. Mother has begun to worry however. Those who train under Mr. Harrison are said to never return to Evening’s Moore, off to do grander things in the world at large. I promise her this shall now be the case for me however, that I shall return and share any of the great wealth I achieve with those who set me on the path to achieve it. Father is less worried, least that is how he appears. He hath bought me a new broadsword, and told me to use it well.
Entry #2
The last day before the apprenticeship, before I shall leave my home for a biennial at the shortest. My two closest friends, Sarah and Harrold, have come to visit one last time. A feeling hangs in the air, a sort of calm before the storm. I feel equal parts dread, excitement, and anticipation at the future that awaits me.
Sarah has brought me the gift of a new journal. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship, glossy pages bound in the finest of leathers, and adorned with a simple golden clasp. I shall make good use of it once I have filled these pages to the brim. She has a matching journal, and wishes for us to swap upon my return, so we may both read of the fantastic stories which will have taken place since my departure.
Harrold, someone I have always taken much pleasure fencing, hath provided me with a sheath for my new broadsword. It is embellished down the center with blood red jewels, each 2 centimeters apart. The sight of it brings tears to my eyes. It reminds me of what I am leaving behind, this good life of relative luxury, for the unknowable circumstances which I shall soon face in hope of achieving something even greater. I shall cherish all gifts given to me, as a reminder of where I came from, and what I am fighting for.
Entry #3
A month has already come and gone, and still I have not picked up a sword in my trainings. Mr. Harrison has found it fit to instead teach me the ways of “diplomacy” he says. It mainly seems a way to hoodwink the people. He takes me into the towns bustling center of shops and inns, and instructs me to charm its people. To make the ladies swoon and the men impressed. To gain trust and faith. Although I do not understand the point of this exercise into “diplomacy” I shall approach it with the same earnestness of swordplay!
Entry #4
five months have now passed, the first three dedicated to diplomacy, the latter two currently dedicated to the acquisition of knowledge. I’ve learned everything; from the art of dueling to the formations of large-scale warfare; from the laws of this simple town to the laws of lands foreign. I’ve still yet to touch my sword, or engage in any form of combat exercise. I’m beginning to grow impatient, however I am still attempting to put my all into my work and training.
Mr. Harrison has also forbidden me from entering the city square now that my diplomacy training hath ended, saying it best that the people of the town center forget my appearance and dull my name. This is all much… stranger… than I was expecting.
Entry #5
The training hath finally begun after a half year. Mr. Harrison blindsided me at the start, forbidding the use of my broadsword, putting both my father and Harrold’s gifts to waste. He stated that “You have been trained in the way of the brute, and it is now time you train in the way of the gentlemen,” and gave me a rapier which to use.
It came in a simple brown sheath, greatly contrasting the extravagant last gift of my friend. The rapier itself is also much different to my tastes. It is light and thin, and requires an amount of coordination which I lack to inflict any wound upon an opponent. The simple act of adjusting to such a different weapon has been a detriment in itself, much less the meticulous training which comes with it, and the memorization of the body’s organs which is required to inflict any fatal wounds. The entire sequence has led to immense exhaustion and frustration on my behalf. Even so, I must put my best foot forward, and continue the training. Perhaps it is all for some greater purpose.
Entry #6
A year has come to pass. The first half dedicated to “diplomacy” and knowledge, the second to grueling training in which I had to completely relearn the way of the sword. And at the end of all of this, I am met with a confounding proposition. The man I had seen as a hero, as had the rest of the town, has told me the secret of his wealth and power. That terrible secret being the manipulation and killing of innocents. He uses an antique law, one which I had seen in my readings but had paid no mind to, which allows the challenging of an opponent to a duel due to a slight of honour. It is a law I had never seen used, and so figured it a relic of yesteryear. Only to be told that the “town hero” had been using it to kill foreign nobles and merchants, robbing them of their wealth in the process. Mr. Harrison went about telling the people of Evening’s Moore that he was disposing of crooks and thieves, and all the while he was the biggest thief of all.
Even so, I do not wish to return home empty handed, with only this story to tell. Nor do I think he would let me. All that’s left for me to do is participate in these foul crimes, and hope I can face those I love when this apprenticeship is over. Perhaps that is why the others never returned…
Entry #7
Things have… changed… over the last three months. Sure, Mr. Harrison is killing the technically innocent. However, this killing is allowed by faulty laws made by incompetent people. He may be stopping the town from developing, however it is the town’s fault that he has the ability. If these loopholes are to exist, it is only in man’s nature to exploit them.
Many he kills lack innocence as well. They too have taken advantage of the systems of their respective towns, preyed on their respective peoples. And no longer can I fault them for their actions. They are all symptoms of an incompetent and exploitable system. The only way forward is to fix the system, and stop these exploitations. Like Adam said “people are to be used, then discarded.” I have learned all I need to know from him. It is time I take power for myself, and discard him, and any who get in my way on the path to a better society.
The Journal of John Hastings
Entry #1After years of hoping I, John Hastings, with the help of my parents, shall finally take up apprenticeship with the great Adam Harrison, the hero of this town. I, as any young swordsman, would have no greater honour than to learn the way of the sword from him. He has kept our town safe for a decade and one half, and it is said that all he had trained became great swordsmen of their own right. My apprenticeship shall begin in a fortnight’s time.
