Holdfast Chronicles - by Cassius Snow

[snow_gnoble]

Snow sits down at his makeshift desk and begins to transfer notes and field work into his permanent volumes. He starts with his latest project, the Holdfast Chronicles. His first two entries are still in his field journal. He has not told anyone of these records, nor shared their contents.

[snow_gnoble]

2024-09-02  Old Friends and New Friends

As most people know by now, I am on the run. I have gone from place to place, moving further and further away from the danger that has probably left me the last remaining member of my immediate family. What you may not know, that I've never lived anywhere that I considered home, and I've never known what it was to have real friends.

I had not intended to stop running quite yet, but three days ago I came across an old acquaintance in a place called Holdfast. Corkin was a soldier I once had the pleasure of befriending when I was recording the events of a battle he was in. He had found his way to Holdfast. Forgive me if I've spelled his name wrong. He's only recently learned to read and write and I haven't had the chance to confirm it. By chance, or destiny if you believe in such things, we came across each other on the road through town and he convinced me to stay a while, and that he would help ensure my safety for a while. I was probably already far enough from my home to avoid the people looking for me, so I agreed. It would be nice to stop for a while. On the walk back, Corkin explained that the way out of Holdfast was blocked by a barrier. It had no problem letting me in, but I could not leave without permission from the Collective. I was stuck.

My first night there, I found myself fighting for my life at the inn. Snake people were attacking anything that moved, including me, and I went down. In the commotion one of the healers stopped the bleeding and hid me under one of the tables. I woke up being tended to, my belongings were repaired, and no one asked for favor or fortune. In spite of the generosity of Corkin and the townsfolk, I was very much done with the seemingly dangerous little place, but it was late. So, I stayed the night. As if I had a choice in the matter.

The next day I left my tent and strode out into sunlight. I'd not seen more inviting weather in a long time, and it warmed my soul. Heading back to the inn, the town was in full bustle. The place was warm of weather and warm of welcome. Even the criminals made me feel more welcome than anyone from back home. A ragtag group of organized criminals called "the family" made their way through town, and somehow became the highlight of my morning. Mind you, some of my morning involved being chased through the woods by what I'm assuming was a possessed spoon. It rearranged the limbs on one poor fellow, and it was all we could do to get him back to the inn and sorted out.

The people of Holdfast took this, and similar instances of misfortune, with far more grace than I would have anticipated. There were attacks by monsters on the surrounding trails, various personal misfortunes, and the covenant was breathing down their necks all the while. Even still, the residents held fast. Sorry for the unfortunate wordplay, but ink is expensive and I'm not starting over.

In the evening bards filled the air with song and laughter. Corkin and I listened in, and he even picked up a string instrument that I had no idea the man could play. At one point they were singing about a frog, so I snatched up one that I'd seen nearby and released it among the people gathered. It was terribly entertaining, though the frog did urinate in my hand....

The festivities continued with a visit from some unfortunate, but necessary allies. A crew of undead honored guests were at the inn for most of the evening. They would engage you in polite conversation one minute, and then do you harm a few minutes later. All the while, no one stopped them. Though I understand the necessity of the situation. I just wish one of them had not pulled out my eye and fed it to me. I did apparently make a good impression on the wordless daughter of the group. I made her a picture transfer that she wished to take with her. She seemed quite happy about that. I do hope she manages to turn out better adjusted than the company she came with.

