Gideon's Journal

01/11/2020

We decided to venture to the largest of the adjacent islands, roughly south of Daretik, with the aim of discovering more about what was influencing the Bullywugs to become aggressive in the local fishing areas. The small group comprised of Tomb, Norlan, Retja and myself. We met with limited success, but then we weren’t there for very long either, just overnight. What little we did uncover was down to a benign, after dusk encounter with Hildegram, a less than shy denizen of the island (she may have been a Druid or even a Dryad; we weren’t really sure!). We also happened to camp close to an interesting Moon Totem carved in wood, which coincidentally happened to have the same pattern as one of Tomb’s tattoos but was also next to another Sea Nomad cache (make of that what you will?). However, we didn’t learn much more about Bullywug boundaries other than something or someone was forcing them. Unfortunately, our meeting with Hildegram was cut short when I told her of my conversation (before we set out) with the two captured Bullywugs in Daretik. I was exaggerating somewhat as the only coherent word that was distinguishable according to my ‘Speak with Animals’ incantation (actually, Speak with Frogs would have been a better description) was a very guttural word, “Slaad”! This gave Hildegram apoplexy and she suddenly rushed off without any further ceremony, stating only that ‘her Sisters needed to know about this’! Therefore, our conclusion was there was a Slaad at work!

In the morning as the tide was coming in, we noticed that sometime in the dead of the night, someone had scattered about five dismembered Bullywugs around the Totem (probably with curtesy of the Sisters)! The group then moved back to the cove and the boat to have breakfast and to discuss our options for the day. As we spoke, we became aware of an increasing pall of bluish smoke rising steadily hundreds of feet into the early morning sky. We hastily packed-up the boat and headed for what we deduced was the site of the derelict ship. In the course of our sail assisted rowing, a cataclysmic explosion occurred which caught us all off guard. However, that wasn’t the only surprise as a man high tsunami of purple spume overturned our vessel throwing everyone into the murky waters. With much luck and dexterity, I managed to hang on to my lute and pack, surfacing not too far from the boat. All of us were then in the sea, including Retja who’d done little to direct the boat into the enormous purple coloured wave. Swimming furiously towards the part submerged boat, I became aware of another presence below me in the dark fathoms. I quickly ducked under the surface only to see a menacing Bullywug heading directly towards me! Not knowing if the spell would work under water, but not fancying my chances if the Bullywug just pulled me down; I chanted the runes and just let fly. The incantation worked surprisingly well and four flashes of light sped away, hitting the surprised creature in the face, throat and chest. I was relieved to see it instantly freeze and then gently float away in the current; a lifeless piece of flotsam in the evergreen swell.

At that point a swarm of what I believed were Sprites approached from the direction of the wreck and started to target the Bullywugs with their bows. This helped us enormously and kept a lot of the creatures from attacking us. I then pleaded with a pair of the Fey to help in righting the boat, which had capsized as the huge wave had crashed through our midst. They aided where they could and then went to fend-off other Bullywugs in the locale. Not waiting around for anymore to target me, I quickly hauled myself into the boat. A few of the Sprite’s returned once the ‘frog-men’ had been driven-off. Sadly, they explained to me that they would shortly die as the Portal they’d been guarding had been destroyed. Apparently, they had defended the rift after a Slaad and three Hags had forced their way through, thereafter keeping many other similar creatures from using the Portal. Unfortunately, one of the members of our other group had started a fire, which initiated the closure of the Portal. The Sprites explained they were linked by two worlds but they also existed in both; however, they couldn’t survive in just one. The closing of the portal severed their link and damned them at the same time. As a parting gesture, I asked whether there was anything that we could do for them but apparently nothing would stop them from dying. Then, slowly, and with dignity, each of the small groups that had gathered together, then faded away in the morning sunlight. At that point, I decided I’d make it my business to destroy (or send back) the Hags and the Slaad to honour the Sprites and what they had achieved.

Once we were all back in the boat, it transpired that Norlan had at least accounted for one Bullywug and Tomb had got two others, so for once we’d accounted well for ourselves in this confrontation. Unfortunately, Retja hadn’t faired too well and was badly injured by a rogue Bullywug. Consequently, I spent some time sorting him out with bandages and a Healing incantation, so he could manage the boat again. Subsequently, Norlan and Tomb bailed out the water-logged skiff and successfully managed to recapture an oar, the others having floated out of sight.

