A Retired Ringrunner's Journal

[Moonlighter]

A weather-beaten, leatherbound tome. It's pages are filled with musings, diagrams, maps, and more. Some excerpts are readable.

We set out on this journey Kingward for one thing, right? To make our dreams real, whatever they might be. Of course, most of us wouldn't know our dreams if they were staring us right in the face.

Thankfully, I'm blessed with a unique perspective.

The Pipeweed Seeds I brought from home should grow in-between the cobbles here, and the Alley Onions are abundant. I even found an old abandoned house that is almost in livable condition. There's even water that is probably not poisonous.

It'll take a bit of work to fix her up, but when I get it done I can retire for a while, and put my feet up. It'll be sad to see my friends go, but they're fixated on these fantastical tales of far off Rings.

Ticker Square, the Old Peerage, this Grey Keep and Baz'eel.

Those are all probably as real as The King in the first place. This whole City is just a series of alleyways and puzzles and pillars that shock you and bandit gangs and freaks and monsters. It's best just to break off a piece where you can feel safe and sane and mind your own damned business for a while.

[Moonlighter]

I told them they could visit any time.

Of course, time itself seems to stand still out here, so there's no real saying how long it's been.

Something will come along, every once in a while, and break the routine. Usually another gang of Ringrunners, chasing the same legends that got me set up here so many years ago. I tell them all the same thing: It's all a myth, and they should give up. Some things you just shouldn't let distract you from living a good life!

They won't listen, of course. They never do.

Still, we can trade supplies as they go off in a foolhardy search for Wishes. I guess it would be easier to fleece them for all they're worth before some maddened Deep Ringer guts them for their potions, but I still abide by the old codes even if I don't climb walls anymore.

Probably best I don't have anyone coming after me for ripping them off. Much easier to sleep at night, that way.

[Moonlighter]

I'll never forget that sound. Like an unruly guest tipped over the world's cupboard, and all the mugs and bowls came crashing out at once all around me while I slept.

Then, there was the Ash. It just kept coming in, and coming in. Through all the little cracks in the walls where the drafts came from. Through the holes in the roof I knew about, and the ones in the foundation I didn't. Burying. Clouding. Choking. Stinging. Burning.

This is the worst day of my life. Digging my way out of my own home with just my bug-out bag and my trusty blade and making for the high ground. Wherever the hell that was.

Get it together, Clover. All you have to do right now is survive. You're good at that.

How hard could it be?

[Moonlighter]

I found a Doorkeeper today. Been a long time since I've seen one of them.

He was just standing there, dutifully, knee high in the Ash, holding a long extinguished torch aloft. At first I thought he didn't even notice me, but as I trudged by, I'll never forget that look in his eyes, nor his words.

The Door is open, now, Traveler. All of them.

Why was he laughing? Just what the hell did he have to be so happy about?

I told the madman to come with me. He didn't even acknowledge it.

Freak.

I carried on.

[Moonlighter]

I finally found more people! Not the ones I'm looking for, but people!

Hard to say if it's good thing yet.

It's a little town, for lack of a better term, striking it out here in the petrified trees and alleyways. Bigger than a camp, but nothing resembling the civilization of even the crudest wards of the City. I've been watching them from afar for about a day now, and they seem peaceful enough.

I'll make my presence known here, and see if I can't stop in for a few days or so. Maybe they've seen someone I know, or need some work done.

But I won't stick around. I've got to keep moving.