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The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw Cannith
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<blockquote data-quote="Devo" data-source="post: 2886605" data-attributes="member: 32183"><p><strong>The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw, Excerpt 3</strong></p><p></p><p>"...decided to partake of it, as an experiment only. I removed my mask [ref: CJ-V2-27] and breathed in the fumes. Almost immediately, a blue-ish symphonic liquid bled from my left hand and started floating towards the scar on my right elbow [ref: PJ-V2-65] while singing a quavering song to the displacer fur which was, itself, beginning to crawl out of its rhythmically pulsating storage container to attack the copper shavings held in their silver bowl. What the copper shavings were doing is something I never wish to think on again. I have replaced the 'Mild hallucinogenic vapors' warning on the potion's schema with something a bit more stern...."</p><p> </p><p>. -- An excerpt from the Craft Journal of Artemis Heuw, Volume 2</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Dinner itself was mediocre. I was surprised, though, to find that I really was interested in what the rest of the DC had been doing in the last week. More surprising, it had been a full week since we were last together. Where does the time go?</p><p> </p><p>Never mind. I just read back a few pages. I have been very busy lately.</p><p> </p><p>We really should choose a better place to meet than the Broken Anvil, but I suppose it has special significance for this group [ref: PJ-V1-101]. If I could only remember where Heaven's Augur was, I would recommend that we start meeting there. They had a wonderful fish stew and it seemed a relatively quiet place. </p><p> </p><p>I told the DC about my meeting with wagon master Donnovan [ref: PJ-V2-41] and the problems he'd been having making deliveries to a certain part of the Cogs. I told them, too, that he suspected that some of his recent hires were in collaboration with the troublemakers, and that he'd heard of our team and wanted to hire us to escort his wagons. They agreed to help out. This will be two favors, then, that Donnovan owes me [ref: PJ-V2-13]. I'm not sure how best to capitalize on that, but, as father says, "Favors buy what gold cannot."</p><p> </p><p>CA has been taken in by the Caerlyn Blades, after gaining the attention of General Tyrell himself. He was even offered a position but is thinking of turning it down. It seems unlikely, but maybe he doesn't know of the Blades' reputation? I just don't understand it. Maybe elves think differently than regular people.</p><p> </p><p>GR says he's doing inquisitive work, but he's never mentioned having a license. Note to self: ask GR about this tomorrow.</p><p> </p><p>IR has taken on work at the Dragon Crypts, and she, too, has garnered attention from the highest level. The head priestess has asked for her help in what may be some undead in the Fallen. It might just be some superstitious low-dwellers, though. It sounds pretty easy, so we all agreed to go with her when she looks into it in the morning. Maybe we'll find something interesting, but I doubt it.</p><p> </p><p>XL may have been with us. As we were discussing our last week, though, it didn't sound like he'd been doing anything of interest. That is enough to make me think it was actually him. If it was someone pretending to be XL, I'm sure they would have had an interesting story or two to tell.</p><p> </p><p>When I got home tonight, father informed me that he was attending an MU function tomorrow night to witness the unveiling of some ancient armor or other. I think I've heard of it before. Ah! [ref: PJ-V2-28] The important, part, though, is that I would be in charge of the business while they were gone. I acted casual, of course, but found the prospect very exciting! I'll have to set out a nice outfit for tomorrow.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>What a horrible day. Okay, this evening wasn't that bad. I had a very engaging conversation with Heuriv Ellibib, who is the brother to the ex-assistant to Merrix d'Cannith himself. I think I came across very favorably. The day didn't start there, though.</p><p> </p><p>The DC met at the Broken Anvil once again, and went from there to the Fallen. I was prepared for anything, just in case, and even brought my most complex scroll to date [ref: CJ-V2-42]. I should have used it, too, but I was overly concerned with the cost involved. It probably cost me seventy-five gold to create! Well, that's the last time I worry about that.</p><p> </p><p>I'm getting ahead of myself, again. We journeyed down to the Fallen. The architecture (or what remains of it) down there is relatively spectacular. But that's what I would expect of Sharn's old temple district. Now it's all rubble and disrepair. A shame, really.