It seems that our host has decided that we should be well kitted out for our journey away from this cursed place and so I have taken a look through the armoury they have here and selected a well fitting set of plate mail and a suitable balanced bastard sword. The strange thing is that it feels almost second nature to be wielding this implement and yet I have never trained beyond the long sword. In fact I feel better now than I have before. Curious.

Upon my return to our rooms I overheard a discussion between Tomric and Reggie, our host, indicating that we had slept for something close to two weeks! This does not fully explain my new found vigour and abilities but nothing about this place has made sense so far.

We left in something of a hurry this and made our way down a staircase to a room with a strange whispering voice, oh and a deadly trap which the brave fighter Hassan located in order that we may avoid the same fate that befell the dried skeleton in the centre of the room.

We explored further and before anybody could persuade him otherwisem the impetuous elf Lenquitar was running down a corridor to open a brightly coloured door. Inside he was set upon by several gargoyles, animates tone creatures the likes of which I have never seen before. My companions lept into action and soon I felt myself more ready for battle than ever. I closed for combat and with several strikes of my new sword I quickly despatched one of the beings. Before its body had fallen I heard a voice in my mind greeting me. With wonder I attempted to speak back to it using only my thought and I discovered that the sword given to me seems to be intelligent. It goes by the name of Slade and it has said it serves me by guiding my blows and using my strength to its fullest. I may also use the sword to levitate and Slade intimated that further power may be unlocked. Eager to test myself and Slade I rained blow after blow easily destroying the next gargoyle while my companions worked together to finish off the last two.

This has been a truly astonishing day and I must consider the consequences carefully. But for now we must continue onwards in an effort to escape back to normailty, if anything can be normal again.

Eventually, the general consensus was to follow the western exit at the far end of the chamber. As the first of our number entered the corridor leading from the room a deep and booming laughter, humourless and full of malice, could be heard. At this we froze in preparation for battle and when it appeared that we were safe we continued. Again the laughter came and after a few people had passed through the corridor Anilis examined the area and noticed a magical effect of some sort embedded in the celing. The laughter was merely some form of audio recording that was triggered by our passing!

We made our way variously through a corridor into some sort of mess room and past a bed chamber. Bren and Hassan were nowhere to be seen at this stage and it seems they must have remained in the main chamber for a while. The room in which we found ourselves had two small rivulets of water running across the room and a number of exits. At the far end was a small chamber with some debris, to the East a door led to a shallow spiral staircase and another corridor to the East returned to the main chamber.

While we were investigating the room Lenquitar entered the staircase and found himself assailed by an unknown foe. With a mighty roar he swung his oversized sword in rage, sparks springing from the imapct with the stone walls around him. It was at about this time that Hassan, who I had not seen cloaked in darkness at the entrance to this room, called out a warning and before I knew it battle was upon us!

I endeavoured to keep cover on both of my friends who were under attack but found myself unable to effectively watch both at once. I took the decision to leave Lenquitar as the corridor in which he fought left no room for assistance and I moved around the room to assist brave Hassan.

With my bow in hand I prepared to line up shot after shot, only to have my line of sight disrupted in the confusion by flaming tables, overturned furniture and the others joining the fray. Eventually I found a position from which I could attack clearly and loosed several arrows into the shambling, rotting humanoids that had attacked us, several seconds later I had dispatched the final two attackers.

By this time several of my companions had fallen in combat, Bren and Hassan were both in a bad way, with Hassan failing to regain consiousness despite Mira’s ministrations. We decided to take the initiative and leave this area, returning to the Helmite clerics at their camp outside the mines in the hope that they may be able to provide assistance with our wounded.

Longing for adventure and a chance to redeem myself in the eyes of my colleagues after my alcholic indiscretions I determined to took the lead in our descent into the dwarf mines we had arrived at after our day’s march.

Alongside Lenquitar, bow drawn, I took the lead and carefully we made our way down the sloping entrance. Behind us came Anilis and Hassan, with Anilis holding a torch to light our way, they were followed in the third rank by Mira and we were brought up in the rear by Thom and Bren.

After mere second sof walking Lenquitar loosed an arrow into the darkness. I questioned his motives and he told me that he had spotted a humaoid figure and reacted on impulse. As we approached we found another dead goblin, the victim of some cruel trap. At the sight of this, small Bren leaped forward and began to examine the ground in front of us, he muttered something about a pressure plate and the trap being a one-time thing. It turns out our short friend has been holding back on us and he does indeed have some experience with traps! I shall remember this in future expedtitions.

We were able to passsafely and the tunnel opened out into something larger, Bren ventured forth and somehow triggered a light which suffused the room in a soft glow and we could finally see the sheer size and majesty of the chamber into which we had entered.

As we examined the room we discovered a number of the Helmite clerics that we had been told about, they are safe and alive. They related to us the tale of their explorations and the gelatinous being they had vanquished through the use of fire. It turns out that much of the network of rooms that lead off from this chamber have some sort of impassable boundary in the form of odd stairs or unopenable doors. Faced with such a myriad of mystery we felt we had no option but to begin exploring for ourselves!

