III. Journal

First Entry

And so I came to wander in northern Kurach province, and there came upon an unlikely companion. A half-orc - outcast in the worlds of both men and orcs - and certainly not one with whom normal elves would choose to fraternize. But I had learned through bitter experience the results of acting blindly upon one's prejudices, and anyway, this one seemed different - somehow stately. Beside, why should an elf not befriend an orc? The creature also claimed to come from nobility, and though I did not believe him, I admired the ferocity with which he stuck to his inflated claims. Also, not being a great leader of men, nor overly laden with friends at that time, I preferred his company above the sound of my own solitary footfalls. This gruesome yet ferocious creature, I thought, may be the beginning of my adventuring party. Without a strong fighter, I - down to my last coppers without even a dagger to fight my enemies - would have no hope of achieving my lofty ambitions.

Second Entry

We went to the city of Imperial Ward and stayed at the Inn of the Prancing Pony. There we met three hearty souls also in search of adventure. My eyes were first drawn to Sidonia Jort al'Kur, a stunningly charming elf maiden to whom I instantly felt a kinship. Second, an ugly but immensely strong-looking female dwarf, armed with an axe, whose utter lack of grace and tact stood in sharp contrast to her elven companion. And finally, Mr. Bingle Boink, a light-hearted half-elven ranger who immediately struck me as an excellent drinking companion. The elves would be pleasant company regardless of their skills. And the stubby dwarf's mighty axe swings would complement nicely my sling bullets hurled overtop her head at our mutual enemies.

We conversed with others at the inn, in an attempt to seek out what adventures might be available. Mage's Day was approaching, so there was much preparatory activity of the magical variety, which piqued my interest immensely. My half-orc friend immediately began attracting insults. A group of armed men entered and claimed responsibility for the slaughter of numerous orcs near the city. The half-orc rapidly turned a relatively benign situation into a challenge to unarmed combat.

I quickly attempt to profit from the situation by placing a wager with one of the men-at-arms. I bet 2 gp on my swarthy half-orc companion, hoping for the best given my complete lack of ability to pay if I lose. Nobody likes a welcher. As luck would have it, the orc gets pummelled. Eying my potential escape routes, I feel the muscular arm of the man-at-arms grasp my scrawny elbow. Think fast, think fast. My orc friend, still somewhat groggy from his beating, quickly agrees to my suggestion that he pay out on the bet. However, he is alert enough to demand repayment at some future date.

More discussion at the inn. I am getting antsy. Word of orcs in the area with the Flaming Brand slogan.

The group decided to try to find work. A job board indicated a reward for a lost item. Hmmm, lost item retrieval. Normally I'm on the other end of those ones.

At the home of Balking the Merchant, we are led into a well-decorated office. I scan the room looking for anything that might be easy to pocket, while Balking explains the loss of his lucky charm - an Elucidor statue of moderate value. He's willing to pay us 10 times its value to have it returned. Whatever you say, Mr. Balking, sir. Some people have more money than they deserve. I suggest further exploration of the home to determine the thieves' mode of entry. It also affords me the opportunity to case the joint for possible future "exploration". It would appear that entry was through a bedroom window. We interview Balking's hot elven maids, neither of which is any help. The only person who seems to have benefited from the loss is a competitor named Theodore Silverleaf.

Based on info received, Trax and I follow up with Zaltray, Balking's sculptor. Busy shop, might be some cash in the till, I think. I ask some questions about his wares and the Balking statue specifically, suspicious that Balking may have "omitted" some relevant details. Was the statue hollow? Magical? Zaltray's story jibes with Balking. Grateful for his assistance, we leave without pilfering anything. On the way back, I see what looks like an orc in an alleyway, scribbling on a parchment. Odd, I think to myself, most orcs don't write.

The rest of our sleuthing party next made its way to the domain of merchant Theodore, prime suspect in the statue theft. I anticipated casing the building for potential means of entry, in preparation for a night-time burglary by yours truly. Instead, to my utter dismay and astonishment, the group knocked on the front door and asked for a job. Great Dou!

At dusk we attended an advertised event in a city square. Turned out to be some kind of cult scam. I was mildly intrigued by the possibilities, but it appeared that this group of n'er-do-wells had already sown up the religious cult racket. Besides, my friends wanted to go hunt orcs.

We ventured east outside the city gates, eventually coming upon a dump and some bloody feathers. The dump attendants couldn't agree on anything, so we explored further ourselves, the Rangers and half-orc in the lead. They surprised five orcs and slaughtered them with bow, axe, and sword before I could load a sling bullet. The magic-user kept up a "rear guard". I was mildly disappointed at not having an opportunity to test out my aim, but contented to see my companions test positively at our first battle experience. I was lucky to have companions like these to handle the messy work of battle. By the time the fifth orc's entrails hit the ground, I had already rifled his corpse for loot. Just as quickly, I "repaid" the half-orc Krog-gor for my earlier loan. Want to remain on good terms with this surly beast.

We returned to the inn and fell into bed, exhausted, as the first rays of dawn pierced the window panes.