INTRODUCTION

Journals have been popular in Hallifax for most of the city's history.
They have taken many different forms over the years, each suited to the
needs of the assorted castes and subdivisions thereof. These range from
the private diaries of the artists, a format which resembles those
common in other nations, to the narrative ledgers of the merchants which
include both economic records and qualitative notes concerning important
transactions. One of the most widespread forms which was popular among
members of all of the castes was the monthly journal.

Monthly journals were written in thin books with only twelve pages. A
single page would hold a single month's entry, and the entire book would
be dedicated to one year. The year of the journal would usually be noted
on the book's cover, and entries would be left unlabeled to save space
because the consistency of the format made such labels unecessary. This
resulted in books which were small and light, rendering them perfect for
traveling citizens. The format first became popular among the
middle castes due to that convenience, particularly soldiers and
traveling merchants, before it spread to other segments of Hallifaxian
society. It was readily adopted by the loboshigaru of Hallifax who were
among the most mobile citizens, and it quickly became the dominant
format among that population.

One such journal written by Irihona Kanimi has survived to the present
era in good condition. It was found in the Clarramore archives amidst a
group of financial records dating to the Early Imperial Period, and has
since been given to the Institutional Society of Hallifax for
safekeeping. The entirety of the text, which was written in Loboshigaru,
has survived to the present day. However, the cover of the book was
missing and as such the journal's year cannot be determined. The journal
has been deemed appropriate for publication in spite of that loss, and
the remainder of this book has been dedicated to a full and annotated
translation of the text.

 

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Lord Windwhisper commissioned a bust of his late son, who recently died
in a laboratory accident[1]. He asked that it be carved quickly so that
it could be displayed in lieu of the mangled corpse at the funeral. The
bust was carved in honeysap wood and delivered ahead of schedule, to the
Lord Windwhisper's pleasant surprise. No other major works were
commissioned. The minor works sold this month consisted of three chairs
made of oak, one table made of oak, an a cabinet made of maple.

My daughter's apprenticeship is going well. Lanoku tells me that he
thinks she will earn her first mask within two months. I'll carve it for
her, of course. I've already found the wood and the paint for it. I'd
start carving it now if I knew which mask[2] she was preparing for, but
she refuses to tell me. I think it will be Quinno, but I can't be sure.
Perhaps I can convince Lanoku to tell me.

Kahene Kekru[3] will be debuting his first play soon. I don't know if I
want to see it. It's a strange thing to think about, a man like him
choosing to write plays instead of becoming a poet. I heard that he is
performing the death of Maka, but I know that he is unmasked. The sages
say that it is alright, but it is still strange. I don't know how I feel
about it.

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[1] This describes seventeen known individuals, and as such is
surprisingly useless for dating this journal.

[2] The use of masks is associated with the performance of loboshigaru
poetry. See "On the Art of the Vassal Packs" by Lord Portius
Windwhisper.

[3] A reasonably successful playwright. Seven of his plays survive to
the present era, although they have not been translated into Common as
of the publication of this book. Four people are known by that name, and
the specific one who wrote the plays, and thus the dates of their first
performances, are unknown.

 

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This month's work was given over to the production of honor-arms for the
Ameta[1]. I am honored that he chose me to craft his new arms rather
than one of his own pack, but then again they are so few that they might
not have had a woodworker. He is a gigantic man, and his bow is the
tallest I have ever constructed. He chose a club for his other weapon,
and I studded it with pieces of granite that he smashed from a boulder
himself. I carved him armor images of his ancestors, and at his request
I did not paint it. He said the paint would not last long if he put the
armor to good use, so I should not bother with it in the first place. I
have never known a man who was so eager for war as he is. I wonder if
that is why his pack is so small?

I saw Kahene's play. I had decided not to attend, but my daughter
insisted. If the poet doesn't see anything wrong with it, I suppose that
I shouldn't see anything wrong with it either. It was strange, but I do
think that I liked it. The peers certainly adored it. I've heard that
Lady Shevat was so enthralled by it that she hired him to tutor her
children on the spot, and that Lord Taroch has taken to inviting Kahene
to his balls and galas[2].

Lanoku said that my daughter will be tested at the end of the month. I
wish that I could see it, but the tests are the secrets of the poets[3].
I will not pry into things that I should not know.

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[1] The leader of a pack was known only by that pack's name. See "On the
Internal Structure of the Vassal Packs" by Lord Portius Windwhisper.

[2] Kahene Kekru was known to educated Hallifaxians prior to the
rediscovery of the vassal packs, but what little was known of his life
did not suggest that he lived abnormally. He seems to have been a fairly
normal, if extraordrinarily talented, member of the highest caste with
minimal ties to the packs.

