Poes Adventure Journal
First Entry (After 10/08 session)

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The tankard in front of me is half empty. The page completely. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything down. Father always said that nothing was real until you wrote it down. Horrible thing to tell a kid. Effective though. I was always obsessive about recording everything that happened to me. I wasn’t ever any good at figuring numbers or learning history, but I could always write. I guess part of me was hoping that what’s been happening wasn’t real…now though I think it’s time to face the music.

Where to begin. Not at the beginning. I’m not ready for that. How about yesterday. Or what was yesterday for me anyway. We were holed up in the desecrated temple. Somehow we’d lived through attack after attack of goblins. I wasn’t sure how much longer we’d last. Guss and I were on either side of the door, waiting for the next attack. It came quickly. Guss stayed inside the doorway while I stepped in front of the charging goblins. The Queen’s orders had been pretty clear – protect them. Besides, I wasn’t one to waste an opportunity…

This time the goblins were different. Bigger. And their attacks more organized. Several of them stepped past me before I could stop them. I figured, “Why waste time on them?”, and called a challenge to their clear leader, a taller goblin with a funny nose. I should have been a bit more worried when he grinned and moved straight for me. The beasts were all around me. Right where I wanted them. Heh. I hit the big one twice with the Queen’s blade, cutting two slashes on his hairy chest. His black blood froze instantly on the blade. I spun…and was on the ground. Not quite sure what happened there. I must have blacked out for a moment. I bet the new wounds had something to do with that. Kleister Fokken was yelling at me to get up. I didn’t, not right away anyway. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The goblin leader was arguing and actually wrestling with his spear. He threw it down in disgust and cursed it. He drew a different weapon and stepped over me to get at my friends. The prayer beads wrapped around my left wrist suddenly felt very cold. OK, OK, I can take a hint. Clearly the Queen was telling me that the spear was meant for Kleister Fokken. I pretended to be helpless a bit longer so that the fight moved past me. Then, I rolled to the spear, grabbed it and threw it at Kleister Fokken, yelling his name to get his attention. Hopefully that’d help them get things turned around in there. I had other plans.

The greasy feeling in my stomach had started as the goblins descended on us. I recognized it from our earlier fights. One of the beasts was using magic to weaken us. That little fracker had to be taken out or we were all in trouble. Guss must have realized this as well (he’s usually at least one step ahead of me). He also had figured out what I was up to. As I stood and started for the open area outside the temple he gave me a shove. I stumbled into the open. Perfect! A straight shot right at the little fracker. He was done for now…

The flash of bright light caught me off guard. I found myself standing in the clearing where we’d stopped for a break during our return from Longhaven. I looked around confused. Everyone was here…even…I didn’t hesitate. She should be right over here…and she was. I started towards her, but was brought up short by a flock of ravens blasting out of the woods nearby. A claw-like hand grabbed my arm and spun me around.

“It can be like this again, you know.” The crone’s black eyes bore into mine. “Or, it can be worse than it was…”

Screams came from behind me and I whirled around. There was blood everywhere. My bride…Alia…I fell to the ground in the trampled, bloodied snow.

“We had a deal you and I”, the old woman continued walking slowly around me. “I kept my end but you seem intent on trying to wriggle out of yours. Let me make myself clear.” She grabbed my chin and pulled my face close to hers. Her hot breath smelled like rotten meat. “I decide when your service is at an end. Continue to tempt me and your service will no longer be worth my trouble.” More screams began from the darkness ahead of me. A woman’s screams…

“If that happens, Poe”, the old woman breathed, “this will seem like a fairy tale compared to what I will do to your soul…and your wife’s soul.”

The screaming ended suddenly. The crone shoved me away and I tumbled onto my back. She stepped over me, towering above me like I was a child.

“Now, get back to work and don’t make me regret our bargain.” Her twisted staff came down hard on my forehead with a loud crack…

And I was floating above the battlefield. My body lay where I had fallen, stuck with several black-fletched arrows. I watched as Sunny and Ron took down the goblin leader in the desecrated temple. Kleister Fokken wielded the spear well – throwing it into the clouded area to strike another tough looking goblin. Guss wisely retreated to the room. He led rest of them in a brave last stand.

It was not their day to die. Instead, the Raven feasted on goblins that day. I was not the only one to die. The dwarf we rescued from the crypt died, too. Everyone looked seriously wounded. But the drums were finally silent so they decided to hole up once more, regroup and heal up before trying to find a way out.

After resting, the group gathered up their fallen comrades. After a bit of looking around, they came upon the goblin women and children. The Raven would have approved of the slaughter. Kobe and our Dwarf sure approved of the spoils – 2 large chests of goblin gold. Finally, they found the way out. All they had to do was walk across a path hanging over a pit and fight their way through several goblins and a handful of skeletons. Guss took the lead. He rushed out onto the path. Our dwarf followed. The skeletons moved to attack. Someone in the group called out that the skeletons were like the ones we faced earlier in the dungeon. That meant they exploded. Sure enough, when Guss tossed one off the path, it exploded into a ball of fire as it hit the ground below. Another was tossed into the pit, but did not die. It started climbing the wall near the rest of the group. Our dwarf, Guss and Kleister Fokken quickly reached the far side of the room. Lucky for them they made it before the path fell. The goblins had cut the ropes holding it up. At the far end of the room, our dwarf pushed a goblin into the pit while the others made quick work of the rest of them. The fallen goblin started shrieking in terror the minute it hit the ground. Something about “flesh eaters”. Seconds later the beast’s terror made sense – a swarm of rats came out of the dark corners of the pit and devoured him. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. At the near end of the room, Ron and Beros finished off the climbing skeleton. Ron then burned out the rats in the pit, making it easy for everyone to get to the other side of the room. Soon, they were all outside under the open sky again.

The return trip to the inn was easy. Especially for me. I just sort of floated along above my body. At the inn, the group collected their pay. The innkeeper seemed a bit upset when he heard their story – or when he saw the heads of the goblins they’d brought back (sorry – forgot to mention that grisly bit of trivia earlier…they collected the heads to make sure they go paid. This group is greedy and thorough…). Anyway, before long the innkeeper is all packed up and gone, leaving the inn empty. The group talks a bit and decides to leave, too. They return to Havenbrow where they are greeted as heroes. I guess Amy was popular in town or something. It’s good I guess since it makes it easier for them to get me raised, which they do. They also get that dwarf we rescue raised. Then everyone disperses and I’m left here to drink. And write. I still haven’t made sense of it all, but putting it down seems to help. Maybe I’ll even get some sleep tonight…

Poe

Day 1 of my third life.