Krexis' Journal

**The Adventures of Caerlin Krexis, a Dragonborn ...**

**Part One - "How I almost died and nearly didn't have an adventure at all!"**

My younger brother, Kaladan, had come to me enquiring of the whereabouts of my twin brother Dadalan. He said that his church had ordered Dadalan to be put on trial, but I told him that I would have to go with him in order to mediate once we found him - especially since I don't know what Dadalan may or may not have done.

So, initially we went to the last place that I knew that Dadalan had been living - however he'd already left before we got there. Some locals told us that they thought he'd gone to search out "some other demon-worshipers just like him" but didn't know where - they just gave us a general direction.

After a few weeks, following a number of leads (most of them useless), we were told of a local place - I think they called it "Fuall" (or something like that) - which was rumoured to be isolated and where few people had gone to. This sounded promising and so we arrived two days ago.

We set up camp in woods nearby, where we could keep an eye on the town and anyone coming or going. We observed some guards patrolling the town walls - around a dozen at any time - all of whom appeared to be women armed with spears and black armour. Their demeanour was somewhat relaxed (almost bored) as if they were not expecting any trouble from outside. The town looked pretty big, but we were unable to gain a vantage point and so could not tell what lay inside the large stone walls. The only observation of interest was the arrival of a solitary man who entered the town via the gate. The odd thing was that the women guards who met him appeared to already recognise him but insisted that he wore a blindfold along with two wristbands fitted with bells before he was allowed in.

My problems started after my first night's sleep there. When I awoke, Kaladan had disappeared leaving me on my own! I have no idea whither he went as he left no tracks, but I fear that he might have tried to simply enter the town without me, or else determined to look elsewhere without me being a hindrance - it's anyone's guess. Being inexperienced, I was too afraid to go in alone and simply hunkered down to observe the place and try to determine what might be going on in there. I live in hope that Kaladan will still come back to the camp, but cannot shake the fear that he might have got into trouble and been captured or even killed? Perhaps a group of adventurers might come this way and I could join them - safety in numbers, so the saying goes!

I hear something … Damn, a large creature rushes into may makeshift camp - surprising me. I don't know what it is - perhaps a bear but covered in feathers and with a huge owl-like head with great eyes - but I think it wants me for a snack! All I can do is run for my life.

Out onto the road and possible safety, but even running at full tilt, the thing is faster than me! A strange strangled cry appears from up ahead - does it have a mate? Am I destined to die being shredded by a pair of bear/owls? I look up and - to my relief - I see a group of heavily armed travellers heading in my direction but still a long way (perhaps 600 feet or so) away. There's no way I can get to their protection in time so all I can do is try to put a tree behind me and the beast bearing down on me from behind.

I peek round the trunk - this isn't going well at all! Surely I'm too squishy to make a proper meal - but I do think he would still settle for a small snack (even though I'm well over 6 feet tall and covered in scales)? What to do? I know - I open my mouth and a draconic roar erupts from my throat. Along with the roar, a jet of smelly fluid sprays out of my mouth straight into the creature's face and then suddenly explodes into flames. The creature shrieks with the feathers on its head and face singed. I hope that it runs away ...

Nope, I think that I've made it even more bad tempered! It snaps at me with its beak and inflicts a lot of damage. I decide to fall down and feign death thinking that the people running to us from down the road will make it forget about me.

Wrong - the last thing I see is a huge set of talons rip through my leather armour and everything goes black.

... Some time later ...

The travellers are all gathered around me as I come to. A man holding a hawk (and with a lute on his back) is standing over me and I see some of my ripped-open flesh miraculously knitting itself closed - he must be a healer and I thank him for saving my life. I find out later that his name is Gideon.

Also in this party is another well-muscled man - he says his name is Tomb - who's slightly taller than me with a shaved head with hair down the centre and with tattoos - it's strange what people do to their bodies!

Alongside him is a firbolg - I know of these huge forest-dwellers - with red hair and sporting a set of antlers. He says his name is Norlen and that he'd encountered one of the creatures which had attacked me before.

