Reposting my Pathfinder character's journal here for you all to enjoy. Apologies for lack of context, much of the humour comes from being at the table when it actually happened.
6th Sarenith, 712 AS continued
With our success in destroying the cultists, we returned to the SHOA with our prisoner and the corpse of their leader, turning them in for the reward. Imagine my displeasure when we discovered that no official bounty had been issued for their capture! After having a few strong words about the finer points of a fee for service model with the guard captain, eventually a promise of coin was given as recognition of our heroic efforts in selflessly assisting the city and preventing the cultist menace from taking root.
After concluding the business of handing over the living prisoner, obtaining a receipt for his delivery, and finalizing the paperwork involved in the conclusion of the venture, we returned to the Hydra and Bear, gracing the gathered devotees of The Professionals with the daring tale of our conquest of the cultists. We sent out the call for any who would aspire to travel to new and dangerous lands, seeking the adventure and wealth that would come with a life on the frontier.
7th Sarenith, 712 AS
We went as a group to the SHOA in the morning, presenting ourselves for collection of the promised reward. We were not disappointed to discover the chest filled with gleaming platinum, though perhaps the assembled guard were somewhat dissatisfied that their cleverly concealed trigger to spring a small shower of confetti was disabled by Kee. Nevertheless a job well done and payment for services rendered counts for far more in my books than celebratory explosives. Quite frankly the adventuring life contains enough surprise detonations already.
From this point we proceeded to visit Zalet at the temple of Iomedae. To avoid misunderstanding, I convinced Little Bigtoes to go shopping, sensing that the celestial representative of the divine realms may take offence to his less than meritorious moral inclinations. I personally find his idiosyncratic predilections quite whimsical, though the more rigidly dogmatic may sometimes misunderstand his unorthodox approach and mercurial capriciousness to conceal a malign propensity for pernicious depravity. I've always been inclined to favour an intellectualist consequentialism school of normative ethics over deontological moral absolutism. Unfortunately the over-zealous tend to favour smiting evil over rigorous philosophical debate.
From the temple of Iomedae we received much in the way of praise for our assistance, and little in the way of remuneration for our efforts. Despite this disappointment, Zalet saw fit to allow me to retain possession of the token he gifted us for use in summoning him to our aid, and I consider this boon a useful asset should we find ourselves in dire need of assistance. Also, directly upon our departure, we were met by Sir Yonrick, the knight-paladin of the order of Ozem, who gifted us with a shield of marvellous design, able to cast a powerful light on command that would counter any spells of darkness similar to the ones that have troubled us previously.
8th Sarenith, 712 AS
With the threat of the cultist menace well and truly wrapped up, we turned our attentions to the goal of restoring Eredhel to functional habitation and establishing our presence beyond the frontier of civilization. Having mastered the teleportation magics required to perform a long distance journey, I consulted my companions and elected to have Kee, Eclogyt and Little Bigtoes accompany me on the journey. Darrak proposed to remain behind and attend to his duties within the temple of Erastil. Without further delay, we gathered together and teleported to the ancient lost city.
Whilst our arrival was as precise as could be desired, the outcome was completely unpredicted. Our group discovered itself knee deep in orcs! The stinking creatures had retaken the keep of Eeredhel along with their goblin allies, and were currently sleeping through the midday sun. Grateful for the benefit of the element of surprise, a quick fireball served to clear the upper level of enemies, though the sound alerted the creatures on the floor below. An intense battle followed, with a seemingly unending horde of green-skinned monstrosities swarming into the keep. After fighting off the horde to a standstill, I was forced to concede the battle could not be won this day given their superior numbers. A supply of potions of invisibility served to aid our retreat from the keep, and after preparing the required spell, I teleported us back to Sommetide.
