The journals of Lominga ~Orphan Of Norrath

[EZ_Lominga]

Prologue

Hi, my name's Lominga, or just Minga for short. My dad is an aspiring blacksmith, while my Mom passed away before I was born. I am training to become a noble defender of Kelethin. My dad always wanted to be a fighter.

I guess that's why I chose this path for my life. Though my childhood dream was to journey into the depths of Norrath and discover new continents and lost treasure. I guess everyone has a dream at some point or another in their life. But in my opinion no one's dream ever comes true. Telkandore is the name of my best friend who just happens to be a young druid. He has tried to persuade me to follow him in his ways but I never had a thing with animals.

Telkandore and I have had many adventures in the lower depths of Kelethin among the tree bottoms. One that I recall is a run in with the infamous Crushbone Orcs. We were enjoying our usual afternoon, playing tag, running about the treetop village, and trying our best no to harass the local inhabitants. When we came to a winding trail that lead off into the horizon, we just had to follow it. I mean, it was against our religion not to follow it! Well, as you can imagine, two cocky wood-elves are bound to get into trouble in a situation like this! Both of us soon came to the conclusion that we were lost when it started to get dark. Telkandore took out a very prized possession that was given to him by a fellow druid... A fire beetle's eye!

He used this object to illuminate the path in front of us as we continued our shouts for help. Then we heard a few muffled grunts in the darkness, and we almost pissed our pants. Almost immediately three huge Orcs with a bluish skin color jumped out of the blackness and surrounded us. We were dead, or so I thought. Then a miracle happened. Three arrows were shot abruptly our way and pierced the nearest Orc's skull. Then two more landed in the second Orc's chest, which sent him tumbling to the ground. A man shrouded in mystery jumped out of the trees and beheaded the last orc. I was splattered with the blood of my enemies. Telkandore and I were escorted home by this savior from the trees. As soon as I walked into my house I saw my dad sulking in his chair. As soon as he saw me he ran and embraced me with his muscular arms.

"How can I ever thank you Mr. Dayspring?", my father asked.

"There is no need to, just make sure this youngster doesn't go near the Crushbone camp again," Mr. Dayspring solemnly replied.

And with that, Mr. Dayspring swiftly vanished into the night..."How could you ever do that to me! Wandering off, almost getting killed, I thought I lost you, just like your Mom," my dad screamed.

"I, me and Telkandore, we just followed a trail, we wanted to see where it went," I pleaded with my father.

"Ugh, you are never to see that friend of yours again! All he has done is get you in trouble. And you are never allowed to leave the house again until I say so!", my Dad said sternly.

"I hate you! If Mom were here she would understand!", I shouted.

After that last phrase I stormed off to my bedroom. I could here my dad crying in the other room, saying that he was a bad father and so on.

"Son," my dad was knocking on the door.

I didn't answer and he opened the door to found me lying on my bed.

"There's something I want to tell you, I'm ashamed of myself for keeping this from you but I just couldn't gather up the nerve to tell anyone. I guess you could call me a coward," my dad said with a saddened voice.

"Your mother, she didn't die in a peaceful way like I lead you to believe. She was an adventurer like yourself, always looking for a good time.

That's why I married her, she had a fire in her eye's like no other girl had.

Well, one day her looking for good times got her into trouble. Deep trouble.

She was taking a vacation in Freeport when she saw a local baron lie his diamond encrusted sword on a table. Wait, before I go on with this story there is one more thing I have kept from you. Your mother, so beautiful, desired more from this land. That is why she joined the Kelethin guild of rogues. So, your mother, seeing this expensive weapon, decided that this was the perfect chance for her to practice her swift hands. She took the sword.

Too filled up with excitement and adrenaline, that she didn't see the Baron was watching. She was caught. And hung the next day," My father finished the story with a tear trickling down his face. I stormed out of my house.

I found Telkandore, and told him we were never ever coming back to Kelethin. He understood, just like the friend he is, and said that he would come with me where ever I might go. I quietly told him we would be going to Freeport. There I would be joining the rogues guild and he could find somewhere to practice his druidic powers.

"Are you sure you want to do this?". He asked.

"Yes," I said.

And we were off.

[EZ_Andais]

Hello there.