[ooc]I don’t remember much beyond those feelings and in the morning I awoke in the dormitory that had been prepared for us, partially dressed and with a strange, brightly coloured cone-shaped item of indeterminate use and, even more strangely, the helmet of a local constable - how I came across these items in a village with no standing army I suppose I will never know![/ooc]

I recall that we had made some plans about trying to track down the source of the witch that we had slain, and if this failed we would follow up on the rumours of goblin warbands attacking local caravans from the Far Hills. I will continue travelling with these new companions for at least a short while to see if this new arrangement suits me.

In the morning we gathered ourselves together and made our way north out of the village. We were not long on the road when we heard the cries of what seemed to be a young woman. As a group we acted on instinct and readied ourselves should battle be joined. All of a sudden, the source of the screaming came barrelling out of the undergrowth up ahead closely followed by an enormous boar and his mates! I secured my pack animal and caught the young lady in order to comfort her as she attempted to run past me, the rest of my fellows soon closed the distance and dispatched the beasts in short order.

I determined that the comely young lady should be escorted home to the nearby farmstead where she lived and worked as she was in no state to travel alone. Promptly upon our arrival the situation was explained and Tomric told the farmers that we had no need of the meat from these creatures and that they may want to collect it before the scavengers moved in. I travelled with the farmers to direct them to the battleground and to assist them in loading their cart.

We have been on the road for only half a day and already adventure has found us! Who knows what may lay around the next bend or over the next hill. I must admit to a certain trepidation but also a certain excitement.

Bring me that horizon!

The accents here are so strange compared to my home but there seems to be a number of other outsiders if the mode of dress and the range of voices is anything to go by. In any event, the beer here in the Empty Tankard is frothy and the bread and cheese fill a hole. I have even managed to replenish my purse by taking on some guard work!

Our instructions were simple, we were to guard the local graveyard agaisnt a team of suspected graverobbers who have been working their way across the countryside emptying graves of valuables. Havig been given the mission I, and a number of the other outsiders, took ourselves off for various activities including resting, eating, drinking and scouting. For myself I chose to examine the site before spending some time resting. We were to guard the graveyard overnight and, if possible, apprehend the fiends perpetrating this heinous crime.

The time finally arrived and we made our way up to the graveyard. In lieu of wasting our breath coming up with a plan for a job so simple we took up positions around the perimeter and settled in for a long night of watching in the dark. Before long I was startled into readiness by an elf hiding in the bushes! this was one of the men from the inn who ahd vanished earlier i nthe afternoon. His elf eyes had spotted a strange creature stumbling across the graveyard. Soon my companions ahd also spotted the being and we made ready our attack. The next thing I knew I was being beset by skeletons rising from the very graves we had been set to guard! On all sides I saw skeletons and one of my companions, a young man who I had earlier seen studying his “spellbook” made good on his word and lit the area using some sort of arcane magiks.

After a few minutes of frantic battle we had felled all of our foes including the figure we had first seen, despite her temporary vanshing act! I am looking forward to getting to know some of these people a little better as they seem brave and valiant. It would be most welcome to travel in company for a time.

….and so it began.

Set in the Forgotten Realms, it was in late spring that this tale began. In the sleepy pasture-land situated to the south of Easting and North of the Troll Mountains there was trouble afoot.

Several graveyards in local villages had been desecrated. Grave robbers were suspected of unearthing the tombs and strewing bones around the cemetery(s). Only one remained untouched and that was in the Daufin. Not to be confused with the Daufin in Southern Amn - this pleasant farming village was not used to trouble.

The local clergy were beside themselves with concern. The Church of the village was dedicated to Tymora, Goddess of Good Luck and they were hoping that it was their faith in her that had protected them until now.

However the rather portly curate in charge was taking no chances. Hannes had decided that he would rather protect his deceased flock and hire a bunch of sturdy types to guard and possibly even detain the culprits.

Jilla his understudy seems a little less concerned by the troubles but nonetheless is supportive of his actions.

Fortunately for Hannes when he asks for support in the curiously named (”The Empty Tankard”) inn, an eclectic bunch of individuals including one local, Delfin, volunteer to stand guard. A fee of 3 gp per person per night is agreed as well as a bounty of 500 gp if the grave robbers are caught!

From there the night unfolded into mayhem with a successful outcome for the graveyard guards.

After the initial disturbance the remainder of the night is calm. In the morning Hannes and Jilla return to the graveyard to discover that it was not grave robbers but some evil witch raising the skeletons from their graves!!! Not only did the group put the poor deceased villagers back to rest but they also….er….detained…..well dealt with the witch.

The guards are all treated extremely well by the whole village on their return in the morning and once word of their deeds spreads a day of celebration is declared by Hannes. He funds food and drink for all as well as living up to his promise of paying a reward. The remains of the villagers are put back into their graves and Hannes and Jilla offer to heal any injured members of the guard party as would like.

As far as Delfin is concerened, well suffice to say he did not get paid and has not been seen today…most likely too embarrassed by his over-indulgence!!!

More to follow……….