Ho there!  I will deliver my report now!  Now I say!!!

I have been writing a good deal this week though not on my short fiction projects which is bad but on podcast projects which is good.

Hmm.

I am nearly finished with Project Geek Onion's first episode.  Yes, the first episode, which when complete will mean that I have completed it and then I will be able to say I have completed it although I could say it now but now it wouldn't be true so I will wait to say it until it is true and then I can say it truthfully!

Hah!

I am also working on yet another internet radio project for War Pig because I have lost my mind.  It is a miniatures show where I sit and talk to someone about miniatures and he tells me what I do not know about them which is a lot because all I know about them is that they are usually smaller than people but it will hopefully be very informative even though there is a lot of editing involved.  But still, my mind has gone and I have not been able to find it because I have looked everywhere and it is nowhere to be found.  I am not sure where my mind has gone but if you see it please send it back to me via e-mail or snail mail because I miss my mind a great deal and would like to see it again and will be very happy if it should appear in my mailbox and will cry out in abject joy because my mind has returned.

Hooray!

I wasn't able to take care of as much this week, mostly because I had a relative pass away.  Trying to get back into the swing of things, though, as I think there's been at least some progress.

I have recently been receiving a number of signs from people that have led me to believe that it is absolutely imperative that I keep writing, so that is what I intend to do.  :)

I got feedback on what I've written so far of Luxury Theft and I think I can now see the advantage of bringing something half-finished to a writing circle -- it means I can make the changes I need to make to it without going completely into reverse!  The comments I received have helped a great deal in helping me with some fundamental conflicts in the narrative -- with any luck, it'll make it a much more solid piece of work than it otherwise would have been.

This past week was actually more productive than usual!

Aside from continuing on with the podcast, I was able to get up to a little under 4000 words on Luxury Theft.  I've also submitted the first 15 pages of it for writing circle critique.  I've dumped my character into a difficult situation and I'm still trying to work out how to get him out of it.  Hopefully more ideas will present themselves soon!

I've also begun working on a Secret Evil project, which for the time being I'm giving the code name "Geek Onion."  All I can say right now is that when it's done it may possibly be a second podcast.  It's a more ambitious undertaking than The Great Debate, though, in particular because I know I'll need a bigger cast than just me to get it done.  That also means I may only be able to get it out once a month (considering the fact that I'll still be doing TGD at the same time) -- I'm hoping I might be able to shorten that to every other week, but we'll have to see how this first one goes!

Well, here we are again.  The tail end of another week disappearing down the drain along with the potential to have made some kind of writing progress.

(Sigh)

Actually, there WAS a little bit of progress -- in this case, it was on Luxury Theft, which is now up to over 1700 words.  How did this happen, you ask?

Well, it's like this.  I've decided to finally dive in and set a daily word count goal.  It's what all the cool writers are doing, so I figured I'd give in to the peer pressure and try to make it work.

My word count goal right now is not very high -- only 100 words -- because I need to ramp up to it, I think, getting used to writing more and more as time goes on.  And, of course, I typically end up writing more than 100 words per day, which is the idea.

This goal, though, is likely going to be overshadowed a bit by the fact that it's come time once again for me to submit something to my writing circle for critique.  So, I'm going to try to get the first draft of Luxury Theft done by next weekend.  If I don't make it, I'll be submitting the first chapter of Blind Warrior Cult instead.  But I am hoping this will give sufficient impetus to get Luxury Theft finished.

We shall see what happens!

Not a lot happened this week largely because I had a family emergency and had to leave town for a little while.  I did get another episode of the podcast out, though.

The interesting thing is that when I was out of town I had the opportunity to read the entirety of "More Than Fiction" out loud to someone and found some more things I'd like to fix, so I'll be doing YET ANOTHER EDIT on it.  Hopefully this will be the last one before I try to get it out the door (once I've figured out HOW to "get it out the door...").

More as things develop.

