Tragic Waste

Murtul 6, 1374, North of Waterdeep

Poor, dear Flic— if he’d only known how much he had to live for, maybe he would have tried harder.

We left Waterdeep two mornings ago— our employer provided us each with a horse, tent and provisions. Camping the first night was uneventful, though Quentin Morden had some magical device that erected a house for him to sleep in. I tried knocking on the door once to see how he was, but I’m not sure he can hear what’s going on outside the house. At least, if he can, he must know his limitations, as he does not emerge until morning, regardless of screaming and explosions all about the structure.

Though the two days of traveling was quite peaceful (even boring), the second night was not. During Shoshiro’s watch that we had a problem, but he quickly alerted us all before the attack hit. Even so, I came out of my tent and was attacked so viciously by the goblins and their worg mounts that I lost my first spell and had to step back into my tent to heal myself from multiple wounds. As I did so, the tent itself was rent open from a non-entrance side— I held the Rod of Wonder to the opening and spoke the command word— and was momentarily blinded (and butterflied). Luckily, most of the assailants were as well. Even when my vision cleared, I could not see beyond the slavering jaws trying to fight their way in to attack me— I am told that my next use of the wand produced 4’ tall grass throughout our entire campsite. I tried one more time, and got something useful! A rhinoceros appeared and systematically went through the camp squishing our foes (and Eleioni’s tent, which contained much in the way of weapons and burdensome armor and equipment), but it routed the remaining attackers without damaging any of us.

I am somewhat unclear as to how Owl died, but apparently Flic had him attack the rhino, perhaps not realizing it was something we summoned, and perhaps not remembering how owl had fared against a manticore a few days earlier. I attempted to tell him this, but it was difficult with all the commotion from our friends, a ball of fire that was rolling around and burning up the dead enemies, and I fear I was not heard. Shoshiro must have heard me, actually, or at least had the right idea, as he attempted to lead the rhino away from our camp so it could ransack something elsewhere. Flic, I’m assuming, thought the ninja was in need of assistance. I don’t know, however, because I had used the rod again, blanketing the middle of the camp in darkness. At least the rhino couldn’t see Eleioni as Kanelyth was attempting to treat his wounds quickly and quietly. We did hear a horrible squelching noise as the rhino made another attempt to defend it self— and sadly, that is the last sound I’ll ever hear from my almost-but-never-quite-dearly-beloved. To make his wasteful death even more tragic, he was wearing some very valuable jewelry that was also destroyed by the rampaging rhino.

Our patron slept through it all, or at least, did not open the door to his portable house. I have half a mind to leave.