I awoke this day and stepped onto my lawn to be greeted by morning air that was cool and crisp. A bit too cool and crisp for my tastes, actually, luckily for me it warmed to a comfortable degree by mid-day. But I imagine Rudy was laying in year yard stripped down to her under garments. I'll never understand her love for the cold.

I had a quick bite to eat after that, and took a moment to play around with my pet gromnie before I bid him farewell for the day. I hope he doesn't mind being alone so much, but I'm sure he understands that there are adventures to be had in this dangerous new world of ours, and my exploratory nature simply forces me to seek those adventures out. Besides, we are all at war with Gaerlan and the other creatures that want us all dead, and by my blood I will do my part to make this land safe for us all.

So then, with the little magic I have, I portalled to my clans mansion. My home away from home where friends who are as close as family always gather. Upon my arrival I found that Rudy and Jiaan were already there discussing something. She didn't seem to excited about whatever it was. After greeting them I quickly realized why she was so wary. Jiaan, who has been here much longer than either of us and is currently far more skilled than we are, wanted to venture out into the dreaded Obsidian Plains. He wanted to see what treasures we could find for the clan, and what monstrosities we could rid Dereth of.

With Rudy still far from her full potential with her magics, and my skill with my sword still sloppy compared to most, we weren't so anxious for this particular adventure. However, wwe also knew that the three of us together should survive just fine, and if all else fails we would get a trip to our lifestones.Though the pain of death is still rather....unpleasant at best, I'm not inclined to complain when Lord Asheron has gifted us with the ability to ressurrect unscathed. The physical pain of death is a small price to pay for being allowed to return to life moments later. So, taking these things into consideration, we decided to go with him into the outstretched arms of possible demise...and oh were we glad we did.

We weren't there for long, but it was a battle the entire time. As soon as we left portal space and stepped onto that blackened soil I heard a crackling sound coming from behind me. I instinctively ducked and rolled to my right, turning about as I came back up and saw a bolt of lightning strike where I had been standing. It didn't take long to spot my attacker, either. A human shape, black, with burning red eyes running towards me with a demonic blade in one hand. A shadow.

From the sound of combat and roars behind me I knew that Jiaan and Rudy were a bit too busy to help me this time. So with a shout I unsheathed my blade, braced my shield for impact, and ran towards the creature. It's first blow struck my shield hard, but not enough to unbalance me. As it reated back for another strike I quickly jabbed forward, piercing the shadows side. It let out a blood curdling scream of fury, but was not finished just yet. It struck again, this time in a zig zag swing that knocked my shield aside long enough for it to make a swift thrust that should have killed me. But thanks to a quick jerk to the left its weapon only damaged my amuli and my pride.

Now the shadow was swinging again, but this time I reacted as I should. I brought my shield up to parry the blow and swung down hard on its wrist, cleanly slicing its hand off as it screamed in anguish and fury, thus leaving it weaponless. The shadow still didn't give up though. In it's other hand it began forming a spell, but now I had the advantage of speed. I quickly slammed my shield into the creatures chest, knocking it back and interupting its cast, then swung hard and high and the shadow fell. Its body to the left, its head rolling to the right.

As i stopped to catch my breath I saw that Rudy and Jiaan had killed two diamond golems, their crystaline corpses glistening in the mid-day sun, and three drudge raveners in the time it had taken me to kill a solitary shadow.

Damn mages.

With the coast clear for the moment we took time to gather our bearings and check for injuries. Miraculously we had come out unscathed. Afterwards we made the decision to head north west to see what could be found, and so off we went. Dodging, and sneaking by hordes of enemies, and occasionaly being confronted by smaller groups of various beasts. All of whom we defeated with a little skill and quite a few magically empowered healing elixers that myself and Jiaan, both being competent in alchemic skills, had made.

Whe had been hunting for just about an hour, and were about to give up our search for the day with at least the comforting knowledge that we had rid a bit more evil from our world when I stubbed my toe on something protruding from the ground. After a few curses were spat at the object for hurting my foot, I noticed that it wasn't a rock...but rather the corner of something steel. The three of us were able to dig it up rather quickly...and found ourselves grinning at an old, locked chest.

Of course, we didn't have a key that would likely work in a random chest we found out in hell itself...but that was easily overcame when Jiaan caused the lock to explode with a low level piercing spell. Then when the chest was opened we could barely believe our eyes. There was no gold, or jewells to sell within the dusty old chest...no...it contained something far more valuable. Knowledge. The chest was packed tight with scrolls, yellowed with age...and imbued with spells of the highest order we currently know. A chest filled with magical knowledge for the taking. Jiaan was already skilled in spells of this type...but Rudy wasn't quite to that point yet. These would help her hasten her magical abilities and become a better mage practically over night.

After we had each gathered all the scrolls that the chest had contained, we decided that such a find was more than enough for us to call this days adventures to a satsifying end, and so we returned to the mansion...although I took a detour to my home before I arrived...I decided to pick some ale I'd been storing at home for the three of us. After all....a good day deserves a good drink. I can only hope we have more trips the same as this in the near future!