The Diary of HawkEye, Grey Elven Wizard
CCC
Today I enter the Drakalor Chain.
In case this missive should fall into the hands of a future Grey Elf,
I will attempt to keep a record of my discoveries, and of any dangers
which I may discover on my journey. If you are reading this, then it
is likely that the last danger mentioned on these pages was too much
for me. I thus urge you to caution.
First of all; the potions of sleeplessness sold by the ratling just
outside the chain do seem to work most incredibly well. It is exactly
as he promised; after merely a single dose, I have not slept in twenty-
four hours, and feel as fresh as if I had just awoken. He admits,
however, that it provides greater vulnerability to some supernatural
sleep effects; but that is a chance I feel it is prudent to take.
Aside from my robe, my boots, and this diary, I bought with me two
rings of searching (to ensure that I miss nothing), a wand of door
creation (that I may seperate myself from hostile pursuit in a narow
space in an emergency), scrolls of identify and uncursing (one each),
two potions of water, 150 gold, and a loaf of elven bread. With me I
also carry spellbooks of Fire Bolt, Web, and Know Alignment; that I
can study the alignment of creatures in the Chain, that I can hold
them still for better study, and that I can incinerate the webs and
the creatures when I am done with them.
Unfortunately, the last time I awoke (before drinking the Potion of
Sleeplessness) I found that someone had taken one of my Rings of
searching as I slept, leaving a Ring of the Fish in its place. Perhaps
my scroll of uncursing will come in useful earlier than I realised.
As for myself; my teachers tell me that I am agile but stubborn,
delicate but unlikeable. Alert, powerful, handsome, and studious, but
somewhat self-centred and unlikely to make friends. I thus consider
myself the perfect candidate to study the phenomena currently present
in the Drakalor Chain, seeking to learn from this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity.
I have read my spellbooks (the book of Fire Bolt has vanished), and am
ready to set off into the Chain, to learn what I may.
1 Unicorn, 11:46:13:
So far, I have observed the nests of three birds, nineteen rodents,
one group of bees, and a colony of humans. It is of particular
interest how the human colony permits other species to attach
themselves parasitically, as long as they take little enough and are
rare enough. For example, I have observed a baby water dragon
strolling through this human-nest, crying for his mother, while the
inhabitants passed entirely unperturbed.
The only other human I have spoken to told me, cryptically that I
could find "one of the best" in a north-westerly direction. I wonder
what he referred to?
1 Unicorn, 12:16:19:
I cannot believe the self-centered, delusional idiocy of one Munxip. I
was told, on good authority, that food could be purchased, and not too
expensively, in the village of Terinyo. And it is true that food can
be purchased. And Munxip provides certain spells built into the
packaging that ensure that it is kept fresh at all times, so that it
will not rot or age until the packaging is opened.
I have no problem with that. What I cannot explain, which makes me
furious, is his strange insistence on packing in a chair, a table, and
a full set of cutlery in _each_ _and_ _every_ _ration_.
He says that the purpose is to remind adventurers that civilisation
still exists, that manners have their place. But the chair and table
cannot be removed without breaking the packaging and allowing the
contents to spoil.
Though burdened by them, I must carry the rations I have purchased; I
dare not risk starvation. But I am certain that I will find any number
of abandoned tables and chairs abut the Drakalor Chain.
2 Unicorn, 1:43:01
Incredible. Had I not seen this myself, I would hardly have credited
it. A small cave to the north-west of Terinyo, with a stealth spell on
it to hide it from ordinary view; but the spell is complex and has not
been properly maintained in centuries. It is starting to unravel, and
the cave entrance is visible from the outside.
From my studies, I imagine that it is not visible from the inside to
nonsentient creatures. Such animals - goblins, kobolds, lions - might
easily wander in, but will be unable to wander out again. They will
have nothing to live on but each other. The result, I imagine, will be
an accelerated sort of survival-of-the-fittest; before long, the only
creatures here will be the ones strong enough to defeat everything
else, and then this cave will be extremely dangerous. Fortunately, the
effect is also almost certain to be limited to the top floor only; as
long as I can find the stairs quickly enough, I have every confidence
in my own survival.
2 Unicorn, 1:48:31
It appears that goblins become extremely angry when told what "non-
sentient" means. I was forced to fire bolt first a goblin rockthrower,
then a goblin, in order to prevent harm to myself. I am feeling
somewhat drained from the effort, but have learnt something.
2 Unicorn, 7:08:24
I have found the stairs, and am merely waiting to replenish my spell
points before opening the door and facing the goblin rockthrower who
guards them.
