By Beth Griese

Date:   March 18, 1995

Quote of the Day:
"Cats don't do much scientific research."  --Brian Smith

To Garen Thundersson, cleric of Mielikki. From your faithful servant, Jade.

I'm not sure how I've gotten into this. I seem to have become part of an adventuring party.

Morning at the Lonesome Tankard brought some excitement. B'rinth, the elf from last night, joined me for breakfast. His adventuring companion, Telaran, was missing his sword, which he was understandably quite upset about. The gnome, Nory, came downstairs complaining that his roommate had the plague. It's amazing the things you hear in the early mornings in a tavern.

Nory and Telaran retrieved Jeld, our friend from the Lathander temple. Apparently, whatever he found upstairs didn't make the gnome's roommate very happy, because we heard shouting and a smashing window. B'rinth and I ran outside to investigate, and found a very healthy-looking roommate in Telaran's headlock, with the gnome babbling incessantly and Jeld shouting from the broken window. How on Faerun all three of them made it through that window to the ground I don't care to find out. But it seemed that the roommate had been pilfering items from all over town, including Telaran's sword, so Mielikki seemed to have sung some justice for the day.

And I hadn't even guessed how much, because scarcely half an hour later, Lady Tesseril herself visited the inn, with guards dragging along that Henderson fellow from last night. I needn't tell you, master, that the court hearing for later that morning with this wretch had been hanging heavily on my mind. But Henderson was goaded into an apology (totally unnecessary) and I was informed that I don't need to bother appearing in court (totally welcome). B'rinth reported to Lady Tesseril the things that had been found on Nory's roommate, including a map and a list of items that looked to lead to the Halls of Eveningstar. The Lord of Eveningstar bid us keep the personal items, and granted us 10% the worth of the retrieved stolen objects.

Maybe it was that reward that made everyone's eyes gleam so at this map. Heavens, I've seen a dozen its like - and more accurate - before, but this time fate seemed to have given it to us, with the funds to use it. B'rinth immediately declared his intention to find the Halls, and of course, his friend Telaran would be accompanying him. I could practically hear Mielikki's harp when I said I would help them find the place; I hope this will make myself useful in your absence and not make me miss your return. Nory, of course, invited himself along, too, and even ran to fetch another member; a cleric he was acquainted with.

A huge man with a symbol of Torm on his chest chose that moment to introduce himself to me. I had seen him around before, of course; he's an auxiliary with the Purple Dragons, I believe, and I had noted him in the background for most of the events of the past day. His name is Borreau, and seeing as how I had little faith in the manner of cleric a gnome might bring up, and I knew this fellow to be a steadfast member of the city, I invited him along happily enough. Nory returned soon afterward with his cleric, true to his word. Gary was a young, well-fed fellow who is, thank goodness, not another gnome. Perhaps we all should have rethought our plan when we found out our reward for assisting in the capture of that thief totaled up to only 1 gold and 8 silver. B'rinth had spent twice that on supplies he thought we would need.

We took the simple route to the Halls in the morning and followed the river to the rotting docks that mark its entrance. Borreau, it turns out, is quite a fisherman, and supplied us with a fair lunch. I knew it would be no mistake to include him. We found the entrance we were seeking in the back of a man-made cave; easy enough to spot. Nory insisted on carefully checking each door we found throughout this cavern so far; what a surprise, a gnome with thieving tendencies. So far, though, he seems to have kept his hands to his own possessions, and so I begrudge him not his profession.

The only object of note we found was a talking shield. It was atop a pile of goods, and apparently, B'rinth molested it in some way for it to boom out "Beware! These items have been carried in by people who can no longer carry them out." Unimpressed, we continued on.

I spotted some green slime, that foul mold that destroys everything it touches. Nory apparently didn't care about my warning, for he lost a shoe to it while we found a bathroom. What an impressive beginning. After that, though, events became more malevolent. We were struck from behind with bolts as we went down a hallway - akin to the pain I felt that time I went through the floor of the icehouse - and we came upon a room of kobolds.

Knowing the stories you've related often enough of kobolds' nasty ways, we all attacked immediately. To be honest, master, I could have performed better. My sword was knocked to the floor, which would have been fatal against a larger group. As it was, though, a dagger and five comrades were plenty to handle this group without any further injury to aggravate my back.

Praise Mielikki, my large friend Borreau has sharp ears. He heard a noise and we all hit the floor, just in time for the second door in the room - right in front of me - to crack open to allow more bolts to shoot through. I reacted hastily, as always, I know you'll say, and charged the door open. The plan worked well, as it knocked another kobold senseless and got us through to another room of the nasty little dogbeasts, but this time one of them got a bolt in my ribs to match the one I had taken at the back. The battle was short and to the point, which was well, because I immediately began to feel feverish and dizzy, as though I were ill - or poisoned! I thought I faced death as the room blackened, but as it turned out, all I faced was floor, as the bruises on my chin attested to the next morning. That was when I woke up, none the worse for wear except for being very thirsty, with a ringing headache, and much chagrined. Telaran and Borreau had been kind enough to watch over me until I awoke. The poison had not been very potent.

I suppose you would tell me that it's time to get serious now. I could have been dead a couple of times over yesterday, I realize as I pen this in the wee hours of the morning. These city-dwellers all sleep so late. I shall heed your command as if you were here to give it, and try to keep my skin puncture and bruise free today.

Your faithful servant,

--Jade

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