It was an eventful day with strange occurrences. Both good and bad. But the most unlikely event of the day was the most mundane. I made a friend. Two actually. Most people would think this strange, as they have many friends. But, for various reasons, I do not. Killick, a wonderfully strange waterkin, was very hospitable to me, and seemed to be quite invested in my well being. For no other reason than to be nice. We've had several interesting conversations since then, and we've had an eye on each other's backs without either of us needing to ask. I also came across another medic who was similarly kind of heart. Amalia. She helped save me after a giant spider attack. I managed to sneak up on the thing and get a couple shots off before it could respond, and then it chased me into one of its webs. Completely unfair if you ask me. Amalia got me out of the woods and to the medical attention I needed. I was able to help her in a similar manner not long after, and we continued to trade favors and good conversation ever since. Seeing Gull teach her to dance earlier today will ever be one of my most treasured memories. Gull is a local bard, not a sea bird. He does have the singing voice of a bird, though fortunately not that of an actual gull.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Yesterday when I woke up there was an energy in the air. I could feel in my bones. Events were coming to a head. Like in a clock when a bunch of smaller cogs move long enough to make one of the hands finally click forward. Something was about to click. Up to this point I'd paid the local politics little heed, but as I spent more time amongst the locals, I could not help but become invested. I won't go on about politics and history that can be found both in book and in gossip. You likely already know the history better than me.

What you don't know is the feeling I got while sitting on the steps of the inn, with less cares in my head than I'd had there in years, and looked up to see someone walking out of the woods. They were bleeding from the ears, and my first instinct was to stand up and approach them to give aid. I stood up, but I was not able to walk forward. I am not sensitive to some of the powers of this world like some people, but I knew that this person was power beyond me. I'm not ashamed to say I retreated. I was the closest person to them as they approached, and I moved back amongst the others so someone else could meet them first.

It was Teek. I'd only heard rumors about Teek, and they seemed unbelievable. No more. I could not see all that happened with my mundane eyes. All I know is that the despised lord protector was struck down, her right hand also fell but was saved, and that the barrier around Holdfast was no more. Most people rejoiced, but some people had reason to be sad as well. The collective was pushed back from Holdfast, but Nero now set his eye on the town.

Suddenly I was no longer stuck here. Just as suddenly, it was no longer safer to stay in Holdfast than it was to continue running. But I was compelled to stay. At that time I was not sure why, but it caused me to hesitate and stay at least one more night.

That was the night I was beaten senseless by an enormous... phallice, held by a scantly clad man who was terrorizing the town along with his other deviant fellows. I don't mind going head-to-head with a foe, but this was a bit much. It seemed apparent that my decision to stay was ill advised, but before the night was over I once again felt myself hesitant to leave. Maybe it was the fact that everyone went from being attacked by men holding phallic shaped weapons to telling each other dick jokes and belly laughing themselves to tears in the span of 30 minutes that affected my judgement. It did end up being rather funny. After...

Today was less eventful and more eventful all at the same time. Teek came back and a lot was talked about that I'm sure I'll eventually hear about via rumor. But I can be concerned about that when the time comes. More notably, I made my most successful trek into the woods yet. Marco, Reaper and I went foraging around the forest. We found both herb and ore. Reaper collecting one, and Marco the other. Neither of which I had the skill to retrieve. Yet when we walked back to town both were in my bag and neither of my companions asked for anything in return. Both had accompanied me on previous trips into the woods, and both had been generous to me in past days, but the casual manner in which they employed their generosity could no longer remain unnoticed. They were good people, and I was lucky to be in their company.

As we left the woods, Marco was spirited away. His family had come to town to... well I'm not sure what they were doing actually. But their intentions where not wholly peaceful, and they did not appear to be interacting in good faith. I was quite concerned for Marco, and I spent much of the afternoon with my weapon in hand, ready to come to his aid against potential foes that would probably have me in the ground before I knew it was happening.

I've never done such a thing before. I'm no coward, and I don't typically run from a fight, but that doesn't mean I run TO a fight when it is not necessary. Today... I did. Violence did not break out, and the situation was resolved peacefully, but I stood on the field with Reaper ready to help Marco fight a battle that we would be quite useless in. I could have walked away. No one would have judged me. In fact they probably thought me the fool for not doing so. But I couldn't. I stood with Reaper and Marco.

And I guess... I'll be standing with Holdfast.

I'm a bigger fool than my father, but at least I'm an honest fool. And if I die, I'll die with something I've never had before. Friends.

