[A thin battered book, with the first ten or so pages torn out]

Found this book under a bed in the Rock Bottom. What a name for an inn. It's mine now.

What a place this is! Who knew there were whole towns, cities even, underground! Well, I must make the most of it, while I can. At least I found Shauna again, thank the goddess. I'll never let her know, but I really worried about her.

When the drow took us, I thought I was a dead woman. The way they carved the rest of the caravan up was bloody awful. Never seen anything like it. At least Shauna and I had the sense to throw down our weapons. It saved our lives, I think.

They took us underground. I thought they were going to kill us, but they just kept going deeper and deeper. I've no idea how far down we came, but we stopped to rest a lot of times, so it must have been days, even weeks of nothing but stone and rock.

The drow didn't hurt us too bad. Maybe following orders quickly was a good idea after all. Just a few blows, nothing serious. Kept tying us up every time we stopped though.

Except that last time, when the ropes were a bit loose. Then I showed that bastard. Big rock, head. End of story for the black mongrel. I was able to grab his knife and get the ropes off Shauna too, and we got away.

I thought I'd lost Shauna for good when that big lizard came at us. Lucky we were both able to outrun it, but in different directions, but I didn't know this till I saw her downstairs. Played it cool, though. She'll never know I was worried.

Maybe Waukeen was watching over me. I wandered around and... wow, voices! I followed them, and saw some people and stunties wandering along. I followed them, and they went into these big gates.

Big gates, big town. Maybe I can make some coin here.

Well, what an interesting couple of days I've had.

Shauna's been showing me around, what a place! It's a lot bigger than it looks, at first. And so many people! I've no idea how I'm going to get home, so I'm glad there's something here that's at least a little like a city.

Been doing some jobs, gathering coin to re-equip myself. The drow bastards left me with nothing but rags and the dagger I took from one I did for. Some decent armor, and a nice blade. Much better.

Met a few people, some Shauna introduced. That Michael guy, from the Spellguard seemed nice. And he comes from Waterdeep! He's a little old for my tastes, usually, but who knows? Maybe I can get a proper paying job as one of these associate things. Another one called Johnny, was useless as tits on a bull when we tried to clear those rats again. I almost laughed myself silly when he woke up to see Shauna with her hand in his pack! Lucky she's a quicker thinker than me, I think she convinced him she was trying to help.

We'll get that job done yet. We just need some decent help.

Oh yeah. I just came back from some gladiator games they were having in a basement under the Pissing Crone down stairs (love these names!!). I saw this little elf girl, Quadra, kick the arse of some guy called Gerdan. It was great!! Just a slip of a thing, too. I hope I learned a few things watching her play with him.

I wish I'd known about these games earlier, I might have had a go.

Well, what a day!

Today I went with some others to check out a portal that might reach the surface. To find a way home so soon! Shauna wasn't around, but I though if it was true I'd come back and get her. I was pretty suspicious though.

Those two stunties that were smacking each other around at the games yesterday came along. So did a couple of those Magenta guys... the little one that talks funny, and the big one that talks funny too. There was some paladin guy called Bran, and an elf girl, Amywiel.

I'm not going to waste paper. I'll just say my suspicions were proven. I took a real bad blow to the head, and passed out for a while. Shauna would kill me if I told her I wasn't wearing my helm.

Bran died, too. Ah well, his armor fetched a nice price from Speckard.

It was hard, but we fought our way back out. Fixed the bastard that sent us into the portal too.

There were two highlight of the whole deal. The Magenta's left, saying the "ladies" could have their picks when splitting the loot. Fools. Then Amywiel really surprised me. She took me aside after the others left, and showed me the stuff she'd kept! Wow, a girl after my own heart! I reckon we could be fast friends real soon. Got to introduce Shauna to her if I see her again. The loot we split then made the trip all worth while.

