Jaxi Nyaldaashkmeller
Jaxi Nyaaldashkmeller
Physical Description
Body Features
Feathers: Greenish yellow with brown scallops
Facial Features
Two feathers stick up on her head: her "dragonborn horns"
Apparel & Accessories
Blue gem necklace brandishing family crest
Blue ribbon
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Jaxi's egg was abandoned in an communal incubator for a dragonborn clan. On her hatchday, she was accepted and raised by a family of silver dragonborn. She claims to be a dragonborn herself, but she knows very well that she is an aarakocra. Despite being treated very well in her home clan, there were still boundaries that separated her from her fellow shellmates. This made her more independent and comfortable being alone when necessary.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Jaxi just wants to explore and to create her own maps of these places. On one of these journeys, she discovered something that was on no map she had ever seen. Since then, she has been trying to find the truth about what she found there.
Other than that, she wants to keep her brother and the blue man Misht alive.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: The color blue, kicking butt, flying, painting and mapmaking
Dislikes: The cold
Vices & Personality flaws
Kleptomaniac
Social
Family Ties
The Nyaaldashkmeller clan
Gargax
Relationships
History
Jaxi was adopted by Gargax's biological parents and raised among the Nyaldaashkmeller clan as if she were a true blooded sibling.
Nicknames & Petnames
Gax & Jax
Relationship Reasoning
At a young age, Gargax's mother asked him to always look after and protect Jaxi, and he has stuck by her side as much as he could since then.
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Family-oriented.
Daughter of the Nyaldaashkmeller clan of silver dragonborn. Loves to fly and kick butt. Not so partial to the cold. Please bring an offering of blue.
View Character Profile
Spouses
Siblings
Gargax Nyaldaashkmeller
(Older Brother)
Children
Gender
Female
Eyes
Cobalt Blue
Height
5' 4"
Weight
98 lb
Related Myths
Related Reports
Enter Ruvlia
Gary's turn to fight in the Silver Fur's fighting ring. He gives them the name "Mathew", which was probably very smart. He was fighting a halfling champion called "The Crusher" and... I'm not sure how to describe what we saw in there. The two of them were slippery. Gary in the Dexterious way and the Crusher in the... oily way.
Highlights from the fight: Gary kissed the guy, smashed his feet, crawled between his legs a bunch, got covered in the guys oil, and then won because he jabbed the Crusher in the eyes.
While we were leaving the ring, we heard an argument between someone and the bouncers. It looked to be a female dwarf, a bard as it turns out, because according to her, the Silver Fur stole her precious flute. Ruvlia Stonebreak, is her name, and she insists they stole it from her while they insist it was her fine for playing in the Boar and Toad. This area appears to be quite dirty, and very much under the influence of the Silver Furs, so we didn't even bother going to the police. They wouldn't bother giving us the flute back, all they mentioned was a "bank" that all their winnings went to.
When we couldn't get any information out of the Silver Furs about the flute, we brought Ruvlia to Fridga and her crew the following morning. Oh, but not before going to the Dog and Arrow for the night and learning the dog's name is Willabee. Fridga and Ruvlia were interesting to watch flirt? with each other? I think? I can't say I'm too familiar with all of that. Ruvlia kept asking about what it was we were doing in the city and how we knew Fridga, but I thought it best not to share anything with her about the tome. So she now thinks we are also looking for a flute. Seems as though she may be as gullible as Gargax, though I feel a little more guilty or uneasy using that to my advantage with her.
Since Fridga's crew has been in Shidon longer, we asked them for some assistance. They confirmed our worry that the Silver Fur organization runs the entire underground of the city and Prill agreed to stalk out their main hideout and wherever this "bank" may be.
In the meantime, waiting for Prill to return, we went up north to the Merchant's District to the Bard's Guild. Though since Ruvlia could only worry about her flute, she lost her desire to go inside. But to thank us for our help, she sharpened our weapons for us. Which was phenomenal work! I wouldn't have guessed her as a blacksmith, but she flashed around her Blacksmith membership insignia in order to use someone's grindstone and showed off her prowess. When I asked her about it, she was quite adamant that she wasn't a blacksmith and that she was a bard. Which is understandable, I'll be careful not to pry too much into her being a blacksmith and adopting her family's shop back home.
-----
Along came dusk and Prill finally returned to the townhouse to speak with us. She had some grave news that the "bank" had to be within their heavily guarded stronghold within the Bright Scepter District. They have control of a massive warehouse, maybe even more, heavily guarded by groups of thugs. Stealth doesn't seem like an option; I can't imagine we would be able to sneak in undetected. Brute force probably isn't wise either, we'd be no match for an entire gang. So, Prill sent us to check out the grounds ourselves and then devise a plan soon after.
It wasn't far from the alley that I heard a telltale tune waft through the air, and a butterfly gently wafted by our sights. Ruvlia stopped us and assured us not to be freaked out by her friend. As soon as Trevor's house appeared before us, Ruvlia was running forward and greeting Tyler and Kevin. It seems as though Ruvlia and Trevor have met! Well, at least we don't have to do any more introductions.
Doing Some Questionable Things
There's not much I can say about this day, I will say there's not much that I can actually remember clearly. After clearing out the library, Arius gave us a hearty thanks and goodbye. Without a lead, we really weren't sure what to do next. We ended up going to eat in the Fey Faire district. We got a charcuterie board and drugs of some sort. We were floating on air for practically the rest of the day. Which is probably why I was willing to go along with Gargax's plan to look for a fighting ring.
From what I can remember, we ended up in a bar in the Crag called the Boar and Toad. The bartender, "Chunkster" Leroy, pointed us to two dwarves by the names of Malnus and Mjolner with gray fabric bands around their arms. They are part of a group called the Silver Fur and they run a fighting ring. We would find out later just how much more influence, beyond the fighting ring, they really had.
Gax absolutely crushed his opponent, it was a gruesome but incredible scene. They hardly had a chance against his brutal fighting skills.
Next up is Gary, and no matter how many times he wants to show me his tattoos, I really hope he keeps that shirt on in the ring.
Big Bad Evil Books
"Would you like to speak in private?"
"Only if your name is Fridga"
The trio consisting of Prill the Dragonborn, Tok the Half-Orc, and Fridga the Dwarf took us into an alleyway townhouse. They were indeed curious about my tome, but had no intentions of taking it. Instead, they just wanted information. Specifically about Torinth. They looked rather upset to hear that Torinth had passed, for good reason. Turns out he was part of their group that had been sent out by Tobecus (yes, the deceased Master) in search of these tomes for the past 3 years. While the three here in Shidon followed Tobecus' instructions to investigate in this location, Torinth was certain there was more he could find in the East. I guess that's how he ended up in Arbor Harbor.