[3] It would not be unreasonable for a reader to suppose that
loboshigaru poets had a sacred role in their society, in light of
comments such as this and their high social status. They certainly
seemed to have been seen as moral leaders of the community, and may very
well represent an adaptation of the monastic customs of their race to
nomadic and Hallifaxian societies. Further research is required and is
presently ongoing.

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I carved my daughter's first mask this month. It was Akatal[1]. That
came as a surprise, but if her heart calls for her to warn rather than
inspire, then it is proper for it to be her first. I allowed nothing to
distract me while I prepared the mask. It is a masterpiece, every inch
of it covered in the proper details and stained with Akatal's bloody red
ink. The blood that I mixed with the pigment was my own, a gift to my
honored daughter.
 
The whole pack gathered to watch her first performance. The customs were
honored. I gave the mask to Lanoku, and he gave me his blessing in
return. He stood in front of my daughter as she chanted her verses,
holding the mask so that all could see it. He stepped behind her as she
neared the end of the poem, and then he lowered the mask onto her face
and bound it in place with tight cords. At that moment I truly realized
that I was father to a poet, and I was more proud of her than I ever
have been before. It was the happiest moment of my life, and I think
that it had to have been the happiest moment of her life as well. I am
sure that she will win many more honors for her skill and I hope that I
will be alive to see them.

She caught the eye of a young warrior as she performed. His name is
Iakuru, I think. I'll need to keep an eye on him, and see if he is a
good match. I would not want an unworthy mate to waste her time when
she could be perfecting her verses. I will take care to camp near him
when we are next deployed on a patrol. That is the best way to learn of
a man's spirit without letting him know that you are watching.

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[1] A common character in loboshigaru poetry that was not assimilated
into the main Hallifaxian canon. See "Translations of Loboshigaru
Verses" by Lord Portius Windwhisper.

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I spent the month making arrows. We are being deployed on a training
patrol through the mountains next month and I was called upon to ensure
that our archers are fully armed. It would have been good to have an
apprentice to help with the work for it needed more labor than skill,
but I managed on my own. It was tedious, but it was necessary. On the
bright side, the government compensated me extremely well for my
services. It is always a pleasure to do business with the
quartermasters.

The poets have gone into seclusion with the warriors[1]. It has been
three weeks since I last saw my daughter. There is a part of me that
wants to weep for that, but a man should not shed tears over things that
must be done. The ones who give their whole lives over to fighting need
her counsel more than I need her company. I am sure that it is all for
the best. I will see her again soon enough, as soon as we march out from
the city. I am sure that I can manage to wait until then. It is for the
good of the pack, after all.

I am ready to leave as soon as the order comes. My bow and my spear are
ready in case I happen to need them, even if the chances of us entering
battle are low. I will not be caught unprepared for battle if we find
enemies lurking in the mountains[2].

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[1] Essentially all members of the packs would serve Hallifax as
soldiers when the pack was deployed as a whole, but only a relatively
small portion of a pack would consist of professional soldiers. The
remainder would practice other professions for the majority of their
time rather than undergoing the constant training of the professional
soldiers.

[2] As Hallifax was almost certainly a member of the Celestine Empire
when this journal was written, it would not have openly gone to war.
However, conflict with Gaudiguch and several other populations remained
common. These conflicts were resolved with covert action and the
manipulation of puppet forces such as bandits and minor populations who
could be disavowed in Hallifax was implicated in the battle. Irihona is
almost certainly referring to such puppet forces when he speaks of
enemies.

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I was on patrol with the pack for the entire month. We set out from
Hallifax at dawn on the first, with the Kanimi and her sages leading the
way. The poets chanted as we left, but there were none to hear it save
for ourselves. None had come to see us off. That may have been for the
best, for we did not go out from the city to fight some glorious war,
but only to patrol around the mountains and train ourselves for future
battles. That is not the sort of thing that really deserves praise.

There were no enemies to be found. That disappointed one of the
political officers[1]. I think he was hoping to win some great victory
so that he could look like he deserved a promotion. It is just as well
that he did not get his wish, because the man is an imbecile. I heard
one of the other political officers saying that he was only given the
job because his mother was in a position to pick him for it, and I would
not be surprised if that was true. I suppose that he could be worse.
He's pleasant enough, and generous, even if he has more air than brains
between his ears.

