Ring Day, of the six thousandth, ninety-ninth year of Sinai, by the calendar of the Rephidim Temple.

May the Star guide my hand, so that I may write only that which is true, and that which may edify. By the blessing of the Star, I have come across fellow believers on this world, in the form of the royal family Diamante, who have showered me with gifts since my arrival. They have allowed me the use of their Holy Books to transcribe a new Holy Book to take with me for my journeys, and also a blank tome in which to write these blessed Signs. They have furthermore given me this journal in which to make a record of my journeys.

I am amazed that their Holy Book is such a faithful translation of our own words into the written hand of the humans. I am taking care to be alert to any possible errors, however subtle, but this makes my job much easier, for a Holy Book in my own sign would not be readable by the majority of the peoples here.

For, as I have seen that I have begun this story in the middle rather than the beginning, I see that there is much to tell of why I am here and why I was without the Holy Signs. I shall take more time to retell my story in greater detail another day, but suffice it to say that I am a follower of the Star who, by means of miracle or mishap, was transported from my home world of Abaddon to its sister world of Sinai, along with some of the People I was visiting at the time. This Sinai is quite unlike Abaddon in many respects. Technology as we know it does not function reliably here. Complex electronics, by and large, does not function here … though I have heard tales to suggest that in certain cases, particularly Rephidim, electronic wonders do indeed exist. (I have no way of knowing, however, whether they might be specially adapted to the strange effects of this world. Leave that to a Brother of the Wheel.) Even something so simple as a steam engine is in great danger of exploding for no apparent reason.

It was for this reason that the barbarians known as the Titanians came to the place that came to be known to the Sinai people as "The Red Cliffs" – a fragment of our world that had been displaced and put upon Sinai: a once flat section of desert that had now become a towering plateau sitting atop what was once lush forest. While we were overjoyed at the abundance of fertile land and life, the Titanians were overjoyed at the prospect of a land where machines would work – and, indeed, it seems that machines tend to work more reliably on the "Red Cliffs". The Titanians were also very fond of our metal scrap, as metal is curiously rare in this world.

Fortunately, these Titanians speek a language known to us – the tongue of the Expedition – the humans. They also have a most fascinating language conveyed through the use of percussive sounds. With more Titanians working together, they can convey more complex ideas more efficiently. Titanian 'concerts' have the potential for having a very rich vocabulary. However, Titanians seem to be mostly concerned with big machines, big explosions, big hammers, and combinations thereof.

While most of my People were reluctant to have anything to do with the "barbarians", I was particularly intrigued by their similarity to ancient tales of maned star nomads with their curious starships that resembled nothing so much as seafaring vessels – and which one would be hard-pressed to believe could actually handle the void of space, let alone traverse the stars. Given these peoples' curious behavior – They can be stereotyped as "stupid", yet turn about and perform brilliant feats of engineering – I felt compelled to return with some of the "pilgrims" to their homeland, and to encourage some converts among their number to spread the light of the Star to their kin.

The results of my first attempt in this endeavor were, to say the least, disappointing. Violence erupted, and the four faithful Titanians quickly reverted to their old ways, looking to be having quite a fun time cracking skulls just like their kin. I, having a far less durable frame, would have been in certain peril, if not for the timely intervention of one of the native members of the People, a giant known as "Burr", and a member of the people known as the Skreeks, "Willow".

It is without a doubt that Burr and Willow saved my life. As much as I would like to write that I was saved by believers of the Star, or that they immediately converted to the faith, I am sad to say that this is not the case.

On this world, the People are slaves, though I have heard mention of a small kingdom on this world – the "City of Hands" – where the People live in freedom. I have learned through Burr that the Star is worshipped here amongst the People … but often as part of a larger pantheon of deities. I know that, at least in the case of the Diamantes, the Star is known, if referred to by other titles, so I know that I am not the first to bring the Light here.

Burr himself, however, seems resistant to a faith in the Star. On this world, "magic" is a very real thing, though by what processes, I cannot imagine. Shamans are indeed quite real … and if the Star were to grant me miracles, they could simply be passed off as magical spells by observers here. Burr is wary of practitioners of magic, especially those of his own People. Given that magic and religion are closely tied together in many cultures on Sinai, it is not a great surprise that he is wary of me as some sort of "wizard". His education is very limited, being a slave to Willow, and it appears that his primary employment, once upon a time, was as an unarmed gladiator.

