Khalo's Journal: Pirate Town

Jerek has not perished. He escaped the island on the dinghy, accompanied by the Hellcat. At first, I drew the conclusion that Hellcats had a talent for seafaring, but later realized my reasoning was specious. Jerek visited this same despicable cove as we now find ourselves in, but after making quite an impression on the locals, he has since departed on board another ship with a captain who sounds dangerous.

The town here probably wouldn't pass for civilization in the minds of many, but for me, it's plenty. You can procure food without hunting, and a spot to rest without building a shelter. I'm eager to be on our way. 

First, though, there was the business of selling the ship we took to get off the island, which we were able to do without much fuss. Then, to the matter of proceeding to Lemia, which required us to book passage on yet another boat. This proved difficult, as the price for passenger transport was at a premium for those who did not want to sully their souls. Fortunately, a man named Clovis sensed our desperation, and offered work. We took the job, which consisted of escorting him to the hideaway of his former captain, and clearing out the ghostly inhabitants so that he might claim the treasure inside. It was no easy task, especially as many of our group proved to be swimmers without skill or confidence. I was able to prove my worth by seeing well in the dark, but could take no pride in this as it resulted from my dwarfish nature. 

Once the job was completed, we attempted to make our way back to town quickly, as Ostar had been poisoned, and my magical abilities could only delay his death lest he have access to an antidote. The specter of his demise, however, did not prevent him from murdering Clovis, which he did in the interests of hastening our fundraising efforts to get to Lemia. Osbert was not pleased, but settled for a re-negotiated term of group dynamics. 

Meanwhile, we made our way back to the town, saved Ostar, and were quickly presented with another job, one which could save us money. A ship captain needed to reclaim his cargo from a pirate who had stolen it. This pirate was named Shark Neck, but in a disappointing development, the name derived from a tattoo on his neck and an ornamental necklace he wore.

The mission to retrieve the cargo presented me with an opportunity to unleash a new combat tactic - summoning animals to fight for our cause. I used a snake to create a distraction which allowed us to charge the boat, and a hippogriff to delay the pirates at the stern from reaching us. Closer to the end of the fight, I brought a wolf into the mix to aid Osbert. The hippogriff died, which I did not like, and do not take lightly. I am comfortable with death and know that many animals die by violent means, but will still endeavor not to be cavalier with the lives of creatures who I bring in by magical means to assist me, for they assume great risk for very little reward. 

Entry concluded.