6E 14/8/179

Got fish from Greta today. Blue horned pike is hard to get these days but 30 silver thrones for just two fish is outrageous! I managed to sweet talk her down to 10 silver thrones and an introduction to one of the younger duelists.

No good fights these days. I swear since that barrier went up all the whippersnappers have lost their edge. Not a single one of them would have survived back in my day. Bunch of softhanded, softheaded, syncophants. Kneeling to anything with a crown and spouting so many sweet words to the ladies its a wonder their teeth haven't rotted.

That rotter Prince Francis Rex Armitage is the worst though. He has never personally stepped onto one of my dueling flats. Always finding some strongman or woman and sweet talking them into fighting his battles. Some say he has awakened the Mesmer aspect of the Will of Water. I call bull plop. Kid is just a smooth talking dandy.

Now Ignatius Rex Faobhar. That is what a royal should be! Domineering but noble. Strong but wise! A true scion of the old blood. To bad he is a bastard.

I hear he managed to goad Prince Francis into taking his first ever expedition beyond the barrier. Of course the fop was surrounded by a wall of asskissers when he left. Useless.

Maggie called, said that she and Collen were having another baby together. That makes 27 grandchildren. Everyone of them the sweetest little bundles of joy in my life. Ah, I wish Joyce was still alive to see all our grandbabies.

*****

6E 15/8/179

I ate those fish the other night. Damn things weren't fresh. When I stop having stomach cramps I am going to Greta and demanding a refund.

*****

6E 16/8/179

Apparently while I was shitting my brains out that fop Prince Francis returned. All alone save for a filthy stranger. I guess his cadre of brown nosers bit the dust. Good riddance, too bad he didn't join them.

The stranger is his savior I hear. Some kind of wildman, been living out past the barrier. You hear of people like that from time to time. Little better than animals for the most part.

Greta told me her cousins friends uncle Daved got his clock cleaned by the savage when they were processing him at the police station. Tried to take some kind of weird rabbit from him and got knocked out. I guess the wildman has some fire in his belly.

I got some good fatty beef from Hiso. The Ushi clan he is from herd the best beef cattle I have ever seen or tasted. Tonight will be quite a feast.

No good fights today either. Just the same young pukes wacking away at each other. I hope that wildman comes down for a fight or two. Show these kids how a real fight is.

*****

6E 17/8/179

I don't believe it.

That wildman came down like I'd hoped he would. Wouldn't have known he was one if I hadn't been told. Big cuss. Taller than most and broad to boot. Not terribly muscled though, more of a lean and mean type if I had to guess. Looked pretty stupid though. He had vacant eyes and only grunted a few times. Drooled a bit too.

Anyway he was cleanshaven and well dressed. Looked like a noble if you ignored the muscle tone and tan. I was hoping for more of a savage look. scars and furs and dirt and all that.

He fought Ignatius. If you ignore the fact he was doing it in Prince Francis' stead it looked like a good match.

It wasn't.

Ignatius skewered him like a kebob within seconds of the fight starting. I was about to call the match right then and there, but the dumb brute clocked Ignatius right on the chin with a lovely uppercut.

Shortest fight I ever officiated.

He wandered off to get a sword removed from his guts. I don't suppose I'll see him again anytime soon.

Maggie is coming over tonight. Says she will make Joyces famous chicken noodle casserole. I can't wait to see her and the kids.

*****

6E 18/8/179

Maggie's food could make gods cry and ask for seconds. I regaled the babies with some old war stories when she was distracted. She doesn't like it when I tell her kids them. Says it'll give them nightmares. Bah.

The stupid wildman came back today! This time in a personal challenge against Ignatius' and his adventurer party. They're modestly famous. Locally renowned. Nothing special about them beyond being led by Ignatius. They go by the name 'The Five Heroes'. Pretty lame name if you ask me.

Even so, I expected a pretty brutal victory over the dumb brute and his pet rabbit.

So when they all got their asses handed to them, two of them by the rabbit, I was pretty shocked.

The brute kicked their shieldbearer out of the ring. Looked like a Will enchanced strike with a boosted start. Then he clasped his hand and straight up buried the big bruiser of the 'Heroes' with a spinning overhead smash. Went right through his block. Now that had to be a Willed blowed because I felt the safety barriers give a little. To be able to shake the barrier put up and maintained by one of the makers of the fallen lands barrier. The guys a monster.

Then his crazy monster pet flew up and smashed the Avian archer down to earth before swooping down and dropkicking the poor healer girl into the sand.

As a final shock to top all the others the brute actually took a fully formed fireball from Ignatius. It hit him right in the chest and burned off his vest and shirt. Underneath was a tapestry of scars both old and new. As expected of a denizen of the fallen lands. Anyway, he shrugged off the fireball with ease and then gave another beautiful uppercut to Ignatius' already bruised jaw.

Prince Francis popped up like a mushroom on a shit heap and started to give a speech. He went on and on about how this wildman was his newest servant and bodyguard and if anyone had a problem with him or his actions they were welcome to challenge his champion in the duelling flats. He kept going, super smug and all. Not noticing his 'champion' had wandered off while he was talking.

At least he took the prize money. The 'heroes' were pretty pissed at Ignatius for betting and losing five years of their groups savings in a single afternoon. He distracted them with a stupid idea, and last I saw they were looking for their opponent. Intent on having him train them.

Gerome the owner of the general goods store closed his shop today. I only found out when I went to get some new wood sheeting to fix up the shed. Apparently he had a huge windfall from a foreigner who didn't know how shopping or money works. Lucky guy.

Oh yeah, and somebody bombed the airship loading tower. No airships can land or take off for at least a week while they get the temporary tower set up. Not like I was going to travel anyway though.