[A small black book containing wrinkled pages and various smudges, a particularly dated page, in what looks to be wrecked and sloppy writing, perhaps a chids] Today was great!

spent the morning learning of Vergadain with Mah, then started wandering around the house looking at antiques and trying to figure their value. Spent a good four hours in the mines. Scary in there. I don't like it. Sunduhk got his face burned when they hit a gas pocket. Four died in a cave in. I can't stand it here...

[a number of pages ahead, the handwriting slightly less sloppy] Found this book under the bed. Mine work is done. The raids have increased. Mah is still greifed over Pah's death in the mine. She's acting as strong a duerra, but everyone knows she's in a bad way. Whole party was lost. Most of the males. Supposedly they struck Adamantite, though Sunduhk was likely just tugging my beard. Took up post on the wall, keeps trying to get me in. Probably have to, soon. Things are getting bad quick. Runnin'g low on food and the raids are getting wor-[A quick jagged line along the page]

[Even further ahead, handwriting worse and sloppy]

Dead. I watched 'em die. The Cap'n and I were on Wall duty, and a goddamn arrow hit 'em in the throat. Eyes buldged an' he just collapsed. My fourth week on the wall after training, and the cap's already gone. Sunduhk's feckin' glowin' like a golden over his promotion though. Tha eyes though. Blungin' out of 'es head and he didn't scream. Jest stared at me wide eyed an' collapsed. Gone.

[A large number of pages ahead] I'm leaving. I have nothing left here. Nothing at all. Sunduhk, head cleaved off. Mah's shop was ransacked and robbed. Two thirds of tha wall is destroyed, and most of the lads dead. Feckin' Massacre. They blew up the wall with charges in tha middle of the night. Hid like a bloody ratling using the gift and laid down by a pile of corpses from me mates. Rounded up most of the women and children in the middle of the outpost. Figured they was taking slaves. Butchered them all. They all died. That massive crowd, none could escape. Trapped by their friends and family. Crowd...

[The pages are continued to be filled with thoughts] Left the outpost. Joined up with that gnome on his caravan as a guard. I sell the goods from raiding Orrog and Bugbear fer a small markup. Merchanting is where I belong. Getting better with my weapon, still best hidin' behind a shield though. Todark is my last ride. Got enough goods to start fresh, and at the next outpost I get off. Duergar Mine. Just like home...

[The most recent page] Arrived in some backwater hole called Sanctuary while looking for Grunstubhle and was robbed by a raiding group of feckin' Orrogs. Escaped with the Gift, but tha goods were lost. Gobs and Orcfilth and believe it or not, feckin' paleskins. Shields. In tha dark. Tryin' to drink with me. Sickening. Lazy cowards stand around bickering about their pasts while drinking when they should be off working. Lazy Drunkards. All they are. Merchant work is progressing nicely. Forming a group to work for me. Humans. Soft and frilly. Need 'em fer business though. claim i'm "too rough". Pfah. Sonia could come in handy if I find research, and ah'm looking to get on that import business the constable was on about. Working on getting a building in Lower, and was offered a job working security at the crone. May see about organizin' shit as long as I don't have ta deal with the crowds. Last time I worked security everyone died...

[The diary is flipped back a few pages]

Merchanting is easy business. It's a trick of finding people, finding a source of goods, and dealing with it.

Had a run in with Customs in Tr-*Smudge*. Who'da thought that they of all things had customs. Feckers tried to lock me up for having a few bottles of their precious little wine. Gave 'em a bottle ta split amongst 'em and left the Gnome there. Like ah'd risk my neck when the little gnome can enjoy himself some time with a woman. As they dragged him off, he was screamin' I was an honorless bastard and that he was gonna come back an' kill me. Pfeh. I'm honorable. Never killed a man with malice in me heart. Never robbed an old woman. Never hit a child. Worse I did was trade a Gnome's freedom for my own. Ain' nothing wrong with that...

[The pages are flipped once again to the present]

Stouthearts are proving to be a thorn, while business is goin' smoothly fer once. Small group of merchants is comin' tagether, soon ah'll have a nice little empire. Need ta start working on hirin' guards and such though, and see if I get tha' seat on the council for financin'. Dunnah how people'd react ta me hidin' from the public an' workin on finances, but ah'd get shit done. As long as there's no damn crowds.

Fought the cowards in the arena. Pfeh. Feckin' five on one. After I threw the first fight chargin' without using my shield, the little bastard tripped me and beat my face in. So I returned the favor the next round. Without his god holding his hand, he fell. Fell as we did. They left us to die to the flayers. As I was hearing the soft squishes of his face being caved in by my hammer, and feelin' the cowards blood spray all over my face and hammer, tha fecks had the nerve to interfere with tha battle. I held my own against the pathetic Thane and some Druid who summoned a spider and deep lizard.

[A crude sketch is drawn in the middle of the page]

All of the. versus me. It felt good to show them how it felt. Alone. Without gods. Left to face an unstoppable foe while their supposed allies watch on in silence.

Today was a good day. I don't know the last time I thought such. My face is bloodied and I have a limp, but I put the feckin' cowards in their place, and with a bit of work, the entire city knows it.

Crone work is going good.

Hiring more folks, dealt with an assassin on a customer, got meself a corner office, Cy said it was a'right to mark it off.

Plans for the rock bottom.

Plans for the Stouts.

Plans for the Crone.

Trade deal is gonna be difficult. Kaylani died with a good amount of my gear, which would have given me a small fortune. Gotta find a new merchant besides Ed. Tough bastard, but doesn't deal in weapons and armor and such.

Sitting in jail now. Fawkes be a good lad. Wants to see the conflict between the cities ended as well. Jail is suprisingly nice compared ta what we had at the post...

Too many damn crowds in this city. The gift keeps me safe though.

Still no Duergar. Just Stouthearts.

And even they are gonna be rare.

Seems Fawkes seeks the trouble ended as well. Could be an interesting ally, a Watchman.

says most of lowers gold came from upper. No business of it's own.

Gotta end this if I get on Council.

Feckin' doubt that though.