We filled the days with marching and the evenings with competition. The
Kanimi won most of the wrestling bouts, just as we all expected. She is
not so large as the Ameta, but she is so skilled at grappling that I
think she could best him if they were to compete. I'll have to suggest
it to her. It would be a glorious thing for her to triumph over him.
Iakuru was the victor in all of the archery contests. He is a good man.
I watched him while we were in the field, and I have to admit that I
liked what I saw. He was strong and swift, calm and courteous. I don't
think that I will need to interfere if he continues to court my
daughter.

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[1] A number of political officers were assigned to each pack in order
to ensure that ideological purity was maintained, just as they were
assigned to all military units.

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I was hired to build props for the lesser Thespia[1], and I did no other
work during this month. I was employed by Kryk Taroch, at the suggestion
of Lord Windwhisper. He told me that there had been a great deal of
trouble in finding woodworkers to work on the props for his plays, and
he was so grateful for my help that he arranged tickets for me and for
several of my friends. It was a kind thing for him to do, and I suppose
that I will attend. After all, the tickets are difficult to find. I
would not want to insult him by refusing to put such a generous gift to
use. A man cannot expect to have repeat customers if he insults them,
and I suspect that he will want to hire me again in the future. I
certainly hope so. He is a joy to work with, a far better customer than
most that I have had. He certainly pays very well, and what sort of man
doesn't value that in his customers?

The Ameta gave me a gift, a magnificent tapestry. His pack was deployed
to destroy a dwarven mining camp. I had heard that the camp was being
supported by Gaudiguch, but I don't know if that was true. The camp was
a trap, and his pack was ambushed. Many died, and the Ameta even lost an
eye in the fighting, but the armor that I had made for him saved his
life. He brought it to me so that I could see what my work had done. It
had stopped half a dozen arrows that would have found their way into his
belly if not for that armor. It saved his life, and he was very
greatful. I am pleased that my work was so excellent, but I am even more
pleased that he calls himself my friend. Friends like him are good to
have, and I do not think that he will be one to let the friendship fade.

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[1] A theatrical competition lasting five days. Five playwrights would
each compose five plays, with one play by each playwright being
performed on each day of the competition. The winner would be crowned
with crystal laurels, as was common to most artistic and scientific
competitions in Hallifax.

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I sold twenty sets of wooden cutlery to Lord Sunfar this month, which he
required for a ball that he hosted. Additionally, I produced a military
bow and fifty arrows for Ekoa Kekru.

The Thespia was wonderful. Trialeoa Windwhisper claimed the laurels for
her "Fall of Nescium" and received lesser honors for her other plays.
Her performances were excellent enough, but I have to admit that I
preferred Zaikox Shevat's offerings. I think that "The Thirteen
Paragons" was the best of the plays in the entire Thespia. It is
unfortunate that the judges didn't agree with me, but I'm sure that
he'll be able to win the next year that he enters. I met him after his
last performance. He said that he liked to mingle with the crowds, that
he was pleased that I enjoyed his play, and that he hoped I could see
his other performances in the future. He seemed especially flattered
that I enjoyed his plays even more than the ones to which I had
contributed. I don't know why he was so surprised by that. My props were
a small thing compared to the words and the actors that spoke them, and
I had no part in providing those.

My daughter loved the plays as well. I gave her two tickets, so that she
could go with Iakuru, and she did exactly that. I tried not to pay
attention to them. That was not an easy thing for me to do, but I owed
her that much. It is not right for me to sit behind her and glare at any
man who has the nerve to want to pursue her, no matter how much I may
want to do exactly that. She certainly seemed happy with the
arrangement. I suspect that the two will be getting married before the
end of the year.

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I carved a statue of Trialeoa Windwhisper[1] in honor of her victory in
the Thespia. Calatal Kanimi did the painting for it. It is a magnificent
piece of work, and I think I am right to be very proud of it. The
Windwhispers all seemed to be quite pleased with it. I believe that I
was hired for the work on Lord Windwhisper's recommendation due to the
bust that I carved for him earlier this year.

It was a quiet month, but that is a relief after all of the excitement
that I've been having lately. I finally had time to experiment with my
trade and to meditate on all that I have been doing recently. I
certainly don't have any reason to complain about the way things have
been going. Business is good, I excel at my work, and my daughter is in
love. A good man doesn't need anything more than that.

My daughter's courtship is going quickly. That isn't terribly
surprising. Reasonable people don't spend years[2] toying with love like
some of the artists do. It is better to pursue and be pursued than it is
to giggle and sigh and wonder. It is more honest.

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[1] The base of the state, as identified by the name engraved in it, is
still intact and is retainted by the Windwhisper family.

[2] He does not exaggerate. While rare, courtships among artists did
occasionally last for several years before the lovers in questions would
even admit to their romance in public, let alone get engaged. More
reasonable members of the upper castes often relied on arranged marriage
in place of such extended courtships.

