My Journal

By: Galliard Mazurka the Magnificent

“I wanna be the very best like no one ever was”

Pg. 3 – The real adventure begins

Pg. 4 – Taking a rest after breaking the flying swords

Pg. 6 – I’m on a boat! Don’t you ever forget!

Pg. 8 – Turtles are Great!

I, yet again, made a facsimile of a skeleton today. My tinker’s tools have worked fantastically in my attempts to figure out the whole skeleton-standing-up-and-moving-around thing. I think I’m on the right track. Soon I’ll have my very first homemade band member! I can just feel it!!!

I just found out that making undead stuff move around involves magic… This is a truly bad day. I learned so much about clockwork mechanisms and tinkering. I thought I was getting somewhere but it looks I’m gonna have to start back at square one.

Met a girl. Good day!

I bumped my head in the gnomish library today it really hurt… However I did find one reference to summoning the undead today!!! The book entitled “Things You Shouldn’t Do in the Dark” has a single glorious entry about Necromancy! This delicious line states plainly, “Summoning the undead is gross.” YEEESSS!!!! I finally found some information on Necromancy! I now know exactly one thing about the summoning process.

Lost the girl. Bad day.

Played an impromptu concert for a crowd on a really cool stage today! I played my lute and juggled balls of magical light with my unseen servant. Wowed the masses with my antics. At some point the three people that were behind me on stage put their heads in some ropes and did a really cool trick that made that crowd roar with glee. I used Thaumaturgy to amplify my final note, bringing my audience to even greater fervor! I stepped down from my stage and people showered me with money. All in all, a good day. I need to learn that rope swinging trick someday though… it almost upstaged my performance.

I strolled through the town square where I played my concert yesterday. Saw this dwarf with an epic mustache and perfectly quaffed hair. He had a net sack filled with hundreds of pounds of smoked meat. People kinda got out of his way as he strolled though with a directness I’ve never seen before. Note to self: become that man’s friend.

I saw Kanye the Giant again today. That dude is a big guy. I wonder if he would join my band some day. We could use him as a mobile stage.

I brought some sweet buns to Filbretta again. Amazing woman.

Today I heard more rumors about the death curse affecting the people that have been resurrected. Man, I’m so envious!!! I gotta find out who cast that spell! I need them to teach me Necromancy! I mean seriously-  a necromancer that cursed, like, the whole world!

Ate some really gross food today.

Heard a rumor that Kanye the Giant made the death curse. Might look into that?

Saw a weird cat lady slip into an alley during a particularly amazing concert that I played up on my stage today. Interest piqued, I left the crowd on a cliff hanger, jumped off the stage and tried to follow her. I turned into the alley and found a dead end with nowhere to go. There was no trace of the Cat Lady thing.

Rumors ran dry a week ago. Haven’t learned anything cool about necromancy.

Spent some time with Filbretta today. Got to pet her pony Li’l Sebastian.

Rumor about Kanye the Giant is false. Heard it straight from a guy that knows Kanye’s best friend’s roommate.

I saw the coolest person I’ve ever met in my entire life today! His name is engrained in my memory forever! Elgard the Shrewd. I am gonna be just like that man. He knows everything! I’ve spoken to him, like, three times now. He told me all about necromancy and all kinds of stuff! Every time I talk to him he acts like he doesn’t remember me, but I know it’s all just an act. We are totally becoming besties!

Elgard told me some more about the world this morning. Also I haven’t pooped in two days. Must see a healer soon.

A paladin named “Syrup On Us” told me that she couldn’t help with my poop problems and told me to go to a druid for that kind of stuff. Syrup pointed out a nice looking firbolg in the crowd but I lost her amongst the people after a second, which is funny because she was very noticeable. There was something about that Syrup lady that didn’t seem quite human but then again I’m a tiefling in disguise so maybe she is as well? Also she acted funny when I said her name.

I pooped all on my own today. Didn’t need a druid or anything! Not that I ever actually found her…

Heard a new rumor that The Harpers might know something about the Death Curse thing. They’re hard to spot but I’m sure gonna try!

Met a girl!

Heard a guy yelling “Fur Ball” at that nice Druid lady in the markets today. I walked right up to him and slapped him right in the mouth! (Well I did it with my unseen servant and then I stole his coin pouch.) But I did cast Message right in his ear and whispered “Don’t be racist.” It was kind of fun actually, so I ended up following him around and repeating that process randomly for the rest of the day. Now that dude looks slightly paranoid. But I showed him!

