Larissa's diary

[cellio]

August 23 (Monday)

We got to Duvik's Pass today. Wow, these people are in sad shape. The people who met us at the gate are pretty sick, and they're the healthy ones. We haven't gone in; Liandra has been giving them huge quantities of her tea and instructions on how to use it.

We learned from the townsfolk that this has been going on for about a month, and they have no idea where it came from. They have a silver mine nearby (that's how this town makes its money), and a group of miners disappeared there a couple weeks ago. Our guess is that they were sick already and died on the job. It was a good guess, but it was wrong, as it turned out.

We looked around their farm areas, trying to figure out if something was infesting the food supply, but didn't see anything unusual. The water looks like water; who would know if *it* is tainted in some way?

So after some poking around we headed into the mine. That's when we found out that the miners were killed with weapons. We almost were too; we set off some sort of alarm and run away for a while. The townsfolk didn't say anything about the miners having set alarms...

When we went back in, we encountered creatures that reminded me a little of the rat-men, except not as clean. Someone said they're called kobolds. We fought a bunch of them and eventually killed them, but not before they did some damage to us. I wasn't hit at all, but Turok and Slade both got jabbed with spears. And they also had a huge weasel that attacked us, but Turok dispatched it.

So we're guessing that the kobolds are the source of the problem. We know there are more in there, but we got beaten up pretty badly so they'll have to wait.

August 24 (Tuesday)

Today we headed in to find the rest of the kobolds. We headed down the miners' passage, but Kyle triggered some sort of trap that caused a pit to open up under us. Well, under Turok. Kyle was on the far side, Turok fell in, and the rest of us were on the other side. Good thing no kobolds showed up just then to attack Kyle.

We eventually managed to cross the pit, using ropes to climb down one side and up the other. We saw a bluish glow coming from farther down the hall. We were too far underground for that to be daylight, and anyway daylight doesn't glow like that. It was coming from a huge cavern with huge stalagtites coming up from the ground and some sort of glowing lichen all around. Weird stuff!

There were also kobolds. They were up on a ledge, and they shot at us with crossbows as we entered. They knocked down Kyle (who has definitely had better days); we grabbed him and ran. I'm sure glad they didn't chase us down the hallway! It took a while to get back across the pit. (Prolix wanted to just throw Kyle across, but fortunately, Prolix isn't big enough to do it on his own.)

We went back to where Colm is camped with the wagons, and Liandra tended to Kyle's wounds. When he finally woke up all he could talk about was his rope. He wanted it back, and we left it in the pit. Talk about grumpy! I wonder what's so special about that rope.

Turok and Slade look kind of greenish today, and it's not just a lack of bathing. I think they're both sick. Turok wouldn't even touch the beer I gave him. It's got to be bad if he prefers Liandra's tea.

Liandra and I went back to the town gate to see how they're doing. Today was a good day -- nobody died! They said three or four people died yesterday. Maybe there *is* something to that tea. But I still think it needs nutmeg.

August 25 (Wednesday)

Turok and Slade are still sick, and Kyle is still injured and grumpy. Prolix seems to be trying to teach Colm an obscure card game. I'm practicing making butterflies and moving groups of pebbles.

August 26 (Thursday)

Today we headed in to find the rest of the kobolds. They had set a guard, but Kyle spotted him and managed to sneak up on him. Unfortunately, Kyle botched his attack and the kobold shouted out before Turok stepped in and killed him. (Wow, I thought *I* was bad with a dagger. Maybe Kyle needs the rush of combat or something; I know he can fight...)

We took in some boards to cross the pit, and managed to get across without too much trouble. We suspected the kobolds would be up on their ledge again, since they heard us coming and could get ready, so our plan was to run for cover and then shoot them with crossbows and magic missiles. And Prolix was going to do something to make some cables we had spotted hanging from the ledge look like threatening snakes.