Hey - what in damnation is this ... a little man - less than a yard tall - wearing a very strange hat and riding a weird animal bigger than he is. Sort of like a big sheep with long ears (the mount not the little man!). The man says that his name is something extremely complicated but says that people simply call him Oswlen which will do me. He says that he is a gnome - I've only heard of these creatures in the old folk tales but here's one in real life!

Thanking them profusely for saving me, we talk about how we each arrived here. They say that they too are looking for the town called Fuall and have traveled from a place called Darétik many days travel hence. I relate my limited observations but it doesn't amount to much.

**Part Two - "A Visitor's Guide to Fuall"**

After a brief respite, we agreed that we should all go and enter Fuall to find out what was going on behind its walls. Bird-man Gideon sent his hawk on ahead and it came back several times, somehow relaying to him what it had seen without making any sound - druid magic at work methinks! It was agreed that a couple of us should go ahead to the gate to see what sort of welcome we'd receive, and so we returned to my camp which, surprisingly, was pretty much undamaged after the rather rude intrusion by the owlbear (according to the others, that is the name of the creature that almost killed me earlier) and I collect all of my belongings.

Somehow, both Oswlen and Norlen now look like women! The two of them went up to the gate with the rest of us looking on from the cover of the woods. We see them talking to the leader of the guards and, after a few minutes, we're called forward where we find the two of them in conversation with the woman who I think is called Dukvar. She seems really keen to show us around the town and makes it seem really appealing, although we all think that it sounds too good to be true. She also offers us free food and lodgings courtesy of her mother, Gazam (might have got her name wrong, though!). It turns out that all of us will have to wear blindfolds and bells on our wrists whenever we're out in public, but also indoors unless we're allowed to take them off. It's either do as we're told or just walk away from the place, but I really need to go inside to see if one or both of my brothers are in there and it is getting dark - I certainly don't want to meet another of those owlbears out here in the darkness. I ask her whether she's seen any other dragonborn recently, but she says not and I think I believe her, although the whole thing smells fishy as hell. She also tells us that if we hear the bells of the Queen - they have a Queen here? - we're to kneel down at once to show respect. Whatever - we just want to go in.

Interesting fact - they must have good stonemasons here since the town walls are, in fact, mostly made up of exquisitely detailed and lifelike statues! Men, women and even babies all interlocked - extremely ominous and strange!

So, she leads us into and through the town with all of us with blindfolds on (min's red and gold to match my eyes!) and jingling all the way. I understand that a couple of the party had tried to put on the blindfolds in a way that they could still see something, but I remained unseeing and totally lost. Female voices everywhere, but no men to be heard at all - this is weird! Eventually we enter a house - no idea where we are in the town though - and are introduced to the mother who talks to the others about this Darétik place they've traveled from. It seems she knows many of the people there, but it means nothing to me. Apparently, we're welcome to stay for up to a week, otherwise we'll have to become official residents or else leave the town.

I get more interested when the conversation turns to Fuall and what life is like here. It seems to me that the Queen is some sort of tyrant who turns all of the newborn boys to stone, except for a select few who act as her servant/bodyguards/consorts/whatever. This is totally barbaric (although not like our barbarian friend Tomb who seems pretty decent!) - what sort of monster would do such a thing? Also, when the townswomen get too old, she turns them to stone as well to give them "immortality". Now the town walls make sense.

Anyhow, at least we're well fed by the old woman and she does appear to be pleasant enough - although everything she says seems to reaffirm how good it is to live in Fuall - is she blind to reality? Just before she bids us goodnight (there are pallets in the room to sleep upon) she tells us that we must blacken anything we possess that is shiny and reflective, such as our weapons and armour. This does not go down well with any of us, but still we comply.

We go to sleep, having rigged up some alarms for the doorways using some sets of bells found in a cupboard, and we take turns on watch. However, nothing untoward happens and we all awake well rested. Even better, Gazam rustles us up a great breakfast - adventurers always march better on full stomachs!

We're offered a chance to go shopping. Everyone has something that they need to get and I visit a curio shop and purchase 10 pounds weight of oil - you never know when it might come in handy.

