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Journal of Talir Razenk, dwarven priest

I be not rememberin' much o' me past, but what I be, I shall write here. I hail from a mountain home far from here. Name I be not rememberin' but it be a good place. Or so it was. Near me home grey ones be havin' one o' their outposts. Me clan, the Firekegs, had always been avoidin' them but as the year be passin' and we be hearin' or seein' nothin' from them, we grew concerned. Fearin' them grey ones be up fer somethin', the clan leader sent a group o' scouts to see what them be doin'. Several days later, some o' me clans miners be comin' back with our scouts, though they be all dead. A imagined truce was broken, and the clan sent their full fightin' force fer drivin' away them grey. I was in that group. We met no resistance in gettin' into their outpost, but when we be inside them grey ones showed what they be up fer. Showed who they be dealin' in secret with. Dark elves attacked us from above. Clangeddin be proud o' our battle there, but they be too many. Seein' we be overpowered in the outpost, we called a retreat. Some o' us, me included, were stayin' back, givin' the other time fer gettin' away and warn me clan's elders. Fer us coverin' them, it be a nightmare. Magics be hurtin' us, and we knew we had better make our last stand in them outer corridors, outside the outpost. I be the only one gettin' there. Cursin' meself fer leavin', I faced back from where I ran and raised me axe, prepeared fer makin' me last stand alone. Then one o' the dark elves be comin' towards me. He waved his little fingers, then panic attacked me. I be knowin' I shouldn't be fleein' more, but me legs be disagreein'. Befer I be knowin' it, I was back near me clan's home. There, that cursed elf showed up again smilin'. He said somethin' in his own language, then wiggled his fingers again. Me arms, belly, legs and head froze. Dark one wiggled again, and now I be floatin' in the air. And he showed me me clan's end. I be forced to watch it, floatin' and unable to do somethin'. Them drow be attackin' me home, and there were a lot o' them. There, I saw the end o' all that be precious fer me. That elf took great pleasure in killin' me lass, greatest dwarf woman I ever seen, and me little ones. And I could do nothin' but watch. I was broken.

Next the drow be takin' me to the clan hall. There stood me clan leader, which name I be sadly fergettin', fightin' with his last breath. Several slain foes lay near him, and them other drow kept their distance from his axe. But them drow be havin' another ally. A squid, nasty with tentacles instead o' mouth, came in. It quickly moved towards me clan leader, and unleashed a force I felt in me head. It only stunned me clan leader fer a moment. But that be all them drow needed fer gettin' through his defenses. There, the great warrior fell, and I became the last o' me clan. The wiggler talked with the squid. Them be arguin' about somethin', then the elf sighed. The squid faced me, and me world grew dark.

I awakened. Loud noises echoed in the open place I be standin' near, sounds o' spell castin' and screams o' the dyin'. Meself, I be lost. Standin' there like a dumb rothe, I could not be movin'. Grunts be the only sound I could make, I quickly put away the thought o' speakin'. Then one o' the squids be movin' towards me. I be just starin' at it, without thoughts o' runnin' or fightin'. It stood over me, put them nasty tentacles around me head, and began messin' with me head. Warnin's sounded inside me head, but I could do nothin'. Then, it found me brain. I be feelin' it grew eager, and it moved closer to me. Sparks o' divine energy erupted inside me. The sound o' thousand battles rose in me head, and the squid quickly retreated from me, tentacles smokin'. Then I be hearin' his voice. "Why ye be standin' here like a durned rock in the sea?" And I be knowin' it be Clangeddin. "Why ye not be figthin', like ye have done so many times before?" Tears be droppin' from me eyes, I could not speak so I painted a picture in me head, o' me in rags. And an broken axe. "Ye think that means ye be lost, that ye be no good?" I sobbed loudly, and stared at the squid. It be angry and gurglin' it's language, it assulted me head. Waves o' pain came fer me, and I screamed. "Why ye not be fightin'?" And with that, the pain ended. Divine powers pushed back the attack, and I could see the squid clearly again. It waved it's tentacles again. The waves o' pain were slung back. "This time, I be fightin' fer ye. Ye may not be rememberin' much o' yer past now, so I be givin' ye a new name. Ye shall be known as Talir Razenk, in ye language it means either Shield Rebuilt, or Protector Reborn. Think ye lost yer skills in fightin'? Then ye shall serve as a priest. I be fightin' yer battle here, now fight fer me!" The squid unleashed it's mental attack again. But this time, it be meself who fought it. It could not be hurtin' me again. Then it prepeared some other devastatin' attack, but was killed by a half one sneakin' to his back. I be hearin' Clangeddin's voice again, tellin' me to flee. And after some days, I found Sanctuary.