Well, it appears that ConCarolinas filled my entire field of view this week, so I wasn't able to get a lot of writing done.  I did just finish another podcast episode today, however.

At the con, though, I did a good deal of networking for the podcast and I went to a couple of writers' panels.

The first of the two I attended was called "From Outline to Epilogue" and had to do with the process of getting a book written.  The writers on the panel each went over the basics of how they get a book written and it looks as though the majority of the ones who attended don't use outlines, but try to just write stuff "by the seat of their pants."  I threw out a question about getting from plot point A to plot point B and the funny thing is that for the most part they seemed to agree that the best thing was to do a Raymond Chandler -- basically, whenever they get stuck, have something off the wall happen and then write around it from there.  I may need to try this.

I think that for me the problem has mostly been getting myself to actually sit and write.  Then when I get to that point, my brain likes to wander off.  And all I've usually got in my head at that point are a few vague scenes -- nothing concrete.  I'm thinking one possible technique might be to try to set up the plot a little bit more the way I do with RPGs, essentially throwing situations at my characters and seeing how they react.  Kind of like the Chandler method, I guess, only with a little more planning.  Hopefully, I'll be able to try that -- if I can get myself to put finger to keyboard (and about that -- funny how I'm doing it NOW, for this blog, right?).  The trick may just be going ahead and starting to do it without thinking about it.  Kind of like sneaking past myself to get it done.  The trouble is that I have a rather observant and paranoid guard in the "watchtower of the mind" and getting anything past him is a royal pain.  Maybe I should try getting him drunk.  That worked before...

Nah.  That way lies Hemingway.

The second of the two writing panels I went to was called "Creating Gods" and had to do with creating and putting deities into fiction.  It was pretty fascinating stuff, though they did tend to get stuck on the subject of offending people in real-world religions for quite a bit.  When they discussed what they do to create and insert deities into their work, for the most part it looked like they went with the idea that unless the religion they're working with has already been established before they start writing, they pretty much let it form when the need arises for one.

So, what this means, if I'm reading it right, is that more often than not, writers advise that the best method for getting a book done is to just make it up as you go.

Does that make sense?  I guess it does if you look at just diving in and writing whatever comes to mind as a way to keep the process going.  As a champion procrastinator I can appreciate the convenience of that approach.

The problem I personally encounter, though, is one of not knowing what to do to keep my brain from getting bored and switching to another channel once I've started the work.  I need to work out a technique for that -- preferably one that doesn't involve spending any money on drugs or therapy.

Or that leads Hemingwayward.  Because while my liver and I aren't quite on the best of terms, I'd still like to keep it around if I can. 

The illness seeps through the veins and sucks away the sleep.

It pounds upon the head and removes all sense and understanding.

When encountered amidst life distractions of various types, it arrests all that one tries to do.

Its sits like the hag upon the chest and stares down into the eyes of the writer, drawing away breath by breath all semblance of order, reason and sanity.

And the writer cannot look away, nor can he do aught but cycle through waking and sleeping, hoping to hit upon some medicine that will drive the beast from him and allow him to create once more.

Until the recovery begins, allowing the writer to rub his eyes and look about to see that his creations remain at a standstill.

But at least he got the podcast done this week.

Jim spends week catching up on making more podcast.

Jim writes script.

Jim sits at microphone.

Jim does silly voices.

Jim edits silly voices.

Jim makes podcast from time fire is in sky until fire sinks and is eaten by earth giant and sky is dark with little shiny bits.

Jim sends podcast to great War Pig.

Jim passes out.

Jim rises when fire is in sky.

Jim writes more script.

Jim sits at microphone.

Jim does more silly voices.

Jim edits silly voices.

Jim makes more podcast until sky is dark with little shiny bits.

Jim sends more podcast to great War Pig.

Jim passes out.

It is good.

This week I got the usual Great Debate episode out and am working on another one today.  The podcast is already starting to get a bit of attention, which is very cool.  :)

I couldn't help myself.  I did a second edit on "More Than Fiction" and am hoping I won't need to do another one (which of course means I'll need to do another one).  I'm thinking of changing the title, though, before I send it off as it seems to me that it might be just a wee bit presumptuous. 

