Journal of Tathinid

[Tobias]

Night's Eye, Spring Rain 10, 1478


I have made it to the town Center and I am still unsure of how I am going to get back to the Deep and I have been unable to discover any clues to what happened during the ambush but, I will not give up my goal for revenge. I just need to look harder.


My first couple of days in town,, weren't really in town but, in the woods just outside the town observing the comings and going of the surface dwellers. The town has high traffic of adventurers and merchants and i'm unwilling to make my way into town at least while the damnable burning orb is in the sky.

Dead Eye, Spring Rain 11, 1478

Today I made my first appearance in town it seems most are used to people hiding their face either that they don't ask too many questions. I went into their merchant hall and purchased some new armor and weapon. Crude at best but, as I am not at my home this will have to do for the time being.

Dream Dance, Spring Rain 12, 1478

I made contact today with two of my kin.. which at first I didn't know who or how to take them.. I was pulled into the crypts and their they began with their demands. They must take me for a fool but, I was not about to lower my guard for them even if I knew with ease they could kill me I wasn't going to show my weakness.

The female demanded I show her my fighting prowess and I must say I was not at my best but, With two of them at my back and their intention unknown to me I was always waiting for an attack which made me lose my focus on the undead and bugs in that roamed the crypts.

They called it my audition but, to me it felt more of a trial and if I failed to meet their expectations I would not come out the crypt alive.  

As I fought off the undead and the insects it seemed the female got bored and left me with the male. He said also he followed the Spider Lord. .I didn't say much I was not going to betray myself to him as I have just met him and his female companion..

I finished it the audition and we made our way back out to the surface and male finally told me his name, Ni'haer council member of Eight Eyes. At first I was shocked to know that one of the eight was up on the surface.. my face must have shown what I was thinking as he told me he is up here to report back to the Deep the dealings of the surface dwellers.

He walked away saying that my trials were not over and I would be tested again to see if I had what it took but, he promised me if I survived that there is limitless power to have..

For now I will have to wait and see what tomorrow brings. .

[Tobias]

Dream Dance, Spring Blossom 14, 1478

I went out today to  continue to scout and train with my new rapier that I purchased in second trip  into Center. There is something about the blade that I have always been  attracted to. Could it be it's slender blade and deadly point or the it's fluent  movement and sound it makes at it cuts the air? I can't be too sure but, it is  my chosen weapon and I will use no other in it's place. .
 
 I have traveled many  places and helped some people in need of services done but, only to keep my  belly full and my gear stocked. Mostly with bandages. I have come far in these  past couple of days but, still I find myself only slightly better off then my  opponents. The cold words of the dark elf female and Ni'haer still ring strongly  in my ear "he sure bleeds a lot" and find myself scowling. How much I want to  prove my worth and to prove them wrong. They are my only contact to my kind and  my only allies in this sun cursed world.

Gateway, Spring Blossom 17, 1478

Tonight I found a cave that was  home to many menacing bugs and I fought my way through them and enter  the second level which had many heated underground pools and that is where  I met two mephits. Nasty little creatures with gnarled teeth and leathery  bat like wings. I waited in the darkness for my time to strike and I quietly  descended on one of them.. With a flash I lunged out with my blade and I swore  that I penetrated it's flesh but as quickly as the wound appeared it  vanished. Quickly realizing I was out matched I began defensive  parrying but, by then it had called out to it's companion and then I was  hard pressed to fend off multiple attacks. I knew the battle lost and I  only had one option of escape. I summoned up a globe of darkness in front of my  attackers and retreated back out the cave. They won the battle that day but, I  will get stronger and my blade sharper, then I will have my revenge.

Bright Eye, Spring Blossom 18, 1478

I just returned from  the crypts in Vehl fighting of many skeletons and ghouls. They are not so  difficult to fight in small numbers but, I foolishly ran into a room with seven  of the skeletons. I survived only by my wit and it didn't hurt they were  mindlessly flailing away with their crude weapons. As the clumsily swung their  weapons I trained myself to evade their blows and figured out their pattern of  attacks and eventually not be there when they swung their blades. Overall I  found it a good day of progress but I have a long way to go before I am useful  to anyone.

