Fruward the Nail

 

 

I was sixteen when our village was occupied by Grulsh and his army of marauding Orcs.  All able-bodied males from the age of thirteen and up were conscripted into Grulsh’s army.  I ended up training under a sergeant by the name of Gortuck, he was a bugbear, which meant he had a goblin heritage, but I actually came to greatly respect him and he taught me much about warfare.

 

Grulsh was defeated and killed at the battle of Hamper Hill and all the conscripts in his army were freed.  By this time I was 21 and returning to my village I found that it was still overrun by Orcs and both my parents were dead.  There was nothing left for me there. I decided to settle in the town of Lufkin and joined the Builders’ Guild. 

 

One night I was called to attend what I had been told would be a late-night negotiation over work contracts.  Apparently, I was the first to arrive and I was surprised to see the one who had called the meeting was a childhood friend by the name of Adrick (my mind flashed on the fact that he had always lorded over me that my parents had been forbidden by our clan from giving me an official clan name because of some transgression my father had committed.    I had never been told what it was). 

 

Adrick embraced me and told me how happy he was that we had both survived conscription by Grulsh.  He handed me a glass of ale and we toasted to our freedom.  Soon I began to feel lightheaded and suddenly four thugs burst into the room and held me down while Adrick took a spike and drove it into my forehead.  Then he took my glass of ale and threw it in my face.  The thugs carried me to the guildhouse and laid me face-down amongst my tools so my death could be called an accident.

 

As he had hammered in the spike, Adrick explained to me that he had resented the fact that Gortuck had given me preferential treatment while his sergeant had beaten him everyday.

I lay there on the floor of the guildhouse for what seemed an eternity, and then I mercifully passed out.   When I came to, a young woman was cradling my head in her arms.  She told me her name was Nine-Fingers Keane and that I should try to get some rest, but I could feel that whatever was in the ale had mostly worn off. I had gotten my strength back.

 

Just then the doors of the guildhouse burst open and several of the city watch ran into the room followed by Adrick and his thugs. 

 

What happened next is a bit of a blur.  I just remember being incredibly angry.  I started hurling accusations at Adrick.  Two of the Watch moved in to restrain me and a fight ensued. I ended up killing two of the thugs and wounding at least one of the Watch.  The last thing I remember before I passed out again was seeing Adrick flee.

 

I woke up several hours later in the city gaol with Nine-Fingers cradling my head again. She was just waiting for me to come around so she could break us out of our cell.  It seems Nine-Fingers was a budding master thief.  She was hiding from the Watch in the guildhouse when she heard me struggling for breath.  If it hadn’t been for her I really may have died that night.

 

We fled Lufkin and ended up in Nine-Fingers hometown of Raven’s Ruin.  She set me up with an apartment there and when she ascended to Master of the Thieves Guild she made me her enforcer.

 

If you are looking for a great love story you’ll have to look elsewhere.  Yes Nine-Fingers and I have shared a bed and we greatly respect each other but that’s as far as it goes.

 

Over the years many doctors have offered to remove the spike but I have always refused.  It has become a part of me and it makes me remember that one day I shall have my revenge on Adrick!

Gerard,

 

            As I alluded to in my last letter, my father finally sent me to infiltrate Lady Gahgah’s carnival.  He must have grown weary of all the complaints his office has been receiving, since last year’s Carver’s day.  He wanted me to find out if he would have any legitimate grounds to detain her the next time she sets foot in Melinir.  I was able to track them down on the road south of Telar, deep in the Gauntlin Forest.  As a happy coincidence, I found that my old friend Aarun, the harper and his wife, Mithann, a former priestess of Pelor were already traveling with them.

 

We made camp on the Northern outskirts of Torlynn and by the time I woke the next morning, the Carnival was in full swing in the town square.  When we pulled up stakes three days later, a grumpy dwarf by the name of Baerick had joined the caravan, but he was not the only new addition to camp.  I was surprised to see Gemi darting among the jostling wagons as I understood he was supposed to be in Valet’s care at the Temple. 

