January 601
1-14-601 (Sunday)
Well this was a pretty fun day. Dustyn and I hung out at The Dancing Dragon Inn
and had a huge pillow fight. He kept cheating, so I finally ended up putting a
book in one of the pillows and hitting him with that. A knock at the door
interrupted our fun, and so after calling a Time Out, Dustyn opened it revealing
Horatio and Zander. I had invited Horatio, but Zander was definitely an
unexpected surprise...especially since the last time I saw him, he was calling
me names and brandishing his weapon in a very threatening manner. I was not
going to let his presence ruin my evening though, and so Duty and I played
around them as they glared at one another and sometimes made subtle comments.
Finally, after seeing they did not know how to enjoy themselves, we let them
leave.
1-15-601 (Monday)
The scariest thing happened to me today. I was taking a bath in this creek
near the Dancing Dragon Inn, when suddenly, out of nowhere, the grass and plants
nearby began to turn brown and wilt. Then they turned black and began to look
greasy... If that was not bad enough, when the filth got to the waters edge, it
began to bubble to the surface as some oily slime. I don't know what I did to
cause this, but it scared me....badly. All I could think of was not letting it
touch me, so I scrambled to the other side and got out. I was speechless! Then,
as suddenly as it began, it stopped. In other words, the land it had already
touched stayed the same, but it did not continue to harm any more. I was trying
to determine the cause when I heard a voice nearby. It was Diakaryu. He had been
in the area earlier and seeing something amiss, decided to check it out and
seemed as confused about it as I was.
1-17-601 (Wednesday)
Well, my friend, Horatio, said he thinks the stuff from the other day was
from a chaos cantrip. Ick!!! Who would do that though? And more
importantly...why? And to think that stuff almost touched me...
1-23-601 (Monday)
Well, another visit from Diakaryu proved interesting. We went to check out
the chaos tainted land from the other day and Dustyn came with us. After looking
around for a while and discovering no clues as to the cause, Diakaryu decided to
go off by himself to look around in the woods. After a few moments, we heard him
yelling like he was being attacked, so we ran to help. After reaching the area
where the noise had come from, we heard him again, only a little further away
this time. Finally we found him all broken and bleeding near the stream. Since I
am not skilled in healing at all, I quickly looked for any alchemy I might have,
but alas...I was not properly prepared and had none. It's a good thing Dustyn is
more skilled then I in these matters and that he had decided to come with us or
Diakaryu might have died. Dusty quickly began giving him first aid, but
strangely enough, for some reason as soon as he started, Diakaryu jumped up and
healed himself. Well at least he was okay. Anyway, nearby were some components,
some coin, and a book...I think with cantrips in it. The ground around us was
like the other chaos-tainted land...black and oily and...::shudders::...icky.
After some questioning, it seems Diakaryu had come upon a death knight and some
skeletons. He wasn't sure if he had defeated the creature, but since we found
it's treasure lying there, he assumed he had. Good thing too...we can't have
undead just running around the Barony.
1-24-601 (Wednesday)
I was bored most of the day. Gregor had said he would stop by, but I never
saw him, and Dustyn had gone out for a bit. Well as if hearing my bored feet
tapping on the ground, Diakaryu knocked on my door and paid me another visit.
You know, for someone who doesn't live near me at all...he sure visits a lot.
The visit was a surprise though, especially since the last thing I heard from
him was in a letter about chasing after some guy who was oppressing the people
or some such, and he had Eric the Black with him. Today was just full of
surprises I guess. Well he said he found that merchant guy and 'took care of
him'. I hope he meant by taking him to Tinker...so I'll let Tinker know to keep
an eye out for Diakaryu.
