Book I
Ptchwl 6
Have recently arrived in Toulouse, a town I have not visited for quite some time. I
believe the last time the Old Man and I came here for supplies and news it was my
seven-tenth summer. Not much has changed in four years. I don’t plan on staying
long; perhaps a day or two to pad my supplies and get my bearings before heading
to Havilah.
Ptchwl 7
My journey to Havilah has been postponed. Baron, the captain of the guard here
in Toulouse, has asked me to accompany a small band of scouts to check on the
condition of a monastery a days walk from here. According to him the monks that
reside there visit the town every year around this time. Thus far they have not come,
and Baran is worried for them. He has asked myself and four others to make sure
they are well, and has even added the incentive of a twenty-five gold payment. I
would do it without the coin, but I can’t say it won’t come in handy in the days to
come.
We leave tomorrow. Five of us in all. I have only met my new companions
briefly, but already I have a good feeling about them. There is Griffin, a human
warrior; Caribdis, another human, young, but he carries a bow. I hope he knows
how to use it. There is Taklinn, a dwarven priest of Clangeden; obviously devout
and zealous. Mayhap a bit OVER zealous, but one must admire faith. And last,
besides myself, is another small folk. Her name is Happy, and she’s a Greenie. She
packs a lot of blades, I’ll say that for her!
Ptchwl 8
The day has been a harsh journey to the east, into the forested mountains and a
winter storm that seems awfully extreme for this time of year. The end of the day
found us at the monastery where no life appears to exist. It is bitterly cold, so cold
that the door was iced over. We found a dead monk in the frozen pond in the front,
but that was to be the least of the horrors we’d face.
Upon entering the monastery Griffin was attacked by what I believe was a delver.
The ensuing fight was short, dark, and ultimately we proved victorious, but not
without some damage being done to Griffin.
Pressing on, we found the kitchen, and beyond it a dining room that showed signs
of struggle. Two skeletons dressed in the rags of monks robes suddenly animated
and attacked! My companions fought valiantly! Happy risked her life to help
Taklinn deal with one of the undead, and with supreme team work we were able to
dispatch them.
Stairs lead up to sleeping quarters, empty and cold. More stairs led down to a
basement and an odd furnace, and in that room were we nearly brought down! From
a pile of coal an undead hand slapped at me, nearly knocking me senseless! I could
do little but make my escape as my stalwart comrades stepped in to deal with the
atrocity. It was then that Taklinn was hit hard enough to be brought down. The rest
of the party fell upon the monkish zombie with vengeance in mind, and it soon fell
dead.
Which finds us here, back in the kitchen, warmed by fire and furnace, keeping
careful watch over the unconscious Taklinn. He breaths and sleeps peacefully,
which is a good sign. It has been an exhausting day and I must sleep. With all the
undead that seem to be in this place I think it would be a good idea to memorize
Disrupt Undead. Also, if I have time, I am going to try my hand at scroll scribing.
Ptchwl 10
Another days rest and we believe Taklinn is out of the woods. He is on the mend,
and we think that we’ll be able to move on tomorrow or the next day. My scroll
work is coming along nicely, but I don’t want to over do it. I am doing a bit of
healing myself.
I have had little time to talk about my companions, and certainly more will be said
later, but for now I must write a few small accolades.
I feel very lucky to have fallen in with this lot. Though Griffin seems fatalistic
and concerned only with finding the monks wine supply, he is a ferocious warrior!
Taklinn is a rock, and his healing spells have already come in handy. His axe is a
thing to behold, and with it he makes short work of undead skulls. I am quickly
seeing where Happy’s expertise lies. She is always eager to scout silently ahead and
check for traps. Yes, a roguish lass she is, but she seems more about the fun of the
caper than the actual loot. One can’t fault a small folk for natural curiosity. She is
also quite brave. And speaking of brave, Caribdis has the courage to recite poetry in
the heat of battle! Such courage have I rarely seen! He is also quite a shot with his
bow, and though he is young, I feel we’re fortunate to have him.
Unfortunately, for my part I seem able to do little more than lug a torch. Still, it’s
been only a couple of days. I’m sure a spell or two will come in handy when the
time comes.
Ptchwl 11
We head back out tomorrow. Taklinn is back on his feet, but needs a day to
recover his spells. Caribdis and Griffin scouted up the stairs briefly and reported a
hall full of foreboding doors. In the morning we will set out to get to the bottom of
this mystery and root out the evil that infests this once beautiful monastery.
My scroll looks good. I believe all has gone well and I now have Unseen Servant
on paper.
Ptchwl 12
Whew! What a day it has been! Full of combat, mishaps and flaming zombies.
We ascended the stairs this morning and the first door we opened found us face to
face with a pair of the undead that infest this place. I was able to apply a little
flaming oil to one of them while Griffon mopped up the second. All would have
gone like clock work had Happy and I not tried to help. We both hurled daggers at
the creature, but we both missed and ended up hitting Griffin! He was not badly
injured, and seemed to forgive us, but I wouldn’t blame him if he holds a bit of
resentment. Our clumsiness in battle did nothing to alleviate the reputation we small
folk have as troublemakers.
At any rate, soon after this fight, Caribdis suddenly became terrified and obsessed
with fleeing the monastery. He claimed to have seen a ghost or a vision of a woman
watching him. He swears that we are in terrible danger, more than we understand. It
may be a ghost, but I’m not so sure. The way he made it sound it could well have
been someone scrying us. I’ve seen the Old Man scry plenty of times. It could easily
have been Caribdis sensing himself being magically watched. Whatever the case,
the mystery deepens, and we will do well to be on our guard.
Back to the events of the day, we moved on, checking out the rooms on the upper
floor, discovering still more undead! One room in particular, the library, seemed
positively bursting at the seams with them. Courage, determination and fighting
prowess won the day, and I was even able to make use of all the Disrupt Undead
spells I’d memorized. Unfortunately, I would prove far less effective in our next
fight.
After clearing out the second floor we discovered a stair case leading up to the
third floor. The first thing we saw upon climbing them was a room with two doors
and as many statues. We were leery of the statues, but not leery enough! Taklinn
touched one of the doors and the two stone monks sprang to life! We have fought
battles, but nothing like this! The two statues moved faster than they should have,
and struck with powerful stone fists. Worse yet, the only one of us who seemed
capable of hurting them was Griffin, and even he was only just able to dent them.
My spells proved useless, and Taklinn, our only other strong fighter, was at a loss.
His axe simply lacked the power to breech their stone skin! I tried to aid Griffin and
perhaps redeem myself from the dagger throwing incident by helping him to flank
one of the statues and hopefully distracting it while Griffin concentrated his attacks.
I don’t really know if it worked, but in the end Griffins sword was the end for the
statue. Good thing, to, for one hit from the statue would surely have been the end of
me.
Badly wounded, Griffin turned to deal with the second statue, which Taklinn and
Caribdis had been managing to stave off, but the magic that gave the stone life must
have been finite, for at that point the second statue ceased to move and became
harmless granite once again. We took no chances, however, and smashed it to
pieces.
We were all quite the worse for wear after such a fight, and have decided to bed
down for a couple of days to regain our strength before breeching the doors. My
Unseen Servant came in quite handy for opening suspect doors. I believe I’ll make
another such scroll. I feel that my skills have benefited greatly from even this small
amount of real world work.
Ptchwl 16
Today we head back to Toulouse, for victory is ours and the murderous evil that
made puppets out of monks has been driven from the monastery. I can only hope
that more of their order will eventually come and repopulate the place and bring life
back to it.
I write this while we rest on the trail back to Toulouse. I haven’t much time, but,
extraordinarily enough, there is little to tell. Still, what there is to relate is gripping
enough!
We rested for two days, honing our blades and reciting our spells, all the while
glancing nervously upwards, knowing that we would soon face whatever dwelt
behind those last doors. Finally, with our loins properly girded, we fit the correct
key into one of the key holes and let the door swing open.
The creature within greeted us with the hiss of hatred that only the undead can
muster. This had obviously once been a high ranking monk, and he was the last
stand of evil in this place. He crouched low amongst the ruined room, eager to
pounce upon the first to come close enough. But it was not to be.
I know that clerics can have power over the undead, and I’ve seen Taklinn try his
hand at rebuking several of the zombies that we’ve crossed paths with already, all
with dismal results. He claims that manipulation of the undead is not his particular
forte, and until today he had done nothing to disprove that. But this morning, in the
face of the purest evil I have yet to see, Taklinn stepped forward, roaring the name
of Clangeden, calling upon the dwarven god to smite this abomination before him.
And Clangeden did!
The zombie monk suddenly whimpered and cried out in fear and frustration, and
fled before the glow that radiated from Taklinn’s holy symbol. The pitiful creature
sought a way to escape, but there was none. Taklinn backed it into a corner, and
held it at bay while it cowered before him. Griff and Caribdis wasted no time in
filling it full of bolts and arrows until it lay still.
Griff says it is time to move if we want to make it to Toulouse by sundown. I will
write more when there is more to tell.
Ptchwl 18
It’s been far too long since my last entry. The Old Man in the Pointy Hat would
not be pleased. He always said that the keeping of a journal is an exercise in
discipline, and discipline is at the heart of successful wizardry. I shall try to better
stay abreast of events in this log.
Our arrival back in Toulouse roused a sleeping Baron, it being well past dusk. He
gratefully received our report though, as well as the letter we had found addressed
to him. He read it with some concern and then sifted our story for details. It was
clear that he was much troubled, and I daresay it was no help that Caribdis decided
that it was an appropriate time to pump him for more money, reminding him
incessantly of our deeds and the fact that the job had turned out to be far more
difficult than the mere delivering of a letter. I was quite appalled, but he is young,
and Baron took it in stride. I do hope that our impetuous bard will one day soon
learn the fine art of subtlety.
Baron sent us to The Happy Merchant to enjoy an evening of refreshment and a
clean bed, courtesy of Toulouse, promising to meet us there in the morning with our
payment and more information.
Whether it was Caribdis’ hinting, or Baron’s own sense of fairness I don’t know,
but the following day he brought to each of us a pouch heavy with 40 gold! Fifteen
more than promised. We were all well pleased, and it certainly made us receptive to
his offer of further aiding him. Sitting down to dine with us, he told us what he
knew.
The abbot of the monastery, it seems, was a gruff piece of work by the name of
Alluzin who had split away from some monks order or another because it wasn’t
strict enough for him. It seems that he had, before starting his own order, raised a
sister whom Baron feels might have cause to resent him. She is a possible suspect
as the culprit behind the monastery murders, especially considering Caribdis’ tale of
seeing visions of a woman. The motive may be a bit tenuous, but it is still there, so
Baron felt it wise to at least tell us of her, and ask us to undertake a second mission
on his behalf.
He wants us to travel to Ravens Hollow to see Yigil Sakeri, a wizard of some
renown. I recall the name from The Old Man in the Pointy Hat, though not very
many details. Baron assures me that my having apprenticed under The Old Man in
the Pointy Hat will lend weight to our meeting, but I don’t know. It’s always been
my experience that wizards consider apprentices to be slightly beneath privy
cleaners on the importance scale. We shall see.
We have accepted the mission, though it pains me a bit. On the one hand, I desire
travel and the opportunity to see new things and face new challenges. But I worry
that I may become too involved in the affairs of this kingdom and lose the freedom
to follow my whims. Still, it’s for a good cause, and I must admit to a certain
curiosity as the mystery deepens. The culprit must be brought to justice, and to a
certain extent, I think it only right that we be the ones to do so.
On a side note, I’ve finally finished research on those new spells. At last, I have
Mage Armor and Sleep. While I find it difficult to make room for defensive spells, I
feel sure that the time will soon come when they will come in handy. Already I can
cast more spells than I could only a week ago. My learning has accelerated
dramatically. The Old Man in the Pointy Hat was right! There is no class room like
the real world! I find that I have very little time for study, but the research I am able
to get in seems to correlate far more clearly with real world examples than they do
in the lab. It’s as if the danger has forced my mind to respond to it by swiftly
grasping the nuances of my craft. The Old Man in the Pointy Hat said it would be
so, and it is.
And while Shield and Mage Armor may go unused for a bit longer, I’m very
excited at the prospect of Sleep. The Old Man in the Pointy Hat swears by this
spell, still preferring to have one about him even at his power. I’m eager to try it out,
my one reservation being its area of effect. I would hate to accidentally knock out
one of my fellow party members due to poor calculations of distance. I shall try to
be careful.
Note to self: See about buying some scrolls in Ravens Hollow. Now that I have
some money it’s time to supplement my own research with purchased spells, though
I daresay I hardly have the funds to copy them into my book. That may soon
change, however, as one of the spoils of our recent adventure turned out to be an
amazing book that promises to reveal to me the secretes of scribing at half the page
space and even less the cost! I have been pursuing it ravenously. This book could
save me many thousands of gold in the long run, though it is a slow and painful
read.
Ptchwl 23
We are on the road to Ravens Hollow, a week away from Toulouse. Not all of us
were so eager to lend our strength to Baron, but he hints that our solidarity may be
our best source of income, an already formed and cohesive party being quite
valuable. It remains to be seen, but in the meantime we have a weeks worth of
travel to gel even more. It’s a perfect opportunity to get to know one another better,
though I’m afraid I may be losing out on this time due to my studies. I have so much
to learn and read that it takes up most of my spare time. I hope my companions do
not think me anti-social. My research really is necessary.
Happy has bought a donkey, which she has named, Don Kay, and her (the
donkeys) back is broad enough for the both of us to ride. She wanted to purchase a
small horse with my financial help, but I convinced her to save some gold and go
with a pack animal. I’m a terrible rider, so it would be pointless for me to claim part
ownership in a horse. I am far more comfortable astride the slow but sure Don Kay,
where I am able to read and study along the road.