Once we were underway using a part salvaged sail and a makeshift pair of oars, we hastened to the islands close to the now vapourised wreck site to take stock and recover from the day’s events. On nearing one of the islands, we saw some activity on one of the beaches which turned out to our friends from the other group. Interestingly, they were not alone, there was a young lad (probably in his early teens) with bright blue skin who was nothing like anything I’d clapped eyes on, in my entire life so far! Apart from looking tired and scarred, he didn’t seem to be injured. However, he also didn’t seem to be able to communicate by any means coherent, except with some very basic hand signals. I remember feeling a great need to unravel this puzzle and put the boy at ease as not being able to communicate would be my worst fear. So, I prepared and cast a Comprehend Languages enchantment, which surprisingly didn’t work at all, as it transpired (at the time) that the young lad couldn’t actually speak. I remember feeling quite frustrated at this as I’d hoped to de-mystify the situation and find out about his origins. Additionally, we could have answered some of his concerns and provided more information about the area and ourselves.

Anna and the boy (apparently called Fuu) later went crabbing along the rocky shoreline for supper as he seemed to trust her company more than anyone else’s. In the mean-time Tomb, Norlan and I listened to the others and the events which had culminated in the burning of the wreck. After the meal, I relayed to the group what Norlan and I had discussed with Hildegram and what the Sprites had told me of the wreck. This news seemed to have an instant effect on Anna who moved away from the camp to be on her own for a while. Oswlen then admitted that during the evacuation from the abandoned ship, he’d gained a map that he knew he’d obviously drawn but had no memory of actually completing it. This chart had symbols that could have been Portals and other line references that appeared to be linked to the various constellations in the night sky. At this point Anna came back and inspecting the chart confirmed that there was a link that suggested that certain Portals might be accessible at specific times according to the night sky at the time! The discussion petered out after this revelation and everyone started to sleep. As a final flurry, I ended the evening with a series of gentle songs to aid rest and recuperation. I then took the first watch.

 Summoning my Familiar 

A few days before we were due to depart for the village of Fuall, I cast my first ritual of conjuration. My ‘History Tome’, which I had given to Edatuyurn at our first meeting, and which she had promptly handed back minus the last page, later transformed into Spell Book! The damage had affected the glamour which overlaid the pages text. Consequently, once I’d committed myself to being a Mage with the book in hand, the hidden collection of spells then appeared. All the necessary gestures, runes to chant and the materials required were all easily discerned in the familiar script of my old Master.

‘Now where to get a brass brazier?’ I’d thought to myself. Eallan’s seemed the obvious starting point and the incense would have to come from Edatsuyurn as her house always smelt of the pungent resin sticks. Therefore, following breakfast, I wandered over to the blacksmiths workshop. When I arrived, she was just drawing air into her forge to hammer out a scoop of some description. I pitched my price to her: money (obviously); a promise on future healing; or maybe, I’d work for her for an agreed time?

However, she side stepped these offers and simply asked, ‘Do you have anything on you today, which would be a fair trade? Now, I really didn’t have much at that time and I knew the villagers had little faith in coins, so maybe some form of entertainment might logically be appreciated?

“Do you want a pack of cards?” I’d tentatively offered. “I can show you games of Patience to wile-away the hours on an evening? Eallan then pulled a face and made a good show of chewing the idea over but I knew then that she was interested; so, I held my course and started to shuffle the deck. Interestingly, she took some of my gold and the pack of cards as a good proportion of the coin was apparently brass. Like any good deal, we were both happy with the trade. It took her a few hours the following day to make various moulds and hammer out the various strips of brass for welding. The final object was an eloquent piece of work which gave me the principle tool to complete my incantation.

The incense was even easier to come by. On my way back from Eallan’s, I took a slight detour to Edatsuyurn’s hut, where I found a small dish of Makko, Jigit and Laha ready and waiting! Amazing! The old dear was nowhere to be seen but I knew the dish was meant for me. Looking back, it’s still a mystery to me that she knew what I needed and probably before I did! Anyway, I’ll have to figure out a suitable replacement for her kindness when the next opportunity arises.

I then had everything for the ritual, so I found a quiet corner at the edge of the village. I placed the pine cones I’d gathered that morning into the newly constructed brazier and lit it. The fresh smell of pine resin, the sweet incense, mingled with a pocket full of charcoal, given to me by Eallan at once put me in a good mood; and the surrounding air smelt divine!