[Tobias]

Winged Trade, Summer Home 20, 1478

It has been some time since I had a chance to write in this journal. I continue to train with the rapier pushing myself in the proper form and making my movement more fluent and fast. Many nights I have found my arms and legs too sore to continue but, I picture my slain brothers that died because I was too weak. As well as the dark elf female. Those thoughts alone push me to be stronger, to gain power and to crush my enemies. .

Dead Eye, Summer Home 25, 1478

I did some more  scouting today and made my way north of Vehl. Couple of miles out side of town,  in small alcove, I observed what I appeared to be mercenaries. What the were  planning or in the process of was unknown and nor did I care. They seemed  unaware that I was around and for the time being they were not my  enemies.
 
  I left them to  their devices and stealthily moved on to explore more of the  area however, unknown to me at that time one of their scouts spotted me  and  was stalking me. He struck from my blind side and only my reflexes saved  me  from being a quick kill. My new enemy made a second attempt on my life,  which  only failed because I used the movement of my cloak to turn away my  foe's  attack. I drew out my blade from my belt and began a serious of feints  and thrust to get the target on his heels and swept his feet from under  him. While he struggled to get up I finished him.  I quickly dragged the  body off to the brush and hope that the animals take him. I moved on  towards the woods and there I found the forest swarming with undead. I  dispatched as many as I could but, clearly a rapier is not an idea  weapon to use on these creatures. The best I could do was dodge and  parry their attacks. I just kept telling myself that it is training to  perfect my style and usefulness in battle.

[Tobias]

Dream Dance, Summer Run 5, 1478

Yesterday was another eventful day . For the past week I had seen  flyer's posted that there was some trouble brewing in the Haven mines.  Merchant Caravans were attack and some lives lost and the Lord of Haven  was looking for adventures to venture in the depths of the invested  gnoll mind to find out the reason for the increase in surface raids.  There was a large reward posted of 10,000 trues to the group that could  find the cause and stop it. With my bag of trues nearly depleted I had  to risk the chance of being found out. So I made my way to Haven to see  if I can join this group and make some money.

When I arrived a number of people had already gathered. By their  appearance most were seasoned warriors or casters. One stuck out among  the rest.. Not by his skill but, by his mouth.. Shiff is what he called  himself but, I would soon to realize he should be called the village  idiot..

I stood back from the group keeping to myself for the most part and once  it was decide that no others would be joining us we made the long  journey to the mine. When we go there the one called Shiff barged into  the entrance with his heavy armor making the sound of thunder.  Immediately then I knew he was going to get us all killed.

No sooner that we had entered the gnolls began their attack. The group  charged in with the swords flying and no tactics. Shiff, the leader I  would assume of the group, Has no skill with the blade only strength in  his blows and if I went around swinging a great sword around I'm sure  too I would instill fear in the eyes of the gnolls. While the fool was  taking more hits then he was giving I using my blade more for defense  then attack. With a burst of speed I made my move. With series of parrys  and feints I bought more time for the other group members to finish  them off. But, there were too many. As I watched the one I was fighting  fall I heard movement from the side. I spun and stabbed out with my  blade and it hit home but if, it did any damage, The gnoll was not  showing and swung down with his brutal attack. I narrowly avoided a  death blow by rolling to my right but, I took a vicious strike to my  hip.

