The Second Saral of Sunna

Dear Diary,
 
Eeeeeek! I met Tarja Lovesjel in person and she thanked us even for saving her husband and father-in-law! She is so refined, graceful and powerful in person. She just exudes the ancestral might and honor of Gammelkonge! What would I do to some day have the position of Court Mage to her rule!? Ooof but the endless politics and the niceties to people who don't deserve it. Agh it would be torture and torment and I imagine my life expectancy would be less than a human's.
 
I'm not ready to die. I have so much left to give. I realized that today, faced with a fiery death mere inches from my face. It was a massive candelabra that was rigged with glyphs of Fireball, set to blow at a verbal command. In getting rid of that and the clown golem assassins, I imagine we have stepped on the toes of a somewhat enterprising mage assassin and got in the way of their paycheck. Looking at the clowns we destroyed, I don't believe we are dealing with a "professional" type that will simply write this down as a loss. No, I except petty payback. My companions will call me paranoid, but I know wizards. The overgrowth of hubris is not an exception, but a rule. And sense has yet to become common.
 
To take a few steps backwards, we managed to thwart the assassination of one Mario Durante. He invited himself in to our hideout on the morn of his birthday and we discussed the events and the threats against him and his family. A short discussion later, we learned Vincent had been injured, but had make it to safety in the palace. Fortunately. At first I took him for a common dandy, but the man has tricks up his sleeve, much like our Kaerwyd if he cleaned up his act some.
 
Right, right, to the thwarting. We split our eyes and ears to different parts of the opera house and began our investigation of the premises. We found traps and preparations of conventional, alchemical and magical means, all of which points to that the assassins went to quite a bit of expense to get rid of the Merchant King. The aforementioned candelabra was beyond my means of disarming, even with the combined might of our priests or even the bard, which meant it had to be carried out. It was too large even so, and the quickest rational solution was to enlist working men to get it out. I sorely hope they threw that candelabra away as intended.
 
We also found a pouch of a substance that I believe consists of the alchemist's black powder and something else. I have no idea what, but perhaps I can study these substances now that I have the time. If I can trace what ingredients go to making this, I might sell the recipe for a fortu---
No. Absolutely not. I'm not about to become responsible for a new kind of alchemical warfare when we have the risk of War on our doorstep. No, these things must remain a secret for now. That perhaps makes it even more important that I figure out just what makes this blackish stuff so volatile and explosive.
 
ANYWAY. There were three assassins. A woman that seemed a traditional small blades expert, but they had some sort of shadowy magic powers and perhaps a capability for short distance teleportation. I was not there to witness her capabilities to be honest. She had left herself an Amulet of Preparedness on the scene to help in her endeavors, but we snatched it beforehand.
What I had the displeasure of fighting face to face were constructs of some sort of slimey substance, held together by their clown outfits, a mask and a Rune of Control or False Life as a heart. There were two of them and the second one self-destructed as it saw its chances of success freeze over in the hands of Amariel and yours truly. I strongly suspect they were being controlled from afar, perhaps from the audience. Their master had the sense to never show themselves.
The constructs were armed with magical items befitting assassins: Gloves of Scaling and a Dagger of Cunningness. I imagine the golems were not cheap to create if their master also had the means to arm them like this.
Lastly, we saw a monster in the guise of an elven man. A vampiric being, if our guesswork is correct. It got Eldove pretty good and the priests had the opinion that healing her was beyond their power at the moment. While I still don't like her, she was useful during the Opera play and I'm not so embittered as to wish for such a ghoulish fate for anyone. We will find a cure for her "infection". Silver has been known to have an alchemical effect with such magical monsters, and it is an ingredient in many medicines. Perhaps it will help stave off some of its progress for now? We can't help but try.
 
With all of the investigative and dirty work out of the way and the awful play at an end, and with a crowd cheering to bloody murder (who would have guessed), we were escorted to the palace to be congratulated by the Merchant King for our work. Which the Durantes forgot to pay for, making the asking of it rather awkward. But even more awkward was the presence of one Ergon Wintertree, a very very very creepy old man, who passingly confessed to the murder of an entire noble family line of Van Hallows in front of his king. I guess you get to do whatever you want if you have money and influence. I am rather certain of Wintertree's involvement in the assassination attempt, because he appears to be just the type of warmongering monster, that would attempt to spark another full blown war between the nations of Craterium. Why do I think someone tries to start a war? The king's men found a letter containing the assassin's contract and payment of a five numbered sum to the three individuals, and this was all signed by one Vice Mayor Carrill Lorzon of Stonesinger.
 
It's easy to imagine a group of power hungry politicians baking up a war together. Wintertree is part of this equation, I just know it.
 
I just hope Tarja makes it out okay in all of this. And that Vincent realizes that she is not some spy, but his spouse that requires the same support she gives him. Gammelkonge might have played our part in the wars, but dwarven honor does not approve the use of vampires and poison bladed assassins. Challar and Sunnari, if there is a thing I would pray for tonight, it is that you send a spirit like my beloved Aegir to look after Tarja.
 
We are to set off to new adventures with our newly acquired funds. It's not much. We need to make more. But it's enough to get set on to the road and to find greater fortunes. My companions proved themselves today out there and I believe that I can count on their abilities, even if not all of their judgement. When things started to get rough, we each had our backs. And I feel we are just getting started.
 
I would write more on things but... I have had a long day.