Given the development of the orc presence so close to the borders of civilized lands, I quickly alerted the town guard at the SHOA, stopping only momentarily to tend to the wounds of myself and my companions, including a particularly annoying lucky shot that a goblin had made which left an arrow shaft sticking most distractingly out of my forehead. The guard quickly elevated us up the ladder of bureaucracy, organizing an emergency meeting with governor Alarfir, to whom we relayed our encounter with the orcs. Darrak used his divine magics to produce a Sending to the Shadowfell ranger leader Giles Fyfield, from whom we learned that the orcs had already advanced as far as the Lazeri river, where they were being repelled by the ranger forces. Expressing our desire to assist in any way possible, Alarfir arranged to have a scroll of Sending sent to assist me providing reinforcements to the rangers.
In the evening, my advertisement for a songsmith bore fruit. A remarkably dashing fellow by the name of Mathus arrived to answer my summons, proving himself to be a lyricist and performer of no small skill. Together we orchestrated a rousing call to arms at the Hydra and Bear, sounding the alarm for all who wished to prove themselves on the field of battle, for all who wished to protect their homes and repel the invaders who would lay waste to everything they hold dear.
9th Sarenith, 712 AS
After discussion with the rest of the company, we each departed to begin preparations for the assault on the orc menace. For my part, I spent the morning with Mathus, recounting the tales of glory that had forged the adventuring company I founded into the enviable force we are today. Regrouping in the afternoon, I attempted to teleport our company again into Eredhel with the goal of capturing an orc for interrogation to divulge their plans, only to have my spell bend and twist away from the target! It would seem that the enemy, bloodied by the blow we dealt it the previous day, has erected some arcane form of teleportation block over their stronghold. My carefully laid plans were stymied but not yet foiled, for I felt sure that it would be possible to attempt to approach from the Lazeri river frontier instead, should direct means be unavailable for entry into Eredhel.
Returning to Sommetide to regroup and plan our next course of action, Little Bigtoes informed us he'd heard rumours of undead activity in the Sommetide graveyard. Feeling it would offer a chance for us to keep our skills sharp for the planned expedition to Eredhel, I rallied the rest of the party to the job of investigating the disturbance. As a side note, it would also seem that Kee has obtained a kitten today, the story of which I doubtless have no desire to hear recounted and likely am best being ignorant of the purpose to which he intended to put the animal. Fortunately for the creature, Eclogyt expressed interest in caring for its needs, and thus it changed hands in ownership. I only hope Darrak can restrain his dinosaur companion from enjoying Eclogyt's new kitten as a bite-sized snack.
Our late night excursion to the graveyard yielded tremendously successful results. It would appear that the cultist activity in the local area has brought about the activity of a Bodak, a life draining form of intelligent undead abomination that, if left unchecked, could easily multiply its number beyond measure. We were fortunate indeed to address this apocalyptic hazard so quickly, for without our intervention it would have made short work of any weaker willed prey. Besides the creature's withered husk, the only item of note we found at the scene was a scrap of cloth matching the style of the cultist cloaks we've encountered previously.
At the conclusion of the battle, I was disappointed to discover Kee engaging in a rather poorly concealed attempt at graverobbing. I felt it best to liberate the contents of the tomb he so clearly coveted, planning to return with them at a later date to have the gravekeepers restore them to their rightful place. With this task accomplished and carrying the undead creature's remains, I exited the graveyard to report our task complete to the tenders of this mournsome field. The twin pair of caretakers were odd in appearance, raising my suspicions and setting my sixth sense on edge. I attempted my best to uncover their true nature, using the return of one of the items from the crypt as a pretext for close examination, yet no matter how hard I tried I could not place the unnerving feeling that burned in the back of my mind. Until I could assuage the unease I felt regarding them, I felt it prudent to delay my planned restitution of the plunder.
