Zakathion's life experiences

[Varnart]

I arrived in Hlint today. My sword had been taken by some goblins who managed to evade my sleep spells and incapacitate my raven, and I couldn't afford another, so I was down to a dagger and a shortbow. I was able to afford some Ray of Frost scrolls, which were extremely cheap. In the Underdark, due to the lack of wood, scrolls are a commodity of wealthy archmages and high priests, who have the resources to pay thousands of gold for a magic missile. The scrolls I bought were priced at eight gold pieces, which I noticed was cheap even compared to the other scrolls for sale. Not that I am complaining: they served me well, as described ahead. I needed money, so I asked around the town for the odd job. I delivered a letter for the postman, and then was asked by Florah, the tax lady, to retrieve the tax record book, which had been stolen bya ratman residing in the sewers.
  I advanced through the first level of the sewers easily, shooting whatever rats my raven couldn't kill. Then I went to the second level, where I managed to defeat a rather large group of rats with a sleep spell. Then I noticed some spiders. I calculated that they would be too small for me to hit with my bow, so I used a scroll of ray of frost for each. They might be small enough to evade attacks, but they died fast at the hands of cold.
   Then I fought another pack of rats. After defeating them, I tended to my wounds and rested. I entered the room with the ratman and killed yet another pack of rats. Then I spotted him, a dire rat, and about three small rats. I aimed and launched a sleep spell, which was useless, as only one of the weaker rats was affected. I sent my raven to stall them so that I could cast another spell, which was also useless, surpsisingly. I was also amazed at seeing my raven fall, as he is usually the tougher of us two. At that point I ran, pausing only to shoot both the smaller rats that were left. I was being chased by the ratman and the dire rat, which I was able to shoot from a distance as well, but when I went to close with the licanthrope I was beaten in one move. I thought it was over for me, but it seems that this calling I felt to adventure also gives me the power to revive, though I heard in town that it would take its toil on my spirit as soon as I was powerful enough for the so-called Soul Mother to take an interest on me.
  That was when I decided to take a companion. I was seeking a warrior who could keep the enemies at bay for me to pellet them with arrows and spells, but alas, I only found another practicioner of the arcane, though he was more skilled than me. I also noticed he was a dark elf, as well as two other people. I started doubting the need for clothes that cover the whole body, as dark elves seem to wander freely around, though one grey elf decided to move away at the sight.´
  Raine Ba'lak (the dark elf wizard) and I entered the sewers again, and I was amazed at seeing a wizard with no warrior training fight with a rapier and a dagger. We went, me, him, his panther, and occasionally one of his summoned monsters, and had no trouble with the rats or the spiders, which I defeated with my remaining scrolls. We entered to fight the ratman, and defeated him easily with a sword blow from me and a missile of force conjured by Raine. I collected the book and some rat pelts, and heded to the surface, delivering the book to lady Florah. Then, I gave the tailor at the craft house a rat pelt, which he claimed needed because his wife was sick. I didn't buy it, but I needed the money and I didn't need the pelt. He asked me for a bat pelt, which I haven't collected yet.
  Then I was asked by Quartermaster Talon to get ears from goblin scouts. I was killed numerous times by the bastards, but the bindstone kept bringing me back. One of these times was when I met Ferrit, who I believe is some kind of rogue and saved my life. I gave her the skeleton knuckles I had gained in a small trip I made to the crypts, where I also killed some ghouls and zombies with my bow. It seems she had a special need for them, though she didn't tell me which.
  It seems one of the goblins had some star dust, which my divinations revealed fell from the constellation of Kithairien, who I believe is the patron of wild elves and runners. It seems it grants a power similiar to the first circle spell True Strike. As I can cast the spell myself, I tried to sell it, but alas, I could find no buyers, though I did meet an extremely pale elf dressed in blue and carrying a staff that radiated with evil power. He claimed he was a collector of stardust, but said Kithairien's dust burned his skin, so he refused to buy it. Thus I retired to write on my journal.
  NOTE TO SELF: BUY SCROLLS OF INVISIBILITY TO ENTER THE GOBLIN CAVES WITHOUT ATTRACTING ATTENTION AND KILLING SOME BATS FOR THEIR PELTS. JOHAN THE TAILOR PAYS WELL FOR THEM.

[Varnart]

I have learned how to play Creature cards, a supposedly popular game, though I saw no one other than the regular patrons playing it. I liked it, and won one hundred gold pieces in a game against a human. I shall repeat it whenever I need money.
  I also fought some mercenary thugs I found on the way to the sand deposits of Lake Alon. I was going to get some sand for my sleep spells, and I ran into them, so I thought, "They're mercenaries, so they're bound to have gold. And, no one can blame me for killing criminals." I fought them with my raven and made a nice profit of it.

[Varnart]

Today, I was treated to a display of magical power that I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. I was coming out of the crypts, and while I dusted my robes I felt the ground start to shake. Not just a little shake, but the kind that makes you jump ten feet into the air! Then I saw meteors falling from the sky, and thought, "The fools. Saying the Blood is no more! My books may be a little exaggerated on the details, but they are based in one reality: evil never dies." I cast an elemental resistance spell, which I knew wouldn't help much but would hopefully be enough to give me the time to run to Fort Llast. When I stepped outside, though, I didn't see a human clad in blood-red full plate and wielding a scythe at the center of the storm of meteors: I saw a halfling. Yes, a humanoid the size of my arm was conjuring that. I recalled the epics I had read and deduced it must have been the (in)famous sorcerer Reggub Hillhop. Realizing this, I walked away, not wanting to be in the middle of such destruction again. I decided to focus on my tasks to distract myself: I was to hunt a will-o'-wisp for Mage Dalton of Fort Llast. It was a tough battle, including a trip to the bindstone for me, but in the end I was victorious, though I must invest in better protection, as the will-o'-wisp hit me with a lightning bolt through my Endure Elements spell. I should also consider some armor, as my shielding spells tend to be short-lived, but for now I've gotten used to be free of extra weight that would prevent me from casting spells.
  I have bought a two-headed mace, or dire mace as it is most commonly called. A fearsome weapon, it allows me to defeat those skeletons much faster and easier. I hope one day I am able to buy a house, where I can build a gymnasium to practice every weapon I can acquire. Maybe even teach others how to fight or cast spells. Yes, that is an option to consider.