Eventually we all get back together again and are lead off back through the town with blindfolds and bells on. Suddenly, our guide stops us and tells us to kneel - the Queen approaches! We hear her speak to us and she tells us that a thief has been caught is to be executed right before us in this square. We hear a man pleading for mercy - screaming and screaming - and then everything goes silent. We hear movement away and are then told that the Queen has left. "Do you want to see the thief", someone asks us - is this a trick? One of us says "Yes" and so I too ask to do so.

Off with my blindfold ... In front of me is a statue of a man - wait a moment! - I'm sure that this is the man I saw enter the town when I was scouting it out before I met the rest of the party. Then something weird happens - we're asked to crumble his stony body into a fine powder which we'll later present to the Queen - she wants to greet us formally at her palace - I suspect that it's an offer we shouldn't refuse, but I'm unsure whether anyone actually chooses to make/take any of the thief-dust - I certainly don't. It seems that if you step out of line here, it's statue time!

Taken aback by all of this, we all just quietly return to our accommodation where we are again fed and "educated" by Gazam. This time, she's accompanied by a small girl who talks to some of the party, but I ignore her. The more I hear about how good "life" is in this town, the angrier I get - the women are there to do all the work and provide for the Queen and the few men there are are only there at her discretion. What do they get in return? Eventually, after another filling meal, we're told that we are being given the "honour" of a personal audience with the Queen in the morning. We took turns on guard again during the night, but I don't think any of us slept particularly well when we hit the sack, worrying about what would be lying in store for us.

The next day ...

After another wholesome breakfast, it's time to meet "Her Majesty", Kanata-Mud, and we're again blindfolded and guided through the town into a building - it must be her palace.

We're instructed to kneel - which we all do - and then we're individually asked whether we want to remove our blindfold and look upon the Queen.  Do I? No way! One of us boldly ventures to ask why we'd want to do so, and the Queen herself says that it would be a sign of trust and would prove ourselves worthy.  I don't know whether I'm worthy or not, but decide that I'd rather remain blindfolded than "stone" dead (immortal?). She starts on a massive monologue all about how great and powerful she is, how all men are bad and need to be killed, and that everyone here loves her and that life is great within the "city" (as she calls this place). Delusions of grandeur?

Eventually we cut to the chase - she wants something from us - here we go!! Shock/horror - we have a choice: either bring her a male child, under 5 years old; or else bring her a live Hill Giant (don't know why but I think she wants one to guard the gate).  What is she on? I doubt any of us would seriously agree to either option (although at a push I might try capturing a Hill Giant - but not on my own and only if the stakes were high enough - I've heard they're tough bastards).

I sense unease in the group and feel that no one's impressed by her pitch. Personally, I've had enough of her and - surprisingly - I actually stand up to her, challenging her view on how good life is here for everyone except herself. The strange thing is that she didn't simply slay me for insolence then and there! I do feel the arm of one of her minions try to restrain me but she does allow me to vent my spleen.

She finally restates our two "options", otherwise we must leave the city and never come back. "Graciously" she says that we can stay for a few more days to consider what we intend to do.  Audience over, we leave and are led back to Gazam's house - each in our own thoughts.

Back in our room, we set about discussing what we each think we should do. No one wants to kill a child - no one wants to capture a Hill Giant! I'm pretty sure that everyone wants to get out of Fuall, even if it's simply to regroup without the fear of a sudden death at the hand (eye) of the Mah-du-ta (apparently that's what the others think her type is).

Before we leave, though, I must do a bit more shopping - places to buy equipment in this region seem few are far between, and Tomb tells me that Darétik is not the best place to purchase better weapons and armour. I hope that I can get a fair price for my old equipment as I'm not particularly flush at present.

Hopefully, we'll all survive the night - alarm bells duly set on the doors and guard duty rota allocated! ...