</p><p> </p><p>IR had been told that there might be some connection between the strange lights in the district and some local disappearances. There was talk of ghosts. Looking around, I thought that appropriate for the area, shadowed, as it was, by the high towers. Almost nothing of the morning sun made it's way down there. We asked some of the locals what had been going on, and they said that most of the odd happenings were near Blackstone Temple, an old Silver Flame temple that had been abandoned decades ago. The place looked in okay condition. It had certainly not been kept up, though.</p><p> </p><p>Our initial exploration showed very little. Two wings to either side of the main chapel had been home to squatters for quite a while. They were abandoned now. XL thought he saw signs of a struggle and someone being dragged away, but I didn't see anything. We went towards the upper chambers and continued our investigation. I cleverly found a concealed compartment in what was probably one of the larger living chambers. There was a trap on the door mechanism, which I easily bypassed. Those new tools were a definite help [ref: PJ-V2-28]. Inside were a number of spell reagents. I was on the verge of working out their properties when IR interrupted to tell me that if used in conjunction with a summoning spell, the creature summoned would be heartier and tougher than otherwise. I confirmed her suspicions, then let her keep them. She says that she summons undying creatures, though I have yet to see that happen. </p><p> </p><p>Note to self: ask for some of the stones back so that I can use them to create summoning scrolls. Maybe a small bag or a hat that one could pull small animals out of? Hm.... Never mind about that last one -- I'm not really sure how I'd go about making something like that. Still: get a couple of the stones back.</p><p> </p><p>GR was sure he'd heard moaning coming from this upper level (I hadn't heard anything) so we started looking around some more. We were poking around in the upper gallery, overlooking the main audience chamber, when my day really took a turn for the worse.</p><p> </p><p>At first, I though someone had thrown a warm, heavy leather bag over my head and pulled the drawstrings closed. It was very, very heavy, though, and I had trouble keeping my balance. It started squeezing -- and I think it was chewing on me as well. I tried to rid myself of whatever it was, and screamed for help. I'm not sure anyone heard me. I suspect that the rest of the DC were fighting against it, as I'm sure I felt their weapon blows bashing me about the head and shoulders. I was suffocating. Maybe they drove it off, but I'm pretty sure that it was with the strength bourne of desperation that I finally managed to free myself of the creature. Suddenly, the creature flew up into the air and off across the cathedral. Good thing, too, as I had almost blacked out. </p><p> </p><p>I lowered myself gently to the floor, and as soon as my vision returned to me I used an invigorating scroll [ref: CJ-V1-89] to restore myself. At first, I thought my vision was still playing tricks, but it looked like whatever it was that had attacked me was surrounded with a cloud of magical darkness. Maybe that's why my companions were beating on me instead of the creature. None of us, it seems, had gotten a look at it. And we wouldn't get the chance, either. There was a strangely familiar noise of metal parting flesh, and IR screamed.</p><p> </p><p>Somehow during the fight, a group of three glowing-eyed, armed and armored skeletons had snuck up on us from the stairwell. They had almost surrounded IR before they launched their attack and she was bleeding profusely. </p><p> </p><p>Nearly unconscious, with only a slow regenerative spell on me, I had another fight on my hands. CA charged across the balcony but the creature deflected his blade with it's broad steel shield. GR moved up too. IR shouted a warning to us, telling us that these were Karnaathi skeletons, tougher and smarter than normal undead. </p><p> </p><p>I can't believe I just used the phrase "normal undead".</p><p> </p><p>I was far too taxed to hasten any of my infusions, so had to resort to my scrolls. [Reminder: get more quick-acting combat scrolls.] I read off one that should have slowed down one of the creatures, but the lighting was poor and I was still suffering from the earlier assault on my person, so I missed. IR was using some sort of ancient Aerenal magic to damage the undead soldiers: they were all showing new signs of deterioration. GR and CA were doing it the old fashioned way, with axe and blade. Their weapons seemed ill-suited to the task, though. I think XL was trying to help, but would always hesitate just before going in.</p><p> </p><p>I went back to my earlier training to find a weapon against these creatures. Enchanting three small stones [ref: PJ-V1-39], I began to use them as potent weapons. I was afraid of hurting my companions, though, and kept on throwing them too wide of the brawl. </p><p> </p><p>CA was the first to go down, or maybe it was IR. GR was using the recently purchased healing wand [ref: PJ-V2-30] against the creatures, which seemed rather counter-intuitive, but it looked to be having an effect. One of the skeletons was down at this point, but with fewer combatants in play, they started to realize who the real danger was and came towards me. Trapped on the upper balcony twenty feet above the stone floor below, with a wall to my right and railing behind me and to my left, I had no where to go. I only had one stone left. I think that's when it occurred to me that I was in trouble.