The Journal of Veera the Voracious

Thar's a pretty goode library in the Mirti's estate. The boys 'ave been readin thar fill. One 'o them - I ferget which - came across a journal writen by Giaus hisself. (pretty flowery handwritin fer such a bastard). The boys seem ta think he may be aheaded to this place called the Crystal Spire in search 'o a magic tear. (wait, what?) 'N he's gonna use it to let the Chained God out. Ya know - the god so nut-balled that every other god, good 'er bad, joined in ta lock 'im away. ('frickin mud heads fer followers, he 'as...)

So, this tear, ah, thing, is a gift from tha goddess Ioun, and it has some knowlege of, ...things, inside it. I can't say I understand it all, but it seems a goode a lead as any. So we help ourselves to some horses and were off.

We get to tha town near the Spire. W'er expectin ta find some pilgrims hanging about there. Twas a place of importance to tha followers of Ioun. Appearently the Crystal Spire is all locked up tight fer years 'n years, and we'll 'ave to figure a way o breakin in. Maybe we 'kin get some clues, or what have ya, from the locals.

When we get to tha town tho, thar was a big commotion. People were running and screaming. I think we're in tha right place.

Turns out there were Grells tearing up the town. Big brains with beaks and tenticles. Frickin disgusin. Not even good meats. Twas quite a disturbing battle, but we put them down. They really mess with yer head, them Grells. My brain-pan hurt for quite a bit after. I'm sorry to say some o the towns folk didn't make it (but none 'o them were accidentally kilt by us, thank the stone).

A cleric lookin' lass came ta speak with us after the battle. Her name was Dierdra 'n she asked us 'fer help. Tha' happins a lot after we rush in 'n kill monsters. I guess we look like professionals. hmph. 'N I guess we are now. I always wanted ta be a cook - funny whar life takes ya...

She thinks the trouble are not endin' with the dead Grells. She thinks someone is tryin' to get in the tower - or maybe already has. We tell 'er we think we know who, 'n are here ta stop 'im. Turns out, she has a way to let us in... But she has ta lock us in. nice. I guess that's settled then. Kinda dissapointed we didna have ta buy a few drinks in the Inn ta find what we were lookin for... Ah well. We'll go inna morning, and I 'kin still find myself an ale tonight. Hope it wasn'a the bartender that got kilt.

The next morning we headed off ta tha spire. Thar was an ambush on tha way. I was a leetle surprised, but I shouldna been. Quite a battle, with some beefy fellas, and this crazy teifling lass with a face full 'o scars. She was a mud-head fer sure.

Caladath did a new trick. Twas disturbing, but - I think I like it. I felt - strong... 'an I hit like a fireball. The other's gave me some funny looks - wait - did I have a tail?...
ah well, I jes go with it. I's walkin' death fer a bit, 'n that was right fun.

The damn crazy cleric blinded me tho, right when I was gonna split 'er open. I heard the others surround her, and lot's of magiks going off. Then, it got real quite. Dammit. I missed the end of tha battle. When I could see again, the teifling cleric was on the ground. Looks like she's still breathin' though. Kinda surprised at that, but I suppose it's a goode idea to see if she'll talk 'for we kill 'er.

We are going to kill 'er, right? She's bat shit crazy - the kind o crazy that there's no comin back from...

We still dinna know where Gaius went, but he lef his house behind. An seein' how he's not using it, and we went ta all the trouble of cleanin out the undead, we figured we just settle in fer a spell.

Wha I really think this place needs is a foodgerator. The kitchen is a good size, 'n the dining hall will do nicely, but it needs a good place to put the rare meats (wink wink). Iffin ya want the meats to really last, what ya need is a good freeze! But Martouk is bein' a bit of an arse about the whole thing. Alla I was askin fer was one good freezin spell. I'll get some dwarf-kin to make a good stone cave, so if we keep the door shut, it'll stay frozen fer a good long time... but nooooo... pointy ears is too good for a "domestic magiks". bah. Let 'is highness make 'is own supper. He's not gettin' my cookin!

At least some o tha locals gave me a hand with cleanin out the kitchen. Skittish things tho. Took 'em all day ta get up tha nerve to tell us that their town was in touble. (These folks give me a bit o the creeps - all bowin in scraping. No self-respect I tell ya.)

We go check it out 'cuz - well, we're jes like that.
And o'COURSE the town is bein over run by zombies... son of a... bleedin... (We ever gonna hunt something livin?!?! Haven't had a decent steak in dogs age...)

By the stone there were a lot o' them. Turns out Gaius visited town 'fore he left, and set up a trap. We ended up barracadin' ourselfs in the Pelor temple while zomblie EVERYTHIN tried ta get in. Twas the only building in town with walls worth a darn. The irony didna escape us.

