Paths and Dragons Season 3 Party Journal

Its back, the glorious recap. We shall need it with the rate of play that will be Season 3 versus 1 and 2. So make sure you take notes during the session and get that recap up before we have our next session. And I cannot wait to delve in, its been a bit. I am excited for us to be back!

(Session 1) (insert date here, because we apparently done have one. Hek.) “Travel has been going well so far. It seems I haven’t been followed, at least… not from what I can tell. This Island is quite interesting… far different than any cities I have visited thus far. I can’t say I’ve seen so many ratfolk in one place. They appear to worship this… Sarenae. Quite intriguing, I must say. ...Recently I have been informed by one of the guards that our vessel is to depart early. He did not seem to know who I am… I suppose this is for the best. As to why we are departing early, he did not say. Before reaching the harbor I decided to browse the market for anything that would be of use to me. Fortunately, none of the other guards knew who I was either. Along the way a small gnome began to follow me questioning if I had known about the island. Whether I had responded or not, he continued to lecture me on the subject. I did not wish to be rude, but he was drawing much more attention than I would have liked. Quite the irksome one… Unfortunately I was not able to get away from him because he too, was making his way towards the very same ship. Fate has an… interesting sense of humor. When we arrived, there was a handful of individuals waiting by the ship. Most of them looked to be guards or crew members, however among them I was met with a ratfolk Cleric, a half-orc, and a rather shady looking dwarf. Running about the dock was probably the shortest elf I’d ever seen, she seemed to be chasing a seagull for whatever reason. Unbeknownst to me, following rather closely behind us was another man. He looked younger, early twenties I would say. His attitude was pleasant, but something about his gave me an odd feeling. There was a knight of some sort waiting there as well. He was not in the usual armor that the other guards wore, and he was followed by a… sea turtle. From what I could tell, he was yet another traveler. My suspicions were confirmed later once we boarded the ship. The knight’s name is apparently Benjamin. This… Benjamin… may prove troublesome. “ (There is another date about a week aways from the last.) “Travel has been going well for the most part. Up until this point there has been nothing of note. Tonight I was charged with the nightly watch alongside the half-orc, Osh-Tekk. Quite eventful, I must say. The ship almost had a run in with a rather large rock spire. I went below deck to retrieve some of the crew, seeing as this was quite a spot of bother and, well, I am no sailor. When I returned, the ship had narrowly evaded the rock. Apparently, the dwarf from before had been hiding out in the watchtower and had come down to assist in the situation. Kaladim and Osh-Tekk were able to get the rudder to work before the ship crashed, so… I suppose it all worked out well.” (Its another date, a few days after.) “We landed. There appears to be a rather large aura of fog hanging about the land. Its… unsettling… to say the least. On the beach we were met by a rather small lizard creature. Benjamin charged and slaughtered the animal for whatever reason. I considered investigating the animal for any form of venom glands or the like, but before I could we were attacked by a pack of rather aggressive… ‘Monkey Goblins,’ I believe. They used primitive ‘weaponry’ if I dare call it such. Naturally I figured it would be best to deal with the situation quickly, but unfortunately the others in the group did not see it the same way. Had I not used it on the creatures, it would have been quite the waste of my material… ridiculous.”

Khaladim's Entry - Week 2 The Stealing of the Horn and Surviving the Jungle.

