A short while after my last entry, night fell and I left the inn, wearing my sword, intending to investigate the slums for the cause of the rumors. I probably should have brought my armor, as well, but I wanted some measure of swiftness.

I hadn’t gotten far into the slums when I heard the sound of Daron’s name being spoken, or perhaps chanted, from the interior of a seedy tavern. Inside, I indeed found Daron, very drunk, along with Volos, a halfling new to the city, and a farmer, one named Henri, who has brought the petition for someone to deal with the giant. I was most surprised to see Daron, since I had put at least some stock in Hermy’s theory that perhaps he was off somewhere with Natala. He looked terrible. He’d been there for the three days he’d been missing, drinking and pit fighting. He dropped hints that he was upset about Natala, among other things, thinking that she had run off somewhere with Kywyn. Not likely, I think, since I’ve spoken with Kywyn since she’s been missing, and considering his reaction to Hermy’s theory when we met him outside the Guild the day before. I tried to tell him that she was missing to sober him up, but he was already too far gone for the night. He collapsed slightly, in little more than a drunken torpor. We started to take him from the tavern, back to the Guild, when the owner accosted us, wanting Daron to stay and continue pit fighting, and sic’ed his bouncer on us. I warned him to let us pass, he ignored me, and I knocked the wind from him and led the way back to the Guild.

We got Daron up to bed, and Cassius asked what had happened. I told him what I had guessed, and he became angered, mostly because of Natala being missing. We realized that Henri had gone missing. He sent junior Guild members out in search of Natala, and I went looking for Henri.

I looked for a full day, finding no sign of him. I returned to the Guild to sleep.

When I awoke early this evening and spoke with Volos, he told me that Hermy had charged out to hunt vampires in the slums. I was most worried for him and convinced Volos to let me borrow some armor from the Guild so I could search for him. I spent that day scouring the slums for him. The conditions there are atrocious. The poor people there must be miserable. I saw no sign of anyone, not even Hermy, to my dismay. After searching for some time, I got the feeling I was being watched. I invoked my sight, sensing that there was indeed something evil in the vicinity. Before I could get a definite fix on where it was, it fled down into the sewers--amazingly fast. I followed. The stench was too much for me to maintain my concentration, and since I saw and sensed no sign of it, I turned back to go. It grabbed me from behind, crushing my throat, lifting me off my feet. I tried to strike it with my sword, missed, changed to my dagger, and managed to slash it. It dropped me and fled.

I left the sewers, filthy and exhausted from my ordeal, where I met a strange man and advised him to stay away from the slums. The rumors were true, with my bruised neck as evidence.

I got back to the Guild, where Daron was awake and speaking with Kal. Both were amazed by my appearance, but I can’t blame them. They’d been discussing the mission to slay that giant, but became somewhat sidetracked when I told them my tale. Kal left shortly thereafter, telling me he’d left a note pertaining to the giant situation in my room. Daron filled me in, saying that a possibility exists that it is simply an ogre instead of a true giant. If that was the case, he believed myself and a few others should be able to handle it, unless it is a more powerful giant. I assured him that I should be able to deal with it if I go, then tried to discuss with him what had drove him to that tavern. It seems he believes that Natala cares for Kywyn and has run off with him. I told him, now sober, that Natala has been missing since, as best we can tell, he started his drinking binge. He turned enraged, seeming to think that Kywyn had something to do with it, saying he would kill him if that was the case. Hermy then arrived, safe and sound, telling us he’d discovered that Natala has been arrested. Cassius emerged from somewhere in the Guild, expressing his own anger and stating the evidence he’d managed to find that supported what Hermy said. I thought at first they would charge off immediately, banner flying, and storm the guard chapterhouse. Daron assured me that he would try diplomacy, intending to speak with the Captain-General. That was good enough for the others. Hermy went to sleep, and I followed suit, finally washing up and returning to the inn.

This is troubling. Bad things have come in threes, as they’re wont to do. First whatever it was that almost strangled me to death--my neck is still hurt from it and I’ve exhausted my healing for the moment--then there’s the giant, and now Natala’s being held for some unknown, probably trumped-up reason. I’m of course worried about all three situations, but chances are I’ll go on the giant-slaying expedition. Daron has assured me it shouldn’t take long, and I hope he’s correct, so I can return to deal with the other three.

And now it’s late. It’s been a long few days, and I need my rest.