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Story Hour
From the Diary of Doorag Marzipan
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<blockquote data-quote="cthulhu42" data-source="post: 6581729" data-attributes="member: 6792361"><p>Rdying 15 </p><p> </p><p> Back on the road again, and it feels good to be here. Spring is well upon us,</p><p>though there is a fine chill in the air. </p><p></p><p> Being here again, with firm direction in mind, it seems that we have once again</p><p>solidified into the crew we were before our trials at the Academy. A bit</p><p>scatterbrained, perhaps, but united as much as we ever were. Taklinn’s beard is </p><p>coming back in nicely and all the old bad blood seems to have thinned. </p><p></p><p> I must admit though, that three months in the comfort of Havilah has softened my</p><p>bum and the wagon is playing havoc on it. It will be awhile before my bones have </p><p>acclimated themselves to the road again. Until then I will surely spend a few sore</p><p>nights. </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Rdying 17 </p><p> </p><p> Well, we may travel the Queens Road, but today has proved that even this main</p><p>artery across the land is less than safe, for as we traveled this noon, we were </p><p>ambushed by a group of ten orcs. Though we were outnumbered, our skills that we</p><p>honed in the Academy were more than enough to deal with such rabble, and in less</p><p>than a minute the would-be bandits lay dead, strewn across the road, bloodied and </p><p>burnt by steel and spell. We sustained a few wounds but nothing that Taklinn and</p><p>Caribdis couldn’t handle. </p><p> </p><p> I fear that this is yet more evidence that Havilah is being slowly encroached upon </p><p>by humanoid hordes. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Rdying 19 </p><p> </p><p> We have entered Vasain, and apparently the reports are true. This town has</p><p>suffered several attacks from an airborne creature, and, in fact, as we approached</p><p>the village this afternoon we spotted the creature. It was high in the air, merely a </p><p>speck in the sky, but with our spyglass we were able to get a better look at it, and</p><p>I’m afraid that the reports of a wyvern were amiss. The beast we saw has four legs,</p><p>not two, and no stinger on it’s tail. No one wants to say it, but we are all thinking the </p><p>same thing: Dragon! </p><p> </p><p> It was difficult to tell from our distance, and we have only seen pictures of</p><p>dragons in books, but what I saw looked an awful lot like those pictures. Caribdis is </p><p>already lobbying for us to return to Havilah and request the assistance of a more</p><p>learned crew. </p><p> </p><p> Once in Vasain we established a base of operations in the inn and learned much</p><p>from the townsfolk. It seems that quite a bit of livestock has been carried away, as </p><p>well as two children and two adults. </p><p> </p><p> Surprisingly enough, Griffin appeared quite affected by the news of the children’s </p><p>disappearance. He and Happy spoke with the parents of the children and found</p><p>further evidence of a dragon at the sight from which they vanished: A large circle of</p><p>burnt grass, which we can only assume to be the results of fiery dragons breath. </p><p> </p><p> Griffins rage at the deaths of these two children is apparent, even though he tries</p><p>to maintain his stoic exterior. He has fortified himself even more than usual with</p><p>strong drink tonight. I believe we may have discovered Griff’s blind spot. </p><p> </p><p> While Griff and Happy met with the parents, the rest of us sought out and talked</p><p>with one Rogan, a trapper in these parts. He tells us that he has seen the beast up</p><p>close and has an idea of where it may lair. He has agreed to take us there on the </p><p>morrow. </p><p></p><p> We are all a bit nervous tonight. The idea of taking on a dragon, even a small one,</p><p>is enough to turn my legs to jelly, and Caribdis is positively in a frenzy of trying to </p><p>convince us to return to Havilah for aid. But it will not be. We will do what we have</p><p>been sent to do, and that is that. </p><p></p><p> I pray that I will still be around tomorrow to make an entry in this journal. In the </p><p>meantime, I must rest and dwell upon which spells will be best suited to deal with</p><p>such a beast. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Rdying 20 </p><p></p><p> We awoke early, and true to his word, Rogan was waiting for us. After a quick</p><p>bite (of which Caribdis was able to eat very little - the boy was a bit pale this </p><p>morning) we set out to find this dragon. </p><p></p><p> Rogan led us into the surrounding woods, of which he is intimately familiar, and</p><p>we followed him into the low hills a few miles from the village. He would not go </p><p>too near where he believed the dragon to be, but he gave us further directions and</p><p>agreed to wait for us. </p><p> </p><p> We continued on, following his landmarks, until we had climbed a small bluff, at </p><p>the top of which was a large clearing that served as a porch to a dark cave. Any</p><p>doubts that this was the beasts lair were soon put to rest, for the clearing was littered</p><p>with bones, broken and burnt. I thought I could hear Caribdis’ knees knocking </p><p>together, and truth be told, my own voice was a bit shaky as I read off a couple of</p><p>protective scrolls. Most of the time I trust the others to protect me, as well as my</p><p>ability to simply stay out of harms way, but I was taking no chances with a dragon. </p><p>Neither was Taklinn, and he cast similar spells upon himself. </p><p></p><p> As we neared the cave entrance we could hear the heavy breathing of something</p><p>within, and I declare that raw fear nearly caused us to turn back. But we steeled </p><p>ourselves and entered, with Griffin and Taklinn leading the way. I remembered</p><p>Griffin’s description of the burnt circle of grass they had found and I hung back,</p><p>having a bad feeling that things were going to warm up. </p><p> </p><p>We had not far to go. A mere fifty or so feet into the cave the sun shone enough to</p><p>reveal the hulking form of the wurm, newly awakened by our entry and uncoiling </p><p>itself to deal with us. It was small, by dragon standards I suppose, barely out of it’s</p><p>infancy, but still as big as a war horse and bristling with teeth and claws. It gleamed</p><p>a bright red, and it lay atop a pile of coin, the amount of which I’ve never seen in </p><p>one place. </p><p> </p><p>To my surprise, it spoke! </p><p> </p><p>"Who dares disturb me?" It demanded. </p><p> </p><p>"I do, that’s who!" it was Griffin who answered, his sword point quivering with </p><p>anger as he addressed the beast, "We’ve come to extract retribution for the children</p><p>of Vasain! Prepare to die!" </p><p> </p><p>The dragon seemed not the least bit worried by Griffin’s declaration and looked</p><p>down his long snout at us as if we were no more than minor annoyances. "How you </p><p>humans do bore me," it said, snidely, "Yet you come at an inopportune time and I</p><p>don’t feel like killing you right now. Leave me, and do not return, or I shall burn</p><p>you where you stand. Now go!" </p><p> </p><p>Caribdis, standing not far from me, looked as if he were about to heed the dragons</p><p>command, but Taklinn simply reinforced Griff’s words with a hefted axe and a </p><p>prayer to Clangeden. Happy, well in the shadows, slid ever forward. The wurm,</p><p>seeing that we were not to be so easily dismissed, reared itself up to it’s full height,</p><p>it’s tail whipping behind it, it’s wings flaring out and sending buffets of wind at us. </p><p> </p><p>"Then die!" it roared, and exhaled its flaming breath at us! A wall of fire emanated</p><p>from that toothy maw, engulfing all that stood before it. Luckily I had judged </p><p>correctly and was just out of range. I could feel the heat of the flame, but the fire</p><p>stopped only feet from me. When it cleared, we all still stood, but it was clear that</p><p>all had been badly burnt. Still, as long as we keep our feet we shall fight, and Griff, </p><p>Taklinn and Happy moved in for their strikes while Caribdis loosed arrows even as</p><p>flames still licked at his sleeves. I know the boy was terrified, but to his credit, he</p><p>held his ground. </p><p> </p><p>Taklinn reached the dragon and drew first blood for our side with a tremendous</p><p>swing. Griff stepped up, but the dragon surprised us with a spell. "Flee!" it </p><p>commanded our stanch warrior, and before I know it, Griffin was running for his</p><p>life! I could see the shame in his eyes as he passed me, but he had no choice, for he</p><p>was well and truly under the influence of magic. Fortunately, it would not last long. </p><p> </p><p>Trying not to stumble over my words, I cast glitterdust at the beast, hoping to blind</p><p>it, but it just shook its head and laughed! Taklinn and Happy laid into it again, </p><p>drawing a bit of blood, but taking their own lumps from it’s claws and teeth.</p><p>Taklinn reeled back, badly bitten, but refused to give up and hurled himself back at</p><p>the beast with renewed vigor. Caribdis fired arrows as fast as his arm could draw </p><p>back his bow, and I tried another spell, and to my great joy, this one worked! </p><p> </p><p>It’s was Reduce, and to my great surprise it actually took, for the dragon suddenly </p><p>went from being horse sized to pony sized! I knew that he would still be</p><p>formidable, but perhaps his newly diminished strength would give us the edge we</p><p>desperately needed. </p><p> </p><p>Then, a blur raced past me. It was Griffin. The spell that had forced him to flee had</p><p>expired and he charged the wurm with renewed fury, slamming into it with his </p><p>blade. The dragon flinched, obviously hurt and not prepared to deal with foes that</p><p>fought back. </p><p> </p><p>Rallying now that Griff had returned, Taklinn and Happy hacked away. As for me, I</p><p>thought to myself that if it was good that the dragon were smaller, it would be better</p><p>still if we were bigger, and with that in mind, I yelled out, "Griff! I’m hitting you </p><p>with a spell! Let it take!" Hoping that he’d heard me, I cast Enlarge on him. Within</p><p>seconds, he grew to nearly nine feet tall, his sword almost twice its original length,</p><p>and it bit even deeper into the dragons hide. </p><p> </p><p>Long seconds passed with only the sound of grunts, cries of pain, teeth ripping flesh</p><p>and steel biting scale. I hit the beast with Magic Missile, desperately trying to chip </p><p>away at it. </p><p> </p><p>With a snarl, the dragon realized that it was outmatched and attempted to flee. </p><p>Unfortunately, I stood directly in its path, and I can now attest to the fact that there</p><p>is no more fearsome sight than a dragon barreling down upon you. It nearly</p><p>trampled me, but my protective spells paid off, and I was only tossed aside as it </p><p>exited the cave. Only a few more steps and it would be able to take to the air where</p><p>we would have no chance of catching it. </p><p> </p><p>But it was not to be, for Griffin was hot on it’s heels, his newly lengthened legs</p><p>eating up ground as fast as the dragons, and with a final battle cry, he plunged his</p><p>bastard sword through the dragons back, piercing through organs and coming out of </p><p>its belly! Griff was thrown back by the beasts death throes, and we all stood well</p><p>away as it writhed and twisted, trying to drag itself from the cave. But it got no</p><p>more than a few yards before it slumped to the earth and breathed its last, Griffin's </p><p>sword still impaled into it. </p><p> </p><p>In the ensuing silence we could only stand around its corpse, looking at each other, </p><p>barely able to believe that we still survived. All of us were wounded, bitten, burnt,</p><p>or clawed, but the relief at having slain the beast took much of the sting out of our</p><p>wounds. </p><p> </p><p>And so Taklinn and Caribdis began their healing. Griff returned to normal size, and</p><p>we began to sift through the treasure. The amount of coin was impressive, but its </p><p>denomination disappointing, for the vast majority of it was copper. Still, we</p><p>managed to extract a goodly portion of gold and silver, as well as a handful of</p><p>gemstones. Best of all, my detect magic picked up several interesting items. We </p><p>found a beautiful bastard sword, an ax, a wand, a ring, a suit of leather armor, and</p><p>a pair of goggles, all of which glowed mellowly of magic. </p><p> </p><p>The sword, especially, was an interesting find. Caribdis actually recognized it and</p><p>named it as Everyman’s Blade. Supposedly it was once used by a great hero in the</p><p>defense of Havilah city, but was lost after a great battle and had not been seen since. </p><p>A true treasure! Griffin appeared unimpressed (of course) with the tale, but he left</p><p>his old blade in the dragon carcass and hefted this new one with a shrug, slipping it</p><p>into his sheath. </p><p> </p><p>I fetched Rogan and our mounts, and we headed back to Vaisan, our saddlebags</p><p>heavy with treasure and the dragons head strapped across Don Kay's back. </p><p> </p><p>Upon entering the village, word of our victory spread quickly, and we were given a</p><p>heroes welcome that turned into quite the party. Only Griffin seemed unable to </p><p>enjoy it, for he still dwelt upon the loss of the two children and his inability to even</p><p>find their remains. He delivered to their parents the head of that dragon, perhaps as</p><p>a means of closure. He disappeared soon after with two bottles of strong liquor, and </p><p>we didn’t see him until the next day. </p><p> </p><p>As for me, I enjoyed myself at the party for a few hours, but soon the excitement </p><p>caught up with me and I retired to my room where I now am, writing down these</p><p>events before I take my rest.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Rdying 21 </p><p></p><p> Our third day in Vasain, and I have spent the better part of it working with a spell </p><p>that I picked up at the Academy but had not yet had a chance to try. Identify has</p><p>told me much about the items we found in the dragons lair, though a few details still</p><p>elude me. </p><p></p><p> The sword that Griff now carries, Everyman’s blade, remains an enigma with the</p><p>exception of what I already guessed, that it is enchanted to such an extent as to give</p><p>its wielder a minor advantage on the field of battle. Same with the axe, but unlike </p><p>the axe, I can sense deeper enchantment in the sword. Enchantment too complex for</p><p>my simple spell to reveal its secrete. </p><p> </p><p> Perhaps only time will tell. Whatever the case, it fits Griff well, unless one </p><p>remembers that its former owner was a hero of the people. Hardly our lone wolf,</p><p>Griffin. </p><p></p><p> Taklinn took the axe, it was a natural fit, as was the leather armor for Happy. She </p><p>was delighted to find that it would shrink to fit her small form, and she now has a</p><p>very "black cat" look indeed, and seems well pleased. Her armor holds deeper</p><p>enchantment as well, but nothing I could put my finger on. </p><p> </p><p> The wand is a wand of Cure Light Wounds, and the ring grants minor protection</p><p>from physical blows. The goggles provide dark vision, and both Happy and I looked</p><p>at them greedily, but since she had already fallen in love with the leather, she </p><p>grinned and slid them over to me. </p><p></p><p> It was decided that Caribdis should hang on to the wand, which left him with the</p><p>ring as the last piece of treasure. But with Caribdis nothing is ever easy, and he took </p><p>it into his head that one of the front line fighters should have it. Taklinn and Griff</p><p>shrugged and said that they’d be glad to have it, but I think they both wanted</p><p>Caribdis to share in the loot, and they protested. </p><p></p><p> But Caribdis would have his way, and it was ultimately decided to let Olidamara</p><p>decide with a roll of the dice (though we did insist that Caribdis at least play).</p><p>Olidamara must favor our Griff, for his dice rolled highest, and he reluctantly put </p><p>on the ring. Caribdis seemed pleased though, which, I guess, is what matters. </p><p> </p><p> I think, however, that the next time we encounter a magical trinket that would suit</p><p>the boy, we will not take no for an answer. Self sacrifice is one thing, martyrdom is </p><p>another. </p><p> </p><p> We get back on the road tomorrow. According to our calculations we should </p><p>reach Kalendia by the 26th</p><p></p><p></p><p> Rdying 26th</p><p></p><p> Its been another long day and I’ve got lots to tell so I’d best get started. </p><p> </p><p> The last four days were spent in uneventful travel, but today brought us still more</p><p>action. We were only about three hours out of Kalendia when danger struck. We are </p><p>fast becoming experts in the fine art of being ambushed, for as we rode along we</p><p>spotted two hunched figures hurrying across the road. We only caught a glimpse of</p><p>them, but even from a distance we could tell that they were orcs. No sooner had </p><p>they disappeared into the woods than we heard the sound of hoof beats behind us.</p><p>Turning, we beheld yet another orc, only this one was mounted on a particularly</p><p>mean looking warhorse and was charging straight for us! We set ourselves to deal </p><p>with him, but before he’d even covered the distance, four more of them burst from</p><p>the woods, waving their huge axes and snarling war cries! </p><p> </p><p> But they were little match for my sleep spell, and three of them never even made </p><p>it to the road. The mounted orc and his remaining foot soldier were easy prey for</p><p>Griffin and Taklinn, and they died swiftly, but the horse was another matter, for it</p><p>fought as if it had a personal vendetta against us, biting Taklinn and hammering</p><p>about with it’s hooves. Caribdis tried to mount the thing, but got only a hoof in the </p><p>face for his trouble. I used my scorching ray to fine effect, and after I’d softened it</p><p>up, the rest were able to take it down. I think killing the horse upset Happy, she has </p><p>a soft spot for the beasts, but there was no help for it. </p><p> </p><p> The mounted orc was not dead, and we decided to take him prisoner along with</p><p>the other three that I had slept. We manacled them and tied them to the wagon while </p><p>Griffin and Happy went ahead on foot to scout around, figuring that there were</p><p>likely more orcs in the area. While they were gone we noticed that these orcs were</p><p>heavily tattooed and wore a sort of uniform armor. We deduced that they were </p><p>Himrok orcs. We had not even made it to Kalendia yet and already we were seeing</p><p>evidence of a Himrok invasion! </p><p> </p><p> Griff and Happy returned with a report of a farmhouse not far ahead and sightings </p><p>of several more orcs around it. We could only assume that they had taken over the</p><p>house for a base, and I worried for the human inhabitants. For Taklinn and I it was</p><p>not a question of IF we were going to deal with these orcs, but WHEN, and HOW. </p><p>But again, the rest of our crew needed a gentle prod. Caribdis argued that we were</p><p>nearly out of spells and Griff muttered about it not being our business, and we</p><p>ended up arguing about it all the way to the house, but Taklinn and I were not to be </p><p>moved on this point. Neither of us could sit idly by while innocent folk were</p><p>potently held captive in their own home. </p><p></p><p> While we discussed it from a field adjacent to the house, we were suddenly </p><p>witness to a large burst of light that emanated from a nearby shed! The light</p><p>exploded silently and shot up into the air, giving us all pause. </p><p> </p><p> But the farmhouse and its inhabitants were our first order of business, and we </p><p>assumed by this time that we’d been spotted, for all the orcs that Griff and Happy</p><p>had seen outside were nowhere to be found. We could only surmise that they had</p><p>retreated into the house. </p><p></p><p> Happy volunteered to scout out the house, and she quickly covered the ground</p><p>between us and it. By this time the shadows were growing long, and we were utterly</p><p>surprised to see her simply disappear into one of them! I think we can now safely </p><p>say that the deeper magic’s of her armor involve bettering her ability to camouflage</p><p>herself and blend into the shadows, for I swear, she seemed to simply vanish into</p><p>thin air and then reappear again a second later from another spot! Most impressive! </p><p> </p><p> She circled the house and brought back a report that the orcs were indeed inside</p><p>and had barricaded themselves in. Caribdis, of course, took that as an obvious</p><p>indication that we should leave well enough alone and press on to Kalendia for aid, </p><p>but I was having none of that. Cocking my crossbow, I ran for the house. The</p><p>others, to their credit, followed. </p><p></p><p> Once at the corner, we decided to divide and conquer. I had already cast a levitate </p><p>on myself, so I rose to the second floor and found a window unlocked. It let into a</p><p>small, unoccupied bedroom, so I descended to pick up Happy. Taklinn had already</p><p>started toward the front door, casting enhancement spells on himself as he went. </p><p> </p><p> Unbeknownst to me, as I ferried Happy to the second floor, Griff was fortifying</p><p>Caribdis’ courage with his own special brand of liquid steel. In other words, he let</p><p>the boy gulp down half a bottle of rotgut wine! I didn’t realize it until I took </p><p>Caribdis up and then went back down for Griff. He decided to go in another door</p><p>and made off for it. I rose back to the bedroom, only to find Caribdis passed out on</p><p>the bed! Happy was slapping him awake and he got up, already slurring! I clapped </p><p>my hand to my forehead in disbelief, but what could we do? </p><p> </p><p> I opened the door to reveal an empty hallway full of doors and a staircase that led</p><p>down. I made my way to the half point of the stairs and beheld nearly a half dozen </p><p>orcs and several war dogs at the bottom. Fortunately, they were all watching a door</p><p>at the bottom, presumably the door that Griff was trying to break through. In the</p><p>distance, I could hear the sounds of battle, and I figured that Taklinn had made his</p><p>presence known. </p><p> </p><p> I quickly cast from a scroll, and three of the orcs went down, asleep. That drew</p><p>their attention, but before they could act, Caribdis had stumbled past me and was </p><p>launching arrows at them. Good enough, I thought, putting the bard between myself</p><p>and the enemy as Griffin finally smashed through the door. </p><p> </p><p> One orc tried to rouse his fellows, but another scroll from me put him and the </p><p>remaining orcs back to bed as Griffin laid about with his sword. The dogs proved to</p><p>be tougher than their masters, and they chased Caribdis up the stairs as far as I</p><p>would let him go. </p><p> </p><p> Happy tumbled past us to help Griff on the floor, and I must confess to an</p><p>embarrassing moment here, for I fired my crossbow at a dog and missed, hitting</p><p>Happy instead! I was mortified, and she shot me an angry glance. By this time she </p><p>and Griff had dispatched the last of the dogs, and they both ran to aid Taklinn who</p><p>was busy with his own grip of orcs and dogs as well. Fortunately, our dwarf is so</p><p>well armored that he was well neigh impossible for them to hit. By the time Griff </p><p>reached him he’d already slain two of the orcs and had only taken a single bite from</p><p>a lucky dog. When Griff got there, it was all over for the bad guys, and he and</p><p>Taklinn flanked them with a vengeance, leaving a pile of dead orcs and dogs in </p><p>their wake. </p><p> </p><p> Happy reported (as she removed my bolt from her arm) that she’d killed a</p><p>wounded orc upstairs and that the rest of the rooms were clear. We quickly tied up </p><p>our sleeping prisoners, though keeping living prisoners was a bone of contention,</p><p>especially after we’d witnessed the horror in the living area. The orcs had</p><p>transformed it into a torture chamber of sorts, and we found a human man there, </p><p>tied to a chair, obviously the victim of sadistic torture before his throat was slit. </p><p> </p><p> We found a final door to the cellar, and after breaking it open, we discovered</p><p>more human prisoners. Four men, one of them, his name is Aif, the owner of the </p><p>farm.