Irwin's Log, 20th Moonstone
I received a letter from my sister today. She seemed to be well, if frustrated. Apparently bronze colossi are not tamable, as some of the early texts that our father wrote indicated, and the leader of the mountain hall she traveled too has decided that abandoning the location would be safer for the inhabitants than facing down an onroaching horde of sixty or so goblin warriors.
My return letter I filled with pity and consolations for her condition, while in secret I feel a sigh of relief and exasperation. There is no chance that I can borrow enough money from her to buy my way free of this location now, and she spoke of possibly vising me in the next trade caravan.
I hate to say it, but I feel frustrated that father refined the techniques for training Giant Cave Spiders so well and spread the knowledge to the other dungeon masters. Especially considering Aban recently gave birth to two spiderlings.
Oh well, at least I am able to keep myself fairly busy as the time goes by. I suppose while I wait for the two young spiders to mature I will continue to melt down the iron armor left by the goblin ambushers and smelt it into iron. I've got little else to do. Perhaps I should ask Durien if he wants anything else done.
In fact, I think I'll go talk to him now. I AM rather bored. Bored enough to write a log entry anyway...
...
Scrub's Diary 21st Moonstone
I had lunch with young Thob Mistemokir and his father Ingriz today, although the two of them are still highly depressed about the loss of Baer I think I may have been able to cheer the two of them up with a few stories of my last home, omitting, of course, the circumstances of why I left. Indeed, I have always felt comfortable with the Mistemokir family and although I did not know Baer as well as I could have, I still feel their pain when they talk about how things used to be with her. If I have a friend and true ally in this desolate place, it would be Thob and his father.
And now, more than ever, I feel like I need an ally. Things have been happening around Nokzamoslan, dangerous things. Reinhold was ambushed last week, hardly escaping from the blades of the goblins that attacked her. Akroma has disappeared again. In the one glance I had of him in his workshop he seemed angry at something, angry enough to smash an imperfectly cut gem into tiny pieces with his bare fist. What's particular is that he didn't seem to mind the injury, and the next day he showed no injury at breakfast in the dining hall. Indeed, if I had not seen it with my own eyes I would doubt it's validity.
I spent a little time talking with Ingriz about what was going on, out of earshot of Thob, and I think I convinced him to join me in watching Akroma. In particular, who the mad dwarf associates with. In exchange I promised to help him with Thob's schooling, and possibly to put a word for the young man in with Durien. Although we hardly had more than passing conversations before now, I feel that the two of us have an understanding that few dwarves have. Either that, or he just trusts me.
Too much, I think.
I think tonight I'll invite Durien and Halfman to a picnic dinner, with an open invitation to bring guests. I managed to wheedle a giant brown spider roast and a few sweet pod seed biscuits from the kitchen, all I need is a copious amount of some wine and the meal will be perfect. Right near the cliff of the mountain, under the bright stars. It will be an irresistible offer for the two of them. With any luck, I'll be able to convince Durien to assign the youth to bookkeeping when he grows up.
With any luck...