Book Two, Chapter Five �We�re In Trouble Without A Fascist Bastard To Tell Us What To Do.�

����������� (27/07/96)

Get your Panaga Saga Lager at the Blue Horse in Burzyn.

Aruth of the War Wagon has got his flying horses, Zytsi the magnificent mason is still looking for the Father of All War Hammers, Estalyn the Virgin Elf Harp Player is in search of a longbow, Giles the wannabe Erana is questing for a sword, Daniel the Bard is hoping find an interesting Lute, and Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo is organising an Office Move.

We are Hible�s log cabin home, having extended the boat�s stay. Martyn goes to extend the boat�s stay, comes back ill. Poisoned by a snake - incurable by normal means (ain�t natural).

Little old lady, healer of great power, lives in the mountain, Elspeth, wise lady of the mountains. She maybe able to help us. Doesn�t get on with Hible so he will stay behind and train the horses and look after Martyn.

Set off on 7th Savor 724. Got vague directions to Elspeth�s place.

Aklash �Vessel of the Choking Wind� humanoid 8 ft, regenerates - so cut�s it head off and stick sword down neck, claws and bite attack, breath has detrimental effect on combat. Over 300 lb, fat bastards, ugly, quite difficult to kill with missiles as they are blubbery. Can�t climb trees, but can pull them down.

We have to bring Elspeth back, its 4 days travel. Follow stream up. Hard going. Last day reach house.

8th Savor - 1st day follow river, steady drizzle.

Watches =>����� Zytsi���� Daniel�� Zytsi and Estalyn do 1 and 1/2 watches each,

����������������������������������� Aruth��� swapping at midnight.

����������������������� Estalyn Giles

2nd night at midnight Estalyn tried to strangle Zytsi, did a point of damage. Zytsi hits with his war hammer Estalyn, who fell over having just woken up. Aruth hit Zytsi with his quarterstaff. Zytsi must parry @ -25%. Giles and Daniel still asleep. Aruth rolled up and for a moment it looked good, Estalyn rolled up and hit him. Zytsi then smacked Aruth. Giles and Daniel woke up. Daniel sang and Zytsi smashed his elbow. More singing - Zytsi fractured Daniel�s leg.

Yes Zytsi killed the party. He was sort of a bit sorry. Leg splinted and sorted for OK natural healing.

Its rainy, we travel 1/2 day. Zytsi made Daniel a crutch made form wood - it�s OK. Uneventfully passes the day. �We were only one and a half days from Elspeth�. Night passes.

Half way through the next day we hear a crashing noise through undergrowth long way away but in our way. About 2 miles away. We hide, Aruth camouflages us.

It comes closer - Gargun voices a mile away, so we decide to cross stream, twice size of room.

Giles swims across, secures rope, Zytsi was calmed by song (the things I do for this bloody Khuzdul who has just smashed my elbow and fractured my leg - he�s worse than Mr T) and crossed with Estalyn (see even the Elf has to work to save him). Estalyn started to drown - saved by Giles. Daniel wrapped rope round arm and crossed river. Zytsi pulls rope. (Gosh thanks)

Gargun mob rush down other side. Palanquin in middle. 1,000 Gargun - crushing everything in path. Gargun swarm. They are off to start a new colony. New queen in palanquin - Gargun are like termites in certain respects.

Rest of day uneventful - and night.

Next day cross river and to house with garden. Elspeth knew our names. Giles ran from the black cat - Marmaduke. Forewarned of our coming. In a dream - unusual, not normal. Madness flowers caused the problems.

Someone who is running with the Aklash creatures has nicked Elspeth�s staff which she needs before ((.... it�s blank presumably before she can fix Martyn)). She fixes the war hammer wounds - Aruth and Daniel - the wounds get better. Zytsi doesn�t recognise the workmanship of the cottage.

Bed at 8, up at 6, Elspeth has been up for hours. Zytsi mended the (wooden) table. Giles did the washing up. Aruth weeded the garden, Daniel chopped the wood, and Estalyn played with the cat.

Elspeth loads up donkey with her gear and leads it and leads party. Marmaduke guards the house. Elspeth has a portable roof to keep the rain off (It�ll never catch on).

Day passes uneventfully (13th Savor by the way) We camp. She leaves us at 8 p.m. saying she�ll see us in the morning.

Estalyn vanishes on watch, follow tracks to a big tree. Aruth says he�s with a female Elf getting his end away. Donkey didn�t like the big tree being knocked on. Move camp to here. Estalyn reappears at old comp then came to new camp. Didn�t remember a thing.

Elspeth reappears and organises the party.

1/2 day to a cave (she seems to know where the staff is). Estalyn turns into a fox and has a look. We follow. Vile smell around here. Estalyn agreed with Zytsi so Plan �A� was implemented.

Estalyn shouted and a Gargun stuck its head out. There was then a long discussion (not with the Gargun you understand). Daniel sneaked in and had a look. A Gargun behind a rock. Daniel told party.

Estalyn shouted again, it stuck its head out the other side of the cave mouth. Hit with an arrow (Estalyn) and war hammer (Zytsi) and ran into cave. Party follows. Round corner.

Giles charges into the pool. Zytsi teeters on the edge and then Daniel careers into him and he goes in. Daniel doesn�t though. The Gargun stepped to one side onto a ledge and runs round the edge to continuing tunnel.

�Splash, glug, glug�

Giles gets cramp, Aruth starts drowning. But eventually Giles and Daniel rescue Zytsi - plate armoured Khuzdul are heavy, very heavy -, then Aruth, and Estalyn arrives followed by 3 Akalash.

Estalyn holds them off and party prepares to meet them. It�s messy. They are tough. Estalyn fell over. Giles chopped one�s head off shoved sword down neck. Other 2 stunned into next week. But one gets knocked into water. Zytsi knocks ones head off and Giles shoves sword down neck. Don�t see the one in the water. Take Estalyn round corner and the donkey comes and stands over him.

Into the cave complex. Find Gargun with the staff. �Give us the staff�, he did. So Zytsi hit him. Giles and Zytsi kill it - in a room with pillar.

Zytsi gets the staff and the staff gets him - or did it? The pillar is an illusion. Giles fights Zytsi but Aruth knocks him out and we carry him out to Elspeth (Oh all right broke his neck and paralysed from the neck down).

We go back into the caves to trash the pillar, or rather what�s inside. Dome shaped fungoid growth inside. Aruth killed it.

OK, that�s it. Back to cottage (2 days later). Domestic chores as we wait for Elspeth to return with Zytsi (she took him off to fix him). No bedroom! 16th.

Off we go. There is nothing wrong with Zytsi�s beard! Honest!

Slight tinge to the beard - mostly imperceptible. Green - spring, yellow - summer, russet - autumn, white - winter. currently green.

Off we go to save Martyn . . . .

����������������������� . . . . but who can save us from ourselves.

The donkey hunts. It bought Estalyn back a rabbit. Donkey behaves more like a dog.