998 Rhaan 24th - Sypheros 6th

998 Rhaan 24th Fairhaven sometime before midnight

As we were navigating Fairhaven, we were again attacked by the warforged warrior known as Cutlass. It almost would have been comical as he had absolutely no chance against Zed, even had the rest of us sat out the engagement. But killing a sentient creature should never be taken lightly. I was to discover later that Zed made the distasteful choice to keep the head as a trophy.

Later, I received a message indicating that the marriage, hinted at by certain relatives, will indeed be taking place soon. I will be wed to one of my distant cousins, one Bryanna daughter of Galaynas d’Sivis. I don’t know Galaynas well, but I do know that he is a high ranking instructor in the College of Antiquities of the Korranburg Library. Of the daughter I know next to nothing. I dare not refuse this arranged marriage or I could have an assassin set after me, or worse I could be excoriated. Likely this youngster Bryanna is a homely short-nosed plump little moppet who is being married off to a penniless nobody because no one else will have her. Otherwise her father would not be wasting his time with me.

998 Rhaan 25th aboard an Orien lightning railcar, morning

As I write this I am speeding toward Korranburg on a House Orien transport. After receiving the message of my impending nuptials I immediately went to an Orien station and purchased four tickets to Korranburg. I did not want to risk walking all the way to my wedding, thus I purchased the tickets immediately. Zed suggested we visit his wizard friend Largo Capachitore before trying the Canniths and it turned out providential that we did so. We spent most of our remaining funds on Pazenga as Largo just happened to have in his possession an enchanted belt designed to enhance a pugilist’s fighting ability, increasing both in the force of unarmed blows and the wearer’s dodging skills. The belt cost us an exorbitant 13,000 gold coins, but we paid it cheerfully reasoning that this was the chance of a lifetime and would likely not be repeated. For myself I purchased the least expensive wand of force missiles as a basic defense. We did not have enough funds left to buy Elarin the skin toughening amulet (as we purchased for Pazenga), so we did not bother to visit the Canniths and instead went straight back to the lightning rail station.

998 Rhaan 26th aboard an Orien lightning railcar morning

At the last Orien station I sent a letter to Failin requesting his services. If I am to be married I can’t have my bride trudging across Khorvaire like a vagabond. Furthermore his wagon has proven itself tactically invaluable in running battles, especially battles with cavalry. I also sent a cordial letter of greeting to young Bryannna. Hopefully these steps will placate the proud Galaynas.

998 Rhaan 28th Korranburg, Zilargo

We arrived in Korranburg, only three days prior to the wedding. We immediately were escorted to the Galaynas estate, and as expected he proved to be a very typical gnome patriarch, that is an untrustworthy bore. I would like us to be friends, he could even be a father figure to me, but I think our relationship will always be strained. I even gave him the opportunity to back out of the betrothal to no avail. Things went from bad to worse when we returned from the Canniths and Galayans tried to wrest Cutlass’ sword from my grasp and ended up cutting his own hands.

The problem was that the Canniths offered us well under half the value of the powerful weapon so I was forced to unlock the secrets of its cold power on my own. Then we made an abortive attempt to sell the magic sword to a half-orc from House Tharashk but he offered us even less. Therefore we had no choice but to return to the Canniths with our hats in our hand and accept their offer. At least we scraped up enough money to purchase one of the skin toughening amulets for Elarin. We took the remainder of the sale’s proceeds in a voucher (as well as a number of platinum pieces).

998 Sypheros 1st Korranburg late night

The marriage ceremony was quaint and I might almost have been moved, had I been an actual willing participant. I must concede that I appreciated the fact that the priest called out each member of the Sovereign Host individually during the blessing, nice touch that. Many priests just mention the Host as a whole or only Aureon and Boldrei. As Bryanna came down the aisle I saw that she was no short nosed doughty dumpling but was slim and well proportioned and the shape of her heavy veil suggested firm and up thrust nasal passages. At that point I was sure she must be scarred or gap toothed under the veil. When the veil was finally removed it all became clear. Bryanna was, though no stunning beauty, extremely pretty. That was when it struck me, she has no mark! This explained why Galaynas was so desperate to marry off his only child. Overtures toward betrothal with better situated and eligible dragonmarked bachelors were likely rebuffed, if she lacked a mark. Most Sivis families used marriages as opportunities to breed stronger and more reliable dragon marks (along with the standard political marriages to cement alliances). I almost felt sorry for the poor thing. Married off to a penniless bookish stranger just to breed gnomelings and provide her father with a dragonmarked heir.

