Tragedy

I teleported to the top of a building nearby the Chrysler building, and looked up there to see what was going on. The Scientist and the Game Master were there, along with the Bloody Biker and this huge machine. And Daniel was there, getting his butt kicked. He was almost thrown over the edge, but I caught him. We didn't have time to talk, because that insane Biker guy attacked us. We fought back, and after a while O'Zalia joined in.

Then Malkator arrived. He addressed all of us. He told O'Zalia to keep helping runners. He told me to get HELLFIRE back. He apologized to the Biker. He showed some distaste towards the Scientist. And I still can't believe what he said to the Game Master. He congratulated him. He said he had won. Then Crow showed up. Malkator told Daniel to save the world, then he ate the bomb and jumped off the building. Crow went after him. I could feel Malkator's life extinguish. He's dead.

What happened next is a bit of a blur. Daniel blew the Biker's brains out and then started attacking the Game Master. I started fighting the Scientist. He was powerful. Not surprising, since he had HELLFIRE's power, and the power of another Dying Man that could use lightning.

"You can't win," he said. "How does it feel, knowing that you'll never get to see your precious possessor again?"
"You're wrong on two things," I said. "First, he's not precious. He's kind of annoying, actually. Second, I will see him again. Nitr'aku vismilleah frektei l'lir wesgirof sorufeid!"

After speaking the incantation, things changed. I was inside his mind. I could see two cages. One of them held a ghost like being discharging lightning, and the other held a man made of black flames with yellow eyes. It was HELLFIRE.

"How did you get here?" he asked.
"A subconscious invasion spell," I said. "I'm here to break you out."

I slashed the bars on his cage and released him. He immediately attack the other Dying Man, and consumed it.

"Dude, what the hell?" I asked.
"Didn't like that guy very much," he replied. "Decided to absorb him. Now come on, let's finish this."

Then we left the Scientist's mind and I let HELLFIRE handle things from there.

I BURNT THAT GUY TO A CRISP. DON'T THINK THE GAME MASTER LIKED THAT VERY MUCH. DANIEL AND I STARTED FIGHTING HIM, BUT HE OVERPOWERED US AFTER A WHILE. HE STARTED INSULTING US AND MALKATOR. THE MIND READER GOT MAD AND DESTROYED THE GAME MASTER. IT'S OVER.

I KNOW I'M AN ELDRITCH MONSTER AND ALL, BUT I'M STILL SAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MALKATOR. HE WAS ONE OF MY BEST HOSTS. I'LL MISS THAT CRAZY SON OF A BITCH. I DON'T LIKE SWEARING, BUT FUCK IT, I'LL DO IT FOR HIM. YOU WERE ONE CRAZY ASS MOTHER FUCKER. REST IN PEACE, ASSHOLE.

He's Up.

Al woke up today. I had a talk with him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said. "For the most part. And you?"
"I'm fine," I said.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I had no idea he was going to do that."
"It's okay," I told him. "It wasn't your fault."
"The Game Master is going to put his plan into motion soon," he said. "On the 11, at the top of the Chrysler building."
"How can I stop him?" I asked.
"You can't," he replied. "Not without HELLFIRE. Here."

He handed me a slip of paper. It was a page torn from a book, with what appeared to have incantations written on it. One of them was highlighted.

"It's a page from one of the Game Master's books," he explained. "Those spells draw on the life force of the user. With his near infinite life force, he can cast as many as he wants. You don't have that much power, but you should be able to use at least that spell. It will help you get HELLFIRE back."
"Thank you," I said. "And don't worry. I'll handle everything. You just stay here and recover."


Look out Game Master. I will get HELLFIRE back.

Obvious Trap

That post that "HELLFIRE" made was obviously a trap. I went anyway. I had a plan. Sort of...

I entered the cave, where the Scientist (the guy who stole HELLFIRE) was hiding out.

"Hey!" I said. "Where's the ambush?"
"Right here," said a voice from behind me.

I felt my muscles being crushed by an invisible force, and my body was lifted into the air and turned around. I was facing the Game Master.

"You knew this was a trap," he said. "So tell me; why did you come in here without a plan?"
"Actually, I did have a plan," I said.
"Mind sharing it with the class?" he asked.
"I know how much you love to be close to peoples faces as you kill them," I said. "So that you can see the fear in their eyes."
"And?" he said, as he began squeezes my lungs with his will.
"I brought a grenade," I said.

I wasn't entirely immobile. I fought the pain, yanked the pin out, and jammed the grenade through the tears in his shit and between his ribs. He threw me against the wall and made an attempt to pull the grenade out, but he wasn't quick enough. It exploded while still inside him. I thought it was successful, but he appeared in front of me, completely unharmed, with a sword in hand. He lifted it above me, and brought it back down.

Alphonse got in the way. He shoved me out of the swords path and it crashed into his face, shattering his mask. I grabbed onto him and teleported out of there. He was unconscious, but thankfully not dead. He has a gash on his face from where the sword hit. He's being treated by Hideaki. He seems to have some medical experience, as he's been treating Amy's bullet wound.

