There is an old curse that goes, “May you live in interesting times.” I never quite understood how that could be a curse. That is until the times I live in got really interesting.
For the most part my life in Aegis has always been rather easy going. There were of course some conflicts to deal with, but never on the grand scale they seem to be on these days. It seems that from the time I returned to the Glade things had taken a downward turn. Not only was it harder to get the supplies in I needed for the Rest, but there was also a disquiet that stalked the forests of Yew as well as many of the other cities of the realm.
Those who had long been friends seemed colder than in the past, and new friendships made quickly turned sour and died. But most of the darkness which now dogs Aegis and Yew comes from the machinations of Penrose.
It all started with that blasted tome.
When I first met Penrose he presented himself as a seeker of old knowledge. This I could well appreciate seeing that I too was a lover of old histories, cultures and spells. I mentioned the Book of Charnadis to him and promised to grant him access to it. It was only after making such a promise that I began to regret bringing it up and almost fear what this man might do with the knowledge contained within.
Now granted, it would be of little use to him without the other items needed to cast the spell contained within. But I have found that where evil wants to do harm, evil will find a way. And I was quickly coming to see that there was a good degree of evil about this Penrose.
Dramora thought it would be a wise plan to pass a dummy book onto Penrose, and hide the real one where no one could find it. It was also at this time that she started asking to take possession of Ahoun. I allowed her to hold what she believed to be a true copy of the book, but the sword I could not pass into her hands. She had been changing much since her return to the area, and some of what I saw in her caused me concern.
Penrose was not too happy when he found out that he was not given the true tome, and started a campaign of terrorizing the folks of Aegis. I cannot count the number of times the man attacked me in the Rest or someplace in the woods. This did little to convince me that he would be someone that should ever possess the Book of Charnadis. As time passed he kidnapped Leela and Clive and demanded the book in return for their lives.
What else could I do?
Sending the sword deep into a land of madness, I agreed to Penrose’s demands, and gave over to book to secure the release of the two hostages. I had hoped this would put an end to the problems with the man, that the knowledge would be enough for him. But he then started to look for ways to procure the sword.
I have always tried to look for some good in anyone. I believe that within most of us is some small glimmer of decency. And at times Penrose did show a certain amount of caring. I do not believe her would have ever harmed Dramora’s sister. Clive, he may have been a different story.
Penrose seemed to vanish for a time and a woman he had hired to dance in his establishment named Hun’ep took to dancing for a few coins in Skara. Seeing her desperation, I offered her employment in a bath house I was building in Aegis. It would be good honest work, with good pay and living quarters. She would in essence be her own boss. She jumped at the offer and soon was happily living and working in Yew.
It was then that Penrose returned and came seeking her. We of course did all we could to keep her safe from him, fearing that he would harm her and try dragging her back to his business. There were a few times he said that all he wanted was to talk to her in private. We of course did not allow this and sent her to a place of safety.
Many times I wonder what might have happened had we allowed him his chance to speak to her. But hindsight is always twenty/twenty as they say. And I who have always looked for good saw only the bad in his request. Sometime after that I did make a deal with Skylar for lifting any warrant Moonglow had issued for Hun’ep.
Penrose vanished again, none of us ever know where he goes during these times. Perhaps he spends time studying in Wind. He is a decidedly violent man that does not see no as a viable answer to a request he makes. But he is also a very learned man, and I do believe that like me, knowledge of any sort intrigues and sometimes drives him. And though things have been quiet where he is concerned for a time, Yew still has troubles, and these from what many would see as an unlikely source.
The man Chanticleer.
I had assumed him to be a knight of the old order, and yet he has proven to be a rather chaotic figure. His distorted sense of honor and law has often ended in violent attacks by him on others. Many times the one he attacks is unarmed, as I was in the Tavern the night of Baron and Calli’s party.
He seemed put out from the time he entered the room, taking the greeting of “good evening, Sir Knight” as an affront. He was both rude and obnoxious to the hosts for the evening, and spent most of his time there either threatening others, or searching madly for some hidden foe. The fact that he attacked me from behind as I sat drinking coffee did not really surprise me. If ever this man had been a knight all honor and virtue surly long ago abandoned him. The only saving grace I can see in the man now is that Lady Piper seems to like him. And her seeing worth in this wretched soul carries much weight with me.
Then you have Mitre, the fallen leader of the Rangers who stated point blank his desire to kill everyone in Yew. I suppose when you find out that you cannot fool some folks with your act of pious devotion to a cause that you must find some way to eliminate those that can expose the fraud that you are. Sad thing is, I did not care what he was. It was for the Rangers of Spiritwood to deal with the man, and thankfully, they did.
Elections are going on right now, and it is my hope that Baron wins in the city of Yew. Not only because he would do a lot of good for the area, but because he is a truly good man. And in a time when it gets harder and harder to tell good from bad we need all the good men we can get.
I am sure that in time Yew will once again be faced with some threat from Penrose. I just hope that should this come to pass, we can at least listen fully to what he has to say before swords are unsheathed and people harmed.
I gave good a chance, and it turned out that faith placed in knighthoods is not always sound. Perhaps it would be best to again look at the one I deemed evil and see it as I originally thought, some good still lies in Penrose.
