Letters to Master Gramkil (Kilmarg)

*Letter sent to the care of the Monastery of the Umbral Claw in Westgate*



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day 1 of Journey
Year - I don't know, I'm not a Primer
Sent from - Easting, Western Heartlands in Faerun on Toril
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Master,

I've left the Cage like you told me to this morning.  Though only after taking one last trip about the place - including taking a bit of time to wigwag with the bashers at the Lady's Cups.  Usual berks, ya know, but still friends.  Did get into a bit of a nick with the Minder for that Factol leatherhead, whats his name that one who wears red all the time....so if you run into troubles, I'm sorry.  But I'm sure ain't nothing, you couldn't handle, ha.

While making my way to the gate ya told me to find, I saw something a bit unusual.  Several cord-babies just parking their ears while an old Greybeard spoke about the demon lords -- including Graz'zt and Kilmarg among others.  Warned about taking a ride to Plague-Mort.  Seemed a real blood, ya know?  If I had more time, would had liked to do the same as them ghosts.

Scanned them sods you told me of, several of them in fact.  Wasn't expecting a few Primers in the flesh here, especially those that hunt, given the rules and all.  Likely garnished a few palms I'm sure.  A few threats and a brandished chiv or two is all I allowed them before making them new entries in the dead-book.  I made quick before I would get scragged.

Luckily that redheaded spellslinger who twigged to me, peeled the guards for me, send her thanks for me, 'kay?  I mean she did give them a view to die for, har.  Well after giving them the laugh, I finally got to that damn gate - ain't sure why couldn't use a closer one though.  But you can pike off for not warning me what came next.

I have never gotten sick from using a gate before, but by the Nine, what the fuck?  I hurled as if I was downing bubs like it was going out of style.  I think I even blacked out, ain't sure, all happened so quick.  In hindsight feels like you hipped me.  However, moving on, lets say when I "woke" up, a damn cutter was trying to make a cross-trade move on me.  Damn Primer thought I was dead, only thanks to my training he ain't a deader.

Peery, I parked my ears while I got what I needed from him.  Seems I appeared just outside an anthill called Easting.  I tumbled to the fact that I was several days west of where I should be.  This Primer, a Human named Lark, seemed lann enough for me to use as a guide.  I "acquired" his services -- seems even berk knows how to use their brain-box sometimes, when told I come from jink.

So loaded up on his wagon and began our ride to the burg called Westgate.  Seems it should be a quiet trip.  Write if anything else of interest occurs.

- Your pupil
Griffin

*wax pressed by a signet ring displays the crest of two feline faces, left facing has a grin while the right has a frown, in profile flanking a forward facing dragon of black/purple markings*

*Letter sent to the care of the Monastery of the Umbral Claw in Westgate*



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day 5 of Journey
Year - I don't know, I'm not a Primer
Sent from - Elversult, Dragon Coast in Faerun on Toril
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Master,

Hope those addle-coved rubes twigged to the case ain't causing you any troubles.  If so, make a few of 'em new members of the lost, eh?  Barmy berks anyways.  As to my journey, eh.  Last few days been mostly bumpy roads and Primers who are the yawn.  But yesterday and today at least have been curious.

So, we arrived to what looks to be a small burg early in the morning, having rode through the night.  The guards were bobbing some of the caravans, looking for easy jink.  Supposedly a tax to enter at night, lucky for us, day broke as we came up to be scanned.  Poor bastards, har.

While Lark handled some business he had in the burg, I parked my ears and heard the Chant.  Mostly the usual shit with some thefts, people dying in the out of touch, and the likes.  Though one thing did stick out to me, something I found rather curious, indeed.  The Primers spoke of a canny Proxy who was on way to Westgate to have a lookie about for demon worshipers, can ya guess who?  Ha ha or should I write, heh heh?

Well I should be glad what they say about the curious cat doesn't apply in my case, heh.  So, I rode over to the temples they had in this anthill and scanned for this berk, though I wasn't expecting what I did find.  A gorgeous Elven woman, long black hair with large violet eyes and ...well other attractive assets.  She is known as Aelvaira of Evereska and a Proxy, well in her words a priestess, of the Power/goddess Angharradh.  Her voice was gentle and alluring, though her eyes were cold -- I think she knew exactly what I am, though if she did she did not reveal it nor tried to nick me.