[snow_gnoble]

2024-10-06  The Spaces Between

After a month of living in holdfast, I've discovered that the time between more significant events is a little more predictable, but certainly not boring. The town still requires constant watch, as all manner of monster or foe will darken our doorsteps on a daily basis, but it was still less eventful since my last entry.

Until, of course, it wasn't. Two days ago there was a definite buzz in the air. The obvious sign that what little mundanity we did enjoy was about to abruptly end. Malicious activity in the woods surrounding Holdfast took a noticable shift. We all knew that Providence was done taking a breath and had turned its full attention back on the town.

The next day confirmed our suspicions. A providence scout of some sort, came early afternoon. They were defeated and captured. I'm told they were interrogated quite thoroughly. As the smell of threat permeated the air, the town held to each other. You could notice that as tension rose, the space between people lessened. The people of Holdfast keep this tension between them all, and like an elastic it pulls them together. The more Nero pressures the town, the stronger they become.

Nothing displayed this more than when I returned to the inn to see much of the town huddled in fear at the sight of some sort of mechanical scout floating in the air. It remained out of reach of our weapons, but it could still grip us in fear. The town's reaction seemed disproportionate at first. Then I realized that this was one of the few things I had witnessed them face that they could do little to nothing about. Simply wait for the scout to move on. But again, the town stood together. Closer and closer the tension pulled them to one another.

It was by this unity we defeated the threats that came throughout the day and night. Providence forces, complete with heralds and all, visited us in waves. They hid bombs in town which we mostly managed to deal with. One went off and cost us precious resources and hurt good people. Providence went after the circles. I've only been able to see these circles and make use of the powers of earth for a few days, and already they were under threat.

The circles were saved, and from what we can tell the fairies helped us take out a herald. But the attacks pressed on. A group made it all the way to the town where there was a pitched battle. Again everyone held together, and again we prevailed. Later in the night a large... fish thing engaged us in the woods. Someone called it a land angler fish. I will need to do more research on the matter. Regardless, it also fell to the combined might of Holdfast.

There were other notable events which occured yesterday, but I've had little time to question the townsfolk. Though, I am not as focused on yesterday's events as some. For me, today holds much more significance than yesterday. I believe with time, others will realize that the true tragedy happened today.

The day wasn't boring. I chopped some wood to make a new bow, I chased off some spiders with Brummbar and discovered you should never chase off spiders with Brummbar, I gathered herbs in the woods with my companions, and I enjoyed the sense of unity that had taken root in the town over the past two days of trials...

Then I heard yelling from the woods. Something had happened to Marco. Later someone would ask me why I was so upset. I tell them that Marco is my friend, to which they reply "So? I have many friends". I didn't respond, but the answer would have been plain. "I don't".

I rushed to the woods, following the stream of people. Sam Shade is among them. As she runs into the woods ahead of me, she informs me that my fellow followers of Saa had killed Marco. They had skinned him in the woods. I was shocked and surprised, but I believed her. She spoke the truth. Saa, who has my faith, had allowed his followers to do this. I was outraged.

The day progressed, and I went back to chopping wood. A fateful task that allowed me time to think and consider what had happened. The day continued. More cutting wood and more shenanigans. I became so busy with the tasks of the day, and the moral dilemma within, that I almost missed when they dragged Morgan and Quill out to meet justice. To be punished for what they did to Marco.

When I looked upon them I knew clarity. When I first began to worship Saa, I was alone. My faith my only companion. That is no longer true. I started to worship Saa lonely and isolated, and now I stop worshipping Saa surrounded by people for whom I care about. Kind of poetic. Or maybe it's not, I was always terrible at poetry. Before they lost their heads, I threw down my holy symbol and I renounced my faith.

The two received their justice, and for a brief moment I felt relief for the weight I had removed from my shoulders. I had made a terrifying change, but I knew it was the right one. There was comfort in it.

A comfort that withered away in a handful of breaths. The blades that fell and severed their heads from their bodies, sliced through the bonds between us all. I could see it. The tension no longer pulled them together, it pulled them apart.