10th Sarenith, 712 AS
In the early hours of the morning I awoke to discover an infant's cry coming from Eclogyt's side of our shared room. Perplexed and more than a little disconcerted at the implications of what this event might herald, I examined the source to find, to my intense disbelief, that the small container he had created to house his newfound kitten now played cradle to a newborn halfling! Yet the creature was not entirely humanoid, bearing obvious signs of lycanthropy and clearly in distress. Eclogyt, bless his kind soul, attempted his best to calm the infant, but though his fists may be strong enough to shatter stone, his touch carried little comfort for a distraught child. My own hand, however, swiftly guided the forlorn changeling back to slumber's embrace. The disquiet caused by the child's outburst drew many to our door that night, but I turned them all away, explaining that I would investigate the matter fully in the morning.
After thankfully returning to sleep and discovering the child had resumed its feline form the next morning, we immediately set out to find more suitable lodgings for our inadvertent ward. I immediately took her to the temple of Erastil, knowing that Darrak's companions in the clergy would know best how to care for an orphan with no home. The priest summoned was sceptical of our claim at first, but upon examining the child closely, and with a hefty donation of coin to ensure her proper care, we convinced the church to accept the poor wayward soul into their flock. I one day hope to return to follow her growth and I pray that Chaldira, whom we have aided before, will watch over this child and give her the luck she will need to make her way in this world.
I am grateful beyond measure that we acted as we did, for upon our return to the Hydra and Bear, we enquired after our promised reward from the gravekeeper pair, only to be told by the innkeeper that he'd sent a duo matching our description upstairs not moments before. As Little Bigtoes approached the foot of the stairs, his ascent was interrupted by the arrival of a corpse tumbling down from above! The twins had finally removed their masks, revealing themselves as Suspiridaemons. They had released a Cloudkill spell in the centre of the inn, a bank of fog as silent as it is deadly. We fought desperately to contain the spell and protect any further innocents from death, and the ensuing battle ended up partially destroying the structure of the stairwell and second floor. Fortunately, property damage aside, no further harm was caused, and everyone escaped with their lives, excepting the twin daemons. Kee and Little Bigtoes even saw fit to investigate and uncover a chest of treasures they claimed was intended as the reward for our earlier efforts in assisting with the extermination of the Bodak, though given the obvious intent of the daemons to kill us rather than applaud our protection of the city, I had misgivings it was instead the personal belongings of the recently departed innocent bystander. I instructed them to leave it in my room until I was able to properly identify the correct course of action to take regarding its discovery.
Of course by this point the city guard had arrived, far too late to provide meaningful assistance though they could hardly be faulted for their efforts. The scene of destruction and colourful descriptions from the concerned survivors meant that we were doubtless wanted for questioning, a role I was only to happy to play. Both Kee and Little Bigtoes, pricked no doubt by guilty consciences, attempted to slip away, only to earn themselves a pair of guards on each shoulder and a quick march to the centre of the group. Eclogyt, as he is known to sometimes do, became lost in his own meditations and wandered off completely unnoticed, only to frantically chase after us a few minutes after he'd realized he'd been accidentally separated.
Well, after a long wait in an interrogation room, eased somewhat by a small contribution to the guardsmen's amenities funds, we had the pleasure of being introduced to a one captain Harsk, a dwarf with all the personality of a pickled lemon. Nevertheless, despite his scepticism and obvious desire to charge us with a crime, the honest and trustworthy reputation of The Professionals prevailed, and grudgingly he released us without further incident, maintaining only that our band needed to compensate the Hydra and Bear for the property damages. Fortunately, my own brilliance had a rather impressive strategy in mind for accomplishing just this goal.
Leaving the others to their own devices, I immediately set out to square our accounts with the inn. Explaining my ability to effect the repairs immediately the next day, the innkeeper Celador was impressed enough to arrange for private quarters for myself, even though by all rights the business was closed to further trade. With the ground set, I went out to gather the required materials and sequestered myself away from outside distractions, passing the evening with the company of my spellbook.