Fridga Forgecoat, as in daughter of Domila Forgecoat; champion of Master Tobecus, told us that she and the others have not left Shidon due to recently sensing a lot of magical power here. Though, its been 2 years since then and they've gotten no closer to the second tome. Which they seem to believe is the last tome.
Despite their vigilant work for the past 2 years, we decide that maybe they need some fresh new eyes. Starting with the obvious, we choose to go to the city's library in Lanrick Circle. Gax makes note that he is suspicious of this crew's quick notice of us and insists we be careful.
Marco
Of which do you speak?
Polo
Insert wikipedia article about Marco Polo here
On the way to Lanrick Circle, we pass through a few other districts. There seemed to be a funeral precession going through one, and for some reason Gary wanted to go watch. So we did.
-----
When we get to Lanrick Circle's Library, we are met by its representative Arius and the representative of High Ring, Ameren. They tell us that mimics have made the library their home and are causing some trouble. As shown by Darrel, some kid bitching on the side of the road about not getting to check out his book on bees.
What does your brother look like?
I know not of the others
Others? As in plural?
Others, with an S
How many?
I know not
How do you know there is more than 1 other?
I feel multiple directions and I knew before
Are we close to another?
I feel strength when I did not before
Which direction?
No response
Nothing more can be said about the rest of our library adventures, we fought a bunch of book mimics. Which were terrible to fight.
Note to Self:
Mimics are sticky
They bite and they hang on for dear life and you just have to attack them hoping that you don't hurt whomever they're attached to. And of course, at the top floor of the library, a massive tome laid open for us, ready for its big debut as the boss of this dungeon. When we were able to defeat them all, the library was once again safe. Though with a quick search, there was no other magical tome hiding in these shelves. The Librarian and Arius didn't seem to have any information either, so it looks like we'll have to find another lead.
The Third Meeting
The massive port city of Shidon shimmered beside the coast, acting as a far off beacon for us as we left the desert dunes. Gax exclaimed something about swimming and immediately started running towards the water, it took him a moment to realize the city wasn't getting any closer. We still had an hour to go, but the visage of the city was a welcome reminder that we were almost at our destination.
Gary acted almost surprised once he got a good look at the coast, I don't think he's ever seen the ocean. Once we got past the city's southern gates and said goodbye to the group we had been travelling with, we got to talking about our homelands. I was just in the middle of talking about the smell of Dracmeadow's plains and the cool breeze when I interrupted myself. I could hear music, it was faint as usual, but I heard it, and immediately started looking for that telltale butterfly. The moment Gax recognized the sight, he screamed and ran after it like a child would. I probably did the same. There's something delightfully hopeful that blooms in my chest when I see that butterfly. Gary was of course perplexed, but he turned around when we did and before us stood our two favorite talking statues.
Note to self:
Don't call Gary "Little Gary". He seems to prefer "Gary the Greater"
And there we introduced Gary to Trevor, for his own first meeting, our third, and Trevor's second. What a wonderfully confusing predicament. Trevor didn't have a task for us this time, instead he had information. Information that I don't know what to do with. He took us through a doorway onto what seemed to be another plane. In this plane was a building of metal and glass, with a glowing sign that said "Josie's". It appeared to be a tavern, filled with bright colors, plush seats, and metal tables. The patrons and the staff seemed indifferent, and our server gave us a bit of an attitude. Trevor calls this the "good deviation".
According to him, using Misht's tome, as well as all others in the collection, will bring about certain futures. And if in the right hands, this "good deviation" will be the future. Apparently I'm supposed to be "the right hands", but I don't have that kind of authority; to choose the future, to choose anyone's purpose, not even my own. Trever says that my humbleness only further convinces him of my right to the books, but that I have a choice in this, that I have the ability to say no. But then, isn't that also taking the future in my own hands? Isn't choosing my connection to the tomes a form of taking authority over the future?
Trevor then took us to the "bad deviation". A plane full of despair, its colors grayed and air clammy and cold. I could feel my own inner peace slipping away and I was losing the ability to be happy. I had to step away, it was too much. While I can't say I've made my decision yet, I thought to try and get more information from Trevor. He had little to tell me about my dreams, but the book had more. And in regards, to Fridga and Torinth, well we were still unsure where to start our search for that information.
Are you showing my visions?
I'm showing you what I can
-----
Things were a bit grim as we left, so we decided to allow ourselves some downtime. We visited a barbarian graphic tee shop, "All the Rage", and "Gareth's" trinket shop. Gary and Gax found a good amount to buy for themselves. On our way to find a leatherworker's shop, Gax found himself following a black dragonborn into the tavern. We followed him, but gave him space to flirt and trying his hand at wooing someone. But it slowly became clear that things weren't right. Gary noticed a massive half-orc watching the two dragonborn and, when he went to confront him, was met by hostility. But the black dragonborn made her relationship with the half orc clear when they stared each other down. Unfortunately, the trap was for me, not for Gax. Which I found out when I went to grab my brother and we were surrounded; the dragonborn, the half-orc, and now a dwarf.
Wondering where it is that I got my tome.
Gary is MVP
In a dark room, there is no light except for eight lanterns hanging on columns.
One shattered on the ground; Five hold a bright warm light; Two hold swirling darkness.
Gary and I have another significantly difficult time trudging through the desert. Not surprisingly, Gax is doing just fine. Though being in the back of the group does give us a lot of time to chat. Apparently, he noticed what I did last night to the kobolds, though I was hoping there was nothing to be noticed.
Luckily, Gax (who, at this point, had thrown Gary up on his shoulders) moved the conversation from me to Pip. Gary seemed delighted to hear about our mouscapades in the forest with that crazy old elf. Our time there already feels so long ago...
Gary had some interesting stories to share himself, mostly about Mikayla his snake. Apparently she is a Cottonmouth, a type of water snake found typically in the swamp. And she likes pigeons. How do I know that you might ask? Well. Gary reaches into his bag of holding, and oh so casually pulls out a dead pigeon and stuffs it into his hood for her. For an hour we watch this snake swallow and digest this entire dead bird that Gary just happened to have in his inventory. According to him, his parents send him a lot of mail via carrier pigeons and instead of sending them back, he thought it was good enough to store them in his vacuum of a bag.