One thing that really annoys me about this group is that it's really hard to get them to think about a plan *before* we charge in somewhere. I mean, half of this was happening out in the hall where anyone could hear, which is still better than making it up in the midst of combat, but sheesh. I tried to get them to think about what we would do last night, but they weren't interested.

So anyway, we ran in and sure enough, the kobolds were up here, and we were able to run behind the stalagtites. One of the kobolds is a spellcaster, though! He tried to daze Turok, but it didn't work. I guess he doesn't have enough thoughts to scramble. I'll have to remember that dazing might not work on some opponents.

So I fired magic missiles, and Prolix did his snake thing (which distracted a few of them), and Turok fired crossbow bolts at them. Eventually Kyle decided to go up there; he and Turok ran up near the wall, Turok threw him up, Kyle failed to grab onto the ledge and slammed into the wall instead, Turok caught him as he fell, and then Turok ran back behind cover with him. Wow, that was amazing. It was sort of like throwing a grappling line, only without the line (and the aim). Kyle looked pretty dazed.

Several of the kobolds were down (or distracted) at this point, and their spellcaster backed away. Prolix fired an *amazing* crossbow shot, though, and apparently killed him. I couldn't even see him when this happened! How did a short guy like Prolix fire that kind of shot? Well, he does have the good crossbow, the one we got from the rat queen. That must be it.

After the spellcaster died the few who were left surrendered. So we climbed up there to look around, but we couldn't account for them all. Kyle found a hidden door where a couple more, including kobold kids, were hiding. (*Why* do we keep attracting young monsters?)

The kobolds claimed that they've only been there a couple weeks, which means they aren't the source of the plague. They claim the real source is a demon down a corridor leading out from the cavern. Demon? Big and white and eats bodies, they said. Oh, lovely.

We told the remaining kobolds that they have to leave the area anyway. We looked on the leader's body and found a potion, a gem, and some money, and when I did a magic scan, the potion and a cloak the kids were hiding under showed up as magic. So we took those, and the money.

Demons, huh? I guess we'll investigate that tomorrow. I hope Kyle is feeling better (and sneakier). It would be nice to know something about what we're up against before it eats us...

Comments

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I love Larissa's diary. Thanks so much.

Some comments and clarifications:

You have found only one miner's body. It did die of violence, and there were the signs of violence in the entrance to the mine.

Prolix did cast a spell that used a miniature archery target and that no other obvious effect immediately before his perfect shot. I think it would not be unreasonable to make that connection.

[cellio]

I love Larissa's diary.

Thanks! I feel like I wasn't really channelling my inner Larissa as much with this one as in the past, but I decided to stop tinkering and just post it.

You have found only one miner's body.

Whoops. I thought there were two in that room. That'll teach me to rely on memory two weeks after the game...

Prolix did cast a spell that used a miniature archery target and that no other obvious effect immediately before his perfect shot. I think it would not be unreasonable to make that connection.

True. I just can't remember if Larissa was busy with something else at the time, like firing magic missiles. If so, she might not have been watching Prolix. But maybe after it happened she looked over and saw him putting his prop away, or soemthing.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

There also was a vocal component to the spell, so I think it wouldn't have been too hard to notice. But I leave the choice to you.

[cellio]

Oh, that's different. With a verbal component and decent spellcraft, I tend to agree that Larissa could probably figure out what happened.

Kyle's response

[mrpeck.livejournal.com]

...after reading your diary when you aren't looking...

"Hey! I'll have you know that I was more than a little dazed! I had managed to save myself by grabbing the rope and those $#@% creatures shot me! At least Turok managed to catch me since I was unconsious at the time I was falling! ...And I did manage to kill that rotten kobold. I only took me 3 tries. It just kept avoiding the point of my dagger. That's all. ...And wouldn't you have wanted your rope back?"

--------

In Kyle's defense, Ralph made me do it. :)

Re: Kyle's response

[cellio]

Hey! Don't make me come over there!

(Mumble mutter grump. Can't get any freaking privacy around here. The nerve of some people... Now I'm going to have to protect my pack.)