Reminiscing, that day couldn’t have been more perfect to attract the symbol of my family as my companion. The cries of the gulls on the sea front offered a comforting nest for my mind to settle in. Subsequently, as the incantation took over with a rhythm defined by the tumbling waves on the nearby shore, I knew the summoning was working. Suddenly, the wind rose and without thinking, I offered up my arm to the horizon. A weight alighted and then with some surprise, I squealed in pain as its talons pierced my shirt and forearm! I bit my lip as I felt the blood dripping into my shirt. but now the bond was sealed.

The result was a magnificent, pristine, adult male Black Hawk (actually a Mangrove Black Hawk to be exact) with very inquisitive eyes. He introduced himself as “Quarrel” before flying from my bruised arm to a nearby gate post. Well that had been a great success, so now I had a scout and a few other things besides. Magic is such a wonder!

 15/11/20 on a Fuall’s Errand 

The morning of our departure to Fuall, I was raring to go because it had promised high adventure and a story to tell. No one had heard anything from that village since before I arrived in Daretik. Of course, there had been sightings of a Hill Giant not far from it, which would have been bad enough, but my guess was there was something more sinister going on and I meant to be in the thick of it. For once, I wanted to tell a story I would be a part of rather than singing about what others had done.

However, the start was a bit of a disaster with a lot of time wasted by a number of the group who failed to organised themselves properly. So much so, that we actually had to delay a day! Therefore, while most were faffing-about, I’d got Blannan to make me a pair of Falconry gloves as I suspected the padding wrapped around my left arm wouldn’t be able to take the battering of a long journey with my new hawk. Anyway, we finally started to journey North, hugging the coast with the aim of locating the Wandering River. At this point, I sent Quarrel into the air to scout for signs of the Giant; better we see it before it sees us! Otsi and his flock of goats were also supposed to be in this vicinity according to Zoks, who’d met him during his recent ‘walkabout’ and roughly knew where he was currently camping. The initial part of the journey over the following few days was uneventful, only having to stop to kill a Wild Boar, so we didn’t arrive at Otsi’s camp with nothing to offer.

Later the next day, during mid-afternoon, we all drifted into Otsi’s camp just in time for a brew and to build-up the fire ready to roast the boar. Otsi’s daughter, Aurelitz was also in the camp along with a couple of puppies and their very curious goats. Aurelitz was only 15 but had a presence well beyond her apparent years, almost an embodiment of an ancient spirit. She had an array of very detailed and sophisticated body art and showed she was already a great artist for her age. The evening passed comfortably with ale, roast boar and some quite conversation. Quarrel had arrived back in camp earlier that evening having seen nothing of the giant or anything else worthy of note. Clutching some raw pork, I’d cut from the carcass before it was cooked, the hawk then went to a local tree to eat and sleep. I spent the rest of the evening meditating on my past and the position I now found myself in; far away from home and wondering where precisely everyone was and what they were doing at that particular moment. I later took the first watch.

Luckily, nothing occurred during the night and Quarrel set off at dawn to hunt and stretch his wings. We all breakfasted on more boar, which was even nicer cold; thoroughly content I finished by licking the fat from my fingers and crunching the crackling with a cup of tea. Simple pleasures and although it was a cool morning, it was definitely going to be a brighter day.

After breakfast, Otsi offered to take us further north towards Fuall but he could only spare a day or so to help us. However, Aurelitz took the opportunity to inspect one of Tomb’s tattoos and after a very stilted conversation with him, she offered to repair one (across his chest) that had been damaged during a previous fight. However, the best time for this would be later in the early evening. Consequently, our journey was delayed for a day for the ritual to take place. I contemplated how privileged it would be to witness this type of magic! Things were looking up!

Later that afternoon, I was playing a lament with my new found whalebone flute, which had a seductively mellow but eerily mournful tone when Aurelitz came over to listen. We spoke for sometime about art and music being very similar but just different mediums when much to my surprise she offered to draw a tattoo for me! I took no time in accepting and she proffered that the best time would be in the early morning, an hour after dawn. For the rest of the day I found it hard to contain my glee!

The restoration of the tattoo took place during twilight and as the crescent moon rose like a stunning back-drop over the surrounding hills, she began her work. Aurelitz’s skill was imbued with a pulsation of magic which was subtle and amazing at the same time. Finally, she reformed the last part of the image with a flick of the needle, which initiated a profound change as Tomb metamorphosised into huge bear!

