The time has come for me to start moving... and to meet Lina Thinbrow. I live in Deepmoss, and the caravan would be departing from Shireton, so I planned to catch them at Thantabbar, using Deepmoss Road.
There was a smaller caravan departing from my city to do exactly that, so I went with them. I knew everyone there. Small town and all, and I'm this likable fella...
Well, we departed right after the sun showed up and arrived a little bit after sunset. A beautiful and uneventful trip with that flavour of the Shires.
During this time of the year, the oaks did not have leaves, but they did have some snow left, giving that nice effect, especially when the sun shines through them. We had magnificent views at the start and end of the trip.
That same night, we found the more massive caravan and its Inn. I then looked for Lina. She was with two other folks having what I guess it was her second dinner.
I introduced myself, asked to join the caravan, said that it'd be good for her to have one more arm (and dagger) and that would prevent me from travelling alone.
"A win-win scenario you propose, eh?", she said, with a gracious crooked smile.
It seems that my uncle Cillidox has a crystal ball (well, actually he has one...): she said "Yes." I could tell from her facial expressions, blushing, her eyes and body language that she:
1) has a deep respect for my uncle;
2) liked me.
How could I tell it so easily??? I was always good with people, but this new thing I have in my ear, this green gift of awesomeness is really something!
My now enhanced memory (love it!!) helped me remember that in a chest here at home Cillidox kept a bunch of maps and other adventuring material.
There I found many maps by Thorfinn Tait, legendary cartographer. My uncle once told me that he even mapped other worlds (???!!!). Man, I wanna have that much adventure and have that many stories to tell and sing about.
There was also a cool map by human hero Tim Roberts on the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. I know, I know... on a previous page of this journal I called it a kingdom, but, man, this earring is phenomenal! Things are so much clearer now! Thanks, Tim, wherever you are!
Also in the chest, I found a description by retired adventurer John Walter Biles. It was about the Riverfork Keep, some 25 miles past the border between Eastshire and Karameikos.
I also gathered as much info as possible on "werebeings and other undead" since my uncle sounded so ominous when referring to those.
I was gathering as much info about the route as possible. In fact, I wish I could carry the whole chest with me... everything so useful.
On the other hand, maybe I don't need to carry all that material around... you know, I perused all those maps and pages and have a nearly flawless recollection. And I did it ten times faster than I'd have before the earring. What is this thing?
"Darabisoz, Vuuldiir (Vatermont) 1000AC
My dear Peregriadoc,
A blue bird told me you intend to finally explore your potential. Great!
The same bird told me you plan to go directly into adventuring - to no less than Darokin! Not so great.
Please use the earring. Yes, now. Yes, the left ear is fine! Read on after you've done so.
Do you feel it? Good. Now you have a slight chance to survive a journey from Home to Specularum.
It gets especially nasty when it comes to the werebeings and other undead. The Grand Duchy of Karameikos can be deceiving, so civilized and wild at the same time, like the two sides of the same coin.
There is another caravan departing to Specularum in 8 days. Wait for that one. Do not go to Darokin - not yet, at least.
Talk to Lina Thinbrow as soon as possible and ask to join the caravan. She will say "yes".
Get the dagger that is hung above the mantlepiece.
Do not forget to bring some rope. Every rookie makes that mistake. Guilty!
I'll meet you at the final destination for your caravan.
Love,
Uncle Cillidox.
P.S.: Do not take the earring off at any time. Ever."
Darabisoz? Where is that? And what is my uncle doing there?
Vatermont? What is that?
And this earring?? I've never felt like that before! I feel... more!
How did I come to think of being an adventurer? Uh... well... to be a storyteller, anyway, like I told you.
The question is: where did I get this wanderlust from?
This could be an easy answer: "from my uncle." But there is so much more to be told! Cillidox is my mother's older brother and takes care of me like his own son - whenever he's around, that is: he teaches Wild Magic (whatever that is) at the Krakatos School of Magecraft (or Karameikan School of Magecraft, if you like). Pretty fancy, eh?
"Krakatos", "Karameikan"? I'll tell you, no rush! Karameikos is our east neighbouring kingdom. The bosses there (and the majority of the population) are hummies, but my uncle is the sort of fella who gets along well with almost everyone.
I remember he once explained to me how the "Acid Rain" spell works, so I'm happy that he's so good at self-control. :-) (I invented these cool thingies I call "faceys" to remind myself of the mood of phrases. Neat, eh? And yes, I talk to myself.)
You see how much I ramble with this pen? I started by telling you about my uncle and finished the above with a horrific spell and faceys. Well, that's Peregriadoc for you, haha. I plan to wander through the realms of the Known World as much as I wander with my thoughts and quill.
Uncle Cillidox has been an adventurer for as long as I remember and has been teaching at the School for several years now. He tells me (and mom) that he sees a lot of potential in me and he would not like to see it squandered in a "simple eating-drinking-smoking-playing the flute" life, as he calls it.
That, on top of the amazing stories from both the School and his adventures, made the idea of going adventuring grow on me. Not only that, he seems so secretive at times that it's fascinating!
The wagons are supposed to leave in a couple of days, so I'm stocking, doing some preparation, writing letters to my parents and siblings, then I will be on my way along with a trade caravan that is going to Specularum, Karameikos' capital city.
Let me see: flute, food, appropriate clothing, pipe, pipe-weed, more pipe-weed, food, some more food... uh, of course! Pocket handkerchief and walking stick! Never leave home without those!
When in Specularum, I'll meet my uncle and - based on the letter he sent me - from there I'm guessing he'll take me to the School.
Maybe I'll even have adventure enough during the trip to write a song!
Super thrilled here! :-D <=== See? Awesome or what?
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