Day 1: Evening

I’m not sure I want to write this. I stood in line all day, and I wasn’t ready for this. It’s just too much.

I can’t get to sleep so I may as well try to sort this all. Right. Well, I got to the head of the line, into some official’s house. We were in a big room, like the inn’s great room but the furniture was cleared out. Some important looking people sat at the only table.

It’s where all the would-be adventurers like me go to be measured and judged. There’s some quest the Count wants done in a hurry, and he’s recruiting the best for it. I don’t know why he can’t just announce this in public; he’s only giving details to those who pass muster. So I figured I would go in there, explain my fighting history, and hopefully get permission to join. I was a little nervous that it might be too dangerous for me, and a lot nervous that maybe they wouldn’t take me on.

But I had no idea they would PC me.

It was the creepiest thing. I finally got to the front and they asked me some questions. They seemed straightforward. They inspected my gear, too. Asked me about my skills and battle talents. Then there was this hush that fell over the room. We could all feel something, something invisible and powerful. It’s like that feeling you get when someone is watching you, only a hundred times more and coming from every direction. Creepy!

And then it took me. I could suddenly feel this presence come over me, that knew everything about me and could order me to do anything it pleased. I felt helpless and… sick. I don’t know how the officials knew; maybe they saw it in my eyes. Supposedly they’ve seen this before. But they knew.

“He’s a PC!” one of them said quietly. The rest of them nodded, but I tried to shake my head no. How could I be a PC? I’ve heard the stories; those people are crazy. I don’t want to do that. I just wanted to earn enough money to get my family in order again. If I was chosen, surely it was by mistake.

And then I spoke, but I didn’t speak. This voice just came through me—didn’t even sound like me! “Don’t worry, gentle citizens, and tell your fair count to rest easy, for the Great Darkesworde is on his side now.” What kind of a prick says that? Did they seem worried? They had, what, three hundred people asking to sign onto this mission? I don’t know if I managed to keep from pissing myself of my own accord, or if this… thing did that for me too. I’ve seen some magic and the occasional miracle, but those at least make sense. This was supernatural.

I feel it coming over me again—I’ll try to write more later.