**Part Three - "Making a Not-so-grand Exitl"**

After setting down for the night, I was woken up by someone making a noise outside the window.  I looked outside to see a young woman, who I'd never seen before, hiding in the shadows and asking for us to meet with her in secret.  I just reached out, grabbed her collar and roughly dragged her into the room without giving her a chance to protest.   She said that her name was Clari-da and we then all introduced ourselves.  When asked about all of the secrecy, she replied that she wants to leave Fuall and see the world, but she cannot just walk out on her own since that would bring shame upon her family and she wouldn't be able to come back later.  That's a concept I'm all too familiar with.  But, if it looks as if she had just vanished, no one gets any comeback.  She tells us that she has a brother who is one of the medusa's assistants/"sons" and he told her once that there was a tunnel complex under the city which the queen used to leave the city without belong seen and where goods could be brought in secretively.  When pressed, she divulged that the tunnels could be accessed by going down the well, but that the journey involved navigating underground streams and waterfalls.  We all argue about what to do but in the end we agree to meet her at the well unless she receives a message saying we've cancelled the plan.  Oswlen's concerned about what to do about his llama as it can't climb and he doesn't want to leave it behind.

We decide to leave the following night under cover of darkness and so we agree to make the daytime productive and do the shopping we intended to do before we leave.  Tomb buys climbing equipment and I get more robust armour.  Gideon buys some scrolls whilst Oswlen gets a potion to give his llama!  But where's Norlen gone?  The others said that she was determined to talk to the queen, whatever good that would achieve!

Eventually we all regroup back at the house.  Some time later, there's a knock at the door and there's a delivery for Norlen - a present from the mad Queen - a baby boy of all things!  What the hell are we going to do with that?  Another problem to manage in the tunnels - does she know what we're intending to do tonight and this is her way of scuppering our plan?  Some of the others are now having second thoughts, but I've given my word to the girl and I won’t be going back on it.  Despite all the issues, we all eventually decide to take the tunnel.

Tomb cuts small strips of cloth and wraps up the bells having hammered them flat to avoid any noise. Gideon and Oswlen disguise themselves as Düktar and her daughter.  Oswlen feeds his potion to the llama and it shrinks down to about half of its normal size and we tie it to Tomb's back.  With blindfolds partially-worn, we set off for the well and get there without any problems.  Soon, the girl appears and Norlen summons a fog cloud to mask our descent into the depths of the well.

As we'd been told, there's a river to follow, lit dimly by moss on the tunnel walls.  Norlen gets out a torch and asks me to light it so  I give a small cough and it bursts into flames. Eventually, we come upon a waterfall dropping around some 30 feet or so into a pool.  The girl just leaps into the pool below followed by Gideon who then uses a spell to lower the baby down.  Tomb, carrying the miniature llama, climbs down using his new climbing gear.  Norlen tries to climb down but he falls off and injures himself, quickly followed by Oswlen who also takes a tumble.  Once everybody's down, we then carry on following the river again.

After what seems like a couple of miles walking, Norlen shouts out a warning that he’s seen something and his behind a rock to protect the child.  I see the creature coming down a side passage - it looks like an eight-legged lizard, so not a dragon then.  I see its eyes and then a strange feeling comes over me, as if time is allowing down and I seem to be getting sluggish.  I fight the feelings in my head and suddenly they've gone and my head's clear enough for me to remember to lose all arrow which connects.  From behind, some magical blasts rip past me which angers the beast and then Tomb rushes up and goes to hit it, but it deflects the attack and then he seems to have a funny  turn and slows down - maybe looking at the creature causes some sort of paralysis?  Whatever happened next I don't really know as it was beyond my sight but the creature was quickly despatched.  Some of my comrades search the creature and Tomb rips out a tooth before caving its head in with his maul.

Following that encounter, the remainder of our underground travel was quite uneventful and then we find ourselves on the edge of a beach - the way out and fresh air at last!  Looking around, we appear to be a considerable way from the city which we can just make out in the distance.   I light a fire so we can have something to eat and rest up.

**Getting Stoned!**

We start walking Northwards towards this village called Darétik where the group who rescued me from the bear-owl had set off from.  I spy a cluster of ships on the horizon but they're too far away to contact so we just keep a watchful eye on them as we travel.  Tomb suggests we get to a tower they had passed on the way to Fuall - I have no cause to argue with his reasoning.