I'm still worried about Alphonse. He hasn't woken up yet. I hope he'll be okay.

HELP

ESTREN! IT'S ME, HELLFIRE. I MANAGED TO GAIN CONTROL LONG ENOUGH TO LEAVE YOU THIS MESSAGE. THESE GUYS ARE PLANNING TO DESTROY THE WORLD. YOU NEED TO GET HERE AND STOP THEM. THEY'RE IN NEW YORK CITY, HIDING OUT IN CENTRAL PARK, IN SOME CAVES THAT THE CIVILIANS DON'T KNOW ABOUT. HURRY!!!

HELLFIRE's gone

The attacked. There were 3 of them. Phantasm attacked Amy, the one named Kallaway took on Hideaki, and I went up against this old guy.

SHIT! HELLFIRE said. THIS IS THAT GUY WHO WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH SILVERMIST!

Whoever that guy was, he could control lightning. He was powerful. I fought him for a while. I warped close to him, and attempted to get in a close attack. He blocked it, and grabbed me by the throat.

I could feel HELLFIRE being torn from my soul.

"What did you just do?" I demanded.
"My Emissary power," he said. "I can strip possessive spirits from other peoples bodies and imprison them within my soul." His hand burst into flames. "Hate to break it to you, but HELLFIRE's mine now."

He threw a fireball at me. I deflected it with my sword, but he was gone before I could do anything.

Hideaki walked away from his fight mostly unscathed. Amy, on the other hand, suffered from a bad bullet wound. We need to get her some medical attention from someone who isn't an Oathbreaker.

Dead End

We've hit a dead end. We have no more leads on what we're looking for. HELLFIRE says he needs time to think so that he can figure out our next move. In the meantime, we're waiting, and keeping our eyes out. We still have the Emissaries to worry about. And I have a feeling they'll be closing in soon.

FOLLOWED BY A PHANTOM

THIS PHANTASM CHARACTER IS STILL FOLLOWING US. AMY SEEMS TO FEAR HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S CAPABLE OF, BUT ESTREN WON'T LET ME GO FIND OUT. I REALLY WANT TO GO FIGHT THIS PERSON. OH WELL.

WE'RE ALMOST TO THE PLACE WHERE I LAST MET KELTERRY. IHOPE THERE WILL BE SOME ANSWERS THERE.

ALSO, IT MAY BE A LITTLE LATE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MALKATOR FOR TAKING CARE OF SILVERMIST. I'M GLAD THAT BASTARD IS DEAD NOW.

ANYWAY, I'LL BE GOING NOW. GOODBYE, INTERNET WEIRDOS.

HELLO WORLD. HELLFIRE IS HERE.

NICE TO SEE YOU ALL. IT'S BEEN SO LONG IN THIS BODY, I FIGURED I MIGHT AS WELL MAKE MY OWN ACCOUNT, SO I CAN POST HERE. SQUEEZING IN MY OWN OWN INPUT IN ESTREN'S POSTS JUST ISN'T DOING IT FOR ME. BUT NOW I HAVE MY OWN THING.


HELLO EVERY ONE. I AM HELLFIRE. I AM THE DYING MAN.

We're Being Followed

This is Amy. We're still on the move. Estren can't teleport all of us, so we're using public transportation.

I was in town, getting supplies when I saw him. He looked just as intimidating as ever, dressed in that black cloak with his face covered. I started running as soon as I saw him. I became invisible for a bit so that I could lose him. I stopped inside a store to try and catch my breath. I accidentally bumped into this lady, and she flipped out. She was overreacting big time. I knew immediately that he was there, controlling her emotions. She pulled a gun on me, and I reacted. I grew my fangs out and chomped into he wrist. She dropped the gun, and I pistol whipped her with it.

Then I saw him. I took aim, but not fast enough. He had already drawn his guns and was firing at me. I ran from the store and became invisible again. I stayed that way until I found the others. I informed them that there were Emissaries following us and that we needed to leave ASAP.

This is bad. Phantasm isn't the kind of guy you wanna get on the wrong side of.

Talking

I'm going to post this as a script. I will be posting myself as ES, Amy will be VA (Vampire Amy), HELLFIRE will be HF, and the Samurai will be HK.

HK; You've been searching for me for a while, haven't you?
HF; I've come to ask you about your father.
HK; What do know of my father?

HELLFIRE pulled Garrot Kelterry's diary from my bag.

HF; You're real name is Hideaki Kelterry, is it not?
HK: That's none of your business, Dying Man!
HF; It is, though. Garrot Kelterry hid away something. Something that I need.
HK; And what makes you think I know where where the Godslayer is?

HELLFIRE reached for our sword, but I seized control to stop him.

ES; (Let me talk to him)
HF; (Why?)
ES; (I'd have a lot better luck than you would)
HF; (Fine, but don't do anything stupid)
ES; At the end of the diary, Garrot was on his way back to your mother. Did he ever make it back?
HK; He did. I was in my twenties when he returned. It was after I had become a samurai. He stayed with us for a long time. Then, one day, I came home to see him standing over my mother's dead body, with his sword in hand.
ES; He killed her?
VA; He killed her?
HK; Yes. It was deplorable. I left my service to my country and chased after him. He fled for several years. I eventually found him, and killed him.
VA; Your own father?
HK; He deserved it.
VA; And you didn't feel guilty at all?