</p><p> </p><p>The skeleton rushed me, driving me back. I stepped aside and threw the last of my stones, but it bounced harmlessly off the skeleton's shield. I cursed, sure that should have worked. It charged me a second time, and I realized that I had my back to the balcony railing. Well, I had my back to the railing for a moment. Coming in low, the skeleton hit me flat on with his shield, stood up, lifting me off the ground, and lunged two steps forward. He stopped at the railing. I didn't.</p><p> </p><p>It was a weird sensation, getting thrown into the air like that. Time stood still for a moment, and it felt like I was lying on a thick bed of nothingness, looking up at the soot-covered ceiling of the temple while someone else's arms and legs kept flailing through my vision. I had enough time to think to myself: "That shield is pretty useful. I should get one of those," when the floor hit me and my vision doubled. Luckily, my regenerative magic had had enough time to do it's work. The fall hurt me, but didn't take me out.</p><p> </p><p>I stood up immediately and used another infusion to enchant more stones [ref: PJ-V1-39]. I'm not the type to just lie around while my friends are getting killed! The skeleton had charged back towards GR and XL, so I couldn't see him above me any more. I could hear him, though. Running across the room, I used another infusion to enchant the first stone with sure striking [ref: PJ-V1-52]. I still couldn't see the skeleton up in the balcony, though, so I yelled for my friends to drive him closer to the edge. The only response I got was GR crying out in pain and then a heavy "thud" on the balcony above me. Looked like it was up to me again to save the day.</p><p> </p><p>Running off under the far balcony, I finally caught a glimpse of the animated skeleton. More specifically, I saw a helmet and a bloodied sword, both moving purposefully about. Knowing that the sure-strike enchantment was about to wear off, I threw the stone with all my might. I didn't see it hit, but the helmet flew sharply up into the air, surrounded by bone fragments. I heard the creature fall to the floor. Success!</p><p> </p><p>I rushed upstairs after that, knowing that time was precious. CA had already been revived, but IR and GR were both down. Grabbing two potions off of IR's bandolier (neither of which were House Cannith, I noted), I used the first on IR and told XL to use the other on GR. We saved them both before they could bleed to death. Not that they showed any appreciation for what I had done.</p><p> </p><p>With IR revived, it took only a moment for everyone to get to their feet again. She immediately started healing people and tending wounds. That's when we heard more noise in the stairwell. Almost as one, we made for the far stair to get out of there. (Naturally, I had the presence of mind to grab two of the swords that our attackers had used against us. From all appearances, they were of the highest quality. GR grabbed the one suit of breastplate, and I ended up with a helmet somehow.) We ran as fast as we could. I briefly saw three more armored skeletons making their way towards us before we were outside and safe. We didn't stop running, of course, until we were almost two full towers away. That was a close one!</p><p> </p><p>We had arrived at the landing pad across from the White and Gold before I realized we were in the wrong part of town. I reminded our driver that we had specified the Dragon Crypts, not Dragon Tower, but he just stared blankly at me. That's when I noticed the large contingency of redcloaks that had approached our cab. We all dutifully got out and followed them to their commander. He berated us for interfering in some sort of investigation, and took the weapons and armor we had recovered. He was kind enough to produce a writ for our troubles, though. It was a more than fair price for the artifacts we had recovered. Once we were escorted out, each of us went our separate ways. I had business to attend to to.</p><p> </p><p>I got home to find that something had come up and father would not be attending the gala at the university. Instead, he was sending me to "represent the family" at the affair. I had two extra tickets, but couldn't for the life of me figure out who to invite. After agonizing a bit more over what to where, it occurred to me that I didn't have much time to find someone to go with me. I had Jenvis send out letters to a few of the places where the DC were likely to be found. In each letter I told them that I had two extra tickets to the event and invited them along.</p><p> </p><p>I must have been truly flustered by the day's events. I arrived at the Cork & Bull, where the letter had said to meet, and all four of the DC had showed up, excited to go. GR and CA had even bought new outfits for the occasion. (I didn't say anything, but they looked a bit pretentious.) After explaining that I only had the two tickets, IR bowed out of the honor. She said she had something to do. CA and GR both expressed interest in going. XL didn't say anything, but I suspect he was sad that he couldn't go.