Well that put the cat amongst the pigeons; you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife! The silence in the campsite was utterly profound, not even the goats stirred. Practically everyone froze, only Aurelitz and Otsi behaved as though it was the most natural event to occur, just like boiling the kettle or milking the goats. Was I surprised? Not in the least, I saw the magic in her artistry and knew something was going to happen but I’ve got to say, the bear shape was unexpected; quite a step-up from being a barbarian. To be fair, Tomb probably didn’t expect it either, so it will be interesting to see how he deals with his new state in the weeks to come. Wow, is this going to make a great song!

There were a variety of reactions amongst the happy campers, the main one was of wariness mixed with shock, although I think it was the Oswlen who had the most extreme reaction deciding that bunking out in the forest was safer than in the camp. Not sure that was actually wise or even true given what was potentially out there. Additionally, Tomb hadn’t posed an immediate threat once he’d transformed. Anyway, I think that was just a measure of how vulnerable he was feeling at the time.

The morning brought a cool mist and a subdued quiet to the glade. The goats had recovered their normal implacable inquisitiveness and were softly bleating as they chewed grass. I breakfasted early and cleaned my hands in the water set aside for the goats knowing that Aurelitz was going to perform her artistry on me, shortly. At the due hour she took me to one side and I offered her my hands. Then methodically with delicate strokes of her needles, she scribed an outline and then started filling-in the wings with feathers and the legs with scales, with great precision and unbelievable detail. It was an experience like no other and one I’d happily repeat, were I to be so gifted again. The result was stunning: she’d separately drawn on the palm and fingers of my right hand, and also across the fingers of my left hand. Consequently, when the back of my right hand was placed in the palm of my left and the thumbs pads met, a beautifully integrated hawk with the head and beak formed in my flesh. It was so magnificent, I almost cried. Then an awareness crept over me, there was something about it that was alive, I felt a small beating heart and then both eyes focused on me! I broke my hands apart more in surprise at the revelation; it was so unbelievable. Time for another sandwich and a mug of tea!

We all gathered our things and packed our bags but just before I took my leave of Aurelitz, I profoundly thanked her for the tattoos and the enchantment that was now an embodiment of the design. Quietly, she responded, but it wasn’t what I’d expected and I knew then that she understood and held my secret.

Otsi led the way North again and we only stopped for small meals and to sleep. I played little and we had cold rations not wanting to provoke any interest with a fire. The days passed until we came across the first steel legged watch tower. One of the Kobolds (not sure who) was curious and brave enough to scale the 60ft edifice; apparently the view was really good. Interestingly, the next tower could just be seen along the trail and was approximately a day’s walk away. With that we camped away from the tower in the surrounding glade. The days contrived to be very similar, so I can’t remember which particular day we had our unwelcome guest, but it occurred during the dead of the night after my watch. Everything happened so quickly, but I think its testament to how we’re all starting to work together that in no more than a few minutes, we’d all contributed to bringing down the Owlbear with out any harm to any of us!

The following day, I removed and stowed the three feathers from our intruder in my spell book, then ate some cold rations and stepped on to the trail with everyone else. Later that day we arrived at another watch tower but the view from this one was different ; we could actually see Fuall ! No smoke could be seen but at approximately 20 miles, it was difficult to see anything meaningful anyway. Tomorrow night was going to be very interesting indeed!

Walking into Fuall (13/12/20)

One day out and the city looked normal from Quarrel’s view point, which was about 200 ft up and circling on a light, warm wind. Reporting frequently, by circling back to me, he described there were people moving around, smoke rising and the smell of meat in the air. The only thing out of place was he didn’t see any men, only women. The day was getting on and it was time to start back when Quarrel noticed a lone figure standing back from the tree-line observing the city. Finally, setting off he glided on a variety of thermals back with the news.

Later, I relayed all the information from Quarrel. Consequently, the group decided to see who and what the lone figure was doing by itself before attempting anything in the city. As we approached, Quarrel noticed another Owlbear chasing our mysterious figure. Unfortunately, it was gaining on what now appeared to be a golden coloured Dragonborne. Our group was approximately 1200 yards away, so we all took to our heals to intercept them where we thought we could help. What followed was a chase through the trees at full speed in the hope we would be in time. In the meantime, there was a little confusion created by Oswlen who’d cast a spell which went horribly wrong. Following a lot of Llama braying noises that issued from him, he promptly threw-up over his clothes and saddle!

