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James's Journal

James Bunny-Man

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
If someone were so inclined to look through a box of old books deemed not particularly interesting in the burrow of a pooka whom, for simplicity's sake, will be referred to as James Bunny-man, there is -buried near the bottom- an unassuming tome with no title, simply the warning, "Do Nae Open", if opened despite this, there is a warning, "Whosoever reads from this journal shall be transformed, so put it down least you want to spend lots of your time on lily pads", and those with the senses to detect enchantment would be able to tell there is a curse upon it that will indeed turn the reader into a frog, at least for a few days. and once you get to the journal itself, it's written in cipher, though a childishly simple one: It consists of a being 1, b being 2, c is 3, and so on, the most recent entry seems to be for Thursday, December tenth, 2015. The following is a translation:

"There was a tree-lighting in Yew, it was nice but not many showed up..Also, Dramora's house is empty, it seems that she has moved, I'm not sure yet where she went or why, but Aedon says she is sure she is fine. Nothing else of note today."

-------------------------------

Though, really, James is a paranoid sprite, always thinking he is being spied on... The last word is a code to himself, a note that there is more to the message, magically placed beneath the permafrost of Mount Lebrun, is a small box, trapped of course, inside there is another journal, heavily enchanted with wards and curses far more serious then turning the reader into a frog, mostly involving fire and electricity, written in a code that would likely be unreadable least you know the languages of Drow and an otherworldly language never uttered on Sosaria (plus a touch of Gaelic might make it simpler)... The following is a translation of an excerpt from the entry of that day,

"...he gave me shoes! I'm not sure if he knows the significance, but I can't chance he doesn't. Maybe, I'm thinking too much in the old ways, I wonder if that was due to having contact with that Queen, but I'm sure it'll pass, these things often do. Though in any case that just means Mr. Twitchy should be watched closely, I don't think giving him that book could possibly be a good idea, him wanting to summon that demon is the least of my worries, that that he could anyway. Ah that reminds me, I selected a suitably holy tree to bury that sword under. Ahoun shall be safe there, once Aedon gave me the sword -hopefully it is the real one- I kept it wrapped up in the protective rune cloth to keep it contained, then hid, making sure I wasn't followed I walked a ways into the woods...Then Recalled...Then after making sure I wasn't being seen, I made myself invisible again and went to a spot, there was a wild wolf there, but he did not see me, after he left and giving some time to ensure no one else was around I began to dig and dig...Once convinced no one was going to wonder by I used the quicksilver enchantment to move faster and dug faster and deeper, pausing only when the cantrip needed renewing.

I buried that sword so deep even Rumpelstiltskin would think it far, plus the tree's natural, old and holy magic will help the forest protect and mask it's presence, though not draw attention to it, plus it is rather out of the way. In case I forget where exactly I buried it, I will write it's location in my secret journal..."
 

James Bunny-Man

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
An excerpt from James's (likely purely existing as a decoy) journal, showing the events for Wednesday the twentieth of January mentions seeing a few members of the hand and a chat with Aedon, however at the end of the banalities of this journal there is the code phrase of "nothing else of note today".

---
If someone were so inclined, and versed in the required linguistic abilities and alphabets to read his (probably real) journal (which is not to be confused with his secret journal), and possessed the magical abilities to retrieve it and avoid any curses upon the tome, it includes the following as part of the entry for that same day:

"...I talked with the Hand, and am still following Aedon's orders with dealing with them (mainly try not to be harmed, don't fight them, and so forth), so I'm being on my best behavior with them and see the secret journal for more information. Unfortunately however, my bid to be the new Governor of Yew did not work well (apparently the number of bells you have don't come into play, so I'm back to all I know for sure about the position is that elections are somehow involved and you are not supposed to burn down the city. Mortals are weird.), but one of the Hand did appoint me Governor of That Pond Outside the Knight's Rest. There were all sorts of conditions and so forth, but I think those can be safely ignored. I asked the mortals that live in the pond if they don't mind if I name myself absolute ruler of the Pond and they didn't seem to mind. Tomarrow I will annex the northernmost bench. As far as I can tell this is just putting a little flag on it. Anyway, after the Hand left a mortal who ran away screaming when he saw me came back to the Rest, and introduced himself as Oswin (at least I think it was that), but when some rangers came in to arrest him he said he was me. Naturally being me he was arrested anyway, but if he gets my diplomatic immunity being me I might have to take me back so I can keep it..."
 

James Bunny-Man

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
Inside of James's journal buried in his burrow: with it's curse that will likely not directly cause permanent harm, merely indirectly, and childishly simple code, speaks of castles and Aedon being hurt, and seeing a few friends again, though this journal most likely exists purely as a decoy, and
though it ends with the code phrase of 'nothing else of note today'.

---

In James's actual (though not only) journal, versed in the magics needed to reach it, and the required linguistic abilities read his hidden journal (which is not his journal where he writes his real secrets), would find this written on the same day's entry:

The mortals are acting stranger than usual. Their actions are harder to predict lately.

On top of this, these have been an eventful few days, with a lot of things happened. And in not chronological or important order, Aedon had given me his castle, I never thought I would own a castle, it is unfamiliar and I am grateful for what he calls an inheritance. The connotations of calling it that worry me, though it's fairly obvious I like the building more then he seemed to, he asked if I planned to keep the tavern open, I never considered closing it to be good. That lass Lizzy seems nice and was interested in a job to earn some money, I'm pretty sure I have something she would consider that and hope she would like to do so. Moving on to something more serious, Aedon had told the secret I shared with him. I was hesitant to share it at first, which is why I took a bribe not to tell anyone to begin with, but I have long sense learned to trust Aedon and his judgement in these things, in the past it has proven time and time again to be better than my own. So I told him about the bribe and gave him an oppertunity to give a better bribe so I tell him (for details of the information, see secret journal). And, as said, he told, I was present when he told Va'lis, or did what I would consider telling Va'lis. The soul drinker thought it was just a cryptic message that he didn't seem to follow. And I found out later he did not tell him more when I wasn't watching, but did talk to the rangers, which was even stranger. And in a way, oddly not strange, the actions make sense, and I've seen humans make similar choices, but it still seemed odd. I asked him about it, he said that wanted to ensure the safety of children and hoped to preserve peace. Again, this makes perfect sense if I were doing this. If any pooka were in his position and tried for these I would not question it. But as Aedon is not a pooka, they made no sense so I asked him to explain it so I could better understand mortals.