Saw Elgard today! Good day! So suave!

Found a secret group of Harpers! On the right track! Necromancy here I come!

Things are going well with my girl! Successful date! Good day!

Searched through a rundown library today. Looking for possible connections between clockwork stuff and infusing a corpse with a magically created soul. Gotta be something there… looking more into it.

Saw that dwarf walking through the market carrying an expertly made cherrywood table. Didn’t work up the courage to approach him. Someday, though… we’ll be friends.

I… Am… On… A… MISSION!!!!  Overheard the Harpers talking today. Not sure how to approach them but it sounds like they are on the trail of a Lich that could be the culprit behind the death curse. She sounds amazing! Gotta get her to teach me everything she knows. Gotta get the Harpers to let me join up!

Learned something cool about necromancy this week. Lots of necromantic stuff is ghostly green or blue! NEATO!!! One step closer to creating my Undead Band! Good week!

Today was terrible, everything was coming up Galliard… Now it’s spiraled way downhill. My  girlfriend dumped me when she saw Elgard in the markets. My friend Filbretta died, and her pony Lil’ Sebastian died as well. Funeral is in a few days.

The Start of my First Real Adventure!——————————————————————————

Filbretta’s funeral was beautiful. I played a mournful tune in her memory, as well as for her precious pony, Li’l Sebastian. “5,000 Candles in the Wind” really moved the crowd. I even saw a single tear drop from the stoic dwarf, but I think it was when I mentioned Li’l Sebastian. A few people got up to give some speeches about Dear Filbretta. Looking around the crowd gathered I noticed Elgard right away, plus the Paladin Syrup, The Firbolg, and even that cat lady I thought I saw.

I felt an odd tug on my mind during the funeral.

A Harper named Ramalia got up and made an announcement about a putting together a special group. The mission was to obtain the phylactery of the lich Zuldara, Duchess of Rot. YES!!! This is exactly what I was hoping for!

After hearing of the prize of 500gp, a few adventurers volunteered. Of course I was going anyway but I stepped up with SUPER DUPER EXCITEMENT when I saw, not only the dashing Elgard the Shrewd walk forward, but also my future friend the dwarf! We got our supplies together and loaded up on a boat. This plan involves a sneak attack by our little adventuring party, while the Harpers are creating a distraction from the front of this lich’s lair.

I feel that tug on my mind again… Like I’m being watched?

Organized under Elgard’s expert leadership, the group fell into ranks behind his genius!

Elgard’s plan is to have us enter from a grotto and to sneak in and steal the aforementioned phylactery – a spellbook bound in human flesh. I’m so excited to meet Zuldara! She is gonna be so awesome and we are gonna be best friends forever and ever! We entered into a cool-looking dark cavern in search of the book. We walked in and suddenly some of the Human adventurers started bumbling around in a silly way. I love the antics these guys get into! Pretending they can’t see in the dark! Can you imagine that!?! I’ve gotta add that into my comedy routine onstage.

There was a cool mouth in the side of the cavern wall that said stuff. I didn’t really pay attention because I could feel it! Necrotic thingydoos! I knew they were close! I was gonna get to see my first walking… maybe even talking skeleton!!!

This Day HAS BEEN AMAZING!!! There were skeleton gangs, a door with murderous tentacles, a cove of crystals that wanted to transport those who touched them to other planes, a room full of handsy skeletons, a murder room with a murderous trap, and finally two flying swords intent on slashing people to death. I took some of the skeleton hands with me. Disappointed that apparently clockwork tinkering has nothing to do with necromancy. I spent so long honing that tinkering skill in the hopes of a break through into the skeletal realm…

I got to help Elgard out with his cool illusion spell! Putting my unseen servant right there with it! We got rid of that nasty trap together! Plus he acknowledged my assist!

Rhan and I are totally becoming best friends, for sure. He looked at me today! I think the party really likes that I’ve managed to open the doors that they forgot to open. I mean we would have totally missed those awesome skeleton hands if I hadn’t used my Thaumaturgy! I mean seriously! They walked right by!

