[Ironwood]

The divines are real...
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this concept.
My entire life I thought they were mere children's stories... ways we as savages attempted to make sense of storms and quakes.

But I now know them to be true. They are as real and tangible as the very quill in my hand as I write this.

To ensure I never forget, I shall commit what happened among these pages, I shall pledge my life to this entity, I continue to exist because of it.

Not 2 weeks past I attempted to clear out a small cult with a few companions, namely Telbran, Hawke, and Loren. We failed in our mission... being overconfident and it took me near a week before I recovered from my wounds.

Yesterday, I hear news of the cult once again surfacing, as usual refusing to learn from past experience... I decided to take up my shield and attempt to clear it out on my lonesome. It went incredibly well, acolytes fell to my sword. Assassins knives splintered against my shield... until I faced their leader.

"The One" or so he was dubbed, a deft, masked man. Crimson of cloak and quick of dagger he outshone me at every step... Aye, he was brilliant and after catching me wide open he thrust his dagger deep into my breast, twisted and I felt all the air rush from my lungs.

I collapsed, bleeding out. Gargling on my own fluids as he stood over me, I could see his eyes tighten into a crease behind his mask... the bastard smiling at me as I lay there, mere moments from oblivion.

My bleeding stopped, I believed I caught my second wind. "Thank the bloody gods" I remember sarcastically muttering... how arrogant I was... how naive. My assailant stared me down, his hand plunged his knife into my very skin. Upon which is shattered.

My hands are shaking as I write this... his blade shattered upon my skin, for my skin had become stone! Stone I tell you! I felt as healthy as I have ever been! I couldn't believe it myself but you should have seen the look on the face, my assailant!

In a house of heretics, god has found me, cured me of my wounds and clad me in an armor of stone. "THANK THE BLOODY GODS A LOT!" I yelled I had no idea what else to say! I worry I may have offended its presence. As I turned my blade upon him he was struck down by a fierce red light. He appeared to be bleeding from every orifice, his mask becoming a horrific fountain of blood. He looked up at me as I brought my sword down across his face, splitting his mask in two.

A moment of silence, save my panicked breaths before I shouted up to the heavens: "WHO SAVED ME?! GIVE ME A SIGN!"

There was no response, neither to my repeated pleadings to pledge my life to the entity. I had time to mull it over on the way back to Hadrian. Upon arriving I sent a proclamation, seeking learned men that would know of such deities. I found a Man... House Dukarrus I think he was... didn't spend too long with him... I must have looked and sounded like a raving fool.

I remember pushing all the gold pieces I owned into his hands while babbling about gods over life and stone, with powers to smite. Despite my babbling, he remained composed... after giving it some thought, he spoke the name of two entities:

"Jannath"

A goddess of life and earth he said. Perhaps it would explain my rebirth in stone... Yet that wouldn't explain my assailant being smited

"Kozah"

Some form of destructive menace. I know not what it is capable of, but it brought the man to his knees...
I must research more into these matters. I've never been a pious man, nor a learned one... but I've now been touched by the cold fingers of a Divine being. Perhaps two.

If I were to look upon the face of Jannath... I shall wish to embrace her and thank her for her mercy... I don't know what I've done to deserve this gift... perhaps leaving House Ironwood... leaving those forresters...

I don't know... I'm tired, confused and scared of the prospects... I need to rest on this.