Letters - from Kobort to Lord Kerrick

From the archives of the High Court, recorded as collected from the papers of Lord Kerrick after his execution in the 12th year of King Gotar III's rule.]

To Lord Kerrick of Highcourt.

Well my old friend, it seems your cynicism was wrong again. That "harebrained stupid idea" of mine just worked. It seems there are still some honest people in this world. Before I begin, I should mention that I've ironed out the wrinkles in the scroll helper spell. It now will allow anyone with the least language skills to read a scroll it's cast on. I combined elements of read language, heighten intelligence, and the original true saying spell, and the results can even allow the village idiot to cast correctly from a scroll. Unfortunately the additional features have made it somewhat harder to cast, but of course I still have the true saying spell for general use. It could make all the difference in your campaign, as you'll be able to provide your captains with a few scrolls to use in the heat of battle, despite having no mage near at hand.

Anyway, onto recent happenings.

I'd done my usual thing of forgetting to scry the area before going collecting. I know you warned me against it, and this time the lesson was beaten in by a pair of Ogres. It seems likely they were passing through the area, and stumbled on me by chance. The first I knew of them was as one of them hit me across the back of the head with a tree. The last I knew was as one of them stepped on my face, and snapped my neck. It's quite an experience being dead I can assure you. Oh, I should point out that I'm no longer dead. I was raised in the manner I'd suggested. And that brings me to the core of my story.

I've just been visited by a fascinating troupe of adventurers. I know you don't hold with their kind, but this group has been honest, courteous, and enormously helpful. Even as I write, they're returning from a hasty expedition to collect my stolen equipment from the Ogres. Their fighting style is brutally direct, and it can only be the presence of two priests in their midst that has kept them alive so long, but despite weathering colossal damage from the ogres, they triumphed. There is one in their number that will disturb you, a Halfling rogue, with nimble fingers and deep pockets, but when you meet them, pease treat them all with courtesy. They saved my life. I really should start at the beginning shouldn't I.

Much of what I narrate here is as told to me by them, as of course I was dead at the time. It feels strange to write that. Dead at the time. It'll take a while to sink in. It seems the Ogres had stripped me completely, and that somehow during the course of it had torn my right arm off. When discovered, I was lying dead, naked, and with my arm some distance away. My faithful raven (you remember my familiar) was perched on my body, and so when the group approached it was fairly obvious I was dead. The spell worked perfectly. It was hard modifying the mouth spell to only work if I was dead, but it was definitely worth it.

I've not asked how they found the instructions, but as they managed them, I guess they weren't to rambling. They knew enough of anatomy to put me back together correctly. I'll have lost a little movement in my neck, as the healing potions don't repair shattered vertebrae all that well, but at least the arm is on the right way round, and they didn't try any of the experiments you suggested people would. You know it's only you that would do that sort of thing to a body. I came to, naked on the bench in the shed, a Half-elf watching cautiously, and a sorceress standing near in an odd motley of armour and robes. The biggest surprise was the sight of a true elf watching from the corner. More on her shortly. Anyway, I was soon introduced to Sicarius - the half elven priest, Ethne a Human sorceress, Mara the elf, a ranger I think, and later Ilya a Dwarven priest, and Phaedra, a Halfling bard (and of course as all Halflings, a perky rogue).

It seems the group is on the way to Highcourt and Temple to deliver a message, and to find out where the Elves might be. It seems that Mara somehow made it to Aspendale by way of a teleport gate found in the ruins of her forefathers. She was captured by Kobolds, and then freed by the adventurers. Her people have been diminished by a war with local lizard peoples (it doesn't seem to be lizard men though. It sounds like something different) The remains of the Elves is reduced to a tribe or two living as barbarians in the jungles. If you have any information about where they may be, please let me know. I'll be very interested to see how this group progresses.

One of their number will deliver this to you. Please take it as a letter of introduction, and give them all possible help and hospitality.

Your friend
Kobort of Onnwall.

PS, The old lady has flown north, so for a time we can relax. Thank you for letting me know people were baiting for her again. I had just enough warning. She's a lovely creature, but I don't trust Dragons not to grow tetchy as they age.