Twas wonna them magik books at the center o the trouble. The spell boys waved their arms 'n such but could'na undo wha was done. In the end we jest hacked it up. In my experince, that's usually the solution with evil 'n such.

With tha over, Now the gang is talkin of havin Fair or somthin. Sounds like a bit o fun, but I dinna know if these folks would jes hide at the first song. Mebbe with some ale- Did'na I hear tell they make good ale in these parts? Thars the sparkle! A beer tent'll fix a smile on thar faces.

Heh. I think they're callin it Kravaxsaar day... Now there's a feller I'd like to see get a good drunk on. Betcha he belches fire. (oh, 'n Someone made mention of Dwarf tossin. If they try they'll learn isna tha throw they'll regret, it's what'll happen when I land...)

After tha, I wouldna mind iffin we go find us that last Mirti... I know he's not stayin idle while we eat.

So… here we are und’r the Mirti Estate, ‘bout to smoosh us a mindflayer until he’s goo… and ah’m realizing that I skipped a bit in tha journal here. Les back up fer a mom’nt. He’ll wait – he’s trapped inna bubble.

When we finished with tha Minatour-House silliness, we found the last ‘o the Duran Keep folks and sent ‘em packin’ fer home. But, the mages o’ the Thunderspire Labyrinth still wanted us ta find tha Paldemar character. We did. He’s deed. We got paid. ‘nuff said. (really. Tis a shady place. You don’t go a blabbin about what goes on in thar)

We head’ed back fer Duran, and boy did they put onn’a show fer us – folk line’in tha streetz cherrin us on. There waz a big ‘ol banquet ‘n food as far as the eye kin see. ‘Course I kin barely see o’er the table so twaz a beeeutiful view. We was like royalty!

Dinner was a bit spoilt tho. There twas a windbag at dinner – called his’self Gaius Mirti. I dinna go in much fer the poloticks of the humans, but it’s a nice leelte town they has here. Now this Gaius seems ta be hornin’ in on the place. It’ll go all ta hell if tha happnz. Not reely my biznez, but be a shame non tha less.

Och – and then Severid’s brother showed up ‘n tried to killim durin dinner. Tha was a bit akward.

Thorobald, or was it Thorovald? got his’self kilt on ‘is own brother’s sword. Cheerin' Sevrid on would na be'in the best o taste, at that moment.
(Truth be told, I dinna see any particular family resemb’lance, but then all’a ‘em humans look alike ta me. Don’t tell ‘em though...)
The rest’o us ‘n the guards mopped up the o’ter crew he brought. Och, ‘n I guess the windbag can swing a sword – took on’a few o’ the barbarian’s his’self.

The day went from excitin’ to ominus. I swore I saw someone up’in the walls, but all we found thar waz a black feather. Then tha o’ter shoe dropped. Seems ta be some trouble inna farmin area with tha undead walkin about. We figure where ta start pretty quick. Tis a suspicious soundin place onna map, right near the Mirti estate, and near tha farms ‘n such. (Heh. It doesn’a surprise me. ‘member tha guy’s son wa that Red Lady worship’er? don’t trust ‘em, I says!)

We had full bellies, ‘n some new horses, and off we a went to tha tomb of a Teiflin’ called Karavakos. Didn’t know ‘im mi’self, but he sounds lik’a right bastard. They kilt 101 o’ his own just ta bury wit im. (Waz ‘e scared o tha dark or somethin?) The place waz ‘supposed ta be real fancy – they’re were callin it a Maws-o-leeum. And sure e’nuf – there waz dead things walkin around innit.

--Oh – befor I ferget - we happin’d upon Martouk’s boy out inna woods. (same problem wit’ the elves like wit’ tha humans… only it’s even harder when the Da looks ta be the same age as tha Son. Short-lived humans are easier tha way.) I think they hadda dissagreemen’ about poloticks. Lotta tha goin’ round now’a’days.

So back to the Maws-o-leeum, ‘n the dead things walkin’ around. We re-kilt ‘em. Sounds simple but it wazn’t. There was some alive folks in there doin’ them evil rituals that cause all kinds o’ trouble. ‘N guess wha we caught ‘em doin?... naw – guess!

THEY WAS RAISIN’ THOROBLAD (I mean Thorovald) AS A VAMPIRE! Sweet diamonds on’na shovel. What crazy kinda family does our boy Severid come from? But tha’s na the weird part. So Thorovald gets up ‘n twas a right tough bastard from the start, but he dinna last long. Karavakos his’self rolled o’ver in ‘is grave ‘n told him ta get tha hell out. Blew ‘im right away. ‘Pears he did’na like the evil things happenin in his grave. Who knew?