The rest of the party, with the exception of Taklinn, who says that he prefers to
walk, has also bought mounts, but none are worried that we’re slowing them down.
We are under no pressure, and were even able to spend a couple of days in
Toulouse in preparation before hitting the trail. I was able to scribe a couple more
scrolls (Sleep and Mage Armor), which is always helpful.
Ptchwl 26
Once again I have felt the sting of an enemy’s weapon! This life of adventure is
rife with reward, but the downside of its danger can be only too apparent
sometimes.
It was an ambush. Riding through a dense forest, we rounded a bend and for some
reason I looked up from my book. To my surprise I was able to spot several
creatures hidden in the overgrowth that lined the road. Hobgoblins! Nasty beasts
with foul tempers and wicked blades. As nonchalantly as I could, I slipped my book
into my pack and muttered to the rest what I had seen. Taklinn had also spotted
them, and he stiffened; his axe at the ready. Caribdis twirled an arrow from its
quiver and all hell broke loose.
The order of events is murky to me, but suffice to say, I was able to try out my
new Sleep spell. Zeroing in on a hobgoblin, I uttered the incantation, and to my near
surprise and great pleasure, he dropped into a deep slumber, effectively taking him
out of the fight!
And then I got shot with a crossbow!
I leapt from Don Kay’s back and scurried into the cover of the woods while
Taklinn and Griffin charged forward to meet the threat head on. Taklinn seemed to
take particular glee in the fight, and in no time at all he had split the skull of a
hobgoblin. Griffin took on another, and traded blows back and forth with the beast,
when all of the sudden Happy appeared behind the hapless hobgoblin and drove her
dagger into his blind side. She left a grievous wound, and Griffin was easily able to
finish him off. Caribdis continued to show his bow skills and dropped another
hobgoblin with a volley of arrows. With four of them taken down so swiftly, the last
two quickly fled into the forest.
We are now left with a prisoner, the hobgoblin that I put to sleep. We found sets
of manacles on each of the hobgoblins, and at first we thought they were slavers,
but our prisoner scoffs at the idea. We now believe they were trying to specifically
capture us. It appears that we have made an enemy!
We plan to turn the hobgoblin over to the local authorities in Ravens Hollow. I
need to rest now. Taklinn was able to heal me fully, but I can still feel the ghost of
the bolt in my shoulder, and it’s been quite difficult to study this evening. I look
forward to getting back on the road tomorrow.
Ptchwl 28
At last, a spot of peace and quiet. It seems that these moments are coming few and
far between lately.
I write this from the relative comfort and safety of the first floor of Yigil’s tower.
He has allowed us to stay the night, with promise of more information, and perhaps
a job in the morning. After the day we’ve had I’m sure we’ll all be able to use the
rest. Even Griffin seems more attracted to his bed than his bottle tonight, and
Ambros is already curled up asleep. I would join him, but the adventures of the day
still run through my mind, and I’d best get them on paper while they are still fresh.
But to do that I must back up a bit. I have been unable to update my journal since
our first run in with the hobgoblins on the road to Ravens Hollow, and much has
happened since. I would be remiss if I didn’t take up my tale where it left off.
After defeating the ambushing hobgoblins, we took our prisoner and set out again,
wanting to put as much distance between ourselves and the ambush site as possible.
But we were unable to outrun the surviving hobgoblins, for that night, as we lay
asleep, the two that had run away embarked on a daring rescue mission that ended
in disaster when they alerted Taklinn, who was on watch. And fortunate that he
was, for he is the only one among us who can see in the dark! He was able to spot
the marauders and set to work with his axe. His bellows roused us, but we could do
little but stumble around in the night while Taklinn settled accounts with the
hobgoblins by himself.
The failure of the rescue attempt seemed to be the last blow to the moral of our
prisoner, for the next day when I questioned him; he seemed far more willing to
deal.
It turned out that his ambushing group was about half of a band of scallywags
hired specifically to capture us. After some coaxing, he decided to trade his
comrade’s life for his own, and agreed to take us to his bands campsite in return for
his freedom and a sword. He also said that whoever had hired them in the first place
was a spell caster, but he did not know exactly where or who they were. We would
have to settle with taking out the remaining hobgoblins and their two bugbear
leaders.
We followed the road to Ravens Hollow until we were mere miles from the town,
then the hobgoblin led us into the forest to a small farmhouse not far away. There
showed no signs of movement, but he assured us that they were there, and after
some quick reconnaissance, he proved true. A hobgoblin was busy chasing chickens in
the back yard. We led our prisoner several hundred yards into the forest, and
freed him, and that’s the last we’ve seen of the traitorous fellow. I’d say it was a
good trade though, for we were able to mount an assault that laid many more of his
kind low that day.
Quickly formulating a plan, we crept around to the back of the farmhouse and
drew back our missile weapons, hoping to take out the chicken chasing hobgoblin
in a single, silent, volley of arrows, daggers and bolts. Griffin recently came across
a crossbow that suited him, and he gave me his old one. I decided that this would be
the perfect time to try it out. It was a shot of beauty! Most of us hit the hapless bad
guy, but my bolt took him right through the eye. At the time I felt quite enamored of
the weapon, and it would prove still more potent in the coming days.
The hobgoblin went down without a single grunt of alarm, and we crept forward,
toward the rear of the house. I snuck around the side of the house, hoping to get a
peek in the window and get an idea of what we faced before going in, but Taklinn
had other ideas. With a great dwarven war bellow, he kicked open the rear door and
waded into the fray. Nearly half a dozen hobgoblins sprang to meet his challenge,
grabbing up their weapons and quickly surrounding him. By this time I was peering
through the window, so I did what I was able to and cast a Sleep spell.
Unfortunately it was rather ineffective, and only one of the thugs went down. Still,
it took a bit of pressure off of Taklinn, and by that time Griffin had followed him in
and the two warriors set to work with sword and axe, cleaving a bloody swath
through the room.
I had little time to appreciate the skill with which my two friends fight, however,
for at that moment, around the front corner, came a massive hobgoblin, charging
right for me! What could I do but flee? He chased me back to the rear of the house,
into the goat pen. Fortunately Happy was back there as well, and she commenced to
harrie the brute with well placed daggers. Still, she didn’t drop him, and I ran out of
the pen and back toward the house where Caribdis stood, firing arrows into the fray
inside. And it was Caribdis who downed my hobgoblin pursuer when he chased me
a bit too close to Caribdis for his liking. The young bard and Happy filled the
bugger with enough steel to drop him, after which we turned our eyes to the inside
combat.
Taklinn and Griffin had mopped up the hobgoblins downstairs, but the gang’s
leaders had joined the battle now, charging down the stairs. One final hobgoblin and
two bugbears. I have heard of bugbears, but in the flesh, they seem impossibly huge
and strong. They swung their massive morningstars as if they were made of rotten
wood, and a single hit from one would surely do me in. Taklinn and Griffin stood
their ground, but it was a desperate fight. Things looked grim, but the turning point
came when it seemed that Griffin had met his end. Overstepping through one of his
sword thrusts, he was caught off balance, and the bugbear was able to grab him by
the hair while the last hobgoblin flanked him from the opposite side. The hobgoblin
tried to grab Griffin, as if to pin his arms, but our warrior was too slippery, and,
with his hair still clenched in the bugbears fist, he whirled and struck, downing the
hobgoblin, and then following through for a mighty backswing into the bugbear that
took the beast to its knees! With a heavy thud, the bugbear slumped to the floor.
Caribdis was able to fire his arrows, but Happy and I could do little as we
watched Taklinn and Griffin square off against the final bugbear. I toyed with the
idea of trying another Sleep spell, but was stymied by its area of effect. Happy
would not throw for fear of hitting one of our comrades. The lessons learned in the
zombie fight have stayed with us.
As it turned out, our warriors were more than able to handle themselves, and with
a mighty double team, the two struck high and low, axe and sword cleaving through
muscle and bone. The bugbear went down with a defeated grunt, and the house was
still.
Wounded, hurting and weary, we still had to secure the house. Griffin went
upstairs, and to our horror, he discovered two young human girls, tied to the beds
and obviously mistreated and ravaged. They were physically sound, but the hell
they had gone through showed on their faces. Griffin wrapped them in blankets and
Happy soothed them while Taklinn tended to their wounds. The girls were able to
tell us that the farm had belonged to an elderly couple called the McDonalds.
Hoping against hope that they might still be alive, we manacled the sleeping
hobgoblin (and a still alive but unconscious bugbear) and forced him to tell take us
to the McDonalds. We found them in a gully in the forest, heads bashed in and
tossed aside like so much garbage. Our hobgoblin prisoner was made to carry their
bodies back to the farm and dig proper graves for them. It was quite sad, even
though I didn’t know them personally. As Taklinn said a few words over their
graves, I couldn’t help but feel a sleight responsibility to these innocent farmers.
We toyed briefly with the idea of staying at the farm, hoping that whoever had
hired these curs would come to visit, especially after Taklinn discovered a cage full
of ravens, each with a tiny scroll tube tied to it’s leg and a couple of pre-written
scrolls obviously meant to be used as confirmation of the success or falier of the
thugs mission. Taklinn set free the ravens, one of them with a note stating that the
mission was accomplished, hoping to throw our enemy off the trail. In the end we
decided to hurry on to Ravens Hollow, the quicker to reunite the two girls with their
families and meet with Yigil.
We rounded up our gear, as well as the livestock from the farm, and headed out.
As we entered the small town, the populace began to pour from the houses and
shops as word spread of the girls rescue, and it was not long before their mothers
arrived, crying and wailing with relief and thanks. It was the best I have felt for a
very long time. Truly, such moments are the real reward for a life of adventure.
Soon after we met Adri Lawson, the sheriff in Ravens Hollow. Adri Lawson is an
untrusting sort, and though he was grateful to us for bringing the girls back safely,
he appeared guarded, especially after we told him we wanted to meet with Yigil.
Yigil, it seems, is, like most wizards, looked upon with great suspicion and mistrust.
Still, Lawson’s hospitality was first rate, and we spent the night in Ravens Hollow
as the towns honored guests, dining and dwelling for free.
Early the next morning we met again with Adri, and he gave us directions to
Yigil’s tower. It was a days travel through rough woods, he said, and urged us to be
careful, or better yet, to simply not go. But there was to be no turning back, and
after a fine farmer’s breakfast and a visit to the armoror for some business for
Taklinn and Griffin, we plunged into the forest.
The ride was pleasant, if a bit rough. Don Kay was sure footed and I was able to
get in a bit of reading from his back before harsh reality interrupted my study once
again.
We had ridden for roughly seven hours, when we began to spot movement in the
woods. It was a warning, but not enough to keep us from another ambush, as
suddenly the air was thick with javelins! The slender spears rained from the sky,
one of them piercing my shoulder. It did little damage, but the pain was fierce.
Casting about, it seemed that the woods had suddenly exploded with goblins! These
smaller cousins of hobgoblins may be half the size of their brethren, but they are no
less fierce, and their jibbering war whoops chilled my spine as I realized how many
of them there must be. A quick scan showed at nearly two dozen lining the road, all
of them well armed with wicked morning stars.
Our mounts panicked, and I quickly slid from Don Kay’s back, casting a spell
even as I dropped to the ground. Centering it in the midst of a tightly packed group
of goblins, I let fly with a Sleep spell, and it was a wonder! Half a dozen goblins
fell to the ground, deep in slumber! It was a good hit and thinned their numbers, but
they quickly fell upon us and chaos reined. Taklinn and Griffin found themselves
surrounded by goblins while Happy, Caribdis and I faced off with another six or
seven of the little beasts. I tried to Grease the area beneath the goblins feet, but was
hit for my efforts, and my spell fizzled. Wounded and dazed, I could do little but try
and distance myself from the melee. Caribdis fired arrows from point blank range
into a goblin while Happy threw daggers on the move, plunking one into the back
of a goblin that threatened Taklinn. I believe she was hit, but she is made of stern
stuff, and kept her feet. Griffin and Taklinn swung their weapons, keeping their
enemies at bay and connecting a couple of times, but they were quickly being
overwhelmed.
Finding myself clear of enemies for a brief second, I fired off a Color Spray at a
trio of nearby goblins in an effort to help Caribdis, who is no melee fighter.
Unfortunately only one of them was affected, but it helped a bit, and Caribdis was
able to get off another bow shot. A goblin seemed to pick me out and ran at me,
swinging his morningstar. The threat was immediate and deadly, but from the
corner of my eye I could see that Griffin and Taklinn needed relief, so I took a
chance. Reading a scroll while dodging the weapon of a crazed goblin is a very
tough proposition, but I was able to get the spell off, and with it centered just so, the
Sleep spell knocked out another three of the goblins that surrounded Taklinn and
Griffin. This brought their numbers down to reasonable levels, and it was the work
of a few seconds for Griff, Taklinn and Happy to dispatch the remaining few.
Caribdis took care of the goblin that was attacking me with a well placed arrow.
When I was at last able to look around without fear of being brained, the ground
was littered with dead or unconscious goblins. All of us were wounded, but there
was no time to rest. Despite reservations, we had to dispense some roadside justice
to the surviving goblins. I’d have preferred taking them to the local law, but it
simply wasn’t an option. In the end, it was Taklinn who, with typical dwarven
aplomb, "took care" of our prisoners. It left a bad taste in our mouths, but we had
little choice. Caribdis especially, seemed affected by the harsh reality of what had to
be done. Still, I would rather sleep uneasily than sleep forever.