Amy was getting mad. I don't know much about her, but I guess parents are a touchy subject for her.

HK; I did feel guilty. I tried to take my own life afterwards, but she wouldn't let me. Her strings restrained me, so I couldn't end it.
ES; The Wooden Girl?
HK; Yes. That was the day I began serving her. She told me that as long as I fought for her, I wouldn't need to feel bad about killing him.

HELLFIRE could  keep quiet any longer. He took over my body and just started laughing like a crazy person.

HK; What do you find so funny about this?
HF; Do you honestly believe You killed Garrot Kelterry?
HK; What do you mean?
HF; This was a long time ago, back when I was whole. I met your father years after you supposedly killed him. He was very much alive. Anyway, if you don't know where the sword is, I'll just have to look for more clues. The last place I met Kelterry may hold some clues.
HK: Wait!
HF; Yes?
HK; Let me come with you!
HF; Oh? And why should I?
HK; If he was alive after My fight with him, he may still be out there somewhere.
HF; Maybe, maybe not. Not every one is immortal.
HK; I have to at least try to find him.
HF; Already, but if we do find him, can you at least try to refrain from killing him until I have my hands on the Godslayer?
HK; Yes. By the way, what is the Godslayer, and why are the Fears so interested in it?
HF; That's something that a mere servant shouldn't be concerned about.

Anyway, we now have the Samurai traveling with us, and we're going to be leaving to find some clues on the Godslayer's location.

What we've been searching for

We've been here ages, and we finally found the person that HELLFIRE's been looking for.

It's the f@&king Samurai.

Of all the people he could have possibly wanted to see, it had to be this guy.

F@&k my life.

The Last Post

June 3rd, 1706

Jack is not himself. He attacked me late at night. We fought for a while. He was emitting this weird energy. He overpowered me, and then these wings of pure energy sprouted from his back.
"Where is the sword?" he demanded.
"What's going on!?" I asked him. "Who are you?"
I knew this was the Jack I remembered, and his next words confirmed that.
"I am the one who lies to the world," he said. "I am the mist that glows silver in the moonlight. I am the fires in the depths of hell. I am the seasons four, the grey, the white, and the black." He stated a lot of bizarre titles. "I am the Fear of death itself. I am the Dying Man!"
I managed to escape with the others. We're still running. From the Dying Man, the Cedar Queen, and all the other fiends that stalk us.
This book is out of pages. I'm giving it to Leonard to hold onto. I may start up another log. Maybe, maybe not.

Garrot Kelterry.

I was unconscious for a few days, and when I woke up, I read this entry. HELLFIRE was disappointed because it didn't have the answer he was looking for. But he did find a clue. I'm not sure what's going on, but we're in Iceland right now. We've been here a while, waiting for something. I don't know what though.

Hello, you weird blogger people!

I'm Amy! I'm the lesbian that Estren owns. He's doing some weird undercover stuff with Malkator, so he's asked me to transcribe this diary onto his blog. I'm a lot lazier than him, so I'm just gonna summarize most of it.

Okay, after getting caught up with what's been posted so far, Garrot is sent out on a long boat with Isiore, Keursio, Jack, and these two other guys named Leonard Ferris and Atticus Merle. They were supposed to be looking for the sword, but Garrot convinced the others that they should try escaping, and they left. Then they wound up in some place and found a group of cultists. The cultist attempted to open a portal to hell, and Keursio got trapped on the other side. Isiore got outrage and killed most of the other cultists, then she left searching for a way to get to Keursio. So Garrot and the others took the only surviving cultist and went in a different direction, hoping to eventually find his way back to Japan. At some point, Leonard Ferris had a baby with the surviving cultist. Then they met a man with the devil's hand, who made them an offer. He said that he could give the newborn child the ability to steal the powers of the gods and use them for its own. So Leonard, apparently having been haunted for years, shook the man's hand.

Okay, Malkator and Estren just got in, so I'm gonna sign off for now. later.

I Can Haz Lesbian

I found her in a bar the other night. I am of course referring to the Emissary who attacked me and Malkator earlier. She was making out with another girl at one of the tables. I was tempted to stand there and watch for a bit, but I reminded myself I had business to do, and walked over to her.
Me; Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt you, but We need to talk.
The Emissary; ugh, fine. I see you in a bit, babe.
The Other Chick; Okay.
TE; What is it?
ME; You work for my former master, the Game Master.
TE; You just used the word master twice in one sentence.
ME; I know. Listen, I'm willing to make a bargain with you if you'll stop working for him.
TE; How much would you be willing to offer?
ME; What sounds reasonable to you?

She wrote a number down on a piece of paper and showed me. It was a lot. I didn't have that much on me, but I was sure that I could get the money easily with my dealing experience.

