Excerpts from the journal of Moiyar

March 8th

            We regained our strength after fighting the worm called Kethusalek.  We traveled quickly through the shaft that Kr’thulnak said would eventually lead us to the sword.  After nearly half a day the cavern leveled off and we discovered a small area partially covered with a yellow mold.  Near the center of the mold were the remains of a human.  Before we could approach the body Lauren warned us to not touch the mold as it would send forth a cloud of spores which would make one very sick and nearly killed Harrow during their reclaiming of the temple of Bacchus.  We retreated back into the shaft and triggered the mold by casting a stone into it’s midst from a distance.  Laurens advice was sound as the cavern was now coated with spores. We carefully made our way past them and examined the body.  Most of the equipment had deteriorated away except a metal shirt in near perfect condition, a sign of majikal dweomer.  I have no use for such a thing; I believe D’arkkyn has it now.   Lauren scouted the far side of the cavern and returned to tell of a small bazaar with strange beings running one of the booths.  As we debated showing ourselves one of the exhibitors came over and beckoned us to enter.  The first thing I noticed was a very large penned up snake.  It had a sack over its head, which usually quiets most snakes, but this one writhed around the entire time we were there.  I decided that if we had trouble I would use Anhpoda to release the beast as a distraction.  It did not come to that.  I examined the wares of each booth, leaving the booth of the dark skinned elves second to last.  I did not want to appear overly curious about them, or to seem to be avoiding them.  What I’d heard of these creatures, called Drow by some, is they are vile and hideously evil, drinking the blood of children and all such nonsense.  What little realistic information I was able to get from the Irith elves was that they were once like other elves but were banished for practicing vile death majik. They were driven underground and were granted extraordinary abilities in exchange for rejecting the light of the outside world.  They appear to be elves but their skin is darker and rougher.  The two I spoke to seemed to be in a perpetual bad mood, although the haggled efficiently.  They dealt in majik scrolls and I was able to trade some of my own, including my last Enskein Shirahda, and some small amount of gold for several new spells.  When I get a chance I shall add these to my own books.  Hopefully I shall not be forced to cast them directly as I shall be hard pressed to find them again.  Lastly I remark on the elf maiden that caused me so much grief.  Before we were invited in Lauren reported on seeing a young elf maiden being dragged through the bazaar down a guarded passageway.  D’arkkyn got it in his head to try and buy her, whether for information, his own use or some misguided need to be protective I am still not sure.  Male motives are usually puzzling.   He talked to the orcs guarding the passage through which the elf was supposedly taken.  They eventually called their brethren down the passage and we were escorted to the small chamber where I was laid low.  My recollection is foggy so I must rely on the accounts of my compatriots.  I remember the negotiations with the orc leader, a strangely large multi-armed creature called Nogook, going badly and the orcs attacked.  I believe I used Spheria Toriadium and my last memory is of slaying the beast to my right with Theurga Aggress.  Apparently the elf maiden was either an illusion or working with the orcs for she is the one that cast the spell of ice that killed me.  After that I was in what must have been the plane called Astral.  My mentor took me there once.  He said I should know it at least once in my life, as many mages don’t live long enough to reach it.  I wandered for a while, drawn by some unseen current to what I must believe was near the plane of Corellon.  Some part of my mind told me I had died but I had so many things left to discover, so many mysteries to unlock that I wouldn’t let myself believe it.  When I heard Harrow’s voice calling me I began retreating the way I had been come.  I became aware as if I’d only been sleeping.  I felt weak and tired, but I knew I lived again.  The others had slain or scattered the remaining orcs, although Nogook escaped.  I secreted myself in a small antechamber, set a ward and slept for what must have been an entire day.