While running in, I managed to hit the Owlbear square in the side of its head with a Fire Bolt from long range, which caused it a lot of pain and its feathers to burn merrily. The Dragonborn was intelligently using a tree to block it and using its fiery breath against the Owlbears vicious attempts to eat it! Unfortunately, its luck ran out and a massive swipe brought him down. I wasn’t the only person to hit the creature as I was outpaced by Norlan and Tomb but finally the Owlbear retreated having been hurt again by the above duo. Tomb desperately and ineffectually tried to apply first-aid but failed miserably, so I stepped in and cured his wounds. Very quickly, I got him to his feet and recovering from his chase. He then introduced himself as ‘Krexis’ a Gold Dragonborn. He was quite imposing being about a foot taller than me and easily two stone heavier. Apparently, he and his brother had been observing the city for a couple of days when his brother seemed to abandon him without a word of explanation.

Anyway, we all seemed to get along and after various discussions relating to the suspiciousness of the city’s appearance (the walls in particular), the entry of a lone male person who had then been blindfolded and why it was guarded solely by women, we decided to go and complete our journey to Fuall. Oswlen and Norlan decided they would disguise themselves as women through illusion, and then go to the gate to see what was going on within the city’s walls.

We waited outside for approximately an hour before they both came back (now undisguised) stating we had an invite to attend Fuall, if we wanted to but we’d have to be blindfolded, as all visiting males had to obey this rule. I wasn’t very happy about this at all, but without getting inside how were we to determine what was going on? We all took the risk, including Krexis who wanted to see if his brother had entered the city after he’d left him. Before we were blindfolded, we all took stock of how impressively high and decorated in figurines the city’s walls were before being led through the main gate.

A discussion was had with Düktar Müd, Commander of the Gate and our guide concerning the rules of entry. Once we’d agreed to abide by her instructions, we were led into her family’s apartments where we could take off our blindfolds, take some food and have a bed for the night, but under curfew. We were very well cared for by Gazam Müd, the elder of the house and Düktar’s mother. Düktar’s young daughter was also there but I didn’t catch her name. I was growing more uneasy as time went on, yet Gazam was the perfect host. The old women described how the place was set-up and the life they seemed to lead without having men play any specific roles, yet there were children?

The next day we were taken under blindfold into the streets and markets to experience the city and buy some provisions. I got the feeling we were being manipulated into how ‘normal’ the place actually was under the beneficial rule of Queen Karnuta Müd. We were expressly told not to remove our blindfolds unless given permission by Düktar but I contrived to ‘see’ round part of the material to get a proper look at the situation. I also had Quarrel roost close by, so I could see through his eyes and view the Market properly. I was disturbed to see a male figure tied to a wooded stake as some sort of punishment. I vaguely recalled he looked like the man who we’d all seen enter the city the day before. I asked Quarrel to let me know if he saw the Queen in the streets and give me some warning of her approach (apparently, she regularly toured the city according to our Guide). We asked Düktar what he had done once she’d made us aware of him. He’d been caught thieving in the city the night before and was waiting to be dealt with (we were given permission to look at him by Düktar at this point, but only me and another of us did so). In the meantime (bizarrely under the circumstances), we were all given the option of doing some shopping, so I was directed to a curio shop where I could buy books and writing materials. I came away with two interesting tomes for 45 GP.

Once our purchases were completed, we were about to move on when Quarrel informed me that a personage was coming our way that everyone was either bowing or kneeling to it. We had been told we had to kneel in the Queen’s presence and maintain our blindfolds, which we all did as a curtesy. What followed was the Queen had an exchange with the captive and then summarily executed him by turning him into stone; it gripped his head and forcibly stared into his face (probably this had been staged for our ‘benefit’). In my opinion, I felt it was its way of instilling discipline and making its absolute rule felt. However, the travesty of it was that the populace thought that petrification was a gift of immortality! However, the thief would not achieve this honorary status as he would be turned to dust and not used in the walls of the city as his punishment!

In a certain amount of shock and anger, we returned to Gazam’s apartment to learn we’d been given an audience with the Queen, in the morning. I meditated on all that I had seen and heard, and was growing increasingly worried for our safety, ‘just what had we let ourselves in for?’, I thought.