Curiously, he is reluctant to watch my signs for any great length of time, but he seems to have warmed up to my attentions spent on his son, Thorn. Thorn is an energetic though undisciplined child. Fortunately, Thorn is of a kind and eager-to-please disposition, so he seems to be not particularly inclined toward trouble, but curiosity or impulse will easily take him beyond the bounds of proper behavior. One of his many good traits is that he is eager to learn … though his attention span is not as wide as I would prefer. Without any complaint from his father, I have endeavored to give him at least the barest beginnings of an education, to the best of my ability

Morning-Mist is yet another companion with this group, though I suspect not for much longer. She is a doe of the race known as "Cervani". In a land called "Bakanal", somewhere southwest of here, there are people who worship nature as a goddess. They have deified the concept of "survival of the fittest", modifying it so that the basic structures of civilization and authority can be maintained … and to enforce gruesome acts of barbarism in the name of "keeping the bloodline pure" and "strengthening the herd". Morning-Mist, having a couple of teeth that could be straightened out with proper dental work, was deemed "ugly" by these people, and hence suited only for death. Willow intervened and rescued Morning-Mist, and the doe has served her during her journey ever since.

Young Prince Diamante (I believe he is in his twenty-second year) has taken a fancy to Morning-Mist, and it's obvious that the interest is mutual. I gather that Willow, concerned enough with her own life in the face of our various harrowing adventures, hopes that Morning-Mist may find a happy life with the Diamantes.

That brings me, belatedly, to Willow, also known as "Willow the Wisp" – some sort of obscure pun. She has had a checkered past, and as a result has a most curious outlook on life. She speaks as one bitter and hateful, yet all the same, she puts herself at risk for others – even complete strangers. I have had many discussions with her, in which she generally "wins the argument", but despite her early protests that I not sign of the Star to her, she has proven to be more ready a listener than most people I have ever tried to reach with the Light of the Star during my years. In a way, I think she would like to believe in the Star, but requires proof. I pray to the Star that she shall find the proof she needs, though I know not what it could be.

This, after all, is a world of magic, where what we would consider miracles are commonplace … and I have no idea what would pass for a true miracle here. Certain wizards here are reputed to have reached positions of unimaginable power, referred to as "gods", and capable of performing amazing feats. If the Star were to send out the Host of the Heavens to bring the Light to the people here, they could very well suppose it to be an illusion or else spirits conjured by a sorcerer. I shall do my best to present a defense for the case of the Star, but ultimately only the Star can shine the Light upon Willow, no matter how much I try to direct her eyes toward the Star.

During our travels, we came to a place called 'Gallis', populated by people who vaguely resemble the domesticated canine "dog" pets of the humans of the Expedition – except being given humanoid form instead of walking about on all four legs. These people had a barbaric sport that involved racing through the streets and killing as many pedestrians as possible in the process. Willow saved a child from certain death, and a beggar as well. (She also, once again, spared my life by providing a distraction for an enemy.) I misjudged the Gallees, and volunteered to become a distraction, thinking that the Gallees would deem me stupid, box my ears, and send me on my way. Instead, they had a translator, and took offense at my criticism of their "race". I was put on "trial", where I was given opportunity to share the Light with the citizens. I can only hope that this was well received, but I consider it a good sign that all of my smaller versions of the Holy Books were sold to Gallees. (Now I must make new ones.) Although I was greatly afraid of the Gallees and their treatment of me, I trust that the Light will not shine in vain, and that consciences may be troubled in Gallis.

The air vessel we rode upon was attacked by these people, and we barely escaped with our lives. There were many in the crew who were not so fortunate. It was a wearying journey to a land called Kroz, where we presently await repairs to the ship so that we can travel on to a place called Olympia.

Here, Willow was attacked by an evil force, though she was saved by the intervention of a woodsman who had seen our craft land. The rulers of this land, the family Diamante, have been the most gracious hosts for us, going to great lengths to show us – disheveled, common strangers – great hospitality. It also appears that, curiously enough, Willow may have ancestry with its roots in this land, contrary to her earlier beliefs.