11th Sarenith, 712 AS
Truly my inimitable genius knows no bounds! With but a wave of my hand, the unsightly mess was rendered better than new, a masterwork of craftselfship on par with the greatest of talents in woodwork or carpentry. I must admit to being more than a little proud of my accomplishment, and I pity the poor souls who slave and toil so desperately at their crafts, unable to fathom the tragic deficiency between their own skills and mine. Yes, though not ever having turned my hand to the plebeian trades, my own immense majesty of voluminous intellect grasped within it these so-called arts as the simple playthings they are, and to a fertile mind such as mine that is so gravid with knowledge, it was but a trifle to harness the raw powers of creativity and birth from it the newborn splendour now on display for all to witness and glorify.
In short, the repairs to the Hydra and Bear were successful. Following from my success, we were released from our obligations to our erstwhile host, and it would seem I have now gained a new quest. This time, one of a personal nature, in payment to a close friend. I have promised to find Eclogyt a badger.
My flinty friend had spent a vast amount of his time and energy to no avail attempting to find one in the wild. Given the extremely low likelihood of finding his desired target through simple trial and error, I again exercised my powers of reason to narrow the search. We began our morning by visiting traders who specialize in animal familiars, reasoning that such merchants may know of those who would deal in more exotic fauna. While unsuccessful, we did manage to gain a lead on the location of an order of druids, the faith being well known for their secrecy and antisocial habits. With a general direction and the keen eyes of my companions, we took MAC outside the city walls, searching the fields nearby until we found a circle of standing stones and the signs of a ritual being conducted therein. Approaching, we were met at the threshold by a servant of Gozreh, his deity's favour granting him access to the transmutative powers that allow their faithful to assume the guise of animals.
We parleyed and eventually came to an agreement. It would seem the grove they frequent has of late been troubled by the presence of a draconic beast, one who disrupts the flow of divine energies in the area and creates an imbalance in the natural order. We quickly agreed to find and slay this creature in exchange for the druids' assistance in bonding a badger with Eclogyt. I still do not understand the fascination my companion possesses with this creature, but I will not begrudge him his personal preferences, especially since we will be rather more certain this time that his newest pet is not a lycanthrope in disguise.
Seeking out the draconic beast's nest proved unsuccessful, and as night set, we returned to the city. We resolved to spend the following day searching in hopes of uncovering the beast's lair.
12th Sarenith, 712 AS
Eclogyt was especially motivated, as it was his keen eyes that spotted the beast's lair amongst a thick grove as we circled above. We had only just descended and buried MAC safely when the creature, sensing prey, dove from the sky in ambush! The creature was a Rift Drake, a lesser form of dragon notable for its acidic breath, an ability it used to punishing effectiveness on my companions. Nevertheless, it was no match for my own power, and my attacks swiftly had it mortally wounded. The killing blow I spared for Eclogyt's fists, giving him both the glory and honour to call the defeat his and claim his rightful prize from the druids. For myself, I investigated the beast's lair, finding the remains of an unfortunate halfling adventurer whose near endless luck had finally run out. We took what remained, along with the drake's corpse, to display to the druids.
With Eclogyt spending the rest of the day with the druids in ceremony, we four spent the afternoon investigating any further employment opportunities. Most leads ran dry, though one job announced itself as potentially lucrative. A wealthy widow had been calling for assistance with trouble from an undead spirit haunting her mansion. The combination of wealthy patron and undead threat seemed a perfect match for our skillset, and therefore we presented ourselves to her in answer to her summons.
A short conversation served to seal an agreement with the widow, an elderly gnome woman named Wilma. She presented us with the facts of the case, her long deceased husband having returned to haunt her residence and cause mischief around the house. As the weather outside turned increasingly foul, we all agreed it would be best for us to spend the night, as hauntings such as these tend to occur more commonly during the witching hours. However, it would seem that fate intended to present us the opportunity early, for no sooner had we settled down to tea with our host than a disturbance rocked the manor. I immediately leaped into action, concern for my ally Darrak, who had been investigating the upper levels of the mansion alone, paramount in my mind. Imagine my bewilderment when I discovered him, howling with laughter, standing upon the upper landing of the staircase as the juvenile prank he'd committed.
