A Basic Journal

[Sendant]

So i've decided to keep a journal. Normally this is not my sort of thing but having a few close calls recently, i decided i best at least jot down some of  my more important stuff.

Firstly, everyone i've met so far has been trusting to the point of almost sickening. I only really travel with a select few unless there is enough gold involved. Ramone, the loveable farmboy (almost too easy to joke with this one.) Rufius, the cold-hearted bard, my most interesting companion so far. Thinks alot like myself, won't put himself in danger for others and values his own life above others. We have mutual benefits in travelling together. The last i travel with often being G'ork. This one is the most amusing companion one can wish for. Short tempered and willing to fight almost anything. Same with rufius , we have mutual benefits of keeping the other around. Pretty easy to slip a blade into ones lungs if they're busy concentrating on the mountain of an orc and his weapon.

I've been practicing my skills i learnt in Arnax almost daily. Of course i still practice my stealthing and tracking skills as much as possible. If theres one thing i've learnt to depend on, it's my uncanny ability to almost dissapear into a dark corner. More than once has my life been saved by vanishing into the darkness.

Now onto my other skills. Setting traps is almost impossible to practice as it's very difficult to get my hands on them unless i make them myself ( which i've started, but takes alot of time.) Lockpicking is hard to practice also. I only get the opportunity once in a while, but i'm confident with enough time i can picklock anything.

Onto more important things - I've been seeing what can only be described as a dark shadow of myself. Pure darkness. What is it about this pure darkness that draws me in ?  It stalks me when it thinks i'm not paying attention. It hasn't ventured too close to me yet, part of me yells to know more and the other part tells me i'm losing my sanity and it's nothing more than my imagination.

Went travelling with Gork again today. Meet up with someone named Celith, Very good with the bow. Long story short, we tried taking on an ogre or two too many and had to pull back. I ofcourse didn't even get a scratch on me but my companions took a few scrapes and wounds. We regrouped around the campfire and i let them rest whilst keeping watch. Just thought i'd keep the journal updated as it could of went rather nasty at any moment.

This has been a most amusing few days. Travelled with a little fellow with an odd name of Bumblebee, or rather thats what he calls himself in common tongue. This one seemed to be at home in the shadows as much as i feel.

Hopefully i'll get to travel with this one again, there is much that can be learnt from observing others in the same line of work.

[Sendant]

Interesting update - Noticed a poster on my way through hempstead advertising work in a nearby tavern in fort wayfare. Deciding i had nothing else to do, made my way. I approached the barkeep and asked about the posters and the man that put them up. 'A shadey guy who keeps to 'imself' My type of character when work is involved. After rewarding the barkeep with a few extra coins, i bought myself a drink and decided to settle in at a table and wait.

Few hours have gone by - the locals at this tavern are a weird looking bunch. I think if i had to spend every day in here with these people i'd go insane. Few others arrived at the tavern and began to look about. Quickly worked out they were here for the same reason i was. Work.

Little more time has passed and a few more have shown up. A dwarf, a woman called Kinai, an annoying man who goes by the name of Tad and one other who i never deemed important enough to learn of his name. Why should i learn peoples names? I'll probably only see them a few times ever. Soon after a hooded man enters and takes a seat opposite from me. Obviously this is the man offering the work and i can already tell from his look, the kind of work he has in mind.

He offers us a reward for the return of an item that was "taken" from one of his associates , and he needed it back. I wasn't here to pry into this mans business, i just wanted some fast gold. After he lays down what he wants us to do, he hands us a sketch of the man we are to find. I quickly memorise the sketch and tuck it away. All we know is he frequents hempstead alot. Didn't need to hang around after this, so i got up and left, much to the irritation of my so called "companions". Truth be told, i much prefer to work alone. Much easier to sneak around in the dark if you don't have to worry that someone will give you away.

After rushing ahead of my companions (i need no help in this line of work, growing up where i did) i quickly make my way to hempstead and to the most likely tavern for the man to visit. The Scamp's Mug. Usually loud and noisey place when the sailors are in port, but was very quiet today. I approached the bartender and slipped down a few coins for a drink, along with a few extras for the man to pocket. After a short conversation and a few more gold coins later, i found out the man owns a ship in the harbour. At this point i turn around and notice my group have arrived just in time to hear what i've found out. Great. I ignore them and carry on.

I quickly make my way to the harbour and ask around. I find out where the man lives from one of his sailors onboard, and all it took was hundred gold pieces. We make our way to the mans house. After a lot of discussion we decided to cause a diversion at the front door so me and kinai could sneak inside. After a long time, we both make it inside. The next hour or so , spent in a corner, staying hidden. Good thing i've got alot of patience.

Anyway.. i eventually sneak into the mans room, pick lock his safe and steal the item that the hooded man needed. Another hour spent in a corner hidden whilst waiting for an opportunity to escape. Made my way back to the tavern in wayfare and awaited my reward. Not long after i was waiting (with my so called companions) the man showed up, handed over our reward. I still don't care what it was all about. I got my gold and i was gone.

Another interesting update - The hooded man who hired me last time, found me again, no idea how he does it. I may have been able to see him approach me first time around but not this time. Anyway. He offers me some more work. I have to steal a crate of beer from a local inn, with a twist though. I must make it look like it was someone else. I will leave out some details incase this journal comes back to haunt me. After spending a few hours , i managed to steal a wedding ring off the man i needed to set up. This was easy enough. Made my way to hempstead to do the deed.

