10.27.06
Work is getting good
Now that Shadroc is dead work has improved a lot. The rest of the garda are easily manageable by me and Jani. Marc has been dumped for an older and more experienced model.
Well I still have to catch him but Jani assures me that he is available. Tomorrow is Great Anumon day and so we will be leavin Krawl behind and making our way to the perfumers road. Those smells are to die for. I can only afford two bottles, but if I share with Jani then we can buy five between us.
Well, I am going to look for ‘that’ experienced man, whats his name again?
10.23.06
They are not even close
It is good to be smart, and being so I decided to do a potentially dangerous and unnerving thing. Instead of heading like an arrow away from Seamire, I did a double back on three days ride to see if anyone was following. Knowledge is power and so it would be good to see who is on my tail.
I had left the village of Tranwer three days ago, leaving behind sufficient hints to suggest I had headed south. Now I was back there wearing a false beard and sporting a rather colourful topcoat.
The nothing of a village has the one tavern, The Old One, located in the center of the village. I spent the whole day there pretending to be waiting for a fellow traveller.
Just as I was done listening to the bores of the village a group of men and women walked in. There were five in total and to my professional eye they were very dangerous people.
It is the nature of the job that thieves must have a very good ear and I happen to have a exceptional one. Listening in to the conversations the group were looking for a man, a dwarf and an elf travelling together. Phew…some other poor lags. Nothing to do with me.
Looks like I am good so far
10.22.06
Finding the fish
I hear that Direon has put a reward out for an old adversary of mine, Daiwar. He an I used to ‘hang’ together until we split over a large booty. Since then we have tangled over a ‘job’ or twenty. I, of course, am winning in the stakes. If I should pick up his tale then our rivalry will be settled once and for all.
Time to dig out some sniffer dogs…and look for some ’shorty’ haunts.
On board ship 2 days out
Blade and I pooled our resources, all of them and managed to purchase a couple of magical rings of protection. Dana the ‘minor’ sorcereress assures us that they will protect the wearer from scrying spells. I have known Dana for more than fifty years and would trust her with my life, but her magic is…well…minor.
Anyway having spent our fortunes on ‘gadgets’ we now have to work our passage on the ship. The ‘lad’ has been in bed for the last two days, sea sickness, but that has meant that we have had to take up his shift. Thirteen hours of labouring a day is taking its toll on both Blade and me.
The sea journey to Land Mark is three more weeks away, three more weeks. I hope the lad recovers soon – and I am going to make him do my shifts.
Sorry about the scrawls – but the swaying ship is having an effect on my writings.
10.18.06
Traveller: Seamire
Greetings, Valen here again. Here is a little bit about Seamire.
Seamire is actually called Seamir, however the populace has been using the sea as a dump for refuse for the last 50 years. unfortunately the sea has a tendency to throw stuff right back at ya. and thus refuse thrown out during the day came back to haunt the populace the next day and with it a totally undesirable smell. Seamire then translates to the port that smells.
Seamire is the second greatest port city of the continent of Arkon. The continent is massive, so much so that few if any have crossed it. I have, may I say.
All trade in the region passes through Seamire whether from sea or land.
Seamire is ruled by a caliphate, who, if I may say, is an idiot. He lets the gradis run wild and basically rob the populace of anything they can get away with.
keep on running
My arse is so sore, I could soak in a bath for a month. Two days on a horse and I am wondering if I am far enough away to have a rest…somehow I doubt it. So it is back on the horse again tomorrow. tonight atleast it will be sleep, pleasant sleep.
ZZZzzzzzz
Cellar
Blade, ‘the lad’ and I have spent the last three days in the Jorac’s cellar. Prison or this cellar, the food is better and there is plenty of beer but that is about it. Luroc reckons that the lad’s medallion was responsible for saving us from the scrying spell of Direon’s.
But we are doomed though ’cause his medallion has glowed four times since we have been in the city so the wizard must still be looking for us. Jorac has got us a place on a ship out of here in two days. Two days! Direon’s men have been searching the city asking and askin…I dont know if we will last two more days.