I had to bare the pain for the time being as more gnolls were still  coming I slide back as best I could and the bard that was in their group  healed my wounds so I could get away before being finished off. I got  up an nodded my appreciation to the human but, I couldn't support my  weight on the side that I sustain the blow and it would've been foolish  to even make the attempt. Heh I considered myself lucky that I was with  the surface dwellers. If I was with my kin they would have killed me or  left me to die. I started searching the bodies for something and found  what I was hoping for.. some darts.. Not ideal but, it would have to do. We  continued on to the bottom of the cave and had many close calls all caused by  the "leader's" charging into the melee. As I threw my darts and picked off the  gnolls that were close to death  I couldn't help but wonder if he longed  for death.. As we traversed the tunnels we saw a group of gnolls group into a  corner by my guess they  were communicating but all I could hear was  barking and whining. Our "fearless" leader charged the group but failed to see  the other group to his right only fifty yards away. Then the chaos began. Shiff  was quickly tore asunder and I have to admit I grinned a bit when I saw him fall  to a gnoll axe but, the grin was quickly turned to that of anger as I saw an  unknown amount of gnolls swallow up the party.. I stayed back because unlike the  rest of the party I was not foolish enough to follow Shiff. Then they spotted  me, not because I was out in plain view but the bard that saved me ran screaming  by and drew their attention to me. I had not a moment to waste for the group was  bearing down on me. I summoned a globe of darkness and made a break for it. I  ran for a bit and hid in the recess of an abandoned tunnel.
 
 I don't  know how long I waited there perhaps two or three hours. Once I felt confident  that the bodies had been devoured and the Gnolls have moved back to the their  patrols I went to investigate. I was hopeful that some of the gear was left and  that perhaps I could use to fatten my purse. But, when I returned to the scene  of the slaughter, there were no bodies. I did see that it appeared that several  bodies were dragged away by a human studying the tracks that were on the ground.  I assumed by this that the bard survived and I slowly moved down in the long  tunnel staying to the walls.
 
 I  eventually ran back into the group all were alive but, looked like they all had  seen better days. I knew if I was going to survive I would need to take charge  of this group of incompetent adventurer's. I knew they wouldn't listen to me  directly so I persuaded the bard that perhaps together we could work on a  formation and tactics for "our" group. After the bard and I worked out the  formation that would fit we set off for the bottom level.
 
 As we  entered the final level of the mine I had the bard go and scout the area. He  quickly came back sputtering something about a giant worm. I told him we would  deal with that after he finished his scouting. We needed to know if there were  any gnolls guarding this thing and to check any halls to make sure when we went  to kill the worm we we're not ambushed by any gnolls hiding in another room. He  left again and this time was gone for maybe an hour and when he returned he was  yelling that the worm had spotted or felt his movements by the tremors.  
 
 I would  like to say an epic battle ensued but, the group went back to their straight  forward hack and slash tactics. Clearly these surfacers have had no military  training. In the end with most of the warriors bloodied and bruised, the  creature fell. I assumed that this creature was feeding off the gnolls and they  rather then fleeing the mine entirely they chose to raid the surface and bring  it food to appease it's appetite.
 
 We had a long journey back to Haven and there  we told the Lord what we found there. Apparently he was content enough with our  answers and assurance that this would stop or at least reduce the raids to the  merchant caravans. He gave us our trues and as soon as my funds were handed over  I left them to their own doings.

[Tobias]

World Tree, Summer Run 21, 1478

Today I met  another servant of Ni'haer. Nym was his name and he ordered me to follow him as  he was to train me and make sure I wasn't a weakling and only worthy of death. I  already know that we two will come to a head and eventually one of us would be  dead by the others baled. For now  though, I will accept his training for what it is, a tool to make me stronger so  I may dispatch those that would have me as their enemy and those that would  not bow to my demands.  
 
 He lead me through  Wayfare and through a valley and in a small alcove there was a cave. Outside he  gave me instructions to enter the gave and dispatch the kobolds and lizard men  that resided there and to bring back the head. He continued to line out what to  kill first. Shamans, scouts and lastly the warriors.
 
 As I entered the  cave with Nym following along behind me. it was clear he was going to take no  part in this but, to access my capabilities in killing my targets and my ability  to follow specific orders. Soundlessly I entered the cave and took to the  shadows and  moved along the wall. As I was about to make my way around a  corner I heard the familiar sound of kobolds barking.  I took my chance and  learn past the corner to get a count on how many there were. I spotted a shaman,  possibly two scouts and a warrior ( I assumed since he was the only one with a  shield).
 