Now this is where it gets a little hectic. Me and my dwarven companion at the time, decide on a plan, he is to cause disruption whilst i sneak into the back. All is going well. The dwarf is keeping the barkeep distracted easy enough. I go to sneak around behind... only for some woman to exit the stock/kitchen room as i go to enter. I question her and why she is in the kitchen , apparently she uses the kitchen often to cook.. needless to say , by this time the barkeep has noticed where i am , and i must abort for now. I Make my way back round to the bar and whisper a few suggestions to my dwarven friend. Nothing sounds good, untill a stroke of luck. Some drunk pirate walks in and sits next to us. I whisper to my friend, to start causing some trouble. It doesn't take long. I sneak around and manage to get into the stock room unnoticed. At least i thought i was. Kinai was there, following me, how she got so good at hiding is beyond me, i was lucky enough to notice her. After a short conversation later, she realises what i'm there to do and goes to tell the barkeep. Using my quick reactions i dump the crate just inside the door to the stockroom, and rush to a table in the bar. Kinai claims to the barkeep that i'm trying to steal. I quickly turn this around by claiming she was upset that i would not purchase her 'services' for the evening and that she was getting revenge in any way she could. The barkeep believed me. When he next turnt
his back, i grab the crate from just inside the stock room and make my way for the door. Luckily , everyones still shocked at the fight between the pirate and my friend.  Home free. After meeting up with the hooded man again, he gives me my just reward. I'm sure we'll meet again soon. The work is always so interesting , that i look forward to it.

[Sendant]

Once again, i'm travelling alone. I've come to realise i'm nearly always alone. Perhaps it's my nature, perhaps it's my personality. I spend most of my time skulking around in the shade.

There is a feeling of complete power , when one is hidden within the darkness.

What is it about the shadows that draws me?

Why do i hunger for the solitude that the darkness offers me?

Maybe it's because i've come to realise you can not depend upon anybody in this land. The feeling of protection that the shadows offers me. Nothing compares to this. I've been in the company of great wizards, i've travelled with powerful clerics, but when the fight started, where did i feel most safe? Of course, from the shadows, watching, waiting, listening.

Maybe there are others out there like myself. Chances are , i'll never see them, they'll be hidden away from eyes, like myself.

[Sendant]

You're a part of the game
You're a slave to the grind

I wish to escape the mundane. I wish to observe the world. I wish to free myself.

To travel the world in complete freedom.

I would sell my soul to escape the life i possess.

[Sendant]

Morality? The sense of right and wrong.

Are you born knowing what is morally right and wrong?
Or is it something drilled into your head at an early age?

I was drinking in a tavern a few nights ago and i heard this conversation being played out. Of course both patrons were rather drunk and their main points you had to decipher through the rest of the inane bable.

One man was claiming that everything born has an inner sense of right and wrong and some choose to do "evil" deeds knowing what they do is wrong.

The other claimed if you were raised by a fanatical who switches things round and brings you up to believe "Good" is "Evil" and vice versa. Then how is the one being brought up know what is right and wrong, good or evil.
A child could be brought up in that knowledge that stealing is perfectly acceptable and even good. Though most would consider this "evil".

Perhaps this is the gods' way of balancing the world. Raising some to think evil is good and good is evil. That you can not sway the world one way too much.

Myself? I wouldn't know where to begin. Though more recently i've started to see the world as in a balance. A careful balance of good and evil, chaotic and lawful. You need all parts to create  a successful world.

[Sendant]

Finally emerged from the taverns. Must have wasted away a large part of my small fortune on women and ale. Alas , these two things alone can not keep a man satisfied for long. I would look upon my swords every time i went to sleep. My thirst for adventure was growing and growing and no amount of s or drinking could rid it.

So i left for the deserts and forests of dregar. Fate must have been smiling on me. No more than two seconds onto the central land i came across an old traveling companion. Gork. It's quite hard not to notice him, with his giant axe and spiked armour. After greeting him, it didn't take him long to get to business as per usual. I was more than welcome to join him on a hunting trip. Gold and all that.

He told me he had another contact he had to meet before we were to begin. We arrived in a small desert town and fate must have indeed been smiling, for another old companion who i call Bal, greeted me warmly. If this wasn't a sign that i should be traveling again, i don't know what is.

The thrill of the fight has not been lost. Darting in and out of the shadows. Slicing here, stabbing there. I feel more at home in the dark caves of the world, the dark forests of the land. Weaving in and out of the darkness. Using every advantage it seems to throw at me.

Needless to say it has been a glorious few days. The gold is good, my companions have not changed and I'm glad of that. We parted way on great terms and I'm sure we'll meet again very soon.

I'm back and I'm here to stay.

[Sendant]

I remember why i was drowning myself in drink.

As soon as i am sober, i have nightmares. Or at least i think they are nightmares, but when they feel so real, how is one to know what is real and what is not?

I awake in a cold dark room. I am standing but i can not move. The room is deadly silent, i can not even hear my own breathing. Then as always, ever so slowly, a shadow emerges opposite me. Not a sound it makes. It shows no emotion. It slowly takes a step towards me. Closer , Closer . I try to move, but I'm held still. I try to shout but no sound comes from my mouth. Step by step the darkness comes closer. The shadow stops in front of me. It's hand reaches out , about to touch my chest. It never touches me before i awake.

I awake drenched in sweat. Breathing heavily. I'm up in an instant. Usually I'm staying in a tavern and i would go drown myself in drink. But I'm back on the road. I've been sober for too long already. I wish the nightmares would end. I've been plagued with them for so long now i can not remember when it started. I'm awake now, i can not find sleep again till exhaustion finds me. I'm off to hunt for my breakfast.