Dru's Diary

Well if no one else is going to write a journal, I'll kick it off ^^ These are still a little behind, I'll bring it up to date over the next few days.

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Entry 1

I've finally decided to give up on my search for Arel. There, it's on paper now. I've been stuck in Bastok for too long over the last few years, I need to get out again and start exploring Vana'diel again.

The first thing I did was to try and find some work. I need some money again, my mog house is virtually bare!

There was an ad up at the Bastok auction house about a mercenary organisation called Sfant Umbra that are hiring. I sent them a letter, hopefully I'll get a response back from them. Whilst most of my old contacts from when I was a thief have probably moved on, my magic training should more than compensate, especially since I can get into almost anywhere these days without being detected. And of course, I still have my daggers. My Beestinger still sits under my pillow at night.

There's some new people in town as well advertising for mercenaries in the Near East. I'm thinking about heading out there, getting out of Bastok sounds ideal at the moment.

I'll always have my Hope Rings for me and Arel, but I think it's time I closed that chapter in my life and move on.

Entry 2

Well, the Near East is definitely interesting to say the least. Not surprisingly, the Tenshodo have taken control of the travel routes. I've got to find some ways around that.

I ended up in a place called Whitegate. Looks like it's the central city here. I've got some sort of card for a group called Salaheem's Sentinels. No doubt I'll run into them sooner or later. I'll need to check if I know anyone over here who could get me an in.

There's a group here called the Immortals that look like they're some kind of mage, but not one that I've ever seen before. I overheard someone talking about 'blue' magic, perhaps it's another branch of magic. I'll have to get Seth to do some digging for me, it might be a skill worth having.

There's also a whole lot of people running around with small dolls that they appear to communicate with somehow. Puppetmakers? No, that isn't right... something about puppets though. Puppetmasters! That's it. Looks like it's a fad that's made it all the way back to the mainland. I spoke to a taru about it, although he went off on a tangent about a mithra not being able to talk without a tail... I'll try again later I think.

Seth got a letter back from Sfant Umbra today, they want to arrange an interview. I've told them to meet me in Nashmau in two days, I'm heading out that way anyway, and I hear it's quieter than Whitegate!

Entry 3

Whilst exploring Whitegate today, I ran into a couple of interesting people. The first was a small kid who's brother is apparently something called a Corsair. Based on the raid I saw today, I'd best liken them to pirates. The kid is heading over to Nashmau to try and find his brother (who vanished in a large smoke cloud outside the city walls), so I figure I'll follow him, since I'm going to Nashmau anyway. Besides, the corsairs intrigue me.

I also found an automaton shop near the port to Nashmau. The owner there was trying to find an old model of one of his automatons, in other words, the puppet things used by puppetmasters. He mentioned something about there being some battles years ago where his puppets were used, and offered me a new puppet if I could find one of his old ones. Seems everything is leading me to Nashmau today. I agreed with him, if only out of curiousity. Besides, I'm sure Seth would love a new toy to play with!

Entry 4

Nashmau is quite a depressing city. It always seems overcast, it's usually raining, and everything outside the city walls is bent on killing you. Frankly I considered turning back soon after I arrived, but I had a few things to finish first.

Firstly, I met up with an elvaan named Tsumi, who was representing Sfant Umbra. Personally coming to a merc interview dressed in full red mage attire wouldn't have been my first choice, but apparently there's quite a public face to the organisation, of which I'll be expected to fit into. Still, the main reason they agreed to give me a pearl was for their more private underbelly. I'm to be an assassin and thief again it seems. Strange how no matter what I do I always end up back there. Oh well. Two years ago I would have probably turned then down, but now? I've been living the life of a civilian too long, a little cutthroat work actually sounds appealing.

It did feel strange to be wearing a pearl again though. So many voices talking in your head, it's hard to think clearly. Even though I've had my old pearl from the Children of Altana sitting in a pouch on my belt ever since the group disbanded, I've never actually thought to put it on again. I wonder if anyone else has?

