Thoughts of Erhivor: Dwarven Citadel - Day 3

Things have been very strange since we came down into this citadel. We have discovered three magical items here and some strange mystical traps and creatures. The ring that I found not far from where we are now I still have yet to understand. Nel is carrying a magical adamantine Urgrosh, which I have yet to understand the nature of. I am wearing a magical, yet cursed, war crown. The war crown has made me feel stronger and more confident and commanding, yet it seems to be turning me into a Dwarf. It's becoming more and more difficult to remember that I am an Elf the more that I wear this crown, but I cannot take it off. I do have a lovely beard, though.

The room that we found the Urgrosh and the Crown in was inhabited by a young and malnourished White or Blue dragon. Instead of breathing fire as a weapon, it breathed ice. It was a very dangerous and vicious creature, regardless of its malnourished state, though. We managed to kill it, but it nearly killed Brom and Gideon in the process. In that room we not only found the two magical items, but an Orcish spiked shield, a cracked-open egg (from which the dragon probably came), a tooth from what was probably an adult dragon and a stone tablet with Dwarven runes engraved within it and appears to be in some form of code. At that point, I made a really stupid mistake and put the war crown on.

Getting to the room of relics was a little complicated as it was trapped with magic. The trap was in six parts, where in order to deactivate them, one must utter the name of a Dwarven hero whose sigil matched the rune engraved on the floor. The heroes and sigils matched those who had statues in the room nearby where I found the curious magic ring that I have. At the end of the hall with the six traps, just outside of the room of relics, there was a silver anvil and a golden warhammer. None of us could get a hold of the hammer, as it would magically move away from our grasp.

Another room off of the trapped hallway with the anvil and hammer contained a forge and a smith who was a lizard-like creature, yet humanoid in form, whose body seemed to emanate fire. The smith was in the process of forging weapons and it appears was walled off with a mystical barrier. It could not hear or see us from within that barrier. I happened to lose control of my thoughts and wandered past the barrier in order to irrationally communicate with the fiery lizard, which seemed to break the barrier, at which point the lizard could see us and it suddenly attacked us all. The lizard was fast and strong and it attacked with a vicious spear and its tail. After everyone except for myself getting hurt very badly by the creature, our combined efforts overpowered it and we managed to kill it.

I then found a secret door within the forge room which led to a weapons store room. Within that room we found a series of exotic, masterwork weapons and a full set of spiked scale mail armor. We then packed up the weapons and armor and, after taking a break near the lift shaft at the base of the trapped hall, we climbed up the shaft and back to where the secret door is that we originally came from the night before.

When we got to the secret door, someone had pulled the stone out of it that Gideon placed there to keep it open, so the door was shut. We had no choice but to break down the stone door, regardless of who might be on the other side. Once we broke through the door, everyone except me noticed a man hiding about thirty feet away from the door, almost directly in front of us. Gideon called out to him and asked him to come out. He came out into view and told us that we were under arrest and to submit. Gideon and I did not believe that he was a legitimate guardsman and Gideon asked him to identify himself. He refused and threatened to attack us. Then all of us started talking and arguing loudly and I started openly accusing the man of being an imposter. The man then shot me with a dart, at which point Gideon rushed forward to attack the man and I shot him back. As Gideon rushed forward, another man seemed to suddenly appear beside Gideon and stabbed him. In short, I took down the first man, who was thirty feet away with a couple of arrows and Gideon and Nel killed the second man. Then a third man appeared from the rubble about twenty feet away and ran down the adjacent corridor into the dark. Gideon ran after the third man while I watched the first man and Nel attended to him. Once Brom showed up to assist Nel, I ran after Gideon to help him out, at which point the third man, who was hiding behind a barrel that both Gideon and I missed, shot me with a poisoned dart. I was then unconscious.

I awoke to Nel and Brom standing over me and Gideon standing over the third assailant, who was rather dead. Gideon was cut up pretty bad and bleeding a lot. After Gideon bandaged himself up, we started to hear fighting behind the closed door in the room that I woke up in at the end of the corridor. Brom's curiosity got the better of him and he opened the door. Now we're all standing in the doorway staring at a room full of armored men with their weapons drawn and they're all stopped in the middle of fighting and staring at us. They don't look very friendly.

