Journal of a barbarian - Jaegan

[Grayald]

Day 1

Entry 1

     I have just arrived in Hlint.  It's dark, and my journey was long, so I immidiately sought out the inn.  This is the first time I can remember sleeping in a bed my entire life.  It's much softer than sleeping in the dirt, or the snow.  Much warmer, too.  I really hate the cold.  I also took a bath.  My last bath was three months ago.  I feel cleaner.  There's a strange smell in the air.  I guess I had gotten so used to stinking that the smell of fresh air is foreign.  Had a big meal after that.  Tasted good.  More refined than what I'm used to.  Tomorrow I will  see about buying supplies and exploring the town a little.  Getting sleepy.  Time for bed.  Will start keeping a record of my life in this journal.  I'm sure it will come in handy someday.

[Grayald]

Day 2

Entry 1

     Heard strange noises last night.  Got up to check, but didn't see anything.  Had a small breakfast.  Went looking around town.  No weapon shop here?  No armor either?  Glad I kept my hand axe with me.  I'll ask around and see where I can get some action.

Entry 2

     Asked a few locals about finding some action.  They pointed me to the sewer.  I checked it out.  Full of rats.  Four ambushed me, but I invoked my rage and killed all of them.  Need to rest now.  Out of healing kits.  Can't afford potions.  Money so hard to come by and merchants are greedy.

Entry 3

     Wounded badly by a couple of creatures with bows.  Made it into town.  A woman expressed concern for my condition.  Told her I could handle the wound because I'm a barbarian, but would appreciate her aid.  She healed me.  She seemed to have some sort of problem speaking.  Lots of pauses for no apparant reason.  Didn't get her name.  Oh well.  Doesn't matter.

Entry 4

     Talked to Quartermaster Talon.  He wants me to kill goblins and bring him their ears for payment.  He pointed me to the weapon shop.  Now I have another scythe.  Fighting is a bit easier with a familiar weapon.  Going outside town now to find the goblins.

Entry 5

     It seems the creatures that wounded me earlier were the goblins I am looking for.  Killed 2 of them, but they're tough.  Nearly got killed, and only 50 gold to show for it.  Bah.  How am I gonna make a living here.  Well, I'll rest and try again.

Entry 6

     Was wounded worse than I thought by the goblins arrows.  Apparantly I collapsed near the well in town after turning in the ears.  Someone healed me, but was gone when I got up.  Finding it very difficult to make progress.  None of the local adventurers seem to be interested in forming group to hunt more safely.  Guess I'm on my own as usual.  Oh well.  Don't need em.

Entry 7

     Getting dark.  Had supper and writing final entry for the day.  Not much success on my last hunt.  Killed one goblin but it didn't have any ears.  Another goblin tried to ambush me right as I entered the town, but I that was his last mistake.  Took his boots and sold them.  That's all for today.

[Grayald]

Day 3

Entry 1

Had a bad dream last night that woke me up.  Father tied me down.  Used his smiths hammer to break my knees.  Then started chopping wood.  But he didn;t untie me.  He put the logs on me.  Chopped straight through them, and me, but I didn't die.  Didn't even feel pain.  Weird.  I no longer want to acknowledge him as my father.  From now on, I have no father.  He is just Erik.  Another person who deserves death.

Entry 2

A big smelly ugly dumb lookin guy who can't talk right approached me today from behind.  He got mad and threatened me because I didn't turn around to face him.  His fault for taking the extra time to walk around me.  His small brain dsidn't seem to be able to comprehend that and he insisted on blaming me.  Said he wouldn't help me.  Strange.  I didn't ask for his help in the first place.  Someone should tell him to take a bath.  Even I bathe once a month normally.

Entry 3

I feel stronger.  I've been hunting all day.  I seem to be able to withstand more attacks now.  Still had more than a few close calls though.  Found a small goblin encampment nestled up on one of the ridges.  Carefully lured the stragglers to me and killed them, but the main encampment had 5 of them.  Decided to attack.  Managed to kill all of them.  At least they carry gold.  

Entry 4

Heard about a place in the graveyard with skeletons inside.  Checked it out, and there were some there.  Not so tough.  Then went back out and killed more goblins.  Learned more about how barbarians fight, and seem to be able to withstand their attacks better.  More of them took control of the small camp, but I killed them all as well.  One was carrying a bell of some sort.  Strange thing to be running around with.

Entry 5

Decided to use the rest of the day for free time and a little exploration.  Didn't find anything worth mentioning, so I fell asleep under a tree.  Woke up and it was getting dark, so I came to the inn.  Still sleepy, so going to go to bed early.

[Grayald]

Day 5

Entry 1

Finally managed top save up enough gold for a piece of decent armor.  It's really heavy, but many of the creatures I've been hunting are having a hard time finding a spot on me where they can cause damage.  I managed to kill 5 skeletons at the same time and barely got a scratch.

