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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Oghma" data-source="post: 6805" data-attributes="member: 71">Dear Diary,I think I’m starting to agree with Gimil.  Humans are STUPID.While the dwarves were heaving and straining  (I don’ t think anyone would hire them as mules) and I was steering the cart, Ratlin was taking an inventory of the wagon.  In it, he found:        Small chest – 5 gold, 16 silver, 31 copper.  Big deal!        Three crates – linens, small chairs and tables, candles, string        3 boxes – children’s stuff, toys (a top!), clothes,         1 box – torn parchment, old maps, a journal of Erich of Haldefast (!), damaged books        Goblin stuff 12 sets studded leather, 12 half spears, 6 short bows, 100 arrows12 gold, 20 silver, 157 copper, 3 gems, worth 25,25, 50 gold, and a potion of cure light wounds (written in common on the label)No wonder the goblins were angry.  The wagon they hijacked looked to be a household full of stuff.  Some poor family was moving from one town to another, and now they’ll never see their new home, or see it furnished.  The goblins were richer than the humans!The journal contained partial spells, a few recipes and some rather nicely drawn sketches. The sketches included a landscape of two large hills and a twisted oak tree labeled "The Hills, Looking Toward Home" a small signpost near the tree is labeled Kharne’s Inn 2 Mi. with an arrow pointing off to the left. I’d heard of Erich.  I knew he was an evil necromancer type who had charged “tolls” for people crossing “his” roads.  The King’s men had foiled one of his ambushes and killed him, but his stronghold was never found.It’s a good thing the dwarves didn’t need to be steered, because I read through that journal and the sketches all the way into town.  I read the bits and pieces and from the drawings, I thought I had figured out how to find at least where that sign was.The group has decided to let me keep track of finances.  I’m good with math, really.  Better than Ratlin, that’s for sure.We got into Kharne’s Inn, a small village, at about 2pm.  The mayor was this guy named Jacob Kharne, and he was such a LUMP.The first thing I did was to use some of the goblin’s treasure to buy some ale for the dwarves.  Gimil and Ord sat at a table at the Inn, and with Ratlin’s help, finished off the better part of a small pony keg of ale while I talked to Jacob.First, I asked him if he knew of any families moving into the area, and he said he hadn’t heard of any.  I guess our wagon was destined for greater urban centers than Kharne’s Inn, population 400, 5 dogs, and a nervous stray cat.Next, I asked him about Erich of Holdefast. Well, he wouldn’t’ stop talking!  Turns out his dad was somehow involved with Erich, and knew of the battle when the King’s men had defeated him.  I asked about his stronghold, and yep, just like I thought – no one had found it. I changed the subject quick so he wouldn’t’ get suspicious, and asked him about any shops that buy used equipment.  He said there really wasn’t, but he’d take a look at what we had.Sheesh!  He offered about a hundred gold for everything! Equipment, linens, wagon, and all.  I think Ratlin about choked on his ale, and Ord was making “No, No, No!” signals.  He THOUGHT he was being discreet, but let me tell you, a dwarf on half a keg of ale is about as subtle as a naked ogre at a halfing picnic.  I about had to pour another ale down his throat to get him to realize I wasn’t taking the deal. They must think we had just pulled from out of town!  Well, I guess we did, with two dwarves pulling a wagon…  Note to self: Be aware of the impression you make.Jacob said there was a stable with a couple of mules, so I went about bought those while the boys stocked up with ale and food.  They were so irked at the lousy deal that they decided to leave right away.  I let Ord steer while I sat in the wagon and wrote.  Gimil and Ratlin are scouting ahead for the trail.  I think our beasts of burden are a step up from our last one  Prettier, too! Hahaha!Dear Diary,We found the path!  Gimil saw faint traces of old wagon ruts about 2 mile south of Kharne’s Inn, so we snuck the wagon into the path and decided to camp.  I’m tired!  I took out some of those linens and slept under the wagon.  G’night DiaryOops!  News to the Diary before I go to sleep!  Ratlin speaks dwarvish!  I figured it out when Ord said something about me (typical man, it was about my body parts), and Ratlin blushed!  Sneaky little halfling. G’night, again!Dear Diary,This morning I made breakfast!  Ratlin’s been doing it so far, since he’s a halfling and thinks he’s the world’s greatest cook or something, but he went out this morning to scout a bit with Gimil, so I had to cook.  I made flapjacks and sausage.  The flapjacks were a little burnt, and they had funny little bits in them (Note to self: find out how Mom made her flapjacks not lumpy), but I did a little fairy magic on them to make them taste like the best flapjacks and the best sausages and everyone liked them.  I sure didn’t appreciate all of Ratlin’s questions about where I learned to cook.  I think he suspected something.  I turned it into an argument, made him feel bad about being suspicious, and told him he can go ahead and cook every day then, so there!  Cooking is not that much fun, really.  I’d rather he do it. Hee hee.After the argument, Gimil said that the path led into a little hidden valley, so we got the wagon going and followed the path.  There was a fair amount of trees and stuff, and then we saw a small hill up ahead with a tower with a small building attached to it.  We parked the wagon in some bushes, and started to sneak up on the tower.A bad smell attacked us!  Actually it was a horrible smell, and I was about to make a joke about dwarves and baths when I realized I didn’t smell unwashed dwarf!  It was a small group of goblins who had died weeks ago and been turned into zombies or something!  I shrieked, and Gimil and Ord rushed them.  I fired a couple of kill undead rays at them, and we finished them off.  Yuck!We are now sitting under some trees and looking at the tower.  We figure there may be more undead, so Ord did a spell that masked Ratlin from undead, and he’s scouting.  On top of the tower are some skeletons, some with bows and one with a sort of bowl shaped thing that we can’t figure out.  Ratlin’s coming back, more later.  It’s getting towards evening.</blockquote>

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