I failed. I failed my comrades, I failed La'iri, I failed her, I failed the goddess and I failed you, lotha dalninil. Gaston died because of me falling back into old habits. Maybe I should start from the beginning, to make it less confusing. For staying at his place we also agreed to help a friend of Master O’tamu. Miss K’lahu needed help to get her money from a debtor. How hard could it be? Did this job a lot back in the day! Sometimes had to hurt someone but most of the times a tough look and some threating words were enough to get the debt. So I didn’t expect this going so wrong. Oh sorry, I am again jumping to far ahead. During breakfast Drev’nae asked also a few questions about her personal mission here. A rogue Harper agent seems to have a specific magic ring she should get for her liege. But, not enough that the Harpers are involved the Zhentarim are also trying to get a hold here in Chult. Suddenly Chult feels far closer to home than before. Hopefully, I am not getting dragged into the usual mess between the two. I had enough of this shu back in the Dalelands. After breakfast we went onward to the mission at hand. With the usual distraction of Tabaxi minstrels plus a local mad man thrown into the mix. The other locals didn’t seem to care much about the words of this mad man. I, on the other hand, think there might be information we should look further into. Like: What or where this Forbidden City might be? Or what do the snake people, Yuan-Ti, know about the Death Curse? I only fear that these Yuan-Ti are at least as bad as our own people. But after that we reached the Executioner’s Run. There you can prove your innocence by escaping from raging dinosaurs. It is also a public spectacle where people make bets on the outcome. So you see were this debt comes from that we should get back. And here came the first problem. Remember at that time we didn’t talk to K’lahu yet. A duo of Triceratops broke free from their pen. One of them was really mad and killed one of the stable hands. Thankfully, Drev’nae and our new Tabaxi ally, Rhythm of Drum, managed to calm the beast before the situation got worse. After wrapping it up nicely, we finally met K’lahu and my spiral downwards began. The idea of how Taban, the debtor, tried to get rid of K'lahu could have come from one of our own. Right he was the one setting the dinosaurs on a rampage. The only fault in his plan was, he was no Drow. A Drow would never have been so dependent on luck. I would have used the beasts to create chaos and then I would have finished the job myself. Staging it like a mugging and put the blame on a beggar or another victim. Oh no, it is happening again. Just writing about it brings the old nature out. Still I have to go on, so you understand how much I failed. Having a debt of 1.000 gold pieces is no light weight on your shoulders, so I can understand Taban in a way. If only he would be better in executing his plans. He got wounded and Rhythm was able to follow his bloody trail to the Grand Souk. A very big market place. While the others were looking around I got us some information from the local constabulary ( No, I am not lying to you. That man is a guard !). And afterwards applying the mentioned technique to a merchant I found Taban. The stories about the cruelty of our kind have reached even the borders of Chult. I find that dangerously comforting. Together with one of Faelon’s spells the intimidating technique was starting to work again. But then Taban’s stupid wizard friend had to show up and ruin everything. And when diplomacy didn’t work I descended even more into the old mindset. You’re not listening so you have to die. And, yes I know I could have tried harder but I didn’t. Believe me! I hate me enough for it. So we ended up in a full scale battle. Drev’nae tried to challenge Taban. I say tried, because I am not sure if it really worked like she intended. Actually, I think we all were too surprised being in a fight to realize how unorganized we were. If we had focused on either Taban or his friend from the beginning it might have ended differently. We took the wizard out first. I crushed his heart and it felt kind of great. Sure, when Drev’nae got hurt pretty bad, I remembered that I am no longer the cold-blooded killer I was supposed to be a century back. It didn’t last. I totally ignored that a few moments later Gaston looked exactly like Drev’nae health wise. Taban also badly hurt was lying on the floor and I had the decision to make. Attack that bastard or heal my ally. Sure, I was calm. Not enraged or something else. And I could have made the right decision. But I was drawn back into the old self. Also, paladins could heal people as well? Right? I was realizing too late what I had done. I said that I blame Drev’nae as much as myself. It is not true. Gaston’s death is on my hands. My hands alone. I had the chance to save him before it went straight downhill. I should have done that. It is what I am supposed to do now. Making it worse is that Taban was caring for a street urchin and maybe needed that money to start fresh with the kid somewhere else. I had that opportunity and now I denied it to someone else. I got the kid’s description from K’lahu. But it was so general that I fear that I can’t help the kid in Taban’s stead. Maybe Master O’tamu can be of help with that. He seems kind enough and has dealings with the Harpers which are also a bunch of good-doing spies. Now I have two things to do. Apologize to Drev’nae for my words in anger. And continue living with another soul damned to a cruel and torturing afterlife and trying to save them. Even if it costs my own life. Velverin