ME; I don't have that kind of money, but I can get it in a matter of days if you're willing to give me the time.
TE; I want it now.
ME; Well, I can probably get it sooner if that's what you want.
TE; Anything later than immediately isn't soon enough for me.
ME; Oh w

I reached for the deck of cards in my jacket pocket.

ME; If you won't make a deal with me, can you at least do the honor of having a casual game of five-card-stud with me? I haven't played in a while. You can your friend to join us if you want.
TE; Okay.

She called the other chick over and we played for quite a while. As a former servant of the Game Master, I'm pretty good when it comes to games. However, I downplayed my luck some and allowed her to win more often than me. I needed to let her gain some confidence before I executed my plan. After a while, her friend left to get some more drinks, at which point I made my final offer.

ME; Let's do a round with just the two of us, and if I win, you'll work for me instead of the Game Master.
TE; And if I win?

I reached into a large pocket in the inside-back of my jacket and pulled my mask out.

ME; This mask is worn my the Game Master's closest servants, the Cards. He almost never gives them to his emissaries. They can  track people down, connect a laptop to the internet from virtually anywhere, and they and access almost any corner of the internet with the exception of porn sites. You can't use them to post things online, but I's say the powers it has are pretty good, wouldn't you say?
TE; I'd say  I'm impressed, but I'm not.
ME; Did I mention it can see through clothes?
TE; WHAT!!??
ME; Well, that's honestly a bit of an exaggeration. It can see through some fabrics, but it does have a few imitations.
TE; Good enough for me!

And then I won. You see, when I was a Card, I learn that what can't be bought can easily be won. And that goes for loyalty as well.

TE; Okay then, I'll keep up my end of the bargain, Master.
ME; Wait, Master?
TE; That's the deal now, right? You're my Master now. I have to do what you want. You basically own me the same way the Game Master did. I belong to you, and you alone.

So, I now own a Lesbian. SWEET!!!

Vampire Hunting

My former Master has a new emissary after Malkator. We're going to track her down and try to negotiate.With Malkator's eyes, we're bound to find her soon.

And I suppose I should talk a bit about my back story since some of it cam up in Malkator's last blog post. My brother, Alphonse, and I were orphans. This was several centuries ago. I don't know how long exactly. W was a fighter. He protected me. He kept me safe from the dangers the world threw at us. What I lacked in strength and fighting skill, I made up for in street smarts. I could get what we needed to survive using various tactics, not all of which I'm proud of. We were alone until I turned nineteen. Then Na'an appeared.

Na'an is his true name. The name of the Game Master. He was an Ancient Egyptian. He served the Wooden Girl for along time. Eventually, he got sick of her and sought help from the other Fears to overthrow her. I don't know the whole story, but he was able to gain power that rivaled that of the Fears. He broke free of her control and discovered the Board. It was a unique realm, which temporarily suppressed the power of those who entered it. The Fears became as weak as humans when they visited. He entered and exited this world so often that he became immune to it's effect, but it came at a price. He's now bound there, only able to leave for short periods at a time. So he enlisted help. He began bringing human there, and making them into servants, as well as granting powers to his  emissaries in the human world. My brother and I became his servants on the board. Alphonse's fighting prowess was ideal to become a Spade, the soldiers of the board. My negotiator skills were what earned me the title of Club.

The Deck of 54 is divided into 5 groups. The Spades are all men, who serve as the Boards military force. The Clubs serve as shop keepers and are also all men. The Diamonds are an all girl group who serve as construction workers and gardeners, who keep the Board looking nice, while the Hearts are an all girl group who provide medical care to those who need it. Then there's the Jokers, who consist of one man and one woman and are Na'an's personal guard. I think His sexism might have something to do with whatever happened with him and the Wooden Girl.

Any way, I should probably post more of that diary. I'm skipping over some boring posts, so here's when it starts getting interesting again;

February 15th, 1693


They've found me. I'm on board the Tantalus again. They want m to guide them to the Sword. I suppose I have no choice. Why must fate be such a cruel bitch?
I regret that I couldn't say good bye to Aika. I really cared about her. And I won't be able to see the birth of our child.
Damn these Pirates! I have to find a way to escape. Perhaps mutiny? Could that work? Would I be able to get others on my side? The crew has changed a lot since I left. Isiore, Keursio, and Jack are still here. But will four be enough? Maybe they can convince more to help. I don't know. I'm confused.
Jack seems different. There's a weird look in his eyes.
I have to go now. I'm going to try talking to the others.

G.K.

Well, that's it for now. Later.

True To His Word

Malkator just punched me in the face. I guess I deserved it. It's my fault that HELLFIRE is possessing Daniel right now. It seems like Daniel still has control over the body, but HELLFIRE's still in there, and I have to gt him back. Better me than him, right? Daniel's special. I don't know how. Malkator doesn't know either. All we know is that there's something about him- something that we're both drawn to.

Any way, I read more of the diary. The next post is... odd.

December 18th, 1692


Oh, wow. I just found this thing after all these years. I completely forgot about it! I guess I should catch up on all that's happened over the past seven years. I began to question the two captains' motives, so I stole the sword, packed up some stuff, and hijacked a rowboat. I was fleeing for two years. I eventually found myself here in Okinawa. I've spent a number of years learning their language and becoming familiar with the people. There's this woman here... She was kind enough to take me in. I've been living with her the past few years, and we've grown really close. We're actually expecting going to She's pregnant.


