I’m not saying that I wanted some variety of dramatic life or death struggle (okay maybe a little – almost dying can give you quite a rush) but putting an end of the deprivations of dream haunter was rather anti-climactic.  There were no minions, no traps, no lurking beasts in the darkness – not even a tomb really, just a cave.  I was expecting at the very least that her mortal remains would jump up and try to throttle me or vomit forth a locust-storm (where do undead get all those locusts from?) to devour me but there was nothing of the sort.  Just an old dead body.  All that was left was bones anyway so we smashed those up good and then chucked the shards off the side of the mountain.  I don’t know what the technical magical specifications are for destroying someone’s mortal remains but that seemed pretty good. 

I thought once the deed was done the hag herself might show up to attack me or to taunt me or to put a curse on me or something, but there was nothing at all.  I think I agreed to another errand I was supposed to do for her as part of our deal, but probably the guy what got killed was supposed to tell me next part.  Luck for me huh?  Now I don’t have to do it.  I don’t remember exactly what the exchange was supposed to be – she already told me were to find the tomb (such as it was) so what leverage did she have?  I mean beyond the nightmare attacks but I didn’t get the impression she planned on stopping that regardless.    

As far as defeating ancient elder evils go it was very humdrum.  Which I guess is good.  Afterwards I spent the night on a mountain ledge with some Daga and their heard of shaggy mountain goats – I assume they were some of the non-murderous kind on account of they didn’t try to murder me.  Crinna would not shut up about how I had “ruined” her reputation and she was afraid that she would never be able to show her face in town again.  It was highly annoying.  And here’s the thing, I didn’t seriously consider killing her to shut her up.  Not only that but I didn’t even steal her magic everflowing tankard despite the fact that my flask has stolen from me and even if it hadn’t been I deserved it have something like that more than Crinna anyway.  Also despite that fact that it would have been very easy for me to steal it.  Personal growth or sentimental weakness?  Perhaps they’re one and the same.

In the morning the shaggy mountain people wandered up higher into the mountains with their shaggy mountain herd and Crinna was nowhere to be found.  Probably she fell down the rocky slope, drunk as a monk, and broke her bloody neck.  Left alone I had some time to wonder what my next move should be.  Things didn’t really work out in Three Rivers, so that’s still on the “to revenge” list, but I don’t relish going back there right this moment.  The plan after that was to head to Graltontown next to finally help Martialla with her revenge murder, but that doesn’t matter now.  I hadn’t really thought what the next step after that was going to be, which isn’t laziness so much as the acknowledgement of the fact that my plans are always derailed on step .01.  Maybe I should just head to Paladore and get to work on taking down Duke Eaglevane.  There’s a lot to like about that idea. 

There are drawbacks too.  Such as, the entire idea was that I would spend some time building up some resources that would give me a good chance to succeed in taking down one of the eleven most powerful men in the Kingdom.  What resources do I have now exactly?  A crossbow, some robes, and a garish cape.  That’s not a lot to go on. So what do you do when you’re not sure what to do?  You go back to basics.  What’s the most important thing?  Revenge.  And who do I want revenge on?  The people on the List.  Setting aside the Duke for the moment who do we have?   Rince Electrum – the watchman who did nothing.  He’s in Graltontown.  Percy Ringle – the snooty butler.  All butlers are snooty sure, but he was beyond the pale with his snootiness you know?  He’s in Graltontown.  Alice Kinsey my first, last, and only roommate, who coldly turned me out on the streets in my time of need.  Sure I poisoned her, but is that enough revenge?  No.  Not nearly enough.  She’s in Graltontown.  Cardshire Arms owner Claire Conrad– asshole.  Graltontown. Sage Mirror owner Risela– asshole.  Graltontown.  Eedraxis, the alchemist who tried to kill me.  Near Graltontown.  And so on, I really filled up my dance card in that grotesque little burg.  Looks like I’m heading back to Graltontown anyway.  But not because I might bump into Martialal there.  I don’t even think about her anymore.

The easiest way to get there would be to find some kind of boat in Gib’s Tor and float myself downstream to Three Rivers and from there on to the Comass River.  But I don’t want to go back there until I can really take down the consortium so instead I’m going to head across country to Bryny and from there across to Cathars.  From Cathars I can then take the road south to Graltontown.  Which is going to take forever.  How do I keep ending out in the middle of nowhere?  Just thinking about all the miles I’m going to be walking is making me want to turn back before I ever set out.  On the plus side of the column though maybe I can get all my stuff back in Cathars.  Assuming that I’m not arrested again.    Or maybe either way.

Once I had my plan of action, such as it was, I set out to the west (maybe) in the direct of Bryny (probably).  Once you’re made up your mind there’s nothing else to do but do it. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Funds: 6642 gold

XP: 1,277,751

Inventory: Bag of Holding, +2 Distance Light Crossbow, traveling outfit, Ring of Invisibility, potion case, potions (Protection from Evil, Cure Moderate Wounds x4) Blessed Robes, Vampire Hunter’s Cloak, +1 Mithril Holy Undead Bane Sword-Cane

Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince Electrum, watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle the butler, Alice Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire Conrad, Erist priest of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror, Eedraxis,  Skin-Taker tribe, Kartak, Królewna & Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family, Androni Titus, Greasy dreadlocks woman, Lodestone Security, Kellgale Nickoslander, Beltian Kruin the Splithog Pauper, The King of Spiders, Auraluna Domiel, mother Hurk, Mazzmus Parmalee,  Helgan van Tankerstrum, Lightdancer, Bonder Greysmith, Pegwhistle Proudfoot, Lumbfoot Sheepskin, Lumber Consortium of Three Rivers, Hellerhad the Wizard, Forsaken Kin, Law Offices of Office of Glilcus and Stolo, Jey Rora, Colonel Tarl Ciarán, Mayor Baras Haldmeer, Rindol the Sage, Essa, eyeless hag, Baron Saltwheel, Baron Harmenkar, Colonel Tarl Ciarán’s wizard soldier, Victor, Beharri, Cebuano, Mayor Eryn, Chimera Trading Company, maker of the manacles, Calvados Eure, Law Offices of Lampblack and Brimstone, Peronell Missplitter, Nightmare Hag