Not wanting to be the rude hostess, I let them in to talk. But for some reason,
that never happens for long with me. One thing led to another and soon pillows
were everywhere. Yep...another pillow fight. But they started it...I swear. And
I thought I was bad at cheating at pillow fights...Eric is worse. He tried to
sneak a gas into his pillow. Well, I walloped him good with a book in mine for
that. I think that's when Dustyn came back. Anyway, soon the pillow fight turned
into a Donut War. Gases and spells everywhere. I finally made a circle of
pillows on the floor and put one up. I think Dustyn needs to work on his
acrobats, cuz I spent some time waking him up in that circle while Diakaryu and
Eric waited outside with evil grins on their faces. Well, finally we were ready
and I dropped the circle. I barely missed being hit by another spell, and
tackled Eric first and then Diakaryu. But in the end, I always seemed to end up
on the floor. I think I'm not as good as I thought at this game. Well, finally
Diakaryu and Dusty left to go get something to drink, so Eric and I sparred a
bit. When they came back, Eric decided he wanted to really fight. I mean,
Diakaryu is an Earth Caster after all. He could heal us... I didn't care,
so I grabbed my weapons and we fought. At one point he thought he hurt me really
really bad because I fell down and pretended to be unconscious. That was funny.
He tried it with me too though, so I guess we were even at that point. Anyway,
eventually it got pretty late and some stinkin' quicklings kept bothering Dustyn
with unimportant stuff, so I had them leave and went back to the glen to sleep.
1-25-601 (Thursday)
Absolutely nothing important or even memorable happened today. Nothing at
all...except that I somehow burned my legs. But other then that...nothing.
1-29-601 (Monday)
Friday I decided to go out and pick blueberries just beyond the portal to
the glen. I really, really wish someone had come with me. The woods can get kind
of creepy when you're alone. Anyway, when I came back, Gregor had left already,
and since someone had destroyed my things, I headed back to the Dancing Dragon
Inn to get more gear. Fortunately, a kind man gave me some clothes (as they had
been destroyed too), or I'd have been rather embarrassed upon my entrance I'm
sure. Fortune was shining on me this day though as Eric and Diakaryu were still
around. Eric lent me his sword until I could procure another and Diakaryu tended
to me. They are both sweet and I will have to do something to repay their
kindness. It seems I have a new scar now, and though we tried to remove it,
nothing worked. Oh well...I think I will need much sleep...
1-30-601 (Tuesday)
Eric and I saw several wagons outside the inn this morning. They began
setting up for what we thought was a carnival, so we wandered over to look. Once
inside, we bumped into Garn...strange he was there and not Diakaryu, but there
you have it. Anyway, the show began and Garn left to find more ale...as if he
wasn't already drunk enough. The jugglers were good and thinking I recognized
one of them, I left the stands to find him. By then they had already disappeared
to the back, so I followed them there. The ringmaster met us at the entrance and
refused to allow me in, but then suddenly he just toppled over, so I went back
there anyway. He seemed almost afraid when I told him I wanted back there
because I thought I knew someone. I thought that odd at the time, but now I know
why. When we passed through the dressing rooms, a small girl stopped us. I
recognized her, but she should not have been there...it was not possible...yet
there she was. Thinking I knew who it was now that I recognized, I asked her to
tell me where he was. She denied and with a frightened look in her eyes said it
was not him. It was the "other" one. Now I knew for sure who it was,
and as I yelled for Eric to run...Dustyn was suddenly there in front of me.
.eyes glowing brighter then the noon day sun, yelling the same to me. Try as we
might to escape the tent unscathed...it just did not happen. The juggler found
us before we could get away. What does he want? My nightmare began again, only
this time I could not protect my friends. After making sure I was going nowhere,
he started in on Dustyn. I wanted to help him, but I could not move... Dustyn
fell to his knee at one point, but it seemed Curious could not affect him as
much as he did me. I do not know what happened after that as I felt something
rip inside me and I passed out.
1-31-601 (Wednesday)
I am leaving today to meet up with Gregor in Camp 12 on the other plane. I
wonder why he did not wait for me? Odd that he would wish me to travel alone in
a place I am wholly unfamiliar with. That and he did not even wait for me to
finish picking my berries.