One evening, as I strolled about town I met a gentleman from the high marches, a William McCormick, who was apparently about to be conscripted against his will for duty on a ship. I didn't like the odds as they looked so I decided to get in the fray as well. The press gang looked as if they were going to back down but as McCormick and I made introductions they quickly returned with several more men added to their number. I was just about say something very insulting to the leader of the gang when Mr. McCormick let lose a bellow and charged them. I didn't want to actually hurt the thugs as they were only doing their job so I drew my blade and basically stabbed anyone I could get near in the foot. Needless to say they were horribly outclassed and we made short work of them. It was a good work out for me and I was turning to congratulate my new friend when I noticed him going threw the pockets of the gentleman who were still on the ground. Fate decrees and providence provides I guess, but fate is fickle at best. Just as McCormick was finishing up his bit of petty theft, something he looked rather at home with unfortunately, a troop of city guards came tromping around the corner. I didn't think they looked the types to listen to a reasonable explanation so I took the next logical course of action. I ran like hell. McCormick was apparently a fairly intelligent man because he was right on my heels in a flash. The chase led just about everywhere but we finally ended up on the roof of a tenement three stories above the ground. Well no sooner had I finished peering over the edge than McCormick came flying by me sailing out to a clothesline between the buildings, sliding down the close line and dropping through an awning below. It looked fairly simple and the alternative didn't look very attractive at all, so I decided to try my hand. Next time I will try it with my eyes open. I woke up on the cobblestones below with what felt like at least one broken rib and a fairly banged up leg. McCormick is far stronger than he looks because he hoisted me up and carried me several blocks until we were sure we had lost the pursuit. We found a doctor who attended to our wounds, as apparently Mr. McCormick's leap hadn't been totally successful as well. She was a lovely lady and very competent with her craft, setting my rib and giving us both a poultice to help with the swelling and bruises. I think Mr. McCormick was very taken with her. After we were treated I decided we should continue our new acquaintance in an area of town where we could hide behind privilege. We quickly made our way to the better side of town and acquired proper clothing for both of us. I have a sneaking suspicion that McCormick may be hiding something because he refuses to wear lace of any kind. You know what they say about strong men who are afraid to show softness! Sorry that was irresistible. After we were better outfitted we moved on to finding a place to stay. I chose a posh hotel with an exorbitant price where we could be guaranteed anonymity. We out fitted ourselves while we rested. It was there at this time that my true adventures begin!

While we were dinning I received a letter from the order of the rose and cross. I had joined the order out of a sense of conscience a year before but had not really received anything that could be called an assignment. Just errands really. The missive I received told me to meet several fellow members in the capital city and we would receive further instructions there. We slipped out of the city and made the journeyed to Charouse uneventfully. After we arrived and booked rooms in the inn and McCormick retired to his room. I went to the common room and was enjoying myself thoroughly with some of the local gentleman playing darts and having a good time. There was a Castillian in the common room that apparently was busily irritating several of the gentlemen in the room. Apparently something I did offended him because he decided that we should duel. Of course I obliged and found a quick second to stand with me. The innkeeper, a fine sport took us out back to the dueling yard and declared the duel to first blood after examining our writs. I will say this; the Castillian was good. Not as good as I am, but good enough to deserve respect. Not the most tactful gentleman though.

As providence would have it he was one of the gentleman who I was supposed to meet to carry out the mission for the knights. The other gentleman was a Montaigne by the name of Valliere who brought with him his manservant Laurent. As we waited for our messenger to arrive we dined. I had already experienced Williams eating habits but apparently they were shocking to both the Castille and the Montaigne. Let us just say that William attacks his food as he attacks life, directly and with no quarter given! Our host arrived shortly and we were told that we would be on a courier mission, but not much else. We were told to go into the catacombs and meet with the person who would give us the parcel that needed to be delivered.