But before I could give him the scolding he so richly deserved, an incorporeal haze seemed to push out from within him, attempting to attack Kee before apparently being repulsed and vanishing into the ceiling. I gave chase, cornering the ghostly creature in the attic, and identified it as a spirit of trickery and ill will known as a Phantasm. The creature, unmasked at last, led us on a merry chase before being cornered in the drawing room, causing immense chaos and destroying a rather expensive table in the process. Nevertheless we eventually destroyed the spirit's form, dispelling its link to the corporeal realm and sending it to the afterlife. I was able to repair the property damage with a little assistance from Darrak, and with the matter resolved and payment in hand, we all enjoyed a restful evening's peace in Wilma's company.
13th Sarenith, 712 AS
I was woken at an ungodly hour this morning by Kee, who had maintained watch from the attic window overlooking the street. Whilst I may not have been in the most gregarious of temperaments upon arising, in retrospect his actions showed a remarkable foresight and situational alertness and deserve credit. It was he who detected signs of the fabled headless horseman murderer, and discovered the corpse that lay directly outside our current host's dwelling. The pouring rain and dark night served to destroy any chance that might have been had of effecting pursuit of the killer, though the body remained to await our examination. We carefully searched the unfortunate victim's remains, but aside from a terminal case of decapitation, the motives for his death remained unclear.
Together with Kee, I took MAC to the nearest guard post, rousing the luckless guardswoman from the warmth of her booth and summoning her into the dark and stormy pre-dawn. Providing what shelter I could offer from the elements, I transported her to the scene of the crime and assisted as best I was able. We accompanied her to the guard headquarters to give our statements, meeting with her superior officer, who also had the distinction of being her uncle. Our part in the proceedings was brief, and we were cleared of any suspicion immediately and given leave to depart. We returned to Wilma's manor, entering quietly and passing what little time remained until true dawn attempting to salvage what we could from our interrupted rest.
As we departed Wilma's mansion, we found the scene of the crime outside being attended by a mortician named Tyreck. We held a short discussion with him and made enquiries about his knowledge of the seemingly random killings, learning from him that it appeared the victims were as a rule isolated, wretched and lonely creatures without close friends or family to miss them. My thoughts immediately returned to the claim that Kee made of being the first to observe this killer, and the link became all to clear upon this revelation. A second clue presented itself when Tyreck claimed the bodies to be as a rule all missing pieces, from limbs to organs. Given our thorough examination earlier had shown no such evidence, we were sceptical of this claim until shown by Tyreck that the victim before us was indeed missing its kidneys. Kee immediately abandoned all pretence of civility, all but outright accusing Tyreck of necromancy. At this point I knew it was doubtful that any further information would be forthcoming from our defensive informant, and elected to abandon this line of inquiry in favour of other avenues of investigation.
We travelled to the Sommetide graveyard to follow up on the outcome of the investigation into the Bodak's appearance and the fate of the gravekeeper twins. As predicted, the unfortunate guardians of the cemetery had met their end at the hands of the daemons, and as such it was impossible to question them for further information. The graveyard itself had experienced no additional disturbance, and the guard presence remained vigilant against any further undead activity. Questioning the guards, we learned the location of the city morgue, and decided to attempt to have Darrak question the victim of the attack to determine if they knew any information that might be relevant to our investigation of the headless horseman.
