Journal of Arcadius - Day 35

At last I have time to write again, and I am dismayed at what I must record.

***

It is a tale of confusion and good intentions gone awry, and of worse, as we shall see. We explored the ruined town near Izmir, fearing it to be connected with the evil, unnatural trees and other recent dark happenings. The town indeed had a large tree of some sort at its very center, surrounded by a vast network of thorny vines.

The vines were quickly revealed to be evil, mobile and blood-drinking. After some discussion, we decided to set fire to them in a dual attempt to uncover what secrets might be found in the town itself, while ridding the world of their vileness. However, they proved to burn very slowly. We camped in the mountains, leaving the fire to burn overnight.

However, our time there was not a peaceful one. Among our adventures were an encounter with a young, and, praise the gods, reasonable Silver Dragon, and an attack by thorn-covered plant servitors of, we surmised, the tree. The Dragon revealed to us that the tree was carnivorous and mobile like the vines, but was more like a beast, driven by hunger rather than the will to evil, and strangely that it was not the master of the vines but rather their prisoner. Truly, we are tested in many ways.

When we returned to the town, however, we discovered to our dismay that the tree was gone - yes gone, and our fire had somehow burned in a path straight to where it had been. There was much discussion of this, and worthy consideration of our own possible guilt in bringing it about. We had no doubt put things in motion, but someone or something had bent that motion in their own direction. As it is said in my country, a plan left half finished ceases to be one's own.

We went into action with admirable alacrity, fanning out to warn the local towns while hoping to find where the tree had gone. The tree made itself known soon enough, attacking the waypoint village with its thorn servitors. The townspeople had, with an industriousness and purpose reminiscent of the folk of the Five Rivers, built a palisade and mounted a defense. Our arrival, as trained, heavily armed warriors, improved the situation immensely. Still, some had died, and we must reflect upon whether this blood is partially on our hands. For, as we shall see, while not directly our doing, we unlocked a door that was opened by another.

It is my belief that we should atone for this.

On the following day we went hunting for the tree, based on guidance from the villagers, and found it without great difficulty. Our initial plan was a wise one; to build a ring of fire around the tree and then gradually close it inward. The tree, being mobile but still a thing of wood, was greatly vulnerable to fire. We spent a day collecting firewood, including large logs, and built a suitable ring. Certain of our companions strayed too close to the tree and became entangled in its tentacle-like roots, but we were able to extricate them.

Then our troubles truly began.

***

We lit the fires, and as night fell, the tree began to stir. It unleashed its servitor creatures in an attempt to clear a path through the burning ring. We in turn countered, pushing logs back into place. They, being plants like their master, suffered greatly from the flames. Still, they strove with all their ability, and kept us in stalemate. For some time it went on like this, until Shaft was struck by an arrow!

And not just struck, but shot in the back, from a high and hidden place, in the most cowardly and unworthy way. At first I fancied it was a reappearance of the mysterious and seemingly magical arrow traps we encountered in the ruined mine, but then the fog was lifted from my mind and I realized we had a foe lodged in the trees nearby.

Soon thereafter, she announced herself, a ranger and self-styled protector of the wilds (Certain views here in the North continue to amaze me. Who of good conscience "protects" the savagery of the wilderness, which is ever a threat in fang and claw, to the detriment of good and humble folk who wish merely to till the soil, or bring forth its buried riches, and to live? - but I digress). She demanded we leave this place. Being of good and stout heart (except for one, as we shall see) we refused, for innocents would suffer if we abandoned our task.

Hrogar and I then questioned her as to who she was and why she was here. She told us she had released the tree - using, as we surmised, our fire as the opportunity - because it was a thing of nature. It apparently would listen to her requests, and we asked if she could prevent it from eating those with minds and souls. She mockingly asked why she should care. Still, I foolishly continued in the hope that she might be reasoned with, as did Hrogar. Useless attempts at negotiation went on for some time.

It was then that Alcander appeared, returning from his mission of warning. Praise be to the gods, he arrived near her position, and was able to locate where she was. He also used our gift of sight to reveal that she was truly evil, and not merely callous. Still, I vainly thought we might convince her to leave, with the tree. The ranger refused to guarantee any sort of protection for the innocent, and at most she had said she would guide the tree to some other region, where it might prey on the folk living there. That we do not know those people does not obviate our guilt at their deaths under such an arrangement. Thus, there was no reason to bargain with her other than protect our own lives - a most unworthy goal indeed for Paladins! A darkness seemed to creep into my mind and across my eyes.