(Session 3) Dear Mother, I joined this fun group of people and we are sailing to the New World! Well, that was the plan, but now we are on a rescue mission to find this High Lord Edward guy. We crashed on this jungle island, but we are pretty sure that Edward guy is here too somewhere. We went in to the jungle to find him but like everyone in the party but me and Khaladim fell off a waterfall. I don't get why they didn't just dodge out of the way. Oh! I made a friend! His name is Khaladim! He is a Dwarf and he is just like us Mom! I think he might be sneakier then me!  Anyway! Khaladim and I made our way along the river after we climbed down the cliff and we saw a village. We were going to sneak in and check things out because I saw the sea turtle in their pasture. Oh, one of the guys in the party has a pet sea turtle. His name is Skitters I think. So we were gonna go sneaky sneaky in the village... but I stepped on a kids toy. Didn't their mothers teach them to clean up after themselves like you did to me? Cuz I stepped on the toy, two guy immediately saw me. So I became friends with them too! I asked if they've seen my party and they did! They took me to see them and everyone was fine! Well, as fine as they could be from falling off a waterfall. I also got more news of where Edward was! We were going to spend the no night and then head out in the morning to search. At night they locked us in our rooms, saying it was for our "protection". But you know me, I've never been a fan of being confined. So after a little bit, I unlocked to door and ventured out at night. I was gonna go check out and see how the rest of the party was doing, but I found it weird that everyone was locked in but Silky. Silky is a Ratfolk. She has pretty white fur. Anyway, when I went in to talk with her, bad people showed up!  I quickly hid under the bed when they came in. They grabbed Silky and were taking her away! Some loud noises happened outside and I stabbed one of the guys as they were leaving. Getting outside, there were a bunch more of those bad guys. We fought a pot of them and saved Silky from the bad guys! These poor villagers has to sacrifice people to these bad guys all the time. There was something strange though. Everytime we killed one, they just turned to dust though. It reminded me of those stories you told me as a child... I miss you Mom.                                                                                    May the Wind be with you Always,                                                                                                    Your Loving Son, Adrean

The Party has made their way to Windrest, but the journey was nothing simple. After leaving behind the small hamlet of Homestead (or whatever they called it. Didn't want to stay longer than we had to after they tried to barter using Silky) we made our ways to the mountains and a cave that would supposedly lead inland to the interior of the island... however the simple path was of course blockaded by some sort of cave in. So we made camp for the night. Kaladim kept examining the nearby statue, and after some rest Ben and Silky decided to take a look as well.They discovered it was some sort of hidden doorway that could only be opened by filling the goblet with blood which Silky did with no thought immediately draining some from the Half-Orc companion Oshtek... He didn't seem to mind. If I am to spend time with this group more, I will have to discern more into why they are so close. After avoiding or being struck by the activated spring trap of the statue, the staircase was revealed and we made our way down into the hidden temple below. It was quite dark, and after lighting a torch and Silky casting a light spell upon Ben's shield, we journeyed onward to find a barred door. Curiosity got the best of some and with a bit of luck and brute force managed to get this door open. Kaladim, Adrean, and the Gnome however decided to take a different path and scouted ahead.... probably took a few things while they were at it, but its no business of mine if they are going to be taking things from this damned cult. So off they went into the dark and into what looked like a tomb we came. In the tomb, an ancient pair of Skeletons could be seen still clad in their armour but cleaved in two lay strewn about the room. In the center, a large casket lay. To get a better idea of what we may be dealing with, Ben Oshtek and myself used our combined strength to try and remove the lid... but as we attempted it, we heard a cry from William and when we looked down, The Skeletons had reanimated and one of them had placed a dagger into Williams boot! We leapt into action and after some effort managed to fell the reanimated bones once more. Opening the casket.... there was no body inside! But a few gems, gold, and a circlet crown lay. Definitely not the work of some grave robbers... This has me worried, but we will keep a watchful eye. Stick to our original plan. Carry on and find Edward, then make our way back to the ship and escape while we can. We made our way down to our other companions and finally all found ourselves in the middle of a Baronism Ceremony. We were blending well until it came time to drink from the blood goblet which Joanne outright refused. Fair on her part for not drinking the vile liquid, but she must be quicker on her feet if she is to survive in this hostile plane. In her panic, she drew forth a dagger and stabbed out at the closest member of the ceremony, the librarian! And with the catalyst of her panic, a volatile combination began. Blade, Hammer, and Bow! Magic and Holy power! and in the end, we overcame the priest and made our way out of the temple to find ourselves in the hillside with a small town in the distance. We should make our way there and rest. Forgive me for not recording our efforts since the temple.... it has been a bit of a rush. We engaged a group of bandits trying to steal from a young girl and met her father who invited to take us through a shortcut to WindRest, the nearby village. We followed him into town and he gave us a quick tour of the place before we made our way to the inn to retire for the night. In the morning, we will do a bit of shopping, clean up our gear, and then meet back with the elf and see if we can find any signs of Edward while we are here.