[Varnart]

Today, I did a lot of things. I made a trip to the Blood Desert, where my strategy of using Ghostly Visage to absorb the manticore's needles saved the day, though it could have gone even better if people had listened to me some more. The thing is, Ghostly Visage can protect you from as many small cuts and bruises as you are afflicted with, even though it won't help much against a single strong blow. Since the manticores throw tiny needles, Ghostly Visage would protect you from all except those that hit critical spots like the groin or the head, which would have a reduced force. I suggested that the ones who had Ghostly Visage tried to attract the monsters' needles by attacking first. But those humans and surface elves for some reason decided to waste fireballs on such weak beasts. That sorceress could have instead hasted me, which would make me contribute much better to the fight.
  We then went to the mines of Haven. I tried to offer my century of experience with fighting underground in cramped corridors, but they only listened when we went down to the second level. That's when they all noticed that, for some strange reason, our frontliners weren't always nearing death and our archers weren't getting hit by clubs. Why is that, you say? I don't know, it might have been for the shouting match I had with one of the frontliners, after which they all agreed to do it my way. The tactic was for the numerous archers to staybehind the bridge/corridor/doorway while two or three frontliners made a human wall to protect them by blocking the already narrow corridor with their bodies. The ogres had to come one by one, all in line, and as such would be the targets of everyone at the same time. Thus, we dispatched each ogre quickly and only exposed the fighters to one or two foes at the most, which they could handle easily. I also advised not to cast spells until the last level, as I read a book about a man named Kaizer Thell who lived in Haven and knew the mines as well as the palm of his hand. I couldn't avoid the odd spell cast by one of the mages who would stay nervous at seeing one ogre get past our defense line and shoot a missile. But I could save enough spellpower for us to defeat the leader and his two accompanying mages with some ease. I disposed of one ogre brute and one berserker myself, and helped slay both mages and the chieftain. It was a glorious victory, but somehow some more ogres were hiding and attacked us while we mined the platinum. I fell immediately, but my companions managed to escape, though later on I found that Raine, the wizard who helped me with the rats and was with us, fell too. Anyway, we both waited for them to come out, and then went to deliver the head of the chieftain to Lord Rodor of Haven Castle. He rewareded us with eight hundred and fifty gold pieces!
  Unfortunately, I had to spend it all on a crafting badge and supplies, as I want to learn how to make wands and scrolls, light armor and clothes, tinkering for making components for my other crafts, cooking for baking scrolls for scribing, alchemy, gemcrafting for magical jewelry and infusing, and wood crafting for sawdust to make scrolls with. Yes, I know I have made many plans, but though it will require a lot of hard work, it will allow me to save money, get richer with the experience, and get magical power to defeat my foes.
  I also gave twenty skeleton knuckles to a woman who dwelled in the swamps, who made me an amulet to better protect me against undead. I also helped fill Lieutenant Jursen's weapon locker with manymelee and ranged weapons, for which he rewarded me with headgear capable of creating a magical field of force shaped as my body around me, enveloping me and protecting me as much as a suit of scale mail, only without the weight. I decided to save up for some scale mail or chain shirt, to wear when I do not plan on relying on my arcane skills as much as on my fighting prowess.
  I have found another small bag of stardust, again from Kithairien's constellation. Later on I tried to use it but the jaguars got to me before I could hit them with my temporarily masterful prowess. I am now waiting in the Wild Surge Inn, meditating on my death and writing my journal. I made my first attempts at tailoring, succeeding in making some cloth out of cotton. It would seem this is one of the crafts most suited to my natural abilities.
  I have noticed that I am writing a lot, and if I keep up this pace I will have to carry so many books I wouldn't be able to move. Thus, I have decided to write only when something remarkable happens, or when I fear I may forget something important.

[Varnart]

I hunted the trade and market posts at many inns and taverns in Mistone for the best prices in the articles I wish to purchase, and in fact managed to find some excellent deals.

 I will have to make a lot of money for everything nonetheless, but I will buy right away some gloves to increase my strength. This will help me immensely.

[Varnart]

Today, I made two trips to the Red Light goblin caves. The first was to slay the goblin leader. That time, I entered invisible and reached the spot, sent my raven to attract the leader, but he got a bodyguard too. I killed them both and was rewarded by Ronus with two hundred gold pieces and some old green boots that help me evade attacks.
  In the second trip I went with Room the half-giant, Darun the dwarf, and Eghaas the mage. I got a lot of greenstone that I have already cut. The dwarf got lots of copper.
  I forgot to mention in the last entry that I have beaten a jelly-like creature, which had inside an amulet which I later found out belongs to Ragrian, the halfling bard of the Wild Surge Inn.
  Today, I defeated single-handedly a darksoul and got its essence. I was then killed by a spider. This troubles me, and I think I will give up my worship of Baraeon Ca'Duz so that I can wear a Cloak of Az'atta, which I heard offers excellent protection against poison. I never really believed their philosophy of life, I just got used to saying "For Baraeon!" and not harming spiders. It is not even logical for me to worship him, seeing as I have rebuked my life in drow society.
  I have finally sold that stardust. I hope I can find some way of making quick money, perhaps a hunting circuit, so that I can buy the items I need.