9th of Malachite, 683
Cobar the butcher asked me to seek Gosmer Ngalak, the Umbra of Abysses, and kill Ameli Eaglescarred, the groom of the twilight hag. Apparently, the vile fiend had already killed four of the townspeople of Wardedbasic. He told me to head west, across Bostu Strasnu, the Hill of Thundras, and that the creature’s lair was about a day’s travel away.
No one in the hamlet wanted to join me; everyone feared Eaglescarred. I set off alone and reached the lair by nightfall.
The beast was near the entrance and noticed me as soon as I entered. I charged at it and drew first blood, slicing through to the beast’s heart with my axe. But the charge didn’t work very well and I collided with it and fell over. It chipped my left ankle bone, and cut a tendon. Bleeding heavily from its heart wound, Eaglescarred gored my hand and I dropped the axe. I was a little stunned, and the beast still managed to bite me and heavily wound my upper torso before it bled to death.
I’m having trouble breathing, I can’t stand, and I’m tired. I’ll dress my wounds and spend the night in this cave. Hopefully I’ll still be alive in the morning.
10th of Malachite, 683
I’m a lot better now after I’ve slept. My wounds are healing well and I can stand up without any pain now. I can still use a weapon with the hand the creature wounded.
Looking around the cave of the creature I found a well-crafted iron helm, a pair of shark leather mittens encrusted with kaolinite, and a set of iron greaves decorated with what I think is leopard bone. I took all of these as they’ll help complete my set of armor. There were also some gold coins minted by the Rustic Confederacy under the rule of Ala Blowpresent; a nickel ladle; some bags; and what seemed to be the remains of the dead townsfolk. The damned creature was cooking them! I took all that had value, left the cavern and went back to Wardedbasic to give the good news to the peasants.
By the end of the day, a few hours away from the hamlet, I was ambushed by the bandits known as the Tongues of Strength. Their leader, Lon Complexshadows, ran towards me and we blocked each other’s blows for a while, until I cut off his shield arm with one blow and spilled his guts with another. He bled to death while I fought and beheaded one of his friends. The other one, a swordsman, wounded my left arm and I dropped my shield. With a swift counterstrike I slashed his right foot and he fell over. I picked up my shield and took a few steps back to recover. Then I charged and hacked at his leg again. He couldn’t take the pain and fell unconscious. I didn’t take any chances and decapitated him immediately.
With a couple of more scars I resumed my journey to the hamlet and reached it by nightfall. When I told them of my successes with Ameli Eaglescarred and Lon Complexshadows, they applauded me as a hero and mentioned another troublesome bandit of the surrounding lands. A pikeman named Tup Sweltedirons that was camped a day’s travel to the west. If I can get someone to join me, I’ll look into it.
11th of Malachite, 683
I left Wardedbasic and I think I’m going to travel southwest towards Goodace, capital of the Rustic Confederacy. I will spend the night in Foughtleader, another hamlet that’s being troubled by Sweltedirons’ gang.
12th of Malachite, 683
Today I crossed Storluzareth, the Dimpled Desert, without any incident of note. Near the small hamlet of Pricesnarling I found Burialtunnel the Tenebrous Dusts, the lair of a dark creature. I continued across Wimad Cogith, the Jungle of Infamy, to the fortress of Heavensriddled, intent on coming back with some helping hands to take care of whatever creature had settled in Burialtunnel.
At the fortress I enlisted the help of hammerman Daslut Datespoons, axeman Adil Dinnerferries, and swordswoman Ilpi Gemshowered. Lady Shodec Humorsun was very kind to me as news of my heroic deeds had already gotten to her.
The sun was low in the western sky and we decided to accept Lady Humorsun’s offer to spend the night in the fortress. We will deal with the dark creatures hiding in Burialtunnel in the morning.
13th of Malachite, 683
It turned out that it was a twilight hag, known as Osod Bonesgraves the Faint Funeral, that was living in the Tenebrous Dusts. The hideous creature fought us with a copper carving fork, and severely wounded Ilpi before I could cut its hand off. It still put up a good fight after that, until I finally cut the thing in two.
Ilpi was in extreme pain. She had both legs and her left arm broken. The carving fork put her feet in a pretty bad shape. And she lost a tooth.
We spent the day fixing her wounds and then we explored the rest of the cave. We found the usual human remains and several butchering tools. There was a silver and a copper coin laying around, both minted by Lord Ala Blowpresent. I also found a pair of iron high boots encircled with serpentine and adorned with hanging rings of brass. These boots replaced my rope reed shoes.
We decided to spend the night in the cave.
I need to find a merchant to sell all the loot I gathered so far.
14th of Malachite, 683
Ilpi’s wounds healed out pretty good. She is ok now, besides the missing tooth and a couple broken toes.
We set off from the lair of the hag and headed for the camp of Tup Sweltedirons. We found it in the middle of Rabab Ngosted, the Jungle of Strategies and approached it from the south.