Praise to Sarenrae. Let her shine on us during these troubled times.  Forgive my lack of log entries. These are very trying times for me. I pray that Sarenrae gives me strength to overcome the new obstacles set forth before me. Between being nearly kidnapped, having to make sure Usuk bathes semi regularly, and having my first taste of blood, I am at my wits end!  It has been many weeks since I have left the the temple in search of Lord Edward. This strange land is full of heresy of the most despicable degree. I don't know much about this "Baronism" religion, but it appears to be a poor bastardization of other religions from the mainland. The people here seem to be under some strange haze that causes their mind to be corrupted and their memories twisted. We met an Elven Father by the name of Varis, whose daughter we saved from bandits. He invited us into his town (WindRest I think it was called). After talking in the tavern a bit, he described the hold that Baronism had on this land and this town. He said that the majority of the people were apart of this religion, though he had a general distaste for it. He suspected that there was something going on, because he had past manuscripts and plays written about the towns mayor and close friend  Kalusa. However, all he can recall is that Kalusa was the leader of the bandits that attacked the town. These bandits were run out of town around when the Baron and his religion arrived. (We also made friends with a very drunk man who seemed to be harassing the priests. I think his name was Barley. If he was harassing the priests, surely he is of sound mind and character. He should use my Oak and Ale soap. I think it would be a good match.) While discussing these things, we somehow ended up getting recruited by the church to dispose of these said bandits.  We hesitantly agreed and attempted to gather some materials to help us track the bandits better. (Side note: the control of this religion is so strong that they can casual take what they want from this town and the townsfolk are forced to oblige. It is disgusting.) I am not sure how, but we came up with a plan to try to infiltrate the temple of Baronism while Mass was being held. This seemed a poor idea, but I didn't want to see anyone get hurt. Khadir wanted no part in this and stayed at the tavern to try to get rest. On our way to the temple, it was decided that Barley and Kaladim would sneak into the temple, while Gnome and Edward would cause a scene. Unfortunately, William gave Nostra a smoke stick, which the gnome promptly discharged in the tavern... while we were still in the room. Needless to say, we had to leave the tavern quickly and I don't think Khadir got the rest he wanted.  Despite the premature smoke stick discharge, we still went the the temple at evening Mass. What we didn't realize was just how many people were at Mass. We tried to convince them(Ben and Nostra) that we should back out and try again later, but our magic-obsessed gnome did not back down from a challenge and attempted to make blood appear in the middle of the mass. Though not very believable, it cause all the guards and people to look at him. Ben did his best to distract them and Nostra promptly jumped into a nearby creek, causing myself, Usuk, and Joanne to have to chase him down. I tried to apologize, but that isn't easy while chasing a crazed wet gnome. At least the church didn't try to kill us there and then. In the chaos, Kaladim and Barley managed to get in and back out. They tried to convince us in the tavern that there was nothing of interest in the church, but I didn't buy it. Upon more prodding, Kaladim produced a pair of dehydrated eyeballs from his persons. He said he didn't want to share because it might freak out the group. Though I don't think he was giving us the full truth, I can understand the sentiment. I bet poor Ben doesn't have the stomach for these things. I only hope that Kaladim can come to trust the party. In these heretical lands there are few he will have to trust. Sadly, in the morning I found that he had left for personal reasons. I hope the pressure of Baronism did not get to him. He took some bars of soap, so I trust he will be ok. I shall tell the group he went back to Sea Stone to rob Ben of his fortunes. I think that is what he would have wanted me to say. We carried on with our mission to investigate the bandits. We found a halfing named Steve sitting outside of the supposed bandit camp. He revealed himself to be a half elf named Celador. From his knowledge of the bandits, we were able to figure out that the new assistant bandit leader, Pheno, was not well liked of the bandits. Before we had a chance to talk to the bandits, we ended up fighting them and Kalusa. For some reason, they had no interest in talking, despite the information that Varis had given us. We suspected magic could be controlling them, so we knocked out all of them, with the exception of Pheno. We killed him. Once Pheno was killed, the mind fog seemed to be lifted from the bandits. Mayor Kalusa had very little memory of how she became a bandit, outside of being chased out of town. When we returned to WindRest, it appeared that the church of Baronism had fled and the villagers' memory were restored. The power of Baronism is growing more concerning to me as we venture further into this land. I hope we find Lord Edward soon. They say he headed west... I pray he will stay safe. List of Soaps I have Selected for Party Members Joanne - Gardenia and Cotton Blossom (These scents make me think of song birds) Khadir - Leather and Teak wood (Earthy and Neutral scents) Kaladim - Pine Tar and Granite (Smells like the inside of log cabins and dungeons) Ben - Sandalwood and Honeyed Whiskey (Present, but not too assertive scents)  William - Black Tea and Eucalyptus (Scents that make your nose tingle) Barley -  Malt and Ale (Smells like a nice bar) Nostra - Mint and Coffee (Scents that cleanse the pallet of acrid smells) Celador - Pine and Moss (the smell of being lost in a forest) Usuk - Extra strength Lemon Zest and Smoked Cedar (Only things that can cover up Orc musk)