Arriving at the morgue, we found the mortician at his place of work. He seemed shocked to encounter us again, expressing great unease at our intrusion into his domain. When we requested access to the corpse of the victim of the most recent attack, he informed us that it had already been cremated as per the wishes of their next of kin, producing signed paperwork that corroborated his claim. With this avenue closed to us, we returned to the guard headquarters and requested permission to interview the next of kin specified on the paperwork, and through the power of my reputation as a reliable and trustworthy private investigator, we obtained permission to have a guard escort accompany us to the deceased's residence. Our interview was short-lived, however, as immediately upon speaking with the doorman, we discovered the household remained ignorant of the murder of their employer. We immediately returned to the guard headquarters, thrusting the falsehood of the forged paperwork and the deception within the guard's own organization into the light. Assured by the captain he would investigate the matter fully, we departed with the satisfaction of having righted a great wrong today.
Having done all we could do to provide the guard a breakthrough in the case of the headless horseman, we turned our attention again to recovering Eredhel. With the increase in the numbers of the company now that we had gained several new followers, I explained the limitations of my teleportation magics in transporting multiple companions. Given that I could take six others at most this day, it was eventually decided that Little Bigtoes would remain behind while I transported Kee, Darrak and Eclogyt with me to the Lazeri river front line. As I spoke the incantation to bend reality itself to my will, a surge of magical energy pushed against me, forcing us to appear with a dizzying jolt in the centre of a road that was quite clearly not the destination we were targeting.
Of course it was Kee who felt the need to point out the obvious discrepancy between our intended arrival point and the current location. I offer to spend my considerable arcane power in commanding the fundamental laws of the universe to sit down and shut up for a moment while I move the four of us hundreds of miles in an instant, yet should we be deflected by what is obviously the work of the enemy's spellcasters, instantly I am to blame. Perhaps if Kee wishes to criticize my abilities, I should 'forget' to include several of his internal organs the next time he requires transportation so that he has something relevant to whine about.
Having triangulated our position and determined that we were not too far off target, I gathered my focus and channelled all my power to push through the infernal barrier that wards the front line. Happily, my arcane might was more than sufficient to overcome the paltry resistance of the enemy, and we arrived amidst the ranger camp. Announcing our arrival to the defenders, we were escorted to meet with Leon, the acting commander of the camp. He seemed grateful to see reinforcements arrive from the western realms, and after offering our assistance in combating the orc menace, he requested we eliminate a forward scouting party three hours journey from the camp.
The march was uneventful, and soon we arrived at a grove of large trees that served to provide concealment for the camp. The orcs launched their attacks despite our attempt to parley, and without further delay the battle was joined. The creatures fell quickly, but though five perished from their wounds, the sixth was preserved and taken prisoner. Their equipment was well constructed, and despite the poor resistance they mounted it would appear they were an elite unit. We took the heads and hands from the enemy corpses to prevent them being resurrected, burning the rest of the remains, then returned to the ranger camp to report our success and deliver our prisoner.
The rangers appeared pleased with our results, and after recalling the bounty in Sommetide for the ears of orc invaders, I collected the requested parts as well as the more valuable items from the orcs and teleported back to the Hydra and Bear. After stopping briefly at the market to sell the equipment we'd obtained, I went to seek out Little Bigtoes and keep him company for the evening until I was able to transport us to the Lazeri river the following day.
My first stop at Wilma's house was unsuccessful in locating my missing ally. She reported his earlier claims of permission to lodge with her at her mansion were entirely fabricated falsehoods, and expressed her intense desire to never see him again. With this avenue of investigation having failed, I resorted to my familiarity with Little Bigtoes' habitual behaviour and predicted his next most likely destination. Extrapolating the likelihood of his desires, I proceeded to the Bean and Vermin, proving my hypothesis when I discovered him at a table deep in his cups. Discussing the plans for the evening, we agreed that we'd attempt one more try at locating this mysterious headless killer before departing for the Lazeri river the next morning.
