The World of Layonara
Character Development => Development Journals and Discussion => Topic started by: Brutoss on November 30, 2004, 06:59:00 PM
-
Written on some fine Hickory paper:
I'm not much of a one for words, but the last few days deserve a note in rememberence. I had met up with Illin and Long Bow in town. Illin said there was a cave over near Haven that he wanted to explore. So the 3 of us headed out of town, picking up a couple of other people along the way. We had no idea what was in the cave - boy did we get a surprise. The biggest monsters I have ever seen! Huge jaws, armour plated head, claws like scimitars on both front and hind feet... and that was just for starters. There was also a strange beast with 3 legs, three arms and 3 eyes. It could shake the very ground on which we stood. We battled a few of these and pushed ever deeper into the cave. We were reluctant to turn back, even after Illin got confused and gave Little One such a smack that the poor creature went into hiding.
We just had to keep pushing didn't we. I don't know why. I guess Illin's call to battle overtook us all. Deep, deep underground we found what looked like an ancient tomb or temple. We didn't have much time to explore it and determine what was there, for almost immediately we were set upon by foul creatures, the stuff of nightmares - Vampires! We dealt with one, only to have 2 more turn up in it's place, aided by giant bears appearing out of nowhere. It was then that poor Illin fell and those left standing got out as fast as they were able. Luckily with the aid of Long Bow's magic we were able to sneek back and recover Illin, but we knew we were outmatched and retreated as best we could.
A very exciting and memorable trip, but perhaps a bit more forward scouting would be in order next time. I'll have to practice some more. Blending into the forest is so much easier than these caves people keep wanting to explore...
-
I received a delivery of Holy Water today, curtesy of Sago the Master Adventurer. I have been doing some experiments on the nature of magic. Aeriden grants me some minor healing magic and with the Holy Water, some skelton knuckles and an enchanting pool I can now create some healing elixirs. But do they have the same properties as healing elixirs made from more mundane materials, such as greenstone dust mixed with aloe? Simple research, I know. One day I will learn how to enchant my bow and arrows. One day...
-
The progresses of my research is much slower and more complex than I had thought it would be. I have ordered another 100 vials of Holy Water from Sago and should take delivery any day now. Whilst waiting for the vials to be ready I decided to join an expedition into the Silent Watch mountains. It has been an age since I have been out for a walk just with the aim of exploring, rather than heading somewhere with the purpose of gathering materials I can use to better my crafts.
Our small group was journeying through the mountains when we were set upon by giants – hordes of them. Soon it did not seem to matter in what direction we turned, there were giants everywhere and they were all after our blood. My bow arm has never had such a workout. I thought I had plenty of arrows for any eventuality but towards the end had to use some that others had brought with them, as I had run out.
An interesting thing happened during the trip. I found that having adjusted the position of my quiver and grasping the arrows just so I could increase the rate at which I could shoot. I was getting off 3 shots for every one of Aeryn’s. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this technique earlier. Maybe others use it and I just haven’t noticed. I will have to ask around, and demonstrate the technique to LongBow – although he is probably too busy in his wizardly studies to get the time to practice his archery much.
Speaking of which, I better get back to my own studies. That invisability trick some of the wizards use shouldn't be _that_ hard to master, surely...
-
Well here I am in a cramped cell beneath Hlint's courthouse with Duur. Mind you, almost any cell would seem cramped when one is sharing it with a half-giant. Quartermaster Talon is treating us well, but the place stinks and I hate being enclosed by all of this stone. Poor Duur has no room to stretch and seems to be withdrawing into himself. I have tried to engage him in conversation but he isn’t much of a talker at the best of times, and he doesn’t seem to understand anything but the most basic of questions.
I haven’t done anything wrong - or at least I don’t think I have – but Duur killed a dwarf and I was a witness to the event. I had just come to Hlint from the Sielwood and found a crowd of people down by the smithy. Duur was there, along with Brisbane and Celgar and a number of others I didn’t recognise. Duur was obviously upset about something, shaking and yelling and throwing stink bombs around. Then he started smashing his fist into the smithy door and walls with enough force to send shivers through the building. A couple of us tried to calm him down as best we could. Celgar even tried to paralyse him with a spell but to no avail. When asked what was making him so upset Duur just became incomprehensible.
Then a dwarf I did not recognise came out of the smithy and without a word of warning swung a punch at Duur. Well I was hardly surprised when Duur swung a punch right back. The trouble is that Duur is such a strong lad that the dwarf was not just knocked down – he was killed! Captain Garent wasn’t on his usual patrol at the time but he soon turned up and things could have got very ugly at that stage. The Captain was angry and yelling at Duur – in reaction to which Duur got out his huge axe as if he was going to fight. I did manage to get the Captain to back off a bit and to get Duur to calm down and thankfully no more blood was spilt. I even managed to get Duur to accept being put in jail.
I felt really sorry for Duur. He just didn’t understand what was going on – the Captain yelling at him and calling him a murderer, others in the crowd calling him a beast and saying he should be executed. I felt the best thing to do, to prevent any more mayhem and because Duur is a friend, was to ask the quartermaster if I could share Duur’s incarceration whilst a trial could be arranged. The quartermaster agreed, so here I am.
One thing that is worrying me is that Aeridin is no longer answering my prayers. I can no longer summon what little healing magic I had previously been granted. This may have something to do with being shut up in this dead place of stone, another possibility may be that I have been spending too much time in the temple of Lucinda with my studies into the nature of healing elixirs, but I can’t see that either of these is particularly likely. I will have to think on the matter and continue to pray.
I certainly have enough time on my hands, not being able to do any crafting here or continue my research, and with Duur withdrawing more and more. At least the good quartermaster has left me my spell books and my research notes so I am not lacking things to do…