I've also started going over "Near the End of the World" and am thinking about rewriting it -- mostly because I was doing it as a "blog story" and it now looks kind of like a pile of cliches thrown haphazardly together.  The main thing I need to do is create a "middle" for it since it mostly consists of Beginning and End.  And I need to come up with better monsters.

Okay, guys, here we are.

I came very close to my deadline but ended up not finishing it until this morning (but since I seem to end up getting these reports out on Mondays now anyway, that works, I suppose).

So, I wanted to finish one of the short stories I was working on this past week but didn't specify exactly what I meant by that.  First draft?  Editing?  Querying?

Actually it was any one of those things.

So, I'm glad to announce that this morning I finished the edit on More Than Fiction!  (yay!)  Listening to the comments I'd gotten on it, I tried to lean a little bit further into the science fiction aspect (so that it becomes clearer earlier on and the genre doesn't necessarily turn on a dime) and to try to make it a little bit more "noir"-ish, playing up the Hammet/Spillane stuff a bit more.

If any of you would like to take a look at it and let me know what you think, feel free to drop me a line and I'll see about getting a copy out to you (provided I know who you are, etc -- you know, the usual stuff).

That aside, I have another announcement!

I am now releasing The Great Debate! as a podcast!  So if you didn't get a chance to hear it before, you can download the episodes at: http://otherdoc.libsyn.com/

It's also available through iTunes, Podcast Alley and a couple of other places, but if you've any other sites I can post it to or suggestions for ways to promote it, I'm all ears. 

Hey there.

I got the 13th episode of the Great Debate finsihed up this past week.

I went to the writers' meeting for the comedy troupe and I'll admit that the reception for my material was a little less than stellar.  I think they appreciated it but I have a feeling that my sketches may not play well for an audience.  At least not as they are right now.  They said they'd talk things over and get back to me.  I haven't heard anything yet but I figure it may be a little while longer.

I recently came to a bit of a realization, however.  I am getting a lot of support from people I know and I really need to live up to it.  I need to grab the bull by the horns and become the prolific writer some people think I am.  It has to happen, and it has to happen now.

So, I'm going to start setting some deadlines.

By next weekend, I need to have finished at least one of the short stories I've been working on.

Here goes nothing...

I've been looking over at my numbers and I'm starting to think these progress reports are becoming about as popular as a Nazi war criminal at a bar mitzvah.  I may need to change things up a bit.  Not sure what precisely to do, yet, though I really want to continue to post in the hopes that it will spur me to do more.  I hope this isn't because of the D&D character diary.    At any rate, if anyone happens to read this and has any ideas, please let me know.

In the mean time, I released another episode of the Great Debate and I wrote up a couple more comedy sketches.  I'm going to a writers' meeting tonight for the Robot Johnson comedy troupe and there's a chance they might actually start doing my material on stage -- which would be INCREDIBLY cool considering it's something I've been hoping to be able to do for about a decade.

I'm also toying with the idea of starting a podcast, or at least releasing the archive of older episodes of the Great Debate as they're taken off War Pig's feed.  I've been told Wordpress is good for that and I'm slowly starting to look into things, but if anyone has any suggestions for web hosting or anything else related to this enterprise I'd be happy to hear it.  Essentially I'm looking for something that doesn't cost much (preferably free) and will allow me to be as lazy about learning a new system as possible. 

Take care until next time!

Howdy!

This marks the first full week in my new apartment.  There's been a lot of moving stuff around but amidst all that there has been a little bit of writing, thankfully.

I recorded and submitted episode 11 of the Great Debate and have started writing episode 12.

There is now also the possibility that a local comedy troupe may want to perform some of my material in the near future!  They've invited me to a writer's meeting and asked me to bring a couple more sketches with me, so I've been trying to brainstorm ideas for new sketches to write.