We took a break in the room where the swords attacked us and listened to Elgard regale us with stories of his epic life, while waiting to explore further. I tried to get to know Kilgore and Syrup a little better, but they both looked at me funny… I really hope Syrup doesn’t remember that whole poop problem thing… Luckily I’ve changed a little of my human disguise since then…

I feel a really strong tug in my mind… I’m definitely being watched… I could almost put a name to it?

This Adventure Has Been SOOO AWESOME!!!————————————————————–

Team Elgard headed further into the cavern beneath the Lich’s lair. We encountered three really cool ghouls in a noxious room. I tried to blow the poison away but I think I just annoyed the group by making a gailing wind tunnel that lasted through our whole fight. Bardo barfed all over the floor. I never actually noticed the circus clown join us, but I was probably too distracted by how awesome Elgard is. So far, he has killed all the enemies by shooting fire out of his hands!

I saw Nor the fighter go down. Trying to show off for Rhan, I heroically pulled out a potion of healing and jumped past the ghoul to save Nor as a ghoul back-handed me… then everything went black…

Feeling my mind pull back into reality, I found that our illustrious leader Elgard had killed all the enemies, yet again. I feel a little sad at missing how he managed to save the day.

There were like five doors in the poison hall.

The first door had a demon statue surrounded in a pool of blood… it was really gross. Kanye charged at the statue and fell into this pool of blood. I stopped paying attention after he seemed ok. The giant seems really loveable. I’m so glad he joined Elgard’s team! And to think, I once thought he might have been responsible for the death curse!

The second door contained another ghoul that Elgard must also have murdered. We found some gold in that one. I took a little time studying the ghoul a bit, but couldn’t really ferret out how it was moving…

Kulu the cool cat lady picked the lock of the third door, which was the other side of the Kraken trap door.

Kilgore still hasn’t really spoken to me for some reason. I can tell she knows a good deal about Magic but she seems a little standoffish. Maybe it’s because I’m a Tiefling and my little fangs make her creeped out?

The fourth door had a large stone staircase that would lead to the battle raging above.

Nor and Kanye rush up the stairs and then come back down immediately looking a little shaken and declare, “the best thing we can do for the Harpers is simply find the phylactery.”

The fifth door held an iron chest with two giant pillars that we quickly discovered shoots lightning on whomever tries to lay a hand on the chest. A fully formed apparition appeared. Elgard seemed completely unconcerned with the specter. (As I would expect of someone of his caliber.) Instead, they leave the specter to me and Kanye and Bardo. We valiantly prevail, of course. I just wish I’d gotten a little more time to study it. I mean, really! A soul just floating there without a skeleton, or corpse, or something to live in. That’s like the main component of necromancy! Like, how do you even achieve that!?!

We open the glorious chest containing the most amazing thing in the world: Zuldara’s skin-bound phylactery! Much to my disappointment, Zyldi takes the book into her possession. I really wanted to take the book from the wizened Firbolg but I didn’t think she really planned on damaging it in any way, so I figured I could get a look at it at some future date. Man, was I wrong…

We exited the cavern quickly. Calbrax was waiting for us and transports us to the battlefront. Right away, we were surrounded by dead Harpers. I found a moment to sneak around and grab some loot. I hate to say it, but I do sometimes fall back into my thieving tendencies. I also grabbed a few of the Harper’s sigils. Just in case I ever needed to impersonate one…

After calling out Zuldara, Zyldi threatened that we would destroy the phylactery. I panicked right away! But then I heard her. The beautiful voice, the melodic tones of the undead maiden, Zuldara, asking what we would want in return for her book. Zyldi then said “Who is making this curse? Where is it coming from?”

We all asked a few questions and learned that something called the Soulmonger is sucking up the souls of those who are dying. This is preventing the resurrection magic from working, and it’s reclaiming the souls of those already resurrected. The Soulmonger is on the island of Chult, and that is where we need to go next. I’m a little disappointed that the cause wasn’t this lich, to be honest.

It is decided that we are going to keep the book! The lich agreed to teach me! This is so much more than I hoped for!!! Then Kilgore the pretty Warlock girl absentmindedly handed the book to the Harper lady. Then… The… worst… thing… ever… happened… Nor took the book out of the Harper’s hands and chucked it back into the lady lich’s tower… ominous laughter floated out, along with my dreams of reading that book bound in flesh. I could have learned so many necromantic secrets!!! I’ve got to come back here once our quest is finished…

I feel again something tugging at my senses. Like something is watching me. I think I might call it something like Raw? Or maybe it’s an Ob sound. More like Rob. I’ll call the weird mind-tug Rob!

