The morning of the 19th day of Ji-Naras in the year 6970

Following some words from The Books of Lives I plan to spend this week seeking out friends of the Ro-Malakai amongst the Giants, Sibeccai and Humans of this city – I hope there are some elders amongst them though I expect many who are friends of the Ro-Malakai will be such as me, endeavoring to bring civilization to this wilderness and ensure the safety and security of the inhabitants. Amongst the broader host here it seems that many have come but I have yet to determine what draws them. Is it what they can find, learn and plunder? How many are motivated by the welfare of these lands? I expect that amongst the Giants and Sibeccai I will find many kindred spirits.

Hopefully I will learn more of the Outriders, there mission to protect those entering the wider ruins may be a noble one though I expect that many of those who sally forth may be doing so purely for personal gain. I wonder how they reconcile their motivations with those they defend if this is the case. Still I plan to learn as much as I can about these warriors so that I can plan to join them and I may be underestimating the motivations of the peoples that gather here.

To this end I also plan on surveying the market in the hope of finding the most accommodating and helpful amongst the merchants. I know their focus is to turn a profit but the promise of repeat custom and honest business may win better service from some who have an eye to the long-term rather than immediate gain. The merchant that we traveled here with may return our service to him with some advice.

First I will speak with the commander again to discover what service I can provide here and how I can possibly join the Outriders, with goodwill, Sasha and Claudia will join me but they both may find something that needs doing within this city. Where the human who traveled and fought with us has gone I don’t know – I wish him the best of luck in his ventures, so long as they be good ones. He seemed to know of the Dragons and the Dragons concern me greatly.

"Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory" I think it impossible to make no mistakes, which of course is one reason why victory is never certain, but following this maxim leads me to believe that learning as much as possible will contribute to a minimum of mistakes and so maximise success.

The 18th day of Ji-Naras in the year 6970

The road to Serathis was not as long as I had suspected it would be but still my companions and I faced trials before we could complete the mission my father had sent me on – though each of these encounters raised questions which, if they are not resolved, could cause ill for the nearby lands of the Diamond Throne. I may have to send a message back to my father and mother.

Traveling with a merchant to Serathis had made sense; it allowed protection to be provided to someone within our lands while providing a useful means to travel to this new city. But I fear it may have exposed us to some less than well meaning that traveled with our party.

Still, I saw the mettle of the stalwart Sibeccai, Claudia - her family has fought at the Malakai side since our arrival in these lands - she proved the resilience of her line in three confrontations. As did the peculiar Sasha, her travels with us approved of by her father, she accompanied us into battle without question. Less altruistic but still willing to engage when the need arose, a human who my family has in the past had dealings with was traveling with the caravan. I am not sure where he has headed to now that we are in this city, nor do I know why he was with the caravan.

Some way into our travel Claudia and I had been riding ahead of the trader’s caravan when we encountered a group of Rhodin, normally a fight would ensue these creatures have always raided lands within my families responsibilities, but these bore some seriously ill female and genocide in attacking the female and the ill is not the Ro-Malakai way. We allowed them to pass after questioning but I am concerned regarding the illness that their female bore and to where she was borne. As Ro-Thaamam Malaki said “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” And I believe this to mean that while the option of violence may appear the good way, from it can come more lasting evil. Still I will send word to my father so that he can send one of my brothers or sisters to investigate as Ro-Sophuncicus the Educator said “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”

We also encountered another disquieting event, a farm that had been attacked. After clearing the homestead of a rat infestation we found no sign of the occupants, though farm animals had been slaughtered and we found dead Rhodin. I cannot assume the attack was by the Rhodin I would think they would lead away or at least butcher the animals, rather than just kill them and leave their carcasses. Wasting such fine meat is not their way as I understand it. Still the fate of these farmers may be linked to our next encounter across a bridge that deviated from our path to Serathis.

Finally while climbing towards Serathis, Sasha, the human and myself where drawn from the caravan by a ruse. Claudia remained with the caravan to ensure its security while we investigated what sounded like a person in distress but which was in fact a trap into which I and the others almost fell. I approached the apparently distraught figure with what others may claim was less than due caution. But I could not allow suspicion to over-whelm the need to lend succor “To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.” said The Educator. Still when the trap was sprung - I believe them slavers - I narrowly avoided the net and capture and, for a time, I had thought we may be overwhelmed, until the human had knocked down and dispatched what appeared to be the leader and Claudia, Sasha and I overwhelmed one flank of attackers, dismembering them and forcing the others to flee for their lives. Our attackers are apparently hired thugs, Kenku, some form of bird people, and while they fought strongly for a time we now bare their arms and armour. “Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy (and) use the conquered foe to augment one's own strength.” wise words from the Book of Lives.

We arrived in Serathis on the 17th day of Ji-Naras in the year 6970. There I concluded my father’s business and was brought to the Keep of the Giants in this city. From here I hope that I and my companions can bring peace to the lands around here through service to the Diamond Throne.