Journal of Braghaman Larathian

Game Twelve

August 10, 2002

To the Lady Khallia, of the House Larathian,

My dearest mother, I cannot explain the depths of regret and sorrow that I feel at not being in your presence. I realize that I have failed you both as a son and as a person. I would offer my sincerest apologizes to you, but know that I can never deliver them to your side because of my participation in actions less than noble. With that unfortunate thought, I would write this missive hoping that one day it may find its way to your hand but realizing that it will more than likely find as ignoble an end as I believe myself destined to find. I write this to you hoping to relieve some of the burden that I now carry as part and parcel of my failures.

I know that you have found your way to our ancestral lands again, taking my sisters and finding a welcome home with our uncle, my father's brother. I am relieved to find that you have been accepted by our family and rejoice in knowing that my sisters will never have to endure the life that I now believe myself doomed to. I have heard, from the tales of travellers, that your return was without incident and that my father's brother has welcomed you home. I truly hope that this is the case and not the delusions of simple travel banter shared over campfires.

As for myself, I have tried to cope with the situation that I have come into. You know that I never agreed with father's actions. I kept my tongue, as a son is expected to do, but was never happy with his chosen path. I do not begrudge him his feelings, but the way he chose to pursue them worried me. But I will not speak ill of the dead. I am as willing a participant as any. Knowing my father's intentions, I still participated in the raids that earned him infamy. Because of that participation, I know that I can never join your side, else I will be branded a rogue and a bandit and worse. Though it is in some part selfish, I cannot allow my actions to cause you the lose of yet another member of your family.

So when the engagement turned badly and all had been lost, I was unsure what to do. I had seen my own father struck down with no more mercy than he ever showed. All of his hired men taken as well. And myself the only member still alive and guarding the path to retreat. I therefore took the path and retired from the field. And I continue to travel that path, and will do so until I can determine a way that I may return to our family's land without fear of loss of freedom or life. I know that my uncle has received you kindly into his home, but you did not participate in the follies that I allowed myself to become a part of. I cannot assume that my father's brother would welcome me as graciously.

I have sought to lose myself in the wilds of the world. I assumed that if I kept to myself, that I could survive long enough to learn of a way that I may return to you. Until that time, I will write these letters with the hopes that they may one day yet find your hand.

Since the dreaded battle which took father from us, I have travelled to the small villages far from that field of dishonour. I managed to salvage father's great sword before fleeing into the wild, as well as few other possessions and my horse. Unfortunately, I have had to part with many of those items. Either they were too cumbersome to keep with me, they were too personal and could alert a person to my true self, or I simply needed funds with which to survive. Alas, that fine breastplate that father had commissioned for me was one of the first things to leave my possession. I traded the fine plate for a plain one that I hope will serve me as well.

Eventually, I had given away as much as I could part with. With that eventuality finally becoming reality, I began to take on odd jobs. I beg your forgiveness to admit that your son has done menial tasks, cleaning out stables and fixing timbers such as you would have required a servant to do. But I found that my services were more sought after with my sword arm. Though I am not the man that your husband was, my size and experience have offered me opportunities to protect establishments and travellers. It was in this task that I find myself in my current situation.

I had been employed to protect a tavern of less repute than you would grace. While in this employ, I came to know an honourable man named Benedict. I would like to believe that you could at least tolerate this man as I have found him to be a very amicable fellow. I will not bore you with all the details, but needless to say that I have been offered employment by this man from time to time. And it was employment that he brought to me this night.

Having left on one of his errands, he eventually returned with a group of travellers in tow. A more diverse and suspect group you would never have envisioned, my dear mother. Their names were quick in coming, from some of their numbers at least, but I am afraid that I have not retained their names as quickly as I would prefer.

This group had returned from some sort of adventure when they happened into the tavern that I was working at. After some discussion with Benedict, one of the young men inquired about my services. This gentleman later claimed to be a prince or some variety. The veracity of this statement I cannot contend, but he reminds me of the storied princes that I remember from my younger days. He has a quick mind, but only as it pertains to specific things. In this instance, that quick mind was focused on moneys of some sort. He seemed to be in need of exchange from one form to the next. He asked if I could provide him with protection as he travelled the streets of this town in search of the people who make their trade to be money. For repayment of this service, I was paid the sum of twenty pieces of silver which I passed along to the unfortunate ones we passed on the streets. I may be in need, but I do remember your lessons of giving and forgiveness.

Though the prince appears to be in acceptable shape, I doubt that it came from the struggles of life and am not sure what struggles he has to endure past having to lift a large sum of coins at one time. But I do not know him well enough to judge, so I will not allow my suspicions to see the light of day.

He is but one of this party, and not the average of it by any stretch of the imagination. There are other gentlemen there, as well. I can get no hint of their purpose other than they seem to be of different cloth than the prince. The ages vary as well. And, surprisingly enough, their races also differ in that it appears that at least one member of this party is a slightly singed dwarf.

And even more surprising is that not all in this party are men. I know that you have said that a self-respecting woman would not indulge in the role of adventuring, but I cannot say that these women are cut from the same gentle cloth that you are, my dear mother. There were three women in this party. I must speak in the past as one of the members of this party has passed on since my attachment to them formed. She was apparently a woman of notable disrepute, as the prince has pointed out to me on more than one occasion. But I will explain the happenstance of her fate shortly.

The remaining women could not be more extreme in their opposite natures were they intent on trying. The first gave her name as Roxanne. A rather comely woman, she claimed to be a cleric of some sort. I was unaware of the codes of the churches that would allow one of their order to dress in such a "provocative" nature as this one does. Upon seeing her person, much of it exposed to the light of day, one would quite naturally assume that she were involved in a much older profession. But I will not challenge her claims. Though, curiously, her hair seemed to stay in a state of dampness that I had not witnessed before. Regardless of her history, she truly is a site to watch, appearing to be comfortable in every way that a woman should be.

The other woman in this party is in no way "soft." Taller than I am, and I would imagine heavier by several stone as well, this one looks more accustomed to the harshness of travel as opposed to the softness of a room or temple. It is apparent that her physical prowess was earned through a life dedicated to hard labor. Truly, she was made to travel and adventure. As much a goddess as the former, though whereas Roxanne may be a contemplative or compassionate goddess, this one is surely a goddess of the hunt or of war. I know that you disapprove of my lighthearted tone when it comes to the subject of the deities, that I use their nature far too loosely, but I cannot think of a better way to describe these two. And the latter, true to adventuring's nature, travels with a cat the size of some small ponies I have seen. I have yet to determine if this companion will suffer to travel with my own, that being a hound that I have befriended in my travels. I realize that a pet is a luxury, but I have found this hound to be loyal and protects my meager possessions as though they were his last meal.

After accompanying the prince on his errand, it appeared that this group had some other business in this town. They scattered to their own means in finding someone named "Tam." I had never heard of him, and now truly wish that were still the case. After this group had gathered once more in the inn of my employment, they were granted an audience with this person, Tam. While sitting in the tavern, a servant of his appeared and offered the opportunity to meet with the person in question.

Once again, the prince asked my assistance and protection, announcing that he had quite a large sum of money that required protection. I reluctantly agreed and offered my first advice by way of explaining that were he to continue complaining about the weight of his purse that someone would endeavor to relieve him of some part of that burden. The point being taken as it was intended, the prince ceased speaking of his burden.

I accompanied this band to a part of the town that was truly abhorrent. It is my most fervent wish that you would never have to stain your shoes on the dirts that are found only in a place such as this. The servant led us to a building that was in as much disrepair as the rest. There, we met Tam. Time has truly been bitter to this man and it appeared that Time had taken centuries to be unkind to him. Were he not walking about and speaking to us in a most uncomfortable tone, one might assume that they were looking at someone departed from this life.

This unsettling creature claimed to have answers for these travellers that I do not pretend to comprehend. He claimed to be the father of the young boy in our midst, but that he was not at the same time. He claimed to be from some other realm, though his means of travel sounded truly magical. He said that he was in pursuit of some person called the Man Slayer. I am not familiar with this title, myself, but a name is hardly important.

This Tam believes that this group is destined to defeat this great warrior. The game goes so far as to have a prophecy which purports to detail every member of the group, save myself. A point that this monstrous visage detailed when he questioned my presence with this group. Apparently, he believes that these people will succeed in defeating a man who has not been defeated before, someone who has taken control of several other worlds, though I do not know if this is figurative or not.

It was during this time that the third woman in our party was killed, apparently by this undying abomination. I was not present when it occurred and do not understand its meaning, but it did take the members by surprise to see her lifeless form carried away from the meeting place.

Eventually, this group managed to make their way back to the main quarters of the town. After discussing the situation with Roxanne and the prince, I felt my situation precariously slipping away from my control. I sought out Benedict and explained my feelings of being ensnared in events beyond my control once again. How could I quietly find my way in this world, find my way back to my family, if I am to take on the burdens of a lengthy and dangerous quest? Benedict had no answers for me. But he was understanding of my situation. He tried to console me, but I do not believe I was in a position to be consoled at that time. I found myself trapped by the circumstances and still do so.

However ensnared I may feel, I also believe that I must see this adventure through to its end. With hope, this may lead me to the path that sets me once again in you arms and our family's good graces, but I do not know that will be the case. A request has been made of my assistance and I cannot see how I can refuse. Therefore, I will travel with this band of men and women with the hope of finding some means of returning to you. Until then, my thoughts and my heart continue to be with you and my dear sisters.

