Westin's Journal

[OldBear]

The Journal of Westin Highridge

[OldBear]

Spoiler:

Written in a fine hand, showing practice probably in a temple copying text and writing for tests.

Dear Journal,

When I was graduating from the academy one of my mentors suggested that I get into the habit of keeping a journal. He said it would help me keep track of matters of importance. Not necessarily to the world as a whole but to myself. I sort of lost track of this advice during my final training at the temple and my posting to Sarshel. I have decided to correct this mistake and use it as an example to correct other mistakes in my life as they arise. Since I have no doubt I will make plenty of them. My mentor also said it would help with self-examination and my grappling with the doubts and questions that would arise in my service to Lathander.

I have given it some thought as to where to start this written journey and decided as with any trial or trip, to start at the beginning. I was born in the small pastoral village of Eveningstar. It was not much different than most small villages except that it had one of the larger temples dedicated to Lathander. Eveningstar is a small unwalled farming town very similar to the town in this land called Outentown, though a bit larger having approximately 50 buildings to it give or take a couple. The town lies roughly 30 miles west of Arabel in Cormyr and is located on the High Road where it crosses the Starwater River.

My parents were both from there, married and lived out their lives in Eveningstar. My mother had one brother who died before I was born in some battle that she would never speak of. My father was an only child whose parents died when he was 20 of some illness that spread rapidly through the land. He didn’t die but his lungs were affected thereafter. I have one older sister whom I have not seen for years. She married a merchant who traveled between the various churches selling beeswax candles as well as incense and other goods used by the temples. They were in living in Arabel for several years then when his father retired from the business, they moved to Waterdeep on the Sword Coast where the manufacturing and overall business was run. Once they moved, she started her family and was unable to return for my graduation from the temple and admission as a paladin. We do exchange the occasional letter, though it is more than past time for me to write to her.

Mom was one of the cooks at the temple and the chief baker of deserts. The abbot often would slip down from his office to the kitchen window to beg a treat from her like a small child. I can even remember her swiping a dish towel she always had on her belt at him when he tried to take a cooling pie before it was ready to serve. They both had a great laugh and then she sent me up later with a rather generous piece of it to his office.

My father was the second groundskeeper at the temple and was particularly proud of the rose garden. He would spend hours on his knees, weeding, pruning and as ma said puttering with the roses. His special ones were reserved solely for placement on the alter during the High Celebrations and feast days.

I must admit, I miss them even though I was young when they died. My sister is 12 years older than I am. Mom use to tease me and say I was Lathander’s gift to them since she was a bit old to be having a child. Dad was older than her and was outside the temple walls when he found a man dying in the snow. He got him to the healers but it was too late. The traveler had a wasting disease of some kind and it passed on to my father. With the earlier damage to his lungs, he didn’t survive the week. My mother never really recovered from his loss. She caught some illness and while the healers said, later when I was older, that she should have recovered, her heart just wasn’t in the struggle. So at nearly 11 years old, I became a ward of the temple in general.

My life did not change that much at the time, other than moving from their apartment at the temple. I continued by studies at the temple school, lived in a dorm with other boys who had come there to study, and earned a bit of extra coin for work I did for the temple guards, polishing boots, running errands and such. I am not exactly sure when I felt the call to serve Lathander and it was more of a gradual change of life. The temple was my whole life and once I adapted to my parents being gone, I could think of nothing else. I would watch the temple guards and the paladin initiates train and could feel my heart swell at the thought of someday joining them. I remember few dreams but the ones I did were always serving my Lord as a paladin. It was probably the proudest day of my life when I was actually accepted for training. Followed only shortly behind by graduating from training and being accepted into the Order of Aster. I can still remember the giving of my oath on the Temple Grounds before the Abbot. I felt as if I was ten feet off the ground and that I was wrapped in the glow of sunlight so pure it passes mortal comprehension. Granted no one else saw me in that state, it was all in my head and heart, but I had absolutely no doubt this was what I was called to do with my life.

[OldBear]

Present Day Sarshal:

Well Journal,

Today appears to be a promising day. I received a surprise package from the temple in Eveningstar via Raven's Bluff last night after the last ship of the day arrived into port. I had been sending funds back to my weapon master requesting him to look for some newer armor for me. And praise Lathander, a set of what most call half plate has now arrived. There was a brief note apologizing for the fact he couldn't get full plate for what I had sent. I was frankly shocked that he managed to find this good a set of armor for me.

The arrival couldn't be better. For the past few days I have felt unsettled. A need or more of an urging to travel to the shrine has come upon me. I am going to contact DawnLord Artemis and see if she has time to go to the shrine with me. I would like her to bless this new armor there at the most holiest of places in this land that I know of. Dark tidings have been sweeping across the area and I fear I face evil that I cannot image. Tis a time for me to pray there and consecrate this new armor to my Lord. I can only pray that I am able to face the time to come in honor of our Lord.

[OldBear]

Well Journal, something new to note,

Today I had the privilege of traveling to the shrine of our Lord Lathander with the DawnLord Artemis. She agreed to take time out of her busy schedule for us to go so that I might have her bless my armor and hear me renew my vows to our Lord. We spend the day walking and visiting, mostly I see now about my past life and little about her past. Still it gave her the opportunity to learn more about this new addition to her staff. I must say I enjoyed our time together and hope we might capture more time in the future.

Upon arrival, we took some time to just absorb the beauty and peace of the shrine. We then mounted the steps and before entering the shrine each took a moment to take in the view and enter our own private prayers. Once inside, my armor was laid on the floor by the alter and she blessed it and I renewed my vows to my Lord.

This was all as I expected, but two things happened that I did not expect, one a blessing I would never dream of receiving and another a threat to the future. First, the most wondrous news. Lady Artemis praised my work in this land and then named me Dawnguard. I never dreamed I would be granted a title to go with my service.

As for the threat. I had just donned my armor and we were preparing to leave. I was offering a private prayer and thanks to our lord, when we were attacked by two large black bats. First it was several hours to dusk and they should not have been out yet, second there have been no sign of bats around the shrine itself. We both agreed that this was a sign that dark forces felt threatened by the consecration of my armor and the renewal of my vows. I shall have to be extremely vigilant in the days to come.