[geloooo]

Journal Entry Number Nine

I made my first expensive purchase today, and to be honest, I’m quite pleased with my new robe. The merchant bedazzled me with more items of interest and I was deeply entranced. As I saw each item of value, I was motivated to make more money seeing that I no longer had any. I met up with Grovel and he showed me around the spots where I could collect reagents, as well as a few druid groves and temples of interest. I had wonderful time with the little whelp, and after exploring we even proceeded to raid the Red Light Goblin caverns again. We didn’t go too far since we would be severely outnumbered, instead, we decided to go back to camp to meet up with Grovel’s brother, Nonac. Together we ventured into the cavern again. Upon reaching the second level, we were swarmed by a considerable number of Goblins that even they could not handle.

I bled to death, and a part of me was taken by the Soul Mother, with that, I felt enraged and lonesome, as if such loneliness enveloped me. I mourned my loss and felt something within me change, like a fire that was slightly extinguished. Like a missing limb, I was incomplete; I never expected it to be this demeaning. I was way over my head, and I never expected this to happen, considering the fact that I have yet to travel the world and hone my skills. I composed myself, and while still feeling a bit fragmentary, I proceeded to continue my gathering of reagents. Soon, I shall be stronger, and by then I shall have forgotten the Soul Mother and her icy grasp. Eventually, I composed myself and rose to my feet; feeling renewed, I set off to gather more reagents and companions.

I met Fehriel in Fort Wayfare, as well as a few eager adventurers – Maran, Fehriel, Leisa, and Droog, the pie meister. Apparently, someone was causing quite a stir; a guardian of Rofirein came into town looking to enlist the aid of a few willing individuals who might be able to escort him to a town named Folly. He didn’t really care much for abilities but rather the background of the person sufficed, and with that he asked for proof that one has accomplished certain deeds for the kingdom. He questioned everyone relentlessly, and when he came to question me, I knew he would require me to remove my hood. I willingly obliged for I didn’t really care, seeing as there weren’t any Toranites within the vicinity. He judged me by my actions and enlisted me, although this fat pie maker detested and demanded that if I were to talk to him, I would have to write it down in triplicate; quite amusing at first, eventually he learned to keep his tongue behind his teeth. There was also this Halfling who seemed to fear me; frankly, I didn’t mind them that much, and I was focused more on the task required of me.

We boarded a boat to Folly, and once there, the guardian went to work. Starting the trial, the townsfolk claimed that a commoner’s son was sent to the caves to touch a shrine dedicated to Beryl, and that the child’s father wagered against another commoner. Knowing that the cave housed monstrous creatures, we were tasked to locate the child, dead or alive, and regardless whether or not the child touched the shrine. Well rested and prepared, we descended into the cave carefully. We entered cavern after cavern, fighting monstrosity after monstrosity, and eventually we stumbled upon the child’s body. The child was killed by an Umber hulk, and to our surprise, his belongings weren’t with his corpse. Spotting a hole on the ground, we descended deeper into the cave so as to find out how the child died. Finding his belongings in a corner, we noticed another corridor and decided to check it out to see where it led. The corridor led to another hall, this time with a small narrow passage that seemed to seep into another section of the cavern. Senseless talk ensued, and whether or not we should go into the passage was debated. We were not tasked with exploring the cavern, and I didn’t risk it. Rather, Maran, Droog, and Leisa ventured off, while Fehriel and I stayed behind. Waiting for them to come back, only Leisa returned, she left the two seeing as they were blinded by temptation. We made our way back to the surface, and to our surprise, Maran came back panting, unfortunately, our fat friend didn’t come back with him. As Maran claims, Droog entered a mirror portal of some sort and was sucked right in; such a pity really, perhaps that will teach him to think before he acts.