</p><p></p><p> Rdying 26 (con’t) </p><p></p><p> Aif and his fellow farmhands greeted us warily, which was understandable,</p><p>considering their recent run in with the orcs, but they soon realized that we were</p><p>liberators and not invaders and they calmed down. Aif related to us that the orcs had </p><p>descended upon them a few days ago and had taken over the farmhouse, keeping</p><p>the humans prisoner for torture and sport. </p><p> </p><p> The cellar held another secrete, however, for under our scrutiny we found a </p><p>hidden panel in the wall that led into a room lined with weapons! An odd cache for</p><p>a farmer, but when questioned about it Aif explained that he had once been an</p><p>adventurer like ourselves and that the weapons were simply his collection from </p><p>those days long past. We accepted that, but not without reservation. Something just</p><p>didn’t seem right. I think that Happy, especially, did not buy his story, but he had</p><p>given us no real reason to distrust him. Still, as I close this entry and go to bed, I </p><p>know that I won’t sleep lightly knowing that he is in the room down the hall. I’ll</p><p>have Ambros take a watch tonight. </p><p> </p><p> Later... </p><p> </p><p> Well! It appears that our troubles with the orcs was not over. We’ve barricaded</p><p>ourselves in the farmhouse in case they decide to return, and it turns out that our </p><p>caution was not without warrant. Only a half hour ago I was startled awake</p><p>by the sounds of heavy bodies slamming into the doors. A dozen or so orcs had</p><p>rushed the house, hoping to catch us unaware, but Griff was on duty downstairs and </p><p>Taklinn was snoozing not far away. By the time I’d made it downstairs, the two of</p><p>them had already dispatched several of the orcs. It was quick work to mop up the</p><p>rest of them after Happy, Caribdis (still half drunk) and I showed up. Even though I</p><p>was low on spells, my scrolls came in handy, and we now have a few prisoners </p><p>thanks to a Sleep spell. We’d have had more, but Happy was not too keen on taking</p><p>live ones, and before we could stop her she sent four of them from sleep on to the </p><p>next world. Taklinn reacted strongly to her, but I wont dwell on it. I dislike the</p><p>notion of executing prisoners, but I also realize that we are simply delaying the</p><p>inevitable, for they will surely be hanged once we turn them over to the law in </p><p>Kalendia. In a perfect world justice would always be served, but folk like Happy,</p><p>Griff, and Caribdis follow different drummers, and I won’t hold them to the same</p><p>set of standards that I aspire to. The truth is, I often fail to satisfy my own </p><p>expectations, so I won’t lord them over others. These orcs certainly weren’t</p><p>innocent, so I will neither shed tears for them nor worry over the manner of their</p><p>demise. </p><p></p><p> In more practical affairs, Griff tells us that Aif departed earlier this night! Griff</p><p>was on watch when Aif came down with his pack, announcing that he did not feel</p><p>safe here and intended to flee for fear of further orc attacks. Griff, being Griff, </p><p>merely shrugged at the farmer and locked the door behind him. That was that. </p><p></p><p> Well, I believe I have sufficiently calmed down from the excitement, and I must</p><p>get some rest if I am to be of any use tomorrow. </p><p> </p><p> Rdying 27 </p><p> </p><p> We have decided to investigate the strange goings on around the farmhouse </p><p>before proceeding on to Kalendia. There was the matter of the weird light we</p><p>witnessed shooting up from the shack built on the top of the hill behind us, as well</p><p>as Aif’s information that there was a cave on the hills opposite side, near its base. </p><p>We wondered if the orcs might not be using that cave as a campsite, so we reckoned</p><p>we’d check it out first. </p><p> </p><p> We stole through the trees, making a quiet loop around the hill, but before long </p><p>we realized that there is a limit to how quiet a dwarf in armor and a hung over</p><p>Caribdis can be. So Happy volunteered to scout it out, and like that, she melted into</p><p>the forest. </p><p></p><p> She was back some fifteen minutes later, breathing hard and a bit shaken. She’d</p><p>had to dispatch an orc by herself with a single, well placed dagger, thrown from</p><p>hiding in order to get back to us. The orc went down without a sound and the alarm </p><p>was never raised. She reported a cave with signs of movement at its mouth, as well</p><p>as several orcs perched in the outlying trees, bows at the ready. </p><p></p><p> We followed her route back toward the cave, and soon, we made contact. Taklinn </p><p>charged into clearing, openly drawing their fire, and the air around him buzzed</p><p>with arrows. This gave us the opportunity to flank them, and we picked them out of</p><p>their trees one by one with spells and missile weapons. In no time, they littered the </p><p>ground beneath the trees like rotten fruit. </p><p></p><p> The cave turned out not to be a simple hole in a hillside, but rather a well dug</p><p>tunnel that led into a good sized chamber complete with another tunnel on its far </p><p>wall. We knew than that we would have our work cut out for us, and we set out to</p><p>uncover this mystery. </p><p></p><p> Happy took the point as we plunged into the tunnel, and good thing, too. I’d lent </p><p>her my dark vision goggles, and with them she found a nasty pit trap on the floor</p><p>before us, and we were able to circumvent it as well as another placed near the first.</p><p>That girl has a good eye! </p><p> </p><p> Two more orcs waited for us at the end of the tunnel, and they took pot shots at us</p><p>until Griff and Caribdis rushed them and cut them down with blade and arrow. </p><p></p><p> We spent the next few hours dealing with a stubborn door or two and the </p><p>discovery of what appears to be a burial tomb for orcish heroes. Four massive stone</p><p>blocks seal four chambers that, according to the glyphs carved onto them, contain</p><p>four orcish warriors of lore, while a fifth chamber has been (unsettlingly enough)</p><p>broken out of! It looks as if one of the dead decided that he’d had enough of his </p><p>eternal rest and smashed free of his grave. Only an empty sarcophagus lay in his</p><p>tomb. It is still a mystery when this happened or where the creature is now. We can </p><p>only hope that it was long ago and that he is far away, but I fear that we don’t have that </p><p>kind of luck.</p><p> </p><p> We have now returned to the farmhouse to rest ourselves for the further </p><p>exploration of the complex. Several doors remain unopened, and it galled the</p><p>fighters to leave them, but I am without spells, as is Caribdis. Even Taklinn is low</p><p>on his healing, so we’ve opted to rest. </p><p> </p><p> Rdying 28 </p><p></p><p> Our second day in the tombs, and almost too much has happened to try to fit into </p><p>a single entry. But I will try. </p><p></p><p> We awoke this morning, refreshed, at full health, and full of spells. Thusly armed</p><p>we dove back into the darkness of the tunnels that honeycomb the hill. Caribdis is </p><p>filled with curiosity about the four orc hero tombs that remain sealed, and it was my</p><p>mistake to think aloud that I could breach them with a simple Reduce spell. He</p><p>spent most of the morning dropping hints and wondering aloud what they might </p><p>contain in an effort to pique our curiosity. But we have bigger fish to fry, and plenty</p><p>of doors remained unopened that required only a trap scan from Happy and Griff’s</p><p>strong shoulder to open them. </p><p></p><p> It is becoming more and more apparent that this complex had, at one time, been</p><p>an orcish stronghold, but has been recently occupied by human forces. Now,</p><p>however, the orcs seem to have retaken their ancestral lair and have fought us tooth </p><p>and nail to retain it. Indeed, rather than desert the place while we rested, they have</p><p>dug in, fortifying their defenses and stand ready for us at every turn. Fortunately,</p><p>we have become more than a match for even a sizable group of the thugs, what </p><p>with my Sleep spells and the blades of my fellows. Taklinn, in particular, seems to</p><p>take great joy in hurling himself into the midst of a knot of orcs and laughing at</p><p>them as their axes clang, ineffectually, off of his shining armor. According to him </p><p>his people have a long standing feud with orcs, and he doesn’t even try to conceal</p><p>his joy at cutting them down. We’ve all had plenty of opportunity to do just that</p><p>today, for even the first door we opened revealed a half dozen orcs ready to die in </p><p>defense of this complex. </p><p> </p><p> And die they did. </p><p> </p><p> We soon found that they were merely the front line, guarding two more doors. We </p><p>forced open the one to the north and were shocked and disgusted by what we saw:</p><p>A prison, stoutly built of stone rooms and iron bars, the orcish jailor and his deputy</p><p>still standing at the ready. The jailor was a tough fellow, but down he went, and we </p><p>were saddened to find that the cells he had so fiercely died for were largely devoid</p><p>of life, though much evidence still remained of the prisoners who had once</p><p>languished there. Yes, they had all been slaughtered and tossed into a single cell </p><p>like so much refuse. The scene was appalling and we saw that nearly a</p><p>dozen helpless prisoners had been hacked to death. The worst of it was the</p><p>discovery of five bodies that still bore their Havilah crew rings. We have found the </p><p>missing crew, slain to a man. With heavy hearts we retrieved the rings for return to</p><p>Havilah and set the bodies of those brave souls aside for a proper burial once we</p><p>have sorted this place out. </p><p></p><p> Not all the cells contained corpses, however. In one of them we found four human</p><p>men, scared out of their wits and pleading to be set free. But we are a cautious lot</p><p>now, for we believe that the farmer (if he really is a farmer at all) Aif may have a </p><p>hand in all of this, and once these prisoners revealed to us that they had once been</p><p>Aif’s men, we thought better of letting them roam free before we’d found some</p><p>answers to our questions. Under questioning they told us little, and I believe that</p><p>they probably don’t know much. But they did say that Aif had, before the orcs </p><p>arrived, controlled this complex and had been amassing men and weapons here.</p><p>They knew not why, but perhaps the magistrate in Kalendia will get more out of </p><p>them. Either way, they sit, even now, in their cells, awaiting transfer to the city. </p><p></p><p> Another tunnel led from the prison and into a terrible, yet fascinating room that</p><p>could be classified as a torture chamber of sorts, though that does not appear to be </p><p>the reason it was built. Inside we discovered a strange machine of what looks like</p><p>gnomish design. It was built over a table festooned with restraints, and indeed, a</p><p>body still rested there, its face contorted with pain and an ugly hole in its chest, </p><p>obviously the cause of death. But the hole was not caused by some base weapon.</p><p>Perched over the table, like some alien insect, hung a bizarre contraption riddled</p><p>with gears and buttons and leavers, all of which narrowed to a tube-like protrusion </p><p>that came to a nasty point. Its angle still suggested that it had recently been buried</p><p>within the chest of the hapless victim on the table. </p><p></p><p> Within the machine we found a slot that could accept one of the many copper </p><p>plates that were strewn about the room. The plate within the devices bore a short,</p><p>engraved, message: "The temple is ours." We conclude that it is some sort of</p><p>message sending machine, and even though it seems mightily ponderous for so </p><p>simple a task, the ability to send words over distance without the threat of</p><p>interception may well be valuable enough to these orcs to warrant it.</p><p> </p><p> Whatever the case, no one will ever use this diabolic mechanism again, for</p><p>Taklinn was quick to put it to the axe. I must admit that it pained me just a bit to see</p><p>such a mechanical marvel destroyed. I realize that it’s use could cause nothing but </p><p>pain, but still, it was a wonder of construction the likes of which I have never seen.</p><p>Fortunately I was able to make some sketches of it as well as keep a box of tools</p><p>laying nearby. I may never know what many of the tools are even used for, but they </p><p>will one day make marvelous conversation pieces for my laboratory. </p><p></p><p> At any rate, we soon left the "message room", as we dubbed it, and continued out</p><p>its exiting corridor. There was another door in this hall, but there was also another </p><p>trap. Fortunately Happy has eyes that would make an eagle jealous and she caught it</p><p>before any of us tripped the nasty thing. Upon opening the door we found a stair</p><p>case clogged with furniture, as if someone had attempted to block off the door that </p><p>we could barely make out at the top of the stairs. Caribdis was all for hauling it all</p><p>out and checking the door, but we decided that whatever it was would keep until</p><p>we’d cleared out this lower level. He seemed disappointed, but bounced back fast </p><p>when we reminded him of another door we’d left behind us. </p><p></p><p> We made our way to said door and, after a trap scan by Happy, opened it up to</p><p>discover a funnel shaped room filled with orcs and war dogs! Again, it was a short </p><p>but brutal fight. The orcs never even attempted to run. They must have feared</p><p>whomever commanded them to hold their positions more than they feared us. Too</p><p>bad for them, for they were soon laid low. </p><p> </p><p> Yet another door led from the wide end of this triangular room, and it gave easily.</p><p>Inside we beheld a room with a maze of sorts, made of iron rail. I suppose it was to</p><p>keep an invading force from charging headlong through the room. At the opposite </p><p>end of the low maze, near the exit, stood an ogre. I’ve only read about these buggers</p><p>in books, but there was no mistaking the low brow and gangly arms that bulged</p><p>with muscle. The thing hefted a tree trunk of a club and howled his challenge. Well, </p><p>Griff and Taklinn are not the sorts to let such a thing go unanswered, and soon they</p><p>were ducking or leaping the railings in an attempt to close with the brute. Griff</p><p>struck first, and the bite of his big sword only seemed to enrage the ogre further! </p><p>Suddenly, as Taklinn closed the distance, another ogre charged in from the exit.</p><p>Griff found himself caught between the two giants, and I feared the worst for him.</p><p>Happy, Caribdis and I harried the two with what we could while Taklinn and Griff</p><p>went toe to toe. Happy even closed with the first ogre, darting in and thrusting with </p><p>her wicked dagger. </p><p></p><p> I have noticed of late that Happy seems to take personal offense to anyone who </p><p>manages to land a hit on Griff, and I daresay Griff tends to react much the same</p><p>way when Happy is threatened. The two have a connection, no doubt, though I fear</p><p>that not much will ever come of it should it blossom into romance due to their </p><p>rather dramatic size difference. </p><p></p><p> It was touch and go for a moment, but at last our stalwart fighters</p><p>dropped one ogre, then the second. When it was over we all stood there for a long </p><p>time, breathing heavily and wondering how many more of these things might lie</p><p>ahead. Taklinn and Caribdis set about healing the wounded, and we agreed that we</p><p>still possessed enough firepower to move on. </p><p></p><p> We did, heading north through the exit and into a hall filled with doors that led to</p><p>a veritable den of orcs. It appeared as if we had reached the barracks of the</p><p>complex, and each room seemed to lead to two more, all filled with at least half a </p><p>dozen orcs. </p><p> </p><p> They fell like wheat before us. Our skills simply make them no match for us now,</p><p>even in numbers. I remember that not so long ago we were nearly felled by a dozen </p><p>goblins, but today we have mopped up over twenty orcs that easily weigh three</p><p>times what a goblin does. I hope this does not seem prideful, but it is hard not to</p><p>notice how far we have come. </p><p> </p><p> We also discovered a series of offices, empty of life but brimming with interesting</p><p>finds. We have discovered a log book of prisoners once held in this complex as well</p><p>as a listing of supplies and contacts in Kalendia, not to mention further evidence </p><p>that directly links Aif to a treasonous bid to raise an army within the boarders of</p><p>Havilah , for what purposes we still cannot ascertain. To top it all off, we also</p><p>uncovered a fine cache of treasure. A chest fairly brimming with coin! True, most </p><p>of it is copper or silver, but enough of it is gold to make it more than just</p><p>worthwhile. </p><p> </p><p> We searched out and put down every orc we could find within the barracks, and </p><p>soon we were left with a single door that graced the end of the hall. This one we had</p><p>left for last, for it bore malevolent orcish artwork depicting a gaping, demonic</p><p>mouth that warned the unwary to stay out better than any words could. Still, there </p><p>was no turning back now, and though it was tightly locked, Happy made short work</p><p>of it and Griff wasted no time in kicking it in.</p><p> </p><p> They had been waiting for us. Nearly ten burly orcs surrounded a final orc, this</p><p>one bigger than all the rest we had seen. He was obviously a chieftain of some sort,</p><p>for he raised his great axe over his head and commanded his fellows to stand fast! </p><p>Griff wasted no time, charging directly into their midst and laying about him with</p><p>his bloody sword, but these orcs were apparently the cream of the crop, for where</p><p>others fell under a single blow from Griff, these stood their ground and returned his </p><p>attacks with deadly ferocity. Soon we lost sight of him as they closed around him,</p><p>hammering away. I heard Happy gasp in concern for her friend, and Taklinn plowed</p><p>into them, his axe cleaving a path of gut and bone through their ranks. But Griff </p><p>was already badly hurt, and I knew that something had to be done, and quickly. </p><p></p><p> I had been conserving my spells for just such and occasion, and I let fly with my</p><p>final Sleep. At one time I would have been taking an enormous risk casting such a </p><p>spell in the vicinity of my friends, but they have grown powerful enough to be</p><p>immune to its effects. Not so with the orcs. They may have been a stouter breed</p><p>than their brethren, but they still crumpled and snoozed like so many lambs at its </p><p>touch. Nearly half of them went down, which gave Taklinn and Griff some much</p><p>needed breathing room. </p><p></p><p> Happy joined the fray and Caribdis began to chant his calming verse as he sent</p><p>arrow after arrow into the crush. Griff, even badly wounded, would still do nothing </p><p>less than take on the most powerful of them, and he went toe to toe with their</p><p>chieftain. But I could see that he was in bad shape, and Taklinn was held back by </p><p>the orcish underlings who still stood. I chose that moment to try my very latest</p><p>spell, one that I have only just mastered. </p><p></p><p> Hold Person is from the third circle of magic and I’d been itching to cast it, but the </p><p>ogres had been too big, while the orcs we’d been fighting had been too weak to</p><p>warrant it. This big orc chief was just what I was looking for, and as he snarled out</p><p>a promise to eviscerate Griff and hauled his axe back for a mighty blow, I let it fly. </p><p></p><p> He stopped dead, frozen, his face still contorted in rage. But I could clearly read</p><p>the surprise in his eyes when he realized the state he was in. The surprise soon gave</p><p>way to fear as Griff took the opportunity and sheathed his long blade in the </p><p>chieftains chest, piercing his heart and slaying him with a single thrust. </p><p></p><p> The tide had turned with us and the remaining orcs knew it. They fought</p><p>desperately, but to no avail, for everywhere they turned there was a blade or arrow </p><p>to meet them, and one by one they fell to the floor until finally they were no more. </p><p></p><p> We thought that we could then claim victory, but our fight was not over, for</p><p>another corridor lead still further north from this room, and as I knelt to tie the </p><p>sleeping orcs we heard yet another challenge issue from its blackened depths. This</p><p>one was a deep and powerful growl, full of hate and boastful confidence. Without a</p><p>backwards glance or a thought given to the danger, Griff grabbed up his torch, drew </p><p>his gore covered sword, and charged headlong down the hall to meet it. Fortunately</p><p>Taklinn had had a few seconds with which to lay his healing hands upon the</p><p>wounded fighter, so Griff wasn’t at deaths door, but he certainly wasn’t at full </p><p>strength either. We raced after him.