She found me curious, as I asked her things few others here would.  Primarily the desire of her's to find this demon lord she sought.  Our wigwag lasted a few hours, and the entire time I had to fight my base desires -- her scent alone drove barmy.  Had to keep telling myself to bar that, this Proxy was too dangerous to take so causally.  In the end though, she sought the demon lord to ask him to return her sister, another Proxy known as Yvalria also of Evereska and of the same Power.  I wished her luck and left before she could make me pay the music for my curiosity.

On my way out of the temple, I noticed her Minders kept me in their scan until I was well away from there.  I had no desire to end up on a leafless tree in this anthill so I found Lark tending to the mules.  The two of us banged around the pub until it was time for shut eye, though the local bashers and bubbers made it a noisy night.  In side-note I was surprised how well Lark, a clueless berk, could handle his bub -- at least made for a fun time waster.

My sleep was filled with carnal dreams involving the priestess and her sister, whom I pictured similar looking.  I awoke covered in sweat, which I suppose wouldn't be unusual given the nature of the dream but to have a strange warmth lingering on me and her scent fresh in the air of my room was another.  Had I been marked?  Did she figure out the dark of it all?  With no other recourse, I took those wraps you had made for me and bound my hands.  I know it would be blinds to make her a deader without a well-lanned cutter to help me, but I wouldn't be made a sodding basher by no one.

As I prepared myself, Lark came running into my room.  He had tumbled into the know of a situation afoot, seemingly several demons had appeared within this burg and the priestess, her minders, and some bashers were battling them.  He had no desire to hang around till it was resolved.  Normally I would love to nick with some of them, but given what worries had just been in my brain-box, I agreed and the two of us fled during the chaos.

I swear though as we were leaving, she and I made eye contact for just a moment.  I do not know what look or emotion was displayed, but I do not forget it.  Perhaps I twigged to her, but it wasn't worth getting the rope over it.  I'm no blood on the subject, but if she was after a demon lord, that suggests she is no pushover -- perhaps you should left some of your contacts warn our mutual party, heh.

Until next time, your humble student...
~ Griffin

*wax pressed by a signet ring displays the crest of two feline faces, left facing has a grin while the right has a frown, in profile flanking a forward facing dragon of black/purple markings*

*Letter handed to Brother Twice-Blind at the Monastery of the Umbral Claw in Westgate*



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day 20 of Journey
Year - I don't know, I'm not a Primer
Sent from - Westgate, Dragon Coast in Faerun on Toril
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Master,

Hows the Cage these days?  Still a sodding yawn?  It is going well here, better since we passed the burg of Teziir and its host of berks blocking the road with rubble.  We got delayed there a few days, quite the yawn for sure.  lark and I ate most of our damn supplies and had to waylay a day in Reddansyr, curious enough their temple of Oghma was fairly nice. Finally though we arrived at Westgate late last eve.

I'm unsure why I bother, but this clueless berk traveling with me, Lark, I've grown a bit twigged to.  Been teaching him how to read, I tell you these Primers really.  Though it seems my way of wigwagging ain't so good, he thinks, given I'm suppose to be a noble's kid.  Suggests I clean it up a bit, fair I suppose.  So will be trying it in these letters from now on.

So inquired about a ship heading to Marsember, seems might take upwards of a fortnight to acquire passage.  Once I have achieved this, finally I'll be in Cormyr and from there the grand play will begin.  Griffin Freyault Adri Ilance has returned!  Ha ha!  I am curious about this City of Spices, wonder if they'll have cinnamon or cardamon.  

I have allowed Lark to spread word of my name and "status" and my intention of reaching Suzail.  Seems the Ilance name is well known even here, given their roots in Marsember, likely due to spice trade.  This attention has garnered me some traveling expenses, “loans” of sort given I could repay once I get “home”.  Of course, had a few would be bashers thugs try to accost me but was able to take care of them.

On the second day, I finally made my way to the monastery and found it fairly impressive – quite nicer than our old training alley but lacks that “homely” feel, heh.  I am surprised how many disciples the Order has, always thought it was just you, me, and Twice-Blind but reassuring I suppose others find it useful to know.  Even Brother Twice-Blind though pales compared to your skill level.  Nice though, seems a big eater though.  Don't get his name, isn't blind afterall.