I wrote a new sketch earlier today, so technically I only have to get one more done this week, though if I can get more than one done I certainly won't be put out by that.  ;)

Strangely enough, even though I had to move this week I did get a little bit of writing done.  I was able to finish, record and submit episode 10 of The Great Debate and I'm most of the way done with writing episode 11.

I'm looking at trying to put a web site together and host an archive of the older episodes.  I'm also kicking around the idea of starting a second show for War Pig and/or actually starting a podcast of some kind since I've been having no end of fun with this.  However, that puts me in uncharted territory (for me, anyway), so I'm going to have to feel my way very carefully.  Thankfully someone has offered to help some with the web site but first I need to work out exactly what the heck it is I'm planning to DO.

Ah, strange, formless ideas...  Now if only I can force myself to chisel out the time to DEVELOP them!!! 

Well...

Sadly this week has been full of scrambling about and trying to find a new place to live, so there hasn't been a whole lot in the way of writing going on.  I'm working on Episode 10 of The Great Debate, but it's not quite done yet.

So, that said, I thought I'd just go ahead and put some minor fiction on here for you.  Since someone did ask about it, this is the journal of my character in the D&D game I'm playing in - a dwarven paladin dedicated to a god named Kord (who was originally from a world created by Gary Gygax).  It references a lot of the usual stuff for those of you familiar with the genre.  :)

Just one brief warning, though.  It does contain quite a bit of violent content, coarse language, descriptions of dismemberment and brief discussions of bodily functions.  So if you're a decent human being who's above that sort of thing you might want to stop here.  

For everyone else, then, without further ado, here it is...

GRIMNYR HAAKON'S WAR DIARY

Onyx Barrow Campaign - Day 35

We went down deeper today and slayed us another platoon of Drow. This is getting too easy and I begin to wonder if it's because they're running scared or if there's something else going on.  Either way, their bones all break with the same satisfying snap.  It's a bit of a weak snap compared to the sound when you fell an orc or even a goblin.  Elf bones, eh?  The damnable spider-lovers should never have come down here.  They say that they believe their dark goddess turns them into something awful if they fail her and for that they fear her. I guess we gave the ones who ran off something better to fear. Drugin just shakes his head when I mention this.  I think he disapproves of my collection of drow ears.  I keep telling him that Kord wants us to revel in the victory, but he doesn't seem to understand.  Not that anyone does.  When you bathe in your enemy's blood and take a part of them to show all comers far and wide, you're showing that enemy respect for their fighting skills.  I wouldn't do that with some of the little pissants we fought today. Maybe it'll get better once we've worked our way up to the lieutenants.  I want to hear me a lot more satisfying snaps before the week's out!

Onyx Barrow Campaign - Day 42

We defiled one of those heathen altars to that spider-bitch today.
As we get closer to Onyx Barrow, we've been coming across their
settlements.  The one today was mostly abandoned with only a smattering
of guard presence.  I'm not sure what it means.
We found their small temple in a nook near the back of the cavern. 
After we took out the last of them and heaped the bodies into a pile
for burning, I went and pissed on the altar.  That seemed to go over
well with the men, a couple of whom began to follow suit.  They really
got into it.  Young Balnor nearly wet himself trying to get his armor
off in time.  I think I may have started something.
As always, Drugin looked on disapprovingly, but he didn't stop us.  For all his hangups, he's a good unit commander.
I don't think I'll be able to sleep in this place.  I keep getting the feeling something's looking at me.
Whatever it is, I hope it gets a good look, because sooner or later I'll be coming for it.