It was all I could do to keep a straight face when I asked Shauna to lend me some gold to buy the plate. It was priceless. And she lent me the money! I'm glad I thought of it first. Now I just have to pay her back. With interest.

I've been busy. Lot's of jobs, mostly deliveries. Some more intersesting ones, including a really strange one for the Tigereyes down in the sewers. That was fun! Speaking of the sewers, it's a real warren down there. Shauna showed me some place she called sewer town, but that's being kind calling it that.

Made some new friends, too. Some priestess (of Loviatar of all things) called Cammi, is actually really nice. The thing she gave Shauna to wear is bloody disgraceful, though. No way am I wearing something like that.... unless I find an interesting guy that is.

Cati's another priestess too (they're everywhere, it seems). She worships Malar! She's damn good with the healing though, really helped me out in the sewers. And Shauna trusted her with her secret, so that counts for something too. I like them both. As long as they don't try and convert me.

Seems we have a real sisterhood growing there. We'll watch each other's backs.

Haven't seen much of that idiot Pickles, thank the goddess. Some other guy called Kumagan has replaced him. Keeps trying to get me drunk. He has no idea what he's playing with.

It's been a few days, so I thought I'd write more here, maybe it will keep my head focused. A lot has happened. Some good stuff, some not so good.

Shauna and I have managed to get closer to Michael De La Ray. He seems interested in us as Spellguard Associates. Sounds like a fun job, with good prospects. Took us out into the mines to deal with some gnolls. We cleaned them out easy. I think we impressed him, he said he'd give us a good word with the powers that be in the tower.

Get the timing right, idiot. That happened just before I wrote this, and there's other stuff I need to put down.

Met a priestess, a Lovite called Cammi. Nice lady, her taste in clothing is interesting. Shauna got her to make a matching kit for me, the bitch. Maybe I can surprise the right guy with it. Or maybe not.

I should know better, but I got pissed night before last. Shauna started playing games again, nicked my purse. I smacked her down well and good, but then she jumped me when she'd recovered. I sort of remember waking up on the floor of the Crone, Cati laughing her guts up saying we'd both knocked each other out. Damn, I should be able to whip Shauna every time. I'll never hear the end of that.

Did a big job in the dunwarren area with that Tarnis guy leading the crew. What a bloody mess. No discipline, every one doing their own thing. Quadra lost the plot, which surprised me. I thought after seeing her in the gladiator arena she was better than that.

Quadra... pissed me off yesterday. I was in the Rock Bottom and Grey ran in and said someone was being attacked upstairs. I ran up and there she is barring the door to a room while guys inside are beating Irulan up. Spouted some crap about Irulan attacking them first, but why would a slip of a thing like her do that. Obviously a lie. I've talked to Irulan a bit and reckon she's been made a target, so I tried to help. Quadra spat it again, and stalked off. I don't know what to make of the girl. Need to have a talk with her, get that crap sorted out.

This is strange. I went out some others to tackle some trolls. One of the bastards got through my defenses and hurt me badly. I must have fainted or something, and had the wierdest dream. I thought I saw Michael, and he was really pissed about something, wouldn't talk to me, which isn't like him at all.

Then I woke up. That blow to the head really hurt, I still haven't recovered. I can see Shauna being smug already.

[hastily penned at the top of a new page]

Dearest Kata it is most gratifying to know that you really do care - and yes I was worried about you as well.

I treasure your friendship and it worries me how often you are getting hurt - please take care it is dangerous out there.

I will say prayers to Waukeen for your faith and fortune and ask her to guard over you.

You need to find a safer place to hide this diary.

Love your Sister Shauna

On a new page, scrawled in large capital letters

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT

This has been one of the biggest days of my life.

I woke up (without Shauna kicking me) and went downstairs. Cammi was there with Shauna, but there was something wrong. Shauna crooked a finger to follow, so I went outside with them, so we could talk quietly.

Turns out Cammi wants to kill that bastard Hector. Good, I think. She wants us there for backup, and I'm ready to go. The bastard deserves it.

