[The first several pages are filled with heavily traced-over letters, followed by a section in which the words from other pieces of writing have been copied into the journal. The poetry of Grulpo, a book about rothe herding, and volume IV of the traveler's guide to Sanctuary have all been copied over. The letters are bold and blocky, having been carefully drawn and redrawn many times with an unsteady hand. Following the copies is something that appears to be original writing. Mispellings and improper capitalization and punctuation abound.]

First sentence! Hard to be riting. werks more, Later. praktiss.

[Kirix fills several more pages with practice sentences, showing little improvement in regards to grammar, but a slight improvement in spelling. Nothing interesting stands out to people snooping through this book hoping to learn about his personal life, his past, or his plans.]

Was going too be helping alixander but sees gnomes. Is scared, thay probly wants kirix ded. is wurried if is frends with alixander they tries killing him too. not has liked human as much since Melunie. has to be not putting him in danjer agen.

[Although it's hard to tell, Kirix has been reading a little bit more since he made his last journal entry, and he has written a few notes and letters to others as practice. His spelling seems to improve, but it seems his non-conventional grammar carries over as much in writing as it does in verbal communication.]

Thiss dark is good one. Wel, is mostly good. Kirix gets keys and not dies. Is having mor keys than ever was having. Is get to be exploring too so is good, only is bad becuz ther is animit animut animatrons musheens that tries to brake Kirix apart and is chozin who is screeching and attaking. We all falls down into pit. Is bad.

Then most grizzled man Kirix ever sees comes down on rope and is saving us. Is think was guided there by **Shaundakul** Starts to be thinking Melanie was rite after all. Is really nice god watching us, and is protecting wen can.

Has to be learning now mor than ever becuz if Melanie was rite about that, is probably rite about lots of other things too. Was rite that lerning to rite is help Kirix keep bad thots away by making good ones be focused. Was rite that is eesier make frends wen is nice insted of trying to be lying and steeling and running away.

Still not nose why she thinks of those things in first plase. Not seems like obveus first choice to Kirix, but then, Kirix has so many choices in head always not knows really how to sort them out.

Is hoping can be keep trying. Needs to keep promiss.

Was learning this dark that Senestia is dead. Knows should be feeling sad for her, sorry for her, feeling compassion like Melanie was saying, but feeling not is there. Is just emptiness, and knowing that now she is gone and not can be helping me again. Wishes was different, but is how Kirix is feeling.

Tries for minutes and minutes to be feeling sad about loss of good person, but is not working. Is maybe just wasted effort trying to learn how to be feeling ways is not natural for kobold to be feeling. Maybe is better just be listening to bad thoughts and do what they is telling me to do.

But if is doing that, is breaking everything was promising to Melanie. Has to prove that can be changing, that bad is not the only way Kirix knows how to be.

Is other bad things happening, too. While Kirix was out exploring, more Duergars is having moved into Lower. Thinks is time maybe should be trying to move upstairs. Is hard, but thinks has to be doing before is getting captured again.

Maybe is somebody up there can be helping teach about being good. Maybe is somebody can be helping find way to Surface, too.

Was talking to Councilor of Upper City this dark who was giving Kirix idea. Is scary idea, but is maybe good idea, just not knows if Kirix can be doing. Is lots of risk, but is maybe chance to be helping. Not knows. Wishes Melanie was here to be telling Kirix what right thing to do is.

Is confirmed now what Kirix has to do. Was thinking maybe was knowing, but wasn't sure until was talking to other friend this dark.

Is having good talk, thinks is maybe something Melanie would have been wanting. Is sometimes so hard knowing what is right and what is Shaundakul's will, but Kirix is think is getting better at knowing. Maybe little bit. Friend says Kirix is making good progress just by knowing how to tell which thoughts is bad and which maybe is not. Sometimes doesn't feel like it. Says if tries to be keeping promise, and be holding onto memories of Melanie and what she was teaching, maybe has chance of seeing her again when is dying.

Would be liking. Except for dying part.

Was Fight Night this dark. Is good, except for part where is so much fighting. Kirix had to be spending hours scrubbing blood off of floor. Is make good money, though. Woman named Sange is winning, not even is close.

Is big man Kort comes up from Sewer Town. Offers piece of Ubel's hair to Sange when she beats him in fight. Is wishing was getting to see, but was too busy playing drums.

Is interesting how Kirix is starting to see way Shaundakul works. Never really was believing for long time, but lately, has been thinking maybe Melanie really was right and Shaundakul always is watching the traveler.

This dark, was wandering out to sit and watch the well traveled road from gates of Sanctuary out into underdark, and happened to meet two humans or maybe something elf-like, not really knows what they was, just that they decides not to kill Kirix, which is good. Kirix warns them about big spider that was seeing on way they was look like was going. Is give Kirix chance to make friends, until we finds out there is ambushers waiting to ambush us. Is lucky Ghyrrt warns us and keeps ambush from happening.

Little while later, is meet up with duergar (The following is written in smaller text, arranged around the word duergar in a star pattern: bad, bad, bad, bad, bad) and others who is going to fight goblins. Kirix decides maybe if is following, can be helping others if duergar is try to make them all into slaves, because duergar is stupid and not would expect Kirix to be knowing all their tricks.