Onyx Barrow Campaign - Day 46

I was right about there being eyes on us!
We captured one of their scouts as she was heading off to warn
Martyr's Cleft village about us.  We strung her up and I helped Drugin
beat all the information we could out of her.  He wouldn't let me take
an ear from her afterwards, though.
I got my share of them when we got to Martyr's Cleft, though, by
Kord!  We came down on them like a ton of rubble and they never knew
what hit them!  We didn't get them all, though, and that knowledge
still burns at the bottom of my stomach like an underdone slab of beef.
The problem is that there were families this time.  Our chaplain
Ardin kept me from taking out the children in the first house I went
into.  The little buggers stared up into my eyes when I was about to do
it and I knew they were scared out of their wits.
But like an idiot, I hesitated.  Then that blasted cleric came into
the room and told me to stay my hand.  He outranked me, so I had to
obey.  Then after that Drugin gave the order that the children were not
to be harmed, so we had to let a bunch of the little bastards go.
I had a long argument with Ardin about it afterwards.  He's got
balls the size of melons, I'll give him that.  He wouldn't back off
when I was in his face and felt like I was about to cleave him in two. 
He reminded me that Kord doesn't condone wanton destruction and I
reminded him that it wasn't bloody well wanton to let enemies go who'll
only come back to slit your throat.  Those kids that survive will all
be grown up one day and sure as Kord's mighty eyebrows will be wanting
revenge.  Plus, they're going to compromise our position, which is why
we had to march well into our resting period to find a more defensible
position to make camp.
I'm not going to even try sleeping tonight.  Every time I close my
eyes I see those little kids staring up at me as my axe is about to
take their heads off.
Why did I hesitate?

Onyx Barrow Campaign - Day 52

I really should have seen it coming.  Some of the members of the unit have started crapping on the altars to Lolth.
I guess it began to escalate further and further since I took that
unholy leak a few days back.  After we cleaned out another village, I
suppose Balnor felt he had something to prove, so even before we'd
finished burning the bodies, he ran into the temple, hopped up onto the
altar and proceeded to let nature take its course.
The others were clearly impressed, and even Ardin started cheering
him on.  A few tried to follow suit with varying degrees of success.
Drugin just got a horrified look on his face and shook his head
slowly.  I sort of agreed with him on this one -- I'll piss on every
dark god's altar I can when I get the chance, but to go as far as
Balnor did takes a wee bit more dedication than I think I can muster. 
After all, there's not really much more honor in it once you've made
your point.  After that, I think Drugin felt like he needed something to
do, so he took me aside and had me clean my armor.
I can't stand when he does that.  I like my armor dirty.  It keeps
the enemy from seeing you coming when torch light light hits it.  Some
of my fellows like to think that what we're doing is all high and noble
and want to put of the front of being bloody shining paragons of
decency, but in the end it's all the same.  Some of my pals may get
offended, but I make no bones about it.  War is a dirty job.  Maybe
they haven't come to terms with that, but I have.  I embrace it.
I'm tired, but I'm not going to let that get to me.  For some
reason, I didn't feel like taking the ears off any of the drow we
fought today, even though they gave us a good showing.  We even took
out a few priestesses.  But when they went to burn the bodies, I didn't
lift a finger.  I think it must be the lack of sleep.  Can't afford to
let my attention slip, though.  Not at this stage.
We're very deep down now, and we should be in Onyx Barrow by the day after tomorrow.

