Journal Entry: Magius

                Magius is one of Mallaga’s twin sons and is a Chaos Elf.  Magius is a Mage and has learned how to manipulate the Fire Element.  Since his father’s demise Magius has become the High Mage of Fire.  Chaos Elves, in general, do not have loving relationships, but Magius could be called the favored son.  After all, according to the Empress, Magius’ twin is a mere warrior and can’t manipulate any of the elements.  Magius is deceitful and a schemer of grand designs.  He appears to despise his brother and does everything he can to discredit him, and those loyal to him.  Magius himself has loyal followers who would do anything he asks of them, but I would be willing to bet that he would leave them to their deaths if it suited his needs.

                From my observations Magius is a power monger like his mother and father.  He covets the power his mother has and views his fellow High Mage’s with contempt because he shares power with them.  It would not be a stretch of the imagination to assume that Magius has plans to dethrone his mother and take her power.  The desire is clearly visible in his eyes and how he references his mother when he is away from Fire Mount.  Mallaga is a dangerous woman, and she has caused much hardship for the people of Tselestial, but I fear what Magius would unleash on the land if he ever became the Emperor of the Chaos Elves.  May it never be so is my fervent hope.

Even though I have labeled Magius as a liar, a cheat, and a power monger, I would offer a word of caution.  He may be a fool, but he is powerful.  One does not become a High Mage of any Element without being very skilled and powerful.  A powerful fool is still a dangerous man.

Journal Entry: Mallaga

                Mallaga is a Chaos Elf.  As I describe the people of my world that have played key roles in the current events, I hesitate to use the words evil and good.  In this case I will make an exception.  Mallaga is an evil woman.  Only the blindest of people don’t see her ambition.  What makes her dangerous is her ability to plan and execute her plans in the shadows.  Even the most watchful of adversaries has been unable to stay ahead of her or notice when she puts a plan into action.  A perfect example is her husband, Archus.  One can speculate about whether or not Archus saw his demise coming and so walked into Mallaga’s trap willingly, but we may never know.

                Mallaga is not a member of the Mage’s Klan, but she convinced her husband to teach her how to manipulate the Fire Element.  Since Archus’ demise she has continued her training in private and has become very skilled.  While this knowledge is important, one must never judge Mallaga by what is on the surface.  Mallaga always has schemes and plans.  Even her most trusted allies would do well to have escape plans.  I also think it is important to note here that Mallaga has a fascination with training hand selected Chaos Elves in various skills secretly.  She enjoys having these extra tools, but has an uncanny ability to know when and how to use them.  While this may make it appear that Mallaga hesitates to get her own hands dirty, don’t be fooled.  Don’t mistake the Empress of the Chaos Elves for a weakling, a fool, or someone who is afraid to do anything.

Journal Entry: Archus

                Archus is a Chaos Elf.  He was the emperor of his people and the High Mage of Fire until his demise.  On the surface, Archus appeared to be foolish and greedy.  His wife and children treated him as if he were sick of the mind, or an utter fool.  My observations from a far and over a few thousand years lead me to believe they might be the fools.  The only one of his family who saw bits and pieces of the true man beneath the layers of lies was his son Kaelus.  I believe that Archus saw his people for what they truly were, and the only way that he believed he could protect himself was by acting out what he felt they wanted to see, his wife included.  I also believe he felt he could better protect himself if his wife and children saw him as weak.

Again these are only my observations and I have no way of proving them now that he is dead.  Although, I must admit that in the back of my mind I wonder if he is yet again playing some elaborate game with his people and his family.  Regardless, Archus must be commended for staying in power as long as he did.  One thousand years is no small amount of time when you live among liars, thieves, power mongers, and assassins.  That in itself could possibly denote a true ruler of men and elves.  If only his abilities hadn’t been focused in such a greedy and power hungry direction, he might have truly been great.

Journal Entry: Significant People

                For now I feel I have given the places, races, society, and creatures of Tselestial enough attention in this journal for now.  As I look at what I have written I feel a need to write my observations about some of the people who have played a significant role in Tselestial’s current predicament.  Some people say that you know a person by their words, or you know a person when you spend time with them, and still others say that the eyes are the window to the soul.  I would put forward that sometimes actions speak louder than words, at times people fool even their closest of friends, and when a person has no soul because of greed or the loss of any and all good that was in them it doesn’t matter how long or far you look into their eyes, there is nothing there. 

My observations come from over fifteen thousand years of watching nations and lands thrive and die.  I have seen loved ones and enemies bow down to death and time, but I still remain.  I am not perfect, nor or my observations, but when someone has been forced to be utterly honest with themselves and admit that they were wrong, well you learn to see what a person truly is.  Most of the time…

Journal Entry: The Blacksmiths Klan

                The last of the three main Klans is the Blacksmiths Klan.  Petitioners are always welcome in the Blacksmiths Klan.  Unlike the Fighters Klan and the Mages Klan, the Blacksmiths Klan has no need of sending out its members to fight.  Instead, the members craft the weapons and armor of the Klan Watch.  Because of this, the Blacksmiths Klan has more time to test petitioners and see if they have the ability to become some of the best craftsmen of the human and elven races.  The Blacksmiths Klan is also in constant need of more skilled hands in their forges, yet another reason to be more open with their recruitment.