Entry 5

If someone else other than me is reading this, then I've probably drowned somewhere in the Arrapago Reef. Although, in that case, this diary is probably underwater with me, and I don't think this ink is waterproof...

Caedarva was interesting, to say the least. I followed the kid through the mines, stopping off on the way to get some kind of key. I didn't have any idea what it was for at the time, or how the kid even knew it was there. Or for that matter, why there was more than one. Incidentally, imps are not fun creatures! Despire using my magic to hide myself and stop any noises, they can see straight through it, and have no problems throwing their little pitchforks at me. Lucky for me their aim is horrible. I managed to escape the mines with only a few minor cuts and bruises. I have no idea how the kid managed to get through.

Oh, but the reef! I swear, the number of times I could feel my magic waning right as I snuck past all manner of ghosts, ghouls and sea creatures, you would think that Fate was trying to get me killed! The kid wove his way through a whole bunch of old abandoned ships, and I followed not too far behind him. I suppose the only highlight was I managed to find one of those old puppet things on one of the ships.

We ended up in a tunnel at one point after Altana knows how long travelling through the old ships, and the kid unlocked a door using the key he'd found earlier. I followed suit with the other key, and we ended up on yet another ship (there isn't exactly a lot of ocean around here, why are there so many ships?), where the kid finally found his brother. I can't for the life of me remember their names though, everyone over here has such a horrible mismatch of letters that I'm surprised the entire continent isn't tongue tied.

To cut a long story short, the kid, who wants to be a corsair as well, was told by his brother that he needs to complete some sort of test by going to Talacca Cove, which from memory is the other side of Nashmau. In any case, I'm done for the night, I'm warping back to Nashmau to try and find myself a bed for the night. The kid can find his own way back I'm sure.

Entry 6

Despite their unpronounceable names, the men in Nashmau are definitely well built. There wasn't any accomodation available, but after a few drinks at the tavern, I managed to find myself a nice solid weapons merchant to spend the night with (they always have such masterful thrusts!). Although admittedly I didn't exactly catch up on any sleep... Seth would be hanging his head in shame. Still, I'm not going to deny myself the occasional night of pleasure just because my fiancee is...

Okay, perhaps I'm still not prepared to admit he's dead. But he's been away for two years now, surely a night of drunken sex with a random stranger isn't considered cheating at that point?

Well, back to the sunny part of the day... well, that's objective in Nashmau I suppose. But in any case, curiousity got the better of me about Wasuhd and this task at Talacca Cove. I bribed the local map merchant for his last remaining copy of the map (I'm not proud of how I did it, but my gil supplies are still running desperately low), and then headed out the west entrance.

Graveyards were never really my thing, but that's basically all the walk to Talacca Cove was. Thank Altana there wasn't any imps around, and I got through unscathed.

The kid had arrived just before me oddly enough. I suppose I had the advantage given I warped out and he walked, but I swear, this kid must have Promathia's own luck to be able to stroll past monsters that not only would kill him with a single blow, but also would probably snack on the remains. Still, the cove itself seemed reletively safe. There was a couple of people fishing in the water who didn't look overly concerned, so I took my cue from them and relaxed a little.

Naturally, that's when everything fell apart. The gun the kid found was near a corrodor where a rather large explosion went off. That annoying curiosity streak (I really need to do something about that) compelled me to investigate. Had I actually thought about it, I probably should have recast my magic shields, but stupidly I walked right into a trap.

A galkan, who had been at the corsair's ship earlier, was leaking information to the Whitegate officials. Personally I can't stand traitors, no matter where they happen to be, so I automatically reached for my daggers, but the tell-tale click of a gun pointed at my head forced me to relax a little.

The kid unfortunately didn't have the same survivalist instinct. He tried firing the gun he'd picked up earlier, but not surprisingly, nothing happened. He kept firing though as galka approched us.

After five shots and five empties, I didn't like our chances, however on the sixth shot, there was another massive explosion that knocked everyone onto their ass. I glanced at the kid, but he looked just as surprised as I did. Then I caught a glimpse of some more figures walking down the corrodor.

