A small black notebook (Vin Onyxshade)

[vgn]

*Written in gnomish script with a style and dialect common to the Svirfneblin under what the top siders call the Kingdom of Roldem*

I never had much, but what I could knick from those even less fortunate that me, but I was stripped of even that when I was called to a duty I do not think I even want by a most fearsome dragon in my dreams. Is he real? I do not know other than I woke in a strange land with nothing but the leathers I wore and a small dagger. I've been to the surface, quite often in fact, but always at night where the shadows are long and thick. I woke in a town the locals call Hlint and the sun was beating down on my face. I was immediately blinded when I opened my eyes and sat there in a daze on the ground. I found whoever or whatever brought me here, failed to find the gold I had stashed in my inner pockets. With that meager supply I found a near by store and purchased some basic supplies. The first thing I bought was a hood to keep the awful sun from my eyes. It is still difficult to focus, especially in combat, with all the glare, but I try to do most of what fighting I do in the dark and from the shadows.

I've seen rich mineral deposits with lovely gems, but most are well guarded. I need to improve my skills, especially my hiding if I hope to gather them and stay alive. In the mean time, I have taken to exploring other crafts to enhance my chances of survival. I have begun tailoring and my current project is a cape made of supple panther leather. I have yet to successfully make one worth wearing, but I continue to try. I also have learned many extracts of the plants and insects can be combined into wonderous potions, oils, and acids.

Unfortunately, as I write these notes, I also reflect on a recent death. The death was my own. It seems though that some one some where, be it Beryl or some other, feels my life is worth something and I have yet to remain dead when I call to some beast. My latest traggedy occured on my way back from a hunting trip. I managed to gather several panther skins for my project but as I was crossing a vast plain, the largest griffin I've ever seen came swooping down and knocked me to the ground. Before I could stand he ripped my very heart from my chest and I soon after expired.

[vgn]

I saw a dwarf and smelled gems on him. I followed him and sure enough he went to a cutting stone and cut several of them. I followed him in hopes he would lead me to more gems but after a long journey he cornered me in an alley in the port city of Leilon. I knew he would hurt me and slunk back as far as I could. He kept coming closer and was mad. I begged him not to hurt me and ran.

Back in Hlint I saw an Elf speaking with a man and a halfling. The halfling knew the cant and asked me to watch the elf and watch him I did all the way to an evil smelling hole outside Haven. I reported back and the halfling gave me two gems, an onyx and a rough chunk of malachite. This halfling is a good one.

I heard an elf and a man talking of a trip to the desert. I have never been to the desert. A woman approached and they invited her along. I followed the group from a far all the way to the desert. The woman spied me and came and asked what I was doing.  I thought she meant to hurt me but she said she would not. I followed the group across the desert, keeping my distance. The elf and the man dug sand from many spots during their travels. A group of ogres attacked them and I pulled out my sling and helped fend off the ogres. The men spied me and I ran to hide behind some boulders. The elf approached and assured me he meant no harm. He told me the desert was not safe and I should join them and I did.

We fought fantastic beasts called manticores and then went to the port city of Hampshire where the elf made lovely glass ingots with the sand. He then went to the gem tables and pulled out several gems. The elf is a good one. He has gems. He said he makes jewelry and even enchants it! The elf goes by Ellendil and sold me two magic rings. This Ellendil is a good one.

[vgn]

I met another of the deep gnomes who goes by the name Twixel. He is a good gnome and together we have mined gems and ore. We also recently offered our help in getting back a halfling's family that was kidnapped. Several surfacers also offered to help and we hatched a plan. The plan was good but the execution was flawed. The surfacers showed no brains and ruined the scheme. Good Twixel and I tried in vain to salvage the operation, but ultimately failed. We both feel bad for the halfling, but there was not much two simple gnomes as us could have done.

[vgn]

*Continued in gnomish script*

I have met Rurik, a halfling. He is well versed in both stealth and fighting techniques, including using two small weapons at once, which I have found to be quite useful. I have traveled with him several times, including many times into the depths of Haven Mines which are located not far from Hlint. I have gathered numerous gems from those mines and Rurik has gathered Iron and Platinum. It was in these mines I received two leasons from Rurik. The first, was in battling the ogres themselves. Being large creatures, it is best to attack them in their weakest spots and try for a crippling blow. I have fought many of them now and feel I am a match for most any ogre.

The second lesson was in stealth. To get coal one day, rather than risk life and limb as well as burn through supplies, we snuck down to the bottom of the mines using the shadows to hide us. Only at the bottom near the coal did we have to fight any ogres. I believe on this coal gathering trip, we killed no more than five ogres.

[vgn]

I was in the port city of Hampshire and while walking to the merchant house to buy some supplies I spied a halfling woman sitting by the fountain. She looked interesting and I snuck up and watched her from some distance as I have come to do with most new people I think may be interesting, but also possibly dangerous.
I watched her for some time when she waved to me and said hi. She had obviously seen right through my attempts to hide. I cautiously approached and found her name was Lue. She said she had easily seen me and I had better work harder at hiding. She then did the most amazing thing and vanished before my very eyes. That is exactly the type of stealth I'd like to achieve some day.