I am, as always, you most loyal son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Thirteen

August 24, 2002

To the Lady Khallia, of the House Larathian,

My dearest mother, I hope that this finds you and my sisters in the best of health. I would tell you that I am in good health, as well, and physically I am. Though my travels may be somewhat strenuous, I find that they have not been to my detriment as yet. I wish that I could tell you where I have been and where I am going, but I am still fearful for my own safety as well as yours. I would not put you in the position of having to disclose my location should other forces apply pressure to you for this information. Suffice to say that I have seen places that father had not taken us before.

I had mentioned in my previous letter that I am now in the retinue of a band of travelers of rather diverse natures. It has come to pass that these differences were too much for the unity of the group to withstand. Whether this is for better or worse, I cannot say at this time, but the ramifications of the tensions found within this band will, in all likelihood, follow this group for some time.

Our first trial was one of the waters. Fearing that they were losing time in their travels across land, this group decided to seek assistance from the rivers. The decision was made to part with our equine companions and take voyage on a river ship. Do not fear, my dear mother, for the horse that was provided me by my family is still in my possession, to a degree. My steed is in the care of a temple to Baelthor, its care paid for with the sale of my pack horse. I have every reason to believe that I will recover my horse in the future.

Having sold the horses, this group found passage on a river boat of some questionable repute. I did not negotiate the passage, so I will trust the decisions of these travelers until such time where I have reason to trust their abilities no further. On this boat, it was bargained that those who were willing to provide assistance in the daily duties of the ship would suffer a reduced fare. I know that some in our family would find such an idea appalling, but your son did assist so as to stretch what remains of his funds. The exercise was not particularly strenuous, though it did provide a clue to the mettle of some of my companions. Some were unable to provide as much assistance as others, and some apparently could not be bothered to provide any.

Our journey ended when we reached the ocean. Dear mother, I had never envisioned such a wide expanse of nothing save water. And the size of the vessels that travel upon this expanse would shame some of the homes in our lands. Truly, I wished that father could have lived long enough to see such sights.

We found ourselves in a port town. The main portion of the town sat on a hill that overlooked the river. To the ocean, the land dropped off in cliffs of pure white. It was such a wondrous site that I am certain you would have felt moved by it. From the river boat, we found our way into a tavern. Though this establishment was of a quality that you would not have visited it, I find myself pulled into them more and more these passing days.

It was during our brief visit to this inn that several events took place that would affect the path we followed. The first involved finding passage across the ocean. While in this establishment, it was decided that several members of this party would go to the ports in search of safe passage. It was unfortunate that the only bargain to be had was, in fact, no bargain at all. It was due to the cleric of Betshaba that we ultimately found passage and for far less than the first attempt had assured.

It was also during our stay in the inn that a new person appeared to join the ranks of the group. While I had no prior knowledge of this person, the rest of the party was aware of him. His claim is that he is a knight of Vortumnus named Alexander Crownwarden. As you may know, I personally have never found a need for any of the gods, myself. There has always been a question of worthiness, both mine and theirs. But this knight is found to be peculiar at the least. He seemed the stuffed shirt, full of pomp but without much practical experience past what he allows through the veil of his religion. But what concerns me more is the fact that several members of this party had expressed reservations about the character of this knight. Yet, these reservations did not stop them from inviting the knight into their midst and revealing their secrets to him.

It was also while in this inn that a member of this party chose to depart. The "prince" apparently grew weary of accusations from the other members and decided to set off on his own path. I do not know the whole of this man's character. In fact, I found him to be rather conceited and self-assured. Yet, several times I was warned that he bore responsibility for actions that were not noble or pure. Whether this is the case or not, I do not know. The precipitance of this latest accusation must be partially shoulder by me, I am unhappy to report. I was the unfortunate participant in a minor skirmish with one of the employees of this establishment. I will say that father would have been proud of me in that instant, where I took umbrage from the man's words and chose to defend my honour. In retrospect, I realize what a poor decision that was, my father's pride not withstanding.

After the disagreement was settled, and not in my favour, the prince sought to protect my person and utilized some of the same skills that had caused his comrades to turn from him. I cannot say that I fully trust this man, but I do see that a debt is owed to him by me. Yet, none of the others were willing to accept his explanations. In the end, he chose to leave rather than face these people further. I have come to believe that some of the party may actually be relieved at his departure. To listen to some, such as the follower of Baelthor, the prince bore sickness within the group who must either be cured or excised from the others altogether. They spoke highly of his potential, but I believe they were afraid he would not realize it and the rest would suffer for this short coming.

So it was with the assistance from the follower of Betshaba that we now find ourselves at sea. I can say with all honesty that I would rather have dry land beneath my feet that the wood that floats upon the waters. Our sweat and strain is, once again, expected on this vessel. I am not too proud to offer this assistance since it will alleviate pressure upon my purse. But the experiences on the water have shown me that I am made of land-treading stuff.

While at sea, we came to suffer a great storm. Truly, it was an experience that I would rather not experience again. I missed for the nights we were in our home, the rains and winds pounding upon the threshold. Never once did I fear that the house may over turn as our boat almost did during this storm. It was as if the gods, fickle in their affections, had decided to abandon their own to the very forces of nature. I was certain that all would be lost and, yet, all was spared at the last possible moment. I would pray for land, were I to believe that any would hear those prayers.

Now, dearest mother, I am sure you must ask yourself why I chose to participate in this exploration. I must be honest. At first, I do not know why I continued on with them. At one moment, I felt swept up by the tides of fate, under no control save theirs. I wish that I could say that I knew why I continued with them, but at that time I did not. Now, I think that I may understand my purpose with this group.

I realize that before, my only hope was to stay beyond notice of those who may wish me harm or ill. I found sanctuary in the idea that I could lose myself along side the lesser of the world and not be noticed. I still have the belief that I should protect my name from those who would seek it, but now I believe there is more for me to accomplish. Where once I found solace in obfuscation, now I believe there could be reward in redemption. Perhaps my actions with this group will, in some way, atone for my inactions towards father's plans. Perhaps I can balance the scales against the sins I have already committed. What better way to seek redemption than through a noble, ordained quest? And truly this group needs assistance. While I've no doubt of the levels of skill contained within the party, there are times when it seems that a lack of focus or drive is prevalent. As with the knight of Vortumnus, they will speak their minds of what they wish to happen, but do not have the drive to see this thing through. Maybe I am here to be that drive. I would like very much to question someone on the soundness of my theory, but I do not feel comfortable with anyone here as of yet.

I wish that I could see you shortly, my beloved mother. I realize that this wish may never come to fruition, but I carry it within my heart none the less. And it is with that wish, that I remember you and my two sisters. With luck, I will redeem myself and return to my families embrace. Until then, I will think of all of you often.

I am, as always, you loyal and loving son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Fourteen

September 7, 2002

To the Lady Khallia, of the House Larathian,

As I write this latest letter to you, it is with the hope that the possibility exists that they may find their way to your hand. This possibility, however, is coupled with the potential that it may come with rather unwelcome happenstance to my person. This hope is yet enough to give me reason to continue the practice of writing my thoughts and experiences down.

From my last letter, we had set to sea and had a harrowing, almost exhilarating, experience. Truly, a voyage on the sea can be an exciting thing, though I do not believe I would like to travel far from solid land again in the near future. Eventually, we managed to find land again, though different from our starting point. As we grew closer to the port, the buildings and people became more and more distinct, calming any fears the sea may have instilled.

I know that I was hesitant to reveal locations in my previous letters, fearing that this knowledge would put you and the rest of our family in harm's way. I am not so fearful of this now, for more than one reason.

Firstly, I have traveled a great distance by sea, covering that distance over the course of several weeks. Should any one be hunting my person, they will have no short trip before them. And the sea does not keep prints of one's boot as the loose ground may. Secondly, I realize that, if a time comes that someone may come searching for me, I may very well have passed from this mortal coil. In which case, no person will be able to bring me to the justice I may or may not deserve.

The vessel brought us to the port of Greywing. A large port city that boasted many amenities and such. Our faithful found their respective places of worship, be it in a temple to Betshaba or an inn's common room. From this vast port, we were to find land passage to a town called Strongholm in search of some great and powerful wizard. So many things about this journey left me uncomfortable that I am unsure where to begin.

The first is this nation we are in. If father were still with us, I am certain he would describe these people as being lazy and shiftless. Though I do not recall father taking any great burden upon himself if it was avoidable, these people found a completely new level in which to bury themselves. The men of the land seemed to have no duties beyond their own amusement or entertainment. The older men relied solely on the performance of their wives to provide roof and table. Unless you were a woman or a youngster, the day seemed to be one long respite from drudgery, yet I found no drudgery that they were a part of.

Secondly, we became educated to the claim of civilization within this land. They say that there is no wild beast roaming the lands. To hear one speak of it, the squirrels are tame and the birds are pets that come at the beck or call of their master. I am always worried of one who takes too much pride in the claims of civility.

I am also concerned with how they perceived us as the barbarian. Perhaps we were not prepared for their refinements, but I take exception to the title of barbarian. I do not know how one can call another a lesser person while exhibiting no proof of their superiority. They work their women to the bone and dress their children as young maids, whether they be maids or not.

In any event, we found our way to information on this town we sought. At first, we had thought to simply find directions and travel on our own. It was suggested, however, that an employed guide would better serve our needs. The implication was that we were not be aware of the rules under which we must travel. While I can believe we may trespass without knowledge, others seemed particularly distressed by the idea of excessive taxing along the route chosen. It was eventually decided to employ a guide and we were given directions to that place where we might find one.

After exchanging Hallick silver for the local variety, we entered the guild of guides and employed the services of a young man, though boy would better describe his age, named Andros. Young Andros led us on the three day journey to this town we sought, trading information and exchanging stories with members of our party along the road.