I haven’t seen Blade for around twelve years. His tale is remarkable, which I will record here in due course but for now, my old friend is back and we are ‘back in action’.
‘hick’ oops thats enough beer for today.
10.13.06
Glad tidings
Great news, Jani tells me that Shadroc was doing some extra duties at Direons castle, up on the hill and…YES…he was killed in action. Thank the gods, I never doubted you at all.
Me and Marc spent another fantastic night together last night, it got better when Jani joined us. Her lips are so so so…
Did I tell you that Shadroc is dead. I am going to dance on his grave for sure.
If you think it cant get any worse
Damn and blast. I broke into Khan’s place last night. I was certain that there would be enough loot in there to set me well on my journey. Alas Khan and a cronie or too were home and so I had to kill them. Which considering that he wanted me dead was not unreasonable. Unfortunatly his second in command Johnis caught me.
I thought I was dead for sure, but that Johnis, he is smarter than most, if not all.
“You saved me a lot of trouble killing Khan,” he said.
“A pleasure, now if you let me be on my way” I said, heading for the door.
“Hang on one minute.” Johnis said. “No, don’t worry, I aint going to kill you…yet”
“So whats the deal?” I asked.
“Simple, you see, I want to take over the thieves guild, but there is going to be some wrangling now Khan is dead.” he smiled at me, “you however will provide a perfect distraction.”
“What?”
Johnis handed me a small sack, gold by the jingle. “Run,” he said “run as far and as long as you can. I can have the guild chasing you down for as long as your life will be.” He smiled again, “That will give me enough time to get my power base all settled.” His grin broadened, “Good plan huh?”
“Yeh, great” I acknowleged dejectedly.
“Excellent, I’ll tell you what. I will give you ten hours head start.” he pointed at the door, “Go!”
And so here I am, heading out of the east gate and in three hours time I will have several members of the guild after me.
Lovely!
10.12.06
Escape!
I was sleeping last night when a tapping noise disturbed me. Believe it or not it was my old friend Blade. I thought I was dreaming until he threw a knife at me. Which I got to say wakes one up pretty fast.
“What in the name off…” was my interrupted sentence. Blade is fairly good at picking locks, but knowing me so well he just passed over my lock-picking gear and I was out of there before you can say “let me out of here”.
I was half way up the stairs before I realised that Blade was not following me, and…not infront of me either.
I back tracked rapidly and caught him trying to open the ‘lads’ cell.
The elf must be nuts! “What you doing?” I hissed, “Lets get out of here!”
“We have to take him with us too.” Blade muttered, cursing at the lock.
“What!” I swore, I would have argued further, but this was not the time or the place – think about it!
Pushing him aside I opened the lock and all three, Blade and I ’shshing’ the lad all the way, made our way quietly up the stairs. Who would believe that getting out of a place was harder than getting in. It is if some fool sets off the the most obvious booby trap imagineable!
So we were on the roof hiding behind one of the biggest gargoyle statues I have ever seen. The castle gradis were rushing here and there like their heads had been chopped off.
It was looking promising until Direon stormed into the courtyard and we ducked back behind Gadgy (the gargoyle). A blast of energy hit the centre of the yard and several gradis fell dead.
“Stand still!” Direon shouted and began to chant.
“Oh no.” Blade mouthed to me. “Scrying spell” He loaded his bow with an arrow and drew back the shaft aiming for the wizard.
I knew it was a hopeless cause, arrows against someone of Direons calibur, highly unlikely, but we were only a few minutes from being detected. Deperate times loonatic measures.
It was then that I saw it and placed a hand on Blade’s ahoulder, he looked back in annoyance and saw what I was looking at. The amulet around the lad we had rescued was glowing with a soft bluish light.
The glow, though faint, grew to encompass us to. Not being fond of magic I drew away from it, but Blade grabbed hold of me and pointed down in the courtyard.
Direon had finished his spell and was standing still as if waiting for something. A few minutes passed in silence and then he exploded in rage and a bolt of fire that killed another gradis. “He has escaped!” he screamed and vanished back into the castle.