We moved on. Taklinn and even Caribdis had used most of their healing, and yet
most of us were still wounded, which made the next encounter even more deadly.
It was an hour later and the woods grew thick around us. We felt that Yigil’s
tower must now be very near, but getting there without further conflict would not be
an option. We rounded a corner in the trail, and still more goblins blocked our path.
Only two this time, but mounted on worgs, huge wolves, bristling with teeth and a
malevolent intelligence that shown from their red eyes. Sensing our weakened state,
they charged us, not bothering to listen to Happy’s demands that they let us pass
(very fortunate that she speaks the language). One of them barreled into Griffin
while the second pair skirted us to attack our flank. It was a short and bloody fight,
and Griffin and Caribdis took the worst of it. I was out of spells, and thus fell back
to my new crossbow, putting it to good use. The worgs were some of the toughest
creatures we’ve yet faced. Happy hit one of them with dagger after dagger, and it
just wouldn’t go down until the very end. I must say, that girl plays hell with those
knives of hers. I’ve watched her study an opponent, look for his weak spot, and hurl
her dagger with deft ease that does its damage via placement, not force.
When the dust had cleared, two goblins and two worgs lay dead. Griffin and
Caribdis lay near death, bleeding and unconscious. Taklinn was able to staunch
their wounds, but he was as bereft of magic as I, and in the end all we could do was
put them on their mounts and hope that we’d soon find the tower.
The last half hour was the worst. Behind every shrub or tree stump we seemed to
see goblins lurking. Our imaginations played nasty tricks with the wind and the
shadows, and we knew only too well that we were in no shape to take on much
more. But at last, the forest broke into a clearing, and there it sat, Yigil’s squat
tower, beckoning to us with mystery, and hopefully, refuge.
A smart rap on the door (or two), and a shouted explanation to the servants as to
who we were and what business we had here, and finally the master of the tower
dinged to greet us. Yigil is a musty old bugger, but one can expect little else of a
wizard of any repute, and I get the definite feeling that Yigil is not one to be trifled
with. He was curious about my relationship with the Old Man in the Pointy Hat, and
I get the distinct impression that he doesn’t care for him. I will let that be between
them, however, as I have business to attend to. Once we’d given Yigil our letter of
introduction, he mellowed a little (very little) and gave us some small aid in the
form of potions to heal our felled comrades. It was a relief to see Griffin and
Caribdis come around. Yigil offered us his limited hospitality (a bit of the floor on
the first floor of his tower), and that is where we are even now. He tells us that we
will know more in the morning, and that is good enough for me. I am bone tired,
and my yawns are threatening to overwhelm me. The others are all well asleep. It is
unlike me to burn so much midnight oil, but our adventures need to be recorded.
Now that they have, I must bed down.
More will be written when there is more to tell...
Rdyr’t 3
Here we are, back in Ravens Hollow, with our feet firmly set on a new path of
adventure.
Yigil has given us a bit of a test to prove our worthiness to accompany him to
Havilah and to call ourselves a real crew, eligible to accept good coin in exchange
for dangerous services rendered. You would think that ridding the monastery of
zombies and battling dozens of goblinoids on the road would be enough, but
apparently not. To win Yigil’s favor, we must seek out and destroy a wyvern.
In my research while under the tutelage of The Old Man in the Pointy Hat I
studied many types of monstrous creature, and I recall briefly skimming over
wyverns. Fortunately Yigil is disinclined to send us on this hunt with such sparse
knowledge of our quarry, and has given us much more information, as well as a
scry of the beasts lair.
A wyvern is a cousin of the dragon, and while not nearly as fierce as one of those
terrible beasts, it is still a spine shaking terror. It is a winged lizard, some twenty or
thirty feet long, with six inch long fangs, clawed feet, and a tail stinger full of
poison! Fighting man sized creatures is one thing, but this, this is another matter
entirely.
According to Yigil, wyverns are fairly clumsy on the ground, unable to move
much faster than a dwarf or a halfling. Their hide is thick and leathery, highly
resistant to sword blows. Their teeth and claws are capable of terrible damage, but
their favored tactic is to sweep up their hapless prey in their talons, fly them high
into the air, and then drop them to their deaths. Yigil’s says that they hunt in the
daylight and slumber through the night, their dark vision being non-existent, though
they have keen ears and smell. This promises to be a dangerous undertaking, and
we are here in Ravens Hollow in preparation for this hunt. Happy has come up with
a clever idea that may well be the undoing of this beast.
Before we left his tower, Yigil brought us to his chambers and unveiled his
scrying mirror. With it, he showed us exactly what the wyvern’s lair looks like. It is
a cave, situated some forty feet up on the side of a sheer cliff face, though there is a
substantial shelf of rock that forms a lip beneath its entrance. Happy proposes that
we construct a net that we can somehow drop over the wyvern, and has even found
a craftsman in Ravens Hollow who is making it for us. It’s a fine idea, but I daresay
the logistics of getting the wyvern into the net would be well nigh impossible
without the new spells I’ve learned.
The morning of the 1st day of Readyreat, I awoke and, as usual, went about my
morning studies, and, as has often happened over these last days, finally came to an
understanding of two brand new spells! Only these two deserve special mention, as
they are both of the second circle of power, and are, arguably the best of that lot!
Levitate and Invisibility. Two spells that no mage should be without. The words to
the spells just fell into place for me on that morning, and I find my mental catalogue
of spells expanded. I memorized one of each of them, but had no time to try them
out until yesterday. The townsfolk in Ravens Hollow have been extraordinarily kind
to us. They regard us as heroes for saving their children, and have treated us as
such. We have a difficult time paying for anything, and truth be told, getting a bit of
privacy has been difficult, given their adulation. Still, last night I was able to sneak
out to the lot behind the inn and test out my new spells.
Casting levitate first, I felt little, until I mentally commanded myself to rise. And I
did! My feet left the ground with a lurch, and I must admit to a few seconds of
panic as I continued to lift into the air, seemingly leaving my stomach below! It is a
heady feeling to watch the earth recede below you, defying gravity through nothing
more than magic. The logical mind insists that it is impossible, and even though I
flew once or twice under the influence of The Old Man in the Pointy Hat’s spells,
this was a much different experience. Without him there to oversee, to assure me of
my safety, I had to will myself to remain calm and control the spell. Soon, I was
able to do just that, and the feelings of fear turned to euphoria as I rose higher and
higher, able to control my vertical motion with mere thought! Unlike the Fly spell
(which is still beyond me), I cannot move side to side. But the feeling of flight is
every bit as prevalent with Levitate, and every bit as exhilarating! Watching Ravens
Hollow grow smaller and smaller below me... well; the feeling is hard to describe. I
felt as though I’d truly crossed a threshold from apprentice to wizard. My stomach
did flip flops for several minutes after I’d landed, and I found myself giggling long
afterward. It appears that flying simply makes one happy! One thing though, I
must be careful. Currently I can only hold the spell for about a half hour, and it’s
vital that I keep that in mind. Should I allow the spell to dissipate before I alight, the
results could, obviously, be disastrous.
I set down from my Levitate experiment quite some distance from where I’d
started, as the wind shifted me a bit east. Still finding myself alone, I decided to try
out Invisibility. Though not so dramatic as Levitate, watching my body fade from
view was a curious sensation. Waving ones hand in front of ones face and seeing
nothing but the ground beyond, is disconcerting until one grows used to it. It gives
one a feeling of mischievousness, I must admit, and I can see how such a spell
could be misused in the wrong hands. I even snuck up on Griffin as he drank in the
tavern, and I do believe he was ready to draw his sword and swing wildly until I
assured him that it was just me. I believe he was duly impressed, but a bit
suspicious, nonetheless.
Not all research leads to enlightenment though. I cannot crow over my spell casting
exploits without confessing to a failure. While at Yigil’s, I purchased from him a
scroll of that staple of every wizards library, Magic Missile. I studied the bloody
thing all the way back to Ravens Hollow, and attempted to copy it to my book, and
failed utterly! I am disgusted with myself that I appear unable to comprehend what
should be so simple! How can I master Levitate when I can’t even grasp Magic
Missile? It is depressing, but I shant give up. Sooner or later I WILL cast that
bloody spell!
At any rate, I was talking about the plan to incapacitate the wyvern via Happy’s
net. It turns out that my new spells will enable us to do so (we hope). I can cast
Levitate onto the net itself and raise it into the air, the idea being to position it over
the lair entrance like a spider web. I shall also turn the net invisible, and one of us
will serve as bait, luring the wyvern straight into it. I’ve found that I can keep the
nets position as I want it with an unseen servant.
These past two days have been spent constructing the net while I write scrolls.
Nearly half of my gold has gone towards a pair of Levitate scrolls. Expensive, but
they will be vital, as I can only cast two second circle spells per day, and I figure I
will need at least two Levitates (one to get us up to the cliff, and a second for the
net), as well as an Invisibility.
We depart tomorrow for the wyvern’s lair, which is a days ride from here. We
must pass the remnants of the goblin tribe that attacked us earlier to get there
though, so we’ll have to be on our guard.
It is late, and I must be to bed, but before I did I must mention the generosity of
these fine folks of Ravens Hollow once again, for this evening they have showered
us with gifts. Each of us has received a fine gift from a craftsman here. A kind, old,
gnomish woman named Edie has given me a fine wizard’s cloak, complete with
pockets for components and Ambros! It is of beautiful design, and I wear it proudly.
I only hope that we live long enough to enjoy our gifts.
Rdyr’t 4
Another long day on the road, and another fight against goblins, though I daresay,
either we are getting better at fighting, or the goblins are getting worse, because
today saw us with fewer casualties than our last encounters with them.
Or mayhap it was because we were not ambushed this time.
We departed Ravens Hollow early this morning, thronged by townsfolk
assembled to see us off. They know of our mission and, being their patron heroes,
after a fashion, they wish us well and cheer for our victory.
Our path led us into the low foothills a days ride east of the town, and by late day
we had begun to climb, riding our sturdy mounts up ever steepening switchbacks or
leading them across shale covered slopes. And, around one particular bend, without
warning, there appeared the whole of a goblin encampment; this one fairly
permanent, there being several sturdy huts built onto the alcoves that pock marked
the canyon in which it was situated.
Griffin, in the lead, hissed back a warning, and I decided that now was the time to
test my new spells.
The Old Man in the Pointy Hat often said to me, "Doorag, in times of danger and
combat, the learned must endeavor to become airborne as soon as possible, and
remain unseen for as long as possible." Up until today I have been unable to heed
this advice, but at Griff’s warning, I remembered those words well. Casting quickly,
I vanished from beneath the nose of a startled Happy, and then rose into the air to
see what I could see.
The village spread out before me, and more than half a dozen goblins and several
worgs went about their business there. We had yet to be spotted, and I pondered our
strategy until Griffin made a command decision and stepped boldly forward,
marching right into their midst! He even gave a startled goblin a jaunty salute as he
passed like it was the most natural thing in the world. Knowing that these buggers
would soon regain their composure, I cast quickly, sending a Sleep into a throng of
them. Four, perhaps five, went down in peaceful slumber. And then hell broke
loose. The remaining goblins came to their senses immediately and Griffin soon
found himself surrounded. Happy had raced up behind him to lend support, and she
danced her way between goblins to position her quick blades. Taklinn sauntered in,
a grin beneath his beard with twin handfuls of axes. He was met with a goblin and a
charging worg at once. Caribdis, unassailed, was able to do what he does best: Lend
his support via word and arrow. His verse, while some might consider it doggerel,
has the desired effect, and no one can deny that he can split a horse hair at fifty
paces with his bow.
As for me, I could do little but follow Caribdis’ example. I landed upon a good
sniping position overlooking the camp and raised my crossbow. What a fine
weapon it is! I would think that some of Griffin’s fighting prowess has rubbed off
on it, for my shots fell true. I was even able to dispatch the goblin that threatened
Taklinn.
Unbeknownst to us, the goblins had among them a spell caster! The little bugger
set to work Dazing Griff and Happy, and, with the help of an exceptionally large
worg, attempted to do me in! The worg leapt nearly fifteen feet, nearly dragging me
from my ledge, and the goblin cast at me. I was able to resist his efforts and rose to
safety. Taklinn heard my shouts, and, as fast as thought, hurled his hand axe. Just
like that, the goblin caster lay dead.
At the same time Griffin, Happy and Caribdis were downing the final few, and the
huge worg lowered its head in supplication, surrendering to us. To my amazement,
the beast actually spoke, as would a man, albeit haltingly. We sent the worg on his
way. Finding nothing in the huts except several goblin infants, we roused the
sleepers and told them to hit the road with their offspring. Road side justice or no,
we had neither the hearts nor stomachs to wipe them out after they’d been utterly
beaten.
As the day wound down, we made our way through a canyon, and at last came to
a sheer cliff. A step back and a telescoped peek later, and we were sure that we had
found our wyvern lair. The creature wasn’t there, so we decided to double back to a
cave some forty-five minutes from the lair, that we might hide our mounts and gear
up for the coming battle. And we are here now, about to bed down. At least three of
us are. Taklinn and Griffin have gone back to keep watch over the lair, to try and
get an idea of when the wyvern leaves to hunt. I worry for them, but of us all I
suppose they are the most fit to spend the night so close to the wyvern. Still, the
morning cannot come fast enough for me.