Erhivor's Journal: Entry 3

[Written in Dwarven] Look at all this gold I have! I should hide it somewhere down here where no one can find it. This is a lot of gold. I have one-hundred-thirty-seven pieces of gold. Wait. Let me count it again. Yes, one-hundred-thirty-seven pieces of gold. Now, where should I hide it? Oh, I should go buy some supplies and get to smithing. That lizard left behind a very nice forge, which I could use. Boy, I sure do write well.

Why is everyone staring at me? They've been acting so strange since just after we fought the dragon in the room with the relics. Their minds just aren't strong enough to deal with the reality of dragons and fire lizards. Life is too easy for surfacers. It's all about dancing and singing for them. A Dwarf has to work hard and cut stone and fight dragons.

Hey, I found this neat battle crown. It makes my beard look even better than before. Ooh, and there is this really nice adamantine Urgrosh that I found. I think I could learn to use it with a little practice. I also found this neat spiked scale mail that could be useful. These clothes are too soft.

We're going to take a little bit of a break and then proceed back up to the surface of this fine citadel. Nel wants me to talk to someone in Wildsgate. She probably wants me to speak with the smith in Wildsgate. Who better to talk to a Dwarf than a Dwarf, eh?

Yep. Still one-hundred-thirty-seven pieces of gold!

Into the deep we go

“I can’t believe I let Cedric die. It was my absent mindedness that led to his demise and I still feel sick about it. But all that is in the past I suppose, and I should be focusing on what is going on now, since it could very well mean life or death. After crossing the river and continuing our journey we were again ambushed!

How many times I have been walking along, minding my own business when out of nowhere some snarling, foaming at the mouth, javelin wielding critter lunges for my throat, it’s really starting to piss me off. Anyhow, while my companions were smashing and popping, I was running around as usual, trying to keep Erhivor alive which was a feat within itself. He is just so fragile and always seems to want to get hurt, maybe he enjoys it?

So after our little battle we continued up the trail towards the peaks and ruins of our destination. When we arrived at the base of the mountain we looked upon a waterfall that seemed to go up and up forever. Next to this was an endless staircase that rose up into the mountaintops. The area around the base of these monoliths of stone seemed to be devoid of life, even the tree’s seemed to have been drained of their essence. The area was dead, and it worried me.

After a brisk nights rest beneath a few trees, we woke stiff and sore, yet ready for the day ahead. After a brief discussion, we decided to brave the stairs and up we went. Gideon scouted ahead to make sure nothing nasty was laying in wait for us again. After an uneventful climb we reached the top and were confronted with several large statues of dwarves. My companions started yelling and talking rather loudly when all of a sudden a huge creature came bounding out of a tunnel or cave and rushed directly at us!

As we started fighting and this brute proved to be a nasty opponent, our blows seemed to have little effect on him and after some careful observation I determined that it was a bugbear, a nasty and hardy creature indeed. Statues fell and arrows flew when finally the creature’s eyes glazed over and he caught an arrow between the eyes and ceased his attack. After searching the bugbears remains we found a large key and a flask filled with some strange liquid that Erhivor decided to confiscate.

The wind whipped through the small ravine we had fought in and the eerie wails and moans that accompanied it were unnerving, but we decided to continue our exploration of these strange and now hostile ruins. Continuing a bit further on we came upon an area open to the sky and wind with a frightening drop off to one side of the path into the river that fed the waterfall. Looking to the horizon we spotted what appeared to be large bats with more riders flying directly at us! Knowing my chances of hitting anything at that range with my bow was slight; I decided to wait till they closed the gap before I let loose my arrow. That proved to be a good idea because I scored a hit and almost killed one!

Unfortunately for me the other rider chose me to hurl his javelin at and caught me directly in the leg, ouch! And even worse, the javelin was secured to the bat by a long rope which promptly yanked me into the air and over the edge of the cliff. The javelin may have been barbed and in deep, but it was not enough to hold my weigh, and after tearing free, I plummeted down into the frigid waters. And seeing as how I was in this bulky armor, there was nothing graceful about my belly flop of doom. Performing an impromptu rescue by climbing down a rope, Gideon bravely rescued me from a watery end, thank you Gideon!

Exhausted and hurt, we decided to rest for the night in the very same cave the bugbear had inhabited. Another uneventful night later, continuing our journey deeper into the ruins, we came upon a massive stone door with a single keyhole upon it. The drawings and marking on the stone were very pretty, and I am sure they have some meaning, but I never got a very close look. Opening the door with the key we had looted from the bugbear, the doors swung open soundlessly on perfect hinges.