Well we ventured forth to the catacombs and were met by a lovely woman of obvious noble birth. She claimed to be the kings daughter and my new Montaigne friend verified it. She was, however, in the company of a countryman of mine, a fate witch! She was both beautiful and horrifying to me at the same time. Knowing these women have the ability to see the future and even to manipulate it to their wills terrifies me. Needless to say I kept very quite throughout the meeting but it did strike me as odd that a noble woman from Vodacce would serve a Montaigne. The princess told us of the endeavor we were to undertake. Her husband, the general of the Montaigne army, was being basically ordered to his death by the emperor who saw him as a rival. He and 100,000 of his men had been sent to attack Ussura for reasons I do not know. They were surly to be defeated and in doing his duty her husband would most likely be killed. The Castillian was incredibly rude to the princess. Although I can understand his anger, after all his country has all but been defeated by what was considered an inferior Montaigne force, but they did bring the war upon themselves serving the foul Inquisition! He had no call to treat her the way he did. He seams to have a knack for making enemies though. We agreed to see the note delivered but before we could say our farewells the Musketeers set upon us and we had to flee lest we be taken as traitors to the Emperor. Now that pursuit did not go well at all. We did escape into the catacombs but when we got back to our lodgings it wasn't long until musketeers once again besieged us. We managed to escape the hotel but we were separated. The Montaigne, William and I made a jump from a window to a nearby roof and were soon followed by the Castille. Musketeers were accosting Laurent in an alley and William went to his aid. The rest of us began making a run for it jumping from roof to roof. The Montaigne almost didn't make it on the second jump and as the Castille and I helped him up I was hit in the shoulder by one of the Musketeers long rifles. I will say one thing, the Musketeers live up to their name for it was an incredible shot! Valliere helped me into the building and at this point I lost track of the Castillian. I think he went another direction to draw off pursuit. Valliere and I doubled back and he got into a duel with some foolish guardsman whom he quickly dispatched. You would have thought the guard was dying the way he carried on from a simple flesh wound! I knocked him unconscious with my pistol to silence him lest we be discovered. Things grow very fuzzy here, as I was basically just running and trying not to slow Valliere down. Suddenly, however we found ourselves at the back entrance to a theatre. We slipped inside and were somehow mistaken for actors! We were give Musketeers costumes and shoved on stage. Then the horror hit me, they expected us to SING! As the curtains opened Valliere calmly told me to follow his lead as I mentally scrambled to find something, anything to sing at all! As the crowed stared at us Valliere promptly had a fit about working conditions or some such and stormed off the stage with me hot on his heals. I think the director was screaming something about being ruined and I distinctly remember him pulling out his hair in great tufts!

When we hit the street again we were still in costume and we commandeered an apple cart, which seemed to have acquired an additional occupant, William McCormick! Unfortunately we lost Mr. McCormick as he assaulted another group of guards but he acquired a horse and we acquired not one new passenger, but two! Trust a Castillian to pick up a lovely lady during a chase! Somehow the Castillian had seen us and hoped on the back of the cart with a newly acquired lady friend of his. We followed the screams of Mr. McCormick's progress out of the city and as we rounded the corner to the city gates shots began ringing out. Apparently William was very disdainful of the city's wall defenses because he decided to assault the gates alone! I didn't get to see much but he caused quite a stir and even managed to get threw the gates alive! Valliere and I took it as an opportune moment to make a more quite exit so we continued to ride toward the gates ourselves. The Castillian apparently didn't like this idea because he chose that moment to hop of the wagon and meld into the crowd. Unfortunately for us the guards attempted to stop us but we bolted for it and made it threw. I took out several of our would-be attackers with a few well-placed apples and Valliere drove the cart as if Legion itself pursued us. We made it out of the city to where William and the noble Laurent were waiting with our horses! I have no idea how Laurent did it but he made it out of the city him self. Valliere and Laurent decided to go back and look for the Castillian while William and I rode on.

William and I decided the best bet would be to stay off the main road and ride threw the surrounding countryside. I was feeling much better by now since most of my bleeding had stopped and my head was clearing. I noticed that William hadn't made it through his insane charge unscathed. The man had more holes in him than a sieve! I am still amazed that he could sit up in the saddle let alone sit there and grin! I think he may have been clipped in the head. As we rode threw the fields we stirred up some pheasants and suddenly were fired upon. At first I wanted to ride, but William said to hold up. That will be the last time I listen to William! A noble and his hunting party greeted us. The Viacompe "somebody-or-other"; A pompous ass of a man, but deadly; incredibly deadly. He and I got into a duel and although he dishonored himself by attacking before giving the ready he was so lightening fast that I can honestly say it would have made no difference in my condition. I blacked out at that point and woke up in the back of a handcart. A burlap sack loosely covered my head. I felt like I had been ridden over by a hundred horses. I slipped out of the cart unnoticed and saw a grisly sight; two men in the process of burying a largish figure which could only have been my friend, William McCormick...