*After the owlbear attack, the party bed down for the night in a small clearing. William decided to take a second watch after a passing comment from Nostra gave him second guesses about the gnomes capability. Since the night went smoothly (aside from the occasional owlbear screech.) William used some of that time to write a letter.* Dearest Victoria, I know that I have not written to you in the past days, and for this I must apologize. There have been few opportunities to write to you. Time has been little and far between, it seems. Our search for Captain Edwards continues... fruitless, I may add. These last few days have been exhausting... mostly mentally. From seeing multiple accounts of wasted material or miscalculations to having an encounter with the most disturbing of predatory animal... I feel that the only solace I have, besides writing to you, are two abnormally large and surprisingly friendly badgers. You would love them, Victoria! More on them another time, though. Believe me when I say I could write you an entire letter about them, and I most likely will in the future.  As you know from my latest letter to you, we were to begin our journey to the town of Silvergrasp at first dawn. We had left the town with all our supplies in check, and for the most part the journey was pleasant. Unfortunately, our travels were cut short by a pair of... if I am not mistaken, 'Owl Bears.' Large animals that displayed both mammal and avian traits, namely feathers, large claws, and a very unpleasant attitude. They nearly killed many in the group, though I believe Barley got the worst of it. I will spare you the details... but seeing someone nearly lose their innards in one clawed swing was... unpleasant. Shortly afterwards we tried to flee the fight while one of the bears made short work of the cart. Fortunately most of the animal companions had already fled, save for the... erm... giant ant who seemed like it wanted to fight the bears... despite Nostra's pleading. I know you may be curious, Victoria, but I'd advise not questioning it. In the end Ben and Khadir, despite being mauled, had felled one of the bears. We made quick to flee before the other bear noticed. And here we were... a lovely nightfall in a small clearing in the woods. It was quite serene, all things considered. Lady Silky and I were quick to bandage the wounded, but it was clear that their wounds were deep. Normally, I would not advise travel... but under the circumstance I don't know if it can be avoided. Something troubles me, though. You know as well as I do that I have never been a fighter. My first instincts told me to run from these animals, listen to my urge for self preservation. Apparently this idea was not shared with some. Khadir had refused my help, claiming he did not want treatment from someone he did not trust. It would most likely be due to my decision to flee, but regardless, this is not what troubles me. For being a 'captain' I am surprised he would make an alliance off of just trust alone. You know as well as I do that trust can be a fickle thing. What isn't, however, is mutual interest. If this 'captain' does not realize that, then I have my doubts of his leadership. We share the common goal of finding Edwards, that much should be clear. As much as I hate to admit, I have an interest in keeping these people alive, including Khadir. They are much more adept in battle than I am, and in this... cult ridden land, it would be foolish to travel alone. My priority now is making sure everyone survives their injuries. Hopefully Khadir's wounds don't track infection, though if they did then perhaps he would realize he should accept help when the good doctor offers it. Still, I would hate for our travel to be impeded further... be it by disease or creature. Send us your prayers, Victoria... I feel we are going to need them.         With Love,                             William             *Written at the bottom of the letter is a small footnote.*    I will have to ask Silky what soap she has given me. You would love it, my dear~

Dear IJA,  It is I Joanne Shakuras. After last week's attack by the two owlbear we found an area for rest. I took a rest and stayed up to watch, me being superior in this area of course. Weirdly, William did not sleep that long and stayed up most of the night. It might have been something the Gnome had said. Weird little thing it is, always talking about magic. Once everyone had woken up, Silky the small nice one healed us a bit. I am still wounded in some parts, but am thankful nonetheless. The group went talked and went to find the parts of the carriage that were still salvageable, we guessed that we could make a small wagon of some sorts so it will be easier for us to travel. Ben had went along with the cute turtle of his to scout ahead. He returned with no major news. We all then went to look for it. There were no signs of the owlbear anywhere and it seemed that the parts for the carriage were not nearby so we decided to look for it. The drunken man Barley, the captain, and the coward William stayed behind the broken parts. We found a blood trial, we figured it was from some creature, and it seemed to have been dried. I found the wheel of one of the carriages and it seemed to have an arrowhead of some sorts inside of it. Not an amazingly well one, but a crude and decent one. As we followed the trail, a tree fell on top of Silky. The brute Osh-tekk was almost crushed by it but found his way out. Amazingly, the small Silky seemed to survive. Of course, I with amazing skills moved out of the way before the tree fell on me. The weird little gnome tried to use “meegick” to help get Silky out, but managed to just hurt her more. That fool. Osh-tekk, Ben, and Skitters, managed to lift the tree in time for me to pull the poor creature out. We managed to follow the trail of blood which lead to the corpse of the owlbear. It was by a body of water, and seemed to have been killed by something that wasn’t us. Arrow shafts and gashes were all over it.  Suddenly creatures (beastmen) came out of the water surprising us and attacking. We were quite in shock but, Ben managed to do some quite good damage until the rest of us were on our feet. After a few fell, Silky healed us again, bless her soul. We fought more and we made a run for the carriage. I forgot to mention how the ants had helped us a bit, moving the carriage parts and whatnot. When we arrived it seemed that the ones left behind (surprised that William had not run away again) had been fighting. We soon got on as fast as we could. Me on the front seats went as fast as we could. They assured me Ben, who had been left behind would catch up soon. I do hope he is okay.  My fingers tire IJA and I will write again another time. I am enjoying my time with them. Til another time, this had been Joanne.