You may have noticed that I claim more participation with this group now. It is something that just occurred to myself as well, upon reviewing the previous lines. After all that has occurred to us in our journeys, I feel more apart of this group. Participating with and offering services to the group where needed. I have survived them and they me. I cannot say that they have accepted me, yet, as I have not asked them all this question. Perhaps their thoughts are different, but I am not the one to say.

After arriving at the town of Strongholm and acquiring the name of a reputable inn, we began our search for the place where we could find this mage. We went to a large, green, stone building. There, we inquired to the presence of the man named Mordinkainen. We were told that he had passed more than six months prior to our arrival. We had come here to return a ring to him and yet were unable to. It appeared that this Mordinkainen had been slain, stabbed in the back and tossed from the bridge, which spanned the Demos River. This part of the quest had failed.

Disappointed, we left the building and had traveled to the scene of the crime. We had been told that this great mage had been assassinated in the openness of the mid-day and that not a single person thought to plunge after the body in the water to conclusively determine its fate. While studying the scene, the knight I had mentioned in previous writings was approached. Another knight, bearing standard and the stiff arrogance that only one who serves their god blindly, approached this knight and accused him of heresy.

Again, I find this group to be perplexing. Here was a man that the majority of the group had no desire to travel with. This man was being taken away and they attempted to stay the course of his departure. Maggie, in fact, seemed prepared to draw steel for this person that they could not say they trusted. The knight, however, agreed to go peacefully and placed himself in the custody of the accusing knight.

Without hint of what to do next, we retired to the inn, which was recommended to us. Here, we paid for rooms and prepared to retire for the evening. I found myself sharing accommodations with the man named Niccolo, which suited my purposes well. I had been warned by more than one person of this man's character and implored not to put trust or faith in him. I had decided to look the devil in the eyes, as the saying goes. Instead of relying solely on the words of others, I took the chance to hear Niccolo's own words.

Having heard a little about Niccolo's past, I now believe I have a better understanding towards the events that had been described to me by others. I realize that he may not be the saintly person others would wish him to be, but I don't believe he is the devil they describe, either.

After our late night discussion, we retired for the evening. In the middle of the night, I awoke with a pain to my head. I was being attacked in my sleep. The room was so dark that I could not see my assailant, so I tried to entangle him with my bedcovers as I leapt from my bed. When I reached for my weapons at the end of my bed, I found them missing. After several more attacks from the darkness, at least one I believe to have been with some lethal concoction, I finally succumbed.

Upon awaking, I found myself in a stone room along side my companions. Surprisingly enough, Agni had returned to us. It seems that he arrived at Strongholm before we did. We were laid upon the floor of this room without some of our members: Quinn, Theo, and Benedict were missing. As I helped to wake Agni and Maggie helped with Niccolo, a man in robes appeared in our midst.

Maggie attempted to subdue this individual; though it turned out he was nothing more than an illusion. He stated to be the person that had started the others out on this quest and they did seem to recognize the bastard. Upon his word, we had been placed in this dungeon so that we might prove our worthiness. We were told that there was an exit as well as another group in this labyrinth. To survive, we had to best all the dangers of the dungeon and be the first to exit. As it turned out, this was no small feat.

Our first encounter brought us against creatures I had never heard of nor seen before. In a room with a pedestal in the center, there hung several cloaks from this same pedestal. Though, as it turns out, the cloaks were beasts. They came to life, fluttering about the room as a blanket might in a strong breeze. Attacking us, we tried to slay the beasts. Unfortunately, these creatures felled two of our company. Maggie was brought back to us through judicious use of medicines. Niccolo, however, did not survive the encounter.

Hearing sounds from differing directions, we made our way into a side chamber from the room we had just battled in. As we were leaving the room, potions were discovered about the base of the pedestal. It turned out that these were potions that could heal the wounds suffered during our battle. Maggie was helped as much as was possible. Niccolo was beyond our means.

Once we were ready to continue our journey through the maze, Gunter took possession of Niccolo's body and we left the room. From there, we made our way into a large chamber. Just past the threshold of the doorway, we found set into the floor what appeared to be a casket lid bearing the name of he whom we are working against. This room turned out to be a mausoleum. Set into the walls were burial plaques bearing the names of each member of the party. My own name was engraved, as well, though I had hoped to keep that in secret for some time longer. Aside from the unsettling nature of the room, we encountered nothing terrible here.

From there, we managed to find another cavernous room. Here we located a creature that appeared to be made of living flame. Hesitantly, we moved forward. The creature bade to us, saying that he would not hinder our passage. But he offered a wager. If we could defeat him in combat, causing him to surrender, then he would grant us one wish. Should he cause one of us to surrender, then he would be allowed to go free. It seems that he had been placed here against his will as we had been. Though much bargaining had been attempted, we eventually agreed to his terms.

I was the first attacked, though not gravely. The dwarf and I drew strikes on him as well. Though it was a rather ferocious fight, it was brief as well. Barely had the fight began before we found our foe surrendering. Our wish that Niccolo be returned to us was granted and our party was whole once more.

From this room, we began a slight climb towards the level of the ground. Of this, I will have to take the dwarf's word since I could not tell the differences myself. Creeping about, we moved into a small room in which a basin was set into the wall. A tap of some variety had been placed in the wall, which produced water when turned. Some of our party took this opportunity to clean wounds previously suffered.

It was as we left this room that we were attacked again. Two creatures, which bore the upper bodies of men and the lower bodies of spiders, attempted to catch us unaware. With vicious fangs in their mouths and swords in their hands, the two beasts attacked us and were met. One actually fell to the ground before me, though I cannot say why with certainty. As it lay prostrate before me, I dispatched the creature. The other, seeing its comrade fall, turned and fled from the room.

As we tried to follow the creature, we were led to another chamber that was filled with webbing. As we tried to burn the webs away, using lamp oil that had be brought with us, another creature (also a mix of man and spider) assaulted us. Though wounded, the creature managed to flee the scene as well. As we tried to follow it, we rounded a corner only to be confronted by two spiders larger than many horses that I have seen. The spiders did not attack and seemed to stay in a tolerable mood so long as we did not venture too far past the entranceway we stood at.

It was at that point that one in our party noticed the smell of fresh air. A plan was developed where Niccolo, who was probably the stealthiest of our group, would attempt to pass the spiders and make his way to where the fresh air emanated. Barely had he moved into the passageway then the spiders began to move. We attempted to hold them so that Niccolo might make way safely. I inflicted a great wound to the first spider before the second, having crawled along the wall to reach us, inflicted a wound upon me. I was then pulled back out of harm's way.

Shortly, Niccolo returned to tell us that a stairway existed that led towards the air but that a minotaur guarded it. Realizing that we would need our combined skills to defeat this newest foe, we made plans to dash for the staircase, which was situated in a place that the spiders were too large to reach. One of our mages produced a magical horse before the spiders, which they fell upon and assaulted. During this, our party made way quickly to the stairs.

Slowly going up the stairs, we found that there was not one, but several minotaurs guarding the hall. Beyond them was the exit towards daylight. I do not exactly what happened for I was at the rear of the party and lower on the staircase, but members of our party attempted to affect the minotaurs safely from our protected position of the stairs. Eventually, it appeared that the brutes retreated out through the exit, taking their large arrow shot with them. We crept into the hall and began to make our way, carefully to the opening. Once safety was abandoned, the minotaurs returned to shoot arrows at us again. From my vantage point at one corner of the exit hall, I fired my arrows in return. One arrow struck with such accuracy and force that its recipient was forced to leave the field of battle on its hands and knees.

The battle was vicious. But the worse was when two of our number, Niccolo and Gunter, chose to meet the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Running forward, it turned out that the raced to their own deaths. Unfortunately, Maggie found herself in a similar bind as she fought for her life against the things. It was, after all of this, the prince Agni who saved her and the priestess of Betshaba. Agni performed some magic that turned the enemy's leader towards Agni's favor. The prince was able to bargain for the safe passage of himself and the two ladies. I, unfortunately, was to remain behind.

Do not fear, beloved mother. I am safe and was prepared to meet this enemy on my own, if not my own terms. My first concern was the safety of the two women. This was their quest, after all, not mine. Agni attempted to aid me by giving me a ring that would let me disappear at the walls, though I don't truly understand the magics involved in this. As the three began to pass the brutes, the enemy came to let us all pass, myself included. Upon reaching the outside, we found the same mage sitting before us and waiting. We had apparently succeeded in his test, though not with the perfection he would prefer.

Though we were loathed to, Maggie and I eventually came to lowering our weapons instead of taking vengeance upon this fiend. After doing so, and after much haranguing by Agni, the great mage cast spells that revived our lost comrades. He then beckoned us to follow, seemingly to discuss future choices with him. I do not trust this man, mother, and I find that I count him among my enemies and not my allies.

I know that this who ordeal probably disturbs you greatly. You should not worry. I have survived with barely a scratch to my skin. I have survived this long and will endeavor to survive longer still. I tell you this so that you may know the steps taken by your son in his attempts to redeem himself. Though I doubt that I shall succeed, much less survive, I would have you know that I tried to salvage that name which I find too weighty to bear currently.

I would pray that this missive finds you in good health, were I of the belief that any of the gods care of the whims of this pitiful mortal. I do wish you and my sisters and my uncle's family good health and hope that this letter finds you as such. Please do not worry for me for I am busy worrying for you as well.

I am, as always, your loyal and faithful son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Fifteen

September 21, 2002

To the Lady Khallia, of the House Larathian,

I hope that this missive finds you in good health and good spirits. I would say that I am in such straits, as well, though I am not certain for how long nor am I certain in that would be an accurate description of the circumstances that I now find myself in. I still draw breath and still think fondly upon my family, so I count myself blessed.