It's been a while since I've contacted mother and father... I think when we reach Shidon, I'll want to send out a carrier bird of my own.
When I said that Gax and I haven't gotten letters from our parents, he thought it'd be cute to write a letter and throw a dead bird at me after crudely tying his scroll to it.
Note to self, burn Gary's bag of holding.
When we stopped for the final night before reaching Shidon, we of course had another encounter. This time with a group of bandits looking to take our supplies. They had taken Jem as a hostage and threatened his life. I sprung into action and can be the only one blamed for Jem's injuries. I could not diffuse the conflict, only ignite it. Recklessly I chose to try and save Jem instead of fight the group of 16 bandits and their massive lizard mounts. Jem and I were easily surrounded, but suddenly the sand behind us exploded in a ball of fire. I looked up to see Gary flying. This little fucker was majestic as all hell, soaring through the air and blasting our opponents with a massive fireball.
Noring was quick to join Jem and I to help protect us from the bandit chief, who unfortunately did not perish in the blast. I remember Noring getting in some powerful hits, but the bandit was still taking shots at me while I tried to protect Jem. And then I remember shouting at the chief, not expecting it to do anything, only to let out my rage. But, he looked terrified. And then he ran away. I ... don't know what that was about.
Fortunately, Jem still lives. He will get proper treatment in Shidon, I'm sure. And after one last night in the desert, we finally got to see the grand capital city just over the dunes.
In a dark room, there is no light except for eight lanterns hanging on columns.
One shattered on the ground; Four hold a bright warm light; Three hold swirling darkness.
Another Gary
After spending a night in Croesus, Gax and I bid farewell to our friend and headed back to Najarma. I'm in a bit of a conflicted head-space. Before we left, Misht left his book with me. The book. I don't know how I feel about it. I still cannot trust this item, though I suppose I should be happy that it is with me and not an unpredictable tiefling.
And its not just the book that's got me thinking, it's also the lose of our income. We did come by quite a lot of loot from that Kuatoa temple, but we don't have anyone paying us any more. I'm thinking that maybe Gax and I just finish the trip to Shidon, as sort of a... symbolic end to our travels, and take what's left of our spoils back home. Maybe we see Trevor again and maybe he'll give us something to do, but for now, I'm set on finishing this long journey.
Gax doesn't seem to have much of a plan either, so we returned to the goodbye center of Najarma to find those travelers with the weird box. Luckily they were still there and even though they had made another hire, they didn't seem to mind us tagging along. They teamed us up with the new hire; a gnomish dude that seemed to hide behind his neutral tones and some really nice hair. Named Gary. Gary Weedwhacker. Boy that was fun to explain to Gax.
Hopefully this Gary will be less of a prick than the other one we've met. As most people, he's never met dragonborns before, but he was curious. Almost to a fault. I didn't think I would ever have a crisis over whether I pick things up differently than other people considering my anatomy. But Gary's questions were a good distraction from Gax trying on and getting really excited about riding chaps. That he doesn't plan to wear over other clothing. Dear Rellemkhsaadlayn. Give me strength to deal with this dope.
Gax managed to get distracted by these chaps while we were trying to do a job for the travelers, the leader being Noring, but if he hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to see Gax completely wipe himself out trying to catch a burglar that was headshot by a member of Noring's party. Djemidor proves himself to be an exceptional ranger as we continue to make our way through the desert. And so has Gary, he's a strange little fellow, but his archery skills are incredible. Our other companions are Bela, Lefer, and the really big box that Lefer is obsessed with. We've found ways to be distracted so that the box means very little to us. Gary and I had some issues traveling through the hot sand anyway, so we had to trail a bit behind. But otherwise, the incredible amount of life in such a barren place keep us entertained.
So inspiring that Jem couldn't help himself from killing most of it. I guess it's fair, a lot of the creatures in the desert are incredibly dangerous, but I can't believe he convinced us to ambush a party of kobolds. One with some impressive control over the elemental martial arts. I can't say much about the battle, my blood ran cold when Gary accidentally shot down Gargax. I don't remember much except this overwhelming emotional power being thrust from me as I tried to defend my brother. Like... I tried to punch the Flamescale Kobold, but even though I missed, the punch hit the dune that lay far beyond him. I'm not comfortable with what that could mean, but I'll have time to worry about that once we reach the end of the desert. For now, I'll tend to Gargax. We're fortunate that Gary, despite shooting him, was very apologetic and has the ability to cast Cure Wounds. We'll have to remember that for the future.
Dungeons and Doppelgangers
This is the one where we say goodbye to Otomne Bosch, AKA Mishty Step.
Not in a bad way, he doesn't die or anything, he just stays behind to rekindle relationships and fix that library he keeps blowing up.
After escaping from Taleb's house, where we figured guards would come searching for us and the poor guy, Misht takes us straight to his sisters house. Needless to say, she was very unhappy to see him. His actions caused her to be shunned and forced to live in the outer circles, basically the slums. Which would have been a good place to be, to keep her far away and safe from the effect of "swimming upstream" directly into the maw of doppelgangers. Or so we thought.
Enustah Bosch was clearly blinding herself to her own children's strange behavior. Burrus and Marjorine, each equal amounts of creepy, sizing us up and down like they were deciding the best route to our jugulars. Turns out the elders were "kind enough" to offer private lessons for the children. Obviously to replace them with doppelgangers, but Enustah and her husband Caseous were not easily convinced. Cleverly enough, while we were out of the room, Marjorine transformed into a guard searching for us fugitives and the Burrus pulls out a knife! No!
The easiest thing to do was to kick our way past the guard and charge out of the house with Burrus in hand. The clever thing started screaming for help, bringing in a lot of attention, but that is exactly what we needed. We needed the whole city to witness what we were about to reveal in the library.
I break windows and burst in through to flank the elders as Gargax and Misht burst through the front doors. We had the elders trapped, but we really were not prepared for the amount of power they had in their arsenal. It was a long and well matched fight, the doppelganger who had previously been Burrus transformed into me! Citizens outside the library were being attacked by their own, as family members and friends charged towards the library to join the doppelganger hoard.
The numbers quickly outnumbered us.
One slimy trick from Delphis and I was immobilized in a pile of earth and black vines, Gax was still struggling to fight the Copy-Cat me off, and Misht could see that we were going to fail. But then he called for the book, the one I still possessed, and I obliged. Catching it as I threw it into the air, Misht knew exactly what to do. A massive force, one that rivaled that of all the elders combined, erupted from Misht and his book, summoning black tentacles all around the chamber. I cannot say I remember much of the event, I was losing consciousness and could barely see through the vines and tentacles, but I remember reaching out and finding myself holding onto Misht and Gargax as this incredible power flowed through us. Finally, the elders were vanquished. Blue, long-limbed doppelgangers littered the floor.