                The entry level of the Blacksmiths Klan is the rank of Apprentice.  An Apprentice is given a steel Blacksmith’s hammer and wears a grey leather apron.  The Blacksmiths Klan marks rank in three ways.  The type of hammer and the color of the apron are two ways that rank is marked.  The third way rank is marked within the Klan is by tattoos on the upper right and left arms.  An Apprentice has no tattoos because he has not yet earned them.  In order to advance to the rank of a Blacksmith, an Apprentice must forge a flawless suit of armor and a flawless weapon of their choice.  Master Blacksmiths are most often the judges of an Apprentice’s work, but the High Blacksmith can judge the finished product if he so desires.  This test is no easy task, but becoming a Blacksmith within the Klan is no small feat.  The majority of the Klan’s members never rise above the rank of Blacksmith, but there is no shame or dishonor in that.

                As I stated, the majority of the members of the Klan are Blacksmiths.  Blacksmiths keep the steel hammer they were given when they became Apprentices, but they wear a brown leather apron, and have a hammer tattooed on their upper right arm.  Blacksmiths do the majority of the work for the Klan.  That says a lot of those who achieve this rank because the work of the Blacksmiths Klan is the finest and most coveted work of the human and elven world.  Blacksmiths may also leave the Klan Home and work for any Master Blacksmith that will have them.  When a Blacksmith feels he is ready to become a Master Blacksmith, the Blacksmith is challenged to create their masterpiece.  It doesn’t matter what item is being crafted, what matters is the quality of the work and how unique the work is.  No one but the High Blacksmith can judge whether the Blacksmith has crafted their masterpiece.  If the work is acceptable to the High Blacksmith, the rank of Master Blacksmith is awarded.

                Master Blacksmiths are rare when you look at the Klan as a whole, but there are a fair number of these skilled craftsmen.  Master Blacksmiths are given a titanium hammer, a red vest, and a hammer is tattooed on their upper left arm.  Master Blacksmiths are also allowed to establish their own foundries in a place of their choosing.  Master Blacksmiths are given the honor of being taught how to enchant items with gems.  Advancement from Master Blacksmith to High Blacksmith is not as frequent as the change in Klan Heads is among the other Klans, but change does happen.  It should be noted that the Klan Head of the Blacksmiths Klan has historically been known to hold the position for a decade, at the very least.  Advancement from a Master Blacksmith to the High Blacksmith is initiated when a Master Blacksmith publicly puts forth their challenge.  The current High Blacksmith then decides what item will be forged.  The entire Klan, from Apprentice up to Master Blacksmith, judges the final product.  The majority’s vote decides the winner.  The Blacksmiths Klan is the only Klan to allow the entire Klan to participate in this process.  Master Blacksmiths can only issue a challenge to each High Blacksmith twice.

                The High Blacksmith is the Head of the Klan.  He, or she, wears a black apron, carries a mithril hammer, and has an anvil tattooed behind the hammers on the upper part of each arm.  Most Klan Heads are aloof and purposely stay separate from the lower ranks of their Klans.  I feel it appropriate to note here that the current High Blacksmith, Aleksander, has made it a habit to work with all of the members of his Klan.  It is not uncommon to see him teaching or working with petitioners and Apprentices.  He deserves credit for this unusual tactic.  His efforts have made his Klan thrive.  His Klan loves him and because he takes the time to work with the lowest members of the Klan, even they improve.  Under Aleksander the quality of the Blacksmiths Klan’s work has improved tenfold.  It is hard for me to see a challenge being put forth any time in the near future.  Even the other Klans have noticed the improvement in the Blacksmiths Klan, but not enough to implement Aleksander’s style.

                After giving such praise I hesitate to make the following observations, but they must be made.  I feel that I must make a note about the quality of the Blacksmiths Klan’s work.  I have stated that their work is the finest and most coveted work of the human and elven world.  My wording may seem strange, but it is intentional.  While the Blacksmiths Klan’s work is exceptional, I feel it is safe to write within this journal that the work of the dwarven people is vastly superior.  I do not intend to slight the Blacksmiths Klan, or their exceptional work, in any way.  The truth is simply that the dwarves have had millennia to perfect their work.  One example is that of enchantment.  The Master Blacksmiths and High Blacksmith are able to enchant items and for humans and elves they do excellent work.  The enchantments are good, but they die out after a few decades.  Enchantments done by the dwarven people never die out.  This is but one example of the superiority of dwarven craftsmanship.  But for now, the continent of Tselestial knows no better and I intend to keep it that way for as long as I possibly can.

                In this entry I am including a small chart of the ranks and markings of each rank as an aid to those who may someday read my journal:

Class level	Class Name	Tattoo	Hammer	Smithy Apron
1st	Apprentice	N/A	Steel	Grey Leather
2nd	Blacksmith	Hammer (upper right arm)	Steel	Brown Leather
3rd	Master Blacksmith	Hammer (upper left arm)	Titanium	Red Leather
4th	High Blacksmith	Anvil (behind hammers on arms)	Mithril (passed to successor)	Black Leather