We were escorted under blindfold into the Queen’s presence by four silent Priests and Düktar. Its abode was in a separate part of the city, so we weren’t entirely sure where we were, although Quarrel was nearby. We had to kneel again before we started our audience, something none of us relished. What transpired was a philosophical discussion about her society and how beneficial it was, while the Queen glossed over all the glaring negatives and travesties that were apparent to me. Then Krexis took it upon himself to challenge her ideals following its monologue. As a consequence, I was sure we’d be carrying a lump of stone back to Daretik but the Queen didn’t react! However, we soon understood why and what it wanted from us? It transpired that all the males born into the city, we ‘immortalised’ in stone as were the females once they’d achieved a certain maturity. Those males (or her ‘Sons’; the Priests of this cult, as they were referred to) that somehow survived the petrification process were then used to re-populate the city by inseminating the women, so this travesty of society could be maintained! Can you believe they all thought this was normal! 15 years this tragedy had been going on; just how many people were in the walls of the city because of this monster of a Queen? The serenity of the Queen’s voice belied what an aberration it was and the hypocrisy of condemning most of its own cultists to death. I couldn’t stand this anymore and I made a move to leave but I was blocked from doing so by one of the Priests. A confrontation here at this time would have been suicide, so I calmed down with the intention of leaving as quickly as I could manage once away from the Queens court.

Then the reason for its temperance became obvious. Its final requirement for us to be able to stay and be trusted was its greatest crime: we had to provide a male child, no more than 5 years old to her as a gift or present the local marauding Hill Giant alive, as proof of our sincerity to abide in its society. That was the final straw for me, we needed to get out as soon as possible and start to work for the freedom of the city. I also felt, I needed to report on this matter at the earliest possible opportunity and I needed to be alive to do that. We were then escorted back to Gazam’s to ponder the Queen’s words and the options it had presented.

Nobody looked like they wanted to be a part of this city or Karnuta Müd’s version of community. Nobody was seriously considering getting the sacrifices it had obviously wanted either. So, what to do?

24/01/21

Walking out of Fuall.

Fuall was as eventful as previous journal entries but the major point was the rescue of a baby boy by Norlan. A brilliant play to maybe provoke or just understand whether Karnuta Müd has any form of a conscience as he courageously met with the Medusa alone and on its own terms, and in the presence of its oppressive ‘Sons’. Redemption was the point to prove I believe, i.e. was the Queen willing to accept the logic of her own oppression of all these people and to understand her own folly in blaming all males for the wrongs perpetrated against her all those centuries before? Apparently not, although the tale he recounted showed he’d pushed her far down that road. However, she wasn’t about to put hundreds of years of prejudice to one side regardless of his valiant words. The benefit of that meeting was both surprising and perplexing at the same time, with the gift of a baby boy!

Just as this news was simmering, we had a visitor in the form of Clöe Dar a proverbial crack in the façade of a perfect world under the Queens influence. This woman wanted out but just needed a bit of help in starting her new life. To cut a long debate short on how this was going to be accomplished, it was decided by everyone to use a tunnel/cave access point that she was aware of and leave Fuall via a cave system leaving from the bottom of the towns well. With some illusions, conjurations and some luck we managed to skip through the streets and get down the well without drawing any adverse attention. What I thought would be a short journey just beyond the walls, turned out to be a 6-hour hike underground arriving near the seashore! However, it wasn’t that easy as we met a Basilisk along the way! The combat was remarkably short with damage from an arrow from Krexis, a Magic Missile and Dissonant Whispers spells from myself and a Chaos Bolt from the Oswlen. The latter evocation was both immense and hugely damaging resulting in more harm to the creature than the rest of us could muster together. All the barbarian was capable of was smashing a dead body in frustration with his Maul.

Well, where now all on the beach with a two week walk home ahead of us, a baby and a free woman from Fuall. We now just have to survive the journey.

A rebuttal of comments made : We’ll I never, that dumb barbarian actually got my name right, its only taken about 6 or 7 weeks! Everyone else got it right from the first introduction, yet that poor fatherless one has struggled where there are dogs that could have managed it sooner! Bloody amazing! What’s dumber still is he went wide eyed when I said I was a Mage? Firstly, what does he think a sorcerer actually is, except a Mage without training? Oswlen has fired at least two monstrously warbling and devastating bolts at our adversaries (with one, he put a sizable dent in the basilisk that two such bolts would have left the rest of us just mere spectators). Yet he’s never so much as complained or passed any adverse comment about the magical/spellcasting Gnome! Yet he’s surprised that I’m part Wizard, having cast numerous incantations over weeks of travelling. Anyway, who says Wizards were the only ones that caused the devastation? There’s not much difference between Wizards and Sorcerers except their origins, so I wouldn’t bet against a sorcerer or two being involved somewhere along the line. Not very quick off the mark is our barbarian and that’s an understatement. I feel suddenly inspired to write and maybe perform a song (in every tavern, hostelry and meeting place I come across) concerning a dumb barbarian and a more intelligent bear! I could call it, ‘A Grisly Fool Moon’. Admittedly, it needs work, but it could be a very interesting tale to tell!