Onyx Barrow Campaign - Day 54

It has been a very strange day.
We and about a dozen other units hit Onyx Barrow with all we had and emerged victorious, but at a price.
Our unit attacked the temple at the town's center and it was one bastard of a fight, I can tell you.
The high priestess had a servant that looked like something out of a
nightmare -- it had the head and torso of a drow and the body of a
spider!  This drider, as we later found out they're called, wiped out
half the unit before we were able to pin it down.
Balnor, Kord bless him, got on top of the thing and distracted it so
that the rest of us could charge in on it.  It tore him in half before
we got there.
My rage was so great that I scarcely remember all that happened. 
We'd all been trained to call upon Kord's power, and though our numbers
dwindled greatly in that fight, our righteous fury won out.  We
eventually slew the thing, and when we were done I helped corner the
high priestess.
But what did the vile witch do?  She surrendered!
I almost didn't let her have the chance.  I was one of the first to
rush her.  Her spells came at us, but I got through, and as I stood
over her, axe raised, she looked up into my eyes.
And damned if she didn't have the same frightened look the bloody
children had!  It was then that she surrendered, and I caught a glimpse
of myself in a small mirror on the wall behind her.
I thought I was looking at another enemy at first.  Perhaps I was.
How often do you come across a mirror?  I hear there are more of
them in the lands up on the surface, so maybe the humans are used to
them, but not I.  I nearly struck at it before I realized what I was
seeing.
I saw a mad dwarf burning with rage and death and grief.  They talk
about being on the edge of destruction, and I think I was looking over
it.  I looked back down at the pathetic drow simpering in front of me,
and I pitied her.
Drugin came up and accepted her surrender.  I lowered my axe and
contented myself with laughing and spitting on her instead of beheading
her.
She'll likely be executed in any case, but I suppose that isn't my
call to make.  Whether it's by hanging or beheading makes no
difference.  I guess the only real difference now is that I won't be
clambering to do it myself -- not that I'll hesitate this time if I
happen to get the job.  It'll be an honor, in fact.
But I think I may have a better grasp of what it's all about now. 
Battle is glorious and it is filthy and it is magnificent and it is
terrible, but regardless of all that I know that I'm doing what I do
for Kord, not for Grimnyr.  I must remember that.
After all was said and done, I went to Ardin and apologized to him. 
Not the sort of thing you'll see me doing that often.  I think he
understood the significance of that and we had a long talk about Kord
and Lolth and good and evil and friends lost and friends still alive. 
I think perhaps I begin to understand him a wee bit better now.
I look forward to our next campaign.  Drugin was injured in the
fight, as were most of us, but with the other units present there were
plenty of clerics to go around.  While we've been able to defend our
borders well enough on this side, there are plenty of orcs to fight up
in the mountains, so those of us that remain will likely be sent there
next.  Between these drow incursions and the orcs up top, it may be
years before we've pushed all the invaders out.  Perhaps then I'll have
enough rank to make a career of this.  Or maybe I'll go mercenary like
Uncle Magnus did.  I shall have to decide when the time comes.
As we were burning the bodies of the fallen, I threw my collection
of ears on the pyre and let it burn.  I don't think I'll be needing it
any longer.

Onyx Barrow Campaign - Epilogue

They executed the drow high priestess today.
The Spymaster got what he wanted out of her, I expect.  She looked
sufficiently broken when she went up on the block.  We opted for
beheading, which is much easier than hanging when you're this far down.
The thing that I must continue to turn over and over in my mind is a thought about her final words.
She seemed to be in a daze as she walked over to the block, and she
gazed out at us with a look I can only describe as half sorrow, half
terror.
"It is coming.  It is coming for us all."
After which, we promptly executed her.  I was not chosen to swing
the axe, but I still have to wonder what she was talking about.  Was it
delirium or is there someone or someTHING coming?  If someone's coming,
then who is it?  And where and how?
Again, not my job to determine.  But I'll tell you one thing.
I'm beginning to think that this thing, whatever it is, was what had
the entire Drow population down here so spooked and disorganized.
The final battle was hard won, true, but it could have been a defeat if our enemy had been better prepared.
What one individual can terrify an entire population so?
Let's hope the Spymaster found out, or it may be a long, dark road before we see the end of things.

(Several years later...)