 

As it  turns out, Gemi is the son of Lady Gahgah’s  daughter-in-law, Hedrun, one of the carnival’s infamous dancing girls, and yes, that also makes him Lady Gahgah’s grandson! 

 

 

When Hedrun found out that her son was training to be a Paladin of Kord , she was furious and, as she put it, dragged the boy away from those ruffians’ clutches (as you may have guessed there’s a lot more to the story but I will fill you in when I can see you in person).  

 

As I suspected she might, Gahgah decided to give Melinir a wide berth and so we didn’t stop again until we reached the town of Tybalt in the Bone Hills.

 

A few days later Gemi turned up missing.

 

I will leave it up to you whether or not to tell Pax (I know how she feels about Gemi) and the others other’s about this.  If you can get them to come with you, so much the better.  Hopefully the boy will turn up alive and we will feel foolish for worrying, but I have a bad feeling about this.

 

I will be leaving the caravan today and heading home to Melinir.  Please meet me there if you can.

 

                                                            Love

                                                                        Menolly

Coran,

 

 

            The Sapphire Zephyr ferried us safely back to Thunder Rift (I took my usual detour South and came in on the East side of the island; so as not to have to stomach my father’s presence) I am writing you this letter from my usual table at The Sarcastic Goat.

 

There is however something I think I should share with you about Neeve.  When I returned that morning from speaking with Grizlegar and the others, I was told that Neeve and Skoond were missing.  Fortunately, she showed up about an hour later and we set sail almost on schedule (but not before I dispatched one of my men to help Thrusting Justice with their mission).   

 

It seems Skoond had talked her into accompanying him on an early morning hike.  She did have the foresight to hire a guide but they were still captured by the very hill giants TJ is looking for and thank Kord TJ rescued them.  Skoond however stayed behind and seems to have joined Grizzlegar’s party.  He obviously has some kind of secret agenda.

 

Anyway, we are supposed to be meeting Menolly here this morning for breakfast.  I will write you again soon.

 

 

                                                            Gerard of Kleine

Coran,

 

            You old dog,  Now that I have some breathing room, having completed our mission by helping to defeat a Red Dragon, I thought I should take time to write you.  I knew as soon as I saw Neeve (Nine-Fingers) holding that stick pin club of yours that you must have been there in the Eleven City trying to track down the crown of shadows just like we were.  I can’t believe how grown up Neeve looks.  I have been thinking so much about her father, Sempronius these last few days.  Captain Trovebane’s last words were about how he might not have been as bad as we thought he was.  That was so many months ago and I have been running from one mission to the other with Grizzlegar and the rest.  I haven’t had time to investigate what he meant.

 

 

                                    ********************************

 

I started this letter weeks ago and again I found my self bogged down in the day to day tasks of reclaiming what was the Shadowlands.

 

Pax and Grizzlegar have completed work on their castle and she has given birth to twins:  Betty and Gerafello.

 

Neeve, Ulder, Rilsa, and Skoond have been staying with me at the old Gruumsh Temple I have now sanctified for Kord.

 

 I received an urgent letter last night from Menolly.  She needs my help and while I am back on Thunder Rift, I plan to look into Sempronius’ disappearance again.  Neeve and the others have agreed to accompany me and I am going this morning to ask Grizzle, Pax and even Jerro to come with me.

 

Josef, the captain of the guard of Misty Forge and one of his men burst into the hall, while I was telling the group my plans.  He (Josef) was badly wounded and collapsed on the floor in front of me.  I quickly healed him and he started to explain that their town was being besieged by Hill Giants.  They sought the help of Thrusting Justice.  As much as I wanted to help I knew from Menolly’s tone in the letter that she needed me more.  So I left the hall and my friends to their next mission.

 

 

                                                            Gerard of Kleine