We had survived the tests devised by this Mordinkeinan, when last I wrote. Truly that I do not trust this man, but he speaks with an apparent desire to help this group. I am not certain to what ends he wants to help, however. After the trials he had devised for us, he allowed us to retreat to his home to tend to our wounds and recuperate our strength. His home, a construction of magic, was a place of unveiled grandeur and splendor. Obviously he hoped to impress us with his tastes or his resources or his presence. I merely found yet another aristocrat with more taste than manners.

While in his care, he went to great lengths to try and mend rifts that had apparently grown within this company. Most notably, he focused on the gap that separated the prince, Agni, and the ranger, Maggie. A great deal of distrust grows there and I doubt that the flowery speech of some self-important sorcerer will heal it. Yet we spent an interminable amount of time discussing this disagreement. Agni, for his part, was willing to leave matters, as they were, with neither truly caring for the other but willing to put their differences aside for the greater good.

The great and mighty Mordinkeinan, however, was not willing to leave that stand. He kept prodding the wound, making it spill more vitae with each intrusion. Eventually, the offer was made to have a spell cast that would require all within its scope to speak truthfully. I don't believe that Maggie would have believed Agni even had this occurred. Agni, for his part, was against this idea. He was concerned that certain truths might find their way to light and was not prepared for that to happen. For my part, I can understand this reasoning for I have my own secrets I would have preferred to keep to myself. I say that in the past of tenses for ultimately, I spoke these truths.

Agni, obviously concerned about what questions may be asked during this spell, looked to me and pointed out my own attempts at discretion concerning my past. So, in an effort to garner trust and hopefully promote the growth of trust, I told Agni to ask me his questions. He had seen father's sword and the family crest upon it. Agni asked the question that I did not want to answer, but at the same time I did want to tell the story.

I detailed the separation between my father and my uncle. Do not fear, mother, for I did not color father in unfavorable lights. I did my best to keep thoughts of disapproval from my voice in the telling of my story. Instead, I tried to tell the story as though there was a simple break between the previous generation of my family without going into detail as to what the break was about. Unfortunately, I believe that these people now have the idea of helping restore me to my family. While I would dearly love to see you again, mother, I do not see that I have earned the right to. I do not think that I could look upon my uncle now and face the punishment that is certainly my due. That is a bridge to be crossed at a much later date.

Eventually, some sort of understanding was to be had between the prince and the ranger. The best description of this would be a mutual agreement of disagreement. The ranger believes that the prince is guilty of a crime that she had suffered herself. More to the point, she doubts his sincerity of repentance and believes he is, in some way, corrupting our cleric of Betshaba. These matters, however, occurred before my time and, as I told that damned sorcerer many times, it is of little concern to me. Mordinkeinan tried many times to illicit my opinions on this matter and I repeatedly told him that I had none since it did not involve me. I will not judge someone for actions I did not witness nor do I truly understand.

In any event, Agni refused to participate in the truth spell. I had privately offered my services in this, saying that I would act as the arbitrator in this matter and asking only three or four specific questions to be agreed to prior to the spell. Agni, however, could not trust that abuses of the spell would not be made and again refused the use of it. I cannot say that I blame him, though.

During our discussions, we were given more information about our foe. As it turns out, the enemy Manslayer and the knight Alexander Crownwarden are the same one. From this dubious sorcerer, we learned that the enemy has enslaved many worlds before appearing on our shores. I do not pretend to understand all of the specifics of what was explained to us. Many of the concepts they spoke of with casualness, yet these same matters did nothing more than to make my mind swim.

The one thing I did come to understand was that the enemy has a weapon of immense power. And, as explained by the sorcerer, we would require an item of equal power. Towards this end, we were presented information of a mystical weapon called the sword of Kos. More than that, we were told its likely location: the vaults of the king of Eeridia, the homeland of our prince. We were also warned that this weapon also possesses an evil intent that could drive the purest person towards darkness. We were also given information about supposed allies in this battle with the enemy, though I am dubious of the validity of this information.

The sorcerer also presented us with a revised version of this prophecy that drives the fellowship. Supposedly, this new version contains script describing my participation. I do not believe this version, however. When questioned by the sorcerer on it, I replied that I believed it to be a false prophecy that he conjured with the attempt to promote some greater sense of loyalty from me for this group. The idea is rather silly when one stops to contemplate the situation. I already have a trust for this group, even those of supposedly insidious backgrounds. The fact that I was willing to fight for their lives should be proof enough of that.

The sorcerer, however, took my silence in so many situations as example of my distrust for the group. He does not understand that my silence is nothing more than that. I do not voice opinions many times simply because I have none. I speak on those matters I understand or that affect me and I stay quiet on the rest, content to listen and learn. The sorcerer takes this silence to be a sign of not being resigned to the matter at hand. I responded to his accusations, explaining that I keep quiet on those matters that I know nothing of. That I choose to participate on this quest because I believe that there is good to be done by it. That I have my own hopes for participating, but that I was not willing to explain those fears to him. He actually seemed taken back when I accused him of creating verse to entice me, until I pointed out that he had already shown the ability and compunction to invade one's thoughts. That seemed to deflate his argument some. In any event, I would not tell him my hopes of redemption by participating in this action. This, I will keep to my own counsel until such time that I need to divulge it.

After recovering, we made our plans. Our fellowship would travel west to the lands of the prince. There, we would try to enlist the aid of Agni's father, who fights a civil war against this king of Eerdia. We would travel overland, on foot, to the borders of this land and figured the trip to be many days hard travel. As it progressed, the prince and the cleric were able to ride a mount of magical construct. I do not know that they would have made the journey otherwise.

Relying on Agni's knowledge of his homeland and Maggie's skill in ranging, we hoped to reach the domain of the prince's father. As our ranger led us, I followed from behind to hide signs of our passing. It was one of the times that the teachings of my father were helpful. I must believe that none knew of our passing nor followed our trail. Unfortunately, the danger was ahead of us and not behind. Somehow, we wandered into some part of the forest that was both magical and unusual. We became lost, the forest hiding our path from us and preventing us from moving through it. Daylight and moonlight passed with such alarming speed as to make one think they lost their faculties. The plants of the forest seemed to work against us. For some odd reason, various items in my companions' possession began to glow pink.

Eventually we found our way to a clearing with a lone home in it. There, we met a child, a girl who could not have been more than ten winters in age. This girl seemed to have a previous relationship with the prince, though he did not explain in detail this relationship. At the prince's request, the young girl led us to the house to speak with her mother.

I have had the opportunity to speak with many comely women in few years in these realms. The cleric who travels with us is a very striking young woman who attracts the eye of many people in her travels, my own included. They all, however, pale in fear and anger to the beauty that this child's mother possesses. There was a purity and innocence to her beauty, something so alluring that I could not take my eye from her. She had the most captivating eyes and, while there were many more features to her beauty I would not seek to discuss them openly or in mixed company. Sufficed to say that I found myself compelled to watch her and unable to participate in the conversation at that time.

At the prince's request, this mother agreed to allow her child to lead us from this accursed forest, though now I am not certain that cursed is the appropriate description. As we emerged from the forest, we found it to be nightfall again and we were at the edge of the prince's family holdings. Taking time to rest, we made our way to the castle of the lord of these lands with the hope of an audience. The prince, for reasons his own, decided it best to keep his identity in confidence for as long as was possible. Upon our first arrival, we were to be turned away. The prince did not seem to recognize this servant of his fathers, or at least did not have faith in him. This servant had no faith in us and refused to allow our admittance without further explanation, which the prince was reluctant to give. The agreement was had that we were return in the morning and another servant would be present who had more years of service recorded with this lord. For reasons I suspect are similar to the prince's, I chose to keep my identity a secret as well, even though those I travel with are now aware of some portion of my past. When questioned by the lord's servant, I managed to feign ignorance of their language. For her part, Maggie tried at the deception as well but proved unsuccessful since she has not had the experience I can claim of hiding one's self from others.

On the morn, men of the lord came to accompany us to the castle. There, we were given another audience with the first servant as well as another man whom the prince seemed to recognize. Agni requested a private moment with this new man, which was granted. As soon as we were alone, the prince took control of this new servant, using his magic, and we were soon moving through the halls of the castle in search of Agni's father. Unfortunately, this plan was not as flawless as the young prince had hoped for we soon found ourselves surrounded by his father's guards led by the first servant. Finally, Agni revealed himself to this man, which bought our way to an audience with the lord himself.

At their meeting, it became obvious that Agni's father was not so proud of his son. I believe that I can understand this situation. During the discussion, I continued my ruse of not understanding them, though it did cause some concern within the lord's court. Ultimately, Agni revealed his plan, which called for his father to support his efforts to raise a navy to sail to the other side of Eeridia and attack the "pretender king" from behind. Unfortunately, Agni forgot to detail this plan with the rest of us, so we were as surprised by his explanation as his father was. After consideration and discussion, it was shown that this plan was too grand an idea to succeed. Though I am not sure that Agni has actually agreed to it, I believe it was decided to attempt a stealthy infiltration of the king's holdings in search of the sword as opposed to a grand assault. The discussions, however, continue as we are only part of our fellowship and the rest have not arrived. We were separated in the forest and have not seen them since, though our travels in the forest accounted for more than a dozen nights in itself that we cannot account for. I truly begin to wonder if I have chosen the correct path.

I hope to find you in good health and mind of this time. I know that it should be long afterwards of this writing that it may find way to your possession, but the hope and thoughts continue regardless of the passage of time. Please assure my sisters of my love for them and my strongest desires to see you all once again.