  I turned  around and signaled the number to Nym and he flashed for me to charge and  eliminate them. Clearly Nym and myself have two different fighting styles. I  furrowed my brow and did as commanded. I deftly maneuvered around the corner and  charged my opponents. I withdrew my rapier from it's sheath and with finesse  performed a series of feints and perfectly timed movements I had the shaman on his heels and dispatched it in short  order with a flawless thrust to the creatures throat. I spun around to face my next target but, it wasn't the  scout, it was the warrior. It stabbed at me from behind it's shield. I easily  parried the attack and swept it's feet from under it and with two quick rap's  into it's chest the kobold threat was ended permanently. As my attention  was with the warrior the scouts snuck up behind me and attacked. One caught me  in my upper thigh and the other attack got hung in my coat. I tumbled back out  of their range and lunged back in with a flurry of stabs to the closet  kobold. As I struck the other kobold slashed my arm. I recoiled and feinted a  high attack and as it reached up to block I spun low and took out the legs and  quickly pounced on my him and jabbed my blade through it's heart.  
 
 As I sheathed my blade and turned around to look at  Nym. He was already at my back and I received a backhand for my lack of  following orders. Then he berated me for my dancing about saying that I lack  strength and power. I told him that we both had two different fighting styles  and he should just stick with  training me on tactics and not on killing..  For that cheek I received another lashing across my face. Only thing that held  me back from striking him was that he was going to make me stronger then when  the time is right I will repay him for his blow.  
 
 We moved through the cave and I dispatch the lizardmen  and kobolds that we're in the cave and after every battle he would complain  about my fighting style. For the most part I ignored him unless he actually had  a good point. Like when he advised me to angle my body more to have less of a  target to hit. Other then a couple of pointers he couldn't offer me much.. My  fighting style is my own.. I rely on my wit and speed to control the fight and  use my deadly aim with my blade to finish off the target with flourish.  
 
 After I retrieved the head from the the lizardmen's  leader, Nym and I traveled further north to fight what he called satyrs which to  they looked like goatmen. There we continue to train. I say we but more of me  fighting the wretched creatures and Nym idly watching complaining about my  style. Were there for a couple days tracking the beast when we came across  To'ryll. Apparently she came by to see how my training was going and Nym was  less then kind of my evaluation. But, He said I would survive and that is  probably the kindest remark I will receive from him.. not that I care for his  thoughts..
 
 To'ryll stayed with us while we hunted more satyr's  but, again they mostly sit back and let me do most of the fighting. They only  stepped in when I was close to falling to a host of satyr's but To'ryll only  stepped in by healing me with her stinging magic. After the fight she left  obviously displease with my lack of progress in her eyes. Care not what they  think.  My skills with the blade are improving and soon I will strike fear  in my enemies with my blade.

[Tobias]

Dead Eye, Autumn Harvest 4, 1478

A couple days ago I  had this feeling or urge.. I don't know what to call it as I have never felt  this before..Whatever it was it was calling me to head to the Brech Mountains. I  wouldn't have heeded it's "call" but, I felt that there was some power that I  could gain from this. It took a couple days to reach there and to my surprise I  found Nym and To'ryll in a valley. As I approached the two I saw they were  watching an event unfold. As I followed there gaze I saw a group of goblins and  what appeared to be two orcs and a human discussing something about a "key" and  a dwarves head that they retrieved and were going to give it to a giant  chieftain.
 
 Perhaps this feeling  I was giving was perhaps in the goblins possession. I decided to wait and see  what the goblins were planning. With a nod to the other two we headed down to  make our presence known to the goblins. One was their chief for he was doing  most of the running at the mouth and he asked us to help them reach the giant's  cave. heh The thought of us helping them is almost laughable but, I had a  feeling To'ryll was thinking along the line as me.. wait for the opportunity to  present itself to take the key.
 