Rdyr’t 5
Taklinn and Griffin have returned after an eventful morning! The wyvern flew
from his cave at the crack of dawn, and unfortunately, spotted our companions. The
huge beast landed quite near them, and the pair thought better of valor and ran like
thunder! I do not blame them a bit, and thank all the gods that they had the good
sense to flee. Alas, Taklinn is not built for speed, and the wyvern nearly caught up
with him. Good thing for him that the wyvern is slow on the ground. As it was, they
escaped through a narrow crevice. So narrow that Griff had to cut Taklinn free of
his armor to get him through! The wyvern could not follow, and flew away for
easier pray. Griff and Taklinn are back now, and we are whiling away the day,
waiting for tomorrow morning, and another exit by the wyvern. Our plan is to be
there at first light and net ourselves a flying lizard!
Caribdis is using this day to regale us with more of his rhymes and to practice the
gift he received in Ravens Hollow: A mandolin. It’s a beautiful instrument, and I
hope one day that Caribdis will make beautiful music with it. But for now, it sounds
like a hundred mice in a tin drum. I haven’t the heart to ask him to stop, but its
difficult to read and Ambros has threatened to sneak over and chew off his strings
in the night. Ah well, the boy is an artist. I suppose I can comfort myself in the
knowledge that I will one day be able to say that I traveled and fought alongside the
famous Caribdis!
Ha!
Well, stranger things have happened.
Rdyr’t 6
Victory is ours! We are back in Ravens Hollow this night, our quarry defeated
and our prizes safely stowed away from delivery to Yigil.
Our plan went quite smoothly. In the early morning, an hour before dawn, we
crept toward the wyvern’s lair, Taklinn leading us with his ability to see in the dark.
Once at the base of the cliff, we set to work. I cast a levitate on myself and each of
my comrades, in turn, grabbed hold of me and I flew them to the shelf of rock some
forty feet upwards that lay beneath the cave entrance. Once we were all there, we
quietly unfurled our net and spread it out. I quietly read off one of my levitate
scrolls and cast on the net. It rose into the air, and I quickly followed it up with an
Unseen Servant with which I was able to guide the net into position over the cave
entrance. Once it was just so, I made it invisible and we were ready to go. From
within the cave, we could hear the heavy breathing of a huge beast in slumber. It
gave us all the chills, and more than one heart was in a throat, I can tell you!
We moved into ambushing position and Taklinn took his place as bait. At the
signal, he began to beat on his buckler with his axe, bellowing dwarven war chants
and challenges to the wyvern. We heard the beast awake, and within only seconds,
it took the bait!
Even safely floating out of the way, the sight of it charging from the cave into the
dawns light was horrific and frightening! I feared that the net might not hold and
that Taklinn would be torn asunder or pushed from the cliff. But the net did hold,
and the wyvern was brought up short, much to its surprise and our relief. But even
in the net it was still a danger, and it managed to bite Taklinn with fangs that we
have now measured as some six inches in length. It also plunged it’s stinger into
Griffins chest, and we feared that the poison would be his doom. But Griffin is
made of tougher stuff. Perhaps all the alcohol in his blood served to dilute the
poison. Whatever the case, he survived. The same cannot be said of the wyvern, for
we set to work with axe, sword, arrow and bolt, and within a few short seconds the
beast lay dead.
And so we have taken our trophies and returned to Ravens Hollow where we now
rest before going back to Yigil’s tower. I am quite excited at the prospect of
returning to that mage victorious.
For now though, the events of the day have caught up with me and I must be to
bed.
Rdyr’t 7
Another day on the road, though this one was particularly uncomfortable. I
suppose I can’t complain too much, my discomfort being my fault, after all.
Last night, after my journal entry, I decided to forgo my usual practice of study
and bed for a bit of frivolity in the tap room with my companions. The excitement
of the fight with the wyvern was still fresh with me, and I wished to share it with
my friends, so I made my way to the bar, where Griff was already deep in his cups,
and asked him if he might not order me something.
The rest of the night is a blur and this morning brought the unduly loud pounding
on my door of Taklinn, who, not the least bit concerned with my aching head, bid
me make ready for our journey to Yigil’s tower.
It was not until much later in the day that I was able to eat anything, and even
now my temples throb unceasingly. I was able to study my spells, but only through
sheer determination and discipline. All I really wanted to do was stay in bed and
nurse these terrible drums that pound behind my eyes. The day spent jouncing about
in the back of our wagon did little to settle my rocking stomach, and I dare say I’ve
never been so happy to finally reach a destination as I was today when Yigil’s tower
came into view at last.
Yes, I believe that I will leave the drink to Griffin from now on and content
myself with returning his toasts with mugs of milk.
Fortunately we are not forced to do much more than rest through the night. Yigil
is not here. His servant has bid us enter and take up residence on the first floor once
again to await his return. Caribdis, curious as ever, keeps trying to convince us to
let him wander into the upper levels. Taklinn has told him in no uncertain terms that
this is not acceptable, and I have tried to gently assure him that one simply doesn’t
flail, pell mell, around in a wizards tower if one wants to keep ones head on ones
shoulders. Caribdis sits now, aimlessly plinking away at his new mandolin, as he
did throughout our day long journey. I must say, I admire his determination to learn
this new instrument, but with my head being in the state it’s in, it was all I could do
not to hit the lad with a sleep spell to shut him up.
Rdyr’t 8
We awoke this morning to the sight of a newly returned Yigil, standing over us
with a sort of malevolent benevolence, if that makes any sense. I suppose it’s a
matter of always keeping arch mages at arms length and vise versa. I suppose one
day I may find myself in such a position, though I hope not. As much as I admire
the Old Man in the Pointy Hat, I feel a bit sorry for him and the manner in which he
sequesters himself from the general populace.
But that is neither here nor there. The point is, Yigil had returned, and after a
quick bite of breakfast (my appetite had returned with a vengeance!) and an hours
wait for Yigil to freshen up, the six of us convened to turn over the spoils of our
wyvern battle and to discuss our future.
Yigil had watched our battle via his scrying mirror, so we did not have to regale
him with the tale, though I’m sure Caribdis was dyeing to do just that. He seemed
well impressed with our team work, giving special accolades to Happy for her net
idea. She blushed deeply, but I think she was well pleased with the notice.
Yigil has agreed to sponsor us as a crew if we go to Havilah and meet with one
Nivin Mottul, the dean of recruiting at the Academy. Nivin is an acquaintance of
Yigil’s, perhaps even a friend, and he assures us that we will be treated well once
we get there.
At last, we are going to the city! The capitol! I am beside myself. My feet have
been itching to get at the Queens Road for weeks now. I’ve always dreamed of
seeing the city of such legendary splendor, and it appears that that dream shall soon
come true!
Yigil also tells us that he is almost sure that it was, indeed, Alluzen’s sister who
was behind the evil at the monastery. Her name is Melisandre, and Yigil tells us that
she hated her brother. He thinks she hated him enough to murder him and his
followers. It seems awfully extreme for a simple case of sibling rivalry, but Yigil
believes that it may run deeper than that. Apparently, after leaving her brothers
care, she spent some time in Ebarium, a city who’s hedonistic and lawless
tendencies are renowned. Yigil says that the dark arts are practiced with impunity in
Ebarium. Necromancers and demonologists ply their dark trade there, and he thinks
that Melisandre may have fallen in with that lot. It would explain the undead that
infested the monastery.
Be all that as it may, Yigil cannot scry Melisandre and he knows not where she is.
For the time being, we shall have to let this mystery lie and get on with the job of
becoming a real crew.
Bidding Yigil farewell, we hit the road, once again, back to Ravens Hollow,
which is where I write this from. We have gathered our wagon full of captured
treasures in hopes of selling them for a decent price once we get to Havilah, and
plan to leave first thing in the morning. I am so excited that I don’t think I’ll be able
to sleep!
Rdyr’t 9
Looking back through the pages of this journal, I see that the majority of entries
find us either on the road or fresh in from the road. This entry is no different, but I
find it special anyway, since we are on the Queens Road, headed for Havilah!
We left Ravens Hollow this morning with bounce in our stride, and I think all of
us sense that we have entered a new chapter in our lives. Before, it was as if the
fates had conspired to bring us together and throw us in the face of danger. But
now, there is a feeling of purpose, of a goal. At the end of this road lies the capital
city of Havilah, with its Academy, and our future!
I must say, be it fate or the hands of the gods, or pure coincidence, I find myself
glad to be in the company I now keep. Who could have known that a simple
expedition for Baron could have turned five strangers into a group of fast friends?
Our differences are many, but despite them, we seem to share a common thread of
decency. Even Griffin, who adamantly claims to have no interest in anything
beyond drink and coin, has a gleam in his eye, and I believe that he is as excited as
the rest of us.
He is a strange one, our Griffin. On the outside he is all bluff and blather, and it
would be easy to assume that he cares little for anything but strong drink, loose
women, and cold coin. Unlike Taklinn, who will gladly fight for a principal, Griff
oft times must be dragged into a battle if there is no reward immediately in sight. I
believe he considers himself a true mercenary, without conscience or kingdom. But,
I think he runs a little deeper than he lets on, and is of a far more complex nature
than he would have us believe.
He is unlike the knights that I remember seeing riding through our woods on
patrols. They were all gleaming plate mail and gaudy standards with plenty of
pompous attitude. Griffin is none of that. His way is down and dirty, with little
room for pomp, circumstance or chivalry. Yet, if one watches him closely, one can
see chinks in his armor, and I think that he may be growing attached to some of us.
He seems to have a particular soft spot for Happy. The two have become a team of
sorts, or perhaps, partners in crime might be a better way to put it.
Personally, I think Griffin is a much deeper chap than he pretends to be. As much
as he threatens to clobber Caribdis, I get the feeling that he likes the boy and would
protect him, or any of us, should the need arise.
One other thing that belies Griff’s heartless exterior is the fact that he is
remarkably patient with those of us who are unfamiliar with the ways of battle. I
still recall, with much chagrin, how Happy and I both accidentally stabbed him in
the back while he was trying to fight a zombie at the monastery. We could have
killed him! Yet he never said an unkind word toward us. I would think that most
warriors would have had little patience with a couple of halflings brash enough to
pitch daggers wildly into combat. I think that when we get to Havilah I will gather
up Happy and see if she will accompany me on a shopping trip to purchase a gift for
Griffin. A thank you, of sorts, for his forgiving attitude and willingness to put
himself between us and harm.
Perhaps a nice flask...
Rdry’t 11
The road still stretches out before us. The trip to Havilah would normally take a
week for a mounted man, but we ride only as fast as Taklinn can walk. And while
our dwarven friend is seemingly tireless, his legs are still only so long. He refuses to
get onto a horse. Claims to have no truck at all with them. I can’t say as I blame
him. A full sized horse is a frightening beast to me, that much is sure. I like Don
Kay, she is small enough so as to be manageable, but the horses are not my cup of
tea.
Taklinn plods down the road, hour after hour, tireless. He is every bit the dwarf,
even more so for his faith and devotion to Clangeden. He is fastidious in his
appearance, and I think that he considers himself an ambassador for all dwarves.
His beard is always groomed, and he spends much time with polishing his armor
and axe. Even now, as I watch him walk on ahead of us, his grooming is perfect,
and the dusty miles have done little to dishevel him.
Oddly enough, I find that Taklinn may be the member of our little band with
whom I have the most in common. The two of us are often times the moral voice
within our group, and it is sometimes left to us to convince the others that a fight is
worth the risk for the simple sake of quashing evil. Griffin is no coward, that much
is sure, but sometimes, if there is no immediate reward apparent, he would rather
circumvent a battle and allow baneful beasts to go on their way rather than to quell
them in the interests of protecting the nameless innocent. Taklinn and I have had to
play on his pride from time to time to convince him that a particular foe must be put
down.
I have learned much from Taklinn over this past month about concepts like pride,
honesty, trust, respect, and devotion to an ideal. While I have always been in favor
of doing the right thing for its own sake, Taklinn serves a higher calling and his
stalwart heart is a shining beacon for us all. I think he makes us all better. Without
him, we would be just another band of roustabouts looking for trouble. Taklinn
gives us purpose and direction. He is our conscience. Our heart. I don’t know what
we’d do without him. He is our standard bearer, is Taklinn, and a credit to his race.
My spell research continues. I’ve been working on Fox’s Cunning and Mirror
Image. While there are other spells that might be more offensive, I think a good
defense will serve me better in the long run. Mirror Image will see to that. Fox’s
Cunning will make my spells harder to resist, and that is always good! I’m also deep
in study of this blasted Magic Missile scroll! It still galls me that this wretched spell
thwarted me!
I’ve also been working my way through the Arcamagus book. It is a grind of a
read, no doubt, but the concepts are starting to take hold with me. If I can figure out
the finer points of it, this book will save me a lot of coin.
Speaking of coin, our wagon is filled nearly to overflowing with the spoils of our
battles. Breast plates, swords, crossbows, javelins and shields clank about back here
with me, not to mention the gems whose value we still don’t know. A couple of the
stones have been appraised by Caribdis and he swears that they are worth a king’s
ransom, but Happy disagrees with him. I’m a bit doubtful myself. We shall see what
the merchants in Havilah have to say about them.
Rdry’t 12
We stayed in a tiny village called Lamsted last night and witnessed the start of the
Days of Dedication festivals, and that always marks the turning point of autumn. As
if by clockwork, today feels colder, and it wouldn’t surprise me to know that flurries
of snow are already falling further north. Fortunately we still have the winter gear
given to us by Baron, so I am able to bundle up a bit. Still, the chill wind whips at
me and makes it that much more difficult to write as it threatens to tear the pages
from my journal.
But there is little else to do on the road, and when my mind needs a rest from
constant reading I find that the jotting of notes is soothing, even if I must fight the
wind for the privilege.
