Dear Cirin,
I'm beginning to wonder if there really was a expedition after all.
When I was summoned to the head prelate's quarters, I thought to myself: "now what"?
Whenever I've interacted with that worthy, it was usually to discuss my "shortcomings".
My pensmanship was poor, my syntax shaky and my verbal composition childish. It seemed
nothing I did was good enough for him. So when I was greeted, upon entering his study,
with a warm smile and a hardy handshake, I was immediately on my guard. "Jayden, my
boy, I've good news" he said triumphantly. "I've just concluded negotiations with the Ver'l
temple. They've agreed to allow a Cirinite expedition to join their group out west in search
of that ancient tome they've been seeking. And you, dear boy, shall lead that party".
Me! Lead a party into the unknown Western Lands? I was flabbergasted. The prelate
continued on, but I was scarcely listening. I was to have two fighters accompanying me.
Egglow and Tursis. Egglow was more brawler than fighter whose best answer when asked
to describe Cirin's glory was "Writin' is good", but his family was rich and had donated many
good books to the temple, so he was made a temple guard. And he did have both a strong
arm and a good heart. And he would do as he was told.
Tursis was another matter. She had been a street urchin who was adopted by a powerful
Cirin mage. He donated a great tome from ancient Macab on the understanding that she
would be made a temple guard. The mage was long dead, but Tursis had earned sergeant's
stripes and was a cunning warrior. What bothered me was that I later learned that Egglow
had been caught in a compromising position with the Prelate's stepdaughter and Tursis was
found keeping company with many unsavory Tarimites and Thonites late at night. This was
the group sent on such an important task?
The next day we were given new equipment, new weapons and I was given an engraving
and description of Ch'vere, the Ver'lite cleric I was to join up with. We were escorted to
the Mage's guild and to their basement where there was a shallow wading pool being
guarded by a large marble gargolye-like statue. The priest escorting us withdrew a glass vial
from his robes and placed it in the staue's gaping mouth. To our party's amazement the statue's
jaws began to work, crushing the vial into shards! The priest instructed us to walk into the
pool to begin our journey. As we waded in we were suddenly engulfed in a blinding flash. When
we came back to our senses, we were still standing in the pool, but the pool was now on a
vast deserted desert plain that stretched in all directions!
Looking around I discovered a set of booted footprints leading off to the north. I determined
we should follow them, as they were our only guide. After two days of travel we were set
upon by some abmonidable flying creatures that resembled black gargoyles! Egglow was brave,
but while fighting one of the demons, another speared him though the abdomen, killing him
instantly. Tursis and I were able to overcome the other demons and put them to flight! But
during the battle, Tursis was gravelly wounded. I did my best healing for her but it was no use.
She died early the next morning. I found myself alone in a strange land.
After fashioning crude cairns for my fallen comrades, I continued to follow the tracks in the
sand. After another week, I came to a barren rocky area. Strange poles with yellow pennants
hanging from them soon appeared. I followed them to a large glass door leading into a cave
opening. I was shocked to find an elf, who spoke a strange elven dialect, guarding the entry
way. He said his people had just recovered from a plague, and that visitors were now welcome
again. Among them I found Ch'vere, much to my relief. At least at first….
It appeared that Ch'vere had had no success in finding the lost book. When I asked simply to
review her records on the journey's progress to that point, she bristled at the mere thought of it!
Later she claimed an injury had left her with no memory of the expedition! Incredilble! If she had
forgotten the mission, why had she become angry when I asked to review her notes! She must
think me a great fool to believe such drivel! But these elves! An unknown schism of those noble
people and their name - Erianen. Surely that must mean that their ancestors had been part of the
great Eheral's journey to the West! I was able to copy their ancient records, aided by Ch'vere's
guilty conscience. While the search for the Ver'lite tome was important, documenting the unknown
glories of these new civilizations of the Western Lands would, perforce, subjugate that task for now.