Well, I think that sums up almost everything. I haven't been found yet, and even if they do find me, they'll never find the sword. I hid it away a long time ago, and I have no intention of telling them where it is.


We're thinking of a name for the baby. I decided to let her pick. She thinks a good name for a boy would be Hideaki. It means "Shining Brilliance". At least, I think that's what it means. I still have trouble with their language. I think it's a beautiful name.


It's strange. I've been an adventurer my entire life. I never expected to ever settle down and have children.

G.K.

So he hid the sword away and banged a Japanese chick. That's what I got out of all that. Malkator's reading this over my shoulder, and he smacked me in the back of the head when I typed that. It was totally worth it.

Okay, Malkator's gone now. He's worrying me. I can seriously feel the darkness inside of him. It's really troubling.

Recovered.

My arms all better now. Good thing I heal quickly.

Anyway, after that last entry, the diary has a few entries of boring shit that I'm just gonna skip over. Here's the interesting stuff.

October 19th, 1685


We finally have it. It took several months and a number of raids, but we've obtained the sword. It was on board a Spanish ship. They had numbers, but we had more. We lost several men. Richard was among them. I didn't get along with him too well... but it's sad that he's gone. The masked character with the scythes almost died as well. I was barely able to save him.

G.K.

October 20th, 1685

We're on our way back to the Island. The two captains have need to address us again, but we must dock first. I also spoke with the masked man woman. Yes, she's a woman. She thanked me for saving her before. Her name is Isiore. She says she doesn't speak to people she doesn't trust. I guess this means I've earned her trust.

G.K.

November 1st, 1685

We've made it too the Island. Captain Vincent and the Cedar Queen revealed to us what that sword really is. We're going to use it to go to war against the Pale Prince, as the call him. And They've selected me to wield it. I'm not sure about this. Do they honestly expect this much out of me? I'm a swashbuckler, not a soldier! What do I do?

G.K.

I feel weird. Really fucking weird. Wait, I just swore. How come- OH GOD I HAVE TO GO!

Sorry

I apologize for the lack of posts. HELLFIRE got in a fight with a bunch of the other Fears, and I've been recovering from a broken arm ever since. Anyway, It'll take me a little while to fully heal, but here's an entry from the diary.

May 12th, 1685


We arrived at the island this morning. The other crew was waiting there for us. And to my very much surprise, they were being captained by Vincent Aldecence. My old captain. He was supposed to have been hanged! He spoke with the Cedar queen as the two crews sat around waiting for them to give us our new orders.
I got a look at the other crews ship. Their flag has a symbol resembling two hourglasses, and the word Timber Wolf is written of the side of the ship in Gold lettering.
The captains then addressed us.
"It is time for your new orders," Vincent said. The Cedar Queen then lifted up a large, sinister looking sword above her head. It was the same sword I had seen the brown-haired boy in my dream wielding.
"Do you see this?" The Queen asked. We all nodded. "We found this sword aboard a ship a couple weeks ago. They were trying to transport it to a safe location where we would be unable to find it."
She then broke the sword in two.
"It's a fake," Vincent said.
"Yes," The Queen said. "It's a mere decoy. The real sword is still out there somewhere. We are going to find it. Prepare to set sail!"
"We will travel to the ends of the Earth if we must!" Vincent proclaimed.
We then prepared our ships. As I was untangling some ropes, Vincent and the Cedar Queen approached me.
"This is the one?" Vincent asked.
"Yes," The Queen said.
He looked me in the eyes, with a sinister smile on his face.
"I look forward to working with you, Mr. Kelterry," He said. He then left. I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't trust him.

G.K.

Next few entries

April 24th, 1685


I left with Keursio, Jack, Richard, and the quiet person. We boarded a long boat and rowed to the other ship. The flag seemed rather odd. Instead of a skull with cross-bones, it was a circle with cross-bones. We began interrogating the crew. They said the captain changed the flag himself and that he had been acting odd and paranoid lately. We decided to hear the captain's word. He was in his quarters. We entered. Papers covered the walls, each one showing strange symbols.
Garrot then draws some of what he saw. There was the operator symbol, the twin triangle, the snake and serpent, and many symbols I haven't seen before.
"Who are you?" He asked me.
"My name is Garrot Kelterry. I've been sent to discover who you are and why you fly such an odd flag."
"The symbol belongs to Him," he said.
"Him?" I asked.
"The one who watches," He stammered.
"You're not making any sense," I said. "What are these images? What do they mean?"
"Symbols I've collected," he said. "Their symbols."
"Where is your destination?" I asked.
"I'm going to hide the sword," he said.
THE SWORD! THIS IS IT!
"What sword?" I asked.
"I can't say anything else!" he said, beginning you panic. I was about to make him tell me, but then I felt a wooden hand on my shoulder. I turned to she the Cedar Queen standing there.
"Return to the ship," She instructed me. "I'll handle things from here."
I don't know how She got there, but I did as She told me.

