[Shrowd Umbra]

I pen this entry from the commons of the One Eyed Harpy, today's events were too quick to write as I traveled. Sona, a trader I did some business with in Wayfare, asked myself and Fehrien to deliver a letter. Something about tainted foodstuffs from Fort Homestead on another continent. We took a boat to Mariner's Hold and of all the people I should see, the black-cloaked scout from the other day. The one that took me to the far side of the Hammerbound peaks looking for Fire Beetles. He resented the nickname 'Scout' but refused to give me another. One can only wonder.

The delivery progressed well, and I may have a new source of Fire Beetles in Mariner's hold as well. What was odd though was the ambush along the way. It nearly claimed my life as well as that of the others. I still feel it was too coordinated to be completely random. Those bandits knew something was coming along that road though I doubt it was a simple letter. Perhaps the trade there has become too lucrative to resist. As I plan to return to Mariner's Hold, I should have ample opportunity to discover any links.

Returning to Vehl with a few beetle parts I encountered the Warden I met some time ago while helping to raid the bandit leader's lair. He was trying to converse with something he called a Wemic. A bizarre mix of human and feline traits. the beast seemed intelligent enough so I tried to converse. All I could really learn was that is was unwelcome in town, spoke poor common, and understood what a bow was for. I am unclear on the accuracy of the latter claim though. Where could such a thing come from is beyond me though it presents an interesting opportunity. If I never heard of such a creature while being raised by the Sisterhood, perhaps this Wemic's homeland has yet to hear of Tieflings. Maybe I am just romanticizing. I never removed my hood so I have no way to tell how a Wemic might react to a Tiefling. With something that large, I may want to be at a distance when I try.

Gathering Beetles is proving both time consuming and difficult. I lack Terringar's skills with alchemy so most of what I bring back goes to waste. There is reference to a process of imbuing weapons with silver however that does not seem a viable option just yet. I have never heard of Angelica Leaves or Crystal Rods. Ingots of Silver and Dust of Alexandrite are also rare. I will continue to look for beetles for now but if I am to hunt undead, I will need a permanent solution.

Good fortune in my travels. I discovered a cave while searching for Beetle nests. The cave is ripe with kobolds and goblins, as well as creatures so bizare they may not be of this world. It seems a great deal of trouble for the minerals there, copper and tin. Some traps use copper parts however so I will keep the location in mind. If nothing else, I can do my part against the goblinoids so their numbers do not overwhelm the surrounding forest. I think the local spiders may already have that job taken care of for now.

Fehriel will be my death. I was traveling with him and a lady friend of his when we stopped to acquire bandages for him. The only temple around was Torian so she was to fetch them. Fehriel gave a minor slip of the tongue, just enough to hint that maybe we shared in demonic heritage. At the walls of the Torian temple no less. I'm sure the Torians are nice and understanding, the one I met on the road is the only cleric to offer me healing at no cost, but I'm sure like everyone the Torians have their fanatics. I pulled Fehriel out of town and behind a building to explain his folly in very understanding tones. When his belle returned to see us stepping out of an alley, she thought the worst and being an illusionist fled very effectively. An hour long search of the countryside turned up nothing. And worse still, I fear he will do something foolish. He is too open and trusting of the world and it is going to get a mob after him, I'm certain. I will settle for the repute of a harlot over the death of a monster.

The world is so very strange to me, even now. Fehriel approached me in Wayfare about a goblin hunt. I needed to attend to my supplies in Vehl and Hempstead or I would have accepted. In his party was the Wemic I met outside of Vehl, and the thing spoke the language of animals as clearly as I could. I learned precious little more other than it knows what a Centaur is but not a horse. Also that Wemics come from far away. Clearly this is not the bard of her race.