So this Karavakos fella sees our Dragin’born in ‘is Maws-o-leeum, right alongside our Teeflin, ‘n want’s ta know tha year. The two ‘o them fill in Karavakos ‘bout how their long war brought tha nations ta ruin. He looked pretty tired after he heard tha – tired even fer a ghost. He said we could ‘ave ‘is stuff if we locked tha door’n the way out, so no one could get back in. That was nice ‘o him I guess. Still stupid that he kilt 101 soldiers ta sleep wit, though…

So now wha, we says? Well Thorobald – vald is’na dead (or re-dead – wha ever), ‘n he’ll be needin a grave. So, we went’n checked ‘is. It was empty ‘course.

We’re alla us (‘cept maybe Martouk) thinking the Mirti’s are probly upta somthin, so we head ta tha estate for a visit. We say we’re thar to warn’em about the big bad vampire, but really, we’re thinkin’ Thorab-vald is hangin out thar. Over dinn’r, Giaus tells us tale about some old crypts unner tha estate he’s never found an entrance too… K. well then, we found ‘em no problem. Och – but not b’fore the vampires attacked.

Ya, right aft’r Giaus left tha dinn’r table, we all started a feelin woozy ‘cept fer Severid. (He’s gotta amulet). Then these a laydees comma floatin in. Yep – they’r vampires. We kilt ‘em. Again.

Turns out tha whole place was overrun wit em all'ava sudden. Dunno where Giaus went, but we went down inna catacombs. We fought some monsters – they weren’t dead though – tha was a nice change’o pace… They seem ‘ta be protectin this creature inna bubble in tha back o the last room…

Remember that dragon from the ‘misbled’ well of demons? She really saw no sense in that thing going to waste, and Veera has concocted her best recipe evar. You’re all invited to dinner...

Slow Roast Cajun Wyvrn
4 lbs boneless Wyvrn roast
1 lb of assorted roote vegitales, cubed
3 Teeflin’ pepperz, minced
Dash of gound firebeetle shellz
2 heaping spoonfuls of Veera’s seekret seas-o-nin blend
1/2 bottle 'o wisky
1 cup of water
10 cave shrooms

Better to start inna morning, lessen ye want to eat at midnite. Get a good kettle hanging over a hot fire. Indoors or out don’t make no matter, jes keep the fire on.

Pour in the wisky (if ya don’t have the good aim with the pouring, do this before ye light the fire), and water. Set in the roast, with the roote vegitales surroundin’ it like goblinz around a stray dog. Sprinkle the minced pepperz, ground firebeetlez, and seas-o-nin blend about, and put the lid o top.

Let it cook all day, ‘n add the shrooms about midday. Keep tha lid on or it’ll be dryer than yer ma’s elbows.

When the group is gathered and mutterin about “how goode it smells”, and “when’s dinner” ‘n such, make ‘em wait jes a touch longer, until thar reeeely good ‘n hungry. Cut up the meat in the kettle, and serve in big bowls with a hunk ‘o hearty bread.

When they’re almos done – jes a few bites left – thas when ya tell’em it’s Wyvrn.

-Veera

This is a nevar endin' quest ta find every last Duran Keep fool tha got hiself captured. And now, of all things, we're on some old long forgotten minitaur quest, in hopes o finding tha last few o them.

Tha ghosts o' this place were arrogant sons 'o the ether. They thought we would na finish the puzzle they cud'na... But we collected all tha pieces - tha tome was first, then tha blade (that's tha one I hated most. pools and short folks ne'er mix well). We managed t' get tha bell after defeatin' a monkey demon with more howl than bite. And last was tha mask - well that was more anoy'in than dangerous. (crazy mirrors. rarely use'em myself.)

We put tha pieces where they were a'supposed ta go, with me 'in Martouk in one room, and the others mannin' the rest 'o the rune disk... ah - things. At the count o three we all put our piece in place, n' then Martouk and I ran f'er it. The room we was in turned inta a damnable... ah - swirly thing. was tha called a'gin? Vorhex?

That 'Touk- he runs a might faster'n me. The well-o-deamons let out a dragon, and I ended up in tha hall alone wit it. (Since when is a dragon a demon! bah. stupid minotaur bull sh!t is wha that is, I say.)

But this was na the first dragon we slayed. and slay it we did.

Now that the puzzle is solved, and tha traps 'er done, we jus have ta wait fur to the final arena ta finish openin. (terrible slow door. poor craftmanship.) Dunno if the last o the Duran Keep folks 'r in there, but it seems damn unlikely to me. Why 'r we doin this again?

Ah well. I'll get me some dragon steaks out o it at least. Maybe I'll get Martouk to put 'em on ice for me...