It was a joyous night for the party. Edward was alive, and more or less alright. The singing curse was broken, with Illsa being returned to her family safe and unharmed. The mayor of the village offered them the best rooms of the inn, also with being fully willing to provide whatever resources or equipment they needed for when they were to depart. It was quite the momentous occasion! But, William seemed... quiet. Even Khadir noticed that he was acting strange once they had returned. He didn't eat or drink anything for the night. When everyone was busy speaking with Edward or having drinks or chatting, William quietly retired to his room. An ornate mirror was hung in the hall... he avoided looking at it. The room was quite cozy for a mining town, with a decent bed, and small writing desk under the window. He removed his coat and hat, hanging them on a small hook near the door. He took his leather gloves off and tossed them nonchalantly on the bed, but paused afterward. He had been wearing the enchanted silk gloves under his leather ones. With great care, he removed them and folded them neatly before setting them on the writing desk. Now being able to see his hands, he considered for a moment... they were thin, sallow. The bones in his hands pressed against the skin, spaced by sunken grooves. His brow furrowed under the mask as he flexed his fingers. They had been like that for years... why did it bother him now? William shook his head and dismissed it. All he cared about was going to sleep. All the singing and cold winds left him feeling drained. Though he wanted to write a letter for Victoria, he couldn't bring himself to start one tonight. He couldn't sleep. For hours he stared off to space thinking on what he had said in front of everyone. He had to sing to Illsa to calm her, but that is not what troubled him. It was what he had said, what the others in the group had heard, how he had acted. It was all without thinking. It was like something had come over him in that palace of ice and snow... but it was not a curse. In front of everyone, he openly admitted to isolating himself behind his mask for years... something very few people know. William sat up at the edge of the bed. It was dark out now, but a slight glow caught his eye. A small glint of moonlight glared off the edge of an ink pot on the desk. William leaned down and picked up his bag, quickly retrieving a match from it. With it he lit the small candle on the desk and... he began to write. My Dearest Victoria... "It seems that we have reached an interesting place in our journey here... we found Edwards. He was under a spell from a... well... a young girl whos Arcane power seemed to get the best of her. Under normal circumstances I would be one to scoff at such a display, but... this was... (There was a pool of ink as William stopped writing.) This town was... odd. They did not approve of those with magic, but... they... seemed to have reached an ultimatum. The mayor's daughter had powerful magic and yet, he would rather her to wear strange gloves that restrained and suppressed her powers. She was shunned, and she was... afraid of herself. When we confronted her she turned everyone to ice, though it wasn't malicious. She didn't want to hurt any of us, but despite it she was in such a panic. She practically pleaded for us to simply leave, but... I..." (again, the ink pooled as William hesitated.) "I couldn't. I couldn't leave her like that. I could have left... but all I saw in her was myself. I... understood. I... understand... what it is to be ashamed of yourself. I understand... what it is to be afraid, trying to run from what had happened in the past. She doesn't deserve to feel that way... No one does. Victoria... I miss you now more than ever. Wherever you are... please... please be safe. We will find you soon, my dear... I swear this to you." ~William                        William picked the quill from the parchment and slowly put it back in the inkwell. He turned his attention away from the letter, instead looking to the door. He stood from the desk, taking the purple silken gloves and slipping them on. William opened the door and in the silence, listened. Nothing, he heard no sound or creaks from the rest of the inn or its current patrons. He quietly shut the door and locked it. With trembling hands he would do something he had not done in years. There was a click as he unfastened the small clasp on the mask. Quickly, silently, the alchemist made his way over to the mirror in the hall. Just as he got to it, he closed his eyes... and began to count in his head. 3... he was standing before the mirror now. 2... he leaned forward and pressed his hands to the wall on either side of the mirror. On one... he would open his eyes... but... one never came. Perhaps it was fear... perhaps it was shame... but William turned away from the mirror and quietly made his way back to his room, defeated... from under his breath he hissed, "Coward."

