Dear Kitty,

It’s truly amazing how quickly things can change. We traveled North from Tuari, past Utica and the unforgettable atrocities there, and in relatively short order we reached Norsca. We went through the Tagliari pass to avoid the fighting at the Wall in New Turath. Immediately upon exiting the Spine we found a little Norscan village where we spent the night and moved on to a Norscan city, Lovis, where we are now.

I just had a chat with their “Headman” and learned something that profoundly changed about three-quarters of what I thought about our neighbors to the North. In New Turath, we cut our teeth on Norscan armor. We grow up with stories of the beast men meant to keep the little ones afraid enough to stay in bed at night. I always thought of them as brutal savages, full of hate with the goal of stealing everything New Turath had to offer.

After being here, talking to them, playing with their children, and learning more about them than Turathi spies have ever known, I realize that they’re people, desperate and afraid with the goal of stealing everything New Turath has to offer.

Reason enough. My visceral reaction was to try and stop the needless fighting, but after a little bit of logic I realized that if they haven’t figured out how futile fighting New Turath is, then they’re not going to. And if I were the Lord Protector, I wouldn’t want a hoard of desperate, terrified Norscan refugees in the city. They’re so afraid of the Jotin, I bet they’d be convinced that betraying the city would be a good idea.

It makes the struggle a little sadder, knowing why they’re doing it, but it really doesn’t change anything. Not like I’d have killed them any softer if I’d known before. Best way to deal with it is to find some way to prove to them that the Jotin can bleed, then lead them through the Tagliari Pass to march on Utica. Otherwise, we’ve got all the information we need, and that’s enough to get us in front of Valor herself… assuming she doesn’t turn us in to Red Hammer… I guess if that’s the case we just have to convince her otherwise. Either way we’ll certainly get to talk to her. She may not be much inclined to help us, but at least I’ll be able to help her.

That’s what counts.

On another note, it was snowing in Tuari and it started when Utica “activated”. When we kill all the Jotin, maybe Norsca will stop being such a savage wasteland and they’ll have something to offer for trade. That’s a nice way of saying “Sorry for killing you so much”, right? Thought so.

I wonder what our next move is.