Was supposed to meet Kal in Hlint tonight, he wasn't there but his Ox was. His journal fell out of the ox pack as I moved the beast out of the campfire. I figured if he didn't want it read he should have met me as he had promised. I didn't read much but I did skim through it, naturey loving elf and what not, typical. I put the journal back and secured it so it didn't get lost or read by an enemy and ran off to see the spider caves again, I need two more silks for the lass in Center. Who should I run into on the way there? Kal and Dev. Kal seemed very stand offish. I told him I read his stupid journal, I guess my honesty wasn't appreciated. He went on about how I better not get us killed in the cave and oh Aeridin and blah blah. As if I am some ignorant child! I showed him though! I was actually quite helpful! I did start to feel bad about reading the journal, spurned or not they were his private thoughts. I gave him the journal I kept from my adolescent times and told him he had better give it back soon. Now we are even. I left him with a kiss on the cheek as he made camp in the forest near the spider cave. I hope he is alright.
Dev and I went to Krandor to see about some dead guys ashes. Wow I could barely keep the crazy Toranite alive! That green skeleton was melting him badly. I am really not sure how I befriended a Toranite, it is my hope that I can show him the allure of Xeen.
We parted ways in Krandor, I ran back to Hlint and made camp outside the gates. I fell asleep singing to the badgers, I guess they liked it because they didn't chew on me while I slept.
It has been a lonely dismal week. I haven't really encountered anyone I know nor many people of interest to meet. I manage to remove the head of some lizard type creature in the caves outside Center. I was paid handsomely for it, but what gruesome work! I must have taken ten baths that day.
I still await the return of my journal from Kal. I hope that he has not decided that he would sooner not see me again after reading it.
I attempted to visit the spider caves on my own. I actually faired better than i had expected. I did not make it to the rare silk... and I did not. I did however make it all the way through the first level of the cave. By the power of Xeen I was able to turn the spiders away in the same way as I can turn away the unnatural creatures that are cheating death. Truth be told I was rather hoping to bump into Kal again and while I did not he DID send me a letter. I looks forward to passing time with him again.
I bumped into Kal at the campfire outside of Hlint. I think I scared him, he was deep into a meditation and I cleaned up a cut I noticed. He returned my journal and told me I am interesting. I wasn't real sure how to take that but at least he didn't run off screaming that I am a Xeenite heretic or some other nonsence. I am really getting the idea that a lot of people are just not a fan of the Mistress. Anyhow we were having a nice conversation when suddenly Kal was taken by the whim to go adventuring.
He showed me to a house in Hlint with a portal we could use, I found myself in Prantz. Apparently wearing my cape was not a great idea in Prantz, luckily no one seemed to notice. We met up with a group harboring a gnomish criminal named Fern. It was all very exciting. We got to go to the mines in disguise to free the gnomes. I volunteered to be a slave since almost everyone else wanted to pretend to be mercinaries. I have a fair bit of slave practice...but not as a miner. I chipped off a few stones and played my role, Kal actually stepped into the role of slaver with more ease than I expected considering his distaste for it. At one point I found that none of the guards were looking at me so I popped the locks on as many of the captives as I could.
We made it back deep into the mine and found our contact. Turns out we were helping the bad guys, or at least the misguided. They thought that it was acceptable to imprison dwarven souls to help escape imprisonment in the mines. Racism at its finest. We freed as many of the souls as we could and made our way deep into an underground city, there we freed more yet. The battles were fierce and I used most of my services healing the wounded, well all the wounded except for the man named Jo. He seemed surprised that I remembered his request to not be healed by Xeens gifts. I guess there are some out there that would force their will on others, that's never really been my nature.
Eventually we made our way to the center and confronted the one they called Sister Soil. She was more of an elemental than a she it seemed, talked that they would take over the world or some such nonsence. Blathered on about how faith makes us weak. We killed her.
After the adventure I settled in for a quick cuddle with Kal. It was an interesting adventure.
Oh, and apparently we inadvertently set lose a maniacle cannibal murderer. So that part wasn't so great.
I met a couple of ladies today at the Inn in Center. They were looking for someone to assist them with some beetles. Beetles are the one thing that I am capable of killing so I offered to tag along. Sophia is a stately lady, very much cool and collected. I liked her immediately but felt below her station. Rose seems like a sweet girl whom I liked immediately as well. I fell to some spiders at the end but ultimately I enjoyed the trip. It was nice to be in the presence of those who revered the mistress.
I was relaxing by the fire in Center today after some long travels, it was a nice cool night and the fire felt divine. I was lost in thought when Perry the falconer came over to talk to me. I hadn't really paid him much mind before but he is sweet. Very shy, I don't think that he has much experience talking to the ladies... he admitted as much. I played into that a bit, not too much but it was cute the way he blushed. It started raining and he invited me to his tent. I got to meet one of his birds, Lucy the Pidgeon. It was pretty sweet really, I kissed him on the cheek and bid him goodnight.
I went back to the campfire where I ran into Jared. We went to the redlights. I rode the fast track to the bindstone a couple of times but it was still a decent time. The view from behind a big rugged man is always enjoyable. We didn't make it to the goblin chief though. Part of me is glad of that, saving that trip for Kal.
It has been a heck of a week. I have died.... eight times to spiders. I am not giving up though. I will beat those 8 legged monstrosities. If the pain doesn't teach me I am not sure what will. I managed to collect enough silk to pay Master Enzo for my whip. A nice hearty lion leather thing, feels nice in my hand... a natural fit. I still owe him some true for the crossbow but he will be paid soon.