March 10^th

            I awoke to the sounds of combat.  I gathered myself together and hurried down a corridor to discover the others had discovered and slain Nogook and a ghastly pair of trolls.  They set about burning the remains of the trolls, as even I know they can grow back from the smallest remaining piece.  Kunk had been ripped to pieces by the one of the trolls and we began to mourn his loss when the Drow from the marketplace came up. Apparently he had been trailing us since our first encounter with Nogook and offered to sell a scroll which would bring Kunks soul back to his body.  After some fierce negotiations we purchased the scroll and Harrow put it to good use, returning Kunk to our plane.  What little I know of such majiks tells me that the soul must be willing so even though majik dealing with death is abhorrent to me I do not feel this violates my oath. It does not create a creature caught between life and death.  Searching Nogook and his companions we discovered some items, including some potions, and a suit of leather armor that Jik cleaned up and put on.  It looked snug to me, but he seems to like it.  I took possession of the potions. I would like to take a few days and discover the properties of these items but time is a luxury we do not have.  We decided to enter a well-hidden door through which Nogook had attempted to escape and discovered a stairway leading up.  Having been severely weaken from the fight with Nogook it was decided to rest in the stairwell after closing the door.

March 11th

            We climbed the stairway and found ourselves in a small altar room where we encountered three (a human and two orc fighters) individuals who attacked us.  D’arkkyn quickly engaged the human while the rest of us dealt with the orcs.  Jik felled one of the orcs while Lauren’s song enthralled the second and made him friendly towards us.  The human escaped through a secret door behind the altar.  D’arkkyn opened the door to discover the human waiting there, while at nearly the same a gnome appeared in the back of the room and created his version of Enskein Shirahda.  The individual lines were smaller but were intertwined much like rope which I believe made them more flexible, but stronger.  My own is a single thick strand, which I’ve never found lacking, but I will do some research to try to determine which is better.  His majik covered everyone but him and me.  I had been preparing to use Spheria Toriadium down the hallway once D’arkkyn opened the door, but the lines blocked the opening so I switch targets to this newcomer.  I was pleased to see him engulfed in flames and was reaching for the wand when I saw another being appear floating to me right.  I turned to confront him when he shot me with a crossbow.  The bolts must have had some kind of majik or alchemy on them for I fell into an unnatural sleep.  I awoke to discover D’arkkyn had dispatched the human. The others had worked their way out of the lines to engage and slay the gnome and the one who shot me.

            I replenished my components from the gnomes’ stores and recovered his book of majik.  It has many majiks and I look forward to being able to decipher its contents. We also recovered a ring and bracers with a majikal dweomer.  I took possession of the bracers but for some reason Harrow decided he liked the ring.  I did not challenge his claim.  More importantly we discovered a letter from Baron Kessig charging these people with the task of recovering the very sword we are after.  It was fortuitous to discover them and eliminate at least one of his attempts.  Jik took possession of the letter, I must assume to make more of a case against Baron Kessig.

            Lauren’s charmed orc proved to not be very smart but he did put us on the right track, as there were three other exits from the room.  Lauren, fearing his charm would wear off, told the orc to go home.  I had feared the others might simply slay him, which I would have objected to.  We traveled through the passage behind the altar and eventually found ourselves coming out in a vast shaft that went up to the sky and down to a boiling lake of lava.  The full distance of this shaft must be several miles.  I’ve never heard of a naturally straights shaft such as this between lava and the sky.  Ordinarily they meander just as a stream follows the easiest course instead of the straightest.  I shall have to research this further to determine how much of this bizarre mountain was created with majik.  Nearby the entrance we discover a stairway carved into the side of the shaft, but the section nearest us has been destroyed, probably to prevent its use.  We are able to reach the stairway and travel upwards for a couple hours.  During one of our rests stops I sent Brandywine up the shaft to scout ahead.  He returned a little singed, but discovered an opening in the wall up ahead and a band of gnolls just outside the opening at the top.  I fed Brandywine some of the foodstuffs Sheriandrialianchal presented to him.  I have discovered that this small bag always has a few treats in it and has a faint majikal feel, but I have not done any experimentation, as I do not wish to destroy the gift.  It does not provide enough food for even a child and the time I tried one it tasted horrible anyway.  We continued until we reached the opening and then rested.