There were six members in the band, including Tup, against four of us. I paired with Ilpi against four of the miscreants, while Adil and Daslut charged directly to the leader. I shattered the skull of one of the bandits with the first blow, and beheaded another with the next one, while Ilpi smashed another skull with her shield. After cutting off both hands of the fourth bandit, I ran to help Adil and Daslut fight Sweltedirons and his crossbowman companion.
Adil was on the ground and Daslut had blood dripping down his leg. When I finally got there, Daslut was shot in the head by the crossbowman.
Enraged I charged at the crossbowman, and we tangled together and fell over. When I got up, Adil was unconscious and Tup was stabbing him in the head with his pike. Five times he stabbed Adil and five times his bronze helm saved his life. It seems some higher force wanted Adil to survive this fight.
I ran and stood up between Tup and the unconscious Adil. It was me against Tup and the crossbowman, with Ilpi on her way to help me out after finishing the bandit I crippled before.
Swinging my axe around like mad, I cut Tup’s belly open and severed the crossbowman’s left foot. Then with two more swings I severed both of Tup’s arms off, and stuck my axe’s pommel through the crossbowman’s brain.
It was now me and Ilpi against a armless Sweltedirons. Still red with rage from Daslut’s death, I hacked away at his legs but he died from the bleeding before I could sever any of them.
We found some more Rustic Confederacy gold, silver and copper currency, an iron cap with spikes of topazolite, and several weapons to sell.
Adil had a couple of bruises and cuts, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Gives him a few scars, like me and Ilpi. We buried Daslut and started the journey back to Heavensriddled.
Night fell a couple of hours after we left, and we had to set up camp in Inen Langgud, the Hill of Shins.
In the middle of the night we were ambushed by a band of four bandits. I quickly spilled the guts of one, forced another to fall into a pit, and beheaded a third. I looked up and saw Adil fighting the one I gutted, but Ilpi was nowhere in sight. I teamed up with Adil and we finished the gutted one off, then I proceeded to use my vantage point from outside the pit to kill the one that fell in it.
Ilpi was still nowhere in sight. We followed her trail east for a while and came upon the fourth attacker. Adil and I easily took care of him, and then we saw Ilpi come from the darkness. We decided not to ask if she had ran away in fear or if it was something else.
Adil was injured in the fight and was limping a little, but nothing serious, it seemed.
15th of Malachite, 683
We set off at dawn and reached Heavensriddled a few hours before sunset. It seemed like Adil’s limp would be permanent. He wanted to keep following us, though.
After we told of our recent accomplishments to the soldiers in Heavensriddled, they said we earned great respect in the eyes of the Rustic Confederacy and Lershi Hoistled in Furtiled would probably have a task for us.
Lady Humorsun gave me a task that was to be a true test of my herohood. In the name of the Rustic Confederacy she asked me to kill Lozu Faintphantom the emaciated creature that dwells in Tombdusk. I gladily accepted the task and will leave Heavensriddle in the morning to slay the creature.
I spent some more time talking to the lady and learned that her youngest daughter, Otnge Anguisheddents, was devoured in the autumn of 650 by the dragon Lelgo Heatpearl the Bejeweled Furnaces, right here in Heavensriddled. It must have been very traumatic to lose a daughter like that.
16th of Malachite, 683
We left for Tombdusk with the dawn, and with us came many soldiers seeking fame and glory. Our adventuring group now consists of me, Lurit Crazysparks the Corteous Decay of Sacrifices, renowned axe lord; Adil Dinnerferries, axeman and my friend; Ilpi Gemshowered, swordswoman and my friend; Osmah Hollowrumor, axeman; Oja Dreamfaith, pikewoman; Isdi Prankshowers, hammerman; Eko Paddlepulled, pikeman; and Opra Scrapepale, pikewoman.
By noon we were there, approaching from the south. Eight brave soldiers knowing not what to expect from the emaciated creature entered Tombdusk.
I was the first to see it: it was a skinless humanoid, with four long horns. It scared me for a second, but bravery took over and I pressed on.
It was a very anticlimatic fight. The beast grabbed Adil by the arm while I swung my axe at it, cutting it in half and ending its reign of terror.
We got back to Lady Humorsun’s fortress that evening, where we spread the news of our success. The lady asked me to kill the emaciated creature’s spouse as well, and told me of its dwelling in Twilightbury. I promised I will seek it out tomorrow.
17th of Malachite, 683
Oja Dreamfaith, the pikewoman, didn’t follow us to Twilightbury. The seven of us reached the lair in the middle of the afternoon, and rushed in to surprise the beast inside. I am getting really good with my axe: Adela Spreadleaf, the emaciated creature’s spouse was killed in two strikes.
I found several dwarf clothes and body parts spread over the place. There was also a Virathel 683 copper coin.
We headed back to Heavensriddle again, but night came before the journey was over. We stopped at Tombdusk, the lair of the creature we killed yesterday and we’ll spend the night here.
18th of Malachite, 683
We gave the good news to Lady Humorsun and left Heavensriddled heading west. I want to journey to Furtiled and meet Lershi Hoistled.
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