That brings me back to recent events, as much as a disservice as I have done to what has gone before.

Willow has been staying in the room of Nene Diamante, the departed sister of Prince Ral Diamante. (Nene, it seems, was about sixteen years of age when she was slain by one of the 'snicjers' – the same creatures that had accosted Willow. At that time, Ral was only ten years of age, making Nene his older sister, of course. This would have happened twelve years ago, if I have my facts in order.)

Willow discovered some dolls representing the rulers of the eight principalities that this land, Kroz, is divided up into. Three Princes are Skreeks – the same race as Willow. One is a "Kavi", another is a "Jupani", another is a "Rath'ani", another would be "Cervani" (the Diamante family), and another would be a "Skeek" (a race similar to Willow's, but smaller – and some sort of racial rivalry is evident), and yet another would be a "Kattha" (a feline race). Simple math reveals this to account for nine, not eight principalities. Apparently, a Kavi Prince, Prince Goldburrow, had a fairly short reign over one of the principalities, until he was replaced by a Skeek, Urban.

Once again, I digress, having so many things to document. One of the three Skreek houses was named "Naochi". This got the attention of Willow, since her given surname was "Naochi". Willow indicates that she used to look much like the doll that would presumably represent her mother … but that, through Life Magic, she had her appearance changed. (I have no idea how common this practice is.) She did some research in the library on these families, and became very angry, exclaiming that her life was a "lie".

Over lunch, Willow was apologetic about her outburst, though she was so obviously agitated by this turn of events in her life that her signs were hard to follow. Fortunately, Morning-Mist already knew of Willow's true name, and had informed Prince Diamante of the controversy. Willow gave a tirade to the effect that she was not out for titles or money, and that she had worked really hard for everything she owned, and then went back to her room with some food, rather than eating it with the others. Once Willow left, Prince Diamante explained what he knew to Mother Diamante.

Mother Diamante's reaction was most curious. At first, I did not think she had been listening, as she seemed to just calmly nibble on her lunch. Then, she made remarks to the effect that she was not the least surprised that Willow would turn out to be royalty, though she wasn't sure how "Darling Kiri" would take the news that an older sister was in fact alive, and therefore a potential challenger for the throne. I, personally, cannot see Willow actually going through with that. She takes a certain pride in accomplishing things despite her low birth. Ironically, learning that she might be of royal birth (no matter how small the kingdom) might actually be bad news for her. I do not see her trying to gain any special benefits out of it, even if this "Darling Kiri" were to offer them to her.

All the same, she seems inclined to boast about her self-sufficiency, and in the same breath (almost) tear herself down as a "worthless Skreek". She will talk freely about how she has stuck her neck out for this misfit or another (myself included), but then she will quickly guard her words, trying to come up with pragmatic, selfish explanations for her behavior … as if simply caring for the well-being of strangers were some sort of sin on this world, unless there is a profit involved.

I find it curious – She seems to be rather bitter that the Powers That Be (be they the Star or any number of gods believed in here) never did anything for her when she needed it … but at the same time, she seems to be quite adamant about doing things for herself. Far be it from me to belittle the life of tragedy she has led, but it almost makes me wonder if, should the Star provide some miracle to help her, whether she would curse the Star for interfering, since it could rob her of her claim of self-sufficiency, if she had the Star to thank for her success.

As ever, I digress. Rather than staying for the whole of Prince Diamante's explanation to his mother, I followed after Willow. There, I found her hastily finishing off the remnants of lunch, and then hungrily poring through the books kept in Nene's room. It seems that Nene had quite a collection of books of legends are fairy tales, and some maps of the region of Kroz and several nearby areas on this part of the continent.

A perusal of Nene's personal collection of books revealed quite a number of notes written directly on the pages, as well as countless slips of parchment that would flutter out of the pages now and then. I am almost certain that these books have not been disturbed since the time of Nene's tragic demise at the hands of the snicjers.