Cauldron Pass Deployment - Day 20

I have had it up to my bloody ears waiting for these thrice-damned orcs to attack.
Almost three weeks, it's been.  Three bloody weeks!
I wouldn't have minded it in the old days, but since things have quieted down this is no campaign, this is glorified guard duty!
Still, if Trambul says there's a horde of orcs coming, then there's
a horde of orcs damn well coming!  There's no better scout in the
business.  I just wish Craldor hadn't snapped him up for his spy ring. 
I swear, one day that bloody Spymaster will be the death of me!
If I were still in charge of our unit I'd have had us down there
like a shot to meet the buggers before they'd even decided to turn this
way.  Waiting for them up here is tipping our hand too much and I like
that not at all.  Of course, it's thinking like that that got me busted
back down to Corporal.
That and all these New Ideals they're trying to press on the fresh
recruits.  They don't know what a Sergeant is supposed to be any more. 
In my day, he was the bastard who pushed you until you bled out your
ears.  Someone you can loathe properly but who makes damn well sure you
get the job done.  And makes the officers look a lot better standing
next to him.  Let's not forget that.
I could fit that job description easy.
But it's not like that these days, is it?  They want a Sergeant
who's a simpering parrot for the officers, whose armor's all shiny and
sidewhiskers are braided in pigtails!  This young fellow they've
brought in has got no idea what he's doing and I wouldn't be surprised
if he fought every single one of his battles from the rear.  I could
break him in two.
Still, it's good to see old Drugin again, doing what he does best. 
Even if he does have to run back and forth between here and the other
three major mountain passes the whole time.  I say he could have made
Major easy if he hadn't gone to the wall for us so many times.  Hell,
me in particular.  I probably got him in hot water more times than I
can count.  And if he says we should stay here and wait for those
bloody orcs, then that's what we should be doing.  The fellow's only
been wrong a handful of times in all the years I've known him.  Let's
just hope this isn't another of those times.
And Ardin's here keeping our spirits up, at least.  I swear, why he
still hangs around us poor sods I have no idea.  I'm sure he could have
had a nice, quiet job as the Colonel's personal chaplain by now.  He's
a hell of a soft touch, but I'm glad he's still here, whatever his
reason.  Maybe I got him into trouble one too many times, too.  Ha!  He
and Trambul are just about the only ones still left from the old crew. 
And of course, now we only see Trambul half the time.
It's funny, I hadn't expected to outlive most of my friends.  Ardin
tells me I'm too stubborn to die good and proper.  He's probably right.
Well, that's it.  If these stupid orcs don't attack within the next
few days, I'll go down there and start insulting their one-eyed bastard
of a god.  If that don't piss them off, nothing will!

Cauldron Pass Deployment - Day 22

Now I've seen everything.
Well, the orcs showed up and no mistake.  They came rushing at us early in the morning like they were trying to run us over.
The odd bit is that we cut them down easy because they were all acting like they were running from something.
The whole thing took a couple of hours.  There were maybe a
hundred of them, and only a few of them survived.  We kept a good front
across the edge of the pass and never let the bastards through.
Well, until they surrendered, of course.  Not exactly something you'd see an orc doing, well... ever.
They all kept gibbering in that bastardized Giant tongue of theirs
and according to Trambul, they just kept saying something was coming. 
It got me stumped as all get out, and then the bloody Spymaster came
out and took them and we'll not see hide nor hair of them again, you
mark my words.  I tried asking Drugin about it when I saw him, but
they're not even telling HIM what's going on.
And the kicker, of course, is that they finally sent us down to
check things out and see what was chasing the orcs, but it looks like there was NOTHING behind them.  Nothing at all. 
If something had them scared, it must have been as terrible as all
get-out.
But of course we'll never find out what happened.  Craldor is just
going to file this one away for safe keeping and sit on it until hardly
anyone remembers.  It's going to be bloody Onyx Barrow all over again!
Well, I've had it.  As of next month, my term is up and I'm not
re-enlisting again this time.  It'll be a bit of a shock for some of
the younger troops who think I've been here since the dawn of creation, but
I'll be damned if I spend another handful of decades straining to make
Sergeant again while little ponces half my age get promoted above me
and the higher ups all try to make their ways with secrets and lies. 
There's no glory or renown in this.  Kord would be raging over it.  I
sure as hells know I am.
Thankfully, so much has changed that there won't be a lot to miss. 
I'll miss Trambul, of course.  And at least I'll be around long enough
to see old Drugin's retirement.  Though why he's settling down with Armina in a cutthroat town like Stygia is anybody's guess. 
It was probably Armina's idea.  I wouldn't put it past her.
I shall definitely miss Ardin.  He's the only one of this bunch that
understands me, I think.  Hells, these days, he's the only one left
who'll tolerate me!  I think I'll have one last drink with him before I
go and tell him what I'll be off doing.  We've pulled each other's
bacon out of the fire more times than either of us can probably count,
but I know I owe him that, at least.
So, as of next month, I'll be heading down to Callodin's Gate to
hire on as a mercenary.  I'm sure that there are plenty of humans down
there who'll be more than eager to have someone with experience on
their payroll.  Besides, after that little tussle they had with the
orcs coming through and all, they need all the combat training they can
get.  And all the blessings of Kord, for that matter.  Best they get it
from a professional.
Well, it's decided.  That's it.  I'm done.
Kord and I have some sermons to give, and we're going to give them using the blade of my axe!

