Gwendolynn Von Holden's Diary: Can't a girl get some sleep around here?

[Eeralai]

Impassable Forest First day of week 3

Had to fight something different today and was not relieved. We camp close to the road because it was at some point decided that that would be safer than in the actual trees. Early this morning while everone was still doing their morning ritual a man was spied coming down the road. Unfortunately, he spied us as well.

He looked different than anyone I had seen before. His complexion was slightly darker than everyone's in the party. His hair was black and he carried a sword which was wrapped at the hilt in an unusual manner. He burst into our group almost before we were ready for him and just started wailing on us. This man took a blow from Ardel's ax, a slash from Ternell and Aaron's swords, and a jab from Korliss's dagger and was still standing. All those men were nearly knocked flat with his return. I was having a hard time connecting to his brain well enough to get my brain splitting spell off. Falon seemed to be having an equal amount of trouble. I'm not sure how we won. It must've been Chani's singing that helped us to our victory, because for a moment, it sure seemed he was going to take us all out.

When it was over and he was dead, we decided he must be a scout from an outpost. Tried to find it today, but no luck. Just want one good night's sleep with no fighting. Can't seem to concentrate much.

 

[Eeralai]

Impassable Forest Week 3 second night

All horses dead now. Grieving for all of them, and especially mine. Got no sleep last night. We stayed in same spot, deciding it was best not to look too hard for the outpost now. Wonder if I'll be alive in the morning.

 

[Eeralai]

End of Week 3

Finally had full night's sleep last night and felt a surge of power when I woke up this morning. With a burst of hope and stupidity we decided to press our way further into the woods. It was not long before we ran into a caravan of wagons with the same type of people as the scout had been. Ternell began to hale them when a slew of arrows whizzed by us. So much for all my powers. The caravan people split us up very effectively so that we were at a great disadvantage. Of course, it was quickly apparant that all the ogres and sleepless nights were still with us because I saw Ardel swing his ax at the wagon and knock himself out. So stupefied was I by Ardel's actions, I nearly missed ducking a swing from a blade. I think that man was sorry he had tried to hit me when I returned it by giving him a huge headache that made blood stream out his nose before he died.

Somehow, even with Ardel knocking himself out, we managed victory over the caravan and took a prisoner who surrendered to us when he saw the rest of his group was dead. This next part is difficult to write down because I am so mad that I want to shout several words in a row that would cause my mother to take a bar of soap to my mouth even at my age. The lesson for the day is never ever leave a prisoner alone with Chani and Korliss or let Chani and Korliss take the prisoner into the woods by themselves.

We were looking through the stuff in the wagons to see if there was anything we could use since our rations were running low. Krystal and I were having an argument about whether or not the group should turn back and basically everbody was similarly not paying attention to the prisoner since he was tied up. So Korliss and Chani got the idea that they would have a chat with him. I don't know what they were planning on doing since he obviously didn't speak our language. Everyone in the caravan had been speaking a language I'd never heard before. So they took him back into the woods a ways and I heard this shouting in the unusual language. Then silence.

Korliss and Chani came walking back out and I said, "Where's the prisoner?"

"I killed him," said Chani.

"Why?"

"I told him not to say anything when we took the gag off," said Korliss. "I told Chani if he said anything to slice his throat. We took the gag off and he started yelling his head off."

"He couldn't speak our language!" I yelled.

Korliss shrugged. "Stupid's stupid in any language."

Silent in my rage I turned to Ternell expecting him to hit Korliss and Chani's heads together or at least yell at them, but he just said, "That wasn't right." They both just shrugged again and everyone went about their business. How can I stay in this party? But how could I get out of the forest by myself???

 

[Eeralai]

End of week 3 Later in the night

Something wonderous has just happened. We were all trying to keep warm around the fire in the chilly forest night when a voice said "Please give me to someone else now." Puzzled, everyone looked around trying to figure out where the voice had come from when it said again, "I don't want Chani carrying me." Chani pulled out her sword and held it as if it would bite her. "Yes, my voice is coming from the sword, now give me to Falon."

"Why should I give you to him?" asked Chani. She looked surprised and disgruntled all at the same time.

"Because I don't want you to carry me anymore."

"May I ask who are you?" asked Falon with more respect in his voice than Chani had mustered.

"I am Algalarond," said the voice. "I am an ancient gold dragon. Before I was captured, I had enchanted a number of swords through which I could see and talk."

"So it's true," Falon said in a whisper.

"You knew it was a dragon's sword?" asked Aaron.

"I knew it had something to do with dragons, I study them much. I just didn't know exactly what. How did you get captured?" asked Falon.

"By several ancient green dragons," said Algalarond. "Give me to Falon."

