It is his first genuine sleep in months.........Before he fell asleep he confided in me that the Harrower had been haunting his dreams for months before coming for him.......Taunting Galen's life and soul, restless nights making Galen careless and sleepy during the day, his bow not as steady as it once was, his sword arm tired and weary and painful.......

It was just a short while ago, a day or two, when the Harrower came for Galen, as related elsewhere in greater detail, but it feels like longer, especially for him.........

I still can't believe the amount of people who came to help us.....It gladdens an old heart like mine to see such friendship, such risks undertaken not to save the world, but to save one man, to save a single soul.

From the Protectors of Light, myself (Rafael), Peri, Drake, Mithrandir, and at the end RedStarHandyman all came. From the Black Swords Regiment, the House of Blaine, and the Initiates of Blaine there was Duke Singlarad Arlista, his lovely Duchess Raven Arlista, and more than I can recall right now. Ariana and Blackhand were there. Others were there too........My God, so many. The Protectors of Light thank you all, and I mean no offense by my not mentioning you all by name.

All our friends and comrades arrived........And then I explained the situation. Our friend and co-founder of our guild, Galen, who is known to many, had been taken by the Harrower and was being guarded by the Balron Triad of Montor. In order to free Galen, the Balron Triad had to be slain. Galen would then have a brief window of time during which he could crawl, broken and ghostly, back to Britannia. Balrons can never be truly killed, but their earthly forms can be defeated temporarily, and it was our hope that defeating their earthly forms on this occasion would allow Galen time with which to escape.

When the companions ran through the Moongate into the great ruined city of Montor, they were greeted with one of the Balrons. It attacked swiftly and suddenly, and with even greater unholy malice than is typical of those creatures. Many of the compaions suffered grevious injuries and some even fell under its swift and savage onsalught.

The companions struck back, with everything they had, equally swiftly and savagely. Together, they took down the balron. Save for these initial moments, at no other point during the evening were the balrons winning the contest.

After slaying the first member of the Triad, the companions proceeded up the stone bridge, to the strage lava pool which it is written is the gateway to the Abyss itself. There, stood the next Balron. The companions attacked it, and it seemed shocked by the ferocity of their onslaught. Not so shocked, however, as when it tasted its own blood and fell. And so it went with the third member of the Balron Triad of Montor.

The companions turned and attempted to hurry back to Ilthien, to determine if Galen had indeed escaped thanks to their distraction, and tender aid to him as necessary..........They were shocked when the heard behind them the mighty roar of a Balron.......The first member of the Triad had respawned, faster than any could possibly have anticipated........What did this mean? Had Galen made it? Must the first member of the Triad be slain again? No chances could be taken. Ignoring the pain of their wounds, for no battle with a balron is without casualties however swift it is, the companions turned and attacked.....

In the end, only the first two members of the Triad had to be slain again. The third did not respawn, and the companions made their way back to Ilthien.

Galen appeared before them there, as a ghost.......The companions ressurected Galen and were greeted with a horrible sight. Galen's body had been poisoned and severed and mangled almost beyond recognition. His eyes appeared to not work, his intestines were spilling from his body, he spasamed uncontrollably, and was vomiting up blood. The companions had to simultaneously heal him and use magic to poison and otherwise cause harm to him in a desperate attempt to purge unholy toxins from his body, and heal the damage that had been done.

After several minutes, Galen stood before them. Not the wretched, mangled creature they had seen moments before, but Galen. Sad, and proud, and strong.

And, as I write this, he is enjoying his first real sleep in many months. May God watch over him, for he has much left to do in his life.

Once again, to all who came and helped us.......Thank you. Thank you all!

-Rafael
Protectors of Light