Cammi calls him over and gives some shitty story about a drow ship beached on Dark Lake that needs checking out. Even I didn't buy that story, and he looked suspicious. He called Matham and that dickhead Arto that keeps staring at me over, and they said they'd come too. I started getting a bad feeling about the whole deal right then.

So down we went, till we were almost to the Blue Mushroom. Matham pulls me, Shauna and Cammi away from the others who go and rest, and rips us up about what we were trying to do. He knew everything, surprise!

Then Hector and Arto came back, and things got worse. He was an asshole and threatened us as usual, ignoring Matham who told him to stop. Then Cammi started casting. I'm no mage or whatever, but she cast a lot of spells, then went for Hector. I wanted to jump in and help, but I saw Shauna hesitate, which probably saved my life too.

Hector killed her, the bastard, made it look easy. Matham made Hector carry her body back to the Hold, where he had the priests raise her, but ... shit, that was so wrong. Matham seems all right, but the people he has around him are pricks.

A while later, we ran into Michael again. Some good news at last after that crap earlier. His recommendations of us for associate jobs were positive, so he took us to the tower where we met an agent called Delgado. He was okay, in a creepy sort of way.

He wanted to test us as well, so we put a group together and checked out some rip off guy in the canal ward. It was a slog, but we made it out looking good. Now we're associates of the Spellguard! I'll be a good girl and do what I'm told. This looks like a good job, steady coin.

Michael loved it, I could tell. Shauna and I played bodyguard after some guys attacked him. Not mentioning anything more about that here, I've seen how easy it is for someone to read it. But Michael loved it. You could see him strutting around with us guarding him in the spellguard colours. Damn he's cute when he's cocky.

What a day.

Damn it! Michael and I were in the Rock Bottom, when some invisible bastard came out of nowhere and smacked him down. I was so busy with Michael I didn't see anything else. Thank Waukeen Matham was there and quick with the healing, or we might have lost him. I owe that man, now.

Whoever did it got away too. I'm so bloody angry about this. Some protector I was.

So much has happened since I wrote last. It makes me dizzy thinking about it all.

The Spellguard job is done and gone. Things were going really well, then we went to cleanse a temple. Some.. thing attacked us. Shauna and I were knocked out or something, because when we came to we were alone. Then this giant skeleton thing ran into the room. I tried to fight it, but it hammered me. We managed to get away, but the damn thing chased us out of the temple and into the streets of Lower, where it killed some of the locals before going back inside.

Michael was pissed! But all he could care about was the damn reputation of the bloody Spellguard. We were bawled out for not standing and dying before the thing went and did what it did anyway.

Shauna was livid, and when we got back to the tower we told de la Ray and Delgado to stick their associate job. I felt better straight away, even though Delgado was not a happy man.

Something else has happened as well. Something I never looked for, never expected. Quadra, the elf I wrote about earlier, is amazing. We had a duel at the arena, and she whipped me, which I expected. I didn't expect Shauna to beat her, though she had fully blessed herself first. She had a another fight with some strange woman in armor, and that was just wierd. We talked for hours then, and slowly, something changed. I'm still not sure how it happened, but we ended up.. well [the writing trails off here]

Back at the Rock Bottom, Shauna me and Erandla were talking in a room, when there was a flash and the smell of smoke, and a bloody demon came out of nowhere. It attacked Shauna first, and we tried to fight it off. It looked like it was working till another popped out of nowhere and joined up surrounding us in darkness. We ran downstairs for help, and came back up to find the floor empty, like nothing had happened. I still don't think that stuffy old coot Delvak believes me.

[the writing becomes more ragged here] Shauna and I died today. We went into the sewers and found undead controlled by those Chosen ratmen. Cati and Shauna went down, and I was able to fight the undead bastards off, but it was too late. I carried them both back to the Hold, and brought them back. My backs still hurting!