In his time in the mines, William wrote two letters to Victoria... one half way through, and the other when they finally escaped.      "My beloved Victoria,  Well... progress through the mines have been interesting at best... rather grisly at worst. But more so than that, it has been making me all the more worried for you. We encountered a... I believe they called them self a 'Deep Gnome' by the name of... Nicetra? Naestra? When they demonstrated the same obsession with magic as Nostra I did my best to tune out the pair's incessant ramblings. With some  intimidation , ahem, " inquiry"  from Silky and Oshtekk, the Deep Gnome let spill that he was actually trying to steal tools and supplies from a store room the miners used. According to the gnome, the miners... or his quote en quote "friends" has been killed by some kind of large beast. To my surprise, the group decided it would be best to take the very same items in question. ...Apparently their morals are... fickle.  Nostra on his own provides a ceaseless stream of 'meagical' chatter, I don't believe I would have been able to hear my own thoughts if I had to deal with two of them. However, I found an elegant solution! A simple application of the same adhesive used in tanglefoot bags has another use, keeping my sanity together by keeping a gnome's mouth shut. ...The wonders of science... As we made our way deeper into the caves, we came across a cavern filled with large crystals. Beautiful sight really... I wish you could have seen it. We found a miner, but unfortunately the poor man was impaled with a large, poison laced spine. I do hope he died quickly from the spine and not the poison... from my estimate it would have been a very painful death otherwise.      Nostra... I assume caught the scent of magic coming from a small opening in the cave wall. Being as small as he is, he was able to make his way through. Silky followed to make sure that the gnome didn't do anything to get himself killed, but shortly after they left we heard a scream. Apparently they had unwittingly entered a Basilisk nest! However, even knowing they were in peril, there was no way for the rest of us to follow them into the nest. The entrance was much too small. So, Oshtekk and Ben started doing the only thing they could... dig. Ill-gotten pickaxes in hand, they began working to dig their way into the cavern. Eventually, they made enough of a gap to squeeze into the cave. Unfortunately they were a tad too late. Nostra had been turned to stone by the adult basilisk! The fight ended quickly once the fighters made way into the cave, making short work of the small basilisks and eventually cutting down the adult. Shortly afterward, they happened across a petrified dwarf who seemed to be a miner. With some study and comparison to other similar forms of paralysis, I concluded that we did have a way to restore the stone back to flesh! However, it required some careful extraction of the basilisk's blood. Lucky for me, Silky proved to follow the procedure quite well, and we managed to procure three full vials of the blood! One for the miner, and one for the magic gnome. The miner thanked us by giving us useful information about the caves and, upon learning we had a captive deep gnome, gave us some information on their motives... apparently the miners had trouble with the deep gnome community quite often... The miner left for SilverGrasp, taking the captive deep gnome along with him. I worry for you, Victoria. I do hope you haven't had any run in with those creatures... but, as much as I wish to continue, light seems to be dwindling as we make our way forward... I will write you more when we finally leave this damn mine." ~William        The second letter lacked the usual grace in his writing, the penmanship unruly and messy.         " Dearest Victoria, I pray for you... each and every day. Even though I know not a single god would care to listen to me, I still do. Every morning under whispered breath as I carry on my duty, every night as I lay beneath the stars. I pray that you are safe, somewhere... and I pray that you are far, far from monsters the likes of which we encountered tonight.      We traveled deeper into the caves, coming upon what looked to be a bridge of sorts... save for it being completely ripped apart. I spotted a small piece of material on the end of one of the bent rails. Barley offered to retrieve it on an odd condition. He offered a deal. He would retrieve the scrap if I gave him the last vial of blood. Why he wanted such a thing I couldn't say, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't suspicious, but I agreed. Barely balanced across the metal with ease and returned with what we could tell was a torn piece of pelt. Joanne identified the hair as being from a large cave dwelling mammal. We had our guesses... but we needn't wonder for long. We heard a kind of... singing, almost... coming from deeper in the caves. Suddenly, a massive beat with leathery wings flew from the depths of the cavern, knocking loose stones from the ceiling of the cave down onto us. A manticore in the flesh! Silky received minor injury from the attack but luckily it was nothing fatal. However, we decided staying in the same place much longer wasn't a smart plan, so we headed down a side path that went deeper down into the mines. We were walking through a small, cramped tunnel for hours. As we descended further, the light became dimmer and dimmer until it was completely black. However, luckily for us, Barley had a torch... but even then, all we could see was a few feet in front of us and a few feet behind. The cramped cave walls,  albeit quite claustrophobic,  gave us a feeling of security... but oh how wrong we were. Without warning, a massive clawed paw broke in through the tunnel, taking a swing at the party. For the most part, the party made their way through with little injury, though Silky an I took quite a hit. Silky got a rake down her back and for me, a quill landing in the ribs, though I was able to pry it out before the poison seeped in.  