The Journal of Brother Franc

After my new companions pulled me out of the mud and I came to, we decided to venture onward. We came into a weird steel chamber that fit only one person but had three gemstones. When one of the gemstones was touched, the chamber would close and take that person elsewhere in these odd family catacombs of the Baron's. These northern folk have weird customs that I will never understand! I'm beginning to wonder what other arcane and evil practices this Baron is tied into.

After we all make it to what I can say the other side of this chamber by pressing the red button, we come across a filthy room with furniture that has long rotted and dung all over it. I ask the Ranger what kind of dung it is and he says it it bat dung. I immediately look up to see a score or two of the nasty critters and they get agitated by our presence. Just them they swarm us and the party leaves to the other side except for the druid unknown to me. Big Red's torch goes out from the bats so I had to make a decsision. Do we run from bats or do I put the torch to some action? I choose action! The room then goes in flame and the bats flee to the other side of the room where the party ran. That corridor leads outside and the bats flee.

The rest of the group is annoyed by me and think I am crazy and Thor knows they are probably right. But I wasnt gonna be defeated by stupid bats! While waiting for the flames to die down and reunite with the druid, the "highly intellegent" magic user springs a trap down the corridor and water rushes down and whisks him into the outdoors. I shouldn't pick on him, it sounds like something that would happen to me to. We help the gnome in the party and resident trap expert to better understand what happened. He discoveres that the mage is alright and the fire is dying down in the bat room.We go back to the bat room and meet up with the druid.I black out from the smoke but we'll just gloss over that for now. The Gnome discovers a secret door. Now tell me how we would have found that if I didn't burn out the bats!

We go through a small corridor and emerge into a room just like the bat room but this time the furniture is kept up nice. Theres a bearskin rug on the floor which sends the druid into a rage as he snatches it up and goes back to the bat room and burns it. Then I point out that he wont like the dear head in the corner of the room. Then someone pulls both antlers and we are whisked away into another room.By the gods these damn northerners and their cursed magic tricks!And now we are without our druid friend its his own treehugging fault!
Theres more chambers like that steel one we originally encountered and now I had enough! I stormed in and touched a purple button.

We end up in this large cavern with wooden boxes. Our ranger throws a torch into the room and the boxes ignite revealing them to be coffins and the inhabitants are none too pleased. The party is tripping over eachother to get to the chamber to leave, I will not! I will stay and take a stand against the unholy powers and cover the rest of the party. I am fortunate for two things. First, for the bravery of Red covering me and second, for Thor's grace as I turn these foul skeletons with Thor's might. Unfortunately I can't get all of them at once and red goes down. I turn the last of them that attacked Red and heal Red before he dies with Thor's blessings. Red has Thor to thank for his life. Thor favors strong and brave warriors such as him! If there were more Reds in this world, the giants would be sent back to hel where they belong!

I left the safety of the church a week ago and set out to Hogsend. The masters said it was time for me to "Find my way" but I have a feeling they have had enough of me. I know I let impulse get the best of me and it sometimes puts me in bad situations,but how is fortune to be gained without some risk?

So there I was in Hogsend and the Bazaar had just been set up. Oh great a gambling tent! I sometimes feel that the Gods are testing me. I was gonna just hang out in front here and bless the potential winners in hopes of making some tips.Then,as usual with me, chaos erupted!

This big raving maniac runs into some people and loots them then he keeps running.Had I seen him I would have ducked away but he then blindsided me. I noticed my lucky silver holy symbol was gone that I won from another brother with the means to afford it! I came fast to my senses and tried to tackle the guy to no avail. This guy was tough. Not only was I chasing him but others too. It looked like one of those silly gypsy comedies I would see when thier caravans came but this time it wasn't funny. He had my holy symbol!

Finally I caught up to this thief and gave him a good smite on the arm with my mace. Looking back it seemed harsh, I really need to be more patient. Another big fella knocked him out and we proceded to get our stolen goods from him. Then feeling guilty I healed his wounds. But alas, it did not end there. This thief was actually the Baron of Hogsend (maybe) who proceded to explain that a doppelganger took his form and killed him. Then when his trusty cleric raised him, he killed his cleric without thinking. When he realized what he had done he went mad and thus encountered myself and some others who he looted from. Situations seem to follow me such as this. After the alleged Baron shows us his cleric's body, I noticed one of the others, a gnome, pilfering the dead cleric. I didnt know what to do until finally I had to plead with the little fella to stop! Then a mace was found very light to the touch and well balanced. It was the murder weapon. The suggestion was that I use it to help solve this whole affiar. I agreed to use it even if the whole thing seems grizzly.

The Baron explains that he needs a family ring to prove who he is over the doppelganger and gives us directions on where to find it along with some warnings about old family guardians. I must point out that I find these law and order types such as this baron and the clerics he keeps a little on the tyrannical side. However, I could not in good concious allow a kingdom to be taken over by a merderous monster such as a doppelganger.

After a short walk we enter the secret family chamber. It is dark with strange displays in the first roon of some sort of bird people. We then proceed into this other room with a muddy pool and a sword in the middle of the pool. This odd fellow who turns out to be a druid throws a chicken iin to test things out. A CHICKEN! This whole affairs gets me laughing. Maybe druids arent such drips as I once thought. I proceed to chase the chicken down but as fate would have it the chicken out foxed me. Then trouble begins!I agree to have a rope tied to me while I try for the sword. As usual my curiosity got the better of me. The mud begins to from into humanoid shapes and mud is tossed all over me! I try to flee but the mud is slowing me down so I grab the sword and give it to the big red haired fella. I go black from there.

When I come to, the rest of my new friends are taking mud from me and I can breathe again. I owe these guys my life, for what it's worth. I'm such a schlub!