Your story seems like a good start. It should make for a fine read. There's one small thing you might want to address however. The opening states "My dad is an aspiring blacksmith, while my Mom passed away before I was born." It would be difficult for her to bare her son if she'd been hanged in Freeport. It's easy to overlook tiny continuity errors, but don't let this discourage you. Writing is a wonderful skill that just takes practice. Keep going with it. Andais (Rogue of Neriak)

[EZ_Lominga]

Heres the next installment~


Kaladim, Ale, and Women

Day One
I have personally vowed to myself that I will never return to Kelethin unless under dire circumstances. Telkandore and I set out on foot to the great city walls of Kaladim. Although we know we have a dangerous road ahead, nothing can stop our youthful spirits from stopping. Along the way we encountered a lone druid who saved our lives from a dangerous Scarab Beetle. Once he noticed that Telkandore was also a protector of animals, he offered to give us a lift to wherever we were going. We lied to him and said that we were returning to our foster parents in Kaladim. He nodded and began to chant something in a tongue unknown to my ears. Soon after a flash of light a mystical portal appeared in our midst. He said step through and you will be home again in Kaladim. Telkandore, seeing my reluctance to do so, said that a fellow wood-elf druid would never do anything harmful to them. And with that, Telkandore pushed me into the portal, and, after exchanging pleasantries with the stranger, followed right behind. A few seconds later I hit the ground with a large thump and blacked out. I woke up a few hours later at the entrance of Kaladim. Telkandore said that he and a dwarf carried me to the city-gates where we could rest for the night under the watch of the city-guards. We set up camp and dozed off...


Day Two
Clash! Bang! I jumped up from my makeshift bed with sweat streaming down my forehead.

"Die ye little bastard," a plump little dwarf shouted.

This resident of Kaladim was fighting a goblin with an oversized battle-ax. Swish, the goblins head was no more.

"Bout time ye waked up. You boneheads almost let this lil guy get the best of ya. Name's Saldom, dwarf warrior at your service."

"Well, hello, and thank-you, I'm Lominga and that's Telkandore," I said.

"Pleased to meet you, may I interest you in a swig of fine dwarfen ale?" Saldon insisted.

"No thanks," replied Telkandore.

"I'll take some," I enthusiastically said.

At that moment Telkandore pulled me aside and began to explain the effects of that this kind of ale could have on my body and brain. Well, I ignored him and proceeded to drink mead after mead after mead at the local tavern. After the continuous drinking, and feeling no negative affect at all, I proceeded to brag that I could drink any alcohol in the world, and never get drunk! When Telkandore and I later made our way back to camp, he told me that he had told the bartender not to add any "cinnamon and spice" to my drinks. I later thanked him for this, after seeing the many drunken dwarfs wandering around talking nonsense. One dwarfen lady even came up to me and gave me a big smacker on the lips! And that is what made me snap! Ever since I was a little boy, me and my buddies always joked about the dwarfen females ugliness. Always ending our promises and pacts with sayings like, if you ever break this promise you will be doomed to an eternal life of dwarfen women making you wash every inch of their putrid beards every day!! Although these ideas and thoughts were childish, I always had a personal hatred towards those wretched beings. So I sauntered right over to her, and before I even got a chance to recite my personal interpretation of the Dictionary, she turned around, and you know what she did??! She took her top off and started belly dancing! I looked out of the corner of my eye and could spot Telkandore with tears streaming down his face, trying his best to hold in the great bellow of laughter that he always had reserved for me. Well, you know what I did? I lunged at her. All of my close friends know of my extremely short temper and usually know when enough is enough. Well, this girly sure as heck didn't know when enough was enough! Seeing my inexcusable action, Telkandore immediately intercepted my body and dragged me to camp. When we got there, I instructed him that we would be departing for our boat to Freeport at sunrise.

[EZ_Lominga]

Old Memories

Day 3
"Minga! Wake up, the boat's going to leave soon!"

I could here Telkandore's voice piercing the silence of the morning.

"Alright alright, I'm coming," I grumbled.