Then, praise be to Lord Pelor, whose light clears all, I saw that my subtlety and calculations were but the path the wickedness, for we could not in good conscience let this thing go while under this ranger's power. I fell to my knees in prayer, seeking Pelor's guidance. As I did this, some of our party were already, piecemeal, charging forward toward where we now knew her to be, ready to lay down their lives to protect the lives in the towns below. I rose and followed.

One in our party, however, had other plans.

***

Hrogar, even as battle was being joined, continued to try to negotiate - and without any bond given from her, gave the ranger his word that he would not harm her or her allies. What madness! Of that much I was aware as I charged forth, other things I would discover later.

The battle was fierce, for our foe, may the gods curse her wickedness and cowardice, was in a lofty perch in a tree, and from there rained arrows down upon us. As the winged serpents of A'zimish they were, striking with great effect while for some time we could do little. Alcander with great and worthy bravery, climbed the tree under a storm of arrows. He lunged forward intending to bring her back to earth along with himself. Alas, she dodged and he fell gravely hurt, with her still on high. Others of our party shot arrows at her, but we clearly lacked her deadly skill with the bow. I arrived, threw a spear to no effect, and then climbed the tree. When I reached the top, she, again showing herself to be a coward as well as a villain, lept off and fled through the forest. We gave chase, but eventually lost her in the darkness and underbrush.

We regrouped ourselves, nearly all gravely wounded, to find that Hrogar had neither joined the battle nor done much to tend the fires. In fact, the plant servitors were beginning to break free, but Fflam, who had been the first back, was slowing their advance. Working together we were able to restore a kind of stalemate.

What Hrogar HAD been doing, he did not say, and we had no time to spare for questions or argument.

Alcander proved the greatness of his spirit once more by racing back to the waypoint town. His purpose was to tell the folk there our situation and beg for their aid in burning the tree. In the meantime, we had a very uneasy night.

***

The next day a very tired, but unbowed, Alcander arrived with the townsfolk. We had a great deal of work, but thankfully a larger number of people.

Lack of organization had been our near-undoing in the preceding events, and I resolved to provide some. It was strange, once I began giving orders, how naturally it came. Though it has been years since I was in my homeland, the training of my youth as a Guardian came to the fore. I long ago gave up trying to explain the differences between our class of Guardians, may they be ever be rightly guided, and the capricious "nobles" of these lands, with their private armies and their vainglorious squabbles over power. Still, it is best to be mindful of such things, for in wielding power pride would be my undoing. May the hard-won wisdom of those who went before serve as lessons. May the guiding light of Lord Pelor, who leads without vanity or craving for glory, show me the path so that I be not tempted to light the way with the fiercer flames of my own spirit.

I now see Lord Pelor in my mind's sight even while about and working. It drives back the darkness that also grows, and this is good. Something is happening.

During the hard work of keeping the fires going, and contracting the circle, I had a strange and worrisome exchange with Marion, the cleric of Kaladis. She came to me arguing, it seemed, that we should abandon our efforts to destroy the tree, because it was not evil, and instead pursue the ranger. At some point later Fflam the dwarf had similar things to say. The discussion quickly went ill.

I see two sides to this.

On the one, I did not and do not see any wisdom in their suggestions. The whereabouts of the ranger are completely unknown, and we lack the skill, I deem, to find her. As for the tree, though it is not evil, it was still a grave threat, and had to be dealt with then and there. For truly, though the soldiers who invade one's land may not be evil, do they not seek to kill, steal, and destroy? The beast of prey is not evil either, yet allow it to live and it will devour one's livestock and perhaps one's family. Though a destroyer be not evil, those it seeks to destroy still deserve protection - and if not that, for what do we Paladins even exist?

On the other hand, perhaps my replies were harsh and tinged with pride or arrogance. The dwarf seemed unmoved, as one would imagine from his stern folk, though I found it strange that he would even broach the question. Marion, however, reacted in a way that I do not understand. She can be quite fierce when she is of an opinion, yet she seems a gentle soul underneath, and does not sustain that ferocity. I may have hurt her feelings, and it may be best if I speak to her. Alas for the wisdom of reflection, ever after and never before! I am reminded of the Parable of the Moonlit Well of Ramekht.