The dust cleared and Misht's people could see that blowing up the library was definitely what needed to be done.
We reunited citizens with their family members who had been caged for who knows how long beneath the library. Those who did not make it were promised a proper ritual burial. The real Burrus and Marjorine are actually pretty cute kiddos, and were excited to see their long lost uncle. I think it was them who convinced Misht to stay behind. He was absolutely horrendous at giving a motivational speech, but I think he can figure out how to help Croesus properly rebuild.
Gax and I will be heading back to Najarma, hopefully we can get another ride through the desert. But for now, I'll celebrate Otomne's win.
Partners in Crime
We've been arrested, but good thing they didn't take any books from us. Or our weapons really. They don't seem very organized here in Croesus.... or maybe too organized.
To make a long story short, Gax and I are here because we associate with Misht, who has been arrested for blowing up the town however long ago. I can't say I'm really on anyone's side here. I did, in court, declare my friendship with Misht but blowing up half your town because "it needed to be done" isn't cool. But also, creepy elders worshiping a random fish god (Kilki, its fun to say) in the middle of the desert and having very culty vibes isn't super cool either.
Oh also, we came here to Croesus with Taleb and the dead body of Rinth cause the guy couldn't handle bringing back his missing elder as a dead body. So apparently we had to come along. According to Taleb, this would be a detriment to "the Great Swim" and he is so close to "swimming upstream". After some very very poor deception done by Taleb and Misht, we were immediately arrested. Cause again, we had a dead body on us and Misht also blew up half the town. Interestingly enough! Apparently Rinth isn't dead. We saw him, the exact same face and everything, standing up there with the rest of the elders as we threw down his dead body.
Gax and I were very nervous that Taleb was going to be killed, but not too soon after we were tossed in the dungeon did he bounce on down, brandishing a new emblem on his cloak. Still don't know what it means, but apparently he is still swimming upstream. We are very proud of him. He tells us we have 3 days left before trial or execution, one of those. We aren't doing a very good job escaping. Misht might have a plan, or he just wants to hear from his sister, who he tells Taleb to go speak with. Talen is hesitant, probably rightly so, but he agrees nonetheless.
What do you know of Croesus?
"Settlement within Ospela; Self-sufficient; Wary of foreigners"
What do you know of the elders; Delphis, Rinth, Esubien, Noleneu?
"Fools and zealots"
Which is the weakest link?
"Delphis is most prominent"
What if there is a dead body but its owner is still alive?
"Much magic both natural and unnatural that lends to such illusion or creation"
What's the "Great Swim"?
"Afterlife given to followers of Kilki"
Taleb has returned, but he's acting strange. He's unresponsive and generally unemotional. It is strange, he's just standing in the doorway and keeping watch, which is honestly way out of character for him. He isn't even fidgeting. What did they do to him?
Misht says he's seen this before, that those who have "moved upstream" to the inner sanctum of Croesus become strangely cold and distant.
What happens to those in the inner sanctum of Croesus?
"Not enough info is known"
What do you know of Kilki?
"God of Kuatoa Sanctum"
How does it affect people of Croesus?
"Not enough info is known"
OK so it was a doppelganger. We were so incredibly worried about killing Taleb, but turns out the doppelganger may have gotten to him first. Though Gax says they usually keep their victims alive to feed off their memories and emotions. We found a map from the council's office type place and found where Taleb might be. In a house that curiously had previously belonged to our friend Rinth. In any case, we rushed out of the council building to find refuge in Taleb's model condo house. Where we found Taleb, tied up and caged in his own basement. Those Bastards.
Plenty of Fish in the Desert
We left the human and Tortle settlers behind, as they had met their journey's end and we still have a long way to go. We made our way to the city Najarma, a quaint little trading post in the middle of the desert. This was only to be a midway stopping point before conquering the final stretch through the desert towards Shidon, but of course, we ran into a few complications.
First, we couldn't even find safe passage through the desert, as our fine friend Gary made an appearance and bought out the entire pack of sand surfing Guard Drakes. We definitely couldn't have bargained him out of that, but Gax did manage to raise the stakes so the little entitled prick would have less money to spend. So once again we were out of luck and our only option was to ask for the help of these sketchy merchants to take us through the desert.
Now, under normal circumstances, I'm sure these dudes wouldn't have fluffed my feathers, but why did they have to go and tell us not to look in the box? What's in the box?!
But, in end, it doesn't even matter. We had to cancel that trip anyway, because Misht or Otomne or whatever ran into a familiar face in the tavern. Some guy Taleb that Misht may have a past with. Something about a "false prophet" worshiper. It was interesting to see Misht forced into a situation where he had to tell us more about this town that he was banished from. Croesus, is its name; a religious town full of acolytes for a Kuatoa god?
Kuatoa, like the gross fish-frog things. Interesting.
Anyway, Taleb was apparently looking for one of these "false prophets", a guy by the name Rinth, who had come looking for some sacred text to replace the ones that Misht had blown up. Damn. Despite Misht's clear discomfort with the situation, he agreed to help. And off we went into the desert. In search of a fish god's temple. Makes sense right? Makes as much sense as the temple itself, which was full of abandoned treasures and artifacts, and not too well guarded by the green jelly cubes either. Ignore the fact that Gax did almost die from it. Just... don't think about it.
And when we reached the final room, the one with a few monoliths, buttons, and a curious looking book in a curious looking water filled box on the ceiling, we found Rinth. Dead on the floor, as if he had fallen from a great height. Well now, clearly this room was some sort of puzzle, but luckily for the viewers at home, I have wings. One skip hop and a flap flap to the ceiling and it was no biggie freeing that tome from its watery prison. Now the next issue is bringing a dead body back to Taleb and figuring out how that fidgety fellow is going to handle it.
Otomne Bosch
We have been on this journey with the Tortle and human nomads for about 3 days now. I have taken to learning more about the people and helping with their daily responsibilities, as well as offering some fighting lessons for the curious kiddos. Gargax has been trying to impart leadership skills upon the people while Misht has shown quite an interest in the lives of the people we're traveling with. We're taking them towards the dry lands of Gusharia, which may be a welcome contrast to the sticky and buggy Sagemarsh.