But on way, runs into other dwarf, and says there is slaves having been captured by drow. Was hard choice to make, but ends up going with other dwarf, because slaves already captured is need help more than ones who maybe could be getting captured, so Kirix goes to be freeing them if can.

Is how Shaundakul works. On road, you maybe expects to be doing one thing, but opportunities is come to do other things. Is think remembers Melanie saying that one time. Was saying she never expects to be friends with or be helping kobold, but strange things is happen in Underdark.

Kirix never was expecting to be saving life of Spellguard Agent, since is having heard they is drink blood of babies, which is thinking is something Melanie would say is bad, but this one not seems so mean, and when drow stabs her, Kirix shoots him and then heals her. Not thinks she really remembers later, but is help for moment with getting slaves free.

Only problem is being drow is too mighty and we not has any chance to beat them. Seekers gets captured, friends gets captured, people who Kirix not even likes gets captured, too. Kirix is scared to be helping, because is knowing how strong drow can be, but decides is maybe okay if shoot them up little bit.

Kills two or three, and dwarf kills lots more, but still is too many so we has to fall back.

But knows was being good, because afterwards, Seeker comes and frees people. That not happens by chance, is Shaundakul guided him there, is thinking. Seeker Mourn says Kirix is having done good job, would have been making Melanie proud.

Is hope so.

Also, learns is needing more keys. Ones is having not works on drow shackles.

[Written in a shaky hand]

Bad thoughts. Was thinking for while they was gone, but they comes back now worse than ever. Is having dreams every night, worse than before. Before, bad dreams was mixed with good dreams, dreams where Melanie still is alive, and is helping Kirix find Surface. She always was saying is proud, is glad to see how far is having come.

Those dreams is gone. Is darkness where they used to be. Is worse dreams now filling sleep.

Wakes up today from one of them. Is in dark cave, low ceiling, sandy floor, and mixed in with sand is blood. Not is alone, even though is feeling like it. Is gnome there, kneeling in sand, head bowed before Kirix. Not can see face, but knows is bloody, knows is same blood that is being on Kirix's claws, on Kirix's face. And there is other kobolds watching, in circle all around. Worst part is being feeling in heart. Not knows what guilt feels like, not knows what compassion feels like, but is knowing not is either one of those. Feeling is being pride, is feeling right, like is doing what is supposed to do.

And there is voice in dreams, saying is proud of Kirix, saying finish job with gnome, saying be giving in to heritage. Knows who is speaking, but not dares write name down.

Is have promise to keep. Has to find Surface. Has to be praying to Shaundakul for guidance, and has to be putting bad thoughts out of mind, or never never sees Melanie again.

[Those who see Kirix shortly after he wakes up this dark may notice shallow claw furrows in his snout. The flesh has been mended, but the hint of injury still remains.]

This dark was being first time Kirix was ever seeing someone get eaten by someone else was knowing. Is understanding happens lots in normal kobold tribes, but was relieved to find that Kirix not could stand sight of it. Is maybe sign that is starting to understand Melanie's lessons.

Was talking to Dwarf this dark. Name is being Hafur. Was reminding Kirix of old masters, except more pink-colored, or maybe could be calling tan, just not gray. Always feels strange talking to dwarves, is making the bad thoughts louder just being with them, makes Kirix's heart beat faster and growls come easier to throat.

But was suppressing all those feelings, and thinks was worth it. Dwarf had lots to say about Kirix's problem. Is saying there is flaw with how Kirix is trying to be good, and thinks he maybe is right. Not can be good because is thinking is supposed to be, or because is wanting to get rewarded for it. Has to come from heart, and since Kirix only ever has felt slightest, faintest glimmers of good coming from heart (and not even is sure those was real, maybe just was mind playing tricks) is going to be very, very hard to be good. Is more up to gods than is being up to Kirix. Has been praying extra hard to Shaundakul lately, praying that he lets Kirix understand these things, because is almost sure now that was feeling them once, feeling sympathy and grief when was hearing Melanie died. Is want to feel again, because is knowing that is way to Shaundakul's place, where Melanie is.

Dwarf also says needs to be careful not to mistake tribal instinct for love, because they not is same. Kirix already has been fighting hard, ever since has begun to see other kobolds. Knows they is bad, and the Melanie was warning to stay away, but feels drawn to them. And she was right, is bring out bad thoughts more when is being around them. Needs to spend more time with people like Seekers, and maybe even like dwarf named Hafur, who not really is anything like Duergar.

Is having worked little bit on love poem that Rip was wanting written, too. Is not sure if it works, because Kirix not really is most knowledgable about subject matter, but is trying anyway. Has made melody on mandolin to go with it, in case Rip is decide he wants song instead of poem to give to his love. Is wanting to be there when he delivers note. Maybe watching can help Kirix understand.

Was hearing news this dark about death of someone Kirix considers friend. Not brings any tears to Kirix's eyes, not makes heart wilt in chest, not does any of the things all the stories is say happens to somebody who loses friend.

Is beginning to lose hope, but knows not can do that. Has to walk the path of Shaundakul, and more importantly, has to be finding the way to the Surface.

Was lying. Finding Surface not is more important than doing what Shaundakul wants. Is sorry, Shaundakul. Not makes that mistake again.