I found out that Elgard is busy with something else for the next part of our journey, but is going to meet up with us later on… I’m super worried that the group is going to fall apart without the party leader. There was only one way to fix it. I’m going to have to step up and really be there for the party. I will have to become Elgard… for a few days at least… until he catches back up.

Donning a near perfect disguise, I stare into my looking glass one more time before heading out to lead the team as Elgard the Shrewd! It is clear at my arrival that the group is greatly relieved at my presence. Especially Rhan. I can tell he was worried that Elgard wasn’t here. I do my best to assure to group that Galliard Mazurka the Magnificent is fine and that I will use a special onetime-use teleportation to bring him back here, as soon as he is finished with something.

Man, this Team is so lucky that I’m here to be the face of their leader… Otherwise they would be totally lost. I’m not sure I’m up for the challenge of leading like Elgard did but I’m sure gonna try!

 

I’m So So So Excited That I can Be There For All My New Friends!!!—————————————

 

My new disguise successful, I resolutely lead the team back to Baldur’s Gate where we reconvened with Syndra at the inn, “Inn Too Deep.” Syndra tells us that she has been to Chult.  Chult, by the way, is a jungle peninsula with giant reptiles and it’s crawling with UNDEAD!!! She told us that only the outskirts of Chult have been charted. The rest has yet to be explored as the danger is immense. Then Syndra laid something amazing on us! She actually died on Chult! Obviously she was resurrected, but still! She has touched the world of the dead and come back from it! I really want to study into that whole mechanism further but I’m trying to maintain my composure as the group’s leader. So I simply asked a few pointed questions about how long she has to live and what might happen when she dies and general, round-about death stuff. I’m mean… I didn’t want to arouse suspicion from the group that I might not actually be Elgard. Syrup was already eyeing me strangely. I think she got over it, though.

 

I realized that Zyldi had used her druid powers to become completely invisible. Not wanting to let on that I can’t see her, I decided that Elgard would probably still be able to see her perfectly fine with his Wizard magic. So I casually spoke in her direction from time to time, or at least it’s the direction that I’m pretty sure she might have sat. Usually near Rhan. There tended to be an odd space between him and the rest of the crew. That has got to be the invisible Zyldi.

 

An odd gnomish captain and some of her crew walked up to our table while we were discussing how to get to Chult. After hearing that her ship is able to get us there in only ten days, I decided that this was the best course of action for the whole party. The group naturally followed my lead as Elgard. After gathering a few odd supplies, we headed off with Captain Swift and her crew on their boat The Brazen Pregasus.  (Which I assume is like a pregnant Pegasus? And also a hussy?) I noticed Rhan looking over the ship approvingly. He is such a cool guy! Although, it seemed like he was running from something.

Captain Swift made a deal with us. If we happened upon pirates, then we could make some money by taking the pirates out! Plus if we kept the captain alive we could turn them in for a bounty. Rhan mumbled something about the worth of a good ship being more than the bounty. Being the party leader, I know it’s important to listen to your group so I fell back on his expertise in the matter – now knowing that the ship might be worth more than the whole “bounty on the pirates” thing.

 

The first seven days of the trip are uneventful. I communed with my new Red Stone as much as I possibly could. I also regaled the crew with some adventures that I’d heard Elgard talk about before I even joined his team. I added my own bit of bardic flair to the stories… I couldn’t help myself; they were just too amazing! I’m a tiny bit perturbed that the group didn’t seem to notice that I wasn’t around at all. I mean really… I thought that I meant more to them than that. I chalked it up to them being relieved that Elgard came along.

I spent a bit of time trying to find Zyldi again. She is an amazing hider…

Read a book that I found in the captain’s cabin. It was about a pregnant Pegasus and was rather risqué. I was hoping it might have some necromancy stuff but alas… It was all about romancing necks…

Practiced with my Tinkers’ and thieves’ tools. Always relaxing.

The eighth day I was telling a particularly juicy tale that I’d heard from Elgard, when I saw a large storm on the horizon. I trailed off in my story, wide-eyed… I’d never been in a storm at sea before. Keeping my Elgardish composure was going to be extremely difficult through my fear.