</p><p> </p><p>After a few drinks, we walked to the lecture hall where the gala was held. Security was pretty tight, and I could see that a number of high standing citizens were in attendance. I counted no fewer than eight House Cannith rings on the people passing us by while we were waiting to get in. I thought I saw Merrix d'Cannith, also, but I might have been mistaken. I had a professor once who looked very much like him [ref: PJ-V1-56].</p><p> </p><p>The inside of the hall was decorated with replicas of famous Dhakaani artifacts. Naturally, I could tell the difference between the replicas and the real artifacts. A few of them were real, but they weren't terribly valuable. The breastplate that was the center attraction -- and the reason for this whole affair -- was up at the front of the room. It was cordoned off and concealed under a thick velvet covering. Evidently, it belonged to a very powerful Dhakaan king before he died. Now it must be famous, or something.</p><p> </p><p>I separated from CA and GR very quickly. Not from a need to distance myself from them, but because there were many influential people that I thought I should talk to. I circulated through the room, conversing with old acquaintances and trying to make new. A rather attractive girl -- obviously a student at the university -- was following me around for a while. I had never heard of her family, though, so I tried to politely distance myself. Finally, she found other interests. </p><p> </p><p>I spoke at great lengths with Heuriv Ellibib, and he introduced me to many members of House Cannith. They all seemed impressed with the fact that I was with the Fabricator's Guild, and more than a few of them had rightfully heard of the Heuw family. I realized this evening that I am a very sociable person.</p><p> </p><p>I was making excellent in-roads with Marriva Cannith -- she asked me to fetch the two of us a drink -- when the presentation started. Marriva has a very cutting wit, and I was having an excellent time listening to her comments during what would have otherwise been a very boring speech. The repoir between Marriva and I was shattered, suddenly, with the appearance of a number of armed gnolls. In rapid succession, they broke into the party, killed a few would-be-heroes, grabbed the breastplate, and disappeared in the confusion. Worst of all, some time during all the commotion, I lost track of Marriva!"</p><p> </p><p>. -- An excerpt from the Personal Journal of Artemis Heuw, Volume 2</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"... In fact, many of my colleagues consider me to be very 'adventurous': I am often willing to go deeper into the Cogs than any of my friends, even when only accompanied by one house guard, and there are very few ethnic foods that I will not try. Fear is not an emotion that Artemis Heuw understands!"</p><p> </p><p>. -- An excerpt from the Application for Attendance of Artemis Heuw, as received by Morgrave University, 994 YK</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Devo, post: 2886605, member: 32183"] [b]The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw, Excerpt 3[/b] "...decided to partake of it, as an experiment only. I removed my mask [ref: CJ-V2-27] and breathed in the fumes. Almost immediately, a blue-ish symphonic liquid bled from my left hand and started floating towards the scar on my right elbow [ref: PJ-V2-65] while singing a quavering song to the displacer fur which was, itself, beginning to crawl out of its rhythmically pulsating storage container to attack the copper shavings held in their silver bowl. What the copper shavings were doing is something I never wish to think on again. I have replaced the 'Mild hallucinogenic vapors' warning on the potion's schema with something a bit more stern...." . -- An excerpt from the Craft Journal of Artemis Heuw, Volume 2 "Dinner itself was mediocre. I was surprised, though, to find that I really was interested in what the rest of the DC had been doing in the last week. More surprising, it had been a full week since we were last together. Where does the time go? Never mind. I just read back a few pages. I have been very busy lately. We really should choose a better place to meet than the Broken Anvil, but I suppose it has special significance for this group [ref: PJ-V1-101]. If I could only remember where Heaven's Augur was, I would recommend that we start meeting there. They had a wonderful fish stew and it seemed a relatively quiet place. I told the DC about my meeting with wagon master Donnovan [ref: PJ-V2-41] and the problems he'd been having making deliveries to a certain part of the Cogs. I told them, too, that he suspected that some of his recent hires were in collaboration with the troublemakers, and that he'd heard of our team and wanted to hire us to escort his wagons. They agreed to help out. This will be two favors, then, that Donnovan owes me [ref: PJ-V2-13]. I'm not sure how best to capitalize on that, but, as father says, "Favors buy what gold cannot." CA has been taken in by the Caerlyn Blades, after gaining the attention of General Tyrell himself. He was even offered a position but