Journal of W.E. Tupper, Day 129-144

Day 129
We found the dragon. Or, at least, it let us find it.

It has a lair up northish. I will not go into further details on the basis that making extensive notes about the whereabouts of dragon lairs is very likely to get you roasted alive.

In a rare and refreshing change of pace, we talked to it before trying to beat the rago out of it. Apparently, all the village attacks had been part of a campaign to destroy some kind of agent from the underwater city. Countless people dead in the hopes of potentially killing one man. This is why you do not mess with dragons: they are creatures that have flown above us for so long that they stopped thinking we look like ants and started thinking we are ants.

Oh, but fortune binds our every step! For the shifty bastard that the dragon seeks is also the shifty bastard that led us to the dragon lair! We even managed to eke out a rudimentary pact, in which we hand him over in exchange for a cessation on village assaults (and also our own lives). And so we watched the dragon swoop down and pluck him out of the sky (the shifty bastard could fly, you see, and was keen to leave).

After that, there was an awkward moment where all the paladins wanted to chat the dragon up. Arcadius was keen to make sure the creature would keep its word, and I was keen not to disturb a gigantic predator with a fresh meal on hand. At least, I hope it was just a meal and not a new… plaything.

We're heading back to Izmere to regroup and work out a plan of attack.


Day 133
Oh boy what a day.

So, I had the dream where Moana the Ghost cries out to me asking why I betrayed her. And last night, one of the watch groups saw a glow coming from a group of trees. Upon hearing this, I let slip I had the dream. It was then deduced by our crackerjack team of sleuths that either I am madly in love with the ghost, the ghost is madly in love with me, or that we are madly in love with each other. Attempts to persuade them otherwise went poorly.

And then, the gnome wrote a song about it.

I may never live this down.


Day 134
She is still singing it.

SHE IS STILL SINGING IT.


Day 137
We came upon a log across the road. A log covered in a moss that explodes into spores if disturbed. Guess how we found this out.

Fflam set the moss on fire and the log was moved off the path. And yes, she is still singing it.


Day 138
My life is a never-ceasing pile of weirdness and woe.

Half a day from Ismere, we find a caravan on the road. Or at least the charred corpses and burned-out rubble of what used to be a caravan. The mute found a cask and stash of slightly-melted coins in the wreckage and went to work like a hunting dog. We set about burning the bodies even more while he goes padding out tracking the scent. Apparently the assailants set up camp a way off from the road beforehand. There they feasted on a cow. I have a bet with the mute that it's werewolves. The trail leads around towards the mountains, which is where we're camping for the night. There is something very wrong with your life when you hope the criminals you're tracking are merely werewolves.


Day 139
The raiders that attacked the caravan, or at least another roving gang of miscreants, attacked us last night. We managed to drive them off despite my tendency to shoot allies in the midst of combat. And it appears they were not werewolves but lizardmen. Fortunately the mute didn't gloat about his victory, or maybe he did; I didn't watch him the whole time. But hey, we're all alive and of good health, and back in Ismere to boot. I am going to relish in my oft-forgotten ability to not move a lot.


Day 141
The tavernkeep finally got around to delivering our mail, and I got a letter from a Major Smythe. Apparently it had been sent to Stonekeep, and was now making the return trip.

I have been recalled to Point of Origin, to be questioned and examined on suspicions of improper and vagarious behavior. I must leave immediately, and the next caravan out is scheduled for tomorrow morning. They will be reading this journal, to determine the veracity of my reports and my qualifications for this assignment.



F[heavy scribbling]