</p><p></p><p> I don’t mind being a halfling, in fact, for the most part, I prefer it. But the fact </p><p>remains that I will never be the fastest fellow round the track, and so it was that I</p><p>was the last to see what lay in the chamber. </p><p></p><p> Another knot of guardian orcs, already battling with Griff as Taklinn crashed into </p><p>their flank. These orcs were far larger and better equipped than any we had thus far</p><p>seen. These, I thought, were the elite guard. </p><p></p><p> And their ward? A hideous perversion of a creature stood near the rear of the </p><p>chamber. It must once have been an orc, I could see that, but where it had once</p><p>had arms it now sprouted writhing tentacles the color of pale death! Horrid boils</p><p>burst and streamed over any bare flesh on it, and coarse hair sprouted with no </p><p>rhyme or reason all over the beast. I had arrived just in time to see it reach behind a</p><p>statue in the room and do something that caused a low "clunk" to reverberate</p><p>throughout the chamber. </p><p></p><p> And then I heard the low rush of what could only be water from behind me. It</p><p>seemed that I was the only one who heard it. That, or the rest were too busy with</p><p>problems of their own. Griff and Taklinn savagely pushed at the ranks of orcs while </p><p>Caribdis recited verse and Happy seemed to be everywhere at once, thrusting,</p><p>drawing blood, and dancing away. </p><p></p><p> Knowing that I was nearly out of spells and would be largely useless anyway, I </p><p>raced back toward the previous chamber and peered down the hall. What I beheld</p><p>was a slow but steady stream of water pushing its way up from grates in the floor at</p><p>the far end of the tunnel and working its way it either direction. I had only a few </p><p>seconds before it reached my feet, and that was when I realized that I still had five</p><p>sleeping orcs laying all about me. </p><p></p><p> A moral dilemma was suddenly thrust upon me, for I knew that the water would </p><p>surely wake these sleeping beasts and they would be only too happy to join the fray</p><p>against my friends! I couldn’t tie them up fast enough, but what was the alternative?</p><p>With a sinking feeling, I realized what had to be done, and without thinking about</p><p>it, I unslung my crossbow, leveled it at a sleeping orc, and pulled the lever. The bolt </p><p>struck him in the throat and before he’d even rattled his last breath of air I was</p><p>loading a fresh bolt into my weapon. </p><p> </p><p> My revulsion at slaying helpless foes was overwhelming, and my hands shook as</p><p>I fired again, killing a second. But the water was only a few feet away now, and it</p><p>was the only way. I killed a third before Happy suddenly burst into the room. She </p><p>spoke quickly as she surveyed the scene. They had slaughtered the orc guards, but</p><p>the tentacled mutant had slipped through a secrete door and escaped. Our fighters </p><p>were still engaged with a few guards, but she had come to see what I was </p><p>about. I pointed at the water, which now pooled at my feet, and nodded at the</p><p>sleeping orcs. She understood immediately, seeing the crossbow in my hand, and</p><p>what must undoubtedly have been a look of distress on my face. </p><p></p><p> "I’ll take care of it," she said, drawing her dagger and kneeling next to an orc,</p><p>"You see if you can find out how to shut the water off." </p><p> </p><p> It was a kind gesture on her part, and maybe I should have taken it. But what sort </p><p>would I be to allow a friend to take on a task that I would not do myself. No, I</p><p>would not leave her to this grizzly business. I slew a fourth while she drew her</p><p>dagger across the throat of the last. </p><p></p><p> And that was the last of the action we have seen this day. We managed to find a</p><p>trio of levers hidden behind the statue which not only turned off the water and let it</p><p>drain, it opened up the doors again. Yes, the orcs final act of defiance was an </p><p>attempt to seal up the complex and flood it. It would have taken several days to do</p><p>so, but I gather that it would have eventually drowned us all had we not found the</p><p>levers in their hiding place. </p><p></p><p> We also found the secrete escape route that the mutant had used and it let out onto</p><p>the hillside overlooking Aif’s farm, but by that time he was long gone. I can only</p><p>hope that our paths will cross again. </p><p></p><p> We rest now, back in the farmhouse, tending to our wounds and counting our</p><p>gain. Caribdis has somehow convinced us that we should check out the four orcish</p><p>hero tombs, but we have agreed only on the condition that we check to see what lies </p><p>behind the door that tops the furniture clogged staircase I described earlier. </p><p> </p><p> I must admit to a certain amount of curiosity about the tombs. Taklinn is our</p><p>biggest detractor though, for he feels it is a sin to desecrate the dead. I believe he is </p><p>splitting hairs, since we’ve looted plenty of dead orcs in the past three days and he’s</p><p>had no objections to that. What does it matter that they’ve been dead only a few</p><p>minutes or for centuries? Dead is dead as far as I’m concerned, and I’ll waste no </p><p>remorse at breaching orcish tombs. An honorable burial such as that is too good for</p><p>them anyway! </p><p></p><p> Still, I must admire Taklinn’s simple, if somewhat flexible, faith. His ideals are </p><p>pure, though perhaps a bit skewed and nonobjective. I admit to frustration when</p><p>unfounded faith staves off sound logic and reason. But without our sturdy dwarf we</p><p>would surely have never gotten this far, and, as the groups conscience, he doesn’t </p><p>always have to make sense. I will not fight him on this issue. </p><p> </p><p> Though I’m sure Caribdis is, even now, wheedling away at him, trying to</p><p>convince Taklinn of what treasures must surely be buried with these orcish legends. </p><p></p><p> We will find out on the morrow. For now, it is late and its been a full day.</p><p></p><p> Cldevn 1 </p><p></p><p> It’s been a long but satisfying day. </p><p></p><p> Reasonably certain that we had driven off most, if not all, the orcs in the</p><p>immediate area, we enjoyed a decent breakfast and lingered over tea before setting </p><p>out to mop up the rest of the caverns. </p><p></p><p> Our first order of business was to retrace our steps to the staircase full of</p><p>furniture. It took a little over an hour, but we’d unclogged the stairs well before</p><p>noon, and reached the door at its top at last. We were feeling full of confidence and </p><p>vim. </p><p></p><p> And then we opened the door. </p><p> </p><p> The thing greeted us with a guttural howl that turned my knees to water. Because</p><p>the door was around a corner at the top of the stairs, I did not immediately see it,</p><p>but I could certainly hear the thing. It was immediately answered by Griff’s war cry, </p><p>and I could hear the thud of steel on leathery flesh, then a flurry of meaty thuds and</p><p>Taklinn’s cry of, "Griff is down!" as he flung himself from my view and at whatever</p><p>it was that had laid Griff low so quickly. </p><p></p><p> We were bottle necked into the corridor, the narrow hall and sharp corner</p><p>preventing us from dealing with the threat as a team. Caribdis, standing behind me,</p><p>was in a panic! "What’s going on? Doorag, what’s happening?" He finally shoved </p><p>his way past me as I considered my options, but once at the top he could not get a</p><p>clear shot. He pulled our wand of healing and dove forward. I could still not get</p><p>around Happy, who was doing her best to find a hole through which to hurl a </p><p>dagger, so I quickly cast Levitate and rose above her head. Once there, I pulled</p><p>myself forward, until at last, I could see what we were up against. </p><p></p><p> I failed to detail earlier the depictions we’d found upon the walls of the orcish </p><p>legend tombs. Faded murals on the walls show these four orcs, larger than life, each</p><p>engaged in their own particular specialty. As a matter of fact, one of them appeared</p><p>to be of bardish ilk, probably the reason Caribdis was so eager to breech the tombs. </p><p> </p><p> But this was not the bard. Oh no. </p><p></p><p> I did mention that one of the tombs had already been smashed open. From the </p><p>inside. The visage around this tomb was that of a four-armed orcish beast, nearly</p><p>half again as tall as a normal orc, and throbbing with muscle, claw and rage. </p><p></p><p> This was the thing that Taklinn attempted to hold at bay, as he stood over the limp </p><p>body of Griffin, his axe biting and drawing blood, all the while taking a terrible</p><p>pounding from the creature. Taklinn’s armor was dented in several places, but he</p><p>showed no signs of stopping. </p><p></p><p> I unloaded everything I had. I followed a Scorching Ray with several Magic</p><p>Missiles fired over Taklinn’s head. Caribdis, with nary a thought for his own safety,</p><p>had crawled up to Griff and hit him with the wand, and our warrior opened his eyes. </p><p>He rolled painfully to his feet, and bore down on the beast. </p><p></p><p> We were finally beginning to wear it down. It was covered with burn marks and</p><p>deep gashes. Several of Happy’s daggers jutted from it. Griff lay a mighty slice </p><p>across it’s chest, and it stumbled backwards, reeling. Taklinn was quick to step in</p><p>and take its knee out with an axe blow, and in a matter of minutes it had been</p><p>thoroughly run through and lay dead. </p><p></p><p> And all this before lunch! </p><p> </p><p> Taklinn and Caribdis tended to wounds while we searched what turned out to be</p><p>an empty room, except for a strange metal device that jutted up from the floor. It </p><p>was a while before we realized that this room was directly above the "message</p><p>room", and that a section of the machine from that room had indeed thrust into the</p><p>ceiling. We could still not ascertain how the thing worked, but in a way I am almost </p><p>glad of that. </p><p></p><p> Magic is a marvelous thing. Without it, it would have taken Griff weeks to heal</p><p>from his wounds, but with the divine power that coursed through Taklinn’s rough </p><p>hands, Griff was ready to move out again in only a few moments. </p><p></p><p> It was time to take on the tombs, though we were far less excited at the prospect</p><p>after having just faced one of the former inhabitants of those graves. But Caribdis </p><p>was adamant, and we came to a compromise. We would enter one tomb and leave it</p><p>at that. Taklinn was still not happy about the idea of "grave robbing" anyway, and it</p><p>was probably best not to press the issue. </p><p></p><p> In the end, the decision was mine since I was the only one who could cast the </p><p>Reduce spell on the blocks that sealed the tombs. Which, of course, I did. Small</p><p>surprise that we cracked the orcish bards tomb, no? </p><p></p><p> We translated the name on the huge block as Das Kobb, and a few words in an</p><p>ancient dialect of orcish went on to relate some of his more sinister deeds. With a</p><p>deep breath and a look to make sure that everyone was ready, I cast the Reduce. </p><p></p><p> The block shrunk to half it’s original mass, and it was an easy matter for Griffin to</p><p>push it over. The dry must of long ago death washed over us, and a black hallway</p><p>beckoned. </p><p></p><p> Exploring, we found a sarcophagus at the end of a short tunnel, and after still</p><p>more girding of loins, we pried off its lid. The mummy inside never stirred, even as</p><p>Griff ran it through several times and then lopped its head off. </p><p></p><p> We decided to burn it for good measure. </p><p></p><p> Caribdis’ hunch proved to ring true, for we did end up finding a strangely magical</p><p>dagger amongst the ashes. I think Caribdis was a little disappointed not to find a </p><p>more bardly item therein, and he showed no signs of disagreeing when Happy asked</p><p>if she might hang on to the dagger. She is, after all, our mistress of the short blade,</p><p>and it just seemed right. </p><p> </p><p> We discussed which tomb would be next to fall, but by this time Taklinn had had</p><p>enough. His superstitions got the better of him, and he declared that we could carry</p><p>on if we wished, but it would be without him. He informed us that he would wait </p><p>outside, and off he went. </p><p></p><p> Well, in the end it was a vote of one for all and all for one. We decided that we</p><p>would not continue without him, especially if he felt that strongly about it. Caribdis </p><p>gave an aching look back as we left the last three tombs unmolested. </p><p></p><p> We gathered our supplies and prisoners and headed for Kalendia, some three</p><p>hours away. Once there, we turned our prisoners over to the chief constable, one </p><p>Hardy Jensen and presented him with our findings. He sent a small group of</p><p>guardsmen to watch over Aif’s farm, and then set us up in Kalendia’s finest inn,</p><p>where I will soon get the first night of real rest I’ll have had in a long time. In fact, </p><p>my bed is calling to me rather loudly at this late hour. Ambros is already curled up</p><p>on the pillow. I believe I shall join him.</p><p> </p><p></p><p>Cldevn 2 </p><p></p><p> Spent the day identifying some of the items we’ve found in the orc caverns.</p><p>Nothing too wizardly, but a few nice trinkets for the rest of us. Happy received a </p><p>Ring of the Ram, which she seems quite proud of, though I know she’d trade it to</p><p>me for the Goggles of Night, were I to offer. Alas, I can’t bear to give them up. </p><p></p><p> We were also able to send a magical message to Havilah today. We reported our </p><p>findings, and were ordered home without delay. We shall leave in the morning. </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Cldevn 3 </p><p></p><p> Back on the road and yet another night under the stars. I do miss a comfortable</p><p>bed, but there is much to be said for the crackle of a camp fire and the snugness of a</p><p>bed roll, especially surrounded by such fine companions. We made good time </p><p>today, and expect to be back in Havilah within two weeks if all goes well. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Cldevn 11 </p><p></p><p> The plot thickens! </p><p></p><p> We arrived this evening in the tiny hamlet of Falla, a village only about three days</p><p>out of the capitol. Thus far our journey home has been without incident, but I knew </p><p>it was too good to last. </p><p></p><p> We decided to bunk in Falla for the night, and, after washing up, had joined each</p><p>other in the tap room for a meal and conversation. The place was empty, save for</p><p>the innkeeper, until an odd pair entered just after we’d eaten. A man and a woman, a </p><p>striking couple, and dressed far better than any commoner, strode in and took a</p><p>table not far from our own. We certainly noticed them, and they could not have </p><p>helped but to notice us, but they gave no sign that they did. </p><p></p><p> And then, Caribdis marched on over to their table and introduced himself! I don’t</p><p>know why, perhaps he hoped to earn a coin or two in exchange for a tale. </p><p>Unfortunately, the tale he decided to tell was ours! Before we realized what he was</p><p>about, he was going on and on about our adventures in the orc lair, Aif, the</p><p>farmhouse, the Himrock orcs, and who knows what he’d have spouted off had </p><p>Happy not rushed to his side and shut him up! </p><p></p><p> Griffin was only half paying attention to what was going on, and Taklinn and I</p><p>were more amused than concerned as we watched Happy trying to coax Caribdis </p><p>back to our table. But my own concern grew when all of the sudden, Happy seemed</p><p>to have a change of heart and sat down at the strangers table and made no more</p><p>moves to stop Caribdis’ blathering. </p><p></p><p> Something about the scene wasn’t right, and, on a hunch, I cast a quick Detect</p><p>Magic under my breath and scanned Happy, Caribdis, and the two strangers, who</p><p>had bid Caribdis continue with his story. </p><p></p><p> My hunch was right! My detection spell not only showed me a few trinkets that</p><p>the strangers carried, but also the fact that Happy had had a spell cast on her. It</p><p>looked like an enchantment to me, Charm, perhaps, or Suggestion. I haven’t had a </p><p>lot of use for those sorts of spells myself thus far, but I recognize them when I see</p><p>them, and I suspected that Happy had been magically influenced by these two. </p><p></p><p> Without wishing to raise an alarm, I stood up, giving Taklinn a look that told him </p><p>immediately that something was amiss. He sat straight in his chair and waited. I</p><p>clapped Griff on the shoulder to get his attention, and then walked over to the</p><p>strangers table with Taklinn not far behind. </p><p></p><p> "I hope our friend here isn’t bothering you," I said, politely enough as I reached</p><p>them, "His mouth takes on a mind of it’s own when he’s had a few, if you know</p><p>what I mean!" I gave them a knowing wink and tried to take Caribdis by the elbow </p><p>but out babbling bard would have none of it. </p><p></p><p> "What are you talking about, Doorag?" Caribdis protested, "I haven’t had a thing</p><p>stronger than well water tonight! I was just trying to tell these fine folks the story of </p><p>how we cleared out that orc complex back in Kalendia!" </p><p></p><p> "Yes, Doorag," It was the woman. She spoke in soothing tones, and her words</p><p>were like gauze around my mind. "Why don’t you sit and have dinner with us?" </p><p></p><p> Somewhere, far in the recesses of my mind, I knew that I had been enspelled, but</p><p>I was powerless to refuse her. The notion of sharing a meal with them seemed the</p><p>most natural thing in the world, and I didn’t hesitate to slide into an empty chair and </p><p>pick up a spoon. </p><p></p><p> Good thing Taklinn was there. </p><p></p><p> "What goes on here?" our gruff cleric demanded. </p><p></p><p> Well, the spell cast upon me had merely made the idea of supping with these</p><p>strangers a pleasing one. I found that I was in full control over the rest of my</p><p>faculties, and I had no trouble replying to Taklinn. </p><p></p><p> "Well," I said calmly, "I’ve been invited for dinner with these fine folks, though I</p><p>should mention that Happy has had a spell cast on her, and it wouldn’t surprise me</p><p>to learn that I’ve got one on me to!" I toasted Taklinn with a smile and prepared to </p><p>feast. </p><p> </p><p> Taklinn’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he brought his axe up. And then, play</p><p>time was over. Caribdis looked genuinely confused when the man stood and drew a </p><p>wicked looking scimitar in the blink of an eye and slashed out at Taklinn. It rang off</p><p>his armor, but this attack was enough to put both Happy and I off our dinner, and I</p><p>found myself casting at the woman as she too got to her feet and went for her blade.</p><p> </p><p> My Hold Person stopped her in her tracks. Griff had risen and was drawing near,</p><p>and Happy had rolled away from the table and come up with a dagger in each hand. </p><p>Taklinn was angling around the still befuddled Caribdis for a shot with his axe. I</p><p>guess the fellow new he was out numbered, for suddenly he touched the table and</p><p>all went utterly and completely dark. </p><p></p><p> Chaos erupted as we were all blinded by the spell. Taklinn told me later that he</p><p>tried a clerical light spell, but it had no effect. I felt my way toward where I had</p><p>frozen the woman, but, to my chagrin, by the time I got there she was gone! I asked </p><p>Ambros what his keen nose told him, and he replied, "Snakes! I smell snakes!" </p><p></p><p> This befuddled me for a moment, but I quickly drew on my studies and the pieces</p><p>fell into place. The smell of snakes, darkness and suggestive spells, it all added up </p><p>to one creature: Yuan-ti, a secretive and ancient race of evil snake-folk. I wondered</p><p>why they were here, but quickly realized that those questions would have to come</p><p>later. Right then, we needed our sight back. </p><p></p><p> I could hear Griffin near me, he had found his way through the blackness to my</p><p>side, and I enlisted his aid. First, I cast a Reduce spell on the table, as I had seen the</p><p>man touch it just before the lights went out. Once it was small enough for Griff to </p><p>lift, I guided his hands to it and bid him hurl it out the window! Fortunately the</p><p>couple had chosen a table near the window, and Griff found it after a second of</p><p>feeling around. With a great crash, he flung the offending piece of furniture through </p><p>the glass and into the street. He even managed to angle his throw so that the table</p><p>bounced around the corner, effectively putting the wall between ourselves the</p><p>darkness spell. And we could see again. </p><p></p><p> I scanned the bar and saw Taklinn charge for the back door with Caribdis and</p><p>Happy hot on his heels. Ambros seemed to agree with them, for he craned forward</p><p>to catch the trace whiffs of Yuan-ti that led in that direction. I utilized another new </p><p>spell, and soon I was air borne and flying over the bar to catch up to my</p><p>companions while Griff leapt through the window and braved the darkness again in</p><p>an attempt to secure the ally. </p><p></p><p> In short, we searched the grounds around the inn as best we could. I even flew</p><p>into the air to get a better view. But they were gone. Frustrated, we gathered back in</p><p>the tap room to discuss the attack. </p><p></p><p> Taklinn tossed the inn keeper a gold piece to pay for his window while I filled the</p><p>crew in on my Yuan-ti theory, which also nicely explained how the female had</p><p>escaped. I put forward the notion that my Hold Person had not blocked her from </p><p>being able to utilize the innate Yuan-ti ability to shape change into serpent form,</p><p>that she had shrunk to her viper form so that her male counterpart could snatch her</p><p>up, pocket her, and flee. </p><p></p><p> It was plausible, and the best theory we had. We resolved to keep our eyes peeled</p><p>for further signs of Yuan-ti trouble, as we were convinced that this was no chance</p><p>encounter. I am troubled by the realization that Yuan-ti are somehow involved in </p><p>the troubles plaguing Havilah. </p><p></p><p> Taklinn and I, and even Happy, had a few choice words for Caribdis regarding the</p><p>Queen’s business being the Queen’s business, but I did try to refrain from </p><p>lambasting him too hard. I have to keep reminding myself how young he is and of</p><p>my faith that one day he will learn to control his tongue. </p><p></p><p> We are now to bed, though we have set up a watch to ward off further attacks. </p><p>Ambros will be my eyes and ears tonight, as well as my nose. I fear I shall not sleep</p><p>well, but sleep I must. </p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p> Cldevn 12 </p><p></p><p> Last night passed without incident, though not without many tosses and turns on</p><p>my part. As I suspected, the attack by the pair of Yuan-ti made for a restless night. I </p><p>can see it on the faces of my companions as well, and though we’ve spoken little of</p><p>it, I know that we are all concerned by this turn of events. </p><p></p><p> With any luck we shall be in Havilah within the next two days. I’ve never put</p><p>much stock in the gods, but if they notice us at all I hope they grant us safe passage</p><p>home. </p><p></p><p> I have great plans once we get to the city. I plan to expand my magical crafting</p><p>horizons and attempt to fashion an item that should assist me in my magical</p><p>endeavors greatly. It will be costly, and I may have to borrow some coin, but I feel </p><p>it will be worth it if I am successful. </p><p> </p><p> ***Whether or not the gods notice our heroes is a point of future debate. Suffice </p><p>to say, they did make it back to Havilah without further incident. Once there, they</p><p>gave their report to their Academy superiors and were then granted a much needed</p><p>rest. </p><p></p><p> The crew spent the next two weeks enjoying the comforts of the city, though</p><p>Doorag, as usual, spent more time in the laboratory than in the taverns. The bulk of</p><p>his time was spent crafting a Hat of Intellect (+4). The cost of construction put him </p><p>in considerable debt, but he deemed it well worth that burden, given the expansion</p><p>of spells it afforded him, not to mention the increase in his magical potency. </p><p></p><p> Soon after he had completed his project Taklinn informed them that he had </p><p>recently received a message from his cousin, Rumnar Talonskull of Talonskull</p><p>Keep, a dwarven stronghold quite some distance away. The message had been a</p><p>distress signal of sorts, and asked that Taklinn proceed there with all possible haste. </p><p>Taklinn, of course, hesitated not one second in his decision, and he informed his</p><p>friends that he would be leaving come the morn. He invited them along, but assured</p><p>them that they were under no obligation to do so. </p><p></p><p> There was never any question as to whether or not our steadfast crew would</p><p>accompany Taklinn, and on the 2nd of Planting they departed Havilah once again,</p><p>this time on a personal mission. They did, of course, ask permission from their </p><p>higher ups at the Academy, and were granted leave. </p><p></p><p> For seventeen days they followed the Queens Road north until they had to take an</p><p>arterial route that continued their course toward the mountains. For two more days </p><p>their luck held, and they made good time, until disaster struck.