Entry 26

314Fi.2Q.66

The proposal, to enter the War Games, was framed as both strategic necessity and opportunity. To do so, we boarded the Velvet Knife under the command of Yuna Lysandra, and her “New Remnants”. The vessel itself is quick and streamlined if not overly decadent, which reflects its commander.

NOTE: Records indicate that Charles withdrew during transit to review his magical communication journal. Accounts and his own report suggest an anomalous interaction: a cold presence carried on the wind, followed by written responses appearing within the text itself. The message, “Why would I be watching you?” is attributed to his connections to House Vorynth, though this remains unconfirmed.

We were intercepted at the Blackwater Strait. The attackers, three knights, clad in white-paint coated obscured armor, descended from dragonback, and claimed authority beyond that of the Empire. My name was spoken directly. The charge: destabilization. The demand: surrender, or execution. I remain unsure of the actions I had taken to cause the unreasonable charge. Still, there was no deliberation.

The crew and party moved to defensive positions with acceptable speed. The sequence that followed was not clean, but it was effective enough. Enoch utilized his staff for rapid repositioning that disrupted enemy formation. Mazarin executed a wide-reaching psychic assault. Sal maintained a semblance of a defensive line with surprising consistency under pressure.

I engaged at close range. My movements were precise. The dragon forced irregular spacing; the knights compensated with coordinated pressure.

At some point, the engagement fractured vertically, moving the battle to the air. The decision was tactically unsound in isolation, but within the chaos, it created openings.

A spell compromised my mental state leading to a failure of targeting discrimination. I registered proximity, threat, and motion, and acted. The blade connected before correction could occur. It was Charles. The error was not in execution, but in allowance. I permitted external influence to override internal discipline, which is unacceptable.

The engagement concluded in our favor, though “control” would be an inaccurate descriptor. The attackers were repelled; their objective incomplete. The commander did not reveal themselves. The accusation from an unknown source remains.