I am currently giddy beyond belief with the prospect. My years of personal training, of honing my skills, hath made me stand out amongst my peers. Mother and Father have been an instrumental part of this training of course; I could not have done it without them. Mother has begun to worry however. Those who train under Mr. Harrison are said to never return to Evening’s Moore, off to do grander things in the world at large. I promise her this shall now be the case for me however, that I shall return and share any of the great wealth I achieve with those who set me on the path to achieve it. Father is less worried, least that is how he appears. He hath bought me a new broadsword, and told me to use it well.
Entry #2
The last day before the apprenticeship, before I shall leave my home for a biennial at the shortest. My two closest friends, Sarah and Harrold, have come to visit one last time. A feeling hangs in the air, a sort of calm before the storm. I feel equal parts dread, excitement, and anticipation at the future that awaits me.
Sarah has brought me the gift of a new journal. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship, glossy pages bound in the finest of leathers, and adorned with a simple golden clasp. I shall make good use of it once I have filled these pages to the brim. She has a matching journal, and wishes for us to swap upon my return, so we may both read of the fantastic stories which will have taken place since my departure.
Harrold, someone I have always taken much pleasure fencing, hath provided me with a sheath for my new broadsword. It is embellished down the center with blood red jewels, each 2 centimeters apart. The sight of it brings tears to my eyes. It reminds me of what I am leaving behind, this good life of relative luxury, for the unknowable circumstances which I shall soon face in hope of achieving something even greater. I shall cherish all gifts given to me, as a reminder of where I came from, and what I am fighting for.
Entry #3
A month has already come and gone, and still I have not picked up a sword in my trainings. Mr. Harrison has found it fit to instead teach me the ways of “diplomacy” he says. It mainly seems a way to hoodwink the people. He takes me into the towns bustling center of shops and inns, and instructs me to charm its people. To make the ladies swoon and the men impressed. To gain trust and faith. Although I do not understand the point of this exercise into “diplomacy” I shall approach it with the same earnestness of swordplay!
Entry #4
five months have now passed, the first three dedicated to diplomacy, the latter two currently dedicated to the acquisition of knowledge. I’ve learned everything; from the art of dueling to the formations of large-scale warfare; from the laws of this simple town to the laws of lands foreign. I’ve still yet to touch my sword, or engage in any form of combat exercise. I’m beginning to grow impatient, however I am still attempting to put my all into my work and training.
Mr. Harrison has also forbidden me from entering the city square now that my diplomacy training hath ended, saying it best that the people of the town center forget my appearance and dull my name. This is all much… stranger… than I was expecting.
Entry #5
The training hath finally begun after a half year. Mr. Harrison blindsided me at the start, forbidding the use of my broadsword, putting both my father and Harrold’s gifts to waste. He stated that “You have been trained in the way of the brute, and it is now time you train in the way of the gentlemen,” and gave me a rapier which to use.
It came in a simple brown sheath, greatly contrasting the extravagant last gift of my friend. The rapier itself is also much different to my tastes. It is light and thin, and requires an amount of coordination which I lack to inflict any wound upon an opponent. The simple act of adjusting to such a different weapon has been a detriment in itself, much less the meticulous training which comes with it, and the memorization of the body’s organs which is required to inflict any fatal wounds. The entire sequence has led to immense exhaustion and frustration on my behalf. Even so, I must put my best foot forward, and continue the training. Perhaps it is all for some greater purpose.
Entry #6
A year has come to pass. The first half dedicated to “diplomacy” and knowledge, the second to grueling training in which I had to completely relearn the way of the sword. And at the end of all of this, I am met with a confounding proposition. The man I had seen as a hero, as had the rest of the town, has told me the secret of his wealth and power. That terrible secret being the manipulation and killing of innocents. He uses an antique law, one which I had seen in my readings but had paid no mind to, which allows the challenging of an opponent to a duel due to a slight of honour. It is a law I had never seen used, and so figured it a relic of yesteryear. Only to be told that the “town hero” had been using it to kill foreign nobles and merchants, robbing them of their wealth in the process. Mr. Harrison went about telling the people of Evening’s Moore that he was disposing of crooks and thieves, and all the while he was the biggest thief of all.
Even so, I do not wish to return home empty handed, with only this story to tell. Nor do I think he would let me. All that’s left for me to do is participate in these foul crimes, and hope I can face those I love when this apprenticeship is over. Perhaps that is why the others never returned…
Entry #7
Things have… changed… over the last three months. Sure, Mr. Harrison is killing the technically innocent. However, this killing is allowed by faulty laws made by incompetent people. He may be stopping the town from developing, however it is the town’s fault that he has the ability. If these loopholes are to exist, it is only in man’s nature to exploit them.
Many he kills lack innocence as well. They too have taken advantage of the systems of their respective towns, preyed on their respective peoples. And no longer can I fault them for their actions. They are all symptoms of an incompetent and exploitable system. The only way forward is to fix the system, and stop these exploitations. Like Adam said “people are to be used, then discarded.” I have learned all I need to know from him. It is time I take power for myself, and discard him, and any who get in my way on the path to a better society.