Entry 2

A woman approached me, concerned about a wound on my arm.  I hadn't noticed it until she mentioned it.  It may have caused a frail thing like her problems, but it was just a scratch to me.  Then she insisted my scythe is a mere farmers tool.  Ignorance!  Sure it can be used as such, but it can also be used as a weapon, and quite an effective one.  I explained it to her, but she insisted that the enemies outside weren't weeds to be hewn.  Bah.  Well, who cares.

Entry 3

I met up with a couple of adventurers inside the crypts earlier today.  We teamed up and went deep in to find the lesser darksoul.  Erag the undertaker asked me to kill it and bring him an item it was carrying the other day.  When I brought it back, he rewarded me with some gold.  One of the guys I teamed up with turned out to be much stronger than I thought.  With a mere shout, he killed six or more ghouls all at once.  Later when I asked him about it, I found out his name is Geir, and he's a skald.  I've heard about them, but never seen one before.

Entry 4

The ox merchant seems to have made some enemies.  I passed by and he was being attacked by a couple of thugs.  They were much stringer than him, but some strange magic seemed to be completely warding off all of their attacks.  Still, looks like the merchant isn't a very good fighter.  He managed to bloody them up, but was having trouble hitting them, so I decided to help out.  They didn't notice me approach, so I had a clean shot.  Two hits, two kills.  Wonder what happened.  The merchant didn't seem to want to say anything.  Maybe he's involved in some shady dealings.

[Grayald]

Day 6

Entry 1

Spent just about the entire day fighting, so didn't have much time to keep a step by step record today.  Went into the depths of the sewers earlier.  The rats no longer pose any threat to me.  Hadn't noticed I had gotten so much stronger.  Deep inside there was some kind of rat-man hybrid.  Him and his pet dire rat were easy kills.  Then I went to the crypts again.  5 or 6 skeletons aren't much of a problem for me now.  I spend more time deeper inside with the zombies and ghouls.  Still need to be careful with the ghouls.  A bunch of them can cause trouble.  And disease, which I learned the hard way.  Luckily I got out and got it healed before it could take full effect.    Got me some throwing axes.  They are a nice touch.  Especially for those slow moving zombies, but they sure are heavy, so I decided to buy a longbow and some arrows instead.  Much lighter.  Made my way back down, all the way to the last room where that lesser darksoul stays.  Managed to kill him on my own.  He doesn't carry anything of value though.  Oh well.

Entry 2
Didn't need to start a new entry, but it looks neater, so I did it anyway.  I explored around farther outside the town.  Some decent hunting, but I suddenly got attacked by a griffon!  I tried running away and shooting at him, but when I got back to the gate, I just used my scythe.  Managed to kill it.  Wouldn't want to meet another of them in the near future though.  Went back into town to turn in, since it was gettin dark, but a dwarf approached me.  Her group was heading into the goblin caves to kill the leader and she wanted my help.  Since I also needed to get him, I decided to go.  We got down to him and killed him pretty easily.  One of our guys got wounded pretty badly though, but ended up ok.  When we got back to the town, that damn wagonmaster wouldn't give the rest of us our payment for killing the goblin.  Somethin about needin to do it ourselves.  Maybe I'll cut off HIS head.  Well let's just see tomorrow.

[Grayald]

Day 7

Entry 1

I decided to head back to the goblin cave.  Alone.  It was tough.  I managed to make my way all the way to the last room.  I tried to rest, but when I took my armor off, all of the goblin sin the next room came in and attacked me.  I didn't last long.  After I got out of the void, a couple of stronger adventurers dcided to help me get down their and reclaim what I had lost.  We also picked up another adventurer who had just been killed in the cave and needed to go down.  We got through easily, and I not only regained my strength, bu tI got the head of the goblin overlord.  The wagonmaster was glad to see it, and paid me 200 gold.  He also gave me a pair of boots with some sort of defensive enchantment on them.

Entry 2

I've been collecting items for a guy in the craft house.  I had to go into Sielwood Forest.  I went in at night.  It was so dark, even with a torch.  I hate it in there.  A giant spider kept poisoning me and making me weaker.  I could barely lift my scythe, and I was weighed down by the stuff in my pack.  When I did hit the spider, it had put so much venom in me that I couldn't damage it at all.  I managed to get away and out of the forest.  I waited awhile before going back.  After bumpin around in there for awhile, I finally found the animal I was looking for.  a boar.  Killed it and took its pelt back to the guy, and now he wants a deer pelt.  What's with this guy?  I already brought him rat, bat, and I think another one that was easy.  Well, time to go back in.

Entry 3

Got the deer pelt easy enough.  Now he wants cougar.  No idea where to find a cougar.  I'll worry about that tomorrow.

Entry 4  

Took another trip into the goblin caves.  A team that was in there picked me up.  Killed the new overlord easily.  They set up a few ambushes to try and catch us as we were leaving, but we pretty much walked right through them.

[Grayald]

Day 8

Entry 1

I went to Fort Llast today.  A soldier there who had been newly promoted paid me to bring him some weapons.  Spent more money than I made, but he showed me a few useful things as well.  I also found a necklace in a cave.  It was the one that bard in Hlint lost.  She rewarded me for it.  Not much else has happened today.  Just some un-eventful hunting.  Time to turn in for the night.

