Background & Journal

We Prove that We are Not Completely Pitiful

We were into month eleven and there had been Daelkyr incursions getting closer to the area where we were housed. One night (yes, they do have reference to night and day and it actually corresponds to time above ground at the Ring of Storms) one of the incursions broke through the sanctuary lines and we became involved. As it turns out, Prof. Ren is quite good at spell-slinging and even the Umbragen were impressed with his skill. Jerrold is good at what he does, but he’s not heavy on the combat-oriented spells. He did have a nice little cantrip he’d…

So, this is Khyber

Nymm – Aryth, 993 YK Finally, about six months in, we are transported deeper into their holdings. We enter Khyber proper and this gives all of us the chills to a degree. Being underground all the time is bad enough, but once you pass whatever serves as the border to Khyber things get oppressive. The screams of Daelkyr can be heard sometimes (at least that’s what they said it was) and there is a pervasive sense of dread that permeates everything. They take us all the way to the Sanctuary of the Qabalrin and here the sense of dread recedes…

I Befriend a Lyrandar Bigwig

Vult, 992 – Nymm, 993 YK So, we “inferiors” are initially allowed very little space to roam around but it’s new and different so I’m okay with it. For a while. It does start to wear on me. We were underground and there were not a whole lot of people other than us. It did mean I got to know Professor Ren’dall, Jerrold, and Gwen fairly well. However, the information exchange with the Umbragen was mostly one-way initially. Usually, they would show up to our living area, ask a bunch of questions, pull Prof. Ren’dall and Jerrold away and then…

Getting into College Isn’t That Difficult

Aryth, 991 YK After learning and helping in the library, gramps helps me branch out some by introducing me to other scholars in Stormreach. Along with his work for the Lassites, it seems that Sandal is also a research asset and adjunct professor at Morgrave University’s satellite campus in Stormreach. This when I meet Gwendolyn Nephret, the professor from Sharn I mentioned previously. This intro, and my ability to impress Professor Gwen with info on the goblins, etc. is also how I became a student at Morgrave University (MU). This began with a two-year study program at the Xen’drik campus…

Gramps Lights My Path to Cultural Exploration

Lharvion, 991 – Eyre, 992 YK Grandpa Broken Sandal (Sandal) is a retired bard and the current sage/head Librarian of the Lassites library in Stormreach. The Lassites are one the Storm Lord families and they oversee diplomacy and commerce within the city. The family’s current head is Varen Lassite. Of all the Storm Lords, Lord Varen is the only one who is beloved by his subjects. He has a reputation for generosity, and he will buy a drink for anyone who suffers misfortune in the Marketplace. He is the epitome of the dashing swashbuckler—clever, witty, with a fine eye for…

The Tabaxi and the Goblins – My Time in Yellyark

Rhaan, 990 – Eyre, 991 YK So, the Helm of Volaar will be handed over after lot of gems and various metal weapons and shields are handed over. Done. Plus, Jhazaali, Duusha, Valii, and I have to stay with the village for a period of approximately seven months to teach the Biting Ants about battle (more the Dhakaani’s job), Xen’drik outside of the general area of the village (my job), and whatever they may ask about. I’ll get to some of that a little later. But first, some general info on living in Yellyark. Though we’d been wandering the jungle…

Sidenote on Honor and Duty, Atcha and Muut Amongst the Dhakaani

I do want to talk briefly about Jhazaali’s comment to me at this point, “Paatcha!” See, muut and atcha are key concepts in Dhakaani culture. It used to be for all goblinoids, but the loss of this during the Daelkyr corruption millennia ago is why the Heirs of Dhakaan locked themselves away for so long. Dhakaani culture revolves around the concepts of muut and atcha. Muut is essentially about the honor of the Empire and can be roughly translated as duty; atcha is personal honor. The most common form of thanks is ta muut, essentially “You do your duty.” Meanwhile…

I Become an Integral Part of a Negotiation Between Goblins

Those of us that were to appear before the Queen are told… asked to remove all weapons. They even want Vanii’s component pouch, which he is not happy about at all. We give everything to our companions who will be staying outside and then proceed in. The hut is filled with about a dozen goblin warriors wearing painted masks resembling ants. Cool! And there at the other end is an intricately carved wooden throne. Upon the throne sat Queen Grabstab. She was larger than any of the other goblins we’d seen here. Larger in every way. I’m pretty sure the…

The Goblin Village of Yellyark

We Find Yellyark and the Biting Ant Tribe

So, I gave a little rundown on Yellyark and their flying village (flinging village???) We find it and those goblins find us. Dad, Trees, and Valii had scouted ahead enough that they thought they had triangulated where the village should be (they were correct). They returned and we all proceeded toward the village. About 100 yards out a small group of goblin warriors, with primitive armor and weapons, confronted us. It was obvious that there were many more hidden in the jungle around us, but that just seems prudent on their part as we were a pretty decent-sized group. Jhazaali…

These Goblinoids are Awesome and I Learn Some Stuff

As mentioned, these goblins (of Yellyark) are semi-nomadic in their own awesome way and Dad explains the difficulties of finding them. We spend several days going up and down various tributaries and even hit parts of the Hydra again. There are some battles but with dad and Trees perceiving what was coming and the fighting prowess of the Volaar, short work is made of all that comes our way. Again, I’m still pretty young and told to hide but I do get the occasional dart or thrown dagger into a target. Let’s get back to the Volaar fighting prowess. Each…

Let’s Finish Up the History Lesson from Jhazaali

Frax, Grabstab, Blah Blah Blah Uh… Right! Frax. So, the Dhakaani weren’t big magic users. Primarily bardic and artificer stuff but not so much in the pure arcane or divine. This is why Frax was a rarity and was the one sent. He used and had even managed to study a decent level of arcana. So Frax is on Xen’drik with a bunch of other goblins that were sent (not sure why no hobgoblins or bugbears but I think it may have been considered a bit of a suicide mission/hopeless case). However, it does seem that Frax and crew made…