 We agreed to follow  them and assist in fighting the dwarves that patrolled the tundra. it came quite  apparent after a couple miles of traveled that the dwarves weren't patrolling  the hills but, tracking these goblins probably because of the dwarf they killed.  
 
 The dwarves were  getting closer by the day and eventually when we had less then a days travel to  the giant's cave they came in sight of us. Damnable slow goblins. The battle  that ensued was intense and only the only reason they survived is that the  dwarves failed to realize or realized too late that dark elves were in the  party.  We summoned forth globe's of darkness over the dwarves and worked  on dispatching our enemies. The goblins and orcs proved to be useful in the  fight and one of them could even summon some form of magic to protect us from  the deadly axes.  The dwarves had the numbers but, we had the advantage in  the absolute darkness. To'ryll would summon another globe when one faded.  The fight  was over in a matter of  minutes but, during that time I felt I was in my  element fighting along side my brothers and sisters again.
 
 Once we healed our  wounds and loot the corpses we headed on our way to the giant's lair. Once there  were stop by a guard who talked too much.. which is saying a lot for a giant.  The goblin leader apparently had enough of it's blabbering and with a spell  quieted the giant permanently. we entered the cave and the goblin requested an  audience with the leader. A lot of boring talk ensued but, the goblin showed the  head of the dwarf the giant leader asked them to kill and told us about some  strange mist that was gathering around a town named Mithril Dust. Only thought  in my mind is that the giant would rather be dealing with us.. and I will our  next meeting I will see if possibly the giant will be willing to do business  with dark elves and not some stupid goblins.
 
 On a minor note.. no  telling how important it is but, I will write it down just in case. There was an  orc that entered the cave as we were leaving and he said he had business with  the giant leader. Apparently the goblins and this Orc had met before and might  be on speaking terms but, are rivals.. I don't know nor do I care.. I just want  to see where this turns into an advantage for us.
.

[Tobias]

Bright Eye, Autumn Dark 9, 1478

As I headed to Fort  Vehl to Center this evening I was spotted by an elf. Apparently I have being  working on my sword fighting skills and neglecting my ability to hide unseen. I  don't know how he knew I was a dark elf but, he demanded to know why I was here.  My business was my own and to let me pass. I could tell he was a strong warrior,  he was very confident when he spoke and he had the appearance of once that has  seen many battles.
 
 He moved closer  drawing a dagger and I instantly drew my blade as well. I did not know his  purpose but, I knew it wasn't to show me the pretty flaming dagger he just  bought. I squared my shoulders, aligning myself with the elf, preparing to  intercept any incoming attack.  Still he moved forward and demanded my  purpose here but, I would not tell him for the simple fact that it seemed to  make him upset. He continued to bare down on me and I was forced to retreat a  ways back.  I tried to convince him that I meant him no harm and to  let me pass but still he pressed on. Finally I got tired of this game and issued  a warning to him, if he continued to come out at me I promised him I would not  be a quick kill. In truth I did not want to fight him I was out matched and he  knew it.. He hurled the flaming dagger at me and I narrowly avoid  critical  injury but, the dagger still struck in my arm. I fell to my knees winces  with the searing pain from the dagger. I saw out of the corner of  my eye that he was pulling out his bow. With no other option left to me I  summoned a glob of darkness over him and took flight through the woods.  What dangers that were there I took heart that they were lesser then the ones I  have would have faced facing the elf.
 
 Now that  the danger has passed I am enraged at my ability to deal  with that warrior. How much I wanted to strike back at him but,  it would have be in vain.. I will bide my time and continue my training. I feel  I am close to a break through. I have the skill, training and confidence  but, now I need to apply it to real battle.
 
 For now I will burn  the image of the elf in my mind and keep this dagger to "return" to him when the  time is right.. But unlike him I won't miss my mark...