is thinking of turning it down. It seems unlikely, but maybe he doesn't know of the Blades' reputation? I just don't understand it. Maybe elves think differently than regular people. GR says he's doing inquisitive work, but he's never mentioned having a license. Note to self: ask GR about this tomorrow. IR has taken on work at the Dragon Crypts, and she, too, has garnered attention from the highest level. The head priestess has asked for her help in what may be some undead in the Fallen. It might just be some superstitious low-dwellers, though. It sounds pretty easy, so we all agreed to go with her when she looks into it in the morning. Maybe we'll find something interesting, but I doubt it. XL may have been with us. As we were discussing our last week, though, it didn't sound like he'd been doing anything of interest. That is enough to make me think it was actually him. If it was someone pretending to be XL, I'm sure they would have had an interesting story or two to tell. When I got home tonight, father informed me that he was attending an MU function tomorrow night to witness the unveiling of some ancient armor or other. I think I've heard of it before. Ah! [ref: PJ-V2-28] The important, part, though, is that I would be in charge of the business while they were gone. I acted casual, of course, but found the prospect very exciting! I'll have to set out a nice outfit for tomorrow. ... What a horrible day. Okay, this evening wasn't that bad. I had a very engaging conversation with Heuriv Ellibib, who is the brother to the ex-assistant to Merrix d'Cannith himself. I think I came across very favorably. The day didn't start there, though. The DC met at the Broken Anvil once again, and went from there to the Fallen. I was prepared for anything, just in case, and even brought my most complex scroll to date [ref: CJ-V2-42]. I should have used it, too, but I was overly concerned with the cost involved. It probably cost me seventy-five gold to create! Well, that's the last time I worry about that. I'm getting ahead of myself, again. We journeyed down to the Fallen. The architecture (or what remains of it) down there is relatively spectacular. But that's what I would expect of Sharn's old temple district. Now it's all rubble and disrepair. A shame, really. IR had been told that there might be some connection between the strange lights in the district and some local disappearances. There was talk of ghosts. Looking around, I thought that appropriate for the area, shadowed, as it was, by the high towers. Almost nothing of the morning sun made it's way down there. We asked some of the locals what had been going on, and they said that most of the odd happenings were near Blackstone Temple, an old Silver Flame temple that had been abandoned decades ago. The place looked in okay condition. It had certainly not been kept up, though. Our initial exploration showed very little. Two wings to either side of the main chapel had been home to squatters for quite a while. They were abandoned now. XL thought he saw signs of a struggle and someone being dragged away, but I didn't see anything. We went towards the upper chambers and continued our investigation. I cleverly found a concealed compartment in what was probably one of the larger living chambers. There was a trap on the door mechanism, which I easily bypassed. Those new tools were a definite help [ref: PJ-V2-28]. Inside were a number of spell reagents. I was on the verge of working out their properties when IR interrupted to tell me that if used in conjunction with a summoning spell, the creature summoned would be heartier and tougher than otherwise. I confirmed her suspicions, then let her keep them. She says that she summons undying creatures, though I have yet to see that happen. Note to self: ask for some of the stones back so that I can use them to create summoning scrolls. Maybe a small bag or a hat that one could pull small animals out of? Hm.... Never mind about that last one -- I'm not really sure how I'd go about making something like that. Still: get a couple of the stones back. GR was sure he'd heard moaning coming from this upper level (I hadn't heard anything) so we started looking around some more. We were poking around in the upper gallery, overlooking the main audience chamber, when my day really took a turn for the worse. At first, I though someone had thrown a warm, heavy leather bag over my head and pulled the drawstrings closed. It was very, very heavy, though, and I had trouble keeping my balance. It started squeezing -- and I think it was chewing on me as well. I tried to rid myself of whatever it was, and screamed for help. I'm not sure anyone heard me. I suspect that the rest of the DC were fighting against it, as I'm sure I felt their weapon blows bashing me about the head and shoulders. I was suffocating. Maybe they drove it off, but I'm pretty sure that it was with the strength bourne of desperation that I finally managed to free myself of the creature. Suddenly, the creature flew up into the air and off across the cathedral. Good thing, too, as I had almost blacked out. I lowered myself gently to the floor, and as soon as my vision returned to me I used an