The Embark

Gods Above and Below have surely given me fortune. I have been granted a chance at a new life away from the realm of torture, away from the madness of the Moon Mistress and Belethor. Don’t misunderstand my dear thief whose head is about to explode for stealing my second journal, I did enjoy my time. Certainly more than you who should start feeling the headache shortly. No matter, keep reading and the spell won’t set in just yet. I digress, I will miss Belethor. He was such a strange entity who was so delightfully talented at word games beyond anyone I had yet to encounter. Why, even Artyom from the Al-Asaf couldn’t hold a candle to him and Artyom was quite the well read individual! Funny, I would bore the hours away in my cage watching him berate the Moon Mistress, sometimes even punish her. She always did seem a touch resentful when she passed me by on her way out each day. Funny, despite me being in the cage and her gliding through portals I think that I was in a way more free. At least Belethor seemed to welcome my tricks. Granted that may be in part to him gaining my soul once I could no longer stump him.
 
Alas! He is dead and gone now. Slain by a small party of who call themselves “The Legendary Adventurers of Drynna!” Such a strange group. An Orc, a Kobalt, and three humans each boasting magic nearly enough to make even the weapon trading efreets jealous. It was strange that they would adopt a man covered in rags and goo into their ranks although perhaps that is their gimmick. Many dead bodies lay around the portal they pulled me through and rather than lament for their losses and bury the dead they do a round of introductions! Imagine that you thief, instead of showing caution they welcome you. I could be anyone, I am anyone and they didn’t think to question me but for trivialities. Who was I? What was I doing there? Did I know what was on the other side? So very very strange. I think I will go along with them for a time. They say they need a scholar who can elaborate on the profoundly arcane. I don’t know the first thing about the true arcane, just twisting spells but they don’t need to know that. I might as well tag along. Oh, by the way thief, if you’ve made it this far try pinching your temple to shunt the blood flow. Should keep you alive till you can steal my next entry.