I felt so foolish. What was my internal struggle compared to that of Holdfast?

Some might dismiss my concerns, but if we lose the upcoming war with Nero, I would bet all the wealth I've ever witnessed that this was the point where it was truly lost.

The spaces between us are growing in front of my eyes. I don't know what needs to happen in order to fix it, but I know Holdfast's strength does not come from bone or tendon, wood or steel, magic or will, or whatever. It comes from the sense of community. A community that gathered to watch two of them die, for the murder of a third.

If something does not change, I believe we are doomed...

[snow_gnoble]

What Now?

If you’ve read my previous entry, I would like to start this one by saying I am a fool. Not about everything, but I sorely underestimated Holdfast. There were setbacks, but the bond between them is strong and absurdly flexible. They find their way back to each other.

Nero has been approaching us for weeks. The night sky grew brighter with the approaching threat. Then Friday evening all hells broke loose. Titus came. He came in peace. I don’t know all the details, but we did not trust their promises. We had been burned too many times, and the time for peace had passed. Someone tried to toss Titus into one of the magic circles to save or kill him. Or both.

Then, a longstanding member of Holdfast came calling. A dwarf by the name of Bikbun who I had not had the pleasure or displeasure of getting to know before recent events.

The Collective had taken him. They imbued him with power and sent him back to holdfast with abominations for company. We stood between them and the town. Demitri fought him in one-on-one combat, in one of the most daring displays I’ve ever seen. They did not conclude the battle. They took a break and while Bikbun’s mind had time to calm, he received information from the collective about how we had tried to harm Titus.

There was some dialogue, but things deteriorated quickly after that. Combat erupted. We fought in the rain and the mud. My good pants will never be good pants anymore. We were victorious and we manage to capture Bikbun and lock him away until we knew what to do with him.

Most of us went to sleep sore, wet, and cold. Some went to sleep more permanently.
The next day the writing was on the wall. Nero would be here that night, and his advanced parties would come before that to soften us up. They wasted no time. Bands of Collective warriors attacked. The town rose up and fought them off. We were hurting, but we did not have time to hurt. It was exhausting.

The worst part of the day, besides the night’s events of course, was when some cursed purple ball took over my mind. I turned on the town. I brought harm to my closest friends. The look on poor Killick’s face when I let loose that first arrow. They faded into mist, but the expression was very unsettling. Even after the town managed to subdue me, I continued to attack them when they tended my wounds. I think I’d feel worse about it if I didn’t have to fend off others who were similarly afflicted. It was a strange day.

We waited into the night. There were other skirmishes, but we were all waiting for him. For Nero. There was a very unsettling period of calm. We all prepared ourselves. Everyone gave freely the resources they had in order to ready each other. Holdfast was hard pressed, but it was in its element.

I’m not sure if Holdfast knows what it is like to have its back against a wall, because there is always a friend to press your back against when things are at their worst. I’ve faced the possibility of death on several occasions before reaching the town. Alone and desperate. To have someone face it down with you means everything, win or lose.

Val was kind enough to enchant my bow for a time. Knife gave me one of his precious bomb arrows. In the cold it warmed me to have such seasoned and powerful fighters see value and potential in me. Enough to entrust me with their gifts.

We waited. It became awfully cold. As if the life and energy in the place was trying to escape the oncoming danger. More likely Nero was hoping the danger, and the cold, would numb us before he arrived. Before he came to wipe us, and our meddling, from the world and from his thoughts. The bastard didn’t know.

He should have come himself. No lead up. No raids. Just him and his party. The town thrives on helping one another. Every fended off attack, every mended wound, every repaired weapon and armor fuelled us. The night may have grown cold, but our hearts were near boiling with love for one another. With righteous vengeance.

I was just outside the inn, manning my post, when he came. He seemingly shot down from the sky in brilliant purple light. First, I thought it was an attack meant to blind us, but it was just his arrival. The light dimmed, and we saw him in all his terrible glory. I hate the son of a bitch, but he knows how to make an entrance.