As we escaped the tunnel, we found ourselves in a small opening in the passage, though we were stopped in our tracks by a makeshift blockade, palisades, and a large party of deep gnomes with their weapons pointed down at us. We were bruised and bloodied from the beast's attack, but they refused to allow us to pass... or even enter for that matter. However, as Ben tried to persuade deep gnomes at the gate, an older looking one called for our attention. With some diplomatic exchange between Ben, Silky, and the gnome, we were allowed passage, and we would be allowed to rest on the fringe of their settlement. Though, the only condition was that we had to fight the manticore... The deep gnomes escorted us to the edge of their settlement, the last gate leading directly into the manticore's den. The deep gnomes mentioned that the quote "Winged Cat" hunts for long periods of time before dragging its kills to its den to feast on the carcasses though a large, deep pit at the center of the cavern. Little as it was, we had a few hours time to rest, and to prepare for what was to come.  Silky ensured that we were fit for the fight,  Ben and Oshtekk drew ropes over the pit to act as a makeshift snare, I crafted what I could in the time we had, Barley... drank, and Joanne prepped her bow and arrows. But... as the time for battle drew ever closer, we could only steel ourselves and hope for the best as the beast drew closer. But even still, with all the preparation we had made, the battle was a bloody one. The manticore snapped the ropes over to the pit with ease, even my tanglefoot did little against it's wings. Razor sharp spines pierced through flesh with ease, keeping any unfortunate enough to receive one pinned down. It's claws tore through flesh, its jaws broke bone easy as you would a toothpick. The monster tossed Joanne and Oshtekk down to the pit, nearly to their death. It pounced onto Ben, savagely mauling him. All the while kept taking arrow after arrow, swing after swing, yet it never wavered. Yet finally... it let out a scream, neither bestial nor human. W e had bested it... or so we thought. In its final act, it charged me. Before I could react it's claws tore across my chest. I staggered back, pain hadn't fully registered before I saw it's tail rise. I remember clearly a single glint of light off the barb before it shot down, aiming directly for my head. I thought it was over, that my final breath would be drawn in the middle of a mine shaft in the middle of nowhere so far from home... baited breath, waiting for the strike... But it missed. Lodged into the wall beside me, was the massive barb of the manticore's tail. Laying before me, dead and bleeding, was its corpse. It was as if everything hit me at once! The realization that I was alive, breathing! The realization that the manticore wasn't! The realization that I was... in alot of pain! Probably the second worst pain I've ever been in but, I survived an encounter with a manticore so... I suppose I have that. Ben and Silky were quick to bandage my wounds and get me back on my feet, which was appreciated, though I can't remember if I was coherent enough to properly thank them for it. According to them, the deep gnomes actually have trust for us and will allow us passage should we need it again. We made way out of the cave and into what was a small clearing around the mine's exit. It was late in the night, and we had all needed rest, so we made camp. My body aches, my eyes tire, and my arms beg for me to stop, but I -had- to write you a letter tonight, Victoria. You always became so flustered when I said those words... you insisted that I had no need to say them, and that my actions spoke louder than my words... but tonight more so than ever proved to me how dangerous this land can be. So... I feel I must say it now... should I ever... ever perish. I love you.                ~William

Dear, IJA      Sorry for the infrequent letters. Earlier today was quite a mighty scary day. The group and I, how I love them, they are most amusing and kind. The small one Silky is quite adorable with her cleansliness and her friend Oshtekk the massive clumsly half-orc I believe. I wish I had a friendship like theirs. Barley always drinks, I am upset that he never shares with me though, I do like a good drink every now and then. I still like to tease william about running away by calling him a coward every so often. Hehe.I still have Bengamins horn in my bag, everyone doesn't want him to have it, its quite fun. I enjoy their company a lot. I do not wish for this adventure to end. I will not mention the small magic wanting creature, ugh... Now, back to explaining. We fought a massive creature, a manticore it was part bird. Majestic if it wasn't trying to kill us. But, we managed to defeat it and the men in the cave thanked us. Good job for us!  *There are small doodles she drew of the group cheerying.*  Finally a camp we can rest, we should be all ready for the next area, there are cute birds flying everywhere I shall report all the birds I find.  *There are detailed drawings of some birds.* I saw an owl! It was magnificent. *There is a half drawing of an owl. With the words "WIP Ill be back" written on the side of it.* 

