Day 1
Starting out from Ethium aboard the Fortune Star everything was pleasant to start. However, about an hour into the voyage well I was chatting with Captain Heruim I felt horribly unwell. Despite my best efforts I lost the contents of my lunch on the good captains boots. Needless to say he was not pleased. I cannot recall how long I remained sick in the ship’s hold, arms locked firmly around a pail as seasickness left me pitifully drained of vigor. I only write this now after my condition has improved slightly hopefully I will have my “sea-legs” soon as they call it.
Day 2
I should have stayed sick in the ships today was dreadful. We arrived a tad past mid morning upon a lighthouse which seemed to no longer be operating. With the weather being sunny and my need for some exercise I choose to have a quick swim over to determine what was the matter. A short distance from the shore I was struck by something of considerable force the pain took my breath away. I had been shot by some one with a crossbow as I attempted to finish my swim to shore now hindered by the newly embedded bolt the water turned red around me as I swam for shore. After my traveling companions came to my aid they rushed the top of the light house. A fight broke out as they dealt with some Tortles who had done away with the lighthouse keeper. After patching myself up back on the ship I was once again out of sorts.
Day 3
The finial day aboard the ship was fairly uneventful giving me time to nurse my shoulder. We arrived in port and Heruim was glad to have us off the ship something further must have happened well I was seasick below deck. We arrived in the port of New Vesna just before lunch. After gathering our effects we headed to the constabulary to register and find some odd jobs so we could afford room and board. It was also made very clear to me not to stray more then a days travel from the city as Humans are not welcomed in the neighboring lands without reason. We were also in luck the local lizard-men had been getting out of control lately and a fifty gold bounty on a head had be issued to the general public. Being short on coin and in strange lands we decided to set out towards the Phang Swam.
Day 4
It did not take us to long on the second day drudging through the mud of the Phang Swam till we came upon some lizard-men. Things went poorly to say the least the heavily overweight fish-man Akvos was almost killed. He received a large gash across is chests had he not been so fat I wager the blow would have outright killed him. After tearing one of my sleeves off to make a bandage I was able to stem the bleeding. To add to our troubles Siltara proved to be poor company attempting to steal from an unconscious party member. During the ensuing scuffle to restrain here she was mortally wounded. Afterwards we went back to rest at an inn called the Happy Skeleton.
Day 5
Having now access to a bustling town I was quick to locate a bank to deposit the coins that had been growing heavy in my pack at the Metzler Bank after breakfast along with getting a new shirt for the one torn well I saved Akvos by making some makeshift bandages. I had a simple bowl of gruel but I was sorely tempted to indulge myself in sausage and eggs like some of the others. After our meal it was off to the barracks for some testing so we could pick up some odd jobs. Since a motley assortment of well armed individuals don’t have the best of job prospects. After some riddles about the gods (Oh how I wished I had listened better in theological studies), which after a few mishaps I was able to correctly solve. Our group was met with the praise of “not bad” from the constable in the most literal sense of the phrase. With our test over we were then set to go check up on a place of a regular patron of the Happy Skeleton Flintock the Weary who had dropped dead last night in the tavern well I slept up stairs. His maid had not been seen since. We were sent to go check up on his tower of a home to see if everything was alright.
Well things were not alright at all between the skeletons and animated knives this was one odd place for some one to have lived. I ended up having to tear up the rest of my old shirt to keep Jhael alive poor soul got the on the wrong end of an animated knife. The crazy old Flintock even kept a mimic in his third floor study! After the past few days I was not going to go another without proper medical supplies and quickly used what coin I had left to buy what I needed. I was extremely glad to have a roof over my head as today was most taxing on me.
Day 6
Now that our tests had been passed we could now get daily odd jobs. Today it was a missing Bakers apprentice. Was a modest reward of 200 gold pieces if we found the lad. It was nothing to strange just a collapsed floor into the city underground network of tunnels which he had gotten lost trying to find a way out. A large statue of what looked like gold was down there I think. Did not get a good look at it before a spider corpse was tossed onto it.