While I was sitting outside Aeridins shrine recovering a falcon brought me a letter. It was from Kal, he asked me to meet him in Lor. Quite a trip but I decided I would go. I am glad I did. He seemed so different, more confident and more scared all at the same time. I am not sure what happened while he was away, he told me some of the tale but I get the feeling he has kept much for himself. That's fine, we all have our secrets. I soothed him while I listened. I always expected it would have to be me to make the first move with him, to my surprise it was not. He seems more free now. I enjoyed this new found sense of self, hopefully taught him a couple tricks.
He asked me to help him with a feast as well as another issue. I will be meeting with the ladies at the temple soon to help me throw a gala the guards of Lor will not soon forget.
After an excellent time of hunting... well watching Kal hunt... and party planning I left Kal in Lor to try and make some money. I put up notices in some taverns and the response has been pretty good. I have orders for ginseng, molds, wings, mushrooms, juices and am now on retainer to plan a grand gathering for Raz. He also has paid me an advance to sit as a model for him. It has been quite some time since I did anything of the like and I must admit that I am fairly nervous about it. Though he is quite the charming elf and I am sure he will put me right at ease.
I now have enough money to help out with the cost of the feast though, and to pay enzo back and maybe even get some improved leathers. By the vine though I swear if I keep getting smote so thoroughly I am going to get a tin can to run around in. Once I get all this stuff gathered, which should be interesting considering I have no idea how to make molds, I will head back to Lor just in time to meet up with Kal before the feast.
Well I got side tracked on my gathering. I was heading back to the smithy in Hlint to make some small molds, and by make I mean burn the clay into smoldering bits of useless drek and boom there was Kal. Needless to say my gathering got side tracked.
We would up heading into the mountains to find the oil that lady in Fort Llast keeps losing to giants. Things went well for a while, I hung back and threw healing and protections on people as the giants pummelled us. It was pretty scary but Kal said he'd protect me so I wasn't too worried. I should have been. The other elf... glicth.. something I don't really remember...got too close and all the ogres and giants on the whole mountain converged upon us. Before I knew what was happening Kal and Ulk were dead and I was running like heck. I feel bad about my cowardice, I may have been able to save them. I have just gotten so used to running from things, it was instant reaction. I lived so in that Kal kept his word. I sifted through the dead ogres and was able to find that oil. I ran back to Aeridins shrine outside of Master Enzo's house hoping to find him there and sure enough there he was.
All things said we had a pretty great night together. The rest probably has no business being put into print...
Whelp the feast finally happened in Lor. Was a pretty darn good turn out if I may say so myself. Was raucus and fun but not so much so that Rael took notice. Pretty win situation overall. I hired 5 performers and 10 servers. Mostly ladies but a few men peppered in for the guardsfolk that were into that. There were contortionists and singers and a harpist! I performed for the final act. Wasn't my finest but it was nice to be on stage again. Poor Kal was terrified because I wouldn't tell him what the last act was. He seemed pleasantly surprised... maybe relieved that it wasn't something totally inappropriate. Hopefully my efforts curried a bit of favor with the temple.
After the feast Kal and I traveled around trying to gather information on elemental things and that Voegler guy that had kidnapped his friend. The Lucindites were pretty helpful over all but now he owes them a blood oath favor. I don't really know what that entails but it sounds pretty dire. I just sat quietly and took it all in. He has a ring now that may or may not assist him if Voegler should attempt to scry. He also got some information as to his whereabouts. I hope it was worth the price he agreed to.
After spelgard we went to Erilyn to see some pit stalkers. Pretty self absorbed bunch that, they gave him some information though. I guess someone named Connor had already been there and gotten similar information. Stealing hearts and soul containers. It all seems rather dark.
Next stop was Xeens temple in Katherian. I guess Kal wanted to tell them what a great party it was. He talked to one of the devotees there and let him know that I did a wonderful job. After that he asked me to show him around. I showed him the wine fountain and some of the art and things. It is probably a good thing he didn't go there alone, I fear he wouldn't have left the same person. Don't get me wrong I am all for recruiting people, but I would rather it be their choice rather than tricked in by addiction. After we left the temple I spent the rest of the night convincing him of the benefits of following the mistress. I think he is coming around, even if he isn't I am enjoying trying.
I finally filled one of the orders that I received from the trade hall. Went to Dalanthar to deliver to Stygian. 1 box of molds and 1 box of stirge wings. Half way done with the juices and mushrooms for Raz and almost a whole box of ginseng. Most of the gathering is fairly boaring but I swear that ginseng will be the end of me. Those swampkin have posters of my face hanging around their swamp that say KILL ON SIGHT. Maybe not, I am not even sure if they can read but I do know one thing, they try very hard and sometimes successfully to kill me. Excitingly enough they don't succeed as much as the spiders did. So theres that.
I pass through center a lot on my gathering route. Perry the falconer blushes at me evertime I pass now. He is so very bashful.
I have been wandering the woods for some time. I am not sure what I hoped to achieve. I gathered some berries, got chased by a bear, gathered some more berries, got chased by other things. Over all it was quite relaxing, no one around to judge. I finally returned to Center to take in some relaxation. There was a dwarf at the bar going on about a cat breathing fire. It sounded quite mad but all in all I think she told true.
I met with Kal again. My gentle attempts to recruit him to the following of Xeen have left me questioning my own faith a bit. Overall I am quite happy in my beliefs and their practice but there are bits that I question. If I am not willing to allow certain practices to be used on one that I care about, perhaps I am a hippocrite in my faith. I just feel that you shouldn't have to trick someone into following the Mistress. People should see her gifts and WANT to revel in them.
I shall retreat back to the forest and reflect further...
Author
Topic: A Dance at Dawn (Read 1581 times)