In the end, the debate was for naught, for once the flames got too close, the tree, with titanic strength, effortlessly picked up an entire flaming trunk and threw it many, many feet out into the forest. We put out the resulting uncontrolled fire and realized we needed a new plan.

Fortunately, a way was found. There is another ranger, who is sometimes in Izmir, and is of a better reputation. We dispatched a party to ask for his help, and some days later they returned. THIS ranger was by all accounts someone to be trusted, and he agreed to to take the tree deep into the wilderness to a place he knew of where there was much game and no people.

Let the wilderness deal with its own, and stay far away from the humble and innocent!

And so it was done.

***

Now I must come to that which I truly regret to write.

The reason for Hrogar's silence was revealed. When we finally had time to spare for
discussion, Fflam asked him, simply and without accusation, why he had been climbing down out of a tree while the rest of us were returning from the fight.

We stopped, stunned. Hrogar promptly launched into a long and venomous speech accusing the rest of us of all manner of transgressions while attempting to justify his own actions. The speech had a whiff of practice about it, like something prepared, in secret, during the preceding days.

In the short but furious discussion that followed it became clear that Hrogar had:

*Given his word foolishly to an evil being without any concern for the consequences to others, including his own comrades even then under attack.

*Failed to do anything at all to help us, even that which would have been outside of his oath (which granted, once given was his bond).

*When the situation started to look bad, climbed into A TREE to save his own unworthy skin, leaving us and the innocents in the towns nearby to their fates.

*Lied, through omission, about the matter, keeping silent until Fflam, thanks be, forced him to speak.

*When his attempt at deceit was revealed, behaved in a most malicious manner, unbecoming of a Paladin, or a friend.

It was immediately apparent to me what must be done. Then and there I rejected him as a comrade, for he has proven that he is unworthy of trust or honor. Alcander reacted quite strongly to his self-justifying insults, and I feared the two might come to blows. Some of the others remained silent, while one or two were perhaps forgiving. I regret, however, that I do not agree with them. It would be best if Hrogar left our group, and Paladinhood, and followed some path where the cost of his ill choices were not lives.

***

For my part regarding the matter, let this be recorded, using the old formal style of my country:

Hrogar of Point of Origin, claimed a Paladin -

Once an ally, you have betrayed.
Through your deeds you have proven unworthy of trust.

Once a friend, you have insulted.
Through your malice, you have proven unworthy of trust.

Once a comrade, you have lied.
Through your deceit, you have proven unworthy of trust.

Henceforth, you are no more to me than a stranger in the street.
As duty requires, you shall have of me what they shall of me, but nothing more.

As I have spoken, so I have written, and so it is sealed.

-Ar-Khadesh of the rightly-guided lineage of Dehret, called Arcadius in these lands, Paladin of Pelor.

***

Finally, it must be said that our lack of organization and leadership is causing us
difficulties. I would step forth, but two things concern me:

*Leadership or command as I learned it is very different from what is expected here. In my homeland those who hold command expect to be obeyed without hesitation, and if there are questions as to their fitness to lead, or the concordance of their decisions with the law, they are handled afterward, when there are no risks to inaction. These people of the North often expect to be led via persuasion or flattery, which while having another kind of merit, does not come naturally to me.

My years of apprenticeship as a Paladin were years of obedience, not leadership, and recent experiences have shown that the habits of my early upbringing could easily come to the fore. This I think would create strife with the others.

*I fear for my own inclinations toward pride, which could take me down paths at variance with my duties as a Paladin, and particularly one of Lord Pelor, praise be to him, who eschews even vainglory allowed by some of the other deities. Such pride could easily be nurtured by the role of leader. Let me not be wrongly guided!

Of the others, I think Alcander would happily take leadership. Though he is truly courageous and honorable, I distrust his impulsive and wrathful disposition. I seem to recall that his lord Herakles had those very weaknesses as a mortal. He is also, as I have mentioned in the past, woefully impractical. Hrogar, may he leave with good grace, was in certain ways inclining toward becoming our leader, but he has proven unworthy. As for the others, I have not seen such inclination, though perhaps Ryan's calm demeanor and steadfast courage would translate into the qualities of a good leader.

Alas, I must rest.
Pelor, honor to you, give me guidance.

*A*