Journal of Hadriax el Fex
The ships from the Empire stopped coming a long
time ago, and we do not know why. We send courier ships back to the
Empire, but they do not return.
I do not know what to do with Alessandros. He
has always been high-tempered, but now he is given to bouts of
grief and depression, declaring the Emperor, his father, has
abandoned him, despite his successes here. These bouts turn into
rage, which leads to broken objects and dead slaves. This then
turns into long periods of silence, and melancholy, where he locks
himself in his chambers to work on “experiments.”
Without resupplies from the Empire, our
mechanicals are fading apart. Our artisans have been doing their
best to fabricate new parts, but now the clans have targeted them
for assassination, and we have lost many skilled men. We are also
out of ammunition for the concussives, and we’ve found no source of
saltpeter. The one thing that keeps the clans at bay is
Alessandros’ Black Star device.
Renald has made lieutenant in the Lion regiment.
I attended the ceremony, as I am the closest thing to family he has
in this wilderness. He is devoted to Alessandros, and shows only
courage, loyalty, and honor. I miss him terribly, and not just as a
squire, but as a friend and confidant. I even miss his boyish
jokes, but he is a true man now, and I see him more often on the
field of battle than elsewhere.