I have been using my entries to sing the praises of each of my companions thus
far, and as I watch Happy bounce along the trail, I am hard pressed not to include a
few passages about her.
Happy is every bit the halfling, and every bit the greenie on top of that. While my
own clan can frolic with the best of them, the greenies have raised it to a fine art,
and they would be well pleased with their Happy.
Could there be a more suitable name for her? I doubt it, for I have yet to see her
frown. She is utterly kind, ever optimistic, always ready with her infectious smile,
and while she can be irreverent, she is also surprisingly thoughtful, and I get the
idea that her outward frivolity camouflages her strategic mind. I could easily see her
enemies underestimating her because of her size and good nature, but I’ve watched
her fight, and can say with no irony that she is not to be trifled with.
Happy, like many of our kind, has the kind of grace that is usually reserved for
elves. I envy her dexterity, for I could never pull off the kind of tricks that she
makes look easy. She somersaults and flips like a born acrobat, and it is nothing for
her to walk a rail as thin as my finger. I’ve watched her spin and dive between the
legs of a foe to end up on their blind side in the blink of an eye, and once she has
you at a disadvantage, you will no doubt feel the sting of her daggers, of which she
seems to have a never ending supply. Watching her hurl her blades, it is as if time
slows down for her, and she throws them with a careless ease that turns into deadly
accuracy.
I like her very much indeed, and so does the rest of the crew. It is difficult to be
down in the mouth with Happy around to lift your spirits. She and Griff are thick as
thieves most of the time, and I dare say they probably share much of the same
roguish philosophy.
And though I’d be willing to bet that Happy is not above helping herself to ill
gotten gain, I can’t help but trust her. Perhaps that is another example of her
disarming personality.
I have only one other to write about, and that is Caribdis. But it is time to return to
my reading. We still have much road to walk, so I shall get to him in due time.
Rdyr’t 13
Apparently my thoughts on Caribdis will have to wait, for it turns out that danger
follows us.
It was noon and the sun that shone on us did little to warm the crisp air. But,
bundled in our good fur coats, it was easy to enjoy the ride and chat as the wind
foretold of winters coming and brushed swirls of leaves across the road. We had
just crested a small hill and begun the gentle decent into a valley. To our left we
could see the Tein River as it snaked toward us from the west. This time of year the
river is low, and what nearly intercepted the Queens Road was little more than a
stream, easily wadable if one had to. We could see from our vantage point that it
flowed lazily toward our road until, at the bottom of our hill, it changed course to
run parallel to us, and we knew that it would be our companion for the rest of our
journey.
Griffin smiled and gave a satisfied nod. "The Tein," he said, "We’re half way
there!" This immediately lightened our mood and put a bit of bounce into our steps,
for we are all anxious to get to the city. Griffin is the only one among us who has
actually been there before, and it’s good to have him with us as a guide, or at least to
tell keep us abreast of our progress. With renewed vigor, we headed into the valley.
Along the riverbank there grew thick strands of oak and elm, and were it not for
the fact that autumn has stripped the trees of their leaves, we probably would not
have spotted the hobgoblins. About half way down the hill I saw a flash of
movement through the trees, as if someone wading along the river bed. Happy
agreed that she too had seen something. "Taklinn," I said, in hushed tones, "Let me
have the spy glass." He looked at me quizzically, but handed the ornate telescope
over to me and with it I scanned the trees, searching for the flash of color I’d seen.
Yes, there it was. And again. Something... somebody... trodding through the
Tein’s low waters. And there, another. And yet another. It was difficult to see
through the screen of branches, but what I did see gave me pause. Muscular limbs
and iron weapons. I decided to get a better look.
"Something’s on the river," I told my companions. "Wait here, I’ll be right back."
Without waiting for an answer, I quickly cast my two (and only) most powerful
spells, and within seconds I was invisible and rising high into the air, the feeling of
leaving my stomach behind, still gripped me, but I concentrated on the work at
hand.
I rose still higher, getting myself above the trees for an unobstructed view of the
river, and there I saw them. A ragged column of figures marching with the river.
Even from my distance I could tell that they weren’t men, for their gait gave them
away as humanoids. Pressing the spyglass to my eye showed me the truth.
Hobgoblins. A quick count showed sixteen of the buggers, and worse yet, trailing
behind them were a pair of bugbears. Our raid on the farmhouse flashed through my
mind as I quickly descended. The wind had blown me a bit off course, so I had to
hurry to catch my friends, who started a bit when my voice came from no where,
explaining what I’d seen.
At my report, the shift in Taklinn’s stance and the knit in his brow gave away his
intentions even before he said, "Hobbers n’ bugbears! Lets be at ’em then!" He
shifted his axe and touched his holy symbol as I have seen him do before battle, and
it was obvious what his plan was. But Griffin was not so sure.
"They haven’t seen us yet," he said, coolly, "I say we let them pass. We’re
outnumbered and we’ve nothing to gain by taking them on." His steely eyes showed
his resolve on the issue, but in this case I had to agree with Taklinn.
"Griff," I implored, "What if they’re a raiding party, come to wreak havoc on
innocents down river? Remember the farm house? Those were hobgoblins and
bugbears there too, and they murdered an old man and his wife, and ravaged two
young girls! If this new group does something similar without our trying to stop it,
it’ll be on our heads! Also, don’t you find it a bit coincidental? Another group of
hobgoblins, prodded along by two bugbears? Something is afoot here, and it could
relate to us somehow. Besides all that, you’re right. They haven’t seen us. If we
hurry we can beat them in that grove of elms at the bottom of the hill and set up an
ambush. That should even the odds a bit." I strode purposely over to stand beside
Taklinn to show my solidarity with him, though I’m afraid the effect was largely
lost due to no one being able to see me.
Griffin scowled and opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it.
Happy and Caribdis looked from him to a very grim Taklinn. This was not the first
time they’d had to listen to Taklinn and I convince Griffin that a fight needed to be
fought, and though Caribdis, especially, wore a worried look, I felt confident that he
possessed the sand to do what needed to be done. Finally, Griffin sighed and
loosened his sword in it’s scabbard. "All right then, lets be about it." he said, though
obviously against his better judgment. He spun on his heel and started off down the
hill.
We hurriedly hitched our mounts to a nearby bush and hurried to catch Griff, the
five of us trotting at a quick pace in an effort to reach what appeared to be a fine
ambush spot. Thus far it appeared that the hobbers hadn’t spotted us, and we needed
that element of surprise. I used my levitate to cross long stretches of ground by
running and pushing off, allowing myself to glide down the hill effortlessly. Once at
the bottom, we quickly surveyed the thick strand of elms that lined the river bank.
Having little time to discuss our strategy we quickly hid ourselves. I rose up into the
branches of a thick old tree and positioned myself on a hardy limb in such a way as
to have a fine view of the river while still affording myself the cover of the trunk,
which I knew I would need once my invisibility was dispelled by offensive spells.
Caribdis did the same, climbing a tree near my own and balancing precariously, his
trusty bow at the ready. Taklinn hunkered down amongst the thick weeds that grew
alongside the river, while Griffin and Happy quickly waded across the river and
positioned themselves behind a deadfall there.
We did not have long to wait. Within minutes the first of the hobgoblins rounded
the bend, splashing through the waters, their weapons at the ready. As more of them
appeared, they choked the stream with their hulking forms, and I realized that there
certainly were a lot of them! The two bugbears that followed did little to bolster my
confidence when they appeared, but it was too late to turn back now. Looking down
from my branch, I could see Taklinn, coiled like a spring, ready to pounce, and I
knew that he was going to have at these villains weather there be 16 or one hundred
and sixteen.
It was not until the first line of hobgoblins were directly beneath me, and not more
than a few feet from Taklinn’s hiding spot, that I realized that we’d not made any
plan as to who would initiate our ambush or when! For a moment I wondered if we
might not all sit there frozen, waiting for another of us to make the first move until
our quarry had passed us by. I needn’t have fretted though, for Taklinn was not
about to lose his opportunity, and with a mighty roar, he sprang from the tall grass,
hurling himself at the front line of hobgoblins, his axe a blur in the cold sunlight.
From that point on things moved very quickly. No sooner had Taklinn made his
attack than the rest of us were in motion. From his position on the opposite side of
the river Griffin leapt into the fray, laying about with his sword in the very midst of
the surprised hobgoblins. From the deadfall I saw a brief flash as Happy hurled a
dagger that downed a hobber, and I hastily cast as, from the corner of my eye, I saw
an ashen faced Caribdis begin to let fly with arrow after arrow.
The river began to boil with blood as Taklinn and Griffin set to work, and within
seconds at least three of the hobgoblins lay face down in the water, and still others
were pierced with dagger and arrow. For myself, I could do little but try to thin their
ranks with Color Sprays and Sleeps. Unfortunately, those hobgoblins that went
under due to Sleep fell into the water where they quickly revived, though it did keep
them from combat for precious seconds and kept our warriors from being
overwhelmed through sheer numbers. As it was, Griffin was surrounded and his
blood mingled with that of his enemy as it flowed from several wounds. Even the
stalwart Taklinn was feeling the bite of hobgoblin blades as they pressed in around
him.
From his perch to my right, Caribdis chanted his verse and loosed arrows as fast
as he could draw his arm back. I had already exhausted my most powerful spells
and shifted to my trusty crossbow, leveling it at a hobgoblin who had spotted Happy
and was now hacking away at her while she bobbed and weaved away from his
blade, desperately trying to get a hit in of her own. My bolt took the hobber
between the shoulder blades, and down he went. She flashed me a grateful grin and
went back to doing what she does best, chucking daggers into soft spots.
Nearly a dozen hobgoblins lay dead in the crimson waters, but the bugbears had
advanced by now upon our very wounded warriors. I saw one of them draw back
his morningstar to take a swing at Griffin. I quickly cast the last of my first circle
spells, Grease, upon the handle of his weapon, and as he drew back, it slid from his
grasp and into the murky river. I prayed that it would buy Griffin the time he
needed to dispatch the last of his hobbers that he might concentrate on the bear.
Shifting my attention to Taklinn, he was in much the same fix, badly hurt and still
outnumbered with a bugbear looming over him. I was down to cantrips, but I had to
try. Rattling off the brief incantation, I cast Daze at the bear, and to my happy
surprise, the brute fell under it’s effect, standing there stupidly, trying to get it’s
bearings and leaving Taklinn free to dispatch another hobgoblin. I hastily followed
the first Daze with another, the last of my offensive spells, and it too worked,
keeping the bugbear off balance. It bought Taklinn just enough time.
Hobgoblins dropped like ripe wheat under our steel and soon there were none left
but the bugbears. With one of them unarmed and the other dazed, it was quick work
to put them down. Griffin and Taklinn spun wildly, caught up in battle lust,
scanning for more enemies. But there were no more. The Tein ran thick with blood
and we were victorious.
But our victory came at a price, for both Taklinn and Griff were badly wounded.
It was all Griff could do to make it to the riverbank where he leaned upon his
sword, panting heavily and bleeding from a dozen wounds. Taklinn hauled himself
from the river and saw to his companion, treating Griff’s wounds first as Caribdis
and I came down from our branches and Happy joined us. Long moments passed as
we caught our breaths, but at last, after Taklinn had brought himself and Griff a few
steps away from deaths door, we looked about at the carnage and could do little but
laugh weakly at each other, such was the relief of having survived such a battle.
In short order we set about the business of searching the dead and retrieving our
mounts. Unfortunately there were no survivors whom we could question, but we
felt confident that we had saved blissfully unaware innocents from murder and
mayhem by stopping this band from getting to where ever they’d been headed.
Within an hour we were back on the road, leaving the row of dead humanoids
behind us on the riverbank, food for scavengers now.
We rest tonight in a tiny hamlet, the name of which I do not even know. The inn
here has only one common room with hard cots, but to me, it is a night in paradise,
as I am bone tired from the exhilaration of battle, and weary of the road. I shall
sleep hard tonight.
Rdyr’t 15
***Note*** This entry involves Taklinn’s dream. I need to ask Cheri/Ron a few
details about it before I write it.
Rdyr’t 16
We are all a bit quieter today. The fight with the hobgoblins, Taklinn’s dream,
coupled with our find today leaves us all wondering how the fates conspire to move
us to their whims.
It was getting on toward late noon, and we’d decided to take a short break to water
our mounts and stretch our legs. I did just that, pacing a length of riverbank while
watching Happy give a lesson in stone skipping. I swear, the girl can make a flat
rock positively dance across the surface of the river for a mile!
At any rate, Ambros crawled from his nest in my belt pouch and dropped to the
ground, scurrying off into the grass, presumably to answer the call of nature. I
thought little about it until he returned some moments later, dragging behind him
the sorry looking corpse of a raven. My favorite rat told me that he’d found it a few
yards down river, obviously washed up on shore. What made it a worthwhile find
was the tiny tube attached to its leg and the peculiar dart that still protruded from
the birds body. Freeing the dart, I could still detect a thin sheen of black ichors the
consistency of tar clinging to it’s needle like tip. A strange weapon, and not one that
I’ve ever seen before. Too small and flimsy to be thrown, it must be a blow gun dart
of some kind.
Within the tube, a message that deepens the mystery that seems to follow us.
"Bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins. Bands 20-100. Unknown goals."
This simple, yet telling, message was signed simply, "- Janek".
Who this Janek fellow is we do not know, but it is fairly obvious now that the
lands of Havilah are experiencing an encroachment of goblinoids in large, well
disciplined bands. We have already encountered two such groups. Who knows how
many more lurk within our borders?