I must say that all this stone and lifeless rock is not what I particularly enjoyed. I understood that my companions desire riches and fame that the ruins might offer, but why couldn’t it have been in a sprawling ancient forest or murky and smelly swamp? I guess that I will just have to get use to it, but I still don’t have to like it.

Oh sorry for ranting a bit there, but I do get distracted easily, back to my tale. Venturing through the doorway we came upon a rather large room supported by six great pillars, all of which had been carved into the likeness of some dwarf. In the center of this room was a pedestal or alter and on this were three keyholes. I quickly grew bored with trying to understand some silly statues and wandered off to explore the two tunnels leading off from the main room in hopes of discovering moss or lichen to speak with.

Instead I found what appeared to be some kind of elevator and gathering my companions we all decided to pile into it and pull the lever. After some hammer smashing and metal wrenching the cage started downward slowly into the darkness. As we descended Gideon and I noticed a safe in the wall and with some lightning quick safecracking which seemed a blur the safe was open and its contents spilling to the floor. Dividing up the gold and other loot, I noticed Gideon scratching his back with what appeared to be some kind of strange stick. Grabbing it from the ignorant fool, I tested it on my own back to see if I could get some kind of different reaction. Unfortunately it was not a stick of amazing back scratching but a wand of healing, what a pity.

Once the elevator reached the bottom we stepped out into a dark and foreboding passage. Lighting a torch I cautiously walked forward and took a look around, but didn’t see anything of interest. Erhivor on the other hand had walked past me and noticed a secret trap door in the floor right in front of me! Boy did I feel dumb. Opening the hatch we all jumped down into what I could only assume was certain doom.

I hate being right, because when the last of my companions crawled down into the passageway the bones laying about our feet sprung up into tiny little dwarven skeletons. I may have laughed at them but was cut short by the excruciating pain that tore through my ribs and chest when one of their war hammers smashed into me. I crumpled down and watched from behind my shield in the corner of the room and Penelope rampaged through the little skeletons as if she was some machine of bone crunching devastation. After the fight I did my best to heal myself through prayer but I knew that I needed to rest and set my ribs to fully heal.

Spotting another elevator in a shaft at the end of the tunnel, we all jumped down into it and somehow got it working. Our slow decent was interrupted when all of a sudden the cage dropped about twenty feet I would guess and crashed into the floor below.

Beaten and crushed, smashed and dropped, we were all ready for some rest wherever we could find it. All I could think of was the pain in my side and the fact that I don’t know what I have gotten myself into. As we continue to descend into this maze of tunnels and elevators, skeletons and bugbears, I grow increasingly worried that I may not be able to keep Erhivor alive during our next encounter with something nasty and smelly.

I really hope we are able to make it out of this Timmy, but this is the worst we have ever experienced since I found you all those years ago, alone in the little glade. I hope to someday find a suitable pot to put you in so you may grow large and strong like your brothers. I must sleep now but I will talk with you again when I can, till then sleep well and keep me safe from these horrors.”

-Spoken to Timmy the Trustworthy Acorn in a dank and scary tomb.

Erhivor's Journal: Entry 2

After a day of resting and gathering supplies in Wildsgate, Gideon had Nel, Brom and I follow him to a shrine located close to the inn that Gideon spent the night in. It happened to be a shrine of The Swift, a rogue famous around Wildsgate who apparently stole the heirlooms of the Baron of Wolfsrun. When we all approached the shrine, Gideon dropped some gold, silver and copper coins on the shrine and then had some kind of religious experience as a result. Nel tried to do the same thing, but had no visions or religious channeling. Gideon explained what he felt and saw in his experience with the shrine and it seemed to fit with the story of The Swift and the ancient Dwarven citadel across the river. His vision also confirmed the story of The Swift's theft the Baron's heirlooms and linked their whereabouts to the Dwarven Citadel. After that, the four of us split up to gather information on the apparent curse of the Baron's lineage, the theft of the Baron's heirlooms and the Dwarven citadel.

