from Sidridel's Diary

Trivor 23, 1327A

Late upon the night of my last entry, a dragon came. Before we ever felt the trembling of the foundations of Sadic's castle, everyone else was asleep. The tomanths, and several sailors staying with us for the night, were all asleep. Only master Jandor, Mae, Sadic, Sarah, Kozak, and myself were awake in the dark of the night. And then came the steps of a creature that was no small size.

I ran to the ramparts to watch a frightening sight. The dragon was enormous, with the tip of his tail being out of bowshot from the beast's nose. It's eyes glowed a faint green, and its breath carried a tang that stang at my nose. Before the dragon stood a half-elven woman in loose ropes that was a calm as I was scared.

The others slowly, boldly approached the half-elf, and the dragon. They spoke, and I could hear little of what was said -- until the dragon spoke. It's voice reverberated through the stones of the castle, was strong enough to make my nose bleed. The dragon, it turns out, is a part owner of Gideon Enterprises! The half-elven woman acts as his diplomat to Rakore, and very few know of his existance -- likely because of the sleep spell he casts.

It turns out that the tunnels beneath the castle are more extensive than we had thought. Underground rivers have been carving out tunnels for millennia in the limestone of the hills nearby. Velea -- the half-elven woman -- says that the dragon used to live elsewhere, far away from the crusades and the Inquisition. Recently, during the War of the Undead, he moved to Rakore. Because master Jandor is a member of Firestorm, and bears the GE ring, the dragon decided to ally itself with us. The magically self-drilling wells punched through to some of his tunnels, and his protectors -- the scrags. The scrags are bound to his service.

Velea stayed with me, as everyone roused -- the dragon took master Jandor and his friends with him, flying off into the east to chase down the gnome, Hetzil. As the others woke from their spell-induced sleep, the spell master Jandor had cast upon the twin drow was undone, and the former scrags returned to their hulking size and shape. The half-elven woman assures me that they will not violate the dragon's will, and his will was to protect the castle and its occupants.

The scrags are as evil and vile a creature as any I have ever encountered. Left in charge of the castle in Sadic and master Jandor's absence, I have undertaken to reinforce the castle -- with or without the scrags. Though master Jandor wished Gridaxe and I to finish construction of one of his seige engines, I feel that the dwarf would better serve the castle's defense by recruiting more of his kindred to serve. From the gold within Sadic's vault, I have set about to hire more guards.

The desert elf's familiar, the owl known as Nightmare, remains here. The owl follows me wherever I go, and I get the eerie feeling that Sadic knows all that goes on here. I wonder how he fares. I have not heard from him or master Jandor in several days. Velea has left -- and abrubtly. She left no word, and I do not know when she will be back. Without her, I wonder how long the scrags will keep simply staring at me as though I were dinner -- and how long it will be before they attack.

Worse, in the dark of the night, I can hear undead moving through the halls of the castle. I know they are undead, for I have felt the chill of their passing, and smelled the stench of death. Trikit refuses to swim until 'it' leaves that part of the river. The sailors that stay, do not stay long -- they pay their coin, and return to their ships, to travel on in the dark of night. I am virtually alone in this huge castle, with only an owl, a tomanth, and two ten-foot tall monsters for company.

Wherever you are, master Jandor, I hope you fare well. I have no way to help you, if you are in trouble. I can only continue your research, and do my best to defend this castle.

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