This evening, we received some shocking news from Misht. He asked for the ghost ship's manifest, which I can't seem to be rid of, and points to the mysterious name that is scribbled above my own. Otomne Bosch. This is Misht's true name.
But it wasn't just this that shocked me, it was how open he was. He told us about the life he left behind, the home he ruined, the sister he abandoned. His book, the one he's obsessed with, it found him, it consumed him; and most unsettling to me, it talks BACK to him. He claims that this book is a connection between him and his "friend". A warlock's benefactor, if you will, that provides him with his incredible power. Gargax stopped listening after "I left behind my sister". He called Misht crazy (which isn't a hard deduction) and became angry and disappointed in Misht for leaving behind his family.
Our clan has always meant everything to us; family means everything to us, so it was difficult to describe to Gargax that not everything is as black and white as he believes it to be. Misht and his past are not things for us to judge off of the little he has told us. I ask Gargax to leave so I might talk more with Misht. Now I know Misht's lies, that he never even meant to become a Master in the first place. What he had been leading us towards was collecting a series of books, similar to his own. When he asked me to write in his book, I was almost panicked. And then as I wrote in that book, I grew angry.
What are you
"A Source"
"I require the others"
Who are you
"I cannot remember"
Morals
It gave me a very detailed definition of the word "Moral"
Do you have morals
"I am unsure"
Why do you need the other books
"I will remember"
What do you remember
"Only the power given to me"
I don't even know where to begin. One book, a source of immense power, requiring two more of the same, is only a recipe for disaster. A book has no morals, magical power has no morals, they had to have been split up for a reason! And in the hands of Misht, who knows what will happen. I tell him that if this journey becomes a danger to us, or even to the world, that I will stop him. He tries to make me believe that he understands, but now it is easy for me to catch his lies. I can see his blind devotion to this thing, I even saw his surprise when I asked such common sense questions, as if he had never thought of prying the book for such information. He knows nothing of this book, and yet he maintains that it has given him purpose and will lead him down the right path. After consuming him and causing him to destroy his life back home, he insists that the book will also fix all that he had done.
Despite my anger, who am I to tell Misht of what to do with his book? He'll never consider us over his book, but it means something that he is telling us his truth and trying to help us understand. It's becoming difficult for me in this current state, to have little trust in the judgement of both of my companions. All I have are questions now. I our goal to go to Shidon and find a book truly so that we may add to Misht's unpredictable collection of magic tomes? Then how to we become involved with the Masters? Why and how do we end up recruiting Trevor?
Misht assures me and Gargax that he would never willingly lead us towards danger; he trusts his life and ours with the book. And that's all we can hope for now, I suppose. Blind faith.
Elysuen Moondew #1
We are embarking on a journey.
Rix, Efni, Yurick and I are finally going out in search of resources to help Yistuyn. I've never traveled far from our modest farming town, but I'm excited for what's to come. Efni and Yurick have always spoken so fondly of their travels abroad, and I know that what we're doing is right.
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Ondor isn't too deep within the human realm, but it seems further the more we walk. It seems as though I'm not terribly prepared for this sort of adventure. I wasn't even aware of how often the branches would grab my robes and hair. But I remain hopeful; our rations are still aplenty and the city of Ayreith is not much farther.
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Outside the city, just before the border into Aprax, there is an encampment of Ondorian March soldiers. It's strange to see this sort of aggression pointed towards an elven city. We were greatly offput by it, until we noticed an old man stumbling and wobbling out of the front gates, almost as if a possession was his puppeteer. When he collapsed outside of the city gates, a ciitizen came running from the encampment to drag him behind the safety of the line of soldiers.
Even Efni can feel the evil seeping from the city. The magic affecting its people is growing ever stronger. We approached the commander of the March, Aiden Rith, to offer our assistance. He in return has offered their wizard to accompany us past the gates, Kane Raynard.
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There are commoners twitching and seizing in the streets. I can only hope that means they still live. Taking them back to the encampment seemed to be our only solution, until Kane tells us that touching them makes them aggressive. So we must find ground zero and stop this powerful spell.
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The Warlock looked only barely clinging to life, but had no trouble casting aside my dispel magic. There he hovered in the center of this grand hall, conjuring something unimaginable with this orb of powerful magic. A Dimension Door opened right before our eyes, and from it stepped a 10 foot undead devil. This thing was decrepit and gaunt; its skin falling apart and dropping to the floor exposing its rotting bones. The wretched stench struck me first, as we watched in horror as this ancient demon king appeared before us.
I cast Banishment.
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I can honestly say I never expected this to come of our adventures to Ondor, but I am ever glad we could help. And now our journey continues, as simply as that. At least now we have another member to our team. I hope Kane doesn't mind being the fifth wheel to our band of close friends.
The Witch of the Woods
18th of Zincyth 3468
The Dryads, easy; the Hags, not so much.
They lived in this huge tree in the middle of the woods, hollowed out to make room for their deeds. Which includes kidnapping children and eating them. We were lucky to find that they had only eaten one, Isabelle. It took us far too long to understand what that meant. The battle with the hags was difficult, as they almost killed us many times. I don't think any of us were truly aware of the abilities of the hags until they started going in and out of visibility and attacking us with unseen power. We're lucky we got to them before they got to us.
We found Isabelle in a locked room that appeared to act as a children's bedroom. She stood speechlessly in the corner and stared at us. She appeared harmless, until Misht got too close to sense her evil and she lunged at him with a knife. He managed to knock her unconscious while we searched for the remaining children. Beneath a trapdoor they were all found, including the little tortle hatchlings. Gargax was very careful to count every last one to make sure no one was left behind.
"That's not Isabelle"
"She brought me here"
"She said she needed help"
This was Isabelle, but she had been reborn into a hag.
What we failed to understand about hags is that they eat children, and then give birth to them as one of the members of their coven. Isabelle was the unfortunate victim of this horrible act.
We fought for a long time over what to do with the poor girl. We couldn't bring her back, she would harm the other settlers, and if we told them what she had become, it would be wrong to leave the decision of what to do with her to her grieving mother, Maren. Or maybe... would that have been a better choice?
Gargax stood firm on his decision that she was no longer a child, but a hag. I still hold to the opinion that the child of a hag is still a child. No matter how Gargax saw it, I don't think I can forget that my older brother was unwavering as he killed a child. I can't decide how I feel.
We had not found the Decanter, but instead it was a gift from Ormus for saving the children of the settlers. At least, most of them.