G.K.

April 27th, 1685

Did some more pillaging today. I'm curious about that sword that man mentioned.

G.K.

April 30th, 1675

I had a dream that scared me. I saw a tall man. He was impossibly tall, and had kraken like appendages sprouting from his back. A boy in odd clothing with long brown hair was fighting against it with the strangest looking sword I'd ever seen. The next bit was a blur, but I then saw another boy, with angel like wings and metal blades sprouting from his arms and forehead. He was speaking to another man who resembled the first boy, only some things had changed about him. His skin was ghost white, he had even longer hair, and dark circles surrounded his eyes. He held a Spanish sword at his side and seemed angry about something. When I woke up, I could swear I saw an unbelievably beautiful woman standing in the corner, but she vanished immediately. Perhaps it was just my imagination.

G.K.

May 5th, 1685

We have another job. We're to sail a small island to meet with another pirate crew. They are apparently acquainted with the Cedar Queen. I'm curious who the are.

G.K.

I'll post more another time. HELLFIRE seems excited about that sword. I wonder why it's significant.

The First Week

Okay, HELLFIRE agreed to keep quiet while I transcribe the contents of the Diary.


April 17th, 1685


I'm starting this log to keep track of my journey aboard The Tantalus. I will be serving the female pirate captain known as the Cedar Queen. I've been working as a pirate since I was a lad, but this is my first time serving a female captain. Hopefully this will be more interesting than my last captain. The fool got himself hanged.
This ship has a crew of fifty-five. I'm one of the deckhands, but I hope to impress the Cedar Queen enough to move up to a higher rank.
I haven't met her yet. She spends a lot of time in her quarters, with her guardian blocking the doors so that she isn't disturbed.
I share a loft with three other men. First there's Jack. He's from Spain, and is a decent fencer. Not at my level, though. Then there's Richard. He's a pretty boy. I find it very annoying. The third man's a little enigmatic. To be honest, I'm not even sure it's a man. He's always got a mask covering his face, and he wears more clothing than is necessary in this weather. He also carries these weird weapons that resemble small scythes attached to each other by a long chain. He never speaks a word.
Well, I have to get back to work.

Signed,

Garrot Kelterry.

April 18th, 1685

Not much to report today. I have been introduced to one of the female crew mates. Her name is Keursio. It's pronounce Key-Er-See-Oh. I had to ask her how it was spelled. Anyway, that's about all.

G.K.

April 19th, 1685

Nothing to report

G.K.

April 20, 1685

Saw a weird looking fellow on board the ship today. He was really tall, and wore fancy black clothing. I didn't get a good look at his face, but there was something off about him. I wonder who it was.

G.K.

April 21, 1685

I shouldn't have drank so much wine today. I feel ready sick.

G.K.

April 22, 1685

We raided a ship today. It  was transporting vegetables and spices. We plundered all we could and then burned down their mast so the couldn't follow us. All in a days work for Garrot Kelterry. Anyway, I tried asking about the tall man. No one else claims to have see him. Except the Cedar Queen's guard. He said, and I quote, "You'd best be avoiding that man. Don't look at 'im, don't talk to 'im, just keep walking and pretend he ain't there the next time you see 'im." That's odd. Well, I'm off to bed.

G.K.

April 23, 1685

Good God, the Captain's made of wood! She came out of her chamber for the first time today and requested that me and my bunk mates go to see her. She was actually made out of wood. I've seen peg legs before, but that was just ridiculous. How is that even possible.

She has a special assignment for us. The look out spotted a ship flying an unfamiliar flag, and we have orders to sneak on board and determine who they are.

I can't get over the fact that she's wooden.

G.K.

Well, that was interesting, don't you think? I'm still not sure what any of this has to do with Daniel, but hopefully I'll know soon enough.



EDIT; I just looked back through the first few pages and realized the dates were wrong. The books old and things are a little faded, but I went back and fixed what I typed. Sorry.

Got it!

Bingo, we have the box.
DUMB ASSES DROPPED THEIR GUARD AND WE SWIPED IT.
HELLFIRE wanted me to break it open, but I went with a less violent method of getting it open. I learned to pick locks while I was in the service of the Game Master.
YOU NEVER CEASE TO SURPRISE ME.
It contained a diary. I guess it holds secrets that HELLFIRE wants. It also contains answers to why Daniel is so important.
IT CONTAINS A GREAT DEAL OF THINGS.
I haven't started reading yet. Taking a break for now. I'll post any interesting entries here.