Day 7
Tompkin had a decent performance today earning 15 gold coins for his efforts. Sadly I am stuck carrying them for him. Which means I also had to take him shopping as well. The others went to go visit the uncle of the apprentice we had saved yesterday. After a long boring shopping trip with Tompkin I thought I would get out and unwind a little I had not enjoyed myself in a long time. I recall my celebrations starting out with a few beers and buying a few rounds at a pub then I can’t recall to much after that.
Day 8
I woke up with a splitting headache with 100 gold less and a women in my bed who I had been engaged too. After awkwardly breaking things off I let her keep the ring whatever her name was. Still a bit hung over I tagged along with the others to help a farmer who was having his livestock killed by some of the local wildlife. Turned out the farmer next door had hired a druid to try and drive the other farmer out. After thanking us for the fast resolution of his problem he told us to go visit his sister Flow at the Vulgar Unicorn as she would most likely know who to ask about local legends of the one handed wizard. Well with here advice we learned that one of the ladies of the establishment was quite the story teller her name Veronica Hatto. Well she was not available that day we decided one of us should try and meet with her later to ask about Amstrung.
Day 9
Turns out that some of the party had thought to try and seek the statue out of the underground below the bakery. They assumed it was gold and had attempted to hide it with the dead spiders. Turned out it was just some gold colored paint on it.
Day 10
Well I guess I was lucky as I was the one who got to talk to Veronica she was said to be the top girl and there is no doubt in my mind as to why. After a long chat with her which was not cheap I learned that she had in her possession a relic of Amstrungs. A finger bone from the half-orc wizard himself. Sadly she would only part with it for 10,000 gold coins. A princely sum but one we will most likely have to pay her. We took up a job looking for a missing rat catcher in the sewers nothing to strange was down there other then a giant toad but what was most shocking was a golem made of flesh most likely a failed experiment of some wizard was also wandering around in the filth and muck of the sewers. We found the poor fellow at last but I was quick to wash myself and my recently purchased clothing.
Day 11
After my recent lapse in judgement I decided it was best for me to lock myself in my room at the inn to attempt a spiritual breakthrough and harden my resolve against the temptations of life outside the hermitage. I spent the day in deep meditation and self reflection.
Day 12
Upon the dawn of the next morning I was refreshed once again clear of mind and body. Later in the day after I had completed my morning exercises I ready myself for the day. The others had come to the idea that some more support in the city was needed if we were to have a hope of locating and obtaining more of fingers of Amstrung. To that end we had accepted to help Ingleram get himself elected to the council a rather tall order with him being a halfling in a mainly human city. To this end we set about trying to drum up support. Our first task was to persuade a jeweler to this end we followed information about a local cult to the cave where they worshiped. Travel to the cave was swift and we made good time making it just after noon. Our entrance into the cave was anything but a warm welcome. The cultists seemed to be in the process of some unspeakable ritual to honor there stone carved deity. A combination of gloom and the conjuration of fog by Acvos made an already troublesome encounter even worse. Making matters worse Alisah had attempted to pocket the fist sized green translucent gem after the discovery she promptly departed from us. Our travel was slow has we helped the poor kidnapped man Gall back to New Vesna.
Day 13
Travel is progressing slowly Gall can only walk so fast having been locked up and basically starved during his time in the cultist cave. I fear the weather is turning and will make our travel back all the much harder tomorrow.
Day 14
Well the rain was light it slowly soaked all of us and the road slowing our travel as we slogged on along the ever worsening road back.