Rdry’t 17
Yet another night spent in the relative comfort of a tiny village on the road to
Havilah city, though Griffin tells us, and it is easy to see, that we are getting close
now. This little village (Duloch, I believe it is called) is a bit larger, more densely
populated, and I sense an air of sophistication here that, while practically smothered
in rustic hominess and uneducated boorishness, was not even evident in any of the
other villages we have passed through. Indeed, they are even willing to watch
Caribdis ply his trade in the tap room and listen with something almost like quiet as
he recites his verse. They show him a certain respect, as if they appreciate art, or at
least wish to appreciate it.
Which brings me nicely to the subject of Caribdis. I have promised to tell more of
him, and now, as I sit here in the tap room and watch him trying to hold his
audience while I scribble my notes at an unobtrusive table, it feels like the right
time to be about it.
He is just a boy, a fact that we often times forget, and a fact that we are just as
often reminded of at the most inopportune of times. He is... awkward. Caribdis is at
that most wonderful and terrible of points in the life of every man, the point of
becoming a man. He is still as gangly as a new deer, and he seems to have little
control over his own limbs unless he is actually giving thought to what he’s doing.
He is possessed of the artists heart, and he desires nothing more than to entertain.
He fancies himself a great orator, yet he possesses all the tact of an ogre with a
tooth ache. He can be counted upon to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong
time, and more than once have I wished my legs were long enough to give him a
swift kick under the table.
He is every bit the young, human, male. Curious to a fault, friendly, loyal,
lumbering, and true. He has yet to find his step, as my Uncle Window would say,
but I think it will be most interesting and rewarding when he does.
At heart, Caribdis is an entertainer. A bard. An actor. A would be musician He
has a gift for lyrical poetry, a knack for crafting rhyme out of a current scene, and
with it he can even perform some small feats of magic. His healing verse can
produce effects that rival Taklinn’s, and I’ve seen the odd arcane bit here and there.
He is, of course, a spontaneous caster, lacking the discipline of true arcane book
work, but how can I fault a natural gift?
In combat he is surprisingly effective. His bow has made the difference in several
fights, and his battle rhymes have an effect on his allies that rival any spell I can
cast, for his words become a background noise that spurs us on, assuring us of our
victory and aiding us in battle. Griffin’s sword swings truer, Taklinn’s axe cleaves
deeper, and so on, even though his voice often grows shaky in the face of hand to
hand combat.
Sometimes Caribdis feels like the fifth wheel. He is the youngest, and therefore
ends up in the role of the younger sibling. Griffin sighs heavily and tolerates him,
Happy is amused by him, Taklinn fathers him, and I, well, I try to see what he will
be like in a couple of years. For while the four of us roll our eyes at his lengthy and
poorly told sagas, or reprimand him for being too open to strangers, I think we all
see a vast potential in him, and, like older siblings, we have developed a certain
protective attitude towards him.
At least I have.
I was not joking when I said that, one day, I will be able to tell people that I
traveled alongside that most famous of bards, Caribdis.
Rdry’t 18
We have arrived! Early evening saw us crest a small hillock and for the first time
our crew witnessed the sprawl that is Havilah.
The city stretches out for miles, it’s streets and alleys winding and intertwining
like arteries through which the blood of a great beast courses. It took my breath
away, for though I’d often imagined it, the sheer scope and scale of such a vast city
was overwhelming. My apprehension was easily overshadowed by my anticipation,
however, and we eagerly rode forward to fall in line with the rest of the teeming
masses that sought to enter Havilah.
Drawing nearer, we were awed by the height and obvious thickness of the great
fortifications and walls. Armed soldiers lined the ramparts, keeping watch, and a
company of soldiers stood at the mighty south gates, checking each entry,
presumably for contraband or to collect the toll that allowed entrance.
When our turn arrived we were greeted by a professional and curt sergeant who
collected our toll and bid us entry after a cursory glance. But once inside, we were
taken aback by the myriad of streets and choices that confronted us. Not knowing
where to begin, we flagged down our sergeant for directions.
A civil enough fellow, he explained to us that Havilah was built with the
Academy at it’s heart, and that all roads eventually led to that center of great
learning. We attempted to gather this information with a modicum of fuss and clues
as to what we were about, but no sooner had we said our thank yours to the sergeant
than Caribdis blurted out far more than was necessary.
"We seek Nivin Mottul!" he declared, "And by the way, have you heard of a man
called Janek?"
We groaned collectively and Taklinn favored Caribdis with a dark glare, but the
sergeant merely smiled and offered what he knew. "Janek is a common name, lad."
He said, "But Nivin Mottul is not. You may find him at the Academy. Simply
follow this road, for as I’ve said, it will take you there."
We accepted this as good and helpful news, despite the fashion in which it had
been acquired. Then, Taklinn had a thought. "Tell me, good sir, can you direct us to
the temple district? I have business with the order of Clangeden that cannot wait."
As before, our sergeant was most helpful, and he gave us fine directions. Within
minutes we were on our way. Some of us grumbled at having to take this detour,
most of us wanting to find an inn or head directly to the Academy, but Taklinn
explained. "Should we not first go to a place we can trust? Will we not receive the
best directions and advice from those with whom I share my faith? Surely
Clangeden’s servants in Havilah will help us stay out of the way of ner do wells and
charlatans who seek to fleece unwary travelers."
Grudgingly we acquiesced to his wisdom and followed the directions the sergeant
had given.
I had never dreamed that so many people could reside in one place, and for
awhile, as we led our mounts through the throngs that choked the streets, I felt a bit
of claustrophobia, a sensation of not having enough air to share with so many, for at
every turn the crowds milled and moved, shouted and hurried, bought and sold. It
was only through quick meditative exercise that I was able to keep my composure.
At last, after an hour of winding our way through the streets, we arrived at the
temple district, and from there, the temple of Clangeden. The temple was a strong
and simple structure, made entirely of stone. It rose three full stories, without frill or
superfluous decoration, a monument to dwarven architecture and lack of nonsense.
It was decided that Taklinn and I would enter while the rest watched our mounts.
The interior of the temple was much like the outside, and I felt a strange sense of
security once inside. A cold comfort of sorts, though Taklinn appeared to be right at
home. In due course we were greeted by a dwarven acolyte who, once we’d
explained ourselves, hurried off to fetch someone with the authority to help us.
The dwarf that next arrived bore himself with the regalness that only men of the
cloth seem able to convey. His simple clerical garb did little to quell the notion that
this was a considerably powerful figure, and I emulated Taklinn as he bowed low
before the new arrival.
He bid us rise, and introduced himself as Father Rheget, whereupon he and
Taklinn fell deep into conversation that I was content to be an observer to.
Taklinn had been right, for Father Rheget was able to provide us with thorough
directions to the Academy, as well as much information about what was safe and
what was not within the city. He also offered to safeguard our mounts and supplies
for us until such time as we had found a place. He also informed us that potential
crews were expected to reside within the walls of the Academy, and thus, we would
have no need of finding an inn. Last, but certainly not least, he offered to help put
us in contact with an honest merchant who will give us fair price for the goods we
have brought to sell.
Well pleased with having met such a useful and friendly source of information
and aid, we left the temple with many thanks, assuring him that we would be right
back with our wagon and mounts. But alas, as we exited the grand hall and stepped
into the street, our companions and horses were nowhere to be seen. Scanning up
and down the street showed us only faceless throngs, and Taklinn and I looked at
each other in disbelief. In the city less than a couple of hours, and already three
fifths of us, as well as our livestock and treasure were missing!
Still, there were no signs of fight or struggle, so we assumed that they could not
have gotten far. "I’ll go this way and you go that way," I quickly said to Taklinn.
"Go round the block and I’ll meet you back here." With a nod the cleric hefted his
axe and stomped off down the street while I did the same in the opposite direction.
I did not have to go far. Turning the corner, I spotted our wagon, the horses, and
the ever patient Don Kay hitched to a railing outside what was advertised as a pie
shop and brewery. I should have known, I thought to myself, and I squared my
shoulders as I marched toward our property, which was already being not so
surreptitiously inspected by a handful of youthful scallywags. With stern voice and
forceful presence, I told them to sod off, and climbed into the drivers seat for a look
around from high ground.
Sure enough, there they were. I could see Happy and Griffin through the shops
open window, she with a mouthful of mutton, and he with a lip covered in ale foam.
They saw me just as I saw them, and I did nothing to conceal my ire as I proceeded
to unhitch the mounts in an effort to lead them back to the temple.
Dealing with that many horses, plus our donkey, plus the wagon was no easy
chore, and thus I had not gotten far when the pair caught up with me, still wiping
crumbs from their faces.
"You couldn’t wait five minutes?" I asked tersely, not bothering to conceal my
anger.
"We were hungry." Griff stated with a shrug. Happy said nothing, but took Don
Kay by the bridle to assist me in leading the animals.
I glared at Griffin. "What, you think I’m not hungry? You think Taklinn just
finished a seven course meal? We’ve been inside taking care of business, and you
two decide to just wander off and have a snack, all the while leaving our animals
and treasure unguarded? I’m no big city fellow, but even I know that’s a bad idea." I
tossed him the reins of his horse and climbed into the wagon to drive it.
"We could see out the window the whole time." Griffin said, flatly, his seemingly
uncaring stoicism making me all the more furious.
By this time we had reached the temple again, and there was Taklinn, waiting for
us. "You couldn’t wait five minutes!" he bellowed, and Griffin rolled his eyes
maddeningly while Happy busied herself with picking a burr from Don Kay’ s mane.
Working up a head of steam, Taklinn tore into them. "We’re gettin’ information,
we’re doin’ the job, and you two go off..."
I cut him off. "Where’s Caribdis?" I asked.
The four of us looked around, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. "We thought
he was with you." Happy said.
"We left him out here with ye two!" Taklinn roared back, and for the first time I
saw a small glimmer of concern in Griffin’s eyes.
"You two let that boy wander off alone in a city this size?" I asked in disbelief.
"Are you mad? Caribdis is a danger to himself at the best of times! He may have his
head on a pike by this time!"
Taklinn, too, was beside himself, and I read real, almost fatherly, concern in his
words. "You two... why, if anything happens to that boy I hold you personally
responsible!"
"Calm down, the both of you!" Griff snapped. "He’s not a child. He has to learn to
deal with things someday, why not today? He’ll be fine!"
"Oh really?" Taklinn mocked, taking a menacing step toward Griffin. Both I and
Happy held our breaths as the warriors stood toe to toe. "Why not today? I’ll bloody
well tell ye why not today! Because today we have matters to attend to! Places to
be! People to meet! But all that doesn’t matter now, because our first priority has
just become finding a boy with more sand than brains in a city of thousands! Now
one of us gets to wait here and hope he comes back, while the rest of us..." Taklinn’s
stream of fury cut off in mid sentence, and he slowly looked to his left where
Caribdis now stood, munching an apple. "What’s going on? What’s all the yelling
about?" our oblivious young bard asked, looking quizzically at all of us. Griffin
rolled his eyes again while Taklinn choked on his words, his face turning red.
"Hmmm," Happy said to herself, looking thoughtfully at Caribdis, "Perhaps a
harness of some kind..."
So it was that we, at last, turned our mounts and valuables over to the safekeeping
of Father Rheget, and set out on the last leg of this journey, the short walk to the
Academy!
***Here we find several pages torn from Doorag’s diary, followed by his
explanation***
Rdry’t 18 (con’t)
Yes, a short walk to the Academy, but a long road to write about it, apparently.
I wrote a detailed and flavorful account of our journey to the Academy, a vivid
description of it’s architecture and all around magnificence (it really is an incredible
structure!), and our subsequent meeting with Nivin Mottul.
Then Ambros tipped my inkwell all over it! I have never seen a rat so humiliated,
and well he should be! An hours work and a cramped quill hand, all for naught!
Ambros is having a self imposed time out in his nest.
After cleaning up the mess, I just can’t bring myself to re-write the whole
business. The gods know that the Academy is a building that deserves more than a
passing mention, it being the center of not only the city of Havilah, but of the
kingdom as well, not to mention the fact that it’s architecture and scope dwarf
anything I’ve ever even dreamed of. But the day has been a long one, and there is
much to do tomorrow, so until such time as I can bare to write it all over again, I
shall have to suffice with a few quick passages to sum up the days events.
From the temple we made our way to the Academy where we were allowed entry
after showing our letters of introduction. A guide was brought to us and he took us
to meet Nivin Mottul, who is, apparently, a long time friend of Yigil’s, and probably
a good person to know in Havilah. We told him our story, starting with the
Monastery and ending with our arrival at Havilah, and he was able to shed a little
light on at least one of our mysteries. Janek, it seems, had been a member of a
sponsored crew sent out by the academy to investigate rumors of goblinoid
movement within Havilah’s borders. Judging by the scroll we found on the raven, it
would seem that he found some, but Nivin fears him dead, as this is the only
communication he’s received from Janek in weeks, and this, only through sheer
luck.
Nivin has agreed to enter us into the process of sponsorship, which apparently
involves still more testing, though he assures us that the Academy’s tests are a little
more scientifically conducted. We shall see, for I fear that this testing, scientific or
not, will probably take place on the gigantic field that the Academy is built around,
much like a massive coliseum.
But that will have to wait. For now, we’ve been shown to our quarters by a boy
named Crispin Reis who has been assigned to us as a sort of runner and guide.
Test or not, sponsorship or not, Taklinn has declared that we will investigate the
mysterious goings on that are taking place, and I would have to agree. I don’t know
how eager Happy, Griff and Caribdis are about it, but hopefully it won’t be an issue.
For now, there is yet some daylight and the city beckons us to explore.
OOC: OK, my computer took a freeze on me after I’d written four frikin pages,
and I just couldn’t face doing it again.
