The Journal of Thrak Stonebrow

After my most recent, and closest, brush with death, I thought it would be a good idea to keep one of these things. A journal, that is.

So, there we were, in the grove with a bunch of dead mudmen, and with Hiram in his cage. Our new companion and guide, Rayne, offered her whip so that we could tie him up. After we did, we went back to the cart and horses and continued on the trail. Hopefully, it would take us to the temple we were looking for.

After a while of riding, we came up to a large glade. It had a feel of age about it. There were paving stones that were broken and had grass and weeds growing between them. The building at the far end of the glade was chipped, broken, and weathered. We could only assume that it was the temple we were looking for. As we rode toward it, we noticed a small side building of to the left. It was looking slightly over grown, so we ignored it. When we got to the front of the temple, we noticed on of the double doors was slightly off its hinges. I muckled onto it and pulled it open. It grated on the ground but did relent to my strength. Charye and Kira stayed outside to watch over Hiram. When the rest of us went inside, we found out the inside was as old and worn down as the outside.

Moving in we fanned out and started looking around. Most of the back wall was broken down, along with a good section of the roof in the back of the temple. We also noticed signs that some large animal was using this place for a home. When we got to the back of the temple, we saw that whatever was living here was using the dais for its bed. Also, there was a pedestal that had four keyholes. Hopefully, this was what held the treasure we were promised at the start of this adventure. Looking around, we didn't find any keys, so we decided to search the small building outside.

Gir, Malorrin, Rayne, and I went in and started looking around. The building looked to be an old barracks or housing place. Not finding anything myself, I was alerted to something when Rayne gave a cry. Moving to where I heard the noise, I found her and Gir engaging a tentacled plant-creature. Once we had dispatched it (after Gir had taken a nasty gash and seemed to have been poisoned), Rayne held up the key chain she had found. They all were differently shaped and had inscriptions on them. Malorrin quickly figured out their riddle, and so we went back to the temple's pedestal.

Once Malorrin inserted the keys in their special ways, the pedestal top slid aside and revealed a shaft that ran down beneath the temple. Malorrin and Rayne climbed down the rope we dropped inside. After a bit of searching on their part, they found some chests and other items. They attached them to the rope so that I could haul them up. When they had climbed back up Malorrin said that we should get back to the road before whatever lived here came back. Charye had come in to kill time with us at this point, while Kira remained outside. She was very untrusting of Hiram. As if on cue, we heard a female voice say from the front door of the temple, "Thanks for hauling that up for me."

As we turned to look, we saw four orks, four elves, and all of them being led by a human female with chain mail and twin hand axes. This was the Steele lady who had been on Hiram's trail before we met up with him. One of the orks had Kira by the neck, and one of them had Hiram as well. As I reached for my sword and shield, a volley of arrows from the elves greeted us. I ran for Steele, while Gir and her cat Pern headed for the elves and orks, along with Rayne. Charye and Malorrin stayed at range and began their own attacks.

Going after Steele might not have been the best of ideas, but it was the most straightforward, and I have never been accused of being too creative. We traded a few blows early on and I was astounded by her ability to keep her balance after suffering wounds from my blade. After more of my attacks missed, it seemed I was moving slower than normal. It seemed that my talents were failing me. My karma was not even helping me. I could feel their power, but perhaps the Passions had decreed my time was up. Steele's attack was unrelenting and just as accurate. My armor and shield were no hindrance to her axes. Realizing I was close to falling to her blades, I poured everything I had into one last attack, lowering my own defenses and using my blood charm to do as much damage as I could. Indeed, I did hit her a good one.

And yet she still refused to fall.

Perhaps I had once angered Chorrolis, this temple's Passion. As I swayed on my last legs ready for my death blow, I was sprayed with blood... from Steele. I looked to her stomach, where Gir had torn out most of her side. Thankful my time was not done, I turned to look around at the fights I had ignored around me.

Apparently, the chimera who lived here had come back and was laying waste to the orks and elves, as had Gir and Pern. Rayne had fallen, but was still alive, and the others were still standing, or flying. So, with the chimera's attention focused on food, we grabbed the loot and made it out of there, and heading back to the city of Axalalail. There was a further brush with death, when my Wood Skin talent wore out, I fell unconscious from my horse.

When we got there, it was time to heal up, sell loot, and otherwise rest our bodies. It seems that everyone has magical items of some sort now, too, with the exception of Rayne. So, I guess that means research into their histories and such. And, speaking of that, I know Kira wanted to go back to the cave where we found Valor to do just that. Maybe we can head up to Valyan's Legacy while we're out that way.

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