Things got interesting our fourth day there in the city.  While at the market with Lark discussing what dried foods to take with us, leaning toward jerky of course, I could smell her again.  It was as if everyone else but her and I were frozen, but I could see her walking through the center of the market district.  She looks, excuse the wording, heavenly and with each step her gown clung to her form -  such a delectable creature.  You obviously know what I would prefer to had done, but I just lead Lark from there and checked our ship's timing.  We were in luck, it would arrive in the morning.

It would seem she was unaware of my presence or not caring, which I suppose is good either way.  Rest of the day was pretty uneventful and we had an early evening.  Early morning and all.  Well suffice to say, had fun dreams again.  Heh.  Though this time I actually got to enjoy them.

We got onto the ship pretty early the next morning, before dawn break and left a few hours into the daylight.  Our captain is a Dwarven fellow named Balin Pyritesail and his ship, the Iron Goat, were our host and carrier – quite trustworthy from what both Lark and I could find out.  The captain assured us that it would only been a week or so at most to reach Marsember from here.  Of course it all depends how the Dragonmere behaves and what we might encounter on our way across it.

As we were leaving port, I could see her entering the monastery – likely on her demon hunt.  I trust that will end fruitlessly for her, but wish I could smell her once more.  But enough writing for now, I'll chat with you later Master.

- Your pupil
Griffin

*wax pressed by a signet ring displays the crest of two feline faces, left facing has a grin while the right has a frown, in profile flanking a forward facing dragon of black/purple markings*

*Letter sent by bird to the Monastery of the Umbral Claw in Westgate*



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day 25 of Journey
Year - I don't know, I'm not a Primer
Sent from – The Dragonmere in Faerun on Toril
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Master,

SO BORING! This goddamn boat trip has been so boring..., for the first few days there has been so little to do. I can't help with the ship chores, I can't chat with the sailors lest its drinking time, I can't mess with the other guests...so boring. Katas after katas and a few card games with Lark – otherwise just been staring at the big blue.

Its been a calm sea, slow and steady it seems. Tried fishing, felt like training and caught only two. Not even one of those so called whales to be seen, heard the local Sea-Elves worship them or something – of course not like I got to see one or ever met one anyways. Though did see a stingray or whatever its called, big flat fish with what looked to be wings and a long tail with a blade.

About the third day we floated into the flotsam of a downed merchant ship, Captain Pyritesail wasn't sure if it was the result of wrecking or piracy. I could smell the dull burnt of spellfire singe on the floating debris. It looked a mix of brands – such as Men of the Basilisk, Shield Trading Company, Dragon Poo Industries, and others and looked marked from out of Suzail. Several of us non-sailors were asked to grab long hooks and try to snare a few of them. We recovered a few of them but the captain wouldn't spare the time to collect them all.

Seemingly rite of naval salvage allows the ship to collect and keep what it finds, so we opened the crates. Some neat stuff inside, lots of various cloth and silk bolts, silver craft, a few tools for what looked to be a tailor's shop and some food that was stored in sealed clay pots. As a reward for our assistance, the captain let Lark and I keep a pot of food to eat. Was pretty smelly cheese but it tasted pretty damn good with the cheap grog we had to drink. About the only real highlights of that day for sure.

On the fourth day, I ran into another passenger who happened to be a member of the nobility – a Lady Jazmin Immerdusk. Pleasant woman, older but likely quite a fox in her youth, but we shared a nice cup of tea. She found it quite interesting that I was an Ilance heir, though she didn't know my particular case. It seems she isn't too keen on the gossip of her peers, prefers to import and blend tea as that is her passion. Nonetheless, seems she could be a good contact in the future due to her widespread trade connections.

Now I'm gonna do more katas and maybe teach Lark some more reading. I'll send another letter soon, likely detailing more of the boring trip so far. Or I'll wait till we reach Marsember, that city sounds fun and isn't too far from Suzail. You might ask why not get a ship directly to Suzail? Seemingly hasn't been allowed lately due to increased piracy. So roundabout ya.

More boredom......yay. Heh.

- Your pupil
Griffin

*wax pressed by a signet ring displays the crest of two feline faces, left facing has a grin while the right has a frown, in profile flanking a forward facing dragon of black/purple markings*