Dearest Da,
Hope you're all keeping well, I feel like I always leave in a hurry but we're always off to do something daft and sometimes it easier to slip off than explain - you ken when you think you've got a good idea but when you say it out loud it sounds stupid? I feel like that's life now.
Anyway we've made it Pacapa, this place is amazing - they've got some real amazing toys here, the guards are all floating around on these metal disks above ground, I'm not sure if it's some kind of flying or levitation enchantment they've got or maybe it's more a focus on their control of the disks themselves. They've also got these fancy crossbows, looks like they've got a repeating shot type of enchantment on them; they've no strings or bolts but I'm willing to bet they're not all floating around with unloaded weapons! I'm dying to know more but I think there's a fine line between curious admiration and looking like we're starting trouble so I think I'll see what I can find out around town. There's a market here four times the size of the Omimarket, there's bound to be a tinkerer or too I can chat up; do you remember that family from the Brodie clam that left the mountain a few months before us? They were heading to Pacapa, and the eldest lad always had a thing for me, I might see if I can find them - mind you, if their journey to to coast was anything like ours who know where they might have ended up and when!
It wasn't easy getting here - a bunch of nasty beasties attacked us along the way, I think Kel called them gnolls (there's nothing that boy hasn't read about, he reminds me of how Arnon was when we were bairns). Of course we dealt with them, but I think Sailing Ship used up a fair few of his nine lives and he hasn't been the same since. Cade went completely crackers too - whilst Kel & I were taking stock of what had just happened and Ship sat up a tree rocking, Cade transformed in to a great big bloody bear and went charging down the last of these gnoll things! He came back with one of them in his mouth like wee Jasper used to with mice, although Cade didn't look quite as proud of himself. It was a wee bit terrifying to see Cade like that but I have to be honest and say I felt safe too, like he's got our backs if you ken what I mean.
We found a few trinkets off the gnolls (sold them off when we got to Pacapa, I'm still not sure how I feel about this taking things from dead bodies, we have a nasty looking flail their leader was carrying, I think we should probably turn that in for the gold too but Sailing Ship has been kinda of catatonic the last few days so we just want to make sure he doesn't have use for it) and burnt the bodies. After a wee rest we headed on down the road again.
The weather just wasnae letting up for us either, as we struggled getting the cart down the road we came to this crossroads and the floor was covered in blood, and I don't just mean someone butchered a couple of chickens for supper it was a literal bloodbath all over the road, even with everything we've seen and done it sent a chill down ma spine and quake in ma belly. There was this poor, half dead, half-orc crawling up the road, Cade managed to heal the poor fella enough for him to explain he was a caravan guard that got attacked by hideous monsters, I don't think the poor fella realised he was the only one the survived until we pointed it out and then - of course - those bastards attacked us too.
I'm not gonnea be a brecaire here and tell you I bravely grabbed the wrench and started laying in to them - oh did I shite! I wanted to run Da, I didn't think we could make it through the heard. I managed to instil a bit of heroism in to Sailing Ship but I should have taken it maself! Sailing Ship jumped in to the fray like he was back to his normal self again, Kel was shooting powerful spells at the beasts and Cade summoned a bear to protect him and the orc (it didn't help, that poor half-orc was so petrified with fear and just couldn't pick himself up off the floor before it was too late) and what did I do... well, I thought I was being clever and that I could run the horses through the crowd of monsters and pick up the rest of the guys on the way through, Kel was on the cart, Ship was riding a horse and I went for it... straight in to Cade, I nearly knocked him clean out. I tried to keep going but the horses weren't up for it and I drove them straight in to a hedge, sending us all flying!
We weren't going anywhere so we had to fight these things to get away. Sailing ship was knocking them out of the park, Cade was flying high in owl form keeping himself alive at safe distance and Kel summoned this huge ball of lightening out of the sky - it was impressive Da! I've seen lightening bolts thrown like I can throw fire but this was something else - it did a fair amount of damage to them and slowed them down long enough for us to finish them off, even Cade was able to transform back and get in the fight. This time he healed us all up rather than go chasing down any more nasties in bear form!
We eventually got to Pacapa the next day and here we are. It a big ol' place, no walls outside or anything like that but it's very secure, like I said the guard have some awesome looking toys at their disposal.
Oh - I almost forgot to say! We camped out in a cave for a bit of shelter one night and whilst I was taking watch I was just sitting at the mouth of the cave with Nessie and Boobrie strumming a few lullabies that dragon notched the creep level up to maximum! You remember when I told you that Nassandrial could appear human? Well so he did. Not only that but he wasn't even actually there just an illusion. I cannae ken what it's game is to be honest - he was watching us sleep, taunting us saying he's going to come and destroy us just when we've had a "big win" like it wants to knock the wind out of our sails - I can't tell if it's following us, physically, magically or what. Whatever's going on I think I preferred it when it was just a nasty great dragon trying to kill us rather than a creepy stalker. Do you remember when that young lassie from the Tulloch's family that got a crush on little Argill and used to hang around the old shop back home all day until Uncle Garrick got the Mountain Guard to force her to stay at least 200ft away from the shop!! I kind of feel like we need the Mountain Guard to hep us out!
So, here in Pacapa we managed to meet up with our "secret" friend [Fallah] who's helped us out a few times and she told us there's been some upsets in the secret organisation [Brokers of Secrets], apparently The Blackhand [Marcus] is no longer with the organisation, she didn't was to say as much but I think he might be dead! I didn't know him well but a friend of Geshut is a friend of mind and I'm worried to hear it. We gave her some gold to help look in to any rumours she might have about this Nassandrial and if she knew where Elric might have disappeared to. She helped us out with some intel on the caves north of town as well, we now know it's a couple of hours north on foot and there's lots of caves in the structure with all sorts of beasties and environmental hazards.
We've just done a little bit of shopping and I managed to get maself a lovely new winter coat (it's surprisingly cold up here) and some supplies and we've settled in to an Inn for the evening. I think we're going to stop here for a few days before we move on, take on some supplies and rest up a little. I think Sailing Ship needs a few days of R&R, Kel keeps writing or reading in his books every time we stand still for a minute so I expect he'll be pleased to be in one place for a wee while. I might see what Cade is up to and maybe see if I can pick up an odd job or two whilst we're in town, I havenae spent any time just crafting and tinkering for a while so I might see if I can pick up some off jobs.
I told the laddie I gave this letter to you'd give him 1gp if this letter arrives safely, make sure he doesn't try to fleece you for any more! There should be a small package too, I found a few really interestingly shaped rocks along the journey and I thought Aileen might like them for her collection.
Take care, give a big smacker to everyone for me.
Love, Lotty xxx
