A couple of my companions seem to just want to get back into Troll's Bridge and butt heads with the monsters there. Believe me, this is not a smart approach, especially having already done that myself for all intents and purposes.

It is understandable. They have emotional attachments within the city just as I did. Having nothing left there as changed my perspective and now forces me to think how to resolve this situation.

Gathering some information seems to be the most prudent approach now, even though we have very little time. As unreliable as Darzagon is likely to be, he is a demon and he does have information and he is trapped. He is in a position that is uncomfortable, but not permanent. Is he patient enough to ply his demonic arts or desperate enough to lower himself to begging? How might one tell the difference?

The resistance of the group to go and speak with him is understandable, but unfounded. Maybe I need to prepare the iron flask as a more permanent threat to Darzagon's viability.

I will speak with Darzagon whether the others do or not, though having Wintersky's intuition would provide a measure of confidence in the conclusions drawn from such a conversation.

I do not know whether to mourn or rejoice in Isildul's passing. I so hoped that his undeath would be reversed with our child's birth...and it may have been. Isildul was over a century old when he became a lich at the hands of his brother Orzdur. His life was so difficult after our parting and then, when his Arcaner's vanished...despair took him. His brother was so cruel. He should have never seen Walton collapse below him. But, we might never have met; past or present, though present was no doubt due to past.  Oh, so many things can be fouled up when messing with time!

Little Isildul's birth gives all the reason in the world to rejoice, but what an event it was. I thought I was going to explode until Isildul put me in that cabinet. I nearly did anyway when Wintersky pulled me back out. Thank Visaria for Her Mercy, Lehnbor for His Magic and Alavasia for Her Miracle...and all of Wintersky's ancestral spirits for pulling me through and delivering our son.

My concern now is that I am terrified of what needs to be done. My son could be left in the tower to starve to death, or worse, if we are all lost during this ritual. However, we must make the effort to secure The Floating Tower or it will become a danger to the whole region; even more of a danger than it has been the last millennium. Once this tower is secure, then Troll's Bridge needs dealing with. A certain undead being needs to be taken care of.

Lord Khan?! That traitor! His atrocity will not go unavenged! We were allies and I let his Sajenese into the estate and Balis turns out to be Imhiakaam! The estate is gone! My family is dead! I will not rest until Ozimius is utterly destroyed, body and soul.

I barely escaped with my life and my efforts to escape probably caused as much destruction as Imhiakaam, but there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it. I must tend to my wounds and ~

GREAT ZENDA'S GHOST!  How many times have I heard that leap from Master Longshanks lips. For a ghostly halfling bard, she is amazingly powerful. I had no idea.

After risking life and limb to get to the market square, I was confronted by the ghost of Sparta's ancestor; not pleased with my appearance. It took quite a lot of convincing, but I finally got her to accept my presence, though she would not suffer Isildul to remain.

I found that an otherworldly music filled the Zuodeyja ancient core and folk had emerged from their hiding places. A few vendors with some stock had set up in the square. It was strange to see the normalcy of it all. Of course, it is not normal at all. Floating above the area is an ancient dulcimer, strummed upon by the invisible ghost of the halfling.

Apparently, Tun Arenson, the young master of the Smoking Pipe, had been talking to the ghost, telling her of the horrible state of things. She wished to help, but she could not leave the Smoking Pipe. Tun resolved to figure out how she might and discovered that if her dulcimer was carried out, she would be able to go wherever it was. The problem was it was too dangerous to leave the tavern, which up until this point had been protected due to its underground location.

Oddly enough, Ozimius made a visit in his due course of activities and mobilized his Sajenese followers to help Tun enter the square with the musical instrument. It took a bit of heroics on Ozimius, Miqulius and Tun's part, but they succeeded in releasing Zenda upon the square. Tun is still shaking and a little hard of hearing from the experience of the rampaging ghost driving the evil from the area. The Sajenese retreated in haste when they saw the effect.

Finding it increasingly uncomfortable to remain in the area, I quickly made my rounds of the protected area to visit the academies and temples.  The Cathedral is still closed, most likely due to Zenda's presence, which for now it a good thing. The Grotesque's power will not wane with this current tragedy, but letting the city recover before unleashing their ministrations is the only sane thing that can be done.

Some great cacophony arose from the center of the ancient core of Troll's Bridge this day. It drove away fiend and vampire alike. I was not a liberty to investigate, but communication with The Tower of Lehnbor indicates that a calm fell over the Zuodeyja ancient core now free of demons, devils and undead once the ruckus ceased. From the top of the tower it was possible to see that The Guildhall of Messer has reappeared. This can only indicate that any significant threat to this temple has been thwarted. The archmages of The Tower have also seen that citizens have been tentatively, but safely walking the streets north of the river.

I will see about making my way to the square in the morning, provided I can pass the tumult the rest of the city is still experiencing. I wonder if Messer's priests have discovered some powerful defense or if Arcanus Universitatus, the College of Mysteries or Lesh University have discovered it. Tomorrow will have to be soon enough as I have spent all day renewing the wards about the estate and need some rest.