I am, as always, your loyal and faithful son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Sixteen

October 19, 2002

To the Lady Khallia, of the House Larathian,

I fear that I may have reached the end of my journeys in this realm and am short of days. Saying this, I do not wish to alarm you or to offend your delicate nature. Know that I love you and my sisters dearly and that I go to this end of my own choosing. Should death find me soon, I greet it as a comrade for I had traveled this path because I am want to and not because I was forced. Do not grieve for me, but have hope that in this choice I may find redemption for those things that I have done and for those things I ought to have done but failed to find the courage to do so.

We had made our way to the castle home of our wayward prince, Agni Rafezzi. Upon our arrival, the prince and his father began to make plans for our impending attack on the embattled capital of his homelands. Of course, many of these plans were made without benefit of our knowledge. Rafezzi impressed upon us that this path was the only way to end the aggressions, to end the tyranny of a king who followed the dark gods.

So we, as a group, relented in our worries and trusted that Rafezzi's desires were not contrary to the ultimate goal of this fellowship. Though I did voice my concerns to Nicolo and to our cleric, Roxanne, I think that my voice and fears were in the minority. It was decided that we would lead a naval force to attack the capital on one front while the father lead a force of mercenaries to attack from the land. Nicolo did express curiosity at some of Rafezzi's father's choice of words, but in the end the plan was agreed to. Equipment was even supplied for this venture.

The sea voyage was uneventful for me. While others sought out new peoples to speak with, sharing similar backgrounds, I did not feel at ease on this ship. I should think that I would be quite happy to never set foot on a sea-vessel again once this is done. For the most part, I watched to men that handled the boat and hoped to be prepared should treachery rear its head. At one point, the prince even gave a speech, which seemed to alight the spirits of the crew, though it did little to fan the flames that spark in my soul.

I did take the opportunity to speak with the cleric during this journey; something I had hoped to do earlier but never had the opportunity. If I am not the one to hand these letters to you, then I trust that it is this cleric that delivered them to your grasp. Speaking with her, she promised that if I should fall during this journey she would bring these letters to you as best she could. I believe she the most likely of us to survive this ordeal. And I find that she offers hope to me. If she can change the circumstances of her life and attain a level of respect and responsibility, then I can hold out hope for my own circumstances.

We spoke briefly of our pasts and our hopes. It seems that Roxanne was abandoned at an early age and holds no knowledge of her lineage. I would ask, should this cleric arrive with my writings, please offer her the hospitality of our family and help to find the answers that she is looking for. I believe that I would do this myself, am I alive enough to accomplish it.

Eventually, we found our way to the coast of this capital. Though the initial conflict cost us, our forces managed to batter its way through fireball and boulder to land in the harbor of our enemy. Rarely have I felt as useless as I did during those times. There was little I could do but wait to land. Once docked, though a better term might be crashed, with the docks, we departed and our fellowship prepared for its first duty in this action. We were to find the main gates and open them.

Swiftly, we moved through the town and found only one band of opposition. This group turned from us quickly and left the field of battle before it was truly met. Odd occurrences, but more would be understood shortly. We found our way to the gates and tried to open it. Though I tried many times, I could not shoulder open the door, which led to the gate tower. It eventually took Maggie's hammer to force the door from its housing. During this time, I lost track of many of our fellowship who were following different routes to gain entrance. But I was aware that several arrows raining down on us from above injured Roxanne. Once the door was open, Nicolo and Maggie moved in to secure the controls of the gate and I carried Roxanne in to protect her from further harm.

Our dwarf, however, seemed destined to become the next casualty. While he was moving for the tower, the king himself appeared on horse back and carrying a blade that glowed with the red of fire. He struck at our companion, landing a blow that took the dwarf from his footing. Fearing the worst, our cleric struggled from my grip to the doorway to cast one more incantation. Surely we had been met by the enemy and he carried the weapon that we searched for.

It was the prince who actually salvaged the hour. With a strong voice and stronger heart, the prince commanded the king to throw down his weapons and surrender the town. Surprisingly, it worked as the king dropped his sword and made the call for the surrender of the city. The day was ours, supposedly.

As we opened the gates, Rafezzi's father strode forth with his army behind him. It appeared that we had won the field of battle. Agni's father called for the king to submit, to fall to his knees before all. The king, asking for mercy, went to the ground. It was at that instant that we learned the horrible truth, the terrible mistake that we had made. Rafezzi's father drew forth a sword, his sword. The pommel had a silver skull and the blade had a mist about it. With this magical sword, the father called out to the same dark god that the king was told to worship and he took the king's head. We had been with our enemy the entire time and did not recognize him until too late.

Where this will lead us, I do not know. I cannot speak for the others, but I know what we first must do. My only real fear is that none will trust, none will listen to me until matters are too far progressed and we are too late to save ourselves, much less the rest of existence. Pray for us mother, for I have not found heart enough to do so myself.

I am still you humble and faithful son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Seventeen

November 9, 2002

To the Lady Khallia, of the House Larathian,

Desires collide with fate, pushing and pulling so that neither may gain advantage, but either may wreak their havoc upon the world around you. You know nothing save what might be grasped within your own hand, fearing that should you begin to doubt that, then the world and all of existence will tumble away from you, leaving you in an abyss of doubt and self-loathing for having missed the opportunity you should have so clearly seen. I can almost hear you voice now, my dear mother, telling me to have faith in the righteousness of the world and to trust in what my heart tells me. And yet, I cannot trust that heart, for so much has come to pass before us that I fear making matters that much worse. Blindly we followed the path, believing it to be just and therefore unnecessary to question. Hoping that it was the just path. Now fearing that it was not. Truly, I am at a loss, for I do not know what paths to take. I do not know where those paths lay.

We took the battle to the king of Eeridia. The corrupt king, or so we had been told. He had that which we needed to defeat the greater evil. We must find the sword for this was our task. Prince Rafezzi must save his homeland, or so he had been told. He followed his heart. And now I fear that it beats no more. Rafezzi's father had been corrupted, we now know, and the battle we had undertaken in his name now became a battle against the same. Truly, Rafezzi's father, this new king, was the greater evil who now threatened his home. We challenged him. Alas, during the conflict, I was struck so as to lose consciousness. I know nothing of what happened before I awoke in yet another tower of yet another sorcerer.

Rafezzi disappeared with his father from the field of battle. Some might say to follow him in his ways, for Rafezzi had a darkness about him that many saw and few could abide. I will not say that this man was close to me, for I do not know that he even considered me friend. But I will say that I saw a familiarity in him that was startling. I believe that he chose to confront his father, as I had not the courage to do so long ago. He challenged his father and, I fear, it very well has cost him his life for we know nothing of his person now. This man had a great heart. He followed it to save his lands, to save his father. It led him to death. So similar to my own life. Were that it was me.

Upon awaking in this tower of sorcery, I found that our party was not whole. Aside of the loss of the prince, another had been felled during the fight and his body left in the fray. Quinn's servant and friend, Theo was among the lost. Though he tried, Gunter could not locate Theo through his arcane arts. Quinn would not accept that his companion was lost. He knew in his young heart that the "man" was still among the living. And it was this heart that was now dedicated to his safe retrieval.

With the goal at hand, the party chose to capture a mage who had faced us in battle on that day. Locating him with the winds of magic, Gunter, Nicolo, and Benedict traveled to his presence and made good the kidnapping of his person. As it turns out, this man is also of noble lineage. He accepted his position, requesting that he be treated in accordance to his position. None seemed to understand that importance of this. None cared.

I cared.

Telling him no more than I was a servant of our noble house, I accepted his request and announced my obligation for his safety. The others do not understand. I will not sit idly by and watch someone killed who is at another's mercy. I will not let a nobleman die simply because others were brought up as barbarians and know no better. I had feared that I could not bear the weight of our family name. Perhaps, I can at least bear some of the responsibilities of that name.

I found myself arguing over semantics with our cleric. Perhaps my words were chosen to cover the brutality of the circumstances, but they also hide and comfort the pains that those same circumstances leave in their wake. Perhaps my breeding bears out, reminding me of those things that I have long forsaken for your safety. But I would afford this man the same courtesies that he seeks in our captivity. While some showed a lack of understanding for the situation, others showed nothing but contempt for it. I feared coming to blows with the young man, Quinn. He truly loves his companion and was in dire need of that man's rescue. For this, I can excuse his outbursts and recriminations towards me. He seemed willing to sacrifice this man, who had asked for our mercies, to affect the rescue of his friend. Perhaps, in his position I might do the same thing.

He was willing to not only sacrifice the safety of our captive, but to assault my presence for calling it to his attention. Freely, this captive offered his pledges of compliance, as well as providing information that ultimately led to the recovery, if not safe recovery, of Theo. And yet, Quinn went to threaten his life. With the mage's information, we began planning.

Then the arrival of Mordenkinen. The mage arrives, his appearance differing from before. He imparts the knowledge that Rafezzi and his father disappeared and will reappear within a day's time, in theory. It is assumed that Rafezzi is lost. It is decided to not lose Theo as well. We plan with our hearts.

Nicolo enters the castle stronghold that once belonged to the true king. With stealth and sure-footedness, he finds his way to the area of the dungeons. It is here that we are led to believe Theo resides. Luck withdrawing from the field, Nicolo found himself slightly removed from a room in which two guards sat, entertaining themselves. Much discussion on their silent removal was had. Finally, Maggie offers a spell of sleeping, to render the guards unconscious. Gunter removes her to the hallway adjoining the guarded room. Maggie casts her sands as she casts her spell and the guards fall prey to it. Then, without thought or remorse, Nicolo and Maggie kill these guards in their sleep. Nicolo I can understand doing this. But how can Maggie, who claim such a moral superiority to Rafezzi, how can she kill a man in cold blood when he lay defenseless at her feet. More so, how can they believe this to be the best choice of action where the goal is to attract as little attention as is possible?