***</p><p></p><p> Plnting 20 </p><p></p><p> Another day on the road, and how I miss the ruts and cobblestones of the Queen’s </p><p>Road! For they seem like pillows and blankets compared to this trail we now labor</p><p>upon as we press still further and further north. It’s been ten days since we left</p><p>Ravens Hollow, and ten days since we’ve had the luxury of a bed or a meal that we </p><p>didn’t have to prepare over a smoking fire while we stave off the chill of the</p><p>evening wind. </p><p></p><p> Every day, as we plod through mile after mile, we can feel the weather sharpening </p><p>itself. I’ve been reduced to huddling in my wool coat several times. </p><p></p><p> Griffin doesn’t seem to mind the nip in the air, and Taklinn appears to be in his</p><p>element. If not for his obvious worry for his cousin, he would strike me as more </p><p>robust than ever before. </p><p></p><p> Happy is a Greenie, and I guess she is not overly bothered by the cold, but</p><p>Caribdis is positively languishing! It is truly pitiful to listen to him recite his verse </p><p>through chattering teeth. </p><p></p><p> I suppose I should not complain. After all, aren’t adventurers made of sterner</p><p>stuff? Yes, I suppose they are. I shall try not to belabor my lamentations about the </p><p>weather from this point on. </p><p></p><p> On a happier note, our journey has been without attack or complication thus far.</p><p>I’d half expected to have been ambushed thrice or more by this time, but luck seems </p><p>to be with us. </p><p></p><p> Knock on wood! </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Plnting 22</p><p></p><p> Tonight we bed down in a clearing that looks like it has been used by many </p><p>travelers before. It’s always good to find a spot with a pre built fire pit.</p><p></p><p> Caribdis regales us this evening with a new body of verse he’s been working on. I</p><p>find it endlessly fascinating that someone so chaotic can compose, memorize, and </p><p>deliver such calming poetics and tales. I realize that some of the effects of his words</p><p>have to do with their being interwoven with magic (which also fascinates me), but</p><p>the voice, the rhythm, the timing and the style are all his, even in the midst of his </p><p>childishness or excitement. </p><p></p><p> He is at his best on nights like these, sitting around the fire after a meal. I sit near</p><p>the fire and keep this journal as Caribdis’ voice fills the background. The words do </p><p>not matter, for it is a perfect tone that fills an otherwise distractingly empty space,</p><p>and helps me to concentrate. I find this to be true even when I am in deep study,</p><p>which is odd, as I usually prefer total silence when I am pursuing hard fact and </p><p>arcane learning. </p><p></p><p> Anyway, Taklinn is growing anxious to get to his cousins keep. He knows</p><p>nothing of the nature of the trouble there, only that it exists and threatens dwarves. </p><p>He tells us that we have another twelve or thirteen days ahead of us, and I know he</p><p>will have us up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to cover as much ground as possible.</p><p>That is alright with me, but getting our bard up with the sun can sometimes be a </p><p>chore.</p><p></p><p> I will be taking a watch tonight, as I have for the last few. I have had no call to</p><p>cast a spell for several days, so I need not worry about having to keep my usual </p><p>strict sleep schedule. I sometimes worry that the rest of the crew thinks I’m shirking</p><p>a vital responsibility by not taking watches, but in my heart I believe they</p><p>understand that I have no choice. It does feel good to be able to do my part during </p><p>this journey and give them all just a bit more rest. </p><p></p><p> So, I had best get my own rest now. I’ll be relieving Taklinn in only a few hours.</p><p> </p><p> ---</p><p></p><p> We have been attacked again! Something terrible has happened! Taklinn has lost </p><p>his arm! They cut it off! He lies now, in shock and unconscious on the ground, pale</p><p>as a ghost. We have decided to return to Yigil, as he is the nearest we can turn to for</p><p>aid. </p><p></p><p> Clangeden, hear my plea! I am not a religious man, but I know that you exist, for I</p><p>have been healed through your power many times. I ask you now to look down</p><p>upon your servant, Taklinn, with mercy and grant him the strength to survive this </p><p>awful tragedy. </p><p></p><p></p><p> I can write no more, I am too upset to properly hold the pen. </p><p></p><p></p><p> Flktme 4 </p><p></p><p> I have written nothing in this diary for ten days. The sheer weight of recent events</p><p>has been too much for me to grapple with. I have avoided it, for to see them in ink,</p><p>by my own hand, makes them even more real. </p><p></p><p> But I know it must be done; recorded for posterity, and even though I verge on</p><p>exhaustion I have finally mustered the courage to record this thing once and for all.</p><p> </p><p> I have thought us invulnerable thus far. Not consciously, but I know now that that </p><p>is what I’d believed. </p><p></p><p> I was terribly wrong. </p><p></p><p> I took my watch that night, as I recorded, without incident. I woke Happy to</p><p>relieve me and snuggled into my bedroll for some shut-eye, but I told Ambros to</p><p>stay alert, that he could snooze tomorrow. A good thing it turned out to be, for </p><p>about an hour later my faithful rat picked up a familiar scent. </p><p></p><p> Snake. </p><p></p><p> His high pitched warning filled my head and I sat bolt upright from a dead sleep </p><p>with visions of Yuan-ti attackers. Happy was there, awake, but had noticed nothing</p><p>and she looked at me questioningly. I threw off my blankets and hissed at her,</p><p>"Ambros smells Yuan-ti!" She was immediately on her feet in a coiled crouch, a </p><p>dagger gleaming in each hand as she scanned the woods. I rolled over to Taklinn</p><p>and gave him a swift kick in the behind, causing him to grumble and open his eyes.</p><p>He saw my look and, without question, reached for his axe. </p><p></p><p> Happy raced to wake Griffin, and then they were upon us. It was the Yuan-ti</p><p>couple we’d fought in Falla, and they leapt from the cover of the trees with scimitars</p><p>in hand! </p><p></p><p> Now I happen to know quite a bit about this species (at least the lowest of their</p><p>kind), and one of their powers is that of revulsion; the ability to cause one to abhor</p><p>serpents to such a degree that one will flee from their presence. Unfortunately, the </p><p>female of the pair was able to use this on me, and before I could raise a spell, I</p><p>found myself running from her cold gaze in a panic. Nothing is as frustrating as a</p><p>mind effecting spell! </p><p> </p><p> I ran for several seconds before the enchantment broke. Thankfully the duration is</p><p>not very long, and I was soon hoofing it back towards our campsite, cursing myself</p><p>for not having memorized Fly. I could hear the sounds of combat and I pushed my </p><p>legs as fast as they could take me. </p><p></p><p> And then everything went dark. I found out later that the female had cast her</p><p>darkness onto a stone and cast it on the ground. But we have learned from the past, </p><p>and Happy happened to have been standing near her bedroll as she’d fought the</p><p>female Yuan-ti with Griffin while Taklinn went toe to toe with the male. </p><p></p><p> She grabbed her blanket and, in a desperate and incredibly lucky move, she tossed </p><p>it to the ground where she thought she’d heard the stone land. In a stroke of fortune,</p><p>it covered the offending stone, and firelight and moonlight and dark vision worked</p><p>again. Caribdis, just now waking up, hurriedly grabbed his bow and commenced to </p><p>fire at the male. </p><p></p><p> I arrived at this scene and tried to put my magics to use, sending Scorching Rays</p><p>at the female as fast as I could cast them. Despite her magic resistance, they burned </p><p>her anyway, and one could tell that she was hurt. She bore several gashes from Griff</p><p>and wore at least two of Happy’s daggers that I could see. </p><p></p><p> Meanwhile, Taklinn was having difficulty with the male. While our Dwarf is </p><p>usually incredibly difficult to hit, he is vulnerable in the evenings when he must</p><p>take his armor off. He is a slow moving target, and the male Yuan-ti made good</p><p>advantage of this, slashing again and again at Taklinn. Taklinn gave as good as he </p><p>got, and Caribdis harried the snake man even further, but our stout cleric was</p><p>beginning to fail. </p><p></p><p> And then it happened. The male feinted left, drawing Taklinn, then cut right, his </p><p>scimitar coming down in a blinding arc. And just like that, Taklinn’s right arm lay</p><p>on the ground. </p><p></p><p> Time seemed to freeze for a split second, and the only sound I could hear was an </p><p>agonized, "Noooo!!" from Caribdis. And then a great gout of blood jetted from</p><p>Taklinn’s shoulder. Our dwarf, the toughest of the tough, stumbled and fell. </p><p></p><p> Stunned, I watched as events unfolded in slow motion. Caribdis diving toward</p><p>Taklinn, shielding him from a coup de gras from the Yuan-ti. Griffin ignoring the </p><p>female as he charged the male, his sword gripped in both hands, his fury terrible to</p><p>behold. The female Yuan-ti shape changing to snake form and slithering for the tree </p><p>line. I could hear my own voice screaming, "Taklinn! Taklinn! Taklinn!" </p><p></p><p> Then I was running, closing the distance to the female as she crawled into the</p><p>brush. Black rage overtook me and I sought to kill her, to make her pay for the pain </p><p>that she and her counterpart had caused. </p><p></p><p> I heard a meaty thunk as Griffin connected with the male and drove his sword</p><p>deep into his belly. He lifted the Yuan-ti off the ground with his blade and slung the </p><p>dyeing body to the dirt and then hacking into it again and again. </p><p></p><p> Happy raced after me, her face full of revenge, and the two of us, with Ambros’</p><p>help, combed the woods for any trace of the female. But she was not to be found. At </p><p>last we had to concede her escape. It was a bitter pill, but we hurried back to the</p><p>camp site to see about Taklinn. </p><p></p><p> When we got there we saw him laying on the ground, his head cradled by a </p><p>shaking Caribdis who still clutched his wand of healing. He had already expanded</p><p>nearly ten charges into Taklinn in an effort to revive him, but our dwarf lay still as</p><p>death, growing paler and paler. "He won’t wake up! Griff, he won’t wake up!" </p><p>Caribdis looked at Griffin pleadingly, and the grim warrior gently took the wand</p><p>from him. </p><p></p><p> "You’ve done all you can do, boy." Griffin said, "It’s in his gods hands now." </p><p></p><p> Happy and I walked to them in a state of shock. How could this be? How could</p><p>Taklinn have been brought down? Yet there he was, his right shoulder leading to</p><p>nothing more than a bloody stump. I sat down hard, holding my head in my hands. </p><p>Happy knelt next to Taklinn and stroked his hair. Tears threatened to overflow her</p><p>eyes, but she held them back, instead turning to rage to deal with her sorrow. With</p><p>an animal like growl, she launched herself at the dead Yuan-ti, not stopping her </p><p>dagger work until she’d cut out it’s tongue. </p><p></p><p> There was no sleep to be had after that. We sat up the rest of the night watching</p><p>over Taklinn, discussing what to do. It was finally decided that we would turn back </p><p>and make for Yigil’s tower. He was our closest and most powerful ally, and if</p><p>anyone could do something it would be him. At first light we gingerly loaded</p><p>Taklinn into the wagon. His breathing was so shallow that we had to check him </p><p>constantly to make sure he still lived. Happy made him a bed of clover she picked</p><p>from the side of the road, and we set out for Yigil’s tower. </p><p></p><p> For ten days we traveled, feeding and watering Taklinn as best we could. He </p><p>stirred not once during that whole time. </p><p></p><p> We spoke little, each of us not daring to risk conversation that might lead to talk</p><p>of the possibility of Taklinn’s death. </p><p></p><p> At last we arrived at Yigil’s. Thank the gods he was home! We were let in and the</p><p>old wizard had us carry Taklinn into the upper reaches of his tower. He then bade us</p><p>go back down and wait. He gravely assured us that he would do all that he could. </p><p></p><p> And that is where I sit now, on the bottom floor of Yigil’s tower, grimly recalling</p><p>that terrible fight and wondering what is going on upstairs. It has been several hours</p><p>and still no word. I am so tired, but I simply cannot sleep without knowing </p><p>Taklinn’s fate. </p><p></p><p> But my eyes are so tired...</p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 5 </p><p> </p><p> ***The following morning Taklinn is led down the stairs, a bit wobbly, but with his</p><p>arm reattached. He appears somewhat shell-shocked by the events, so they decide to </p><p>rest another day. ***</p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 6 </p><p> </p><p> ***Taklinn’s arm is still weak, but they get back on the road.*** </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 21 </p><p></p><p> ***For fifteen days they travel, until they reach the tiny village of Hallingsburg</p><p>which is nestled at the base of the mountains in which Talonskull Keep is located.</p><p>This is a human community, and the crew soon learn that a woman had come </p><p>through town only a few days before. Apparently she had bewitched nearly twenty</p><p>of the townsfolk and had led them away toward the mountains. Her description</p><p>matches that of Melisandre, and she was accompanied by a young girl. A Detect </p><p>Evil cast by Taklinn reveals residual evil still in the area, meaning that whoever the</p><p>woman was, she must have been pretty bad for her malevolent aura to last this long. </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 23 </p><p></p><p> ***They enter Talonskull Keep via a secret entrance known to Taklinn. Immediately</p><p>upon entering the cave they smell the familiar stench of death, and they do not </p><p>travel far before they are beset by some twenty zombies. The zombies are little</p><p>match for Taklinn though, and the cleric mows through them, his power to turn</p><p>undead causing them to dissolve into dust by the dozens. After mopping up the last </p><p>of the zombies it is quickly understood that these had once been the townsfolk of</p><p>Hallingsburg. One of them bears a scroll tube with a single name inked upon it:</p><p>"Caribdis." Inside is a note which reads: </p><p></p><p> "Looking for someone? -M" </p><p></p><p> The crew is mystified by the taunting note, but Caribdis seems nervous. </p><p> </p><p> They travel still deeper into the mountain, and that night are attacked by a</p><p>gibbering mouther. Once the beast is dispatched, they rest.*** </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 24 </p><p></p><p> ***At last they enter the halls of Talonskull Keep via another secret entrance, and</p><p>they soon meet Taklinn’s cousin, Rumnar Talonskull. Rumnar tells them news most </p><p>dire. </p><p></p><p> A woman matching Melisandre description has invaded the dwarven lair with an</p><p>army of undead. After having murdered most of the clerics and warriors of the </p><p>community, she has holed up in the temple that once had been dedicated to</p><p>Moradin. Apparently she still waits there. </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 27 </p><p> </p><p> ***For three days they plan a course of action. The dwarves have already been</p><p>tunneling toward the temple, and they decide to attack from both the tunnel and the </p><p>front door. On the morning of the 27th the crew strides up to the double doors of the</p><p>temple. Meanwhile, Ambros is riding along with the tunneling dwarves in order to</p><p>maintain communications between the two groups and to synchronize the attack. </p><p></p><p> The doors swing open invitingly and the crew is greeted to the site of the</p><p>desecrated temple, filled to overflowing with zombies, including one particularly</p><p>tough looking zombified dwarf who still bears the tattered and sullied garments of a </p><p>priest of Moradin. It is obvious that this dwarf, once a noble priest, has become an</p><p>abomination, bent by the will of dark forces. </p><p></p><p> Melisandre stands on a balcony overlooking her army of undead. Next to her is a </p><p>listless girl over whom Caribdis gets very excited. He has left his armor off and his</p><p>bow is nowhere to be seen. He charges into the fray, shouting the name, Freya. </p><p></p><p> And the fight is on. </p><p></p><p> As the crew clash with the undead the dwarves break through the south wall and</p><p>flank them. The fight is short but brutal, with many dwarves being swarmed and</p><p>brought down by the zombie horde. Taklinn’s holy spells and turning abilities even</p><p>the odds though, and they are able to press through the mass. </p><p> </p><p> Doorag concentrates on stripping Melisandre of her protective magic’s with</p><p>Dispell’s, while Caribdis tries, in vain, to reach the girl next to the witch. It is not to </p><p>be, for even as the fighters bring down the undead priest of Moradin and the tide of</p><p>battle begins to shift in the crews favor, Melisandre laughs, mockingly, and</p><p>disappears, though not before referring to Caribdis as "Grizwald" in her parting </p><p>words. She takes the girl with her. </p><p></p><p> When the dust settles the temple is once again in dwarven hands. None of the</p><p>crew has fallen, though there are plenty of wounds to be healed. Caribdis looks </p><p>especially stricken, and will not answer the many questions posed to him by his</p><p>friends that day. Doorag, frustrated by Caribdis’ lack of forthrightness, is ready to</p><p>insist on some answers, but cooler heads prevail and he consents to wait a day for </p><p>the young bard to come to grips with events.*** </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Flocktime 28 </p><p></p><p> ***The crew holds a meeting, and Caribdis comes clean. </p><p></p><p> It appears that his true name is Grizwald, that he had changed is upon embarking</p><p>on a career in adventuring (feeling Caribdis had a far more heroic ring that </p><p>Grizwald). It also turns out that one of his core reasons for becoming an adventurer</p><p>was to better himself, that he might one day return to his home and court his</p><p>beloved, Freya. Freya is the girl whom Melisandre now taunts the boy with. </p><p></p><p> Freya is also the reason Caribdis chose to go into battle with neither bow nor</p><p>armor. The boy had wished to present a more "heroic" image of a swashbuckling</p><p>rescuer than a simple archer/bard would provide. </p><p></p><p> It all makes perfect sense to Caribdis, and, of course, seems ludicrous to Doorag,</p><p>but what can be done? Their mission in Talonskull accomplished, they are rewarded</p><p>with a bit of coin from Rumnar and head out that very day, making haste toward </p><p>Havilah to report to their superiors. Alas, there are more surprises ahead of them,</p><p>and the road back to the capitol will be filled with strife.***</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Wealsun 4 </p><p> </p><p> ***The crew re-enters Hallingsburg, prepared to inform the townsfolk of the fates of</p><p>their fellow citizens, but it turns out that there is no one to give the news to. </p><p>Hallingsburg is eerily silent, and a quick look around shows that the town is utterly</p><p>deserted. All clues point to an orderly and mass exodus of some kind. Chairs are</p><p>pushed away from tables, food has been left on plates, and drink still waits in mugs. </p><p>In the constables office they find a journal that gives no clue about the</p><p>disappearance of the town, other than that the last mundane entry was on Wealsun</p><p>1, just three days prior. </p><p></p><p> At midnight Taklinn is able to pray for new spells, and he chooses as one of them,</p><p>Speak With Animals, for there is still plenty of livestock and domestic pets to be</p><p>found. He questions a friendly hound and all signs point to the involvement of </p><p>yuan-ti in this deed, though few details can be garnered. </p><p></p><p> They rest there that night, and in the morning Caribdis announces that he wishes</p><p>to learn how to sword fight. He enlists the help of Griff, but the rest of the crew is </p><p>doubtful. Caribdis insists that he must master the art of the sword to be of better use</p><p>in the rescue of Freya, but Doorag gently assures him that he might want to stick</p><p>with his specialties, that they are every bit as important as a skilled hand with a </p><p>blade. Griff waits impatiently to give the boy a lesson, but suddenly Taklinn strides</p><p>up to the boy and lays a healing hand on Caribdis’ ear! </p><p></p><p> Up until this time Caribdis had been (unbeknownst to all but Taklinn) deaf in his </p><p>right ear, hence his lack of enthusiasm for learning a musical instrument. But</p><p>Taklinn has recently been given access to a spell that can cure the boys affliction,</p><p>and he does so. Caribdis is so excited by the repair of his ear that he abruptly</p><p>forgets all about sword fighting. To Griff’s disgust, Caribdis mounts up and </p><p>prepares to ride out with all haste. On the morning of Wealsun 5, they do just that. </p><p></p><p> However, they leave with quite a caravan, for Happy refuses to leave the animals </p><p>of the village to fend for themselves. She loads the wagon with chickens and a litter</p><p>of pups she’s has found, and ties off a train of goats and sheep to it as well. Doorag</p><p>shakes his head in disbelief, but there is no help for it.