Finally! The sending stone is ready. Having replaced its gold runes with steelisin, I believe I will now be able to transmit to Nyza's half. There is too much to say to make it a short message, so I will just go hoarse repeating the message every once in a while until I get their attention. I will scry occasionally to see if her half of the stone has been pulled out.

On the devil front, Imhiakaam seems to have gotten the message and has shifted focus to battling the demons.  Of course, having the Blood War rage in Troll's Bridge was not what I had in mind. Keeping the rule of unintended consequences in mind is a challenge sometimes.

Also, Ozimius visited today.  The Sajenese have returned in full force and their ruthlessness in securing their long-term goals is actually helping the common city-folk at the moment.  Ozi's power has become quite impressive indeed.  When moving in the open, the devils and demons part to let him pass and he ensnares vampire spawn and sends them to their just reward, forcing them into combat with any Thieves' Thought operative he runs across.

I came face to face with Imhiakaam today in the guise of Mask. She was very hesitant even though she was surrounded by fellow devils to make any move against me as she believed it was Isildul behind the mask. Having heard Isildul address Imhiakaam in the past, I imitated him as best I could. She seemed to believe it and sauntered over in her usual manner.

A week back in Troll's Bridge and Isildul and I are just beginning to make a small dent in the misery that has befallen this city. There is still no indication that the empire is sending any help, but it is known that they are aware of the situation.

Hardun has returned with a vengeance, turning dozens into vampires. I have been destroying any that I find while Isildul concentrates on banishing devils and demons. Imhiakaam is still not convinced that Isildul is staying around until things settle, but I gave her a scare and drove her away when I aimed a disintegrate spell at her the other day. She seemed very disconcerted that I was able to attack her at all, not unlike the battle in Schloss Tanglewood Zuooririmystos when she tried to destroy the Council.

The demons, led by a succubus named Sezdelishae, are turning out to be an interesting situation. Without Isildul telling me, I figured out that she does have a pass with Isildul's Arcaners and that Darzagon and Sezdelishae actually are a team that have been making Field Marshal Alaphasus and The Mage of Miserable's lives interesting for a millennium. Luanes will, I am certain, want to rid the world of these demons in short order once she returns to see the devastation they have wrought here.

Troll's Bridge is Hell-on-Earth!  The devils, demons and undead are tearing this city apart.  I will try to ride out this storm, but it is obviously going to be very difficult.

Isildul informed me that he had an encounter with Imhiakaam and that she is not fooled by our little masquerade.  He did give her the impression that this was a permanent arrangement at which point she did seem to consider the possibility that he was not bluffing, but before she escaped, she said she would believe it when she sees it.  Nothing is ever easy with that bitch.

During the same conversation, Isildul did inform me that incorporating steelisin into my teleports would allow me to bypass the city's wards.  Apparently, Aifos set them up that way so it would be easy for us, with Legeand in the lead, to enter Troll's Bridge.  I wonder when they are going to show up?  If they are set upon by the chaos that is raging across the world, Tangleton may be their first choice of defense at this point.  I will try to replace the silver in my sending stone with steelisin when I get the opportunity and maybe then I will be able to contact Nyza.

Oh, my lord!  Troll's Bridge is in major trouble.  Not only is Imhiakaam claiming souls left and right, but Hardun has escaped...weeks ago and the two of them are basically at war.  There is also a demon called Sezdelishae exacerbating the rioting and chaos.  With all the devils, demons and vampires, it is amazing there is a city left.  Aifos is nowhere to be found and all of his forces apparently vanished when we did, so there has been very little protection for the city.  The White Blades have retreated to their fortifications within Tanglewood as well.  On top of all of this, the empire seems to have issues throughout its claims and has been unable to send any help.

Isildul was able to penetrate the ward over the city, but it alerted everyone to the intrusion.  This was not all bad, since we are trying the show that Mask and I are different people.  Isildul determined that Aifos somehow erected the ward, though he thinks it is not having the effect that the half-dragon probably intended since all the destructive forces were already within the city.  He is also concerned about the demon mentioned above, but he has not elaborated.  I suspect there is some connect between it and his former Arcaners.

Of the houses, most are safe in some fashion or another.  House Chicdell's wards erected by Suzana are holding strong as are wards over Houses Random, Elan, Illman and now Artural, as I erected them over my family's estate.  Houses Donomal, Groves, Quaid and Tarcigorkan have made some kind of diplomatic or diabolic pact to remain protected.  Houses Beauregard and Morisle are in ruins, there survivors having been taken into my family's estate.  The Cathedral has been closed and fortified, being sieged first by Hardun and now Imhiakaam.  All other temples have erected wards and taken in as many as they can.  Visaria's Orphanage and The Dome of "The Billiken" are overwhelmed, barely managing to feed the throngs they have taken in.  Before my very eyes, Messer's Tradehall vanished from sight as its defenses took full effect.

For now I will remain within Troll's Bridge with Isildul playing the role of Mask until such time as I am comfortable that Imhiakaam is convinced that Mask is Isildul and the knowledge that Mask the Archmage and Lady Artural the Archmage are separate individuals is well known.  I tried to send my findings to Tangleton, but the ward around the city is preventing the sending stones from working.