From the Tortles, Gargax received a Brooch of Shielding and the Status of Lord Gargax of the Tortles.
The rest of the evening was a blur as I fought against my thoughts, until we brought the Decanter to Trevor and experienced another shared dream.
The Second Meeting
18th of Zincyth 3468
Today we met Trevor for the second time. Coincidentally, this was also his second time meeting us. He looked so much younger and full of life, I wonder just how long Trevor has been working with us. Seeing him was a surprise, but no doubt a welcomed one.
After fighting off dreams of yesterday and waking in the Mourning Woods to a panicked stranger, we were led to a despairing encampment of humans. Most of their children had gone missing almost overnight and many of their search parties had as well. It wasn't long for us to discover that the search party members were 10 of those whose names were scribbled on the ghost ship's manifest. Leaving a single name mysteriously unclaimed just above mine. Otomne Bosch. I suffered a panic attack somewhere in between all of this. I admit I am not in the best state of mind. But I'd like to know who would be after the things we had been through. Then again, Misht and Gargax seem unfazed. The thought of those people in the ship having been lost, without their families knowing of their demise, terrifies me. It is only because we survived that their families can put their names to rest. Gargax came to console me, but I don't think he feels the same as I.
The settlers were horrified by the news, but they seemed to be no strangers to this hardship. Tenneth, the stranger who found us in the swamp, and Ormus, the unofficial leader of the encampment explained to us their plight of leaving their home in search of a new and more promising land to settle. They hadn't planned to stay in the swamp for long, but one of the children, Isabelle, was seen chasing after a rabbit into the mire and has never returned. This had been 3 months ago. Tenneth's boy, TJ, told us that the rest of the missing children "went to Isabelle".
It was at this point that we came across Trevor's magical butterfly, and I couldn't have been happier to chase it into the trees. This time, he had us looking for the Decanter of Endless Water.
Note to self: Don't forget the shell in the cushion
On our way North into the forest, we came across a nomadic group of tortles! Well, Gargax did. After lifting one of them off the ground unsuspectingly. This kind tortle, Wek, explained that they, similar to the settlers, were stuck. For one, their elder Ulki was trapped under a few boulders, and two, their children were also missing. Gargax easily saved Ulki with his powerful strength and we promised to return with their hatchlings. We pointed them in the direction of the settlers, hoping to keep them all together in one place, and then headed North once more.
We knew we were close to our destination when we came across territorial Dryads wearing this strange animated eyeball. Later we would find out that crushing it was actually a smart decision on our behalf.
Swamp Crossings 2 gp
17th of Zincyth 3468
The day started off just fine. We toured a paper mill, got some souvenirs, wore stupid gift shop t-shirts all day, had a group hug after our guide left us at the border of Sagemarsh ; it was just fine.
Grayfly. I think that name will haunt me for a long time. I can only hope that we ceased the ... life, energy, whatever that was keeping that ship alive, and that no one else has to experience the same horrors we did. What started as an easy swamp crossing that should have only cost us 2 gold ended as a life altering nightmare that cost me my ability to ever sleep again. And somehow I still lost those 2 gold pieces! Blasted ghost pirates and their hordes of zombies.
Note to Party: Never Split Up
The ship seemed harmless. We had an inkling that it might be some sort of magic when it started moving and we couldn't find anyone aboard, but there was nothing amiss. Misht pointed out some old logo or something. I remember being cross with him, though now I can't recall why. I couldn't see the significance of that clue at the time. I don't know, I don't think I was actually angry. Maybe having a friendly quarrel was something that I needed to ease my nerves. Though, he continued to piss me off after stealing a blue shell from the ship and hiding it from me. Which is what led me to split up from him. I shouldn't have, I almost died down there. I continued to the hold as he and Gargax explored the upper floors of the ship.
"Welcome to the crew"
That's what it said to me. The specter captain, eager to suck the life out of me. All I had to do was look at the manifest, with almost illegible scrawlings of crew member names. So many names. "Jaxi Nyaldaashkmeller" was the last thing that was being written before the candle light was snuffed out and the putrid smell of rotten bodies invaded my entire being.
Horribly disfigured bodies coated the entirety of the ship, all to thwart my escape and allude to my nearing demise. If I'm being perfectly honest, I only made it out of there because of the boys. Gax came for me, he came to my rescue and Misht followed swiftly behind him, effortlessly destroying the undead with his powerful magic. But even then, we were hardly any match for the specter. Luckily Misht knew how to destroy it: destroy it's earthly body. Both Misht and Gargax burst through the door to the captain's quarters and I lit the captain's haunted remains aflame, sending the specter and his crew screaming and flailing into the afterlife.
Gax and I have first watch. We made it safely out of the bog, and found a... decent-ish camping ground. I should be resting, but I can't. The image of helpless, lifeless bodies locked in eternal terror won't leave my mind. I can feel exhaustion taking over. I just hope that I'm not still trapped on that awful boat, my mind being lured into a sense of false security as my body lays on the floor of the hold and my soul is added to the life-force of a red coated ghost.
Cats, Mice, and Claustrophobic Dragonborn
16th of Zincyth 3468
I hate tiny spaces. Especially ones filled with thousands upon thousands of mice. If Tebrook's aggression towards outsiders weren't the only thing stopping tourism, I'd strongly advise against it due to an infestation of mice. And their crazy ring lady.
Although... on the other hand... they do put on a fabulous show.
We finally said goodbye to Arbor Harbor in hopes of making it through the Limerick Forest. But our guide insisted on us helping the local madwoman. It SHOULD have been easy. Gargax definitely didn't almost kill himself with his own game trap. I definitely didn't get shredded by feral cats. And then later get completely splattered in their guts.
Overall, 0 out of five stars. Would not recommend fighting a pair of feral dire cats so that a crazy old lady's city of mice doesn't suffer any more casualties. But if I'm being honest, her mouse theater probably deserves at least a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was rather conceptual and up to interpretation, but those mice can perform.
We did get some gold out of it, as well as a "broken" mouse. Welcome to the party, Pip the gerbil.
The First Meeting
13th-15th of Zincyth 3468
The 13th of Zincyth marks our first meeting with Desillarus Trevor. While I haven't fully gotten the hang of this whole nonlinear timeline thing, I figure it would be important to mark the date. According to this odd old wizard, we've all met before. Or rather, he's met us before. But that's in his past, and in our future.
