By Moradin, what a long week it’s been!

My escape from the duergar was a stroke of genius, if I may say so. My one regret is that I wasn’t able to rend useless the bodies of more of their kin before I made my departure. For four days I wandered this shadowy abyss, and for four long days I wished only for the basics of dwarven survival: cold stout, red meat, and stimulating conversation. The horrors I witnessed were many, and I was lucky to escape with my life. An umber hulk nearly devoured me at one point. As luck would have it (Tymora be praised) I felt the minute tremors before it was too late and managed to conjure a beast to distract it and cast another spell to obscure myself from sight before it was able to finish me off.

I’ve met up with a number of my kin here, and for this boon I am immensely grateful. They call themselves the Stouthearts and are in the process of reforming their ranks. It seems that an orc-blood named ‘Maalgor’ killed a few of their leaders, including their former Thane, and they are now trying to get themselves back in order. They share my hatred of the duergar, and are working to find alternative sources of iron in order to supplant the grey bastards in an economic battle. I was happy to lend my intellect to their cause, and I suspect that we will have many profitable months ahead of us.

The city’s Lower ward is in chaos. I witnessed some fool spouting off about one of the local crime lords to a member of the district’s guard force, only to nearly be killed by another figure himself. The footmen were hesitant and ineffectual, the true power in the situation being the enigmatic figure who held the slanderer at spear point. In this metropolis of rock and shadow, power belongs to those with the intellect and strength to take it and maintain it. I’ll need to remember this lesson well.

[Helmut's tidy, elegant script is more messy than usual, as if the writer were too excited to focus]

I’ve had a revelation, an epiphany, of sorts. During my time on the surface, I heard of a number of my colleagues who were able to teleport from place to place. Logic would dictate that I could likewise teleport myself out of here, given the appropriate research. That said, my place within the Stouthearts puts me in an ideal position to escape from Sanctuary for good. I’ll need to amass a considerable amount of wealth to provide the needed resources for my research and experimentation, and that might just be within my reach. With the proper leverage, it is my belief that the Stouts could become a major political and economic power in Sanctuary.

Things are progressing well. I am on my way to a more prestigious position within the clan, thanks in part to my own intellect and Abbathor’s blessing. This seat of power will allow me to bring considerable prosperity to the clan and, through that, my freedom.

Abbathor guide me as I gather the needed strings.