Rdry’t 19
A fine day today! Father Rheget managed to sell our goods for us and delivered to
us just a little under 4000 gold! I’ve never seen so much gold in one place! We
immediately set to shopping. I’ve purchased a fine parasol and a real wizards hat,
Happy got a miniature horse that she is utterly enamored of, Taklinn and Griffin are
upgrading their armor, and Caribdis promptly spent most of his gold on gaudy
jewelry. His fingers now glitter with rings, and his ears are studded with gems. The
boy never ceases to amaze me.
On a magical note, I have, at last, mastered Magic Missile! It finally came to me
in a flash of understanding, and I can now hurl two "skip stones" that will strike
unerringly. The spell is such a staple of spell casters everywhere, I am very happy
to finally know it.
Rdry’t 20
Another beautiful day in Havilah, and one left solely for us to explore and enjoy. I
fear that I shall never see the length and breadth of this magnificent city, but I am
surely going to try. The art, the culture, the architecture, it’s overwhelming in a
pleasant way.
I still miss my family, but I am already beginning to feel like this city is my home.
Nivin tells us that we shall face our trials on the 22nd. We are all a bit
apprehensive, but I’m certain that we will pull together and emerge victorious.
Rdry’t 22
Oh my. Well, we have indeed emerged victorious, but did we pull together to do
it? Today has been an eye opener in more ways than one!
We were called to the arena at early noon after being told to equip ourselves for
anything. Upon our arrival, we could see many people in the stands, there to watch
our trial. Yigil had arrived, and Nivin was there as well, of course. The stands
weren’t packed by any means, but enough spectators were there to make me a bit
nervous.
Another group also stood not far away, obviously another party seeking crew
status, for they mirrored us in many ways. They had with them three humans, a
dwarf and a halfling, and it was fairly apparent that at least two of them were
warriors, while two others looked like a cleric and a spell caster. They looked at us
and we at them, and we realized that they would likely be our competitors.
General Devon Murka, an aged and much respected administrator at the academy,
read his speech and gave the rules.
We were to undergo five tests of courage and ability to prove ourselves worthy of
sponsorship. In each test there would be a flag which we must capture. Our rival
team would be required to do the same. Each of the teams was instructed that
interference with the opposing teams flag would result in disqualification, though it
was implied that interfering with an actual TEAM, was not against the rules. It was,
however, made clear that finishing the test first was not a requirement for
sponsorship. The idea was to finish well.
Upon completion of the reading of the rules, we were given a half minute to
prepare. I did so by casting Mage Armor upon myself as well as Fox’s Cunning. I
saw that the mage from the rival team was doing much the same.
Then, the lights went out and we were thrust into utter darkness, but only for a
few seconds. When next the lights went up we saw that it’s source was a florescent
glowing moss that covered the interior of a massive, underground cavern. We stood
at one end while the opposing crew stood at the other. Near each of our parties,
along the east wall, was affixed a door with a target positioned over it, one red, one
blue. We had no idea how we’d arrived there, and no time to ponder the matter, for
we were immediately besieged by our first trial, namely, about two dozen animated
skeletons! The undead rattled toward us, and the melee was joined!
Realizing that I could do little against these fiends, I quickly cast levitate upon
myself and rose to safety. Once I found the ceiling, I began to push myself toward
the red target in hopes that a well placed bolt from my crossbow might open the
door, which seemed an obvious use for such a thing in a magical contest such as
this. But before I could get far, a magical keening started up that shook all our
senses, stunning several of us. It was a moment before Caribdis was able to counter
it with his verse, helping not only our party, but the rival band as well to shake off
the effects of the horrid sound.
As I scuttled along the ceiling I could see that my comrades were entrenched in
battle with the skeletons, and not faring particularly well. There seemed a never
ending supply of the them, and sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm both
groups.
At last I reached the red target and was just about to apply a bolt to it, when I
glanced down and saw that Taklinn had found a flag. A blue flag. Cursing to
myself, I hurriedly dropped to the ground and raced with all the speed I could
muster to the blue targeted door, praying that my hunch was right. Seeing that
Taklinn had won our flag, our crew began to fight their way toward the blue door.
By that time I had lifted myself to within a few feet of the bulls eye, and I quickly
punctured it with a bolt. As I had suspected, this was the key to opening the door,
and it swung ajar. I landed, ready to hurry through, but alas, it was not to be.
Seeing that the rival crew were now beset on all sides by skeletons, Taklinn
turned and charged to give them aid, swinging his axe in broad, skeleton rending
arcs. I swore under my breath, my competitive nature despairing as I watched our
lead slipping away. Still, I could not help but admire his honor and ferocity.
Then, their halfling broke free of the ranks of skeletons, a red flag clenched in her
fist! She streaked toward the red door, and it was at this point that the real test for
our group began. I watched, unable to stop him, as Caribdis drew back his bow and
took aim at the running halfling. He let loose twice, hitting her both times.
Horrified, I watched as she stumbled, nearly falling! She was made of tougher stuff
though, and rose to her feet, continuing on toward the door.
I was not the only one to see Caribdis’ rash action though. Happy ran at him,
waving her arms, putting herself in his line of fire, trying to ward off any more
shots. Taklinn took things a step further, charging at the befuddled bard and taking
a swing at him! Well, he took a swing at Caribdis’ bow, obviously hoping to sunder
it, but Caribdis managed to pull it away at the last second.
This was too much! I could not agree with Caribdis’ attack on the halfling, but
Taklinn’s attempt to violently disarm one of our own was crossing the line, and my
blood fairly boiled with fury! Disgusted, I turned away and walked through the
door.
Fortunately, the rest of my group were not far behind. Evidently the rival crew
were out of danger (most of the skeletons being destroyed by this time), and well on
their way to opening their own door. Griffin, Taklinn, Caribdis and Happy joined
me and the door slammed shut.
Before us lay a lengthy, torch-lit, hallway with another door at it’s opposite end,
but no one seemed the least bit interested in what dangers it hid, for emotions were
now running high.
Taklinn turned on Caribdis, seething with righteous indignation and stepping
quite close to the boy, lambasting him with angry words. Happy had a few choice
phrases for him as well, and Caribdis could do little but stutter out a few lame
rationalizations as he was soundly dressed down.
I, on the other hand, was madder than a wet hen, and I told Taklinn so. Drawing
myself to my full height, I stepped between him and Caribdis and assured him that,
yes, Caribdis had been wrong in firing at the halfling, but it was a rash act by a
young man. Taklinn, on the other hand, was old enough to check his anger, and to
attack another party member, or even another party members weapon, was simply
unacceptable, and were he to do it again, he would deal with me.
I’m not sure how seriously our dwarf took me, for his face was still dark with
anger, but he took a deep and rumbling breath and stepped away.
Griffin, ever the voice of stoic reason, reminded us that we still had four tests to
deal with, this hallway probably being one of them, and that we’d best get on with
the task. He was right, of course, and we all peered down the hall. Caribdis,
apparently having learned nothing of discretion, made ready to march on down the
hallway! Fortunately, Griffin grabbed him by the collar and drug him back.
"This place stinks of traps!" I muttered, saying what we were all (well, most of
us) thinking.
Happy bravely volunteered to go first to check it out, but I had a different plan.
My levitate was still going, and I postulated a means of traversing the hall without
touching floor, ceiling, or wall. I cast an unseen servant and then lay down, bidding
Caribdis to straddle my back and hang on. He tied a string to the end of his bow and
held it before us as a means of detecting any trip wires that might span our path, and
I then rose into the air with him on my back. I had my unseen servant push us
slowly down the hall, and before long we had reached the end safely. Once there,
we could see that the new door was red, and etched in flames. Getting near it, we
could feel sleight heat emanating from beyond, which gave us pause. But for the
time being, I concentrated on getting the rest of the crew through the hall. Returning
to the group, I did the same trick with Happy, and she soon joined our bard.
Unfortunately, Griffin and Taklinn would not be such easy passengers.
Taking Griffin first, we’d got no further than several yards when he promptly lost
his balance and fell off! Our fears were confirmed as he felt a stone beneath him
shift and we heard the faint click of gears within the walls as panels opened on
either side of us and huge hammers came swinging out! Fortunately I was between
them. Griffin got clipped by one of them, but managed to get himself into a safe
spot without too much damage. The silver lining to our having found this trap soon
became apparent though, for wrapped around the arm of one of the hammers was a
blue flag. I retrieved it and dropped down to Griffin. We decided to tie ourselves
together this time, and we again rose to the ceiling where we found a safe path in
the upper corner where the hammers did not reach. Soon, I dropped Griffin off with
Happy and Caribdis.
There was only Taklinn to fetch, and I did so quickly, tying him to myself as well.
Once we were all gathered at the far door, we took stock of it. It was defiantly hot
to the touch, and Happy decided that she needed to check it out in detail. I had no
spell to put her out of danger this time, so the rest of us backed up several feet and
let her do what she does.
She fiddled and examined the lock for several moments, and then one of her pick
wires must have tripped a trap, for from hidden vents in the door came a spewing of
molten fire that fanned out to a distance of nearly ten feet! Fortunately the rest of us
were far enough removed that we were merely singed, but Happy was directly in it’s
path! But with a tuck and a roll, she somehow managed to avoid the flame, coming
out of the smoke a bit brown around the edges, but no worse for wear.
Well, I’m sorry to say that it was at this point that we began to over think our
situation, and precious moments were lost as we tried to find an alternate route from
the hall, or something we had previously missed. I won’t go into detail except to say
that it involved setting off still more traps, losing my unseen servant, and finding
nothing. At last, Happy simply decided that the trap on the door was probably spent,
and she picked the lock.
The door swung open, and we saw what was creating such heat.
The room before us was a sweltering hot chamber, with a massive forge in one
end. Worse than that, dancing about the room were four figures made entirely of
fire! Their laughter sounded like the crackling of a campfire as they weaved and
skipped about the room, but as soon as we stepped inside, they were at us.
For me, it was again a matter of assuming a defensive position in the air while I
tried to lend aid where I could, for my spells could do little to affect such creatures.
The good news was, Griffin and Taklinn made short work of these elemental beasts,
cleaving into them with a force that soon silenced their laughter. Happy, Caribdis
and I did what we could, but this was the fighters show, no doubt. And when the
last of them had been dispatched, it left behind a blue, if somewhat sooty, flag.
We discovered a ladder leading up through the forges chimney, and though it
should have been far too hot to navigate, it was not, and we were able to climb
upwards, to our fourth trial.
Griffin led the way and found a trap door at the top of the ladder which he pushed
open without fanfare. Thank goodness it was not trapped! He climbed out and we
followed, finding ourselves in a small, well maintained room, well lit by streaming
sunlight that entered through two windows that afforded us with a view of a lovely
garden outside.
Inside, the room was sturdily furnished with carpets, plush chairs, fireplace and a
table that held five potion bottles, each labeled, enigmatically enough, "Drink Me".
I don’t know who first decided to follow the instructions, but it was soon found
out that the bottles contained potions of healing. Whoever had set up our tests must
have known that we wouldn’t get this far without suffering a few cuts and bruises,
and they were right. Most of us were beaten fairly badly, and the potions took much
of the edge off of that.
After drinking the potions, we began to search this seemingly friendly room.
Caribdis found himself an exceptionally plush chair and took a seat with an audible,
"Ahhh!". But his comfort was short lived, for no sooner had he settled within it’s
embrace, than it suddenly came to life, it’s arms pivoting inwards to pin him to his
seat while it’s legs began a hideous bucking! At the same time, practically every
other inanimate object in the room took on a life of its own and began to fly,
bounce, or trundle toward us! Chairs hurled themselves at us, Carpets flew at us,
dressers attempted to beat us with their drawers! In all, a surreal and dangerous
scene, and one that I wanted no part of. My levitate spell was nearly used up, but
enough time remained that I was able to lift myself toward the ceiling and
effectively remove myself from harms way, with the exception of the flying carpets.
Fortunately Happy pinned one to the wall with a well placed dagger before it had a
chance to come at me.
I took up crossbow duty while my earth bound friends fought the furniture at
ground level. Caribdis managed to extricate himself from the chair, but then
decided to ride it as if it were a wild horse! Happy dodged and thunked daggers into
dressers, while Griffin went toe to, uh, well, Griffin fought off two dancing
fireplace pokers. Taklinn engaged an armoire that seemed bent on his destruction,
but an axe is a fine tool for destroying furniture, and soon he had reduced it to
kindling. Within one of it’s drawers, he found our fourth blue flag. Once he held our
flag aloft, it was as if the rest of the room took that as a signal to return to normalcy,
and once again, all fell silent. We had sustained a few bumps and cuts, but nothing
serious. We decided to get out while the getting was good, and the only door in the
room swung open. We stepped into a beautiful afternoon where the sun shone down
on a walled in garden.
The garden was situated as a semi-circle, with it’s flat area being the wall of the
room we had been in. A bubbling fountain gurgled happily to our right, and though
it seemed inviting, our previous test had taught me to be wary. I didn’t get near it.
Along the far arc was positioned a trellis, entwined with a thick rose bush, and
tied within those vines, a blue flag. Before we could stop him, the ever impetuous
Caribdis raced forward to seize it!
Of course the true nature of the trial immediately made itself evident as our bard
made to snatch the flag, for the rose vine slithered to life, striking like a snake to
wrap around his waist, constricting and biting with it’s thorns! The hapless Caribdis
could do little but yell in pain!