*** </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Wealsun 7 </p><p></p><p> ***They enter the next village on their way back to the Queens Road, Yseult, and to </p><p>their dismay, they find it as empty as Hallingsburg! It is after dark by the time they</p><p>enter the village, but Yseult is obviously deserted. Deserted, except for a trio of</p><p>yuan-ti, waiting there to ambush them! </p><p></p><p> The crew dispatch the yuan-ti without major injury, and carefully search the</p><p>village. It appears as if the same thing that had happened in Hallingsburg has</p><p>occurred here. Another journal found shows the last entry to have been the 4th of </p><p>Wealsun. </p><p></p><p> Faced with the realization that yuan-ti are somehow emptying towns at an</p><p>epidemic rate, the crew know that they must reach Havilah with this news at once. </p><p>But their horses are tired, and they must rest in the empty village and wait for</p><p>morning.*** </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Wealsun 8 </p><p></p><p> ***Once the sun comes up they are faced with another problem: Speed. </p><p></p><p> Up till now they have traveled as fast as Taklinn can walk, and while the dwarf </p><p>can keep up the pace for hours on end, he will never be as fast as a horse. Neither</p><p>will Don Kay, for that matter. </p><p></p><p> The problem with Don Kay is easily solved when Doorag uses a new spell to </p><p>Polymorph the donkey into a full grown horse, but Taklinn is a tougher nut to crack.</p><p>He flatly refuses to get on a horse, and under severe scrutinization he finally breaks</p><p>down and confesses an utter and complete phobia of all things equine. It seems that </p><p>he was thrown from a horse at a young age and now cannot bring himself to get</p><p>back on one. </p><p></p><p> No amount of pestering, cajoling, logic or argument can seem to sway him, so </p><p>Caribdis decides to try a different ploy. He Charms the dwarf into getting onto the</p><p>newly polymorphed Don Kay. Doorag shudders, knowing that this will end badly,</p><p>but haste is of the essence. They gallop out of Yseult. </p><p></p><p> Their need for haste also precludes them taking their trusty wagon along, as well</p><p>as the column of animals that Happy had tried to rescue. They let them all go,</p><p>except for a couple of puppies that Caribdis and Happy have taken likings to. </p><p></p><p> As Doorag had feared, the Charm on Taklinn wears off several hours later, and</p><p>the unhappy dwarf suddenly comes to his senses in the most terrifying position he</p><p>can find himself in! Out of instinctive fear, he clouts poor Don Kay on the back of </p><p>the head causing her to throw him from her back. Happy nearly plants a dagger into</p><p>Taklinn when she witnesses this brutality to her beloved donkey. It takes Taklinn</p><p>only a few seconds to put two and two together and pin the blame squarely where it </p><p>belongs, and were it not for the fact that Caribdis still rode a horse and could easily</p><p>outdistance the infuriated dwarf, he may well have faced his last day. As it is,</p><p>Taklinn finally gets within arms reach of the boy when they break camp and </p><p>clobbers him a fine belt across the mouth, warning him against further trickery. </p><p></p><p> The rest of the party agree. Charming fellow crew members is simply not an</p><p>option.*** </p><p> </p><p></p><p> Wealsun 11 </p><p></p><p> ***For three more days they travel, until they reach Ravens Hollow. They had hoped</p><p>to tell Yigil of the disappearing towns. But Yigil’s tower is gone. </p><p></p><p> The crew stand dumbstruck at the site the tower had once occupied, now empty</p><p>except for a circle of dead grass. With fading hope, they make the short trek into the </p><p>village and find it as deserted as Hallingsburg and Yseult. </p><p></p><p> In the center of the silent town square they have a crew meeting. Obviously a</p><p>great evil is occurring at a frightening rate and they simply must get back to Havilah </p><p>with all speed. Their current rate of travel just will not do. Even were Taklinn to</p><p>have a change of heart about horses, it would not be fast enough, and drastic</p><p>measures are decided upon. Once again using his polymorph spell, Doorag </p><p>transforms Caribdis into the largest flying creature he has yet seen, a red dragon!</p><p>They lash Doorag to Caribdis’ scaly neck, and the "dragon" clumsily takes to the</p><p>air. Griff, Taklinn and Happy will catch up while Caribdis and Doorag hurry on to </p><p>warn the capitol. </p><p></p><p> Before they leave, Doorag has Caribdis swoop down upon their friends and he</p><p>tosses down his goggles of dark vision, knowing Happy may have more use of them </p><p>than he will. </p><p></p><p> The power of flight turns a week long journey into a days travel, and by mid day</p><p>on the 12th they arrive in Havilah.***</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="cthulhu42, post: 6581729, member: 6792361"] Rdying 15 Back on the road again, and it feels good to be here. Spring is well upon us, though there is a fine chill in the air. Being here again, with firm direction in mind, it seems that we have once again solidified into the crew we were before our trials at the Academy. A bit scatterbrained, perhaps, but united as much as we ever were. Taklinn’s beard is coming back in nicely and all the old bad blood seems to have thinned. I must admit though, that three months in the comfort of Havilah has softened my bum and the wagon is playing havoc on it. It will be awhile before my bones have acclimated themselves to the road again. Until then I will surely spend a few sore nights. Rdying 17 Well, we may travel the Queens Road, but today has proved that even this main artery across the land is less than safe, for as we traveled this noon, we were ambushed by a group of ten orcs. Though we were outnumbered, our skills that we honed in the Academy were more than enough to deal with such rabble, and in less than a minute the would-be bandits lay dead, strewn across the road, bloodied and burnt by steel and spell. We sustained a few wounds but nothing that Taklinn and Caribdis couldn’t handle. I fear that this is yet more evidence that Havilah is being slowly encroached upon by humanoid hordes. Rdying 19 We have entered Vasain, and apparently the reports are true. This town has suffered several attacks from an airborne creature, and, in fact, as we approached the village this afternoon we spotted the creature. It was high in the air, merely a speck in the sky, but with our spyglass we were able to get a better look at it, and I’m afraid that the reports of a wyvern were amiss. The beast we saw has four legs, not two, and no stinger on it’s tail. No one wants to say it, but we are all thinking the same thing: Dragon! It was difficult to tell from our distance, and we have only seen pictures of dragons in books, but what I saw looked an awful lot like those pictures. Caribdis is already lobbying for us to return to Havilah and request the assistance of a more learned crew. Once in Vasain we established a base of operations in the inn and learned much from the townsfolk. It seems that quite a bit of livestock has been carried away, as well as two children and two adults. Surprisingly enough, Griffin appeared quite affected by the news of the children’s disappearance. He and Happy spoke with the parents of the children and found further evidence of a dragon at the sight from which they vanished: A large circle of burnt grass, which we can only assume to be the results of fiery dragons breath. Griffins rage at the deaths of these two children is apparent, even though he tries to maintain his stoic exterior. He has fortified himself even more than usual with strong drink tonight. I believe we may have discovered Griff’s blind spot. While Griff and Happy met with the parents, the rest of us sought out and talked with one Rogan, a trapper in these parts. He tells us that he has seen the beast up close and has an idea of where it may lair. He has agreed to take us there on the morrow. We are all a bit nervous tonight. The idea of taking on a dragon, even a small one, is enough to turn my legs to jelly, and Caribdis is positively in a frenzy of trying to convince us to return to Havilah for aid. But it will not be. We will do what we have been sent to do, and that is that. I pray that I will still be around tomorrow to make an entry in this journal. In the meantime, I must rest and dwell upon which spells will be best suited to deal with such a beast. Rdying 20 We awoke early, and true to his word, Rogan was waiting for us. After a quick bite (of which Caribdis was able to eat very little - the boy was a bit pale this morning) we set out to find this dragon. Rogan led us into the surrounding woods, of which he is intimately familiar, and we followed him into the low hills a few miles from the village. He would not go too near where he believed the dragon to be, but he gave us further directions and agreed to wait for us. We continued on, following his landmarks, until we had climbed a small bluff, at the top of which was a large clearing that served as a porch to a dark cave. Any doubts that this was the beasts lair were soon put to rest, for the clearing was littered with bones, broken and burnt. I thought I could hear Caribdis’ knees knocking together, and truth be told, my own voice was a bit shaky as I read off a couple of protective scrolls. Most of the time I trust the others to protect me, as well as my ability to simply stay out of harms way, but I was taking no chances with a dragon. Neither was Taklinn, and he cast similar spells upon himself. As we neared the cave entrance we could hear the heavy breathing of something within, and I declare that raw fear nearly caused us to turn back. But we steeled ourselves and entered, with Griffin and Taklinn leading the way. I remembered Griffin’s description of the burnt circle of grass they had found and I hung back, having a bad feeling that things were going to warm up. We had not far to go. A mere fifty or so feet into the cave the sun shone enough to reveal the hulking form of the wurm, newly awakened by our entry and uncoiling itself to deal with us. It was small, by dragon standards I suppose, barely out of it’s infancy, but still as big as a war horse and bristling with teeth and claws. It gleamed a bright red, and it lay atop a pile of coin, the amount of which I’ve never seen in one place. To my surprise, it spoke! "Who dares disturb me?" It demanded. "I do, that’s who!" it was Griffin who answered, his sword point quivering with anger as he addressed the beast, "We’ve come to extract retribution for the children of Vasain! Prepare to die!" The dragon seemed not the least bit worried by Griffin’s declaration and looked down his long snout at us as if we were no more than minor annoyances. "How you humans do bore me," it said, snidely, "Yet you come at an inopportune time and I don’t feel like killing you right now. Leave me, and do not return, or I shall burn you where you stand. Now go!" Caribdis, standing not far from me, looked as if he were about to heed the dragons command, but Taklinn simply reinforced Griff’s words with a hefted axe and a prayer to Clangeden. Happy, well in the shadows, slid ever forward. The wurm, seeing that we were not to be so easily dismissed, reared itself up to it’s full height, it’s tail whipping behind it, it’s wings flaring out and sending buffets of wind at us. "Then die!" it roared, and exhaled its flaming breath at us! A wall of fire emanated from that toothy maw, engulfing all that stood before it. Luckily I had judged correctly and was just out of range. I could feel the heat of the flame, but the fire stopped only feet from me. When it cleared, we all still stood, but it was clear that all had been badly burnt. Still, as long as we keep our feet we shall fight, and Griff, Taklinn and Happy moved in for their strikes while Caribdis loosed arrows even as flames still licked at his sleeves. I know the boy was terrified, but to his credit, he held his ground. Taklinn reached the dragon and drew first blood for our side with a tremendous swing. Griff stepped up, but the dragon surprised us with a spell. "Flee!" it commanded our stanch warrior, and before I know it, Griffin was running for his life! I could see the shame in his eyes as he passed me, but he had no choice, for he was well and truly under the influence of magic. Fortunately, it would not last long. Trying not to stumble over my words, I cast glitterdust at the beast, hoping to blind it, but it just shook its head and laughed! Taklinn and Happy laid into it again, drawing a bit of blood, but taking their own lumps from it’s claws and teeth. Taklinn reeled back, badly bitten, but refused to give up and hurled himself back at the beast with renewed vigor. Caribdis fired arrows as fast as his arm could draw back his bow, and I tried another spell, and to my great joy, this one worked! It’s was Reduce, and to my great surprise it actually took, for the dragon suddenly went from being horse sized to pony sized! I knew that he would still be formidable, but perhaps his newly diminished strength would give us the edge we desperately needed. Then, a blur raced past me. It was Griffin. The spell that had forced him to flee had expired and he charged the wurm with renewed fury, slamming into it with his blade. The dragon flinched, obviously hurt and not prepared to deal with foes that fought back. Rallying now that Griff had returned, Taklinn and Happy hacked away. As for me, I thought to myself that if it was good that the dragon were smaller, it would be better still if we were bigger, and with that in mind, I yelled out, "Griff! I’m hitting you with a spell! Let it take!" Hoping that he’d heard me, I cast Enlarge on him. Within seconds, he grew to nearly nine feet tall, his sword almost twice its original length, and it bit even deeper into the dragons hide. Long seconds passed with only the sound of grunts, cries of pain, teeth ripping flesh and steel biting scale. I hit the beast with Magic Missile, desperately trying to chip away at it. With a snarl, the dragon realized that it was outmatched and attempted to flee. Unfortunately, I stood directly in its path, and I can now attest to the fact that there is no more fearsome sight than a dragon barreling down upon you. It nearly trampled me, but my protective spells paid off, and I was only tossed aside as it exited the cave. Only a few more steps and it would be able to take to the air where we would have no chance of catching it. But it was not to be, for Griffin was hot on it’s heels, his newly lengthened legs eating up ground as fast as the dragons, and with a final battle cry, he plunged his bastard sword through the dragons back, piercing through organs and coming out of its belly! Griff was thrown back by the beasts death throes, and we all stood well away as it writhed and twisted, trying to drag itself from the cave. But it got no more than a few yards before it slumped to the earth and breathed its last, Griffin's sword still impaled into it. In the ensuing silence we could only stand around its corpse, looking at each other, barely able to believe that we still survived. All of us were wounded, bitten, burnt, or clawed, but the relief at having slain the beast took much of the sting out of our wounds. And so Taklinn and Caribdis began their healing. Griff returned to normal size, and we began to sift through the treasure. The amount of coin was impressive, but its denomination disappointing, for the vast majority of it was copper. Still, we managed to extract a goodly portion of gold and silver, as well as a handful of gemstones. Best of all, my detect magic picked up several interesting items. We found a beautiful bastard sword, an ax, a wand, a ring, a suit of leather armor, and a pair of goggles, all of which glowed mellowly of magic. The sword, especially, was an interesting find. Caribdis actually recognized it and named it as Everyman’s Blade. Supposedly it was once used by a great hero in the defense of Havilah city, but was lost after a great battle and had not been seen since. A true treasure! Griffin appeared unimpressed (of course) with the tale, but he left his old blade in the dragon carcass and hefted this new one with a shrug, slipping it into his sheath. I fetched Rogan and our mounts, and we headed back to Vaisan, our saddlebags heavy with treasure and the dragons head strapped across Don Kay's back. Upon entering the village, word of our victory spread quickly, and we were given a heroes welcome that turned into quite the party. Only Griffin seemed unable to enjoy it, for he still dwelt upon the loss of the two children and his inability to even find their remains. He delivered to their parents the head of that dragon, perhaps as a means of closure. He disappeared soon after with two bottles of strong liquor, and we didn’t see him until the next day. As for me, I enjoyed myself at the party for a few hours, but soon the excitement caught up with me and I retired to my room where I now am, writing down these events before I take my rest. Rdying 21 Our third day in Vasain, and I have spent the better part of it working with a spell that I picked up at the Academy but had not yet had a chance to try. Identify has told me much about the items we found in the dragons lair, though a few details still elude me. The sword that Griff now carries, Everyman’s blade, remains an enigma with the exception of what I already guessed, that it is enchanted to such an extent as to give its wielder a minor advantage on the field of battle. Same with the axe, but unlike the axe, I can sense deeper enchantment in the sword. Enchantment too complex for my simple spell to reveal its secrete. Perhaps only time will tell. Whatever the case, it fits Griff well, unless one remembers that its former owner was a hero of the people. Hardly our lone wolf, Griffin. Taklinn took the axe, it was a natural fit, as was the leather armor for Happy. She was delighted to find that it would shrink to fit her small form, and she now has a very "black cat" look indeed, and seems well pleased. Her armor holds deeper enchantment as well, but nothing I could put my finger on. The wand is a wand of Cure Light Wounds, and the ring grants minor protection from physical blows. The goggles provide dark vision, and both Happy and I looked at them greedily, but since she had already fallen in love with the leather, she grinned and slid them over to me. It was decided that Caribdis should hang on to the wand, which left him with the ring as the last piece of treasure. But with Caribdis nothing is ever easy, and he took it into his head that one of the front line fighters should have it. Taklinn and Griff shrugged and said that they’d be glad to have it, but I think they both wanted Caribdis to share in the loot, and they protested. But Caribdis would have his way, and it was ultimately decided to let Olidamara decide with a roll of the dice (though we did insist that Caribdis at least play). Olidamara must favor our Griff, for his dice rolled highest, and he reluctantly put on the ring. Caribdis seemed pleased though, which, I guess, is what matters. I think, however, that the next time we encounter a magical trinket that would suit the boy, we will not take no for an answer. Self sacrifice is one thing, martyrdom is another. We get back on the road tomorrow. According to our calculations we should reach Kalendia by the 26th Rdying 26th Its been another long day and I’ve got lots to tell so I’d best get started. The last four days were spent in uneventful travel, but today brought us still more action. We were only about three hours out of Kalendia when danger struck. We are fast becoming experts in the fine art of being ambushed, for as we rode along we spotted two hunched figures hurrying across the road. We only caught a glimpse of them, but even from a distance we could tell that they were orcs. No sooner had they disappeared into the woods than we heard the sound of hoof beats behind us. Turning, we beheld yet another orc, only this one was mounted on a particularly mean looking warhorse and was charging straight for us! We set ourselves to deal with him, but before he’d even covered the distance, four more of them burst from the woods, waving their huge axes and snarling war cries! But they were little match for my sleep spell, and three of them never even made it to the road. The mounted orc and his remaining foot soldier were easy prey for Griffin and Taklinn, and they died swiftly, but the horse was another matter, for it fought as if it had a personal vendetta against us, biting Taklinn and hammering about with it’s hooves. Caribdis tried to mount the thing, but got only a hoof in the face for his trouble. I used my scorching ray to fine effect, and after I’d softened it up, the rest were able to take it down. I think killing the horse upset Happy, she has a soft spot for the beasts, but there was no help for it. The mounted orc was not dead, and we decided to take him prisoner along with the other three that I had slept. We manacled them and tied them to the wagon while Griffin and Happy went ahead on foot to scout around, figuring that there were likely more orcs in the area. While they were gone we noticed that these orcs were heavily tattooed and wore a sort of uniform armor. We deduced that they were Himrok orcs. We had not even made it to Kalendia yet and already we were seeing evidence of a Himrok invasion! Griff and Happy returned with a report of a farmhouse not far ahead and sightings of several more orcs around it. We could only assume that they had taken over the house for a base, and I worried for the human inhabitants. For Taklinn and I it was not a question of IF we were going to deal with these orcs, but WHEN, and HOW. But again, the rest of our crew needed a gentle prod. Caribdis argued that we were nearly out of spells and Griff muttered about it not being our business, and we ended up arguing about it all the way to the house, but Taklinn and I were not to be moved on this point. Neither of us could sit idly by while innocent folk were potently held captive in their own home. While we discussed it from a field adjacent to the house, we were suddenly witness to a large burst of light that emanated from a nearby shed! The light exploded silently and shot up into the air, giving us all pause. But the farmhouse and its inhabitants were our first order of business, and we assumed by this time that we’d been spotted, for all the orcs that Griff and Happy had seen outside were nowhere to be found. We could only surmise