Then we went back to collect the stuff we dropped, and that's when some bastard ratmen did for me and Shauna. Thank the goddess for Cati, she saved us from hell knows what. That sister can fight like the devils. I don't care who she worships.

What the hells is going on in this city!

That bitch Imnan finally got what she deserved today. Mylin had the honor, but I would happily have done it myself. I don't think I'd have succeeded though. She can't hurt Quadra, or anyone else any more now.

Something else, something I never expected to ever happen. I'm in love!

I saw other people in love, and thought they were idiots. Laughed at them. Goddess, now I know better. I never thought I'd be with anyone, let alone an elf, and a girl at that!

We sat today, the three of us, and talked for hours. I ended up telling Quadra my life story. Only Shauna knew that until now. I learned so much about her too. Just now, I told her my true feelings, something that terrified me more than any fight I've ever been in.

I can't remember ever feeling this happy, I feel like I'm floating.

Shauna worries me though. She's not herself, and I know why, but it actually frightens me. I've never seen her so defeated, so down. I hope Quadra and I can bring her spirits up.

It's funny, but this thing with Quadra has changed me somehow. I've found myself doing things, thinking and feeling things that I've not since I was a child. It's like the world has shifted a little and I see everything differently. I don't know if it's good or bad, but it feels good.

I don't think Ando likes me. He hasn't said so of course, but the feelings there. Oh well, that's his problem, if he does.

An assassin tried to kill Shauna yesterday. Clever girl, she ran and lived. Not so lucky for the guys with her though. We have to do something about this damn drow, but what?

I'm sore today. I know there aren't any scars, but I'm aching all over. The damn ettercaps sliced me to pieces, and Shauna was almost worse after. She didn't yell or anything, just talked and looked at me and made me feel stupid, which is worse than any fight. I know I deserved it but...

I haven't seen much of Quadra in the last few days. I miss her.

I was about to go hunting with Quadra today, followed by some dinner. I was really looking forward to it, I haven't seen her in days, but Phy turned up and needed to talk.

She's a sister, so I gave my regrets, and we went and talked. Hells, did we talk. About Phy, about Shauna, about me. She's got a theory about what's wrong with Shauna, and it makes a lot of sense. The bit that makes my head hurt is how close I feel to what she described. Phy says she feels it too.

She said we need to meet this thing and confront it, and ourselves. That's what I'm going to do with her. We held off until we can tell Shauna about it, but I'm going to do this with Phy, whether Shauna does or not.

I don't think I've ever been so scared.

I just saw the notes Quadra left about her armor. She seems really upset, and I don't know where she is now.

Is she upset with me?

Things are better between Quadra and me. Better than ever, I think.

I met a girl, Caria. We spent a bit of time getting to know one another, and I showed her around. I think she's a sorcerer, though she doesn't realise it.

Shauna and Phyrra went yesterday without me. It was a mess, Shauna ended up killing her, but brought her back. I was so disappointed and upset. I let my guard down with Phy. I let myself trust her. She betrayed that trust. I should have known better. I won't make that mistake again. I still need to hammer it out with her though. It hurts.

Shauna and I had the biggest fight we've ever had over the whole thing. We've never fought like that before. Dicho surprised me, he helped smooth things out. He's not bad, for a mage.

I feel like shit.

Phyrra has shown her true colours at last. Shauna took Quadra and me to the cave, to show us where it was and to talk privately. Not long after, Phyrra arrived with Arthalan. So much for her vow never to come near the place again. It makes the pain of her betrayal even worse. Why does that hurt so much?

We talked. She tried to make excuses, as she always has, but Shauna knew Arthalan was looking for this. It came to blows, and we had them both. Then it happened - I still can't believe it.

Phyrra called its name, and the thing came. It looked human, but it wasn't. I tried to stand against it, and it hurt me. Goddess it hurt me, but we were able to get out, without Phyrra or Arthalan. What happened to them, I don't know, but when we went back a little later, they were all gone and so was the door.