Griffin raced forward and took a deep bite out of the vine with his sword, but at
that point the very grass beneath his feet began to writhe and twist, wrapping itself
around his boots in an attempt to pin him in place. He was not having it though, and
pulled his feet free. However, the whole area in front of the vine was now a mass of
seething grass, and we feared to enter it. Instead, I decided to use my new spell.
With a swift incantation, two magic missile streaked from my finger, smacking into
the vine causing it to jerk with what appeared to be pain! Griffin took advantage of
the vines distraction and came down with a mighty two handed cleave that lopped
the offending plant away from it’s supporting trellis! With the vine dead, the grass
ceased it’s writhing, and Caribdis hurriedly stripped the vine from him. As if in
victory, he leapt to his feet and grabbed the last flag, holding it aloft like a trophy!
And then, all went black again.
Seconds later the lights came up again, and we found ourselves back in the
Academies arena. "I knew it!" I cried, "It was all illusion!" I had little time to pat
myself on the back, however, for two things became readily apparent.
First, we could see that we were not alone in the arena. Our rival party had
completed their tasks at much the same time, apparently, for they stood not thirty
feet from us.
Second, about a hundred feet from both of our groups, there stood a circle of ten
posts, each with a hook on top, each just begging for a flag to be attached.
We looked at our rivals, they looked at us, and we both began to run!
They were already a bit closer than we, so we had to even the odds a bit. I quickly
cast grease beneath the feet of their human wizard and dwarven cleric, which
slowed them down a bit. Their wizard attempted a sleep spell on Taklinn and I, but
we shrugged it off. Griffin raced to the circle and placed his flag, as did Happy. A
couple of our rivals reached the circle as well and posted their red flags, and for a
moment it seemed that they might have us. But Taklinn must have some
competitive spirit, for he cast a spell which I later found out was Scare. All of our
rivals resisted it except their halfling (the same one who’d been shot by Caribdis,
ironically enough), and she immediately began to run from both Taklinn and the
circle of posts. Unfortunately for our rivals, she still had one of their flags tucked in
her belt.
Caribdis and I raced for the circle and hooked our flags, as did the unfrightened
members of our rivals. Only Taklinn’s flag remained for our side, and their halflings
flag, and she was across the arena. Victory seemed to be ours!
But I should have known it would not be so easy. Taklinn stepped into the circle,
his flag clenched in his fist. The opposing team members watched, but could do
nothing except watch as one of their fighters ran to retrieve their last flag from the
frightened halfling. Taklinn looked at Caribdis, then at the rival teams cleric, who
also happened to be a dwarf. And then he handed our last flag to their cleric!
My jaw dropped, and Griffin’s eyes practically spun in their sockets. But Taklinn
had some sort of weird dwarven method to his madness. "We will only take this last
flag from our rivals when Caribdis apologizes!" he thundered. I groaned, for I knew
that getting the prideful lad to give a sincere apology would be a tougher fight than
any wyvern was. Indeed, as I watched their fighter getting closer and closer with
their last flag, I could only curse as I heard Caribdis babble on about
misunderstandings and the rules of the game and so on.
But in the end, he must have seen the approaching fighter as well, for at the last
minute he gave in and shouted, "OK! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"
Was there even a hint of sincerity in his hurried apology? No. But I decided that
enough was enough. I stepped up to the cleric and held out my hand. "That belongs
to us, I believe."
He could do little but comply with the rules of the game, and he handed our last
flag to me. I wasted no time and hooked it to it’s post, effectively ending the game
and winning our victory, albeit tainted.
***Note: Due to my recent computer crash I’m now a week behind in Doorag’s
diary, and I know from hard experience that that is tough to recover from if I wish
to stay current and not constantly be playing catch up. Therefore, the following
entries will probably be pretty succinct until I’m back on top of the story.***
Rdry’t 22 (Con’t)
There was much hushed murmuring among the crowd as we shuffled off the field,
and the creased brow on Yigil’s face further dampened my spirits, but I was
determined that we had done nothing technically wrong. A tad dishonorable,
perhaps, but I refused to let Caribdis’ rash act ruin the fact that we had won, if
nothing else, the race.
I could tell that Taklinn was not going to put such a positive spin on events
though, for he stalked away, his face dark with anger and perceived shame. I
thought to talk with him, but figured our exchange of words earlier might be too
recent to allow clear heads to prevail, and so I chose to let him be, trusting in his
wisdom, that he would see the logic in things.
A dinner was held in the evening to honor both crews, but when we showed up
there was no sign of the rival party. They snubbed us, and by midway through the
dinner I was furious! Even the words of Nivin, welcoming us into the fold of the
Academy as a bona fide crew, were lost on me as I fumed about the absence of our
competitors. I had been looking forward to toasting their bravery, but instead I
dwelt upon their pettiness, and later that evening, when we met in private with Yigil
to discuss the events of the day, I must admit that I quite lost my temper! I made
what, for most people, would be a fatal mistake. I spoke out of turn to an arch
mage!
He had only to raise an eyebrow to remind me to whom I was speaking, and I
immediately stood down.
Taklinn said little during the entire night, and Happy has favored Caribdis with a
glare or two. Only Griffin seems to have little opinion on the subject, and Caribdis
himself is either blissfully unaware of the turmoil he has caused, or completely
obstinate in his rationalization of his bow shots to the halfling.
As for me, I have decided to take Yigil’s advise, to step back, sleep on this thing,
and look at it like a wizard should. With logic, and a good nights sleep to put things
into perspective.
On a final note, though perhaps the most exciting, Yigil tells us that we are to
winter in Havilah! We are to stay here throughout the entire season, learning our
crafts and honing our skills that we’ll truly be able to serve as a crew for the
Academy.
I am beside myself with excitement at this news! Oh, the books I will immerse
myself in! The museums I will visit! The classes I will attend! Already I can hear
the voice of this magnificent city calling me to accept all she has to offer, and I
cannot wait for the sun to come up tomorrow so I can begin to do just that.
***And Doorag did just that. Through Suns’ebb, Fireseek and Readying, he toiled
diligently under the tutelage of the Academy and it’s teachers. In his spare time, he
devoured books, went to plays, studied, scribed many scrolls, and learned all he
could.
During those months the confrontation and bad blood between the crew and it’s
rivals were eventually ironed out, though not without drama.
The day following the trials confirmation as a crew, Taklinn shaved his beard in
abject, dwarven shame and moved to a room in the Academy away from the rest of
the crew. Furthermore, he sent, not only the braids from his shorn beard to the rival
crew, but the 1000gp credit voucher that had been his prize from the Academy as
well!
Doorag did not particularly agree that such histrionics were necessary, but he let
the cleric work things out for himself. In the meantime, Doorag had mellowed a bit
and decided that relations must be mended between two of Havilah’s crews, and to
that end, he write this letter and had it delivered to the rival crews wizard, one
Teppo Safford.
"Mr. Safford,
I have chosen you to be the recipient of this letter simply because you are, like
myself, a practitioner of the arcane arts, and as such, we share a common bond. This
letter is, however, open to the rest of your party, namely Ryton Safford, Finch
Severi, Lotte Spangler, and Kester Orban.
Gentlemen and Lady, I formerly extend to you the hand of friendship. The events
of Readyreat 22, specifically the crew sponsorship test at the Academy, were both
heroic and unfortunate. I would concur that mistakes were made, however they are
far from insurmountable. If I am mistaken, then I am afraid we have failed a much
larger test indeed.
We must look upon that contest as sport, as a game devised to teach us more
about ourselves. And, like children at play, we must pick ourselves up, dust off,
forgive the trespasses of our opponents, recognize their skill, and move on with the
much larger business of Academy business.
Your crew played well, with skill, and honor. I regret that my friends actions will
taint that. I regret that I was not able to tell you that in person, and to raise a toast to
you at the awards ceremony. I believe my regret is born of anger and
impetuousness. I say, let this be the end. I say, let us write a new chapter that has, at
it’s heart, the best interests of Havilah and the Academy between our groups.
Yours,
Doorag Marzipan"
This letter was answered by a visit by that same wizard, and Teppo and Doorag
were able to arrive at a meeting of the minds. The following is their exchange.
For a couple days you hear nothing, but then Teppo Safford seeks you out.
You’re checking out your new laboratory digs, which are a bit dusty and in need of
some homemaking. He knocks politely at the door and then steps in, taking a seat
unbidden in one of the three chairs arranged around the big table that serves as a
desk and work surface (there are also two long "counters" for the accoutrements of
a wizard’s office).
"We got your letter," he says. He is a frail man, his skin quite sallow, and he stops
for a moment while he catches his breath. The climb to your study seems to have
done him in. Finally he resumes.
"Logic and intellect are the stuff we wizards are made of," he says. "And logic
dictates that you are entirely correct. The events between our two parties were
unfortunate, and it is indeed my hope that we can come to an understanding. If it
were my decision alone, then we would join together this evening and clear the air
over dinner and wine."
He sighs and shakes his head. "Ah, but reason does not come so easily to some, as
much as we would wish it so. I must admit that Lotte has a bit of revenge in her
heart. Even your dwarf’s tokens did little to cool her head." He smiles. "Kester
nearly had his own beard ripped off after they came to words over his letter.
"You may take comfort in the fact that she is not in the majority, but actions can’t be
taken until Lotte decides to let things be.
"Your bard picked the wrong target, Doorag Marzipan. Finch is something of a
favorite of hers. They’ve traveled together for a very long time, long before they
joined up with Ryton, Kester, and me. She took it very personally when he plugged
her friend full of arrows. She feels...."
Teppo pauses, and looks nothing except...uncomfortable. "Finch and Lotte are,
well... they are close. Let us end it at that. Finch has forgiven and forgotten, but
I’ve heard those two battling about it every night since the contest. It was Lotte
who refused to go to the banquet.
"Myself, I would have liked to see my adversaries in more normal circumstances.
But like it or not we are a team, and we learned long ago that we always stick
together. We’ve been a crew long before coming to the Academy, and learned the
hard way what happens when we don’t act as one."
He looks uncomfortable again, and fiddles with his robe. "Kester says that Taklinn
has removed himself from your quarters. That is bad news indeed. I’d say that this
is your greatest test as a crew; that wyvern they say you killed will be nothing
compared to the harm a fractured party can be.
"I don’t mean to give advice where your own friends are concerned, so stop me if I
overstep my bounds, but I don’t know how much you know about dwarfs.
Especially those that follow Clangeden. I myself didn’t until Kester explained it to
us. Cutting his beard was irrational; I think both you and I can see that. But
dwarven pride is something that you just can’t ignore, and it appears that Clangeden
only exacerbates the problem." Teppo grins. "Kester offered Kurd’s path to him,
but I dare say that that offer won’t be taken."
He stands and offers his hand. "All is well between you and I, Doorag Marzipan,
and you’ll just have to be patient with my friends. My advice to you is to bring
Taklinn back into the fold as soon as you can. I’ve heard rumors around the
Academy that there is something big afoot in the kingdom, although I don’t know
what it is. Things are so hush-hush that my guess is that it is something serious.
The kingdom needs its crews, and I hear that your crew was somewhat....
impressive, if a bit fractured."
Doorag considers Teppo’s words thoughtfully when the man has finished. At last,
he sighs and says, "Yes, I suppose your right about Taklinn. I’ve been letting him
be, hoping that this will blow over, but the whole shaving of the beard, well! I can
tell you, it startled me, and no doubt about that!"
"The Old Man in the Pointy Hat used to say that the only thing harder than stone
is a dwarf, and I’m beginning to understand what he meant. At this point I’m getting
a little exasperated with him, so perhaps we would do well to share a cup and a few
words."
"As for us, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came today, Teppo, nor how
gratified I am to learn that my hunch was right, that you are a logic driven chap who
won’t miss the forest for the trees. I hope that Lotte will one day come around.
Perhaps if he were to actually meet Caribdis, and perhaps if Caribdis we’re actually
apologetic... well, that will be a job for my crew. I swear, but that boy drives the lot
of us to distraction! His raw talent is too much to ignore, but there are many rough
edges that need polishing."
"As for we two, perhaps our meeting of the minds will sew the seeds of future
reconciliation. And if they don’t, well, at least we have forged a valuable
relationship. You can’t have too many friends!" With that, Doorag grins and taps the
side of his nose with his finger.
So Doorag and Teppo were fine, and Doorag was titillated by the fact that Finch
and Lotte (both females) were having -ahem- relations. Taklinn had arrived at his
own peace through his dealings with Kester Orban. Happy and Finch (the halfling
rogue) had met many times on the training fields and learned to get along. Griffin
just didn’t care, and Caribdis made amends in his own way, by taking both Finch
and Lotte out for what must be one of the most expensive nights on the town in
Havilah history. Lotte let him spend nearly every copper he possessed on them
before she decided to forgive and forget, but in the end, she, too, saw the wisdom in
putting the needs of the Academy before their own differences.
Caribdis’ birthday was celebrated, and the new year came, and with it, the
warming rays of the spring sun, as well as their first mission as a real crew.
On Readying 13 there were called before Nivin Mottul and told that they were to
travel to Kalendia, a city to the south, only fifty miles from the Wild Lands, a
border town where many sightings of Himrak orcs had recently been reported.
Himrak orcs are a particularly nasty breed, sure that they are the supreme race on
earth and only too willing to slaughter any who don’t agree. Nivin tells them that
another crew was recently sent there and had not been heard of in some time. They
were to investigate the orc sightings and the disappearance of the other crew.
On Readying 14 they hitched up their wagon and headed south.***
***Note: Forgot to mention that, in addition to their ultimate mission in Kalendia,
the crew are also to investigate sightings of another possible wyvern along the way.
Supposedly the small village of Vasain, which lies at the halfway point of their
journey, has been harried by wyvern attacks.***