Father,     I hope this message reaches you well. Major events are transpiring, and I believe it wise to keep you updated. Today, we struck a telling blow against the Baron's forces. In preparation for rescuing the freedom fighters' contact from the cathedral, our party scouted out various methods of entry. We decided to make a two pronged assault. I went with Barley and Nostra in thru the main entrance dressed for the cathedral's soiree, while the rest of the party snuck thru the sewer. When I realized that there were guards checking people at the door, it rather belatedly occurred to me that my weapons would be a problem. While attempting to hide them, I accidentally stabbed myself. However, falling back upon your exploits, we pretended that I had been attacked by some mysterious assailant. The crowd utterly panicked, and guards rushed from the cathedral to contain the brewing disaster.      With the aid of one guard Gabriel, we were able to enter the building through a small side entrance for the guards. This fellow bravely bound up my wounds, such as they were, although he did brand me with the sigil of the Baron. I can only pray that Silky's normally laudable hatred of the Baron's heresy does not overcome her good sense and attack me for this. In any event, this guard's care for his fellow man is clearly different from the way the Baron's forces operate, thus putting us in something of a quandry, as I did not want to harm the fellow. Happily, Barley was able to trick him into drinking a very strong drink, and thus knock him out. We then proceeded to inspect the guardroom, and I discovered a letter from Silvergrasp, which described us in an uncomfortable level of detail.     Naturally, I couldn't let this useful information remain in the hands of our enemies, so I produced an alternate version of the letter and pocketed the original. Having met us, I think my descriptions may be fairly amusing to you so I have elected to include them in this letter. I described Barley as a truly obese alcoholic, Nostra as an all but skeletal elf wizard with fancy glasses, and described myself as a gnome who rides a horse. Silky was described as a dwarf who is deeply devoted to the Baron, Oshtek as a halfling with a truly oversized axe, and William as a strange angelic being obsessed with butterflies.     Following this, we descended to the basement to meet up with the rest of our team, and discovered them in combat with some undead. I was truly enraged to notice that these unscrupulous knaves reanimated the corpse of our dear companion Joanne, and put her back to rest. After a quick break to heal some of the more heavily damaged members of our party, we investigated the room and discovered a few things of truly critical importance. We found some crystal soul jars wherein these so called "priests" of the Baron can collect the souls of the truly unfortunate. It appears that this tragic fate has been forced upon Joanne, and the team has rightfully declared that this will not be tolerated. Next, we discovered the ornate, ancient, and magically empowered tomb of Quillen Renwick, as well as the slightly less exquisite caskets of Edith Renwick, the "sister of the Baron" and her husband, Count Floyd Flemming. It troubles me that all three were empty; additionally, it seems that William is familiar with the Renwick family, implying that they have influence beyond this continent. I urge you to be cautious of these individuals and their agents, and to further curb their power if possible.     We continued investigating the cathedral, and climbed up a ladder to the second floor, where we found additional undead and an individual conducting an unholy ritual in some machine that was drawing on a number of the crystal soul jars I mentioned earlier. Oshtek and I handled the mighty undead sentinel, and William put an end to the ritual. It seems the woman in the machine was deeply familiar with William, although I haven't managed to drag an explanation out of him yet. I would appreciate it if you would investigate his background if at all possible, as this may lead to valuable information on both the Renwicks and on William's connection to them.     With this complete, we sought a place to hide from our truly furious enemies, and sought out Madame Aryzula. A note directed us to meet up with the Psalm freedom fighters in low end Ashbourne. There, we discovered that the Baron's retribution was truly swift, and our allies had taken the brunt of their attack. We were only able to rescue the barely surviving leader of the bunch, and at his advice, evacuated him to Count Galen Drek's manor where we were able to stabilize him and recover the secret route into the Baron's soul tower. All in all, I confess we have had quite the eventful day. Give the family my regards and well wishes. Your son, Benjamin James

Oshtekk hope someone from village get this but he no know if anyone there,   It been a long time since i been home and been on many great adventures since leaving. I skip all that stuff and just say I very strong and getting stronger everyday. I travel with strong people now and one of them may even be stronger than me hahahahaha no i joke but she does like to use soap a lot which i hate. Me no mess with her since she scary. I skip rest of boring and wanted to let you know tomorrow i have a big fight   an d i no know if I gonna make it. We spent the night planning what we do but I skip that since you no care about that. Oshtekk believe we will beat anyone we run into especially with me there. No have more to say going to sleep now and hope someone from village gets this.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  -Oshtekk