Fight

We waited for Daniel in the park, as planned. When he got there, we saw that the Samurai had also appeared.
FIGURES.
We followed them to the clearing where Ren was waiting. They spoke for a bit, before the Samurai attacked Daniel.
TRYING TO ELIMINATE HIM A LITTLE EARLY, AREN'T WE WOODY?
I teleported between the two of them and warned the Samurai that if he continued his assault, I would give control to HELLFIRE. He didn't stop, so I had no choice. HELLFIRE took over.
AND WHAT A GOOD TIME I HAD.
I am admittedly a horrible fighter. HELLFIRE, on the other hand, is good. Really good. It held it's own against the Samurai until Daniel decided to join the fight. And when that happened, HELLFIRE, turned and started attacking Ren.
I'M FIRE, HE'S PLANT. ACCORDING TO POKEMON, THE ODDS WERE IN MY FAVOR.
Ren was still strong, despite his disadvantage. HELLFIRE eventually wore him down. Then we noticed Daniel stomping on the Wooden Girl's face.
YEAH, THAT WAS AMUSING.
Then the Samurai tackled Daniel. I seized control of the body again and grab the Samurai. I teleported him to the Temecula mall and left him there. I returned to find that Daniel was now carrying his friend Tony home.
THEY MAKE A CUTE COUPLE.
Shut up HELLFIRE!! Anyway, we waited outside Tony's house, until we noticed him. One of the Tall One's servants was watching them. We kept an eye on him. He vanished through a portal at one point. I managed to teleport through the portal before it closed and followed him to his base without being noticed.
IT'S ABOUT TIME WE FOUND THAT PLACE.
We're going to wait outside the base until we get a chance to steal the box from them.

Clue

Daniel's going to the pond park tomorrow.
ABOUT TIME WE GOT SOME LEADS.
The plan is to go there, wait for him to show, follow him home, watch his house and wait for the proxies to show up, then follow them to their base and steal the box.
SOUNDS EASY WHEN YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT.
One big problem is that He's going to the park to find the Thorned Prince.
I HATE THAT GUY.
I'm really hoping we don't get into any trouble with this guy. He's not the kind of person you want to piss off.

WHERE IS HE?

WHY CAN"T WE FIND THEM? WHERE ARE THEY HIDING? WE MUST FIND THAT BOX QUICKLY! WE REQUIRE THE SECRETS WITHIN IT IN ORDER TO CONQUER OUR ADVERSARIES!
What secrets does it hold? What are you talking about? How are we going to defeat anyone with a jewelry box?
HURRY UP AND FIND IT SO THAT YOU CAN LEARN FOR YOURSELF!
I don't get any of this. And it's not exactly easy to find people in this town.
LOOK HARDER!
You're driving me insane! Would you just shut the f@&k up and stop censoring me!
GET THE JOB DONE OR I'LL DO THIS ON MY OWN!!
You need me more than I need you!

The Samurai

I encountered him earlier.
THAT ANNOYING BASTARD.
Okay, seriously HELLFIRE, stop with the messages. Can't I just do one post without you interrupting me?
NO
Okay, I ran into him in town earlier. He is a servant of the Wooden Girl. While I was in the service of the Game Master, I was forced to learn as much as I could about her and her servants. The Samurai is one of her best. I don't know the full full details about him. Few do. He's at least 300 years old, and his true name is a mystery. He's gone by countless names in the past. I knew him as Hiroshi Isamu. I guess he's changed it since then.
GEE, YOU THINK!?
I approached him on the street.
"Hiroshi," I said. "That's you, right?"
"Which one are you?" He asked me.
"Estren," I replied. "HELLFIRE is dormant at the moment."
"What do you want?" He asked.
"I'm curios about what your business is here," I replied.
"I could ask the same of you," He said.
"I'm looking for something," I said. "And Daniel Ferris is the person who can lead me to it."
"Daniel lives around here?" He asked.
"Somewhere in this town, yes," I replied. "I'm not sure exactly where, though. What about you?"
"The Mistress informed me that Ren is in the area," He said. "I have orders to eliminate him."
"And you're comfortable killing your old friend?" I asked.
"It's him or me," He replied. "You understand what it's like serving the Fears. I can't say I wish to kill him, and if it weren't for her orders, I wouldn't."
"Why does she consider Ren to be such a threat?" I asked. "I thought the Tall One was the only one he wished to kill."
"You understand so little about this war," He said, getting up and walking away. "And it's not Hiroshi anymore. It's Akihiko Hideo."
As he was leaving, HELLFIRE's voice came into my head.
What are you to do? The best servants of the Wooden Girl and Plague Doctor are about to duke it out here. Do you think this town will survive such a battle?
"I don'y know," I said. "Right now, I just want to find that box. If the Samurai or Thorned Prince interfere, then I'll deal with them. But I'll cross that bridge when and if we come to it."
Suit yourself. It's usually better to take preemptive action.
i STAND BY THAT OPINION
I suppose I should explain a bit about Ren. He was an old friend of The Samurai and Malkator. At some point, he had a thorn from the Bleeding Tree stabbed into his right arm. The Plague Doctor was somehow able to merge the thorn into his body. He now possesses the ability to turn his arm into wood and expand in indefinitely. He can also grow bark, thorns, vines, roots, and leaves whenever he needs them.
HE IS A DANGEROUS ADVERSARY. WE SHOULD KEEP AND EYE OUT FOR HIM IF YOU WISH TO COMPLETE OUR MISSION.
I'm going to log off now before HELLFIRE takes control of my fingertips again. Bye.