(A few more years later...)

Vethlor Barony Reclamation - Day 152

Ah, there's nothing like slaying undead in the morning!
We cleared the last of the accursed things out of the Vethlor family
tomb just after sunrise.  The last building has finally been cleared. 
I can't believe this job is finally over!  Our cleric Kastorel is
making sure the whole estate is consecrated.
Those dead bastards nearly took our ranger Denro down four times,
but the little bugger's as quick as lightning!  It was a beautiful
thing to behold.  He'd distract them and I'd come in and smite them
with Kord's righteous fury!  Kastorel was a good help with that too, of
course, but I still don't think I'll ever understand why the god Corellon
always has his devotees dancing back and forth around their enemies
like faeries!  How can you hit someone if you don't stand your ground? 
I don't know, but whatever they do, it works for them, I suppose.
Despite the extra reward, I'm wishing Baron Vethlor had had the good
sense to stay dead instead of jumping around and trying to kill us over
and over again.  He was a seriously wily target and cost us a good deal
of valuable time that I could have spent getting my arse to Stygia.
I've had news that Drugin has passed on and the good Baron has kept
me from going and paying my respect.  At least when we were at
Blackbarrow the undead had the decency not to draw things out.
I'll have to leave my current companions behind, but it certainly
won't be the first time.  They're good people to have in a crunch, but
I'm sure they won't miss me too much.  At least not until another dead
Baron comes back to kick their arses!  Ha!

Stygia - Day 1

Damn and blast!
I finally make it to Stygia and pay my respects to old Drugin, and
what does his widow Armina tell me but that Ardin was here and I've
just missed him!
Apparently, he's taken off to a town called Brindol down in Elsir
Vale.  And what's more, he's taken up with a young tiefling girl!  I
sincerely hope this isn't another girl in distress laying a sob story
on him.  He was always a sucker for that.  Of course, he's got better
judgment than I when there's something truly big at stake, so there may
be something to it.  Besides, I just can't picture Ardin suddenly
shacking up with a girl he's just met -- especially one with horns --
so I'm guessing there's more to the story.
I'm at a loose end now, and I think it'd be a fine thing to see
Ardin again.  I'm a few days behind him and his companion, but with a
bit of luck I can catch up to them.  And perhaps Kord is trying to clue
me in to something -- if what Armina tells me of the young tiefling's
manner is true, there's probably some kind of trouble brewing.  Best to
check it out.  Particularly if there might be some money in it -- ah,
curse those gnomish bastards for talking me into that dice game!  I
should have known better!  As it is I almost took their heads off
afterwards but when it came down to it I had no real proof they were
cheating.  Damn them.  But at least I should still have just enough
left to make it to Brindol.
There's an ill wind blowing and I've a familiar feeling I can't quite place,
like something stirring after a long sleep.  Perhaps there's something
afoot.
I'd best get on the road in the morning.

(This is as far as I've gotten at this point -- Ardin and the tiefling are two of the other player characters in our current adventuring party, and this journal was meant to link my character's past with the current game.  I may write more as the game progresses, but we shall have to see!)