Dearest Grun,

I’m writing this under about the worst possible circumstances. Every time I think we can’t get much lower, and things should start looking up...

We said our prayers over Jon’s body, sorted out any of his things that might be useful to our survival, and checked out the rest of the barracks. Korin was back to yelling out Trap’s ideas... so I decided to switch tactics and started pinning and tickling him to distract him from his invisible people. He wasn’t quite sure how to take that... which was the idea!

We were attacked in the cellar by more undead, and killed them all, but there’s a new twist: these creatures are now exploding in puffs of black, noxious gas when they are destroyed. I’m trying to hold my breath as I fight, lately, as we have no idea what that’s about! Drusilia and I walked outside for a moment, waiting for the gas to clear, and she glanced up and saw two figures descending from the sky and landing across the city. She even thought one looked like Valon!

We went back in to tell the others and found the gas had cleared from the cellar, so I walked to the last unopened door and smashed the hinges off (there’s been no one to pick locks for a while, now). We found a beautiful greatsword in an empty room, so I brought it up. Fafnir created an illusion of a sign pointing out our location for Valon to find us (so that does come in useful, sometimes!), and while we were waiting I noticed that Korin was happily playing with his precious - Jon’s axe - and the healing sword was nowhere to be found!

This resulted in me stomping back downstairs one more time to get the damned sword back to Drusilia.

Finally, we saw Valon and his friend running toward us, probably with some of the undead population not far behind. Korin mistook the new human for an attacker, somehow, and took off - fast! - leaving me to shout a warning! Valon managed to fascinate Korin by singing to him, and we eventually got sorted out. Drusilia got some diamond dust to do a major healing with, and I had to tickle Korin again to distract him from thinking that Valon wanted to take his axe.

We were attacked by more undead - still of the noxious black gas variety - and Markus, the human, turned out to be some type of magic user. Valon’s stick is as sharp as ever, and now has flowers on it (Korin tried to pick one and got cut). Finally, we all headed for the next building, fighting our way through whatever got in the way. Markus has a penchant for spells that shock things - more lightning bolts than Fafnir, who suddenly turned into a tiny dragon and flew along!

Finally we reached the next 40-foot tower and stood at the bottom, looking up at a balcony near the top. Fafnir flew up for a look - and came tearing back down with the news of a lich-like creature inside! Korin promptly began to climb the wall.. but before I could react to anything, Markus let loose with a lightning bolt straight up. Apparently the lich had come to the balcony and looked over, and panicked the newest member of the party.

Next thing I know, a fireball the likes of which I’ve never seen exploded in the middle of our group. It killed poor Markus outright, and sent the rest of us running for our lives, badly hurt! As we reached some ruins that blocked us from the lich’s line of sight, I heard a yelp. I turned to look and saw that Korin had climbed the building, popped a bag over the thing’s head, and prevented it from seeing us to kill us. But he got himself killed in the process. I saw him go limp in its grasp; I have no hope that he survived long after it took him inside the building.

By our ancestors, Grun, I never thought he’d go like that. It breaks my heart.

Now we have to decide how to go on - and what to do. This is so sad, and I’m so discouraged, but we have to do something! Wish us luck.

With love,
Ghelt