You have no idea how long it took to explain that to Gargax. It was horrible. His nose started bleeding, I could see smoke coming from his ears, it was a whole thing. But Trevor was extremely patient with us, even allowing Gax to give him the name "Trevor". Desillarus is just too complicated. Oh, and Kevin and Tyler, the guardian statues, they were pretty chill too, allowing Gax the same liberties. Although... they do live in a magically teleporting house that only appears when a musically inclined butterfly summons you. So I could have imagined the entire thing due to my hangover.
The old man claimed to have had our help in a quest before, in his past. He had another one available for us, if we were willing to pursue this relationship. I was having a hard time believing any of this, but then I remembered that silly old tarot card reading back in Tebrook. Maybe this was the offer I was supposed to accept.
And the thought of being led towards this exciting adventure, I just couldn't refuse.
Where: Penthill - Drunken Albatross
What: Splendiferous Bauble
How: The Challenge Dungeon
Who: Igor Larionov
Why: ... Trevor said so, and so did that skyrim courier
Note to self: Sometimes the cloaked figure at the bar is just a broom
The people of Penthill are a wonderful bunch. Except Testicles. Screw that guy.
The gnomes who built the challenge dungeon, Igor, the famous inventor, and most of the travelers who came from all over just to show off their skills; the whole crowd was welcoming and merry. But they were no match for the Blue Man Group.
Even after we were separated, even after solving most of the puzzles through pure luck, we came out on top!
At first I was nervous about Gax becoming separated from Misht and I, but soon I was overwhelmed with babysitting the warlock. He almost fell down a ditch, and then I had to drag him through a room full of basilisks to avoid getting petrified, and then we had to change our course because the useless man can't fly.
Nevertheless, he did show his prowess in the end. He helped me stay strong when I was tempted by a corridor filled with gorgeous blue gems. And he also technically solved the final puzzle that earned us our winnings.
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No matter how many times Trevor says the Splendiferous Bauble is a pinecone that only looks like my deepest desire, I swear to you it's a sapphire. A sapphire that gives you some weird ass visions of the past. Visions of the original Masters, the burning of a building, and the end of ... something.
Trevor says that we're getting close to understanding the whole story; whatever happened to the original masters. During his first meeting with us, Trevor was tasked with unraveling the mysteries of the Masters and finding evidence of foul play. I can only wonder... what future do we have before us?
Don't Rub a Treant's Lumps
12th of Zincyth 3468
I'm not too sure what I can write about this day. I'm too familiar with the delicacies that must be taken when dealing with communities that wish to stay hidden. In respect of the druids of Tebrook, I have removed their location from my map and will try not to disclose much of our visit to their home. The only reason we came across these people is because we needed a guide through the Limerick Forest, a dense forest that is impossible to navigate. And even then, it was almost impossible to convince them to help mere outsiders.
Following Gisme's instructions, we came across an interesting discovery. And... followed that discovery into the trees. We weren't very stealthy about it, and were found out. But still, the wood elf lead us to his people. He was hesitant, having already been partially shunned for interacting with outsiders many times before, but he told us there was a problem that was causing his people to suffer, and that we might be able to help.
And I guess they really did need help.
Note to self: Don't rub a Treant's lumps
This thing literally walked - WALKED - into Tebrook and just sat itself in the center of the town. Honestly, I thought it was some sort of sacred tree, but no. His name is Oaken Grove. And his entire grove was destroyed, "drowned in death". The wood elves seemed less concerned about this. Considering they hadn't even bothered to talk with this ancient creature. The issue they were suffering from was that the sacred weapon of their deity had been stolen. And those two issues were definitely connected, to no one's surprise.
Before I forget about this strange occurrence; we did stop for a meal before our trek into the woods, back the way that Oaken had come. The owner of this place and her companion squirrel - whose name I wish to include because it was so charming: The Emperor - gave us tarot card readings. I know very little about such things, but I was... almost excited to hear what the cards had to say.
Page of Pentacles: An offer is going to come, accept it.
Gax and Misht's readings were also curious, Misht was definitely intrigued about his. I don't know how Gax feels about his, but I do know he doesn't really think that... outisde of the box.
Two of Swords: A decision will come to you, use your head
(Gax might just start slamming his head through walls)
Five of Swords: Choose your battles, lay down your swords
(I don't know what battle Misht is fighting, but I hope he chooses wisely)
Following the Treant's path through the forest led us to a horrid display of decaying nature, exploding spores, and fungal infested carcasses. A red mold and violet fungus had over taken the terrain, giving birth to hordes of Vegepygmy. At the source of this decay, was a wood elf's tree house. A crazy blood and mold covered elf met us with the sacred bow, casting mold into the surrounding landscape and spreading the spores.
Once he was dead, we'll say he fell off the edge of his tree house, we retrieved the bow.
And we spoke the sacred words.
I will not say what they are, because it would not be fair to the elves to have this information leave their home, but I felt alive. I felt incredible purpose in using such a powerful and meaningful weapon. We spread life with it, before returning it to the elves.
At that point, we become aware of a third and far greater issue that the elves have been suffering. They have been preparing for war, to destroy the humans of Arbor Harbor who had been tearing down the edges of their forest. I don't know why this never occurred to the elves, but we quickly - in hopes of protecting the kind hospitable people of Arbor Harbor - reminded them of their bow. It brings life, why couldn't it rebuild the trees that the lumberjacks had taken?
And thank the gods it worked! Both the people of Tebrook and the people of Arbor Harbor agreed to this arrangement. There is still going to be tension between them, and Tebrook stands to remain hidden, but hey! Look at that! We stopped a war! That deserves some celebration!
A Shield for Gax
11th of Zincyth 3468
After spending the night with the lumberjacks and filling ourselves up with merriment, we found the young kid missing in the morning. We might have gone after him, if he hadn't left such a crass note. We decided to let the kid be, hopefully he'll find his way and not learn the hard way about the dangers of this area. Unfortunately, we didn't have any leads on our journey towards Shidon, at least until we pulled information from hesitant locals. Gisme Elwye, one of the owners of the inn, left us with these instructions:
"Before the sun comes out tomorrow, hang out at the armory"
So, supposing this isn't any sort of riddle, we had to find a way to occupy our time for a day. Which does ruffle my feathers quite a bit. I don't have much interest in becoming a Master, but it's frustrating that our rival Gary may already be on his way to Route 2.
We went to the armory first, The Stoic owned by Gol Markeg. It wasn't time for us to see what Gisme had meant, but what's the harm in scoping out the place first?
