Life was better in the city. There was none of this sleeping outside, no wolves, no big half-orcs giving me trouble. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to get out from under the thumb of Holgast (even if he does seem somehow mixed-up with this quest), but couldn't we go somewhere, well, nicer? At least in the wizard's tower I always had a cozy place to sleep and a meal in my belly. Still, it will be nice to try out some of the magic I learned while “dusting” the spellbooks.
I suppose if I am to keep this account of my travels I should start at the beginning.
I grew up in Tamran. It was a good life there. Plenty of marks with coin in their pockets and attentions elsewhere. Pickpocketing wasn't my job of course, just a way of keeping fed. I never joined any thieving gangs or the like. No, I was strictly amateur. My real interest was magic, ever since I saw that wizard strike down a fleeing thief with just a word and a gesture when I was young. Such power! Since then, every chance I got I'd sneak into some wizard or witch's workshop and poke around. I couldn't read a word of their spellbooks, and I didn't know what any of that stuff in the workshops was, but it was still the closest I'd ever come to magic. Or so I thought at the time. Of course, one day I just couldn't help myself and I took a magic ring from a wizard's workshop, and the next thing I knew I was fleeing the city for my life. Turns out the ring wasn't even magic, so I threw away my home for nothing.
After a few weeks of random travel I wound up in Kassen. Or rather, I practically tripped over a wizard's tower. I didn't see anyone around, so I decided to take a look inside. Unfortunately, while inspecting the wizard's spellbooks, the wizard came back and caught me. Funny old fellow, I thought he was going to kill me on the spot like that wizard did to the thief so many years ago. Instead he offered me an apprenticeship. I could hardly believe it, I'd actually learn some magic! So of course I said yes, little knowing that I was binding myself to the laziest wizard in all of the Inner Sea. For the next year I was little more than an errand boy, doing whatever task Holgast saw fit while he dozed the day away. He did teach me a few spells, but it was like squeezing blood from a stone to get even that much. Luckily he didn't keep a very good eye on his spellbooks, so armed with the ability to read magic I was able to teach myself and even copy a few spells into a spellbook of my own.
When Mayor Uptal announced the Quest of the Everflame I jumped at the chance to get away from Holgast. Finally a chance to prove I could handle magic on my own. I set off a few days ago for the crypt in the rather mixed company of a half-orc, a half-elf, a human, and another halfling. On our way here we ran into some wild wolves and a couple of Half-orc figments, both easily dealt-with. It's strange, but I can't help shake the feeling that Holgast is somehow involved in this quest.
Tomorrow we enter the crypt.
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