Talk:This is Madness! Chapter I: Roma Delenda Est (Map Game)/@comment-24521219-20200302055843

Queen Christina
January 2nd, 477 AD: I ran out of ink some time ago and have been unable to chronicle the most recent events of my journey, but I gained some just a few days ago. We've been forced to take a detour, Wisimund was unable to convince Gunderic, which is understandable, the man is but a poor sailor and fisherman. It is too much to ask for him to bring 14 people to the city of Rome. He did help to provide us with a horse and cart to travel at a quicker pace. We decided we would have to cross from Sicily to mainland Italy. One of the men in our group, a certain Hellemunt, was familiar with tracking and noticed several tracks on the paths we took, indicating that the Vandals were still out looking for us. We've decided to move off the main paths in an attempt to stay hidden on our way to Messana. I must try and keep these entries short to save on ink.

January 11th, 477 AD: We've managed to remain hidden for now, we encountered a wagon the other night that had stopped to rest. The owners was a small family of four, they were generally nice but wary of us. I tried to stay back as to not attract too much attention but I do not doubt that they noticed me. We traded a few of our less important supplies for some coats, we were going to need them to travel through Messana without risking getting recognized and arrested. Now we only need more clothes for proper disguises, enough supplies for all of us and enough resources to travel across the strait to Italy.

January 20th, 477 AD: Days of camping, traveling around and avoiding attention have worn us out quite a bit, but Gunderic and I have been discussing what to do for a while now and with our combined knowledge we should be able to get to Messana by the start of February. However, it appears that, at least from our predictions, we will have to stay there for at least a week before attempting to flee to Rhegium as we still do not have enough supplies and riches for such a plan and it's getting risky to stay out in the rural areas. It's probably only a matter of time before we end up found if we stay here.

February 3rd, 477 AD: The journey has just started. Hopefully the plan smitten by myself and Gunderic, to live in Messana disguised as merchants until the best time to try and escape to Italy.

February 10th, 477 AD: It succeeded, we've managed to make our way into Messana, perhaps they have given up or slowed down the search for us?

March 9th, 477 AD: If I have been counting correctly another month has passed or so. I must admit that this new lifestyle I have ended up in is quite bizarre, the weeks I have spent in Syracuse, the village outside Palermo and now Messana has more properly shown me the lives of peasants and so has my talks with my acquaintances. It is not that I completely miss my previous royal life, as I was even planning to abdicate before the event, but confusion has plagued me for a while now, I've been irritable with living in lower standards but I can't complain because I am at least still alive.

April 2nd, 477 AD: A few suspicious looks have been received, but so far we're okay. Most of us have pretty much just been hiding out where we set up our current base of operations and to a certain extent, home.

April 20th, 477 AD: As the month draws to an end I am starting to believe that Gunderic has taken a certain liking to me. He's one of my best friends since I was removed from my own time period but from the way he looks at me as well as the increase in compliments I have received, I am most certain he has fallen for me. Unfortunately I do not feel the same but I don't know if I should tell him anything, the fact that we even are in Messana was caused by my mere existence in Syracuse at this point in time, I do not wish to break his heart. I would not be in this good of a position without help from him and my other new companions.

May 2nd, 477 AD: It has been quite the time that has elapsed without us gaining access to any semblance of new events that have transpired the last months. Somehow we've missed the death of Gaiseric, the king of the Vandals, which transpired several months ago, which seemed to have been January, calculating the days since then means it is the month of May, possibly not more than the second day. Talks between locals in Messana tells me of a peace between Zeno of the Eastern Roman Empire and Odoacer of Italy, recalling my studies this did not happen which means that something has changed it. I fear I may have a part in this, the simple fact that I exist over a millenia into the past may already have started a chain reaction of some sorts.

May 13th, 477 AD: We're making an early move across to Rhegium. The death of Gaiseric has given us a hope that we aren't still being hunted and it has been many suns passed since we last were in trouble. Five of the group have however decided to stay behind in Messana, seeking to build new lives here for themselves. Being a small family of three and a couple who all lost their professions, I do not blame them. We all thanked them for everything as did they to us. After this however, we are but nine people left, trying to make it to the grand city of Rome. The journey starts in five days.

May 18th, 477 AD: I am very nervous, my new life has been very turbulent but I am holding on as much as is possible. Myself, Gunderic, Adalwin, Clothildis, Radulf, Sigilind, Gerhild, Engilram and Badurud have just stepped onto the vessel that we now have in our possession. I am also reminded of something just now, the fact that Odoacer has not intervened in Vandal politics since Gaiseric's death is most strange. I am convinced. My presence in this timeline is disrupting history in some form. I fear the consequences very much. I think of father, I think of Ebba and I am saddened, never will I see her again, yet Gunderic and Badurud have tended to me and I simply hope that this strange event does not doom the future.

May 19th, 477 AD: Arrival in Rhegium has not been easy, the locals are not very keen of us. Whilst the king, Odoacer was, or rather is, of Germanic origin, history I have read informs me that his kingdom and the Kingdom of the Vandals positively did not have the most friendly of relations.

June 1st, 477 AD: Days have been spent in Rhegium, mostly in isolation, though we've definitely been noted by the people. Next stop on our trip is going to be Neapolis, or Naples as it is known in my previous life of the 17th century. We will stop by a few smaller settlements along the way though. I have a strange feeling that we have already outstayed our welcome here...

June 27th, 477 AD: The last few weeks have gone by rather slow, not without nervousness and worry as well as a few cases of a broken wagon wheel, stopping to gather new supplies and warding off an attempted robbery by some petty marauders. I have seen many interesting things along the way, traveling from village to village. Yesterday in the evening Gunderic confessed his love to me, but I was forced to reject him. I am strictly Catholic and celibate and while I owe Gunderic much, I do not share the same feelings. He was saddened and he hasn't spoken to me for a while, I didn't want something like this to happen, but I am independent and I have no romantic love for any man. I have traveled for months and I've almost had enough. We will arrive in Naples in just a few days.