To travel further into the depths of the dungeon, Gunter brings the rest of us to this place. Upon finding passage through the locked doorway by Quinn's talents with a lock, we find standing before us a priestess holding her weapon and her faith for all to behold. Quinn, for some unknown reason, chose this moment to provide a witty retort to the priestess' challenge. This was followed by a maneuver so amazing, so lacking in skill and coordination, it is a wonder that this opponent did not soil herself from laughter and surrender there. Without warning, I found myself on my back with Quinn on top of me and a spectacularly unneeded view of his groin. I can only hope that this was not his goal. Once so untangled, we entered the battle as well.

The priestess did inflict a serious wound upon Quinn, requiring Gunter to remove him from the field of battle. The priestess was eventually felled by another's blade. But as she fell, her neck found my blade and her head was removed cleanly. I can claim no honour in this, but the action did occur. With the fall of our enemy, we found ourselves again in a room with only one other door. After forcing our way through this door, we found another room with yet two more enemies. These, too, fell to our forces, leaving us with yet another door to contend with.

Dear mother, we do not think at these times. We merely react. I claim no such honours as being greatly book learned. But could fate be so cruel as to provide a group of people to save existence, and yet provide not one who can step back from the situation and ponder its ramifications?

Once again, force was used to make the door open. This was our mistake. We knew that Theo lay in some device, trapped so that should a lever be thrown, he would become impaled upon many spikes. The lever was attached to the door. Theo was mortally wounded. Quinn's heart, which led him to such great lengths, was broken.

Quickly, Gunter began removing us to this tower. Unfortunately, it was not quick enough for Nicolo. The leader of the new king's armies arrived and was prepared for battle. Nicolo fought valiantly, honourably. He was felled. Gunter, in grief for the loss of his friend, returned to do battle with this evil man, to reclaim the body of our comrade. He followed his heart. He, too, failed. He, too, fell.

Theo was saved. Among the refugees who traveled with us to this tower was a cleric, who I assume worships Betshaba. It was requested that she save Theo. Truly, I was not listening clearly for two of our fellowship had been taken from us in a most gruesome manner. The priestess spoke of the need for components to this spell of hers. She required a diamond of value. Though I did not understand her need initially, I now believe that she hopes to use it to restore the fallen king. I am afraid, mother, that I have desecrated father's sword for this. I removed the diamond from the cross piece for her. She tried to stop me, but I had already removed it. And now I believe it was still the correct thing to do for should I fall in battle as others before me have, then she will still possess that which she needs.

How can we follow our hearts any longer? So many have perished for this reason and no other. None remain unaffected by these courses we have taken while believing in our hearts that we were doing right. Some commit murder unnecessarily. Others endanger the party as a whole. Even our cleric seems unnerved by the recent events, being withdrawn and curt in response. I am fearful of what will be allowed to occur should we continue slipping down this path we have allowed ourselves on. I do not know.

I am as always, your faithful son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Eighteen

November 23, 2002

To Lady Khallia, House of Larathian

Mother, by the time that I begin writing this letter you should already have received the previous ones that I have written. With luck, you now know what I have been doing and why. I can only hope you find it in your heart to forgive my absence from you and my sisters. I cannot say when it is that I will return. I cannot even say when I will be able to send this letter to you. The serendipity that afforded the opportunity to send the previous writings to you will, in all likelihood, not be repeated for my benefit.

The gentleman who brought my writings to you was a captive of ours. I do not approve of such actions, but when one is involved in a war, such things become necessary. The gentleman was of noble birth and, for that reason, I took his security as my burden. I truly believe that some in the party I travel with would have done him harm had I not stepped in. Because I took responsibility for his care and safety, I claimed the right to set his ransom. Though I could have asked for gold, I felt a more selfish motive would be better suited. I knew he had the ability to deliver my words to you, and I assumed that this journey would keep him safely from our path, so I gave him the choice of either taking on the task of delivery or surrendering his family fortunes to mine. Though obviously surprised, he chose the less expensive of the two. And with that, you now know my exploits.

I wish that I could write that things have changed for me at this point. Unfortunately, I find myself in as bad, if not worse, condition as previously explained. Having returned to our magical surroundings of the tower, our sorcerous benefactor has instructed us that we need to replenish the pool of our party with fresh blood. "You need a mage," he tells us. I do not pretend to understand these things, they seem so insignificant to me at times, but I want so much to have faith in their vision.

It is decided to travel again. I cannot say that the destination was ever clearly explained to me. I could not tell you the village we landed in. But it seems that this was the home of several of our party. Mordenkeinin brought us magically to what I learned was Nicolo's tower. From there, we were going to visit the home of Maggie. Passing by the village, we came across her mother. Apparently this sturdy woman leads the town's guard. They were in the process of preparing a wooden wall for the protection of the town. Apparently there was some problem with this, though I never clearly understood Maggie's concern. The town was awaiting invasion from outside. Maggie tried to convince her mother to leave the town for safer havens, but without success. The poor woman just doesn't seem to understand loyalty to one's home, that she was willing to sacrifice it for one person's life. Meanwhile, Maggie's mother tried to enlist us all into helping with the preparations. We did have to decline, for our cause would not permit such efforts.

From there, we traveled the path that would lead us to the home of Maggie's grandfather. I'm not exactly sure why we were here, but it turned out to be a fortunate choice for several reasons. Firstly, we came across another person as we traveled. From the bushes near the road, we heard a noise that the fire-cat did not approve of. Out from the bushes arose a man wearing nothing more than a strategically placed fig leaf. We could not understand him and, apparently, nor he us. I offered the man some of my traveling clothes so that he might be better attired for the outdoors. We ultimately learned his name to be Tobin, though it took some time for us to get any idea of his words or he ours. We took this man with us to Maggie's grandfather's house.

At the house, we were met with a few more surprises. The first being that Maggie was reduced to serving as maid and caretaker while we were here. Perhaps while she prepared our meals, she was forced to wear an apron with lace. I was not so brave as to find out. Maggie's grandfather was a gruff, though likable, person. In his company were two others. Both men, though one turned out to be only half of the lineage of man. The other half, if he is to be believed, is elvin. The human was named Eir Eamhom and the other was named Morell. Again, language became a concern as we tried to learn what tongues could be spoken so that either could understand us. Eventually, we found means to communicate with all. Even Tobin could speak with us, even though it was for limited times as the magics dictated.

As it turned out, we had found our magic user with the addition of these men. But more importantly, we found an ally who was already familiar with the Manslayer. Tobin apparently was from one of the previous realms that he had conquered. Though he does not recall how he came to our world, he does remember his conflict with the evil one and endeavors to become part of our battle with him. The other two also agreed to participate, though their reasons are a bit obscured from me.

Having reconstituted our group, we spent the night at this family home. In the morning, Roxanne (who still acts oddly around us) chose to travel to the village. I asked if she desired company, but my offer was declined. It was strongly recommended that she not leave on her own, at which point she accepted the offer of the half-elf to accompany her. They left, but the rest of us were not satisfied with the situation. As Maggie asked, why would she seek the assistance of a stranger? So we tread the paths in the wilds that were shorter than the paths they traveled and arrived ahead of them.

In town, the half-elf and cleric visited the temple to Betshaba. The others chose to look around town. Apparently, during this time Eamhom and Tobin bought equipment for their journey. The others went to an establishment called the Rose. Benedict and I waited on the street near the temple.

After a time, Roxanne and Morell came out of the temple and walked towards the Rose. Benedict and I followed into this seedy establishment. It appears to be a den for ladies of the night. Luckily, I either was not handsome enough or did not look wealthy enough to elicit the attentions of these "ladies".

It soon became apparent that Roxanne had business here, as well. I learned that this is where she lived and worked, once upon a time. She needed to speak with the person in charge, a rather aged woman who looks to have been used for more than one lifetime in her years. Roxanne and this woman left for a back area to speak, along with Morell. He eventually returned to us and then left the building, leaving Roxanne alone in the company of this person. Meanwhile (back at the bat cave) several men were stationing themselves around the room. It appeared that we were going to have a bar fight on our hands. Maggie attempted to go to Roxanne and was blocked. Before anything could happen, Maggie boomed out that she was going to see Roxanne.

From that point, I'm not entirely certain what happened. Apparently, when Maggie warned the guard that he would not like to see her angry, she was not kidding. Our quiet, wood-loving traveler turned into what appeared to be some sort of bear-person. I heard someone use the term lythcanthrope. Whatever the reason, Maggie is some sort of great monster. It was only through the workings of Morell that she was quickly and painlessly felled before any real damage was done (besides to her clothing). From there, Roxanne returned to us and it was decided to retire to the temple. I was not pleased of this at all. What place has a faithless person in the house of a god? I expected to burst into flame before them, but instead I survived the experience with nary a blister.

Roxanne explained her reasoning here. We learned, for the first time, that she was being punished by her god for her part in the execution of the good king of Eeridia. She had lost her gifts and the only way she could retrieve them was to kill the spies that resided in her former home, the Rose. Of course, this meant that she would have to kill those who were like family to her.

We decided to meet with Maggie's mother, since she was the law in this area. The law, of course, was to be found around the area of the Rose. There, we briefly spoke to Maggie's mother, who took us to her residence. There, we learned that Maggie's family bore were-children. Her mother was surprised, not because she was part bear but, rather, because it apparently wasn't supposed to happen to a girl. In any event, we told her our tale. She seemed inclined to help us but found her hands bound by law. She went out of her way to make sure we understood that any infractions of the law by our party would be punished. I offered her my oath, but she did not want it. We also learned from this meeting that a messenger had been sent out from the Rose, most likely to pass on word of our presence.