 

The storm hit like a battering ram. The Rob feel was all around the boat. The whole crew scattered to prepare. I communed with my Red Stone and got some inspiration from it on a way to save the vessel. While I was preparing to save the ship with magic I observed the rest of the crew panicking.

 

• Kanye – Ran back and forth, from side-to-side in abject terror.
• Kilgore – Screamed inane gibberish at the crew until they were even more frightened.
• Kulu – Ran below decks in fear.
• Bardo – Climbed up the mast for some reason. I guess he was confused?
• Nor – Was splashing around in the water that crashed onto the deck. Then He yelled obscenities into the storm.
• Rhan – Stood there like an unmoving statue. Looked through a little scope thing. I have to admit… That man is the coolest. I’m so happy we’re best friends now.
• Zyldi – Still somehow manages to remain invisible… Druids are cool.

 

After preparing my spell properly, I gathered my strength and struck a strong pose. I conjured three separate wind tunnels and blasted the storm with my own magical forces. My wind spell did the trick! The crew looked at me appreciatively. I’m really pulling this Elgard thing off! After all, every group needs a strong leader.

 

Then we saw a larger pirate ship on the horizon, and Kanye yelled “Ramming speed!”

After getting close enough, I saw the captain of the ship more clearly and decided I needed to remind my group that we are the best! Trying to embolden Elgard’s crew, I screamed a string of insults laced with magic at the captain. Particularly focusing on his crazy green eye gem (even though I actually think the green gem is pretty cool), I had to put those pirates in their places.

He looked really mad at me. But that only makes sense. Clearly I’m the leader, and it’s only right that leaders should be focused on each other with the rest of the group runs around them.

 

I convinced Kanye to throw me at the ship once we got close enough. It’s my time to shine! I employed my new spell just as the Giant threw me – it went exactly as planned! Our ship circled around the back of the pirate ship and Kanye chucked me onboard. Just before I hit the deck, I let out a Thunderwave and blasted like twenty of the crew over board!

 

The rest of the crew climbed up grappling hooks behind me, and then they moved to protect their leader. After a moment of combat I got worried that I wasn’t being enough of a leader, so putting forward a strong bold stride, I stepped right in front and stood firm. I looked over the lower deck and shot a crossbow bolt. I even attempted to put a magical dancing light around the bolt to make it look like Elgard’s fireball. Unfortunately, the spell fizzled. I hope the crew takes my misdirection of “not wanting to burn down the boat” as my reason for not casting Elgard’s favorite spell…

Right after letting loose that bolt, I started to say “Haha! Take that!” Then everything went black.

My eyes opened again with, “Take that!” trailing out. Then everything went black again.

I jolted awake and stood up with Syrup’s hand on face. I came partially to my senses and in my confusion I yelled “Haha! Take That!” And then it all went black again.

The blackness void thing is an odd sensation. The Rob feeling is a lot stronger in the little void world. I started moving farther into the darkness.

Then I opened my eyes again for the third time.  Feeling a bit confused, and unsure if I had said it or not, I frantically looked around and caught eyes with the Pirate leader again and yelled “Haha! Take That!” At the same moment, I heard Kanye say “Ka-Ching!” while he made an odd fist pump motion. I nodded in approval, even though I have no idea what had just happened.

After a moment, Nor pulled me behind him. Clearly wanting to shield his leader, I let him take the front. I mean… A leader can’t always do everything himself, so I let him rise up to the challenge of our rivals.

While I was trying to shake off the feeling of Robness that had struck me three times in a row, I noticed some of the crew was backing away from the battle. Receiving a bit of inspiration from my communion with my Red Stone I created a slew of ominous whispers to push the pirates over the edge of fear. I caused whispers to hover around their heads and weaved around between them until about ten of the pirate crew jumped overboard in terror.

Naturally the pirates surrendered. After some haggling, we made an agreement with the Gnomes to take the pirate boat and split the profits around the crew.

I stepped toward the bow of The Brazen Pregasus. Looking to the horizon and our next adventure, the giant Turtle thingy that protects Chult. I pulled out both my old Red Stone and my newly acquired Red Stone and began staring deeply into their voids. “It was so nice of the Pirate captain to hand it over to me,” I mused.

Aremag the Turtle, here we come!