Day 15
We at last arrived safely back to the city Gall thanks us greatly before parting to resume his normal life. The large green gem was brought back to the jewelers. Upon unwrapping the cloth containing it his eye grew wide. I swear if we had asked he would have traded both legs and an eye for the gem. This gift we think should sway him to back Ingleram in his bid for election to a council seat. After getting back to the in we talked in a bit more detail about who was left to convince. A highly skilled leather worker how was looking to get some dragon hide. The head of the Writers Guild Yarow Stine and a prominent kobold by the name of Umadin Strongsword. After a bit of asking around we learned of a group of kobolds who worshiped a dragon in a small shrine dug into a hill not far from the city. Talk to see the dragon did not go well and an argument broke out after some rash words a full fledged struggle began. I did not take part in the fight and neither did I have a chance to stop it as sword had cleaved one of the kobolds clean from shoulder to hip. The kobolds all fell back to there simple cave shrine. Some wanted to rush in killing them swiftly to get to the dragon leather. After some long talking we tried to have another go at talking things out but the damage had already been done. As Tompkin and Kresky attempted to sneak in and steal some leather by making use of Tompkin’s ability to turn a person invisible, they fell victim to some of the crude traps the kobolds had set in front of the cave. I had already throw my lot in when I got on that ship and it is now clear it follows a path much darker then I could have guessed. I avoid killing directly but I was still a part of this pointless killing far from my desire to heal our quest takes ever a darker turn as we face more needless bloodshed and strife.
Day 16
After administering some first aid with my limited selection of herbs I was able to effectively treat Kresky and Tompkin. They would be no worse the wear after a few days. We at last went back into the cave to gather the leather. It was laughable really there was no dragon just the old skin of a young fledgling dead for who knows how many years stretched out on a wooden frame to give it a cruel mimicry of a creature merely sleeping. I fear these events will come back to haunt our efforts and damage whatever standing a collection of strangers could have in strange lands.
Day 17
The trip back was a quite one Tompkin tried to lighten the mood with some of his music but his shrill musings on the flute failed to lift the gloom. We went back to the Happy Skeleton to rest as the shops had closed for the day.
Day 18
The leather was more then he had asked for by far he would have his new boots the extra we sold to him. I doubt he would be as happy if he knew what was done to get him his dragon hide. Kresky and Dytin left soon after this both feeling fed up with trying to play politics. I think in there minds only might shapes the world not flowery words and scheming. Well there will be no lack of those who would employ a strong arm or two in some of the rougher establishments in New Vesna.
Day 19
With wallets a bit light we decided to split up half would look for a job well the others would find out what Yarrow Stine wanted as a “gift” for his future support of Ingelram. As with all book worms Stine wanted a book but not just any book it was an antiquated volume by the name of “Manuel of Small Formation Infantry Tactics”. A dated work with few copies ever produced. Well we pondered where to get Stine his book we had stomachs to feed and the need of coin. After wandering around unable to find any part-time work Knoll the innkeeper suggested taking up a escort job for some human merchants that had been looking to strike a trade deal with the dwarfs in the north.
Day 20
The day was mostly uneventful except for a rather strange sight, a hill giant crying at the side of the road. Taking pity on the sobbing lump we inquired what was the matter well the three merchants cowered back behind some trees far away. He had lost his goat it appeared to be his beloved pet. I wanted to move on and leave him to cry but the others insisted we go take a quick look for the sad giants goat. Well hill giants are not know for there smarts it is surprising he did not spot the ogre camp slightly off the main road. I quickly dashed in to pick up the sheep well the others drew away the ogres with a few taunts. With the goat safe we subdued the ogres with a few strong blows to the head and some rope. Upon closer inspection of there camp I found human remains. They had been roasting human flesh over a bonfire. They could not be left alive after a moment of thought I walked over splitting one of the pairs heads open with my axe and smashing the others skull with a blow to the temple. The others were shocked by this display of viciousness even though I had abstained from bloodshed as much as possible after I had gone on at lengths to convince them killing should be avoided. Maybe my convictions are weak and my emotions hotter then I care to admit. I should redouble my efforts to balance body and mind again being away from the hermitage is proving harder on me then I guessed.