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I have been preparing for the wedding. I have been carving the
ancestors[1] and everything else that is needed. It it my wedding
present to her. There is still a great deal to be done.

My daughter is to be married to Iakuru next month. All of the sages
agree that it is an excellent match, and I have not heard a single
person offer a complaint or a concern. The whole pack is overjoyed with
the news, and many people are contributing to the preparations. All of
us agree that their children will be as wise as their mother and as
valorous as their father. They will make us stronger.

I am going to begin moving the ancestors into the mountains[2] soon. I
will be the first to take my turn watching over them[3] until the
wedding. The Kanimi has given me that honor, choosing to take the second
watch herself so that I could have the first. I am thankful for that,
and I will not forget it.

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[1] There is some evidence to suggest that representations of honored
ancestors were displayed at loboshigaru weddings in Hallifax. The
represtations need not have been carved from wood. Tapestries appear to
have been a more common choice.

[2] Loboshigaru weddings were usually held in the mountains near
Hallifax rather than in the city itself.

[3] It was considered improper to leave representations of the ancestors
alone in a place where they could be damaged, so they were kept under
guard at all times.

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I carved furniture for my daughter and her new husband this month. It
was the least I could do for them, and they were very grateful.

My daughter is married. It was a wondrful thing to see her be bound to
her beloved under the gaze of our ancestors. The entire pack looked upon
them as they swore their oaths to each other under the light of the
moon. When they grappled, she conquered him. When they sang, he was
triumphant[1] as is proper in these things. They are still in seclusion
as I write these words[2]. I will see her again soon.

Their new home will be ready soon. The building itself is a gift from
the pack, a token of appreciation for their youngest sage. The political
officers were unusually helpful in helping us with the bureaucratic
affairs surrounding the construction. I don't claim to know why they
were so eager to help, but I won't complain about it.

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[1] A ritual which likely predates the assimilation of the loboshigaru
into Hallifaxian society. Newlyweds would compete with each other in
games related to their professions during their wedding, with each
person losing the competition which related to their own profession.
This most likely had symbolic meaning.

[2] Newly married loboshigaru would usually spend a number of days in
isolation with each other immediately following their wedding. The
duration of their seclusion was variable, usually between three and
seven days.

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An Imperial diplomat purchased several bowls and a bow this month. He
said that he wished to bring pieces of loboshigaru culture back to
Celest when he returned home. I didn't ask him why. He probably thought
that we were the same as the nomads, and that he could set himself up as
an expert on them, or something like that. It doesn't matter. The
political officers saw to it that he paid extremely well for them, and
that was good enough for me. I should deal with foreigners more often if
it means that I can have them handling my negotations for me.

The pack's taxes were due this moth. I don't mind paying my share of the
taxes like every other citizen, but I do wish that it didn't have to
take so long to do all of the sums and count out all of the money. I
don't understand why it takes so long. I suppose that it's easier for
the warriors, since they don't have to manage the same sort of business
records that I do. They are the lucky ones. I should not complain so
much. It is an honor to support the state, no matter how long it takes
to work out the details of doing so. The taxes came to about one tenth
of my income for the year[1].

I spent a few days drilling this month. We didn't go out on a full
patrol, but we trained for the defence of the city. Fighting in the
streets is not the same as fighting in the mountains, and I can't say
that I like it. The streets are too narrow, and we are all too close
together. It stirs the blood too much to fight so close to your friends.

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[1] This is comparable to the average rate of taxation while Hallifax
was part of the Empire.

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The packs convened to welcome the new year. All of my labor for the
month went into preparing for the meeting. I carved the tables and
chairs, the bowls and cutlery along with a few of my fellows. That made
up most of my pack's contribution to the meeting. The other artisans
gave me gifts from their own workshop to compensate me for my work, and
the best of them was a tapestry woven by Quellon. I will treasure it.

The meeting was a wonderful thing. We did well in the games, and the
Kanimi even grappled with the Ameta. She claimed victory, bringing great
glory to our pack. The Ameta and his pack recovered their pride in the
archery contest, for no pack can stand against them in such a trial.
Hatatal Kekru won the races, but overall our pack did better than any
others in them. We may not have had the fastest runner, but a whole
swarm of us finished right behind him.

Makal Saba won the contention of the poets. My daughter did well for her
first year, even if she did not win herself. She was not the worst of
the poets, even though she was certainly the youngest. I am proud of her
for that.

We gave generous gifts to the other packs, and they gave similar gifts
to us. We feasted, we competed, and we rested together. All was done
with honor and dignity, and no man had any grounds to complain about any
of it. It was a good end to a good year.