Sunday, October 7, 2012

From the Journal of Corrin Aledrinker


Almost five months have passed since we last ventured into the dungeons below the city.  In that time, I've supported myself by working as a bartender in several local establishments.  I've also furthered my education!  Of great interest, though not great taste, is a local favorite called Rustymeade.  The Dwarven brewers who make it bottle it in raw iron flasks containing lumps of iron ore... and the mead picks up an orange color and metallic taste.  Horrible stuff, really, but interesting to look at, and the Dwarves love it!

Anyway, recently there've been rumors of the Forbidden Land... they say the gods have dropped the veil that kept it hidden for the last thousand years, and people are going there to explore.  I thought it was bunk, but four days ago a couple of men were here bragging about their journey there, and all the wealth they'd found.  Of course, they had little gold to show, but that's not surprising, given their reckless spending and drinking.

The one thing they DID have, was a map.  Not a very good map, but a map they claimed they made during their journey.  They called it a treasure map, and wanted 50 gold for it!  As much as they thought me a fool for buying it, I know I got the better of the bargain, for they didn't make this map.  It was old, on ancient leather, stained and much worn, but it was real.  It showed the location of several major cities, including one I knew from family lore, Bayar, for it is the town my ancestors lived in before the gods banished us from that land.

I'm sure to find valuable brewing secrets there, especially if I've any distant relatives still living there.  Hopefully, the lure of treasure will be enough to convince my companions it's time to move on!