that they had retreated into the house. Happy volunteered to scout out the house, and she quickly covered the ground between us and it. By this time the shadows were growing long, and we were utterly surprised to see her simply disappear into one of them! I think we can now safely say that the deeper magic’s of her armor involve bettering her ability to camouflage herself and blend into the shadows, for I swear, she seemed to simply vanish into thin air and then reappear again a second later from another spot! Most impressive! She circled the house and brought back a report that the orcs were indeed inside and had barricaded themselves in. Caribdis, of course, took that as an obvious indication that we should leave well enough alone and press on to Kalendia for aid, but I was having none of that. Cocking my crossbow, I ran for the house. The others, to their credit, followed. Once at the corner, we decided to divide and conquer. I had already cast a levitate on myself, so I rose to the second floor and found a window unlocked. It let into a small, unoccupied bedroom, so I descended to pick up Happy. Taklinn had already started toward the front door, casting enhancement spells on himself as he went. Unbeknownst to me, as I ferried Happy to the second floor, Griff was fortifying Caribdis’ courage with his own special brand of liquid steel. In other words, he let the boy gulp down half a bottle of rotgut wine! I didn’t realize it until I took Caribdis up and then went back down for Griff. He decided to go in another door and made off for it. I rose back to the bedroom, only to find Caribdis passed out on the bed! Happy was slapping him awake and he got up, already slurring! I clapped my hand to my forehead in disbelief, but what could we do? I opened the door to reveal an empty hallway full of doors and a staircase that led down. I made my way to the half point of the stairs and beheld nearly a half dozen orcs and several war dogs at the bottom. Fortunately, they were all watching a door at the bottom, presumably the door that Griff was trying to break through. In the distance, I could hear the sounds of battle, and I figured that Taklinn had made his presence known. I quickly cast from a scroll, and three of the orcs went down, asleep. That drew their attention, but before they could act, Caribdis had stumbled past me and was launching arrows at them. Good enough, I thought, putting the bard between myself and the enemy as Griffin finally smashed through the door. One orc tried to rouse his fellows, but another scroll from me put him and the remaining orcs back to bed as Griffin laid about with his sword. The dogs proved to be tougher than their masters, and they chased Caribdis up the stairs as far as I would let him go. Happy tumbled past us to help Griff on the floor, and I must confess to an embarrassing moment here, for I fired my crossbow at a dog and missed, hitting Happy instead! I was mortified, and she shot me an angry glance. By this time she and Griff had dispatched the last of the dogs, and they both ran to aid Taklinn who was busy with his own grip of orcs and dogs as well. Fortunately, our dwarf is so well armored that he was well neigh impossible for them to hit. By the time Griff reached him he’d already slain two of the orcs and had only taken a single bite from a lucky dog. When Griff got there, it was all over for the bad guys, and he and Taklinn flanked them with a vengeance, leaving a pile of dead orcs and dogs in their wake. Happy reported (as she removed my bolt from her arm) that she’d killed a wounded orc upstairs and that the rest of the rooms were clear. We quickly tied up our sleeping prisoners, though keeping living prisoners was a bone of contention, especially after we’d witnessed the horror in the living area. The orcs had transformed it into a torture chamber of sorts, and we found a human man there, tied to a chair, obviously the victim of sadistic torture before his throat was slit. We found a final door to the cellar, and after breaking it open, we discovered more human prisoners. Four men, one of them, his name is Aif, the owner of the farm. Rdying 26 (con’t) Aif and his fellow farmhands greeted us warily, which was understandable, considering their recent run in with the orcs, but they soon realized that we were liberators and not invaders and they calmed down. Aif related to us that the orcs had descended upon them a few days ago and had taken over the farmhouse, keeping the humans prisoner for torture and sport. The cellar held another secrete, however, for under our scrutiny we found a hidden panel in the wall that led into a room lined with weapons! An odd cache for a farmer, but when questioned about it Aif explained that he had once been an adventurer like ourselves and that the weapons were simply his collection from those days long past. We accepted that, but not without reservation. Something just didn’t seem right. I think that Happy, especially, did not buy his story, but he had given us no real reason to distrust him. Still, as I close this entry and go to bed, I know that I won’t sleep lightly knowing that he is in the room down the hall. I’ll have Ambros take a watch tonight. Later... Well! It appears that our troubles with the orcs was not over. We’ve barricaded ourselves in the farmhouse in case they decide to return, and it turns out that our caution was not without warrant. Only a half hour ago I was startled awake by the sounds of heavy bodies slamming into the doors. A dozen or so orcs had rushed the house, hoping to catch us unaware, but Griff was on duty downstairs and Taklinn was snoozing not far away. By the time I’d made it downstairs, the two of them had already dispatched several of the orcs. It was quick work to mop up the rest of them after Happy, Caribdis (still half drunk) and I showed up. Even though I was low on spells, my scrolls came in handy, and we now have a few prisoners thanks to a Sleep spell. We’d have had more, but Happy was not too keen on taking live ones, and before we could stop her she sent four of them from sleep on to the next world. Taklinn reacted strongly to her, but I wont dwell on it. I dislike the notion of executing prisoners, but I also realize that we are simply delaying the inevitable, for they will surely be hanged once we turn them over to the law in Kalendia. In a perfect world justice would always be served, but folk like Happy, Griff, and Caribdis follow different drummers, and I won’t hold them to the same set of standards that I aspire to. The truth is, I often fail to satisfy my own expectations, so I won’t lord them over others. These orcs certainly weren’t innocent, so I will neither shed tears for them nor worry over the manner of their demise. In more practical affairs, Griff tells us that Aif departed earlier this night! Griff was on watch when Aif came down with his pack, announcing that he did not feel safe here and intended to flee for fear of further orc attacks. Griff, being Griff, merely shrugged at the farmer and locked the door behind him. That was that. Well, I believe I have sufficiently calmed down from the excitement, and I must get some rest if I am to be of any use tomorrow. Rdying 27 We have decided to investigate the strange goings on around the farmhouse before proceeding on to Kalendia. There was the matter of the weird light we witnessed shooting up from the shack built on the top of the hill behind us, as well as Aif’s information that there was a cave on the hills opposite side, near its base. We wondered if the orcs might not be using that cave as a campsite, so we reckoned we’d check it out first. We stole through the trees, making a quiet loop around the hill, but before long we realized that there is a limit to how quiet a dwarf in armor and a hung over Caribdis can be. So Happy volunteered to scout it out, and like that, she melted into the forest. She was back some fifteen minutes later, breathing hard and a bit shaken. She’d had to dispatch an orc by herself with a single, well placed dagger, thrown from hiding in order to get back to us. The orc went down without a sound and the alarm was never raised. She reported a cave with signs of movement at its mouth, as well as several orcs perched in the outlying trees, bows at the ready. We followed her route back toward the cave, and soon, we made contact. Taklinn charged into clearing, openly drawing their fire, and the air around him buzzed with arrows. This gave us the opportunity to flank them, and we picked them out of their trees one by one with spells and missile weapons. In no time, they littered the ground beneath the trees like rotten fruit. The cave turned out not to be a simple hole in a hillside, but rather a well dug tunnel that led into a good sized chamber complete with another tunnel on its far wall. We knew than that we would have our work cut out for us, and we set out to uncover this mystery. Happy took the point as we plunged into the tunnel, and good thing, too. I’d lent her my dark vision goggles, and with them she found a nasty pit trap on the floor before us, and we were able to circumvent it as well as another placed near the first. That girl has a good eye! Two more orcs waited for us at the end of the tunnel, and they took pot shots at us until Griff and Caribdis rushed them and cut them down with blade and arrow. We spent the next few hours dealing with a stubborn door or two and the discovery of what appears to be a burial tomb for orcish heroes. Four massive stone blocks seal four chambers that, according to the glyphs carved onto them, contain four orcish warriors of lore, while a fifth chamber has been (unsettlingly enough) broken out of! It looks as if one of the dead decided that he’d had enough of his eternal rest and smashed free of his grave. Only an empty sarcophagus lay in his tomb. It is still a mystery when this happened or where the creature is now. We can only hope that it was long ago and that he is far away, but I fear that we don’t have that kind of luck. We have now returned to the farmhouse to rest ourselves for the further exploration of the complex. Several doors remain unopened, and it galled the fighters to leave them, but I am without spells, as is Caribdis. Even Taklinn is low on his healing, so we’ve opted to rest. Rdying 28 Our second day in the tombs, and almost too much has happened to try to fit into a single entry. But I will try. We awoke this morning, refreshed, at full health, and full of spells. Thusly armed we dove back into the darkness of the tunnels that honeycomb the hill. Caribdis is filled with curiosity about the four orc hero tombs that remain sealed, and it was my mistake to think aloud that I could breach them with a simple Reduce spell. He spent most of the morning dropping hints and wondering aloud what they might contain in an effort to pique our curiosity. But we have bigger fish to fry, and plenty of doors remained unopened that required only a trap scan from Happy and Griff’s strong shoulder to open them. It is becoming more and more apparent that this complex had, at one time, been an orcish stronghold, but has been recently occupied by human forces. Now, however, the orcs seem to have retaken their ancestral lair and have fought us tooth and nail to retain it. Indeed, rather than desert the place while we rested, they have dug in, fortifying their defenses and stand ready for us at every turn. Fortunately, we have become more than a match for even a sizable group of the thugs, what with my Sleep spells and the blades of my fellows. Taklinn, in particular, seems to take great joy in hurling himself into the midst of a knot of orcs and laughing at them as their axes clang, ineffectually, off of his shining armor. According to him his people have a long standing feud with orcs, and he doesn’t even try to conceal his joy at cutting them down. We’ve all had plenty of opportunity to do just that today, for even the first door we opened revealed a half dozen orcs ready to die in defense of this complex. And die they did. We soon found that they were merely the front line, guarding two more doors. We forced open the one to the north and were shocked and disgusted by what we saw: A prison, stoutly built of stone rooms and iron bars, the orcish jailor and his deputy still standing at the ready. The jailor was a tough fellow, but down he went, and we were saddened to find that the cells he had so fiercely died for were largely devoid of life, though much evidence still remained of the prisoners who had once languished there. Yes, they had all been slaughtered and tossed into a single cell like so much refuse. The scene was appalling and we saw that nearly a dozen helpless prisoners had been hacked to death. The worst of it was the discovery of five bodies that still bore their Havilah crew rings. We have found the missing crew, slain to a man. With heavy hearts we retrieved the rings for return to Havilah and set the bodies of those brave souls aside for a proper burial once we have sorted this place out. Not all the cells contained corpses, however. In one of them we found four human men, scared out of their wits and pleading to be set free. But we are a cautious lot now, for we believe that the farmer (if he really is a farmer at all) Aif may have a hand in all of this, and once these prisoners revealed to us that they had once been Aif’s men, we thought better of letting them roam free before we’d found some answers to our questions. Under questioning they told us little, and I believe that they probably don’t know much. But they did say that Aif had, before the orcs arrived, controlled this complex and had been amassing men and weapons here. They knew not why, but perhaps the magistrate in Kalendia will get more out of them. Either way, they sit, even now, in their cells, awaiting transfer to the city. Another tunnel led from the prison and into a terrible, yet fascinating room that could be classified as a torture chamber of sorts, though that does not appear to be the reason it was built. Inside we discovered a strange machine of what looks like gnomish design. It was built over a table festooned with restraints, and indeed, a body still rested there, its face contorted with pain and an ugly hole in its chest, obviously the cause of death. But the hole was not caused by some base weapon. Perched over the table, like some alien insect, hung a bizarre contraption riddled with gears and buttons and leavers, all of which narrowed to a tube-like protrusion that came to a nasty point. Its angle still suggested that it had recently been buried within the chest of the hapless victim on the table. Within the machine we found a slot that could accept one of the many copper plates that were strewn about the room. The plate within the devices bore a short, engraved, message: "The temple is ours." We conclude that it is some sort of message sending machine, and even though it seems mightily ponderous for so simple a task, the ability to send words over distance without the threat of interception may well be valuable enough to these orcs to warrant it. Whatever the case, no one will ever use this diabolic mechanism again, for Taklinn was quick to put it to the axe. I must admit that it pained me just a bit to see such a mechanical marvel destroyed. I realize that it’s use could cause nothing but pain, but still, it was a wonder of construction the likes of which I have never seen. Fortunately I was able to make some sketches of it as well as keep a box of tools laying nearby. I may never know what many of the tools are even used for, but they will one day make marvelous conversation pieces for my laboratory. At any rate, we soon left the "message room", as we dubbed it, and continued out its exiting corridor. There was another door in this hall, but there was also another trap. Fortunately Happy has eyes that would make an eagle jealous and she caught it before any of us tripped the nasty thing. Upon opening the door we found a stair case clogged with furniture, as if someone had attempted to block off the door that we could barely make out at the top of the stairs. Caribdis was all for hauling it all out and checking the door, but we decided that whatever it was would keep until we’d cleared out this lower level. He seemed disappointed, but bounced back fast when we reminded him of another door we’d left behind us. We made our way to said door and, after a trap scan by Happy, opened it up to discover a funnel shaped room filled with orcs and war dogs! Again, it was a short but brutal fight. The orcs never even attempted to run. They must have feared whomever commanded them to hold their positions more than they feared us. Too bad for them, for they were soon laid low. Yet another door led from the wide end of this triangular room, and it gave easily. Inside we beheld a room with a maze of sorts, made of iron rail. I suppose it was to keep an invading force from charging headlong through the room. At the opposite end of the low maze, near the exit, stood an ogre. I’ve only read about these buggers in books, but there was no mistaking the low brow and gangly arms that bulged with muscle. The thing hefted a tree trunk of a club and howled his challenge. Well, Griff and Taklinn are not the sorts to let such a thing go unanswered, and soon they were ducking or leaping the railings in an attempt to close with the brute. Griff struck first, and the bite of his big sword only seemed to enrage the ogre further! Suddenly, as Taklinn closed the distance, another ogre charged in from the exit. Griff found himself caught between the two giants, and I feared the worst for him. Happy, Caribdis and I harried the two with what we could while Taklinn and Griff went toe to toe. Happy even closed with the first ogre, darting in and thrusting with her wicked dagger. I have noticed of late that Happy seems to take personal offense to anyone who manages to land a hit on Griff, and I daresay Griff tends to react much the same way when Happy is threatened. The two have a connection, no doubt, though I fear that not much will ever come of it should it blossom into romance due to their rather dramatic size difference. It was touch and go for a moment, but at last our stalwart fighters dropped one ogre, then the second. When it was over we all stood there for a long time, breathing heavily and wondering how many more of these things might lie ahead. Taklinn and Caribdis set about healing the wounded, and we agreed that we still possessed enough firepower to move on. We did, heading north through the exit and into a hall filled with doors that led to a veritable den of orcs. It appeared as if we had reached the barracks of the complex, and each room seemed to lead to two more, all filled with at least half a dozen orcs. They fell like wheat before us. Our skills simply make them no match for us now, even in numbers. I remember that not so long ago we were nearly felled by a dozen goblins, but today we have mopped up over twenty orcs that easily weigh three times what a goblin does. I hope this does not seem prideful, but it is hard not to notice how far we have come. We also discovered a series of offices, empty of life but brimming with interesting finds. We have discovered a log book of prisoners once held in this complex as well as a listing of supplies and contacts in Kalendia, not to mention further evidence that directly links Aif to a treasonous bid to raise an army within the boarders of Havilah , for what purposes we still cannot ascertain. To top it all off, we also uncovered a fine cache of treasure. A chest fairly brimming with coin! True, most of it is copper or silver, but enough of it is gold to make it more than just worthwhile. We searched out and put down every orc we could find within the barracks, and soon we were left with a single door that graced the end of the hall. This one we had left for last, for it bore malevolent orcish artwork depicting a gaping, demonic mouth that warned the unwary to stay out better than any words could. Still, there was no turning back now, and though it was tightly locked, Happy made short work of it and Griff wasted no time in kicking it in. They had been waiting for us. Nearly ten burly orcs surrounded a final orc, this one bigger than all the rest we had seen. He was obviously a chieftain of some sort, for he raised his great axe over his head and commanded his fellows to stand fast! Griff wasted no time, charging directly into their midst and laying about him with his bloody sword, but these orcs were apparently the cream of the crop, for where others fell under a single blow from Griff, these stood their ground and returned his attacks with deadly ferocity. Soon we lost sight of him as they closed around him, hammering away. I heard Happy gasp in concern for her friend, and Taklinn plowed into them, his axe cleaving a path of gut and bone through their ranks. But Griff was already badly hurt, and I knew that something had to be done, and quickly. I had been conserving my spells for just such and occasion, and I let fly with my final Sleep. At one time I would have been taking an enormous risk casting such a spell in the vicinity of my friends, but they have grown powerful enough to be immune to its effects. Not so with the orcs. They may have been a stouter breed than their brethren, but they still crumpled and snoozed like so many lambs at its touch. Nearly half of them went down, which gave Taklinn and Griff some much needed breathing room. Happy joined the fray and Caribdis began to chant his calming verse as he sent arrow after arrow into the crush. Griff, even badly wounded, would still do nothing less than take on the most powerful of them, and he went toe to toe with their chieftain. But I could see that he was in bad shape, and Taklinn was held back by the orcish underlings who still stood. I chose that moment to try my very latest spell, one that I have only just mastered. Hold Person is from the third circle of magic and I’d been itching to cast it, but the ogres had been too big, while the orcs we’d been fighting had been too weak to warrant it. This big orc chief was just what I was looking for, and as he snarled out a promise to eviscerate Griff and hauled his axe back for a mighty blow, I let it fly. He stopped dead, frozen, his face still contorted in rage. But I could clearly read the surprise in his eyes when he realized the state he was in. The surprise soon gave way to fear as Griff took the opportunity and sheathed his long blade in the chieftains chest, piercing his heart and slaying him with a single thrust. The tide had turned with us and the remaining orcs knew it. They fought desperately, but to no avail, for everywhere they turned there was a blade or arrow to meet them, and one by one they fell to the floor until finally they were no more. We thought that we could then claim victory, but our fight was not over, for another corridor lead still further north from this room, and as I knelt to tie the sleeping orcs we heard yet another challenge issue from its blackened depths. This one was a deep and powerful growl, full of hate and boastful confidence. Without a backwards glance or a thought given to the danger, Griff grabbed up his torch, drew his gore covered sword, and charged headlong down the hall to meet it. Fortunately Taklinn had had a few seconds with which to lay