Well, I'll tell you the harm in it . Gargax tried to rip the door off its hinges. And then we listened to him try to negotiate with the armorer to make him a shield out of the man's own door. It took us a long time to get Gargax to let it go. Though I feel a little bad, I think he still thinks about how strong of a shield that door would have made. Even if it's not that, he's definitely got something on his mind. He called me Gargax at one point and then had to remind himself that that was his name. But anyway, the new shield he received has our clan's emblem brandished across it, which I think makes for an awesome talisman.
I Wanna be the Very Best, Like No One Ever Was
9th-10th of Zincyth 3468
9th of Zincyth 3468
Our quest to help Misht become a Master has gotten off to a rough start. After a few days, we finalize that we need to make our way to the lumber town of Arbor Harbor. This somehow ended up as a week long journey to Newbeech. By sea. There was no way we could have made it to Newbeech through the desert and thick underdeveloped terrain of the Northeastern countries. But the ship importing cargo only comes and goes every few weeks. Fortunately, we happened to hear of the ship leaving port at dawn the next day.
I'm just about at my wit's end. Gax is horribly sea sick. Misht won't stop sitting in the corner and mumbling to his diary. I almost got a glimpse of it the other night while we hung in our hammocks. He acts rather nonchalant about it... But I worry that he's writing some sort of hit list in there. One night, some sailors got this ratty teenager drunk, and he wouldn't stop boasting about his quest for undiscovered knowledge. This kid might be crazier than Misht - I might have thought. If Misht hadn't stared at him that whole night and then proceeded to write in and whisper to his diary. Gargax has been oblivious, simply trying to keep from losing the contents of his stomach at every churn of the waves. Silver dragonborn are simply not meant for overseas travel.
10th 0f Zincyth 3468
Somehow we adopted the ratty teenager. I suppose it is my fault. I stole his sapphire.
His mouth is more rotten than Gargax's and his behavior is more self-centered than Misht's. But as Gargax and Misht coaxed me to return the gorgeous gem to this less than deserving child, somehow we came to the understanding that our quest aligned with that of the teenager. Or at least Misht did. Something about some tome.
Gax wants to know why we're looking for a toe.
Our first day in Arbor Harbor was incredibly eventful. While babysitting Barrien (the teenager), we found ourselves exploring the shipyard, the local shops, and the lively inn. The locals seemed less than interested with our type, especially since there was another adventuring group creating a scene. Gary Lorros, another rival to become the next Master, and his curious crew drew in all the attention with their songs and tales of adventure. They're in search of the tome too. They steal our glory later on. But Misht scares them off with a severed head.
Like I said, it was an eventful day.
Either way, this leads to that and we found ourselves offering our help to the union of lumberjacks. Arbor Harbor's economy depends solely on their production of lumber from the dense Limerick Forest. When we found out that the union's scouts were disappearing into the woods with no trace, we offered our help. The tome was somewhere in that forest, and Barrien was going to get it whether we helped those scouts or not. Little asshole. But he's still better than those giant spiders. Giant. Spiders. And I've got to give the boy credit. With his collection of spells and impulsive behavior, he could have easily set the entire cave on fire to kill the horde of creatures. But because he didn't, we were able to save two lives.
This is the act that Gary Lorros stole our glory for. He went back with those two lives, claiming to have helped saved them, and took our reward coin. Luckily, he didn't have any interest in the blue ribbon that was the payment for my service :)
But again, that was later on. There was still much to discover in the spider's cave. Like a spider shepherd, a random skeleton in a closed off stone room, and a cryptic note. A bright blue light drew me to a crevice in the wall. This, clearly, was where that kid's sapphire belonged. Placing it there opened a.... basement? Can spider caves have basements? Anyway, our skeleton friend with a letter speaking of some lady in the city of Shidon was all that was in that room. Much to Misht's and Barrien's disappointment, there was no tome. But this was definitely a clue, and also good news. Gax and I will have to escort them across the continent, which means more easy mercenary work.
Notes:
Spiders and their webs can be easily destroyed with fire
Look out for spider ambushes
Ettercaps can climb walls and ceilings
They can also sense things that touch their webs
Perhaps these will mean something to someone somewhere during our travels:
Fridga of Shidon
Torinth Peltronious - Last of His Name
On our return to speak with the Union rep, Erig - a very friendly man - we explain everything. And also terrify everyone with a severed head. I.... don't remember where Misht got it. Gary took off, with our money. But jokes on him, I look great in that blue ribbon he refused to take.
Now we rest, in the Tired Trunk inn, and I wonder what Misht and Barrien might have planned. Neither of them are sharing their thoughts and motivations. And the boy is most certainly a flight-risk. Whatever. Despite the severed head and the charlatans stealing the spotlight, Erig provided us with a reception worthy of heroes. I am full of mead and meat, and I couldn't care less of these brainy types and their secrets. I better find slumber before Gax keeps me up all night with his dreadful snores.
I Spy Something... Blue
29th of Song 3468
I can't remember the last time my skill ended up being helpful in any way. On this journey, it's actually lost us a few gold pieces. I happened to pick up the wrong noble's pouch. How was I supposed to know it was full of coins? All I saw was a bright blue shimmering silk, thrown carelessly into the street. Gargax had to bribe the lady to keep her from summoning the authorities. We've only been traveling for so long, a month if I'm remembering correctly, and we are quickly running out of money. Gargax doesn't seem to be aware of our predicament, which I think is for the best, since an opportunity arose before I had to break the news that we would have to return home.
Misht... something or other. A tiefling with a weird thing for his journal and a vague quest. But the most important thing about him, is that he's blue and definitely squishy. If I wasn't so easily drawn to that color, I may not have noticed the way he mulled about the tavern asking for information. Information seekers in this day and age, I have to believe he's on a quest to take the open spot to become a Master. I pointed Gax in his direction, and of course my older brother did what he does best; make friends. Despite his clear discomfort with us, we convinced Misht that he needed us for his journey. He's planning on traveling into unknown territory, which I happen to be an expert in traversing, and even if he knows a few magic spells, there's no way he can protect himself the way Gargax can. Our service won't be free, of course. The warlock seems unwilling to pay us both individually, since we let it slip that we're traveling together as siblings. But I think I can negotiate something with him... Maybe coin for Gax, and something blue for me.
I think I'm a little excited, to see where this journey takes us. Up until now, we had only been traveling to explore and so that I could complete my maps. We have no goal in mind, no real destination, just adventure. Misht might take us even further, and hey, even if we're acting as mercs for the time being, it feels pretty good to be getting paid.