While Gideon and I practiced knife throwing, Nel and Brom went to the Palace to offer healing to the Baron and to gather information about the missing heirlooms. When the two returned, what Nel had to say was very interesting. First off, Brom managed to get himself escorted out of the Palace under guard almost immediately after arriving. Second, the Baron's advisor was apparently uncomfortable discussing anything about the Baron and denied the historical theft of the heirlooms. He also showed Nel a room in the palace holding what appeared to be the actual heirlooms. But Nel believes that the heirlooms in the palace are fake replacements and that the advisor was aware of this and hiding more knowledge about their theft. Furthermore, this combined with other information we had gathered the night before leads us to believe that the advisor and Lady Aborn -- consort to the Baron -- are somehow working together in this conspiracy. What seems obvious, though, is this: Who would become consort to a baron who's lineage is known to be cursed with disease and who's ancestors have all died young and spent a majority of their adult lives bedridden? Most human females do not have a choice in who their consort will be, but what I am quite certain of is that this particular woman in this particular scenario and her family as well were probably prepared to take full advantage of a wealthy lineage that is cursed to its roots.

After Nel reporting these details to us, we went out to gather information again. Gideon went to a locksmith's shop to speak to him about keys and the three doors at the Dwarven citadel that supposedly hold behind them the stolen heirlooms. When he returned, he did not have much more information to provide, but he seemed a bit distracted.

Then Nel and I approached the Dwarven smith at the Hammer & Anvil to speak with him about the citadel. It turns out that when he was younger, he had traveled through the citadel a bit. He gave us information on what different paths we could take to get there and confirmed that there were certainly three doors. He believe that the keys to those doors were somewhere within the citadel itself. He also warned us of some of the dangers to be expected there.

Once we were done speaking with the Dwarf, as we were walking down the street, a child stole a purse from Nel and ran off. When Gideon and I attempted to capture him, he cried out, claiming to be attacked by us. As if waiting for us, four men positioned around us drew their swords and attacked us. We killed them all in our defense rather quickly, but that did not save us from facing the law. We approached a man who is a guard captain -- I forget his name -- in one of the taverns and were immediately surrounded by guards within the tavern. We told the captain of the theft and the strange assault that forced us to kill in our defense. The captain was attentive and helpful. He did some investigation into the matter and determined that we certainly were in a difficult position, yet that we still "broke the law" according to their legal system. Instead of executing us, he told us to leave town for a day and to let things "cool down" before coming back. So, we packed up our gear, acquired a few more supplies, had one more informational chat with the smith at the Hammer & Anvil and headed out of town.

Once outside of town, we decided to head up to the citadel to scout it out learn the lay of it. As we approached the river outside of Wildsgate town, we were attacked by a swarm of tiny bats. I illuminated my bow and told everyone to stay near the light, but I was too late. Gideon got separated from the party, divided by the swarm of bats, and ended up trapped between the large & violent river and the swarm of bats. After being attacked by the bats, Gideon decided to brave the river rapids and dove in. After that, Gideon began to lose control in the river and so I ran downriver hoping to fish him out with some rope before he drowned. Fortunately Gideon managed to get control of the rapids and get his footing and pull himself out of the river. In the meantime, both Nel and Brom suffered further attacks from the bats. Gideon, hoping to drive off the bats, started a small brushfire, which was probably unnecessary. Eventually, we drove off the bats.

We spent the night around the embers left from Gideon's brushfire and recovered quite well the next morning. Unfortunately, we were so preoccupied with our own wounds and keeping the brushfire from spreading that we forgot about Cedric, who it turns out was also attacked by the bats. Cedric died some time in the night while we were resting. I should have checked up on him but I was too preoccupied with my own problems. He was such a faithful Donkey and we had been through so much together. I feel so bad about this. We did our best to bury him in brush and leaves. I wish I could have done more for him, but times are very difficult right now. We took the supplies that Cedric was carrying and, for the equipment that we could not carry ourselves, we covered it with the canvas I had and then covered that with brush and leaves.

After dealing with Cedric and the supplies, we continued to the edge of the river, planning to cross it. Crossing the river was a bit complicated and took quite a long time, but we managed. Gideon was the first one across the river and was ambushed by three Orgoshi. From almost two-hundred feet across the river, I managed to put an arrow in the right eye of Dave -- according to Nel's translation -- the closest Orgosh, and as a result the other two Orgoshi ran away screaming about how we killed Dave. What a strange name. We then continued across the river without too much trouble. I had to help out Brom once by pulling him out of the river, but that was the only complication.

Once we got across the river, Gideon was suffering from a wound taken from the Orgoshi ambush, so we are now resting again. Crossing the river alone was very exhausting, so we really could use another rest.