invigorating scroll [ref: CJ-V1-89] to restore myself. At first, I thought my vision was still playing tricks, but it looked like whatever it was that had attacked me was surrounded with a cloud of magical darkness. Maybe that's why my companions were beating on me instead of the creature. None of us, it seems, had gotten a look at it. And we wouldn't get the chance, either. There was a strangely familiar noise of metal parting flesh, and IR screamed. Somehow during the fight, a group of three glowing-eyed, armed and armored skeletons had snuck up on us from the stairwell. They had almost surrounded IR before they launched their attack and she was bleeding profusely. Nearly unconscious, with only a slow regenerative spell on me, I had another fight on my hands. CA charged across the balcony but the creature deflected his blade with it's broad steel shield. GR moved up too. IR shouted a warning to us, telling us that these were Karnaathi skeletons, tougher and smarter than normal undead. I can't believe I just used the phrase "normal undead". I was far too taxed to hasten any of my infusions, so had to resort to my scrolls. [Reminder: get more quick-acting combat scrolls.] I read off one that should have slowed down one of the creatures, but the lighting was poor and I was still suffering from the earlier assault on my person, so I missed. IR was using some sort of ancient Aerenal magic to damage the undead soldiers: they were all showing new signs of deterioration. GR and CA were doing it the old fashioned way, with axe and blade. Their weapons seemed ill-suited to the task, though. I think XL was trying to help, but would always hesitate just before going in. I went back to my earlier training to find a weapon against these creatures. Enchanting three small stones [ref: PJ-V1-39], I began to use them as potent weapons. I was afraid of hurting my companions, though, and kept on throwing them too wide of the brawl. CA was the first to go down, or maybe it was IR. GR was using the recently purchased healing wand [ref: PJ-V2-30] against the creatures, which seemed rather counter-intuitive, but it looked to be having an effect. One of the skeletons was down at this point, but with fewer combatants in play, they started to realize who the real danger was and came towards me. Trapped on the upper balcony twenty feet above the stone floor below, with a wall to my right and railing behind me and to my left, I had no where to go. I only had one stone left. I think that's when it occurred to me that I was in trouble. The skeleton rushed me, driving me back. I stepped aside and threw the last of my stones, but it bounced harmlessly off the skeleton's shield. I cursed, sure that should have worked. It charged me a second time, and I realized that I had my back to the balcony railing. Well, I had my back to the railing for a moment. Coming in low, the skeleton hit me flat on with his shield, stood up, lifting me off the ground, and lunged two steps forward. He stopped at the railing. I didn't. It was a weird sensation, getting thrown into the air like that. Time stood still for a moment, and it felt like I was lying on a thick bed of nothingness, looking up at the soot-covered ceiling of the temple while someone else's arms and legs kept flailing through my vision. I had enough time to think to myself: "That shield is pretty useful. I should get one of those," when the floor hit me and my vision doubled. Luckily, my regenerative magic had had enough time to do it's work. The fall hurt me, but didn't take me out. I stood up immediately and used another infusion to enchant more stones [ref: PJ-V1-39]. I'm not the type to just lie around while my friends are getting killed! The skeleton had charged back towards GR and XL, so I couldn't see him above me any more. I could hear him, though. Running across the room, I used another infusion to enchant the first stone with sure striking [ref: PJ-V1-52]. I still couldn't see the skeleton up in the balcony, though, so I yelled for my friends to drive him closer to the edge. The only response I got was GR crying out in pain and then a heavy "thud" on the balcony above me. Looked like it was up to me again to save the day. Running off under the far balcony, I finally caught a glimpse of the animated skeleton. More specifically, I saw a helmet and a bloodied sword, both moving purposefully about. Knowing that the sure-strike enchantment was about to wear off, I threw the stone with all my might. I didn't see it hit, but the helmet flew sharply up into the air, surrounded by bone fragments. I heard the creature fall to the floor. Success! I rushed upstairs after that, knowing that time was precious. CA had already been revived, but IR and GR were both down. Grabbing two potions off of IR's bandolier (neither of which were House Cannith, I noted), I used the first on IR and told XL to use the other on GR. We saved them both before they could bleed to death. Not that they showed any appreciation for what I had done. With IR revived, it took only a moment for everyone to get to their feet again. She immediately started healing people and tending wounds. That's when we heard more noise in the stairwell. Almost