"Well, hurry up, if we miss this boat we'll have to wait in Kaladim 4 more days for the next one to arrive!" My eyes were still closed, but my ear's could detect the hint anger in Telkandore's voice. I forced myself out of bed and began to help Tel break camp. I thought of that nickname for Telkandore myself. Whenever we used to go on long hikes, I would spend hours on end thinking of crazy names to call Telkandore. Tel was one of my personal favorites. I have thought of other ones much better, but they are oftentimes mean and hurtful. And whenever I call him something that upsets him, I usually come home with a black eye or a bloodied nose. One major hill in our relationship occurred when we had an "incident" on the trails of The Greater Faydark. Before I begin, let me provide you with one little tidbit of mine and Tel's friendship. I was usually Telkandore's little sidekick. I would always watch him use his good-looks and charismatic personality to get new friends, especially ones of the opposite sex. Soon though, this made me very jealous. So, one day while he and "Ms. Perfect" were out on a "Nature Walk," I decided to follow along, well it was more like sneak along. When the two love birds got to Tel's most romantic spot in the forest, I decided to get a closer look. I scaled up one of those gigantic trees of Faydark, and perched myself on a branch over looking the log where Telkandore was sitting. I heard Tel's girl say something about a Kelethin Wooing Kiss. Now if my friends were honest to me about this, the Kelethin Wooing Kiss supposedly was a dynamic entwining of a male and a female tongue inside one's mouth. Now Telkandore was completely exhilarated! He had never gone this far with a girl before. Tel impatiently stuck out his tongue, waiting for her to take the next step, when a bird from the branch I was clinging to, thought it was time to let out some lunch. Well, that birds crap landed right on the tip of Tel's tongue. Unable to control myself, I started laughing hysterically about this mishap. This immediately gave away my hiding spot, and began to make Mr. T (another favorite nickname) suspect me of throwing down the bird crap on his love instrument (a.k.a. his tongue). He grabbed hold of my shirt and beat the living daylights out of me. I later told him something that I regret most extraordinarily. I said to him that it was a bird, not me, that had launched the flying missile at his precious taste-buds. After hearing this, he almost gave up his druidic ways saying that all animals hated him and decided he would just become a boring tailor during his adult years. If someone ever finds and reads this journal of mine, take heed to this advice of mine-Never take someone's dream in life away, whether it be by accident or pure evilness, as it took me the next 3 weeks to convince Telkandore that druidism was by far the way to go. And that's the end of my story.

I see the docks of Kaladim in the distance right now. I hope that the boat ride will not be as unpleasant as I imagine it to be, but Tel has promised me that it will be fun and that he has even bought a few fishing poles to help pass the time. I just keep recounting the stories my father has told me over the years, about sea monsters that devour ships whole, and of mermaids who lure sailors to their death with songs of sweetness and promises of glory. Maybe I am starting to miss my dad, but what has happened has happened, and nothing but the will of Tunare can correct my father's faults and his failures in the past.

[EZ_Lominga]

Magic Tricks

Day 4
We finally reached port after a long and steady walk through the Butcher Block Mountains. On our way, an old hermit came up to Telkandore and begged for a copper piece. Tel, with his enormous generosity, gave the old screwball a whole silver! Now I was enraged! I could not believe my eyes what Tel had given the poor soul. I decided it was time to start my career as a rogue. I snuck behind the deranged man, reached into his pocket and successfully pulled out the silver piece and shoved it in my pocket! Score one Lominga, score zero world. I was leading in my race for victory! Once we got on the ship, Telkandore noticed the excited look on my face and pondered it for a while. Just an hour ago I had been rambling on about how I hate sea voyages. Now I was as happy as ever. Mr. T asked what all my cheerfulness was about, and I said that it was just hitting me that I was on my own now and free to make my own choses. But deep in my heart it was really the exhilaration of making my first successful pick-pocketing attempt! Now I understand why my mother wanted so much to be part of the underworld! My happiness soon dyed down the after the first few moments of the ship departing. My mind had just realized that it would take a good week or so to make it across the Ocean of Tears...


Day 5
Telkandore has spent many of his spare hours visiting and chatting with the other people on board. He suggested that I should do so too, and soon enough I was talking with a fellow rogue named Jasper. Jasper was much more experienced in the art of conning than I could ever imagine. He told me that the rogue guildmaster of Freeport was a close friend of his, and was sure that I would be accepted to train among the best of the best. He also presented me with my first "Roguery" weapon. A giant snake fang that was still dripping with venom! I thanked him tremendously for it, but he just shrugged my praises off saying that it only took him 3 seconds to "borrow" it from a noble paladin. Jasper was also a great entertainer on board ship. He would hold daily shows where he would make people's personal belongings disappear. This particular thief was exceedingly good at this game, he would get many large tips from the acts that he put on. But here is the real reason why he performed these stunts-After the show, the members of the audience whose items he made "disappear" would come up after his performance and asked for their things back. Jasper simply said that those items were lost in a magical vortex and only the strongest of all wizards could extract them from this narrow passage between time and space. Really though, the items were just slipped into his many coat pockets. He told me that he would later sell them in Freeport to the many merchants located their. After about the 3rd day of Jasper's "Magic Show," the audience began to suspect that something suspicious was going on...


Day 6
I woke up this morning to find Jasper gone and a note at my bedside.



Dear Lominga:

I truly apologize for my hasty exit. I had to leave before someone caught on to my little game. Do not worry though, I'm sure we will meet again. Hopefully in Freeport. I should be arriving there about the same time you should, as I have to swim. If we eventually do meet again, be sure to introduce me to your traveling companion, because I stumbled across something that may be of an utmost importance to him. I must go now, remember to lookout for me at your destination. Until next time... Peace! And may fortune come your way.

-Jasper

Once again I have lost another friend of mine. The first being my father. I hope one day I will find it in my heart to forgive him. And he finds it in his heart to forgive me...