Whispers and Prophecies

After the last few days of rough adventure I was anxious to be done with Ashden's Point. I had seen enough in the supposedly “quiet” town to last me quite awhile. The whole business with Knute and the mysterious Eastern coins had me eagerly anticipating our arrival in Wildsgate to hopefully gain some more insight into the matter.

We left town much later than I would have liked, due to Erhivor and Gideon making some last minute purchases. As we departed I looked back, seeing the funeral being held for those who were slaughtered in the temple. The sight of it instilled in me an even greater sense of urgency. We continued along the road for a few hours with no significant events. The woods started to feel a little wilder, and we soon were able to spot two huge mountain peaks ahead. I was glad to be back in the wilderness as I am not too fond of towns and cities. Something about them has always unsettled me, and I much prefer the soft noises of a forest after a spring rain and the crisp taste of mountain air.

That night we made camp beside the road in a small clearing that seemed to have been used frequently by travelers in the past. We all decided on a watch order, though I had a feeling that nothing was going to happen during the night. Well, I was half right, for during my watch, which happened to be the last and extended into the early morning hours, I was surprised by the sound of a small twig snapping behind me. I spun around in what seemed to be slow motion and saw, standing not but a few feet away, the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. I was so stunned by her beauty and presence that I couldn’t move or speak. She seemed to be made of nature; her body was short and frail, her skin a light green. She was clothed in what could only be described as a light veil of moss and bark.

Before I could even let out my breath, she approached me and kissed my forehead, then vanished. I blinked once or twice, and lightly ran my fingers across the spot where her lips had brushed my head, lighter than a soft morning breeze. And no sooner had my hand fallen back to my side than I was aware of something different about the land. I suddenly was besieged by the noises of a thousand different life forms breathing, dying and being born. It was as if her kiss had opened a mystic gate, and the essence and energies of wind, water, fire and earth poured into my being. I now felt as if I was connected to everything, and everything passed through me, and in turn I could use the energies which flowed through me to my own devices. I hope to spend more time in the wilds, learning more about this bond and what secrets it might unlock.

Later that same day, while packing up camp, I noticed Erhivor seemed to be much more involved with his books. Not wanting to disturb his intense focus, I said nothing. We continued up the road towards the mountains, and during the course of the day I occasionally caught a glimpse of something horrible lurking in the woods just off the road. I felt uneasy and warned the rest of my party about the dangers of wandering into the woods, hoping to prevent any accidental encounters with something nasty.

During a short break from our march, I happened to glance up into the clear sky and noticed a huge raven circling directly overhead. At first I thought nothing of it, except that such a large creature was quite rare, until it sped off towards the mountains. After a few miles of hiking I happened to look up again and was startled to see the same raven as before circling and then flying off in the same direction. I decided to alert the others of this anomaly and unfortunately, with the exception of Erhivor, they did not seem to care whatsoever. I feel that their naivety will only lead to trouble. I have a very strong feeling that something was controlling that bird, and it was acting as a spy of sorts. For whom I cannot tell, but I believe our dealings with Knute and the undead in Ashden's Point are connected with this sighting. I must remember to inquire about the Easterners and Orgoshi when we arrive in Wildsgate.

Erhivor seemed to be just as suspicious about the raven as myself and asked if perhaps we could travel by a more concealed route. However, my previous sightings of creatures following us and lurking in the woods just off the path prevented us from doing so. So we reluctantly stuck to the road and continued our travels. A few hours later we came upon a massive tree fallen across our path. It must have been over one hundred and fifty feet long and an eight foot climb to get over. I took a quick survey of the tree and the surrounding area, yet did not see anything suspicious.

Soon after we came upon the tree, Penelope noticed a rotten smell. We climbed over the massive trunk and were assaulted by the unsavory stench of death. I looked down and spotted two stripped bodies of what appeared to be young humans crushed under the tree. I had an unsettling feeling about them but still had to get a closer look to see who they might have been. No sooner had I crouched over one of the corpses when something vile burst from its chest and onto me. I was so surprised I did nothing to defend myself from what turned out to be a two-foot-long spider now chewing on my belly. Without warning, more of the vermin scuttled from the woods, surrounding us. In the ensuing fight, Penelope, Erhivor and I were all bitten repeatedly, while Gideon somehow managed to escape with only a minor wound to his forearm.

As I went about tending to the group’s wounds, I felt as if I could channel nature’s power through myself and into my companions. They were just as surprised as me when their cuts and bites miraculously healed before our eyes. I hope that this new-found power will continue to aid us in our travels, and I feel that through practice I might be able to focus this energy into a more potent form.