Me first darks in be confusin'. I be not rememberin' me past, and me head be hurtin' from the squid's attacks. But I found others o' me kin here, and that must be countin' fer bein' good. I found out that there even be a dwarf clan here, the Stouts. Even met some o' them, but as I said to Frors, a finger wiggler, I be not rememberin' me past and don't want to tie meself up to somethin' in case me past be bad. Frors be learnin' me, to let past be past, and that be the reason fer me bein' here today. For when me memories returned, I saw what I had done. Me clan, me wife and me little ones. I had betrayed them. By bein' weak, and runnin' from them dark ones, I led them straight to me home. I led them. I be the reason me clan be gone today, I be the reason fer their sufferin'. I cried, I screamed and I be wantin' to just die. But then I be rememberin'. That Clangeddin saved me from them squids. He be askin' me to fight fer him, and I be wantin' to kill meself? Bah, durned rock I be. So I be goin' around, helpin' out in Sanctuary. Tryin' to find me place. At last, I be goin' to one o' the Stout's elders, Kasin, askin' fer where Frors be. He be sayin' I could ask him if it be clan business. Then I sealed it, when I be sayin' that me past be troubled, but I be wantin' to join the Stouts. He be tellin' me to send a letter to the Thane, Rollo. And I be doin' that. Though I be not hearin' if I be Stout or not, me be thinkin' it really doesn't matter. Kin be kin after all.

Me memories be returnin', and from them I be rememberin' a travelin' son' we dwarves be singin' when out in them mines.

I be rememberin' a place... Where little ones ran around. I be rememberin' a place... Where darkness gave way to the gloom. I be rememberin', Somewhere in the past. A mountain home far from here, a good lookin' lass.

Her hair be red, fiery too, Her eyes still shinin' blue, The belly matchin' a ogre I saw, and axe as good as new.

Though I be here, and ye be there, though I be rememberin' ye... ye would probably have grown another beard. Them little ones runnin' around, and doin' all their fun, while I be fightin' here, havin' no rum.

That be bringin' back memories fer sure.

One o' these darks, a ceremony be held fer puttin' duergar steel to the ground. It was amazin', and the feelin' o' belongin' was good. Though I had to put away me armor, shield and morningstar. But after the ceremony, when I be walkin' out armorless and dressed only in me robes, flyin' chosen and eyeballs be attackin' us. The fight went fer a long time, but we dwarves did great. Durin' the fight, me eyes be hurt. I be temporary blind, and couldn't see a thin'. It passed away with some time, but I still be seein' double when concentratin' hard. And I be needin' to use a staff.

I be hatin' drow wizards. Me and some other adventures met drow, though they be havin' eight legs. But drow be drow, wheter they be havin' two legs or eight, fer me thinkin'. And some o' them drow be finger wigglers. While the others began fightin' with them, I stared in shock. Memories o' me clan came to me. Memories o' floatin' in the air, doin' nothin' while them drow killed me clan and family. A rage entered me then, and shoutin' "Fer the Firekegs!" I be chargin' them. We battled them fer a long time, and then when we be goin' deeper, their horrible leader came. Eight legged and fearsome, he be a powerfull warrior fer me thinkin'. Then he be castin' a spell at me. I stared at him while the pain throwed me back. Starin' very hard. "WIZARD!" I be screamin', and madness struck me. Through me tears I saw the dark finger wiggler killin' me loved ones, while I be floatin' in the air. And now I be seein' a eight legged wizard hurtin' me friends. Though this time, I be ready fer battle. I attacked it, struck it and when it be fleein' I followed. More o' it's friends came, and even with all me trainin' as a priest, I couldn't hold them back. They struck me down, and last thin' I felt was the wizard webbin' me.

Later, I awoke findin' me friends starin' at me. I be hurt real bad, but them helped me out o' the place. Even when I be tellin' them I had betrayed them by runnin' after the wizard, they still be praisin' me effort.

Me eyes be gettin' better. I can fight without the staff, holdin' me club and shield. But I be likin' me staff, it has it's uses. And I be writin' a new son', this one o' alcohol. Me be thinkin' I should be singin' that while drinkin'.

Ale song:

Come me brothers, let ye voice be heard. Fer this son' be sun', by lots o' beards. Now wherever ye hail, lift ye voice with ye ale, and if ye back be sore, go buy some more.

Wherever life be takin' ye... Ye just know, that anywhere... Ye'll find a place or more... Where there be... Alcohol!

Be sure to give Spencer a toast, fer sure, he be our happy host. Might be that before tonight, lots o' us be sleepin' tight. Come let us find, some good wine. And later see, how many left o' us there be.

Wherever life be takin' ye... Ye just know, that everywhere... Ye'll find a place or more... Where they serve... Alcohol!

Drink up lads, surely ye want more? I thought ye be dwarves, but that was before. If there be only beards proud, then ye praise Moradin loud. Fer sure ye be able to, drink up then be singin', Oooo...

Wherever life be takin' ye... Ye just know that nowhere... Ye'll find no place or more... Where they won't have... Alcohol!