-The following are excerpts from a weathered journal found in the Drybone area of Thanalan by traveling merchants. As the pages are frayed and difficult to read in places due to weather damage and other inexplicable forms of damage, as new pages are deciphered, they will be posted for review. Please be cautioned as some content may be disturbing to some people.-
Fourth Astral Moon, Day 16
We have been camped in what feels like the most desolate region of Thanalan that the Empire could have placed us, though I know we haven't been stationed here at all. Our current location has been decided solely by our commander, Nedris Thorin.
I fear the man. I fear what his goals may be, whatever they are, as he chooses to remain silent on the matter to his men. I have been tasked to help him when necessary, and the more I have gotten to know the man, the more I am terrified of him. Today I witnessed him, full of grace and glory as a small band of his men had rounded up and captured three young Amalj'aa, one of which was clearly a child. One of the men had asked Thorin, "Sir, shall we release the child?"
Thorin looked flatly at the soldier in his command and said "No, boy. You will execute him first, in front of the others. Melodia shall have her fun with the other two."
The young Garlean soldier had looked a bit taken aback by Thorin's command. Thorin, as he was wont to do, glared hard at the boy and then said "When you are done with the child, come and see me afterward." Thorin had walked away after that. His mention of Melodia turned my blood cold as the woman was even more frightening than Thorin, and was clearly unstable. I felt pity for the two older Amalj'aa as they had no idea of the horrific end they faced at her hands. I shuddered and had followed Thorin back to his tent. He looked at the floor as he sat and dismissed me with a wave of his hand.
Later that day, as I sat outside the tent I saw the young Garlean soldier who had the duty of executing the Amalj'aa child approach Thorin's tent and ask for permission to enter. He was granted as much by Thorin. The soldier entered and I could hear low murmuring inside the tent, but was unable to clearly make out the voices. Then suddenly, it was very silent. The wind had picked up a bit and some dust had swirled about when I saw Thorin exit the tent with that cold, flat expression he typically had. He had glanced at me and said "Clean the mess up in there. The heat'll cause th' damn flies to swarm quick." And with that he strode away to elsewhere in the camp and as I entered the tent with some hesitation I saw the young soldier dead on the ground, his stomach viciously cut open and the bloody knife laying next to the corpse.
This was not unsurprising to me, as Thorin did not take kindly to questioning his orders, nor to weakness. As I write this, a young soldier has approached Thorin and I can just make out the hushed voice, "Sir, our informant from Ul'dah has been gravely injured. The men are bringing him here now, but he needs treatment."
Thorin looked at the soldier and asked "How was the little man injured?"
The soldier responded, "He was shot by an archer, it appears, and fell a great distance. The arrow is lodged deeply in his shoulder but the fall seems to have done the most damage."
"Ensure he makes it here and survives." Thorin looked grim for a moment and then shouted for Melodia before walking toward the heart of the camp.
Fourth Astral Moon, Day 16
We have been camped in what feels like the most desolate region of Thanalan that the Empire could have placed us, though I know we haven't been stationed here at all. Our current location has been decided solely by our commander, Nedris Thorin.
I fear the man. I fear what his goals may be, whatever they are, as he chooses to remain silent on the matter to his men. I have been tasked to help him when necessary, and the more I have gotten to know the man, the more I am terrified of him. Today I witnessed him, full of grace and glory as a small band of his men had rounded up and captured three young Amalj'aa, one of which was clearly a child. One of the men had asked Thorin, "Sir, shall we release the child?"
Thorin looked flatly at the soldier in his command and said "No, boy. You will execute him first, in front of the others. Melodia shall have her fun with the other two."
The young Garlean soldier had looked a bit taken aback by Thorin's command. Thorin, as he was wont to do, glared hard at the boy and then said "When you are done with the child, come and see me afterward." Thorin had walked away after that. His mention of Melodia turned my blood cold as the woman was even more frightening than Thorin, and was clearly unstable. I felt pity for the two older Amalj'aa as they had no idea of the horrific end they faced at her hands. I shuddered and had followed Thorin back to his tent. He looked at the floor as he sat and dismissed me with a wave of his hand.
Later that day, as I sat outside the tent I saw the young Garlean soldier who had the duty of executing the Amalj'aa child approach Thorin's tent and ask for permission to enter. He was granted as much by Thorin. The soldier entered and I could hear low murmuring inside the tent, but was unable to clearly make out the voices. Then suddenly, it was very silent. The wind had picked up a bit and some dust had swirled about when I saw Thorin exit the tent with that cold, flat expression he typically had. He had glanced at me and said "Clean the mess up in there. The heat'll cause th' damn flies to swarm quick." And with that he strode away to elsewhere in the camp and as I entered the tent with some hesitation I saw the young soldier dead on the ground, his stomach viciously cut open and the bloody knife laying next to the corpse.
This was not unsurprising to me, as Thorin did not take kindly to questioning his orders, nor to weakness. As I write this, a young soldier has approached Thorin and I can just make out the hushed voice, "Sir, our informant from Ul'dah has been gravely injured. The men are bringing him here now, but he needs treatment."
Thorin looked at the soldier and asked "How was the little man injured?"
The soldier responded, "He was shot by an archer, it appears, and fell a great distance. The arrow is lodged deeply in his shoulder but the fall seems to have done the most damage."
"Ensure he makes it here and survives." Thorin looked grim for a moment and then shouted for Melodia before walking toward the heart of the camp.