as one, we made for the far stair to get out of there. (Naturally, I had the presence of mind to grab two of the swords that our attackers had used against us. From all appearances, they were of the highest quality. GR grabbed the one suit of breastplate, and I ended up with a helmet somehow.) We ran as fast as we could. I briefly saw three more armored skeletons making their way towards us before we were outside and safe. We didn't stop running, of course, until we were almost two full towers away. That was a close one! We had arrived at the landing pad across from the White and Gold before I realized we were in the wrong part of town. I reminded our driver that we had specified the Dragon Crypts, not Dragon Tower, but he just stared blankly at me. That's when I noticed the large contingency of redcloaks that had approached our cab. We all dutifully got out and followed them to their commander. He berated us for interfering in some sort of investigation, and took the weapons and armor we had recovered. He was kind enough to produce a writ for our troubles, though. It was a more than fair price for the artifacts we had recovered. Once we were escorted out, each of us went our separate ways. I had business to attend to to. I got home to find that something had come up and father would not be attending the gala at the university. Instead, he was sending me to "represent the family" at the affair. I had two extra tickets, but couldn't for the life of me figure out who to invite. After agonizing a bit more over what to where, it occurred to me that I didn't have much time to find someone to go with me. I had Jenvis send out letters to a few of the places where the DC were likely to be found. In each letter I told them that I had two extra tickets to the event and invited them along. I must have been truly flustered by the day's events. I arrived at the Cork & Bull, where the letter had said to meet, and all four of the DC had showed up, excited to go. GR and CA had even bought new outfits for the occasion. (I didn't say anything, but they looked a bit pretentious.) After explaining that I only had the two tickets, IR bowed out of the honor. She said she had something to do. CA and GR both expressed interest in going. XL didn't say anything, but I suspect he was sad that he couldn't go. After a few drinks, we walked to the lecture hall where the gala was held. Security was pretty tight, and I could see that a number of high standing citizens were in attendance. I counted no fewer than eight House Cannith rings on the people passing us by while we were waiting to get in. I thought I saw Merrix d'Cannith, also, but I might have been mistaken. I had a professor once who looked very much like him [ref: PJ-V1-56]. The inside of the hall was decorated with replicas of famous Dhakaani artifacts. Naturally, I could tell the difference between the replicas and the real artifacts. A few of them were real, but they weren't terribly valuable. The breastplate that was the center attraction -- and the reason for this whole affair -- was up at the front of the room. It was cordoned off and concealed under a thick velvet covering. Evidently, it belonged to a very powerful Dhakaan king before he died. Now it must be famous, or something. I separated from CA and GR very quickly. Not from a need to distance myself from them, but because there were many influential people that I thought I should talk to. I circulated through the room, conversing with old acquaintances and trying to make new. A rather attractive girl -- obviously a student at the university -- was following me around for a while. I had never heard of her family, though, so I tried to politely distance myself. Finally, she found other interests. I spoke at great lengths with Heuriv Ellibib, and he introduced me to many members of House Cannith. They all seemed impressed with the fact that I was with the Fabricator's Guild, and more than a few of them had rightfully heard of the Heuw family. I realized this evening that I am a very sociable person. I was making excellent in-roads with Marriva Cannith -- she asked me to fetch the two of us a drink -- when the presentation started. Marriva has a very cutting wit, and I was having an excellent time listening to her comments during what would have otherwise been a very boring speech. The repoir between Marriva and I was shattered, suddenly, with the appearance of a number of armed gnolls. In rapid succession, they broke into the party, killed a few would-be-heroes, grabbed the breastplate, and disappeared in the confusion. Worst of all, some time during all the commotion, I lost track of Marriva!" . -- An excerpt from the Personal Journal of Artemis Heuw, Volume 2 "... In fact, many of my colleagues consider me to be very 'adventurous': I am often willing to go deeper into the Cogs than any of my friends, even when only accompanied by one house guard, and there are very few ethnic foods that I will not try. Fear is not an emotion that Artemis Heuw understands!" . -- An excerpt from the Application for Attendance of Artemis Heuw, as received by Morgrave University, 994 YK [/QUOTE]
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