Chani reluctantly handed the sword over to Falon who asked, "Would you like us to rescue you?"

Algalarond chuckled with a rumble that sounded like boulders rolling together. "You are nowhere close to being able to free me."

"What can we do for you?"

"Just don't give me back to her. Oh, they are coming to laugh at me and torture me. I must go."

Falon tried to ask another question but was only answered by silence.

"Do you think he knows anything about this forest?" I asked.

"I have no idea," said Falon.

"He's probably not what he says he is," said Chani.

"There's really no way of knowing," said Korliss.

"I believe him," said Falon. "Otherwise he would've stayed with Chani."

 

[Steverooo]

An Update!

"I am Algalarond,"

That wouldn't be Aglarond, would it?

 

[BSF]

That wouldn't be Aglarond, would it?

well, if you want to be more accurate, it would be "stolen from Gorgoldand's Gauntlet and then bastardized to my game". The group actually went through that adventure. But that was prior to Gwen's experience with them. It was, however, the impetus for Crill to get torqued off and leave them.

But that is another story ...

 

[Steverooo]

Hey, Eeralai?

When you start the next tale, you might want to mention the disposition of what the PCs take... When last we saw our noble (?) heroes, they were afoot in the forest... Do they take the beasts that pulled the wagons, pile into a wagon, find any food, etc.? Inquiring minds wanna know!

 

[Eeralai]

When you start the next tale, you might want to mention the disposition of what the PCs take... When last we saw our noble (?) heroes, they were afoot in the forest... Do they take the beasts that pulled the wagons, pile into a wagon, find any food, etc.? Inquiring minds wanna know!

I was actually pondering this question for awhile before you posted it. I know what the end result was, I just couldn't remember why. BSF was able to help me out a bit. This next part is tricky because some important things happen, but not so much to Gwen. I was hoping to get some help from some of the rest of the party, but I am not sure that is going to happen.

I am anxious to get to the next major part that was really important to Gwen, but bridging the gap is proving to be difficult. Not sure if I will be doing journal entries or some third person stuff here. Soooo what I'm trying to say is my apologies for another long wait while I try to get this part organized better in my mind and on screen. Hopefully this week I will get it together.

 

[Eeralai]

Beginning of week 4

We released the horses this morning that were part of the caravan. I was sad to see them go both for my feet and for them. There was not enough food to keep them, and we have not been providing very good protection for horses anyway. Hopefully, they will somehow make it out of the forest without being eaten. Certainly, they will be faster then the ogres.

The caravan didn't provide much that was useful to us. There were a lot of staples like flour, which is not stuff we can easily carry with us or use right now. We picked up some trail rations from the dead guards and a few coins. I think some weapons and armor were taken by the others, but I really don't keep track of things like that. What we really need is shelter and food for about a week so that we can cure ourselves. We all look like something dead walking about. Ternell says there are such monsters, and I'm glad we haven't run into anything like that.

Not talking to Chani or Korliss today or for the rest of the adventure if I can help it.

 

[Eeralai]

Beginning of week five

If I lay absolutely still, the burns on my skin sear through me as if they just happened. If I get up and walk, I feel as if I was a burning limb. Most people in the party have one or two, burns, but I think Falon and I got the most. There is no magical healing to be had because everyone is too exhausted. Korliss has some skills in natural healing, but I still don't want him to come near me. He told me to get over it and accept his help, but I just walked away. Too bad he couldn't hear Krystal's reply.

This morning, Korliss scouted ahead of the party and found the outpost that we had been looking for. It was a tower with one big entrance, a smaller side entrance and windows all around. We thought that we would sneak to the side entrance, get into the tower and attack from within. But they saw us coming.

Ogres thundered toward us with pet alligators wadling as fast as their short little legs would carry them. I don't know how many times Ternell, Aaron and Ardel got bitten, but mixed with the ogres trying to chop them in half with axes, they were soon a mass of blood. Yes, ogres with axes. We thought groups of unarmed ogres were deadly enough, but put armor on them and give them an ax, and our group finds ourselves hoping they cook us first before they start eating us.

So while they were being butchered, Falon and I were throwing what spells we thought were most effective. Magic missiles were whizzing through the ogre armor while I tried to pop their brains open from the inside-out. We got a few spells off, but then a whizened old wizard flung the shutters of a window opened and started singeing us with floating, burning hands. Korliss and Chani tried to shoot arrows at him, but as soon as he got the spell off, he would slam the shutter shut and then appear at another window. Once I got through to his brain, and that was nearly the end for me. All the burning hands came my way after that, and I was relieved when Ternell called for the retreat.

We ran pretty far, but if they tried hard, I'm sure they could find us. Right now I just want to float away in a cool stream.