The maps demonstrated special attention paid to sites referenced in other books where it was mentioned that ruins of the old Moltpaa empire had been found, and notes of locations of underground tunnels, and which directions they were aligned in, even though the ends might be cut off by cave-ins. Evidently, Nene had tried to find patterns in the arrangements of the sites and the alignments of the tunnel segments, to try to hypothesize about the locations of further (as yet undiscovered) ruins, and where tunnel networks might lead. Some notes indicated that Nene had in fact visited a few minor "sites" in the area … though of limited value insofar as the gathering of useful information was concerned. (Just a few toppled stones in the forest, or maybe a cave with some broken tools inside.)

One location in the immediate area that she hadn't visited yet, but was planning to visit, happens to coincide with the area where we passed through, and where Willow was attacked by the snicjer. Willow managed to confirm through other research that, yes, this location was, in fact, very close to the place where Nene's body had been found. That we would stumble upon this I cannot blame upon coincidence … but I cannot be certain whether this is under the guidance of the Star, or whether some malevolent force may be manipulating us. (Willow seems to think that this acquaintance of hers, Tyrne Dagh, has mysterious powers to "make things happen" in obscure, magical ways.) My only comfort is in knowing that any malevolent force will ultimately still have to answer to the Star.

It appears that Nene had, in fact, read of accounts of the snicjers. Apparently, though, since legends claimed that the snicjers haunt ruins of the Moltpaa, and since every site Nene had visited showed no sign of any "snicjers", she assumed that the tale was false, and that there simply was no such thing as a snicjer. Thus, it is quite possible that she went unprepared. Or, it could be that she did go prepared, but that these legends aren't as helpful as they purport to be in telling how to defeat a snicjer.

First of all, a snicjer can be harmed by iron. It appears that steel will not suffice, but rather iron as pure as possible is ideal. (Rust doesn't seem to be a problem.) Although snicjers are apparently spirit beings who can pass through solid objects, when they are struck by items of iron, or faced with barriers of iron, they might as well be solid when confronted with such things. It appears that they will ignore travelers who are not of Krozite ancestry … but that they have a particular hatred for Krozites of regal heritage. (Could this be further proof of Willow's noble birth?)

Fighting a snicjer, even with an iron weapon, I would presume to be quite tricky. However, the huntsman apparently can slay them with a crossbow with his eyes closed. (I am inclined to consider this a testament to his skill, rather than an indication of the weakness of the snicjer.)

As the books suggest, there are many more creatures to beware of in the caverns and catacombes underneath Kroz. First of all, there are the "gorts", brutes of purportedly the intellect of apes, and with similar features, only reptilian instead of mammalian, and at least smart enough to make use of broken stalactites and stalagmites as makeshift clubs. These blind creatures are very territorial, cannibalistic (that is, will eat their own kind, and probably sapient species as well), and rather disagreeable. They tend to be found in warmer areas of the underground, such as near weak places in the planet's crust, where lava flows and slowly cools, or where natural hot springs bubble up.

Also in abundance are "grooks". These creatures bear some resemblance to a creature I learned of from the Titanians, called a "Hooka". Unlike Hookas, however, these grooks show no sign of intellect, and are especially mean-spirited and even lethal. They remotely resemble skeletal birds the size of large hunting dogs, and make twittering, bird-like noises. Oddly enough, they seek out only the bones of their prey, digging them out and then either consuming them, or else somehow warping their shapes and incorporating them into their own bony forms. No two grooks are alike.

One curious little note I ran across while helping Willow research this, was a reference in a book to a ruined tablet (its appearance resembling the "Skreek statue" that Willow found earlier) that made references to "Moltpaa" and "Kroz" on the same stone., though not much else could be deciphered.

There could be a number of interpretations of this. First, 'Kroz' as a name might have older origins than as the name of the country. Second, the surface nation of 'Kroz' might have actually been formed during the existence of Moltpaa, rather than after it had already disappeared. Thirdly, there is the possibility that these "rat sculptures" could have been made after the fall of Moltpaa. I'm sure there are several other possibilities.