2 Unicorn, 7:44:05
It appears that a whole colony of goblin rockthrowers have moved in to
the cave now above my head. From them I have gained an ashen dagger, a
sling, and several rocks. Unfortunately, the sling was cursed,
requiring me to read my scroll of uncursing over it.
This new floor of the dungeon looks singularly unremarkable. I
therefore conclude that the stealth spell is in good working order
here, and the progressively more dangerous creatures above will not
wander downstairs, since any capable of heading down would, equally,
be capable of heading up again.
2 Unicorn, 9:23:19
That was a singularly unremarkable floor. Although I heard rushing
winds and felt a strange tension that piqued my curiousity, the river
running straight down the centre of this dungeon seems to have cut me
off from any features of interest; aside, fortunately, from the stairs
down.
2 Unicorn, 9:45:18
I should be more cautious in my wishes. Already I have found more
money than I entered the Chain with (over three hundred gold, just
lying there on the floor by the stairs!) and had a near-death
experience with a caveman who survived my first fire bolt (but
fortunately not my second).
The fright has made me far more alert, however; far more jumpy, at any
rate, and I am more inclined to concentrate on the mana renewal
exercises I was taught back at the Institute. I also find myself less
inclined to feel the weight that I am carrying.
2 Unicorn, 10:10:11
A note for future readers, of the greatest importance; a fire vortex
on a level will make a sound as of a distant wind. A second note, of
only slightly lesser importance; there is a fire vortex trapped behind
the closed door eastwards from the stairs in the second unremarkable
dungeon level (I do not count the top floor, of the unravelling
stealth spell, as part of the unremarkable dungeon, as it is clearly
most remarkable).
2 Unicorn 10:51:23
Booze and carrot juice. Those were the ingredients for the Potion of
Deafness. Now if I could only recall the ingredients for the Potion of
Gain Attributes...
For some reason, the memory of my old Master's Potion recipe book came
back to me while fighting a ghost bat, just moments ago.
2 Unicorn 12:51:47
Booze required carrot juice and water. Why can I not recall the one
recipe I wish to recall?
Found a doppelganger. Very rare. Unfortunately hostile; it'll be a bit
more rare now.
2 Unicorn 13:13:26
A note for future explorers; heat damage alone is insufficient.
Fortunately, the imp fell to my staff, leaving me his sword.
Unfortunately, I am now poisoned, though I try my best to mitigate the
damage with what little I know of First Aid.
2 Unicorn 13:32:52
Poison continues to worry me. I decided to use my scroll of identify
to identify a red potion, hoping it would be one that could nullify
the poison.
I found a sudden understanding of all my items. The scroll was
blessed. The potion, however, was one of balance.
---The above manuscript was found by an archaeologist on a dig in the
Drakalor Chain. Carbon dating places it during the Biskup dynasty, in
the time known as the Closing of the Chaos Gate, or the Age of
Khelavaster's Prophecy.---
The Beerslayer
> Day 1 of the Unicorn:
>
> Today I enter the Drakalor Chain.
>
> In case this missive should fall into the hands of a future Grey Elf,
> I will attempt to keep a record of my discoveries, and of any dangers
> which I may discover on my journey. If you are reading this, then it
> is likely that the last danger mentioned on these pages was too much
> for me. I thus urge you to caution.
>
> ... skip lots of story ...
>
> ---The above manuscript was found by an archaeologist on a dig in the
> Drakalor Chain. Carbon dating places it during the Biskup dynasty, in
> the time known as the Closing of the Chaos Gate, or the Age of
> Khelavaster's Prophecy.---
Nice! Well-written, readable, by someone who obviously has full command
of Common! :)
Glad to see this newsgroup is not COMPLETELY dead yet...
I hope they find more of these lost manuscripts soon...
-- The Beerslayer
-- aka The Eternal Newbie :)
Al
CCC
I'll put up another diary in a moment... a less literate fellow, but
he got a good deal further...
CCC
Michal Bielinski
> I'll put up another diary in a moment... a less literate fellow, but
> he got a good deal further...
Please do! I'm waiting impatiently.
--
Michal Bielinski
Michal Bielinski
> CCC <case...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I'll put up another diary in a moment... a less literate fellow, but
>> he got a good deal further...
>
> Please do! I'm waiting impatiently.
Arrrgh! You see I am processing news sequentially and didn't notice
post about troll. Says how good my Pe stat is.
--
Michal Bielinski
CCC
> Michal Bielinski wrote:
These things happen...