Eventually we get to the tower and set up camp.  Norlen has a baby to feed and we’re all weary and hungry.  I’m still worried (obsessed?) about getting attacked by bear-owls and so I suggest that we make a palisade of sharpened sticks/branches to slow down any visitors.  Someone - Oswlen, I think it was -  uses sorcery to create some pits and use the earth removed as mounds to hide behind.

We eat, drink and then get ready for bed, and sort out who will take watch and when.  Before anyone actually gets to sleep, someone whispers that they can hear a noise getting closer.  We all strain to hear and a number of us think that we hear bells!?   Bells out here - surely no one from the city would be out here, looking for us?  Wrong! - out of the dark comes the mad queen who knows exactly where we are!  After a brief re-introduction, Oswlen dares her to take a gift he’s holding in his hand.  Thinking she’s nothing to fear, she accepts the gift and reaches out to take … a small mirror and she is suddenly turned to stone!  No one was expecting that - Oswlen does have his moments to shine!  A few of us recommend breaking the statue but, upon hearing that, Clari-da starts screaming about us killing her queen and pulls out a knife she was given earlier and attacks Oswlen with it.  Tomb quickly takes the weapon off her and - after whining a lot, she does eventually calm down enough for some of us to get some shut-eye.

At next daybreak, we set off again in the direction of Darétik with Oswlen's llama pulling the petrified body of the medusa as he wants it as a decoration for his garden. What strange creatures these gnomes are! Clever, but decidedly odd!  Clari-da keeps moaning about her dead beloved (but certainly not by me!) queen and the fact that Tomb had taken her knife (a present from the queen) from her.   Everyone must have been fed up with her moans, and some actually taking her side.  Norlen tried to steal the knife back from Tomb to return it to the girl, but failed and went on to say that Clari-da had promised not to hurt anyone with it - tell that to Oswlyn!

After pushing and pushing, Norlen eventually succeeded in persuading Tomb into returning the knife to Clari-da but, as he walks past me, I get a feeling that there's something odd with the dagger and warn Tomb that it reminds me of a legendary wrapping that had the power to petrify someone hit by it.  So Tomb just gives Clari-da back her old knife and keeps the magical dagger for himself.

The lights go out (again)!

A bit further on, the ships that we'd seen earlier had disappeared from view. Soon we came to a field where a number of llama bodies had been ripped apart and strewn about.  It stank!  The others were muttering that it looked as though a giant had been here and so we decided to keep to the woods and act stealthily.

Without warning, a large boulder knocks Oswlen from off his mount.  Before we could react, a huge Hill Giant is on us, swinging a huge cudgel. With him are three large dogs who ate snarling and slavering - obviously keen for a fight.  One of the dogs goes for me but misses. I manage to smack it with my longsword and then the damn thing disappears and reappears somewhere else! Then, another hits me hard and I'm down and out - I never seem to last long in a fight!

When I come around, the fight's over with the giant and his "pets" all dead.  When I look further, I notice that the a giant has been turned to stone.  The others tell me that Tomb used the dagger he'd kept from Clari-da which petrified the enemy with just one hit!  Such powerful magic in such a small weapon!

There are two new people with us now, but no sign of Clari-da.  We introduce ourselves - I think they're called Anna and Lily, and the others seem to know them well.

Lily finds a light still glowing in the Giant's chest.  I didn't see what she was up to but she was doing something with the body and came away looking pleased about something.

The medusa's petrified body must have been hit by that boulder and is now just a pile of rubble which Oswlen's scrabbling around trying to pick up to continue to take back.  There's no sign of the llama though - I assume that it panicked and ran away.  Tomb wants to get the magic dagger out of the giant but it won't budge, so he gives up.  I suppose that if he can't extract it, then no one else can - he's a brute!

Battle over, we set up camp a short distance away, and then we eat, drink and tend to our wounds in preparation for continuing our journey to Darétik in the morning.