This is where the party and I began to differ of opinions. They wanted to wait around, use magic to spy on the enemy. Try to find some way to worm the information out. To be patient. I grow weary of the senseless arguing and waiting about as the word falls down around our ears. While they bantered, I decided to try and take matters by the neck and deal with them as they should be dealt with. As they prattled, I made my way for the door, ducking out when I thought the way clear. Apparently I was not as stealthy as I had hoped, I must work on that. Benedict and Roxanne followed me out.

I told them that I agreed with their idea of waiting, but that I had another place in mind where I would spend my time. I explained that the messenger would eventually return with word for his masters at the Rose. While I did not plan to attack this person, I was certain that he could be bribed into relinquishing his information to me. Apparently, they did not like my plan. I was berated by Benedict and talked down to by our secretive cleric. The former threatened to leave if we did not begin working together, the latter acting as though I had committed to greatest of sins by behaving rashly and without the consideration of the others. They harangued me until I finally agreed to wait with them and their plans. They had bristled when earlier I told Maggie's mother that I was hired help, but it is apparent now that to some degree I am just that. Regardless of their posturing, I am not the equal of this party. So be it. We will see what fate says of these things.

It was determined that we would spy on the people in the Rose with magic. Eventually, one of them would say something incriminating and we would have them. We informed the authorities of this plan and it was met with neither approval nor condemnation. So now, we must hope that these spies will present themselves so that we may save the town and return Roxanne to the good graces of her goddess. Perhaps I should merely fall on my sword now.

I am, as always, your loyal son,

Braghaman Larathian

Game Twenty

January 4, 2003

To who ever may find this,

As the days change, our course seems less clear. We have seen many new circumstances cross our path in the recent weeks and there seems no end in sight. Once one tangent is taken care of, another rears its head to strike us back from our ultimate task. Before, we were charged with rooting out spies from Futterscharte. Now, we must destroy a new enemy. This time, we find ourselves working with our enemy, the Manslayer, for a new power has come to our world to threaten us both.

The Manslayer had sent his lackey, to ensure our cooperation. A shapechanger named Rothgapharius. He claims to be a "greater doppelganger" but I know not of that species, nor how to validate his claim. This bastard or a coward has come to us to encourage our participation in the efforts to rid the world of a new enemy called Illythids. These beasts apparently even concern the great Manslayer. To ensure our cooperation, he has sent his trollop to my house, threatened my family with assassination. For this, the coward will die a slow, painful end.

But before we can leave Futterscharte, we are given the news that Roxanne will be leaving the party. Since she has lost the favor or her goddess, she feels she cannot be a help to the cause directly and instead would become a burden. Instead, she hopes to aid us with information to be gathered while living in Eisenstaddt. Whether I agree with her or not, I do not know. Maggie took great exception to her departure, calling her cowardly and the like. I tried to defend Roxanne's position, even though I find that I'm not greatly upset at her departure.

We gathered our tentative ally, Rothgapharius who donned the form of Alexander Crownwarden for our journey. Upon our insistence, he changed, though only slightly. From there, we traveled to Eisenstaddt. Luckily, Eireamhom has mastered the use of the ring enough that he could take Benedict and me to gather our long missed steeds. The temple had taken great care of our horses and I was happy to have my mount back. We traveled to the city, the group of us with our "ally" in our midst.

Upon arriving at the town, the party split up. Eireamhom and I took care of some errands while the rest of the party chose to go to the Vomiting Mongoose and wait for us. First, Eireamhom met with some of his brothers and acquired some new knowledges, about the ring, spells, things of that nature. Then, I went to a temple of Virtus. The first time in years that I willingly stepped into a temple of any sort.

At the temple, I was given an audience with one of the priests. I talked with him on the nature of redemption. I fear that I, with so much blood on my hands, may never find forgiveness if Roxanne is to be shunned for so much less. The priest heard my concerns and counseled me that I should make the best choices that I can. He said that I must continue with this quest and then, once completed, return home to face the penalties for my past transgressions. Above all else, the father gave me hope again. So much so that I purchased a holy symbol to keep with me.

On arriving at the Mongoose, we were greeted by our party sharing a table with a new young lady. This woman wore full plate armor and carried herself with a stiff demeanor. She said her name was Kesleigh Gwennan. A paladin of Sarpedon, she had been contracted by a friend of Maggie's for our protection. The warrior was sent to help keep us safe from any possible retribution for our part in the unmasking of spies. I think I may come to like this person, though I believe she may be a bit more rigid than others in the party could handle.

Shortly after meeting Kesleigh, Quinn and Theo showed up with another person in tow. This man was dressed in black leathers and gave his name as Balthazar. He claimed to be another person to guard Quinn's safety. Not the most expected of bodyguards, the man seems to have a taste for whiskey and comfortable beds. Caring a bow and a rapier, I do not believe him to be the same type of person that Kesleigh is, though he does have a feeling of comfortability to him. After their arrival, it was determined to leave the town so that we might discuss things more openly.

From the town, we traveled a short distance before finding a glen. Here, we settled down and began to explain the situation to our new traveling companions. Kesleigh seemed very concerned that we were traveling with an enemy. We did our best to explain the situation to her, but I doubt that we allayed her fears. Balthazar did not seemed bothered by this any more than as it affected Quinn's safety. He may be relaxed in his attitudes, but he does speak as though he has the young man's interests at heart.

Eventually, one of us mentioned the prophecy. Apparently, Kesleigh had heard of this prophesy before, but was reluctant to speak about it in front of our enemy. Since I was certain that I was not truly referred to in the prophecy, I chose to remove Rothgapharius from the conversation. Though he seemed reluctant to leave, I took his arm and lead him from the group to the perimeter of the clearing. At first he didn't put up as much of a fight as I expected. It was then that he used his powers to change into an elf, presumably with the better hearing of Elvin ears. Realizing this, I took him further into the tree line. At this point, he was more upset at moving. Seeing that I would give him no consideration, he again used his power and changed to a giant.

Honestly, I was initially scared seeing this monster standing before me. But then I realized something that gave me a little piece. It is my family that he has threatened. Were he to kill me, he would lose his one hold on the group. The rest of the party could not care what happens to my family. With me dead, there would be no reason for them to not kill him in return. Rothgapharius could not dare to kill me. Even before I heard the paladin coming from behind, I found some peace in that knowledge.

With this foolish display, the conversations at campfire were discontinued. There was a brief discussion as to where we should sleep the night. Again, we discussed the safety of allowing Rothgapharius to see the inside of the tower, but eventually it was decided to take the risk. At least I wasn't the person to bring up this concern this time. I think Maggie took exception to my comment that it had been brought up before (by me) and dismissed. We decided to sleep in the clearing, with appropriate watches, and depart in the morning. This was much to the dismay of Rothgapharius and Balthazar, who both wanted to return to Eizenstaddt for a comfortable bed.

With the arrival of morning, we made our plans. Morell went back to town to purchase supplies with Benedict waiting for him. The rest of us went to the Tower to find the area that we needed to travel. It was decided to waste no time traveling to this place and that we should use the ring instead of a hard ride. With Rothgapharius' help, Eireamhon managed to find the cave opening that led to the Illythids. Once the remaining members of our party returned, we traveled to this place, steeds as well. Eireamhon has become quite adept at using this magic to move us about.

Once to the caves, the horses were settled in and we began our trek into the earth. Rothgapharius changed himself into a giant lightning bug for the light. From time to time, he would take a break and we would have to resort to lanterns again. Overall, the travel was not difficult. We followed the path with few problems, at first.

Or first major obstacle was when the path suddenly dropped away from us. Balthazar had been scouting ahead and somehow managed to cross unhindered. The rest of us had problems, however. Eventually, a rope was carried across the opening and anchored down on either end. Rods were also driven into the walls to provide extra handholds. With equipment passed around for safety, we all eventually crossed the chasm, though some were more comfortable about it than others.

After the crossing, we met our first resistance. Without realizing it, we began passing openings in the walls. Suddenly, we were attacked by large creatures that resembled worms with tentacles. The attacked some members of our party. The venom of one of these beasts felled Quinn. This was my first use of a magic sword that was provided to us by Maggie's grandfather on our way from Futterscharte. The blade cut deeply into the beasts. Eventually, we drove them off. Luckily, no lasting damage was done to any of us, and Quinn did recover after a brief period.

The next problem we faced was a cliff that we needed to descend. Unfortunately, the nature of the face of this wall was hazardous at best. Loose rock covered the wall as well as the ground that we began from. The floor below was littered with stalactites. Quinn decided to climb down, but found that his assuredness was unfounded. Luckily, as he fell, he was able to use a magic item and transform himself into a bird and floated to the cavern's floor. Several times we tried to secure a rope from our ledge, and the first several times met with failure, either when the walls tried to bury us or when one would fall as the rope's anchor gave way. Eventually, we managed to make our way down, though not in a comfortable fashion.

The next obstacle, however, was much worse. Near a turn in the tunnel, there was some creature that appeared to be nothing more than an eerie ooze on the ground. It produced a sound that seemed to bore into one's skull and render them incapable of thinking straight. It was our mage's skill that saved the day as he turned the creature into an innocuous bat, which then flitted away.

While traveling into a larger cavern, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a figure watching us. The form was small in stature and wore a dark cloak. I did not intend to chase the creature on my own, trying instead to alert the rest of the travelers to its presence. But as soon as I called to the others, the figure turned and fled. Realizing that surprise was lost, I began to give chase. Others were behind me, but I hoped to disable to creature before it could make it to one of the smaller tunnels that peppered the cavern walls. I pulled my dagger from my belt and through it, but my aim was off and the blade struck a stone and harmlessly bounced away. Unfortunately, the creature made its escape. I decided not to risk chasing it further into the cavern.