He stood in the middle of what would obviously become our battlefield. With him, was the fucking confluence. He said words that I will later put in official records, but it’s not relevant here. It was just noise. We were ready.

I won’t go into great detail about the battle either, that will also be in official transcripts. What you need to know is that in most battles people fight for their lives, but when heroes step onto the field they fight for the lives of others, and that’s when miracles happen. I’m no hero, but you might have mistaken me for one, as inspired as I was by the people around me. I tried to focus on attacking the brain that was out of many people’s reach, but it was difficult for anyone to stay on task. Friends were mind controlled against each other. Myself included once. I was going from archer to swordsman to medic and back again faster than I thought possible. And if Corkin reads this, I never said “skilled swordsman” so mind your tongue.

Poor Grimmdellgar lost his free will and started after me. I got away and ended up shooting him in the back. Dropping him to the ground. He was grateful after. Such a strange interaction.

Then Nero discovered our secret. The town had sacrificed literal pieces of their soul to create a secret weapon. A substance to make Nero vulnerable. I’m ashamed to say that back when they made the substance I did not contribute. I would like to think that if it had happened at a later date I would have, but cowards do not deserve that comfort.

Through the chaos, they managed to get it on him. I did not see much of Nero, as my arrows were better suited for other targets, but I did see the fear in his eyes at one point, when he realized that he was not guaranteed to walk off the battlefield. We all saw it. We saw how small he was. Nero was a man WITH power, but not a powerful man. His spine is only straight when he KNOWS he will walk away from a fight. Unlike the scores of people of Holdfast, who stood tall without the comfort of knowing if they would see the sunrise.

At some point the Confluence hit us all with a massive psychic attack. I’m not sure if it was before or after Nero was splashed with the oil. I will interview the townsfolk and also enter that into the official record. Feel free to volunteer such information if my chronicles need polish. The backlash from the Confluence’s attack was jarring. Fortunately, I, and evidently many others, had been training to resist such effects. We were ready.

The Confluence’s desperate attack did not dissuade everyone from going for Nero. The town fell upon him. We chewed his fear and spit out vengeance. I did not see Nero in the final moments, but he was surrounded by Holdfasters in their typical fashion. Standing shoulder to shoulder with danger in front, comrades at the side, and friends at their backs. Then I heard the victorious bellows of my friends, and the sky went brilliant purple one last time before it went as dark as Nero’s dead eyes.

We won!

We celebrated, we hugged, we cheered, and I drank my best bottle of wine followed by four bottles of piss wine that I somehow enjoyed more. The rest you likely know.

What you may not know is the ache in my heart the next morning that was somehow worse than the ache the wine left in my head. Holdfast was the first place I had stood by friends. It was the first time I’d had the opportunity… Since Jeannette.

I won’t go into it here. Ask me about it if you wish, but it’s a story I’ve not yet had the heart to put on a page. All you need to know is I once fell in love with the only friend I ever had before coming to Holdfast. My father purchased her to spite me. I couldn’t think of anything I could do to help her, so I went to Tor’Jadin to study at the College of Discovery. I have not seen her since. Looking back now I wish I had done for her what I helped my friends do in Holdfast. Risk it all and defeat a monster.

My father and my family are dead, but I don’t know what happened to Jeannette. I need to find what happened to her, so I’m heading back to the capitol. I would also like to settle the score with whoever killed my little sister. They can have my parents, they dug their own grave, but my sister was innocent, and if I can manage it the bill will come due for her death.

I hope to return in the spring. For now, I leave you with my first few entries into my Holdfast Chronicles. I hope with all my heart that I am able to return to you safely, and that I can continue to record the many adventures that occur in this wonderfully strange town.

But if I do not return, know that I lived more in the past few months than I have since I last saw Jeannette. Take care of yourselves my friends, and more importantly, take care of each other.

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