Journal of Rollo Lavius 1

Entry #8 - Say 'Aye' to a Pie

(G8 - KT) DAY 6

We sent Shifty out to sell some of the loot. There was plenty of gold from that so we spent some of it getting that nasty disease out of Nobby's system. The rest of the day we spent back at the Slaughterhouse, sorting out whose room was whose, and how we were going to run the pie business.

We more or less agreed that we would give the butcher a share of the profits and just let the slaughterhouse side of things sort of run itself. The pie business would been closer supervision though as it would all be new. I think we are dreaming here a bit to be honest. Nobby is the only one with any merchant background and the others may be excited about it for a while, but once it looks like they have to actually work at it they may loose interest. But who knows, perhaps I am being too cynical, what?

We spent a fair amount of time with Taeghen, the sun elf. He seems to know what we are talking about anyway.

Before it got dark I went for a wander around the jungle beside the slaughterhouse and managed to spot a 'stink badger' , a large skunk type creature that I have read about but not actually seen before. I also collected some smaller animals.

(For further notes see Beast Journal Entry #178)

Back to the rooms. I 'blunder bussed' the top room, the biggest bedroom upstairs I think. I got Molly moved into the room next to me. She's a handy little thing and seems to be good at looking after the animals I am collecting. She's just a local urchin that hung around the Bent Goblin.

Shifty took another room down the hall and then - inexplicably - got a tradesman in from town to brick up the window!

Even more odd, if you ask me, Raz opted for the large drawing room downstairs , that was all fitted out with skulls and bones by the cultists anticipating the return of Crimson. Well, I helped him out with cleaning the place out, but I think he's crazy if he's going to sleep down there. I couldn't, knowing what was going on.

Anyway, that night, myself and Nobby (who was fully recovered by now) decided to sneak in while he was sleeping and play a trick on him. We opened his door and Nobby tried to skulk in but Raz spotted her. While he was shouting at her to get out, Mr Badgerington managed to nip under his bed.

Raz then went back to sleep, little knowing that there was a badger under him!

DAY 7

Well, I got ill during the night, the same thing as Nobby had. What happened during the night while I was getting ill I can only guess at but this is what I think happened having talked to Mr Badgerington about it.

Raz was awoken by the badger nibbling on his toes. He kicked him out and then came to my room. He then, and it beggars belief to be honest, hoisted up his kilt and emptied his bowels on the end of my bed!

It was like something out of fresher year back at the lyceum! But at least after he had done that he the decency to go fetch Nobby because I was feverish and ill.

He tried to keep what he had done a secret but I could tell by all the smirking he was doing. Well, anyway, a quick trip to town and a few spells from Nobby and I was more or less as right as nine pence again.

So much so I decided to go hunting in the jungle, Nobby and Raz tagged along as well, while Shifty went into town to sort out a locksmith (we had all decided to get locks on our doors - I wonder why?).

We tracked a big lizard for a while and then found it deep in the jungle. A monitor! What an amazing creature!

But it didn't like the look of us and attacked. Raz set about it with his axe, but he also go bit on the leg a few times. I accidently shot Raz in the posterior with my crossbow, but I healed him shortly afterwards so no harm done. Three mighty blows and the beast was dead. We carried it back to the house and I started preparing it for stuffing.

(For further notes see Beast Journal Entry #179)

I had to tear myself away though, because we had our date with Lady Lavina Vanderboren at her manor in the merchant district. Taeghen the baker had made the most amazing pie for us to take as a gift! It was really good work. It had been Raz's idea, but by the time we got it to the manor house he could control his greed no longer and took several big bites out of it!

We repaired it as well as we could, but it didn't matter as Lady Vanderboren seemed to go mad for the pie at dinner.

Yes, dinner was interesting anyway. From what I gathered she is 'new money' here in Tashluta, her parents were successful adventurers. Apparently her parents died recently though and left her with some debts that need paying. In order to access the family vault she needs a magic ring that is on board one of her ships.

Unfortunately though her ship is being held by the harbour master and his men. She says she has paid her debts to the harbour master, but he refuses to release the boat.

I'm inclined to think this is all a bit of a story and besides, although Shifty and Raz may be happy to hire themselves as common mercenaries I certainly am not. I will help a lady though, even if she is 'new money' and obviously lacks an education in the classics. In any event, after we had all eaten and discussed her problem we said goodbye and went back to the house. (I've stopped referring to it as the 'slaughterhouse' as that sounds so grim!)

I'm now tucked up in bed - which has nice new sheets from town - and with the door securely locked! I will just write this and then pen a quick letter to father, if we are going down to the harbour tomorrow anyway, perhaps I can find a ship that can take it?