In any case, we have spent the remainder of that day and a great deal more time after that going through Nene's collection, and the larger collection in the library. Burr proves to be quite useful at carrying large stacks of books for Willow. Willow, curiously, obliges Thorn by letting him carry a small, much lighter book, so he can help his father. If it happens to be a book with pictures in it, though, Thorn is likely never to actually show up at the intended destination, but instead will be found on a hallway bench elsewhere in the castle, perusing the pictures in awe.

Not surprisingly, Willow's research has not wholly been about Nene, her death, the snicjers and Moltpaa. She's been very interested in finding out more about the Krozite families, and not just Naochi.

Willow got quite a bit of information (or, at the very least, gossip) about House Naochi, from Mother Diamante. It seems that the present Prince Naochi, Kiri, is a rebellious youth who has brought the Naochi estate to near-ruin. He has squandered most of his wealth on various vices, wild parties, and whimsies, and is presently greatly in debt. Various family heirlooms have either been sold off, or else trashed during one of his many tantrums. Territories have been sold off to neighboring Olympia in a further attempt at raising revenue for Kiri to continue his excesses, and House Dack has bought many of these lands back up. At the insistence of House Dack, these lands are still listed as part of the lands of Naochi – Prince Sebazhan Dack has claimed that he does not wish to have two borders shared with neighboring Olympia instead of just one.

As for the reason Prince Naochi has not married, part of it is that he's still a youth in his late teens who really has no business play-acting at being a man. He only took the throne a few years ago, when his father, Prince Tachiri Naochi, died in a hunting accident, getting caught in a monster trap that went off while he was setting it. But the other part of the gossip is that he spends a lot of his time with women of ill repute, and claims that any possible suitors would just be "gold diggers" anyway, and he has no need for any commitments. This way, until the shekels run out, he can send away a woman once he tires of her. The shekels surely can't hold out for much longer, despite the support of House Dack, and the loyal, longsuffering service of his aged Kattha butler, Rezhinald Dack.

The Naochi graveyard, final resting place of Kiri's father Tachiri, his mother Ria, and his sisters Inri, Takiri, Shari and supposedly Chiria – plus many generations of ancestors – has become neglected and overgrown, located on a hilltop on the outskirts of the village at the base of Castle Naochi.

As for the previous Prince Tachiri Naochi, and Ria, the books say little of use. Mother Diamante's impressions are curious in their details and implications. Namely, Tachiri was a very bold, sometimes shrewd man, with big, big dreams. He tended to gamble a bit too much than was prudent, and to overreach. He would also never admit a mistake until it was too late. Tachiri had big dreams of eventually buying up outlying properties from Olympia in order to expand his principality. It is an irony, perhaps, that things have gone the opposite direction after his demise.

Tachiri never spoke much about his short-lived daughters, and treated his wife, Ria, much like one of his servants – only a bit better dressed. Ria struck Mother Diamante as a very quiet, subdued woman, and was apparently quite clumsy, as she seemed to have a habit of falling down stairs a lot. (Nobody else ever seemed to witness this, except for Prince Tachiri Naochi.) Ria tended to hide behind her husband as far as social occasions were concerned, and with the deaths of her daughters, she became more and more – as Mother Diamante describes her – "haunted". She looked as if she had given up on eating (her portions at banquets would starve a flickertail).

After her death, her husband hardly even acknowledged Ria's absence. He was far more proud that he had a son. Mother Diamante writes that off as Tachiri's attempt to "deal with his grief" by "focusing on his blessings". "And now that Tachiri has passed on," Mother Diamante commented, "Kiri can no doubt take comfort that his honored father is in a nice warm place, receiving his due reward for the rest of eternity."

As for the matter of House Dack, things are fairly mysterious. For one thing, all the heirs in the line happen to be black-furred. While the family is technically of the Kattha strain, inter-marrying frequently with Olympian stock, their legs are almost plantigrade, looking more like they just have slightly elongated feet and a tendency to stand on their toes. The House of Dack has produced many accomplished mages, most of them tending to venture into multiple Spheres of magic, rather than focusing on mastering a single Sphere. The Spheres of Shadow and Illusion seem to be especially prevalent in this family, though they have had a number of Life Mages as well. (I should note that I don't really know what I'm writing about, regards magic, and am at this point regurgitating facts that Willow seemed to think worthwhile to note for later reference.)

