The Diaries of Downwind Gale

Entry 1, An Old Friend
Day 1, 1020 AD

Kidd... A name synonymous with brashness, volume, and violence, even before she became "General" Kidd, the ruler of all El Nido, Queen of the Zenan Mainland, Porre, and the surrounding countries... Hell, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that most, if not all, of the human lands are under her control... I knew her waaaaay back, like, when were kids, way back... Like, 1015 AD way back, five years ago... She and I were orphans, same orphanage, actually... One day, I got mad and ran away, saying that I'd find my parents... Yeah, like shit like that was ever gonna happen... Actually, most of the time I spent away, I spent putting together an apology to everyone in my mind... ...I never got a chance to use it... When I got back, the... whole orphanage was up in flames... I thought everyone was dead, so I ran... I ran and ran and ran and ran...

But I'm not going into my past... At least not yet, heh... The point of this is as follows: I thought that that was the end of the kids and Kidd in particular, but it wasn't... I ended up joining the Downwind Gale Thieves' Guild to hone my skills... During a raid on a Porre officer's art collection, we found out that the Radical Dreamers had beat us to the score... And guess who they sent...? Yeah, Kidd... No time for hugs, but time to make grabs for the goods... The Downwinders and the Dreamers became rivals that day and it went on like that... When I left the Guild last year to become an independent, they still were... Wasn't it a surprise for me to hear that the invading Porre Army was beaten out by the Acacian Dragoons, led by General Kidd... GENERAL Kidd? Heh! Couldn't have been... Guess what? It was... But rumors fly more than the birds in the sky do... It seems that in Kidd's posession is a jewel of mystical power called the Frozen Flame, supposed to grant the wishes of its owner... Betcha anything that Kidd managed to get her hands on it and wished for all this power... Sources back at the Downwinders tell me that Ruben, then head of the Guild, is planning a raid on Ashtear Manor, formerly called Viper Manor, to steal the Frozen Flame in order to one-up the Radical Dreamers and their power-grabbing sister.

Sounds like a great idea to me. Wish I had thought of it first.

The Frozen Flame is rumored to be sitting right next to Kidd's throne in Ashtear Manor, which still stands as Kidd's headquarters... Natural thing to do, obviously, is to sneak it, grab it, and flee quietly, but I KNOW that it's not going to be THAT simple... I bribed a servant, a dishwasher, to get me a map of the grounds and of the interior of the manor itself, but something about him seemed shifty... ...I dunno, gut instinct makes me think that this is going to be a trap... ah, well... Hope the General can forgive her old playmate for pulling such a stunt... ...or at least kill me quickly, if she can't. I guess there's no reason to put it off any longer. I want to get to Ashtear Manor and out with the Frozen Flame before the Downwinders even leave the planning room. Heh, I know this'll piss Ruben off to no end, but I lack the ability to care at this point.

My name is Calder. These are the Diaries of Downwind Gale. 'til next time.