We proceeded to patrol the warrens of down-town Sommetide, Little Bigtoes acting as bait while I followed as the eyes. Imagine our lack of surprise when, after a few hours, who should appear but our mortician friend Tyreck. We followed him as he spent an hour taking notes of obvious targets, jotting them down in a little book of premeditated murders. Obviously we were not going to allow him the opportunity to commit his butchery again simply to catch him red-handed, and so I agreed with Little Bigtoes that it would be best if we struck a pre-emptive blow. Our attack caught him completely off guard, though he recovered quickly enough to cast a powerful spell and transform my companion into a small fluffy bunny while I was occupied summoning an elemental to restrain him. The transformation was swiftly dispelled however, and whilst we made every effort to capture him alive, Tyreck succumbed to his wounds and fell into death's embrace. Thinking it best to ensure that there would be no possibility of the remains of such a powerful necromancer returning to unlife, we hastened to destroy the corpse and scatter the pieces far and wide, ensuring that he could never again reanimate and threaten the innocent.
After ensuring Sommetide's safety and protecting it's inhabitants from the dark evils who would murder innocents in the street, we retired to Wilma's mansion at Little Bigtoes' insistence. Despite encountering initial difficulties with entry due to a sticky locked door, we eventually managed to make ourselves comfortable in the lavish guest accommodations and enjoyed a well-earned night's rest.
14th Sarenith, 712 AS
Awaking to the sound of a commotion upstairs, I slipped outside and knocked on Wilma's front door. As predicted, Little Bigtoes' claims of securing permission for our stay were overly optimistic, but ever one to attempt to turn a mishap into an opportunity, I attempted to negotiate a fee for removing my companion from Wilma's dwelling. Unfortunately my negotiation was unsuccessful, and so I ended up paying her damages for the stay. Ascending upstairs, I was exposed to a full frontal view of my companion as he exited a bath of what I can only conclude from the thickness and colour to be a washtub filled with gravy.
I teleported Little Bigtoes and myself to the Lazeri River, reuniting with my companions. It would appear that the night was uneventful and little of note had occurred in my absence, though Darrak once again intended to perform a Scrying upon the goblin army leader to divine his location. Leaving him to his likely pointless exercise, I teleported back to Sommetide and collected our two animal followers and Kee's shadow companion, transporting them to the group.
With several hours to pass while Darrak attempted his spells, I studied the new spellbook I'd so recently acquired from the vile murderer Tyreck. Simply finding and destroying another spellcaster to gain their spellbook strikes me as a most direct and efficient method of gaining new knowledge. I'll admit that during my student days at Infamel I once vaporized the closest competitor for the spot of first place in my Conjuration classes, but due to the fact that evidence was discovered of him dabbling in diabolism, I'm sure the events surrounding his demise were attributed to extraplanar retribution. Yet I failed at that time to consider the benefits of securing his spellbook for myself after sweeping away the ashes left from his remains, an oversight I am only just now deeply regretting. Still, I take solace in the fact that he was likely to possess no knowledge of any great worth given the ease with which I was able to disintegrate him.
I discovered that the new spellbook I've obtained contains many useful gems of knowledge, including magics so potent even I have not yet mastered the skill with which to cast them. In particular, the school of Necromancy was heavily represented, and I'm looking forward to studying several of the spells from this discipline, the use of which I feel has been sadly under-represented in my own repertoire. After marking the pages most immediately in need of attention, I finished my studies for the morning to find Darrak had returned, grumbling and cursing after an obviously unsuccessful attempt at Scrying. Little needs be said about the folly of building one's strategy around so fickle and capricious a discipline, especially when a simple, direct method of action will suffice.
After seeking out Leon and discovering the ranger was away on patrol, I spoke with his replacement, a rather dull fellow by the name of Norman, to ascertain the most likely areas of hostile activity in the local area. Darrak expressed his intent to remain at the camp for the day to assist with the care and treatment of the wounded, so after gathering the rest of my companions we agreed to scout the south-east terrain in an attempt to push back the enemy's advance.
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Topic: Re: Dungeons & Dragons / PNP games thread: COBRA!!! (Read 939060 times)