For the most part my life in Aegis has always been rather easy going. There were of course some conflicts to deal with, but never on the grand scale they seem to be on these days. It seems that from the time I returned to the Glade things had taken a downward turn. Not only was it harder to get the supplies in I needed for the Rest, but there was also a disquiet that stalked the forests of Yew as well as many of the other cities of the realm.
Those who had long been friends seemed colder than in the past, and new friendships made quickly turned sour and died. But most of the darkness which now dogs Aegis and Yew comes from the machinations of Penrose.
It all started with that blasted tome.
When I first met Penrose he presented himself as a seeker of old knowledge. This I could well appreciate seeing that I too was a lover of old histories, cultures and spells. I mentioned the Book of Charnadis to him and promised to grant him access to it. It was only after making such a promise that I began to regret bringing it up and almost fear what this man might do with the knowledge contained within.
Now granted, it would be of little use to him without the other items needed to cast the spell contained within. But I have found that where evil wants to do harm, evil will find a way. And I was quickly coming to see that there was a good degree of evil about this Penrose.
Dramora thought it would be a wise plan to pass a dummy book onto Penrose, and hide the real one where no one could find it. It was also at this time that she started asking to take possession of Ahoun. I allowed her to hold what she believed to be a true copy of the book, but the sword I could not pass into her hands. She had been changing much since her return to the area, and some of what I saw in her caused me concern.
Penrose was not too happy when he found out that he was not given the true tome, and started a campaign of terrorizing the folks of Aegis. I cannot count the number of times the man attacked me in the Rest or someplace in the woods. This did little to convince me that he would be someone that should ever possess the Book of Charnadis. As time passed he kidnapped Leela and Clive and demanded the book in return for their lives.
What else could I do?
Sending the sword deep into a land of madness, I agreed to Penrose’s demands, and gave over to book to secure the release of the two hostages. I had hoped this would put an end to the problems with the man, that the knowledge would be enough for him. But he then started to look for ways to procure the sword.
I have always tried to look for some good in anyone. I believe that within most of us is some small glimmer of decency. And at times Penrose did show a certain amount of caring. I do not believe her would have ever harmed Dramora’s sister. Clive, he may have been a different story.
Penrose seemed to vanish for a time and a woman he had hired to dance in his establishment named Hun’ep took to dancing for a few coins in Skara. Seeing her desperation, I offered her employment in a bath house I was building in Aegis. It would be good honest work, with good pay and living quarters. She would in essence be her own boss. She jumped at the offer and soon was happily living and working in Yew.
It was then that Penrose returned and came seeking her. We of course did all we could to keep her safe from him, fearing that he would harm her and try dragging her back to his business. There were a few times he said that all he wanted was to talk to her in private. We of course did not allow this and sent her to a place of safety.
Many times I wonder what might have happened had we allowed him his chance to speak to her. But hindsight is always twenty/twenty as they say. And I who have always looked for good saw only the bad in his request. Sometime after that I did make a deal with Skylar for lifting any warrant Moonglow had issued for Hun’ep.
Penrose vanished again, none of us ever know where he goes during these times. Perhaps he spends time studying in Wind. He is a decidedly violent man that does not see no as a viable answer to a request he makes. But he is also a very learned man, and I do believe that like me, knowledge of any sort intrigues and sometimes drives him. And though things have been quiet where he is concerned for a time, Yew still has troubles, and these from what many would see as an unlikely source.
The man Chanticleer.
I had assumed him to be a knight of the old order, and yet he has proven to be a rather chaotic figure. His distorted sense of honor and law has often ended in violent attacks by him on others. Many times the one he attacks is unarmed, as I was in the Tavern the night of Baron and Calli’s party.
He seemed put out from the time he entered the room, taking the greeting of “good evening, Sir Knight” as an affront. He was both rude and obnoxious to the hosts for the evening, and spent most of his time there either threatening others, or searching madly for some hidden foe. The fact that he attacked me from behind as I sat drinking coffee did not really surprise me. If ever this man had been a knight all honor and virtue surly long ago abandoned him. The only saving grace I can see in the man now is that Lady Piper seems to like him. And her seeing worth in this wretched soul carries much weight with me.
Then you have Mitre, the fallen leader of the Rangers who stated point blank his desire to kill everyone in Yew. I suppose when you find out that you cannot fool some folks with your act of pious devotion to a cause that you must find some way to eliminate those that can expose the fraud that you are. Sad thing is, I did not care what he was. It was for the Rangers of Spiritwood to deal with the man, and thankfully, they did.
Elections are going on right now, and it is my hope that Baron wins in the city of Yew. Not only because he would do a lot of good for the area, but because he is a truly good man. And in a time when it gets harder and harder to tell good from bad we need all the good men we can get.
I am sure that in time Yew will once again be faced with some threat from Penrose. I just hope that should this come to pass, we can at least listen fully to what he has to say before swords are unsheathed and people harmed.
I gave good a chance, and it turned out that faith placed in knighthoods is not always sound. Perhaps it would be best to again look at the one I deemed evil and see it as I originally thought, some good still lies in Penrose.
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