As we discussed these events, it was suggested that since Rothgapharius could not use his mental powers from this deep in the bowels of the earth, maybe Eireamhon should try his ring. Unfortunately, he failed to teleport away. The depth of our situation began to set in at that point.

We continued on our journey, traveling along our previously chosen path. Only a short while after we resumed walking, Kesleigh and myself at the front, we were met with some more of the little, cloaked creatures. Using his magic, Eireamhon began to communicate with these creatures. They had been sent by their king to bring us to his court. Were the situation not so grave, I would have found it comical. And I believe that the conversation could only have enhanced that perception of humor. Eventually, we chose to follow and were led through the caverns until finally finding our way to the halls of these creatures' king.

Hardly an impressive creature, its stature was far shorter than most and was not intimidating in the least. At first, we had no idea the depth of our situation. It was not until the king stated that all save Eireamhon and Quinn were to leave the chamber that we began to worry. At first, we did not fear the threat that these tiny creatures represented. It was when Quinn suddenly was replaced by a puddle of blue liquid that we knew the troubles we were in. Kesleigh did not wish to leave the room, though we did explain that her directive to protect the party meant that she should stay with the party majority. I did not wish to leave them either, but as Rothgapharius began to show his fear of the situation, I realized how dire it was.

Shortly after being ordered from the room, the command was changed. Only Rothgapharius was required to leave, but the rest of us were commanded to place our weapons on the ground. After we had complied, the curtain that hung behind the king's throne was removed and we met the true puppet master of this colony of diminutive beasts. The large beast hovered above the ground, his many eyes staring at us, watching each of us in turn. This beast, that has no name that I am familiar with, had destroyed Quinn and threatened to do the same to us. It referred to itself as Xanthelth and claimed to be from a different world than this. Of course, we know only too well how likely that claim is. So many individuals have come to our lands that surely the population must have expanded drastically in the last few months.

This beast knew of the doppelganger and the evil it represented. It discussed with us the reasons for bringing Rothgapharius here. Apparently, it feared Rothgapharius learning of its existence and betraying that knowledge to his master. Once our course of action was explained to this creature, it seemed more confidant of Rothgapharius' presence. It even confirmed the presence of the creatures we had been sent to hunt. Apparently, these things are even more dangerous than imagined. The floating beast apparently approved of our plan and may even be able to provide us with assistance.

Why is it that all of the beings that wish to assist us currently come from the darker side of the path? Given the nature of our current allies, given the evil that they each represent, it is a wonder we still survive. Surely there are some good individuals left on this world. Or are we doomed to merely flit from one lesser evil to the next until we are no longer able to discern one from the other?

Braghaman Larathian

Game Twenty-One

February 15, 2003

To whom it may concern,

Somehow, in someway, we managed to survive our experience with a beholder. I can truly say that, having met one, that I feel no need to see one ever again. From the main chamber of what passes for a ruling hall in this pitiful existence that the goblins have made for themselves, we were led down the corridors to where the mind flayers were. Luckily, someone noticed that we had gone a great length of time without rest. It was suggested that we might want to take a bit of time to rest and be at our full strength when facing our next enemies.

Unfortunately, the accommodations that were given to us for our rest were not all that conducive to resting. I'm certain that I arouse from the bedding with a case of fleas. Our "hosts" offered us food for our journey. Balthezar decided to taste the foods of our host, though the rest of us were more comfortable with our rations. The first two things they offered may have been food in a previous life, but had long since passed that stage of existence. The last plate held some sort of meat, which was probably nothing more than rat, but Balthezar seemed to be okay with the food.

From there, we were led down the corridors of the caverns. Eventually, we found our way to an area that showed signs of having been recently worked. At the sight of the new stonework, our goblin guide became fearful and ran away.

From there, we managed to find our way through into a large corridor that had several doors leading from it. Finding a few dead ends, we managed to make our way to what appeared to be the refuse rooms. In one of the rooms, we found a beast of some sort swimming through the garbage. We never got a good look at the monster, for when its tentacle appeared, Eireamhom turned the beastie into some sort of slithering snake-like creature.

Making our way back to the main room, we were confronted by around a dozen rather gruesome humanoids. They carried large stone axes and made threatening gestures. Before they could mount a successful attack, Eireamhom managed to hurl a spell at the main body of our opponent. The spell exploded in balls of fire and destroyed most of our enemies. The remaining survivors turned and fled.

We continued our searches through the tunnels and eventually made our way to their barracks. After finding a few more refuse rooms and returning to the barracks, we were again attacked by these "grimlocks." They were apparently more prepared for us this time and took to battling us. During the course of this battle, however, one of the mind flayers appeared. I did not see him enter battle, but given their descriptions, it's entirely possible that they were guiding the battle along.

During the course of the fight, we saw Quinn turn into an Ettin with one head that was obviously retarded. Our mage managed to turn into a giant during this fight. Even Morell managed a change, growing a pair of wings. The battle was met. During the fight, I felled no less than five of our enemies. As the grimlocks' numbers began to dwindle, the mind flayer turned cowardly and ran from the room. Quinn followed after him, it appeared that he was no longer in control of his own facilities. After defeating the majority of our enemy, some of us (myself included) gave chase to try and stop Quinn. Eventually, Theo managed to take down his charge and we were able to revive him.

After gathering ourselves, we managed to find the room where the mind flayers were. There were four of the filthy beasts waiting for us ahead. And in the room with them stood the great portal that we were in search of. We knew that we would have to defeat the mind flayers and take their key from them so that our little pet doppelganger could take it through to the other side and close the portal for good.

We actually tried to devise a strategy. This included our mage and our key turning into a dire bear and a lion respectively. As we broke into the room to attack, one of the flayers took to the air and the rest began their assaults. Several times, it seemed that they tried to defeat us with their mind powers, but it did not seem to be as effective as we have been led to believe. Honestly, we were able to take four of these beasts down on our own with no loss of life on our part and barely even a sweat being broken. These are the creatures to be so greatly feared? These are the beasts that even the manslayer dare not attack? The pussy.

Though they put up a struggle, we did manage to defeat the great and mighty mind flayers. The giant purple worm that came digging through the floor and into the ceiling seemed more intimidating than these creatures were. Once defeating them, we took the key to the portal, and our doppelganger left for the other side.

From this point, we managed to find another set of doors. Here, the doors were banded in metal and seemed to have some sort of locking mechanism on it. In addition, there were many different symbols that were carved into it. Eireamhom tried to dispel the magic but found that it trapped him in a bubble of purple magic. Kesleigh recognized the symbols as relating to her god, Sarpedon. With that, even Maggie proved helpful when she produced a key that fit the lock. Turning the key opened the doorway and freed our mage friend. On the other side of the door, we found a man sitting cross-legged on the ground.

The man gave his name as Ahero Tetsubo. Apparently, this person was a friend on Geldamar and this Mordenkeinen whose books we have found. Tetsubo was sent to aid us on our quest. After going through the normal round of introductions, Tetsubo led us to a new room, which contained, as it turned out, treasures.

Along the sides of the room were statues of each of us, whether we are in the prophecy or not. Before each statue sat a case made of glass. Inside the cases were various types of tools, weapons, and armor. My own case contained a set of plate mail armor and a long sword, both bearing the symbol of my house on them. In the center of the room was a pedestal that held a small wooden box.

As it turned out, the box contained a deck of cards. Quinn was the first to open this case. He found that the cards were magical and would grant favorable magic or bestow nasty curses on who ever chose from the deck. Apparently, you were given an option to walk away and, if you didn't, then you could choose how many cards to take. Quinn barely got into his turn when he disappeared and the box and cards fell to the ground.

Immediately, Theo took up the box and drew from the deck. After several draws on his part, Theo, too, vanished. Several members of the party decided to draw to see if we could return our missing comrades to us. Even Eireamhom tried to find them by returning to the tower and scrying, but nothing came of it. Poor Balthezar quite literally lost the shirt on his back to the cards, along with everything else he possessed. Eventually, the only one's left to draw were Maggie, Kesleigh, and myself. But as I was working up the courage to test this dangerous device, Maggie took the deck and decided that no one else would use it. She pointedly refused to let me try my hand with this deck. Of all the slights I've suffered at the hands of this group, this was probably one of the worst and certainly was the most frustrating. I turned from Maggie telling her that one day she would have to listen to me.

Instead, Eireamhom took Benedict to try other means of locating our missing comrades. The rest of us stayed behind to search the area. Apparently, Maggie found the forge that she was going to use to forge her weapon. I spent my time staying away from her. At one point during our time there, Balthezar brought me the deck. Apparently he had removed it from Maggie's possession without her knowledge. This kind act was repaid when I remembered an old skin of whiskey that I had in my sack and gave it to him.

After time passed, we learned that Benedict was lost to us. No scrying could find evidence of him and he was not returning to meet with Eireamhom. Our mage had found a way to return our missing comrades, but it required that two people give up a part of themselves in return. It was decided that he and Morrel were the ones most likely to survive the offering, which they did. After some lights, the ground cracked beneath us and our missing friends were returned to us. From there, we quickly retired to the tower.

Back at the tower, Tetsubo proceeded to criticize us on our actions. It came out that I was now in possession of the deck. Tetsubo demanded it and I eventually complied, though I did not like doing so. He criticized my obvious anger and told me that I should get beyond it for it served no purpose. Barely with us a few days and I have grow to dislike this man. Luckily, he also criticized Maggie's actions as well. I feel somewhat vindicated. He went on to show the flaws in all of us in turn and explained that he was qualified to tell us these things. He went on to proclaim that Eireamhom would be our new leader. I'm not sure how much I like him coming in and dictating to us how things would now be done. Apparently, we have found a new taskmaster in this group, if not a new teacher.

Braghaman Larathian