An entry written in smudged charcoal

Well, I guess I'll stop titling these. I'm not creative enough to keep thinking up titles, and it's not like I need to label this for other people to read. And you can rightly screw off if you're reading this without permission!
 
(Though if you managed to steal this off me I commend your skill, even if you're an ass)
 
Today I had another brush with death, though closer than I've ever had before. If it hadn't been for the others in the group, I definitely would have died down in that damp cave, thanks to that wizard's nasty spellcasting and the giant worm's death scream. Not a terribly pleasant experience, though I'm back to peak health again now thanks to the healing spells they sent my way. It's... odd, having people to watch your back. I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing yet. I guess all I can say is that I'm happy to not be dead.
 
We're on the road back to Winterspell now. Gremory's got the staff for now, but I'm pretty sure I can take off the crystal once he's not looking. I sure as hell don't want to hand it back to the creepy wizard from before, something about him rubs me the wrong way. I might not be terribly skilled in magic, but even I can tell that guy radiates power. I don't know where his allegiance really lies. If he even has allegiance to anyone but himself. Either way, he's far too dangerous to just be handing a potent magical weapon over to.
 
I guess we have time to figure out what we'll do with it before we get back to the city. Or at the very least, I've got some time to pry that crystal off the end. Let's see if I can rob Gremory blind a second time.