[Grayald]

Day 9

Entry 1

After I got out of the Sielwood Forest today and rested up, I went to the crypts again.  It appears that I've just about outgrown the area.  I'm sure there's things in Sielwood that are worth fighting, but I'm none too fond of that place.  Maybe I'll head back west to the areas around Fort Llast, or perhaps I'll move Eastward.  I haven't been out that way at all yet.

Entry 2

Decided to head out westward.  Ended up back in Leilon.  Was getting late by the time I got here, so I'm gonna call it a night.  Seems like it took alot longer to get here than it took to get to Hlint from here when I first came to the mainland.  Maybe I'll find something worth writing about tomorrow.  Been kinda dull lately.  Oh well.  It happens.

[Grayald]

Day 10

Entry 1

Got an early start today.  Was still dark when I got up.  Maybe I was still groggy, but I decided to head back to Hlint.  First, I took another road and wandered into a forest.  A couple of mean boars attacked me but bit my legs up, but it wasn't too bad.  Killed them and left the forest and came back to Hlint.

Entry 2

I joined a couple of adventurers to take on a mission that Lord Rodor in Haven Castle had given us.  Take the head of the ogre chieftain in Haven Mines.  We fought our way in a ways, but it seems we didn't have enough.  We had to turn abandon the mission.  It seems that some ogres had tried to box us in, and were waiting to ambush us as we made our way back.  Luckily, a really strong lookin dwarf was makin his way down and got them before they got us.  We came back to Hlint.  I took a beating from those ogres.  Damn near got killed.  Got healed up but I'm still pretty sore, so I'm gonna try to take it easy today.  No promises though.

Entry 3

Went outside for a few hours, but didn't much feel doin anything.  Mostly sat under the tree.  Should be ok tomorrow.

[Grayald]

Day 12

Entry 1

Finally found a some cougars.  It was a long journey.  Had to walk all the way to Fort Velensk, but I'm glad to have finally got that over with.  The worst part was passing through a place called the broken forest.  The whole time I was passing through I heard noises and felt things watching me.  It might have been my imagination, but I thought I caught glimpses of red eyes and shadowy figures through the dense forest.  I felt surrounded the whole time, but luckily got through without anything happening.  That place was creepy though.  I KNOW there were things watching me.  Can't say for sure about what I think I saw, but that's the scariest part.  When you YHINK you see something.  Once you know it's there, it's not as bad.  Well, I'll rest awhile then head back to Hlint.  He'll probably send me to get another pelt.  Not lookin forward to passing back through that forest though.  Well,  It can't be helped.

Entry 2

Made it back to Hlint.  I was right about being watched in the broken forest.  Two of the things attacked me.  They were black with red eyes.  At least now I know what's in there.  I didn't fight them.  Just kept running.  Made it a ways then got attacked by a couple of griffins.  One was already near death and could barely fly, so I finished it off first.  I might have been able to kill the second, but another one came down a hill so I ran.  Got back to Hlint easily and gave the guy his pelt.  Also dropped something off to the quartermaster for someone I ran into in one of the other towns.  Now it's time for another rest.

[Grayald]

Day 13

Entry 1

Almost got robbed of 200 gold and everything except my weapons and armor today.  Sat down to rest just outside town and fell asleep.  Suddenly woke up and there was a goblin trying to sneak away with my pack.  I yelled at it and it froze for a second, then took off screaming.  Straight into the goblin cave.  Followed it of course.  Found it just as it was about to go down to the third level.  It ran for the door, but I had throwing axes on hand.  Lined up a shot, and threw as hard as I could.  Goblin screamed and hit the ground, then rolled into the wall next to the door.  Dead as dead can be.  Hope the other ones take it as a lesson in stealing from someone just because they appear to be helpless at the time.  As for me, I'll try to remember to rest in safer spots, and not fall asleep.

Entry 2

Going to get to sleep early tonight.  That leather guy wants a brown bear pelt.  No idea where to find one.  Of course he couldn't ask for a pelt I already had like dire boar or jaguar.  Well no use fussin about it.  I'll just have to go out and find a bear tomorrow.

[Grayald]

Day 14

Entry 1

I found a Will O' Wisp.  Dalton, a mage at Fort Llast wanted me to bring him an essence fromone.  It wasn't much of a threat.  Used some kind of lightning on me but then it just kept trying to hit me by smashing into me.  Not an effective attack if you're a ball of light.  I Weird thing is I couldn't damage it either.  Throwing axes or scythe wouldn't cause any damage.  I gave it one last go and swung wildly with all my might to try to mimic the damage of striking a critical blow.  Got lucky and hit.  The thing fell to the ground.  Got it's essence.  Dalton paid me 300 gold for it.  Not too bad, especially coupled with the learnin I got from fighting that wisp.

Entry 2

I fell out of a tree.  I climbed up there to take a nap.  Next thing I know, I'm on the ground.  Nearly crushed a couple of short people, who I learned are halflings.  First ones I ever seen if I remember right.  Maybe I won't sleep in trees anymore.

[Grayald]