Savage Tide: ECL 9 Tuaca half-fey phanaton spellthief 6, cleric 1: entry 1

It wouldn't come off.

Two nights in a row, now, I've dreamed it. The troglodyte king's murder. And as they chop his smiling head off, the blood splatters across me. I wasn't even there! And I will wear that forever.

Stupid lady.

Stupid town. It should fall back into the sea, or be eaten by the jungle. They've outgrown themselves. They've decided they don't want a place in the world - they want everyone else's place too. And their blood is on me. The orca guy doesn't seem to mind as much. He says it is the law of nature. The strong over the weak. I guess I believe that, but that doesn't feel like what happened. When our little scouting party saw the troglodytes in the banana field, it was a battle over resources. Us versus them. But then I go and use my charm on the leader. And everything went wrong. I thought it would be a great way to stop the fighting. And it was. I guess the problem was it worked too good. As long as the king stayed under the effects of the charm, he was willing to not just stop the fighting, but stop the war between his people and the humans in the city. Not one other person in our group seemed to think so, tho. We argued about it, and came to no conclusion. We even took the Trog king to the city gates to talk with the human leaders (against his and my better judgement) and nobody said anything but "Kill him. Kill them all."

Kill the "others".

Sure I don't like the Trogs. They are violent and stupid. And GODS do they stink. Oh such a stink they make. But killing one who has been rendered helpless and friendly. Helpless by whose magic? By MY magic. The humans wanted no part of a truce. They want no part of sharing the land they think they own with "others." So they demanded we take the King back to his tribe and execute him in front of them.

The Orca says law of nature. I don't think so Death in battle, yes. Death because the humans don't want to share, so their city tells them to kill the (temporarily) helpless? I won't do that. I won't do anything this city asks me to. Not any more. They are getting ready for a pirate attack. The pirates want the town's gold, I guess. Well, survival of the fittest, right? I am not part of this city. I don't feel welcome. And I will feel no loss if they lose.

A tribe of Phanatons from the south of the the Isle of Dread (a stupid name for the Land, that of course, the humans came up with) are supposed to join the city to help fight the pirates. I have half a mind to sneak a boat and cut them off, telling them not to bother - half these humans already see the tribe as a nuisance and could likely turn on them once the bigger threat is gone. I see nothing here anymore that would make me feel differently. In any case, I will be leaving the city when the battle is over. Either with the Phanaton tribe back to their lands, or with the orca if I can convince him to take to the seas once more. That might not take much. He spends more time on his boat - even while docked - than just about anyone else. I just hope he takes all the other ships with him. This settlement doesn't need a fleet to tempt them to try conquering other lands they think they deserve.

I've never been on the open ocean before. I must admit the thought frightens me some. But my place isn't here.

I am an "other."