Later at the reception Bryanna and I were approached by a “messenger” from the royal Galifarian family of Cyre. It seems that Prince Oargev ir Wynarn remembered my parents’ service to his royal mother and he wanted to congratulate us. According to the message we had three days to depart. Thinking quickly, I evaluated Galaynas’ level of intoxication and decided it was an excellent time to broach the subject of a “honeymoon”. He was too drunk to object, so I have his tacit approval. This is truly a most auspicious and fortuitous event! Not only will I be able to get out from under Galaynas thumb but I will also be able to serve a member of the Galifarian royal family as did my parents! I only wish I had more than three days to depart as I had thought to avail myself of the Korranburg Library to study new and exotic magics. I suppose I shall just have to make the most of three days allotted me by inviting Bryanna to study at the Library with me.

998 Sypheros 4th Korranburg Library morning

To my complete and utter surprise the time that I spent with Bryanna at the Library was truly enjoyable. Not only is she bright and educated but she shares my fascination with esoteric subjects. She is well versed in magical theory and is an accomplished lay priestess of Boldrei herself. Like myself she shares a fascination for magics that blur the line between the arcane and the divine. Most significantly, in one category, that of nature’s secrets, she surpasses me in learning and wisdom. Bryanna even offered to scribe a few scrolls of divine magic after I expressed an interest in her powers. For three days we labored side by side, with me reading dusty old tomes and making notes while she scribed fresh scrolls for my perusal at a later date. I am embarrassed to admit this but I find myself truly enjoying her company. Such an attractive, intelligent, and agreeable young thing. I wonder what she thinks of me. Disappointment most like.

998 Sypheros 6th somewhere on the road in Breland or New Cyre, afternoon

On the road to New Cyre, we unwittingly drove right into an ambush set by an advance force of hobgoblins. Clothyard arrows fell around us like rain. Failin was severely wounded and would have died had it not been for Bryanna. With Failin huddled down beneath the seat, we were forced to fight a static battle defending the wagon. Zed covered our front by leaping from the wagon and charging two fire breathing hounds summoned from Fernia. Zed was soon supported by our martial arts master Pazenga.

I immediately cast a Gatekeeper spell that caused the grass and bushes to animate and grapple the hidden hobgoblins. On the packed earth and gravel of the road we were immune to the nature spell’s power. Elarin launched his powerful firebolt spell and then leapt off the elemental wagon to defend our vulnerable left flank. While Elarin engaged a hobgoblin in a deadly duel of flashing blades, I cast my new cold sphere spell on the two fire dogs, to little effect. After finishing off the hounds Zed was attacked by a hobgoblin champion wielding a short sword in either hand. The two swordsmen fought a furious melee and the invincible Zed, scorched as he was from the hounds, actually seemed to be in trouble. Then an unseen hobgoblin priest of the Mockery summoned another of the fire hounds and Zed was now caught between the hammer and the anvil. Had it not been for Pazenga’s exotic unarmed fighting skills he might actually have been deactivated. But luck was once again on our side and Zed smote the hobgoblin swordsman a mighty blow that separated his head from his shoulders. Zed used the sword’s powerful back swing to inflict a debilitating wound on the summoned fire hound.

When the hobgoblin champion fell, the Mockery priest led a frenzied charge on Zed. Fearing what spells he might bring to bear on my warforged friend, I carefully climbed down the wagon and prepared my Phantasmal Assailants spell. While all this was going on Bryanna’s earth elemental familiar, Shard, joined Elarin and the two of them finished off the hobgoblin swordsman and then they both moved forward to support Zed and Pazenga. Before they reached the front, I released the pent up power of my spell on the enemy priest. The hobgoblin was completely taken in by the illusion, believing himself to be under attack by a deadly enemy. Zed seized the opportunity and neatly cut the priest in half just as a second wave of hobgoblins charged up the road to our front. They were clearly seeking to surround me, perhaps they noticed that my spell caused their leader to scream like a frightened elf girl-child. They must have thought it a shrewd strategy to attempt to eliminate the enemy spellbinder but in reality it put them at a severe tactical disadvantage. In targeting me, they were forced to run past Pazenga, Zed, and Elarin. A number were slain while running through the swirling melee and only one actually reached me alive. And even this hobgoblin was dispatched by my wife’s fire ray spell. This was the hobgoblin’s last gasp as they had over extended themselves in trying to surround me. They routed when they realized they were not going to be able to get to me and we let them leave with the exception of a single hobgoblin prisoner. As I prepare my spells tonight I am including my charm spell and we shall what this hobgoblin has to say tomorrow.

Bryanna has not spoken since the battle and I fear that the carnage was something of a shock to her. This is likely the first time she has taken another's life. I should go and speak with her, Host give me the correct words.