Covered in ichor and still somewhat pained, we marched in a ragged line up the road and into the night. Finding an alcove against the mountainside, we decided to set up camp in this seemingly safe location. Again watch was posted and uneventful until Penelope’s shift. Pacing back and forth by the fire trying to keep warm in the chill of the mountain air, she heard the growl of something above. Whirling to face the threat, she was knocked to the ground by the enraged assault of a mountain cat.

Her screams woke the rest of us, and we jumped to our feet to witness the cat raking and clawing at her belly and face. Gideon, quick as always, picked up his bow and loosed an arrow that knocked the cat from poor Penelope. She sprung to her feet and swung her maul in a brutal retaliatory attack that sent the beast staggering back. Suddenly aware that it might have gotten into a very adverse situation, the cat retreated away from Penelope and the party. I turned to watch Erhivor muttering some weird and wonderful words and to my astonishment a small globe of pure acid formed in his upturned palm. With a final decisive word he hurled the liquid death across the night and directly into the mountain cat’s face. The shriek that it let loose when the acid disintegrated its eyes and finally its brain I won’t soon forget, and I felt sad that such a handsome beast had to depart this life in such a horrifying way.

Turning my attention to Penelope I quickly assessed the situation. She was extremely hurt and needed my immediate attention. I once again called on the force of nature to aid me in healing my wounded companion. When I opened my eyes everyone was staring at me. Penelope's deep cuts had healed completely. I was relieved to see that she had been healed, and said a silent prayer to the gods in thanks. Gideon continues to act bewildered and confused by these acts of miraculous regeneration. While I normally don't care what he thinks, I hope that he will soon come to accept my newly gained powers and respect me for my aid.

Waking early in the morning, we continued our journey. After a day of hiking with no more dangerous encounters, we arrived at a small hunting lodge with three men outside cooking meat over a warm fire. After the usual hails and greetings, they invited us to sit and eat what turned out to be bear cub. I was horribly appalled by this, but out of courtesy and futility I said nothing. Over the meal they spoke to us about where we were traveling, specifically the forests surrounding Wildsgate and the lands ahead. My heart sank when they spoke of terrible things lurking just off the path – ghosts and demons. Gideon inquired about the tomb of some long ago hero of sorts, and they only knew of one, but those ruins were now haunted and inhabited by the undead. Again I had a feeling creep down my neck and coil itself around my heart, the distinct feeling that we would soon be heading to those ruins.

An uneventful night’s sleep later, we again continued walking down the path and soon came upon a great river. It was impassable from where we stood, but the road turned abruptly and followed this body of water to the west. This road seemed much more traveled, but as these people would pass us, they ignored our friendly greetings and only warned "Stay on the road!" Soon we came upon a farmer and his cart being pulled by an ox.

The weather was quite warm, and as we walked, a welcome patch of clouds cast a nice cool shadow. But as we glanced up, we soon realized that these were not clouds at all but giant bats carrying Orgoshi warriors! We immediately readied for battle and ran to the aid of the farmer as these foul creatures began hurling javelins at the poor fellow. As we closed in we heard the distinct wail of a baby and realized with horror that this little infant was also a target. In the resulting battle we were not harmed much, but the poor farmer was speared badly. The bats appeared to fly directly towards where we had learned the haunted ruins and tomb lay in the forest.

After another channeling of power I restored his health, and he immediately rushed to make sure his baby was safe. The now eternally grateful farmer drew us a map of the area and recommended several places to stop in Wildsgate, namely a smithy and a reputable inn. Then he gave us a ride into town in the back of his cart.

Upon arrival in town, my companions went about securing lodgings. We all gathered at the smithy where Penelope acquired a wicked scary maul and Gideon purchased a simple yet deadly dagger. I myself ordered a masterwork scimitar to be made, but hope in the future to stay back from the fights and lend my healing aid instead. I then remembered that a passing traveler had told me of a terrible curse that affected the noble Baron here in Wildsgate, so I set off to see if I could seek an audience and offer my aid in some form.

During a restless night’s sleep I continued to wonder what awaited us here in Wildsgate. I wonder what exactly this curse on the Baron and his family consists of, and I truly hope that my companions and I can possibly break this curse. I believe that we will soon be heading towards the haunted ruins of the tomb of the ancient hero, and I only hope we are ready for what awaits us there.

- Recollection of events dictated to Gwyneth the Bard