Casing and Thieving - June 2, 2022

Well, it's been a long time since I kept my own journal, I don't even know what to start with. I've been translating Mobley Sandstorm's words and putting them to paper for so long, sometimes I think I know him better than I know myself. Then I remember the endless stream of compulsive lies, and I know that whoever really exists at the bottom of all that is a stranger to the whole world, and I pity him. That's why I try not to reveal his secrets, it does him no good to torture him with the truth, for he can not help himself. Off to a great start here Proof, it's your journal and you're talking about the guy who's journal you used to write.

Ok just one more thing about Mobley, and then I'll get on with it. He's been using the common tongue more and more recently, and I think we've crested that particular hill of learning. I will now generally be free from the awkward position I've been in, since he can directly communicate with everyone else without me. I told him I'd prefer to stop keeping his journal as well, since he should now be on the path to learning to read and write for himself too. He seems to value me quite highly, and respected my wishes in this regard. I hope he understands my reasons. If I thought I was capable of it, I'd teach him to read myself.

Wolfe is taking some time to scout the passage we believe the Cleric of Yeegor uses, I think he's hiding out in a birds nest, or under a fish, I don't know. I'm sure he's worked something out, and I hope he comes back with good information. We had a pretty fun night all together at the tavern probing people for information between shots and ales before he left. He only came in to town to buy a woodland stealth suit of some sort, seemed neat but I don't quite understand how his version of hiding works. It seems like, I don't know, we're just different people if you get right down to it. Great guy though. I like the woods just fine, but you can't get whiskey in the woods, know what I mean?

On that note, I've been working the barstool hard these last few evenings trying to find out what people here know about evil gods and such, and I must say it feels good to have the coin to throw around even though we're getting nowhere with it. It's not so long ago I was outside these keep gates looking in though, so I can't say I'm mad about the time spent either way. I almost don't even want to say it, because I think we're all going to die if we go, but there is supposedly a ruined temple of some sort to the south, deep in the swamp, lizard folk territory. Yeah, sounds great to me too. But it's reputed to be quite an evil and desecrated place, maybe of interest to evil clerics, who's to say?

I've got a problem on my mind also, perhaps putting it to paper will make it clearer to me. We went walking around the keep, looking for a secret tunnel entrance that we never found, and instead happened upon a ruined temple of Benyar with a quite run down cemetery attached. The cemetery was a bit more interesting than one would expect, we found a journal coming out of the ground in a shallow grave. Didn't get much from that, but then we poked around the crypts. That's not a great thing to do, I get it, the dead should be left to their rest and natural decay. I found an incredible sword though, something that could be put to incredible use in the right hands. I barely had a chance to look at it, but that was more than enough to know it's something special. It was engraved however, and quite distinctive compared to a normal longsword in many ways, probably well known in the area. Keeping it and using it is basically unthinkable, but fencing it is no good either, at least not around here.

The real issue though, my current-favorite cleric Ivan is strongly opposed to our taking the sword despite it's quality. I understand he respects the whole life and death thing, and really, I get that. I just don't care as much, he's godly and I'm crooked, and self-aware enough to admit it. This sword is better in our hands, that's just how I feel about it. Do I risk it and take the thing? For what gain? I can't use it openly with Ivan around or anyone else for that matter, and I can't sell it locally, it's just a problem more than anything else. I suppose if I were to be leaving the area, I might snag it on the way out and try to fence it out of town. I might trade knowledge of it's location to someone in the guild at Farsi, not that they'll likely want to deal with it directly either, but surely there's a network they can tap that will find use for such a thing. Oh, maybe if I steal it and bring it to them they'll be impressed enough to let me join, even if all they do is dump it. Or maybe they'll be bothered, I don't know, people are complicated.

In any case, I think we're converging on a conflict with an evil cleric and I don't intend to be ill prepared, the more awesome weapons we've got with us the better. Some of those weapons might be swords and daggers, some are contacts, others are skills, and companions. If I piss off Ivan just to get a sword that's a trade down, and a big one at that. Doing this behind his back is thus completely central to it's value, and if I can't find a good opportunity I just won't do it.

~ Hundred Proof