The curious thing is, most of the members of this family are not trained and accredited by the Collegia Esoterica, even though they may have relations with a smaller, older branch of this "school" in Olympia. This is far enough in the outlands, and the Dacks have enough prestige to avoid getting hassles by the Collegia Esoterica. The Collegia Esoterica, which is an international authority on all things magical, would seem to take issue with such "renegade" use of magic as this, however.

The present head of the house is Prince Sebazhan Dack, a black Kattha, naturally. His father was one Prince Xavier Dack. Mother Diamante presumes both to be mages of the Sphere of either Illusion or Shadow. Prince Sebazhan also has an uncle (or perhaps had) who was a dabbler in multiple Spheres, including Life, and who was present for the births of the ill-fated daughters of Prince Takiri Naochi, and the son, Kiri. After Kiri's birth, he wandered off, and is presumably roaming all of Nordika for who-knows-what purpose.

Of the history of House Dack, there are a few heroes of note. First, there was the great wizard Fladnagh, who led a coalition of Krozite forces in a counter-assault on some invaders pouring in from Bosch. (It seems that, from time to time, "wild magic" pours into Kroz, and along with it come swarms of monsters that would normally be confined to this area called "Bosch", to the north.) He was skilled with a sword as well as with his spells, and slew many monsters by his own hand, but ultimately died in battle. While the battle was technically won by the invaders, the sacrificial forces held the Bosch invaders at bay long enough that the "cycle" of wild magic began creeping back before the invaders had a chance to reach the more populated cities (which would have resulted in crippling slaughter and destruction).

Another hero would be Odorph the Short, who took a cursed artifact to the Cascades of Fire to dispose of it there once and for all. (When he came back, he was referred to as Odorph the Tall. Bosch can do strange things to those who visit that place. He apparently was one of the more fortunate souls to escape its clutches.)

There are far more sinister characters in the Dack family tree, however. For instance, there was Prince Ulah, who had one of the longest reigns of any member of the family … and was eventually revealed to actually be an undead monster, feeding on the blood of the living. Some other rulers were noted as being particularly brutal with subjects who broke minor laws, or with those who purportedly insulted them in court. There are also many tales of ghosts and monsters in the lands of Dack … slightly moreso than in the other principalities.

Willow also expressed interest in the other Skreek Princes. (She seems to think that the idea of a Skreek in a position of power is absurd.)

One of these families would be House Cobalt, the closest neighbor, and occasionally a guest of the Diamantes (but never when Prince Urban is also visiting). Cobalt has a very distinctive appearance, having black fur that displays blue highlights. Just as there is a curious trend in House Dack that all the heirs are black, regardless of the color of those married into the family … Cobalt's line consistently displays this distinctive fur coloration (though it may occasionally skip a child or two). Also, even though "normal" Skreeks (that is, Skreeks that look like Whitehead, and not like Willow) marry into the line, somehow the genes that make Krozite Skreeks plantigrade and more humanoid seem to be dominant.

Personality-wise, Mother Diamante sees Prince Cobalt as a loud, blunt sort who hasn't an ounce of diplomacy in his body. When he thinks something, he says it. And if you are offended, then too bad, because he only speaks what he thinks to be true (or his opinion … which, of course, in his mind is the same thing). Despite this, Mother Diamante somehow sees Prince Cobalt as a "precious dear".

Prince Stiletto, on the other paw, is far more reclusive, as is his House in general. The dull black Skreek is something of a merchant, it is said, and has fairly robust trade relations with other Nordikan countries, and with Himar. Stiletto apparently has little to do with his fellow Princes, and his family keeps to itself.

That seems to summarize our findings so far. Repairs on the airship have been going slowly, I am led to believe, due to the lack of proper equipment and materials in these parts. Since there is bound to be a delay before we can move on, Willow seems to be entertaining the notion of doing some traveling. For our sakes, I hope she will exercise caution. While she seems to be generally level-headed (if occasionally loud), I am afraid that the promise of answers to questions that must have been plaguing her for nearly her whole existence might push her to take larger risks than she normally would consider.

I shall make certain to keep Willow and her friends in my prayers.