By Beth Griese

Date:   April 1, 1995

Quote of the Day:
"I cast silence so I don't hear him moan anymore." -- Stu
"Pull your sword out of him! I can't see a thing!" -- Brian

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

While yesterday seemed determined to teach me the hazards of battle, today tells me the story of more subtle ways I can die. I felt amazingly whole in the morn for taking two bolts the day before; Telaran told me that Borreau had cast a healing spell on me; I owe the man my gratitude. Between that and the warmth your ring provides me, I awoke in as good a condition as I might hope for.

Our group reached a room that looked to have been used as some kind of quarters when it was originally occupied by humans. It was laid waste now, and had an interesting new addition; a stone goblin by the far door, clutching his hand as if in great pain. Our best deduction was that the doorknob had turned the beast to stone. Since it was already ajar, we didn't have to test our theory; we simply pulled the goblin statue out of the way and proceeded.

The most amazing sight yet of this trip lay ahead; a huge room with giant- sized statues at the end, flanking double doors, holding out their arms as if to welcome us into it. B'rinth found another, hidden door in the side of the room. It was tiny, small enough that any of us human-sized would have to stoop to make it through. Nory went first, and tried to open the door at the far end.

Something the gnome did triggered a new danger. He seems to be very good at discovering the danger for the party. Wind began blowing through the little corridor, with no apparent source. Worried, Nory started back for our end. I must confess in my letters to you, master, that my courage was tested for the first time on this adventure. My urges were telling me to back out of the doorway and escape the winds and noise. But, at least for this first hurdle, your lessons held, and I did not abandon our gnome, but stayed in the door and helped pull him through. I'd say it was a good thing, since his feet were dangling in the gusts by the time he escaped and the door slammed shut afterwards. I'm not at all sure that anyone who was trapped on the other side of that door would have remained healthy under that buffeting.

After the excitement, B'rinth, who seems to have a habit of wandering, found another surprise like he found the talking shield. The statues were charged up like lightning, and when the golden elf touched one, he was sent flying by the shock, like an attack of a magician except from statues of bronze. We treated them to healthy respect after that. Borreau and I used rope again to pull open the handle of the door, and lightning zapped repeatedly between the open door and the statue nearest it. We lost no time in scurrying through the door between zaps.

Once through, we could get down to the business of exploring again. I'm beginning to question why we allow Nory the time to search every portal we come across for traps; this time it was huge spears that shot out of the wall behind us when we tried to open a door. Luckily, only Nory and I were before it at the time, and he fit between two of the spikes, while the others slammed right between and around my legs. I hate to think what would have happened if one had found a mark.

Again, B'rinth and Telaran spotted a hidden door; I'm beginning to realize what sharp senses elvish blood has. We wandered into a huge dining room; this must have been an amazing festhall in its time. Hardly anything was left now, except tattered war banners and rotted wood. A long-nosed bird dove from the shadowed ceilings to attack Nory, but we quickly dispatched the creature.

Beyond the dining hall, we found our first sign of other adventurers before us; a campfire that had probably not been abandoned by too many nights or weeks, with three sleeping bags and some packs and equipment around it. Searching for what had made the occupants retreat so quickly, we found a tiny room with a door on the opposite side.

Nory tried to cross this room, and again pointed out its danger to us by disappearing when the floor flipped and dumped him into a chute beneath. The whole action was as quick as a frog's tongue, and clever, too, as we found out when I tried to follow with a rope tied around my waist, for the floor not only flipped, but had a razor-sharp edge that sliced the rope and dumped me through, as well.

I was sent for a wild ride through these chutes - magic must have been involved - before I was dumped back behind the ballista we had investigated the day before. All my metal objects - my sword, my dagger, my precious ring - had been sent to the pile in the adjoining room that the talking shield had guarded. What powerful magic this was that toyed with us so! Nory was there, looking a bit bewildered, and after a hurried conference, we decided that he would retrieve our items. (Plus a sword for Borreau, who had broken his in the fights yesterday. I know that must have been an embarrassing loss.) I, meanwhile, sped as quickly as possible back to the rest of the group were so they wouldn't worry overmuch or lose their armored pants to this trap. By the time I arrived, they had already begun stretching their numbers across the room and Borreau, bless him, was still calling for us. Or, at least, I heard my name.

Hopefully, we will do a little better at sniffing out these dangers before they actually occur to us as we continue. Certainly, Nory is learning a whole slew of new things to watch for. I will complete this saga as time permits me, Garen.

Your faithful servant,

--Jade

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