She snuck around me and then surprised me by leaping out of the shadows at me from behind. I ran behind one of the couches, but she was just having fun. We sat and chatted for some time and I ended our meeting by giving her a black onyx in rememberance of me.

[vgn]

I was walking through the Sielwood Forest collecting supplies when I spied a gathering of people, many I recognized. I kept to the shadows and watched and listened to what they had to say. I gathered a woman had been marked by a demon called The Maker who was trying to rise in power. The great druid Rhizome was protecting her, but he found out from the healer who mans the temple there in the forest, that The Maker is using a powerful Leech to gain some of it's power. The leech must be distroyed, but to do this a key must be obtained from a horrible shade they called Arindor.

I decided it might be best to help them and I acted as a scout, hiding as I crept through the cave and the crypt underneath. The Maker made himself seen several times and taunted us. One of our group fell and a demon came and marked the man Jeran, much as the woman Luna had been marked.

Eventually we found Arindor, but he refused to give up the key easily. Instead he asked for a list of items, giving us a short time to gather them. He wants some sapphire dust which I have offered to donate, though I think I should see if this Luna and Jeran might be willing to pay for it. Their lives are at stake.

[vgn]

I have decided not to charge for the dust and this issue has now become quite personal. I was on Dregar with the priest Quil, doing some mining for silver so I could make some rings. The giants managed to get a lucky chop with their axe and I was slain. The good mother Beryl was smiling on my though and she helped return my soul to the bind stone in Hurm. It was going to be a long walk to find Quil and put my soul to rest by mourning at the cave.

On the way, when I was so weak I had little chance to escape, a demon appeared and grabbed me!

My arm burned like on fire and then the demon simply let go and crumbled to a pile of ash, leaving a gold ring. I noticed the burned area on my arm was now marked with some odd tattoo in the shape of a K with what looks like eyes at the points. I picked up the gold ring and as I was about to put it in my pocket, it seemed to go in and out of phase and burrowed under the skin of my palm. I can now feel it under my skin and I can't help but trace the outline with the fingers of my other hand. It feels so oddly foreign.

This demon, The Maker, has marked me and in doing so he has marked himself for death, for I will hunt him down and he will die by my blade.

[vgn]

Some time ago, while traveling with some others through Lorindar, darkness and shadow creatures began haunting the area. It was traced to an odd box with many chaotic runes inscribed on its faces. A captain of a recently moored ship said the box was likely picked up on their last stop, which was Saudiria. A halfling trader of collectables in Saudiria mentioned he found the box in the ruins of a caravan in the desert. We found the caravan and all who were there were dead. There was a small odd man covered in tattoos similar to the runes on the box. Someone recognized him as likely from the swamps on Roldem and after searching the wagons we found corroborating evidence.

It took quite a while but we eventually made it to Tibum where we set off for the swamps on Alibor. Hunted by shadow creatures and a tribe of irrate pygmies we eventually found a village in the swamp that had been wrecked by tribal warfare. A lone survivor warned us that a rift had been opened between our world and the shadow plane that surrounds us. A pure soul is holding the rift open and the only way to close it is to kill the person holding it open or exchange him for an impure soul. He said this was all likely somewhere near a coastal town called Neth.

We set sail for Neth and found the town in ruins and overrun with undead and shadow creatures. We eventually found a cave full of cult members who were the ones that opened the rift. Deep in the cave while others busied themselves fighting the cult and the undead creatures, I wandered off into the darkness and found a boy holding open what looked like a shadowy hole into nothingness.

I was not sure where I would find an impure soul, though mine would likely fit the bill I saw no need to sacrifice myself. The boy on the other hand likely would not be horribly missed and the tribesman on the islands had said the rift could easily be closed by killing he who was holding it open. So I walked up next to the boy and took one of my knives and slit his throat.

The boy quickly died and the rift began closing. The cave also seemed to shake and shudder and I left as quickly as I could. The others I was with eventually made it out as well. Some weren't sure what happened and I felt no need to tell them. One of the others had found the dead boy and I heard that he tried in a vain attempt to fix what I had already fixed he exchanged the boy's body for the body of one of the cult members. We made the trip back to Tibum without event and I went on my way happy to have helped.

[vgn]

We have put an end to the Maker. We gathered once again and based on information from the healer in Seilwood, we headed for the ice caves on the northern island. Our path was obstructed by demons of various powers though with my scouting none were caught unaware.

Eventually we made our way to the caves and delved their depths. We eventually found the Maker's demonic ritual and pretended to take our necessary parts. Bonded to a demon as I was, I took my place in the ritual. While this was happening, at the height of the ritual, Cole using a light step, snuck past and crept close enough to the gateway. Using instructions from the healer's research he then shattered a vial of blood on one of the stones and the phylactory on the other.

At this, the ritual was undone and the Maker extinguished. The caves started rumbling and we all ran for our lives. We made it out safely and the ring fell from my hand and the tattoo on my arm faded.

It is likely not the last time demons will haunt my life. With Blood's forces on the move, we all must be vigilent. I still will gain revenge on the foul drow, but for now Blood's armies take center stage.