his healing hands upon the wounded fighter, so Griff wasn’t at deaths door, but he certainly wasn’t at full strength either. We raced after him. I don’t mind being a halfling, in fact, for the most part, I prefer it. But the fact remains that I will never be the fastest fellow round the track, and so it was that I was the last to see what lay in the chamber. Another knot of guardian orcs, already battling with Griff as Taklinn crashed into their flank. These orcs were far larger and better equipped than any we had thus far seen. These, I thought, were the elite guard. And their ward? A hideous perversion of a creature stood near the rear of the chamber. It must once have been an orc, I could see that, but where it had once had arms it now sprouted writhing tentacles the color of pale death! Horrid boils burst and streamed over any bare flesh on it, and coarse hair sprouted with no rhyme or reason all over the beast. I had arrived just in time to see it reach behind a statue in the room and do something that caused a low "clunk" to reverberate throughout the chamber. And then I heard the low rush of what could only be water from behind me. It seemed that I was the only one who heard it. That, or the rest were too busy with problems of their own. Griff and Taklinn savagely pushed at the ranks of orcs while Caribdis recited verse and Happy seemed to be everywhere at once, thrusting, drawing blood, and dancing away. Knowing that I was nearly out of spells and would be largely useless anyway, I raced back toward the previous chamber and peered down the hall. What I beheld was a slow but steady stream of water pushing its way up from grates in the floor at the far end of the tunnel and working its way it either direction. I had only a few seconds before it reached my feet, and that was when I realized that I still had five sleeping orcs laying all about me. A moral dilemma was suddenly thrust upon me, for I knew that the water would surely wake these sleeping beasts and they would be only too happy to join the fray against my friends! I couldn’t tie them up fast enough, but what was the alternative? With a sinking feeling, I realized what had to be done, and without thinking about it, I unslung my crossbow, leveled it at a sleeping orc, and pulled the lever. The bolt struck him in the throat and before he’d even rattled his last breath of air I was loading a fresh bolt into my weapon. My revulsion at slaying helpless foes was overwhelming, and my hands shook as I fired again, killing a second. But the water was only a few feet away now, and it was the only way. I killed a third before Happy suddenly burst into the room. She spoke quickly as she surveyed the scene. They had slaughtered the orc guards, but the tentacled mutant had slipped through a secrete door and escaped. Our fighters were still engaged with a few guards, but she had come to see what I was about. I pointed at the water, which now pooled at my feet, and nodded at the sleeping orcs. She understood immediately, seeing the crossbow in my hand, and what must undoubtedly have been a look of distress on my face. "I’ll take care of it," she said, drawing her dagger and kneeling next to an orc, "You see if you can find out how to shut the water off." It was a kind gesture on her part, and maybe I should have taken it. But what sort would I be to allow a friend to take on a task that I would not do myself. No, I would not leave her to this grizzly business. I slew a fourth while she drew her dagger across the throat of the last. And that was the last of the action we have seen this day. We managed to find a trio of levers hidden behind the statue which not only turned off the water and let it drain, it opened up the doors again. Yes, the orcs final act of defiance was an attempt to seal up the complex and flood it. It would have taken several days to do so, but I gather that it would have eventually drowned us all had we not found the levers in their hiding place. We also found the secrete escape route that the mutant had used and it let out onto the hillside overlooking Aif’s farm, but by that time he was long gone. I can only hope that our paths will cross again. We rest now, back in the farmhouse, tending to our wounds and counting our gain. Caribdis has somehow convinced us that we should check out the four orcish hero tombs, but we have agreed only on the condition that we check to see what lies behind the door that tops the furniture clogged staircase I described earlier. I must admit to a certain amount of curiosity about the tombs. Taklinn is our biggest detractor though, for he feels it is a sin to desecrate the dead. I believe he is splitting hairs, since we’ve looted plenty of dead orcs in the past three days and he’s had no objections to that. What does it matter that they’ve been dead only a few minutes or for centuries? Dead is dead as far as I’m concerned, and I’ll waste no remorse at breaching orcish tombs. An honorable burial such as that is too good for them anyway! Still, I must admire Taklinn’s simple, if somewhat flexible, faith. His ideals are pure, though perhaps a bit skewed and nonobjective. I admit to frustration when unfounded faith staves off sound logic and reason. But without our sturdy dwarf we would surely have never gotten this far, and, as the groups conscience, he doesn’t always have to make sense. I will not fight him on this issue. Though I’m sure Caribdis is, even now, wheedling away at him, trying to convince Taklinn of what treasures must surely be buried with these orcish legends. We will find out on the morrow. For now, it is late and its been a full day. Cldevn 1 It’s been a long but satisfying day. Reasonably certain that we had driven off most, if not all, the orcs in the immediate area, we enjoyed a decent breakfast and lingered over tea before setting out to mop up the rest of the caverns. Our first order of business was to retrace our steps to the staircase full of furniture. It took a little over an hour, but we’d unclogged the stairs well before noon, and reached the door at its top at last. We were feeling full of confidence and vim. And then we opened the door. The thing greeted us with a guttural howl that turned my knees to water. Because the door was around a corner at the top of the stairs, I did not immediately see it, but I could certainly hear the thing. It was immediately answered by Griff’s war cry, and I could hear the thud of steel on leathery flesh, then a flurry of meaty thuds and Taklinn’s cry of, "Griff is down!" as he flung himself from my view and at whatever it was that had laid Griff low so quickly. We were bottle necked into the corridor, the narrow hall and sharp corner preventing us from dealing with the threat as a team. Caribdis, standing behind me, was in a panic! "What’s going on? Doorag, what’s happening?" He finally shoved his way past me as I considered my options, but once at the top he could not get a clear shot. He pulled our wand of healing and dove forward. I could still not get around Happy, who was doing her best to find a hole through which to hurl a dagger, so I quickly cast Levitate and rose above her head. Once there, I pulled myself forward, until at last, I could see what we were up against. I failed to detail earlier the depictions we’d found upon the walls of the orcish legend tombs. Faded murals on the walls show these four orcs, larger than life, each engaged in their own particular specialty. As a matter of fact, one of them appeared to be of bardish ilk, probably the reason Caribdis was so eager to breech the tombs. But this was not the bard. Oh no. I did mention that one of the tombs had already been smashed open. From the inside. The visage around this tomb was that of a four-armed orcish beast, nearly half again as tall as a normal orc, and throbbing with muscle, claw and rage. This was the thing that Taklinn attempted to hold at bay, as he stood over the limp body of Griffin, his axe biting and drawing blood, all the while taking a terrible pounding from the creature. Taklinn’s armor was dented in several places, but he showed no signs of stopping. I unloaded everything I had. I followed a Scorching Ray with several Magic Missiles fired over Taklinn’s head. Caribdis, with nary a thought for his own safety, had crawled up to Griff and hit him with the wand, and our warrior opened his eyes. He rolled painfully to his feet, and bore down on the beast. We were finally beginning to wear it down. It was covered with burn marks and deep gashes. Several of Happy’s daggers jutted from it. Griff lay a mighty slice across it’s chest, and it stumbled backwards, reeling. Taklinn was quick to step in and take its knee out with an axe blow, and in a matter of minutes it had been thoroughly run through and lay dead. And all this before lunch! Taklinn and Caribdis tended to wounds while we searched what turned out to be an empty room, except for a strange metal device that jutted up from the floor. It was a while before we realized that this room was directly above the "message room", and that a section of the machine from that room had indeed thrust into the ceiling. We could still not ascertain how the thing worked, but in a way I am almost glad of that. Magic is a marvelous thing. Without it, it would have taken Griff weeks to heal from his wounds, but with the divine power that coursed through Taklinn’s rough hands, Griff was ready to move out again in only a few moments. It was time to take on the tombs, though we were far less excited at the prospect after having just faced one of the former inhabitants of those graves. But Caribdis was adamant, and we came to a compromise. We would enter one tomb and leave it at that. Taklinn was still not happy about the idea of "grave robbing" anyway, and it was probably best not to press the issue. In the end, the decision was mine since I was the only one who could cast the Reduce spell on the blocks that sealed the tombs. Which, of course, I did. Small surprise that we cracked the orcish bards tomb, no? We translated the name on the huge block as Das Kobb, and a few words in an ancient dialect of orcish went on to relate some of his more sinister deeds. With a deep breath and a look to make sure that everyone was ready, I cast the Reduce. The block shrunk to half it’s original mass, and it was an easy matter for Griffin to push it over. The dry must of long ago death washed over us, and a black hallway beckoned. Exploring, we found a sarcophagus at the end of a short tunnel, and after still more girding of loins, we pried off its lid. The mummy inside never stirred, even as Griff ran it through several times and then lopped its head off. We decided to burn it for good measure. Caribdis’ hunch proved to ring true, for we did end up finding a strangely magical dagger amongst the ashes. I think Caribdis was a little disappointed not to find a more bardly item therein, and he showed no signs of disagreeing when Happy asked if she might hang on to the dagger. She is, after all, our mistress of the short blade, and it just seemed right. We discussed which tomb would be next to fall, but by this time Taklinn had had enough. His superstitions got the better of him, and he declared that we could carry on if we wished, but it would be without him. He informed us that he would wait outside, and off he went. Well, in the end it was a vote of one for all and all for one. We decided that we would not continue without him, especially if he felt that strongly about it. Caribdis gave an aching look back as we left the last three tombs unmolested. We gathered our supplies and prisoners and headed for Kalendia, some three hours away. Once there, we turned our prisoners over to the chief constable, one Hardy Jensen and presented him with our findings. He sent a small group of guardsmen to watch over Aif’s farm, and then set us up in Kalendia’s finest inn, where I will soon get the first night of real rest I’ll have had in a long time. In fact, my bed is calling to me rather loudly at this late hour. Ambros is already curled up on the pillow. I believe I shall join him. Cldevn 2 Spent the day identifying some of the items we’ve found in the orc caverns. Nothing too wizardly, but a few nice trinkets for the rest of us. Happy received a Ring of the Ram, which she seems quite proud of, though I know she’d trade it to me for the Goggles of Night, were I to offer. Alas, I can’t bear to give them up. We were also able to send a magical message to Havilah today. We reported our findings, and were ordered home without delay. We shall leave in the morning. Cldevn 3 Back on the road and yet another night under the stars. I do miss a comfortable bed, but there is much to be said for the crackle of a camp fire and the snugness of a bed roll, especially surrounded by such fine companions. We made good time today, and expect to be back in Havilah within two weeks if all goes well. Cldevn 11 The plot thickens! We arrived this evening in the tiny hamlet of Falla, a village only about three days out of the capitol. Thus far our journey home has been without incident, but I knew it was too good to last. We decided to bunk in Falla for the night, and, after washing up, had joined each other in the tap room for a meal and conversation. The place was empty, save for the innkeeper, until an odd pair entered just after we’d eaten. A man and a woman, a striking couple, and dressed far better than any commoner, strode in and took a table not far from our own. We certainly noticed them, and they could not have helped but to notice us, but they gave no sign that they did. And then, Caribdis marched on over to their table and introduced himself! I don’t know why, perhaps he hoped to earn a coin or two in exchange for a tale. Unfortunately, the tale he decided to tell was ours! Before we realized what he was about, he was going on and on about our adventures in the orc lair, Aif, the farmhouse, the Himrock orcs, and who knows what he’d have spouted off had Happy not rushed to his side and shut him up! Griffin was only half paying attention to what was going on, and Taklinn and I were more amused than concerned as we watched Happy trying to coax Caribdis back to our table. But my own concern grew when all of the sudden, Happy seemed to have a change of heart and sat down at the strangers table and made no more moves to stop Caribdis’ blathering. Something about the scene wasn’t right, and, on a hunch, I cast a quick Detect Magic under my breath and scanned Happy, Caribdis, and the two strangers, who had bid Caribdis continue with his story. My hunch was right! My detection spell not only showed me a few trinkets that the strangers carried, but also the fact that Happy had had a spell cast on her. It looked like an enchantment to me, Charm, perhaps, or Suggestion. I haven’t had a lot of use for those sorts of spells myself thus far, but I recognize them when I see them, and I suspected that Happy had been magically influenced by these two. Without wishing to raise an alarm, I stood up, giving Taklinn a look that told him immediately that something was amiss. He sat straight in his chair and waited. I clapped Griff on the shoulder to get his attention, and then walked over to the strangers table with Taklinn not far behind. "I hope our friend here isn’t bothering you," I said, politely enough as I reached them, "His mouth takes on a mind of it’s own when he’s had a few, if you know what I mean!" I gave them a knowing wink and tried to take Caribdis by the elbow but out babbling bard would have none of it. "What are you talking about, Doorag?" Caribdis protested, "I haven’t had a thing stronger than well water tonight! I was just trying to tell these fine folks the story of how we cleared out that orc complex back in Kalendia!" "Yes, Doorag," It was the woman. She spoke in soothing tones, and her words were like gauze around my mind. "Why don’t you sit and have dinner with us?" Somewhere, far in the recesses of my mind, I knew that I had been enspelled, but I was powerless to refuse her. The notion of sharing a meal with them seemed the most natural thing in the world, and I didn’t hesitate to slide into an empty chair and pick up a spoon. Good thing Taklinn was there. "What goes on here?" our gruff cleric demanded. Well, the spell cast upon me had merely made the idea of supping with these strangers a pleasing one. I found that I was in full control over the rest of my faculties, and I had no trouble replying to Taklinn. "Well," I said calmly, "I’ve been invited for dinner with these fine folks, though I should mention that Happy has had a spell cast on her, and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that I’ve got one on me to!" I toasted Taklinn with a smile and prepared to feast. Taklinn’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he brought his axe up. And then, play time was over. Caribdis looked genuinely confused when the man stood and drew a wicked looking scimitar in the blink of an eye and slashed out at Taklinn. It rang off his armor, but this attack was enough to put both Happy and I off our dinner, and I found myself casting at the woman as she too got to her feet and went for her blade. My Hold Person stopped her in her tracks. Griff had risen and was drawing near, and Happy had rolled away from the table and come up with a dagger in each hand. Taklinn was angling around the still befuddled Caribdis for a shot with his axe. I guess the fellow new he was out numbered, for suddenly he touched the table and all went utterly and completely dark. Chaos erupted as we were all blinded by the spell. Taklinn told me later that he tried a clerical light spell, but it had no effect. I felt my way toward where I had frozen the woman, but, to my chagrin, by the time I got there she was gone! I asked Ambros what his keen nose told him, and he replied, "Snakes! I smell snakes!" This befuddled me for a moment, but I quickly drew on my studies and the pieces fell into place. The smell of snakes, darkness and suggestive spells, it all added up to one creature: Yuan-ti, a secretive and ancient race of evil snake-folk. I wondered why they were here, but quickly realized that those questions would have to come later. Right then, we needed our sight back. I could hear Griffin near me, he had found his way through the blackness to my side, and I enlisted his aid. First, I cast a Reduce spell on the table, as I had seen the man touch it just before the lights went out. Once it was small enough for Griff to lift, I guided his hands to it and bid him hurl it out the window! Fortunately the couple had chosen a table near the window, and Griff found it after a second of feeling around. With a great crash, he flung the offending piece of furniture through the glass and into the street. He even managed to angle his throw so that the table bounced around the corner, effectively putting the wall between ourselves the darkness spell. And we could see again. I scanned the bar and saw Taklinn charge for the back door with Caribdis and Happy hot on his heels. Ambros seemed to agree with them, for he craned forward to catch the trace whiffs of Yuan-ti that led in that direction. I utilized another new spell, and soon I was air borne and flying over the bar to catch up to my companions while Griff leapt through the window and braved the darkness again in an attempt to secure the ally. In short, we searched the grounds around the inn as best we could. I even flew into the air to get a better view. But they were gone. Frustrated, we gathered back in the tap room to discuss the attack. Taklinn tossed the inn keeper a gold piece to pay for his window while I filled the crew in on my Yuan-ti theory, which also nicely explained how the female had escaped. I put forward the notion that my Hold Person had not blocked her from being able to utilize the innate Yuan-ti ability to shape change into serpent form, that she had shrunk to her viper form so that her male counterpart could snatch her up, pocket her, and flee. It was plausible, and the best theory we had. We resolved to keep our eyes peeled for further signs of Yuan-ti trouble, as we were convinced that this was no chance encounter. I am troubled by the realization that Yuan-ti are somehow involved in the troubles plaguing Havilah. Taklinn and I, and even Happy, had a few choice words for Caribdis regarding the Queen’s business being the Queen’s business, but I did try to refrain from lambasting him too hard. I have to keep reminding myself how young he is and of my faith that one day he will learn to control his tongue. We are now to bed, though we have set up a watch to ward off further attacks. Ambros will be my eyes and ears tonight, as well as my nose. I fear I shall not sleep well, but sleep I must. Cldevn 12 Last night passed without incident, though not without many tosses and turns on my part. As I suspected, the attack by the pair of Yuan-ti made for a restless night. I can see it on the faces of my companions as well, and though we’ve spoken little of it, I know that we are all concerned by this turn of events. With any luck we shall be in Havilah within the next two days. I’ve never put much stock in the gods, but if they notice us at all I hope they grant us safe passage home. I have great plans once we get to the city. I plan to expand my magical crafting horizons and attempt to fashion an item that should assist me in my magical endeavors greatly. It will be costly, and I may have to borrow some coin, but I feel it will be worth it if I am successful. ***Whether or not the gods notice our heroes is a point of future debate. Suffice to say, they did make it back to Havilah without further incident. Once there, they gave their report to their Academy superiors and were then granted a much needed rest. The crew spent the next two weeks enjoying the comforts of the city, though Doorag, as usual, spent more time in the laboratory than in the taverns. The bulk of his time was spent crafting a Hat of Intellect (+4). The cost of construction put him in considerable debt, but he deemed it well worth that burden, given the expansion of spells it afforded him, not to mention the increase in his magical potency. Soon after he had completed his project Taklinn informed them that he had recently received a message from his cousin, Rumnar Talonskull of Talonskull Keep, a dwarven stronghold quite some distance away. The message had been a distress signal of sorts, and asked that Taklinn proceed there with all possible haste. Taklinn, of course, hesitated not one second in his decision, and he informed his friends that he would be leaving come the morn. He invited them along, but assured them that they were under no obligation to do so. There was never any question as to whether or not our steadfast crew would accompany Taklinn, and on the 2nd of Planting they departed Havilah once again, this time on a personal mission. They did, of course, ask permission from their higher ups at the Academy, and were granted leave. For seventeen days they followed the Queens Road north until they had to take an arterial route that continued their course toward the mountains. For two more days their luck held, and they made good time, until disaster struck.