In hindsight, I have to admire the corsairs. Qultada, who's the lead corsair in their group called the Seagull Phratrie, clearly knew that there was a leak somewhere in the group. He also didn't want to disappoint the kid by telling him he was to young to become a corsair. So he sent him here, where he'd laid a trap for the person leaking information. The galka and the Whitegate official admittedly managed to escape, but when they were surrounded by a ring of explosives going off, I can't really blame them. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that whole thing was all just an elaborate setup. I wouldn't put it past a bunch of pirates to have some kind of hazing going on with people new in town.

What happened next only reinforced that thought. Qultada gave me a set of dice, and told me he thought I had potential as a corsair. Who randomly comes out and says that to someone? Whilst the conflict between the Immortals and the Corsairs seems real enough, everything that happened after that just seemed too well choreographed to have been coincidence. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

In any case, I sent the dice home to Seth in Bastok. We've been needing a new set for a while. Hopefully he'll win some money while I'm gone!

Entry 7

The boat ride back to Whitegate from Nashmau was interesting. There were a few fishermen heading back from Talacca Cove on board who spent the whole time fishing. I could hear some screams from what I assumed were Kraken roaming the ship deck. Personally I preferred the screaming I was doing with the hume that was traveling back with me. By the time we docked back in Whitegate, I'd misplaced half my clothes, and I held the ship up searching for my boots. The mithra waiting at the port glared at me as I got off. I just grinned to myself as I walked past, clearly looking a mess. Lucky I don't know anyone in Whitegate!

I stopped by the puppet shop briefly to give the owner back his old puppet. Personally I can't see any use in it, but he was over the moon to get it back, and he told me to come back and see him in a few days for one of my own. I'm still planning to stay in town for a few more days yet, so I told him I'd be back tomorrow.

I checked in at the local mog house, and finally there was some mail from Seth. I skimmed it briefly, but he didn't really have much to tell me. The only useful fact was a name from these Salaheem's Sentinels. A mithra named Naja, she apparently runs her operations out of Whitegate. It didn't take too long to find out where she was based, and a few quick words later, I was standing in front of her desk.

Naja cuts quite an opposing silhouette. The oversized mace she seems to carry with her doesn't exactly help dispel the illusion. She strikes me as someone who is very good at getting what she wants. Seth intimated as much in his letter. She actually offered me some work, but for the moment, I think I'll leave this particular organisation alone, at least until I can get some more information on them. Perhaps Sfant Umbra have some info on them. If they're as well connected as Tsumi suggested, then I'm sure I can get some leverage to use again Naja the next time I see her.

Entry 8

I had a bad night last night. I was going through my pack after I'd settled in for the night, and I found an old letter from Arel crumpled up at the bottom. He didn't really say much in it, but I spent most of the night curled up in a ball in a bed that wasn't ours, and well, it just wasn't a good night.

I did at least though get to wake up to quite a surprise. Since I'd run those errands in Bastok for Naja's mercenaries, Seth had managed to negotiate cheap passage from the port in Bastok directly to Whitegate. So not only did I wake up with my own moogle in the moghouse, but he was cooking me up a big breakfast! I love my moogle, he's so thoughtful when he wants to be.

After breakfast, Seth showed me the rest of the money he'd had left. It looked like he'd won some money at dice after all! I had enough to go on a small shopping spree, so I spent most of the day at the auction house, trying on new equipment, and even managing to find a nice red outfit to match my hair!

I also visited the puppet maker, who as promised gave me a puppet. Quite frankly I have no idea what I'm going to do with the thing. It looks ugly as anything, and the rather brief explanation he gave me about how to communicate with them seemed, well, brief, I guess.

Despite a day of shopping, I think it's about time I started heading home to Bastok again, so I'm waiting at the port now for a ferry back to Mhaura. Seth's traveling with me, so I guess I'll have to behave myself this trip. Still, he says the moogles back on the mainland are offering a teleportation service to all the major cities, so I should be able to get home to Bastok pretty quickly once we get to Mhaura.