He had reasons, he was not acting randomly. Though his reasons were not the same that any pooka would choose. The reasoning was strange and alien, and after his explanation I feel that I can almost understand them. He, as a father, wanted to ensure children (that were not his) were safe and that was the whole of his reasoning for keeping them safe. He wanted to preserve peace so that peace may exist, even though there was still a chance he himself would not be required to fight if the peace ended. It is strange, but I feel that I understand mortals a bit better, even despite these reasons making little sense.

Also, as I learned later from Ferret, Aedon was attacked later that evening and his right leg was broken. Details of where he was taken have been kept vague, as were some of what happened. Ferret had agreed to take a message from me to Aedon with well wishes, but he was attacked by Mr. Twitchy and his flesh golems, I know it's unlikely there was much I could have done if there, but it is infuriating. However, as he was alive after the attack, it is Aedon's place to decide revenge and not mine, I must respect that. Apparently this was sanctioned by the governor of Skara Brae (where the attack took place), this does seem a bit odd for reasons that I can't quite touch, I believe I will require more knowledge for this to make sense. I will have to spend more attention there.

This makes me think of the old ways again, it is strange to be thinking of them so often now. Though the new ways are undoubtedly superior for obvious reasons, it makes me wish a few of the old days: with of the wild hunt, pestilence, and newly placed changelings. Of course none of these have happened for a long time by mortal measuring, and things would need to occur to do them again. I believe the horn is still in the world, and the wild hunt at least could return if I could get my paws on it, but I have now come to believe it will require mortal hands to get it, and I have yet to think a way to trick them into finding it, perhaps I need some sort of MacGuffin to send a few after.

To end things on a more pleasant note, I think I have finished putting together a new laboratory, it is nice to have a place set aside to research and test magic again -at least the parts that can be done indoors. Perhaps I will get more work on my pet project of seven league boots for humans done, or research that new spell idea that Calli had inspired last time I spoke to her.
 

James Bunny-Man

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
In James's 'obvious' hidden journal, hidden with curses and using a mere needle-in-the-haystack approach, with a childishly simple cipher contained this entry:

I answered a call from a druid, he was using a magic tree and rock to get rid of some of the 'bad' energy, sounds like it might work, but he's going to have to get rid of the other stuff too, it was several things, like a secret-teller, Outsiders, that blue fellow, and Mr. Twitchy. The other druid came too, the blind one who doesn't smell as bad as the other humans, it was nice to see her. Until that meeting it was pretty quiet, nothing else of note happened today.

--
The code phrase was a note to check James's real non-secret journal, with stronger curses and a better code, which contains this entry:

Red was right about something, though I wish he was a bit more discrete about it, and I don't want him to know he is right. These things being here is a sign that something is wrong with the great Unseelie Court. It is not my duty to watch and guard the gate, a few of these things getting through is normal, through summoning, bleeding through or the like. But these numbers, seem wrong. Is this the feeling I had? I hope not. I will need to quietly look into it, but perhaps not let Red or his magi hear of it, his knowledge of the gate was suspected, but now confirmed, mortals getting involved always upsets the balance, and he strikes me as someone who will meddle in it, or worse he may write about it. The gate is still a matter for the Court, not for the concern of mortals, not least of all if they are getting in somehow else, drawing in Red farther needlessly will only cause trouble.
 

James Bunny-Man

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
While James's decoy journal is mostly filled with information about the weather in Yew and Mount Lebrun, and quite a bit taking the form on notes and oddities found while trying to re-learn the art of gardening, and how it seems more complicated then he remembered, but in his other journal, the non-secret one, has very little mention of weather or gardening at all, the most recent entry reads as fallows:

Two pooka I have not met before are staying at Innis Free, I am overjoyed to have more Fae about! My becoming a trooping Fae and joining a proper freehold those recent years ago has changed me more than I have realized. Elise comes around every so often, but I have missed having other Fae about (who are not knockers, which aren't always the best for socializing, after all, didn't a venerable pooka once say "Under the venom and bile of the knockers is a kinder, gentler venom and bile waiting to leak out onto your shoes"). I haven't had much chance to talk to the lass, but the other, a young pooka named Hairy, his manor and scent seem rather familiar, he acts a bit like me, and seems to have met Mom, he claimed to have a message from her, and the message sounded like something the old nightmare would say. This along with his scent, it is likely he is a sibling, nephew or cousin. Cousins tend to act more like the wild pooka of Mom's side of the family, or like the hearth spirit pooka of Dad's. I have asked him a few loaded questions which hint the tell-tale mix of both that mark our branch of the Flynn clan. So, I'm leaning tword sibling or nephew, but we are family and he is here, that is what matters and the rest is merely a detail. Hairy has even claimed the old balefire in Aegis, and says that he is starting his own Freehold. Also there was some ranger things that happened, that one druid says he found the source of the evil corruption, and that it was Hawkins's hat. It felt more like a 'that makes sense' surprise then a shocking surprise, but it was an enjoyable outing none the less. I wish I could remember whom I heard about the hat's evil occupant from, to ask some more questions, but it was a while ago.
 
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