*** Plnting 20 Another day on the road, and how I miss the ruts and cobblestones of the Queen’s Road! For they seem like pillows and blankets compared to this trail we now labor upon as we press still further and further north. It’s been ten days since we left Ravens Hollow, and ten days since we’ve had the luxury of a bed or a meal that we didn’t have to prepare over a smoking fire while we stave off the chill of the evening wind. Every day, as we plod through mile after mile, we can feel the weather sharpening itself. I’ve been reduced to huddling in my wool coat several times. Griffin doesn’t seem to mind the nip in the air, and Taklinn appears to be in his element. If not for his obvious worry for his cousin, he would strike me as more robust than ever before. Happy is a Greenie, and I guess she is not overly bothered by the cold, but Caribdis is positively languishing! It is truly pitiful to listen to him recite his verse through chattering teeth. I suppose I should not complain. After all, aren’t adventurers made of sterner stuff? Yes, I suppose they are. I shall try not to belabor my lamentations about the weather from this point on. On a happier note, our journey has been without attack or complication thus far. I’d half expected to have been ambushed thrice or more by this time, but luck seems to be with us. Knock on wood! Plnting 22 Tonight we bed down in a clearing that looks like it has been used by many travelers before. It’s always good to find a spot with a pre built fire pit. Caribdis regales us this evening with a new body of verse he’s been working on. I find it endlessly fascinating that someone so chaotic can compose, memorize, and deliver such calming poetics and tales. I realize that some of the effects of his words have to do with their being interwoven with magic (which also fascinates me), but the voice, the rhythm, the timing and the style are all his, even in the midst of his childishness or excitement. He is at his best on nights like these, sitting around the fire after a meal. I sit near the fire and keep this journal as Caribdis’ voice fills the background. The words do not matter, for it is a perfect tone that fills an otherwise distractingly empty space, and helps me to concentrate. I find this to be true even when I am in deep study, which is odd, as I usually prefer total silence when I am pursuing hard fact and arcane learning. Anyway, Taklinn is growing anxious to get to his cousins keep. He knows nothing of the nature of the trouble there, only that it exists and threatens dwarves. He tells us that we have another twelve or thirteen days ahead of us, and I know he will have us up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to cover as much ground as possible. That is alright with me, but getting our bard up with the sun can sometimes be a chore. I will be taking a watch tonight, as I have for the last few. I have had no call to cast a spell for several days, so I need not worry about having to keep my usual strict sleep schedule. I sometimes worry that the rest of the crew thinks I’m shirking a vital responsibility by not taking watches, but in my heart I believe they understand that I have no choice. It does feel good to be able to do my part during this journey and give them all just a bit more rest. So, I had best get my own rest now. I’ll be relieving Taklinn in only a few hours. --- We have been attacked again! Something terrible has happened! Taklinn has lost his arm! They cut it off! He lies now, in shock and unconscious on the ground, pale as a ghost. We have decided to return to Yigil, as he is the nearest we can turn to for aid. Clangeden, hear my plea! I am not a religious man, but I know that you exist, for I have been healed through your power many times. I ask you now to look down upon your servant, Taklinn, with mercy and grant him the strength to survive this awful tragedy. I can write no more, I am too upset to properly hold the pen. Flktme 4 I have written nothing in this diary for ten days. The sheer weight of recent events has been too much for me to grapple with. I have avoided it, for to see them in ink, by my own hand, makes them even more real. But I know it must be done; recorded for posterity, and even though I verge on exhaustion I have finally mustered the courage to record this thing once and for all. I have thought us invulnerable thus far. Not consciously, but I know now that that is what I’d believed. I was terribly wrong. I took my watch that night, as I recorded, without incident. I woke Happy to relieve me and snuggled into my bedroll for some shut-eye, but I told Ambros to stay alert, that he could snooze tomorrow. A good thing it turned out to be, for about an hour later my faithful rat picked up a familiar scent. Snake. His high pitched warning filled my head and I sat bolt upright from a dead sleep with visions of Yuan-ti attackers. Happy was there, awake, but had noticed nothing and she looked at me questioningly. I threw off my blankets and hissed at her, "Ambros smells Yuan-ti!" She was immediately on her feet in a coiled crouch, a dagger gleaming in each hand as she scanned the woods. I rolled over to Taklinn and gave him a swift kick in the behind, causing him to grumble and open his eyes. He saw my look and, without question, reached for his axe. Happy raced to wake Griffin, and then they were upon us. It was the Yuan-ti couple we’d fought in Falla, and they leapt from the cover of the trees with scimitars in hand! Now I happen to know quite a bit about this species (at least the lowest of their kind), and one of their powers is that of revulsion; the ability to cause one to abhor serpents to such a degree that one will flee from their presence. Unfortunately, the female of the pair was able to use this on me, and before I could raise a spell, I found myself running from her cold gaze in a panic. Nothing is as frustrating as a mind effecting spell! I ran for several seconds before the enchantment broke. Thankfully the duration is not very long, and I was soon hoofing it back towards our campsite, cursing myself for not having memorized Fly. I could hear the sounds of combat and I pushed my legs as fast as they could take me. And then everything went dark. I found out later that the female had cast her darkness onto a stone and cast it on the ground. But we have learned from the past, and Happy happened to have been standing near her bedroll as she’d fought the female Yuan-ti with Griffin while Taklinn went toe to toe with the male. She grabbed her blanket and, in a desperate and incredibly lucky move, she tossed it to the ground where she thought she’d heard the stone land. In a stroke of fortune, it covered the offending stone, and firelight and moonlight and dark vision worked again. Caribdis, just now waking up, hurriedly grabbed his bow and commenced to fire at the male. I arrived at this scene and tried to put my magics to use, sending Scorching Rays at the female as fast as I could cast them. Despite her magic resistance, they burned her anyway, and one could tell that she was hurt. She bore several gashes from Griff and wore at least two of Happy’s daggers that I could see. Meanwhile, Taklinn was having difficulty with the male. While our Dwarf is usually incredibly difficult to hit, he is vulnerable in the evenings when he must take his armor off. He is a slow moving target, and the male Yuan-ti made good advantage of this, slashing again and again at Taklinn. Taklinn gave as good as he got, and Caribdis harried the snake man even further, but our stout cleric was beginning to fail. And then it happened. The male feinted left, drawing Taklinn, then cut right, his scimitar coming down in a blinding arc. And just like that, Taklinn’s right arm lay on the ground. Time seemed to freeze for a split second, and the only sound I could hear was an agonized, "Noooo!!" from Caribdis. And then a great gout of blood jetted from Taklinn’s shoulder. Our dwarf, the toughest of the tough, stumbled and fell. Stunned, I watched as events unfolded in slow motion. Caribdis diving toward Taklinn, shielding him from a coup de gras from the Yuan-ti. Griffin ignoring the female as he charged the male, his sword gripped in both hands, his fury terrible to behold. The female Yuan-ti shape changing to snake form and slithering for the tree line. I could hear my own voice screaming, "Taklinn! Taklinn! Taklinn!" Then I was running, closing the distance to the female as she crawled into the brush. Black rage overtook me and I sought to kill her, to make her pay for the pain that she and her counterpart had caused. I heard a meaty thunk as Griffin connected with the male and drove his sword deep into his belly. He lifted the Yuan-ti off the ground with his blade and slung the dyeing body to the dirt and then hacking into it again and again. Happy raced after me, her face full of revenge, and the two of us, with Ambros’ help, combed the woods for any trace of the female. But she was not to be found. At last we had to concede her escape. It was a bitter pill, but we hurried back to the camp site to see about Taklinn. When we got there we saw him laying on the ground, his head cradled by a shaking Caribdis who still clutched his wand of healing. He had already expanded nearly ten charges into Taklinn in an effort to revive him, but our dwarf lay still as death, growing paler and paler. "He won’t wake up! Griff, he won’t wake up!" Caribdis looked at Griffin pleadingly, and the grim warrior gently took the wand from him. "You’ve done all you can do, boy." Griffin said, "It’s in his gods hands now." Happy and I walked to them in a state of shock. How could this be? How could Taklinn have been brought down? Yet there he was, his right shoulder leading to nothing more than a bloody stump. I sat down hard, holding my head in my hands. Happy knelt next to Taklinn and stroked his hair. Tears threatened to overflow her eyes, but she held them back, instead turning to rage to deal with her sorrow. With an animal like growl, she launched herself at the dead Yuan-ti, not stopping her dagger work until she’d cut out it’s tongue. There was no sleep to be had after that. We sat up the rest of the night watching over Taklinn, discussing what to do. It was finally decided that we would turn back and make for Yigil’s tower. He was our closest and most powerful ally, and if anyone could do something it would be him. At first light we gingerly loaded Taklinn into the wagon. His breathing was so shallow that we had to check him constantly to make sure he still lived. Happy made him a bed of clover she picked from the side of the road, and we set out for Yigil’s tower. For ten days we traveled, feeding and watering Taklinn as best we could. He stirred not once during that whole time. We spoke little, each of us not daring to risk conversation that might lead to talk of the possibility of Taklinn’s death. At last we arrived at Yigil’s. Thank the gods he was home! We were let in and the old wizard had us carry Taklinn into the upper reaches of his tower. He then bade us go back down and wait. He gravely assured us that he would do all that he could. And that is where I sit now, on the bottom floor of Yigil’s tower, grimly recalling that terrible fight and wondering what is going on upstairs. It has been several hours and still no word. I am so tired, but I simply cannot sleep without knowing Taklinn’s fate. But my eyes are so tired... Flocktime 5 ***The following morning Taklinn is led down the stairs, a bit wobbly, but with his arm reattached. He appears somewhat shell-shocked by the events, so they decide to rest another day. *** Flocktime 6 ***Taklinn’s arm is still weak, but they get back on the road.*** Flocktime 21 ***For fifteen days they travel, until they reach the tiny village of Hallingsburg which is nestled at the base of the mountains in which Talonskull Keep is located. This is a human community, and the crew soon learn that a woman had come through town only a few days before. Apparently she had bewitched nearly twenty of the townsfolk and had led them away toward the mountains. Her description matches that of Melisandre, and she was accompanied by a young girl. A Detect Evil cast by Taklinn reveals residual evil still in the area, meaning that whoever the woman was, she must have been pretty bad for her malevolent aura to last this long. Flocktime 23 ***They enter Talonskull Keep via a secret entrance known to Taklinn. Immediately upon entering the cave they smell the familiar stench of death, and they do not travel far before they are beset by some twenty zombies. The zombies are little match for Taklinn though, and the cleric mows through them, his power to turn undead causing them to dissolve into dust by the dozens. After mopping up the last of the zombies it is quickly understood that these had once been the townsfolk of Hallingsburg. One of them bears a scroll tube with a single name inked upon it: "Caribdis." Inside is a note which reads: "Looking for someone? -M" The crew is mystified by the taunting note, but Caribdis seems nervous. They travel still deeper into the mountain, and that night are attacked by a gibbering mouther. Once the beast is dispatched, they rest.*** Flocktime 24 ***At last they enter the halls of Talonskull Keep via another secret entrance, and they soon meet Taklinn’s cousin, Rumnar Talonskull. Rumnar tells them news most dire. A woman matching Melisandre description has invaded the dwarven lair with an army of undead. After having murdered most of the clerics and warriors of the community, she has holed up in the temple that once had been dedicated to Moradin. Apparently she still waits there. Flocktime 27 ***For three days they plan a course of action. The dwarves have already been tunneling toward the temple, and they decide to attack from both the tunnel and the front door. On the morning of the 27th the crew strides up to the double doors of the temple. Meanwhile, Ambros is riding along with the tunneling dwarves in order to maintain communications between the two groups and to synchronize the attack. The doors swing open invitingly and the crew is greeted to the site of the desecrated temple, filled to overflowing with zombies, including one particularly tough looking zombified dwarf who still bears the tattered and sullied garments of a priest of Moradin. It is obvious that this dwarf, once a noble priest, has become an abomination, bent by the will of dark forces. Melisandre stands on a balcony overlooking her army of undead. Next to her is a listless girl over whom Caribdis gets very excited. He has left his armor off and his bow is nowhere to be seen. He charges into the fray, shouting the name, Freya. And the fight is on. As the crew clash with the undead the dwarves break through the south wall and flank them. The fight is short but brutal, with many dwarves being swarmed and brought down by the zombie horde. Taklinn’s holy spells and turning abilities even the odds though, and they are able to press through the mass. Doorag concentrates on stripping Melisandre of her protective magic’s with Dispell’s, while Caribdis tries, in vain, to reach the girl next to the witch. It is not to be, for even as the fighters bring down the undead priest of Moradin and the tide of battle begins to shift in the crews favor, Melisandre laughs, mockingly, and disappears, though not before referring to Caribdis as "Grizwald" in her parting words. She takes the girl with her. When the dust settles the temple is once again in dwarven hands. None of the crew has fallen, though there are plenty of wounds to be healed. Caribdis looks especially stricken, and will not answer the many questions posed to him by his friends that day. Doorag, frustrated by Caribdis’ lack of forthrightness, is ready to insist on some answers, but cooler heads prevail and he consents to wait a day for the young bard to come to grips with events.*** Flocktime 28 ***The crew holds a meeting, and Caribdis comes clean. It appears that his true name is Grizwald, that he had changed is upon embarking on a career in adventuring (feeling Caribdis had a far more heroic ring that Grizwald). It also turns out that one of his core reasons for becoming an adventurer was to better himself, that he might one day return to his home and court his beloved, Freya. Freya is the girl whom Melisandre now taunts the boy with. Freya is also the reason Caribdis chose to go into battle with neither bow nor armor. The boy had wished to present a more "heroic" image of a swashbuckling rescuer than a simple archer/bard would provide. It all makes perfect sense to Caribdis, and, of course, seems ludicrous to Doorag, but what can be done? Their mission in Talonskull accomplished, they are rewarded with a bit of coin from Rumnar and head out that very day, making haste toward Havilah to report to their superiors. Alas, there are more surprises ahead of them, and the road back to the capitol will be filled with strife.*** Wealsun 4 ***The crew re-enters Hallingsburg, prepared to inform the townsfolk of the fates of their fellow citizens, but it turns out that there is no one to give the news to. Hallingsburg is eerily silent, and a quick look around shows that the town is utterly deserted. All clues point to an orderly and mass exodus of some kind. Chairs are pushed away from tables, food has been left on plates, and drink still waits in mugs. In the constables office they find a journal that gives no clue about the disappearance of the town, other than that the last mundane entry was on Wealsun 1, just three days prior. At midnight Taklinn is able to pray for new spells, and he chooses as one of them, Speak With Animals, for there is still plenty of livestock and domestic pets to be found. He questions a friendly hound and all signs point to the involvement of yuan-ti in this deed, though few details can be garnered. They rest there that night, and in the morning Caribdis announces that he wishes to learn how to sword fight. He enlists the help of Griff, but the rest of the crew is doubtful. Caribdis insists that he must master the art of the sword to be of better use in the rescue of Freya, but Doorag gently assures him that he might want to stick with his specialties, that they are every bit as important as a skilled hand with a blade. Griff waits impatiently to give the boy a lesson, but suddenly Taklinn strides up to the boy and lays a healing hand on Caribdis’ ear! Up until this time Caribdis had been (unbeknownst to all but Taklinn) deaf in his right ear, hence his lack of enthusiasm for learning a musical instrument. But Taklinn has recently been given access to a spell that can cure the boys affliction, and he does so. Caribdis is so excited by the repair of his ear that he abruptly forgets all about sword fighting. To Griff’s disgust, Caribdis mounts up and prepares to ride out with all haste. On the morning of Wealsun 5, they do just that. However, they leave with quite a caravan, for Happy refuses to leave the animals of the village to fend for themselves. She loads the wagon with chickens and a litter of pups she’s has found, and ties off a train of goats and sheep to it as well. Doorag shakes his head in disbelief, but there is no help for it.*** Wealsun 7 ***They enter the next village on their way back to the Queens Road, Yseult, and to their dismay, they find it as empty as Hallingsburg! It is after dark by the time they enter the village, but Yseult is obviously deserted. Deserted, except for a trio of yuan-ti, waiting there to ambush them! The crew dispatch the yuan-ti without major injury, and carefully search the village. It appears as if the same thing that had happened in Hallingsburg has occurred here. Another journal found shows the last entry to have been the 4th of Wealsun. Faced with the realization that yuan-ti are somehow emptying towns at an epidemic rate, the crew know that they must reach Havilah with this news at once. But their horses are tired, and they must rest in the empty village and wait for morning.*** Wealsun 8 ***Once the sun comes up they are faced with another problem: Speed. Up till now they have traveled as fast as Taklinn can walk, and while the dwarf can keep up the pace for hours on end, he will never be as fast as a horse. Neither will Don Kay, for that matter. The problem with Don Kay is easily solved when Doorag uses a new spell to Polymorph the donkey into a full grown horse, but Taklinn is a tougher nut to crack. He flatly refuses to get on a horse, and under severe scrutinization he finally breaks down and confesses an utter and complete phobia of all things equine. It seems that he was thrown from a horse at a young age and now cannot bring himself to get back on one. No amount of pestering, cajoling, logic or argument can seem to sway him, so Caribdis decides to try a different ploy. He Charms the dwarf into getting onto the newly polymorphed Don Kay. Doorag shudders, knowing that this will end badly, but haste is of the essence. They gallop out of Yseult. Their need for haste also precludes them taking their trusty wagon along, as well as the column of animals that Happy had tried to rescue. They let them all go, except for a couple of puppies that Caribdis and Happy have taken likings to. As Doorag had feared, the Charm on Taklinn wears off several hours later, and the unhappy dwarf suddenly comes to his senses in the most terrifying position he can find himself in! Out of instinctive fear, he clouts poor Don Kay on the back of the head causing her to throw him from her back. Happy nearly plants a dagger into Taklinn when she witnesses this brutality to her beloved donkey. It takes Taklinn only a few seconds to put two and two together and pin the blame squarely where it belongs, and were it not for the fact that Caribdis still rode a horse and could easily outdistance the infuriated dwarf, he may well have faced his last day. As it is, Taklinn finally gets within arms reach of the boy when they break camp and clobbers him a fine belt across the mouth, warning him against further trickery. The rest of the party agree. Charming fellow crew members is simply not an option.*** Wealsun 11 ***For three more days they travel, until they reach Ravens Hollow. They had hoped to tell Yigil of the disappearing towns. But Yigil’s tower is gone. The crew stand dumbstruck at the site the tower had once occupied, now empty except for a circle of dead grass. With fading hope, they make the short trek into the village and find it as deserted as Hallingsburg and Yseult. In the center of the silent town square they have a crew meeting. Obviously a great evil is occurring at a frightening rate and they simply must get back to Havilah with all speed. Their current rate of travel just will not do. Even were Taklinn to have a change of heart about horses, it would not be fast enough, and drastic measures are decided upon. Once again using his polymorph spell, Doorag transforms Caribdis into the largest flying creature he has yet seen, a red dragon! They lash Doorag to Caribdis’ scaly neck, and the "dragon" clumsily takes to the air. Griff, Taklinn and Happy will catch up while Caribdis and Doorag hurry on to warn the capitol. Before they leave, Doorag has Caribdis swoop down upon their friends and he tosses down his goggles of dark vision, knowing Happy may have more use of them than he will. The power of flight turns a week long journey into a days travel, and by mid day on the 12th they arrive in Havilah.*** [/QUOTE]
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