I Hate Google Maps

Well, I made it to Murrieta. Or Temecula. I'm not completely sure. These two towns are literally right next to each other.
SERIOUSLY, YOU COULD CROSS THE STREET AND END UP IN THE NEXT TOWN. IT'S RIDICULOUS.
HELLFIRE and I are going to keep searching for Daniel. If we find him, we'll be able to find the proxies who are watching him.
THAT'S THE PLAN, ANYWAY.
The problem is, Daniel's been really vague about his exact location in his blog.
WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE RATHER ANNOYING SO FAR.
I know what he looks like from his YouTube videos, so at least we have something to go on.
THIS IS STILL GOING TO TAKE A WHILE.
Normally, I'd just track him down using my mask. It serves as a computer of sorts, with a few useful capabilities.
ALONG WITH ONE OR TWO LIMITATIONS.
It can normally track people down, but for some reason that function doesn't seem to be working quite right.
SOMETHING IS INTERFERING.
So we're going to try and find Dan and his followers, and we'll try and get the jewelry box from them.
AND THEN ALL THE KNOWLEDGE WE NEED WILL BE IN OUR POSSESSION.
HELLFIRE wants the box as much as I do. Whatever's inside of it must be important.
IMPORTANT INDEED.
Something's not right.
GEE, YA' THINK?
I'm feeling some kind of darkness looming over this town.
PERHAPS IT'S THE SOURCE OF THE INTERFERENCE?
Even HELLFIRE isn't sure what it is.
I WISH I DID.
We'll have to look into it.
YES.
I'll update later. Goodbye for now.

Daniel

A little while ago, I traveled with a man named Benjamin Malkator.
OH, I LOVE THIS STORY
He saved my life when the store I operated exploded, and accepted the responsibility of protecting me while it was being repaired.
HE ACTUALLY LIVED INSIDE THE STORE, SO HE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO GO
Anyway, while we were traveling together, another member of our party, Myrir (Who Malkator was madly in love with, despite the fact that she's like, five years older than him) became aware of something.
TELL THEM WHAT THAT SOMETHING WAS!
This all took place during a tournament st up by my former master. Throughout the tournament, Malkator was becoming increasingly aggressive and morbid. Myrir realized what was happening before any of us.
SHE REALLY IS OBSERVANT.
HELLFIRE had taken up residance in Malkator's soul, and was slowly but surely increasing the darkness in his heart, until the light was too dim to protect him from HELLFIRE's control.
I ALMOST GOT AWAY WITH IT TOO.
I did the only thing I could. I pulled HELLFIRE from Malkator's heart and lock it within my own. It was the only way to save my friend.
FRIENDS? THAT'S CUTE!
I've since had HELLFIRE inside of my heart. I'm able to keep it suppressed most of the time, but there are instances when it gains control. Not to mention it won't let me swear.
I DON'T LIKE FOUL LANGUAGE. IS THAT A PROBLEM?
Anyway, I had already been reading these kinds of blogs for a while before meeting him, but He introduced me to this blog titled Daniel & Friends.
WHICH I THINK IS A SILLY NAME FOR SOMEONE IN HIS SHOES TO NAME A BLOG.
Malkator has taken an interest in this person. I don't know why though.
I TOTALLY DO!
Apparently HELLFIRE (which is what this piece of the Dying Man calls itself) knows why Daniel is so important, but it won't tell me. He did propose something, though.
I DO HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD IDEAS, DON'T I?
The deity known as Slender Man used on of it's servants to steal a jewelry box. I don't know what's inside of it or why Slender Man wants it, but HELLFIRE tells me that the answers are in that box.
AND THAT"S WHY YOU"LL BE GETTING IT.
I vaguely recall my schizophrenic mother telling me that it's never a good idea to trust the voices in my head. She'd be ashamed of me right now.

Dark flames

I am the Eight Of Clubs. Although, I suppose I might as well abandoned that title now. I and Estren Saltown.

AND I AM THE DARKNESS WITHIN HIM

I've decided to start a blog to keep track of the occurrences in my new life.

I AM HELLFIRE

I was recently reintroduced to the world after a long absence. I've been in the service a man called The Game Master, but I was freed from his rule.

ONLY TO SERVE A DIFFERENT FIEND

It's going to take a while to adapt. The world has truly changed since I last saw it.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THINGS HAVE CHANGED

This may sound odd, but I'm actually several centuries old. I don't remember my exact age, so I made up a fake birthday when I made this blog.

YES, JANUARY FIRST OF NINETY ONE SEEMS BELIEVABLE ENOUGH, DOESN'T IT?

I'm going to try to blend in with society as well as I can, but it won't be easy.

IT NEVER IS

You all probably think I'm insane. You can go ahead and have your opinions. They don't bother me.

BECAUSE YOU ALREADY KNOW THEY'RE WRONG, RIGHT ESTREN?

I am not a normal person. The Game Master chose me to become something more. I have left his service, but that doesn't change that I am a demon.

A DEMON MORE POWERFUL THAN ALL THESE MISERABLE WORMS

And to make it worse, another demon lives within my heart.

A GOD AMONG DEMONS!!!

My name is Estren Saltown, and I am possessed by the Dying Man.