Now we're wanted, it seems. There are contracts out on us, and that bastard Zau has already tried to get Shauna.

We have to be careful.

On a new page

She is gone, and I am lost.

I'm torn inside. She is gone. There's no body, and that bastard drow won't give it back, I know. She's gone.

I have her sword. I won't rest until it sits in Zau's guts.

Quadra.. Amy... the sisterhood, all gone. Revenge. It's all I have left. Phyrra made it clear last night. I know what I must do.

The time draws near.

I wonder if I am doing the right thing. I sit here, reading that letter. The last letter, how it got here I don't know. I need her so much. I'll do anything to get her back, anything. I'll pay any price.

Should I have killed Phyrra? I wanted to. Goddess I wanted to. If Shauna hadn't got in the way, things might be different, I don't know. Maybe later, outside the inn where Shauna's word doesn't count things might be different, and vengeance will be mine at last.

For now, I wait. And read the letter, over and over. Quadra, I'll see you soon, one way or another.

[At the top of a new page a carefully written message for Kata whilst she sleeps]

Sweetest Kata,

Please forgive me for this 2nd entry to your diary but I know the pain you are in and wanted you to have a single passage amongst the painful entries to remind you of a few important things.

You have a family that loves you - mama, papa, Nicky, Edwin, the rest of the Trevail Family Lietuenants and of course me!

The future is unknown but we cling to each other and to the hope of seeing our family again our friends may come and go down here but the family will always be there.

We embark on a new adventure - out of the ashes of Quadra's legacy we arise again stronger and wiser - never to let our guard down again - in life and in death we will always be sisters and we shall share each other's fates.

Your Sister Shauna

[The page is marked in the diary with a silver ring embossed with a wheat emblam and left besides Kata pillow where she will see it when she wakes]

On a fresh page

My faith has been renewed, and it seems like old times again with Shauna.

The deal has been struck, and I will keep my part. I know I can get her back now, and the price is worth it.

My part is easy. Watch and protect my sister. I can do that, I've always done that. Still, cutting off her finger was hard.

Dammit, why is this taking so long!

Two more have joined us, and nothing. A promise was made, both ways. I will keep my end, and I hope he keeps his.

I hate Phyrra. I wouldn't be in this place, this situation if not for her. The best thing Chant ever did was cut out her lying tongue. It won't take much more for me to fix her finally. At least that will give me some satisfaction.

That dark robed monk in the big hat... what did he want, and why'd he want us to follow him? I got a bad feeling and refused straight away, but it was strange.

Oh, and one less viper in this pit of snakes. How appropriate a phrase, considering what Phyrra showed me when she opened her mouth. She's dead now. I feel relieved, but not satisfied. Dumping her body was easier than I thought it would be too. No one will find it, it'll be fish food by now.

Damn it felt good to use Quadra's sword on someone that deserved it. The first of many I hope.

Still, I'm confused. Am I doing the right thing? The others are all getting something out of this. All I want is Quadra, but it's not happening. Will it happen? Will I get her back? For now, I'll do what I do, and look after Shauna.

Life is shit.

The final entry in the journal, the pages remain blank after

Shauna's dead. My sister is gone.

What's left? Nothing but ashes in my mouth, and in my heart. There's a dead lump inside me that hurts, and it won't go away. I saw her fall, but couldn't stop it from happening. Those damn monks! I don't even know why they want us!

I didn't sleep again. I lay there, thinking of Shauna. Thinking of Quadra. The only two that really knew me, that loved me. I realised I was fooling myself. I won't get them back. Why would they want to come back here?

What a mess.

I need a distraction, sitting here in my room looking at Shauna's gear is driving me mad. I heard a rumor about some sale out at Fort Mur. I've never gone there, maybe it'll be enough to keep my mind off things. Who knows what might happen.

Notice for self:

Information obtained. Retain physical copy indefinately.