Reed's Journal

This is the personal journal of Reed Blackleaf
DO NOT READ!!!
This is not your journal. If you read this I will know and I will make you pay. This is between me and Sherman and sherman. NO ONE ELSE!! And if you dont think I can make you pay ask Geffory...oh thats right...no one has found his body! Just think about that before you turn to the next page.

To Sherman, the Hero the world needed most, and was lost
Sherman,
I figured I would start this journal by righting to the Hero of Liminal who inspired me to be more than just a halfling. To be a Great Hero in all the land. To find out what happened to Sherman. To find out what great sacrifice he made to save the world. His last entry that I have was so cryptic. It has a lot of numbers so I kind of skipped over all that but it seems they were successful in their escape from hell but were gonna have to fight in some sort of battle arena or something. I have no doubt Sherman probably took them all on himself. He was probably held back by his companions...especially since half of them seem evil....Im not really sure why Sherman spent so much time with them. They got him into more trouble then they helped him. Maybe Sherman felt like they would cause worse trouble if he didn't keep an eye on them! I bet that is it. Well good for him but I bet you 10 gold pieces (all I really have) that they are the reason Sherman disappeared. They are the reason Liminal fell!! If I was travelling with Sherman I would secretly kill all of them or at least poison them so Sherman could save the world properly! Boy, what a team we would be...Sherman and me, taking on the world...Best friends...I wish you was here now...

Entry 1 - Pre-greatness
I guess I should explain myself a bit to Sherman, so he can understand a bit about me. I'm not big and mighty like Sherman. I'm just a small weak little halfling. I can't wipe out tribe after tribe of those disgusting Kobold creatrues and still have the strength to take out a werewolf and a great big red Dragon!! I will never be able to do anything as great as that...without a little help. So I found some people who could help me. I won't go into detail as to HOW (or what) I did but I was able to get connections to a retired member of the theives guild. A near impossible feat in Lady's Rest I might tell you! This town is a place of healing, and charity. There's not even a proper Thieves Guild near! But luck would have it my master trainer was not just any old thief but a trained assassin. I think he calls himself holy slayer or something but an assassin is an assassin in my book.
I guess that is why I am writing all this. I could never do the things like Sherman unless I was more...sneaky. I can't blow away whole tribe, but some day I hope I could silently take them all out and slip into the shadows like a ghost. Its a lot more complex than that of course...I mean its not like I would kill for no good reason. I like to think I kill for the betterment of Liminal. Actually my trainer has pounded that into my head over and over. He wouldn't even let me kill a rabbit until I had followed it, seen its life, its family, where it lives and feeds, and THEN how its death affected all the living things around it. I'm sure these things were easy to see for Sherman. I mean he creating great new species and experiments to make the world a better place. I wish I had his wisdom. Ah well, I'll just do the best I can.
On a sidenote, I've decided to name my little mouse friend Sherman in honor of you, Sherman. He's been with me since I was little and probably knows the stories of you better than me!

Entry -- Hell Island
What. The. Hell. I wake up in a cell...no idea where I am at with a huge half-orc! Last thing I remember was leaving Lady's rest for the last time to really start my search for the great Sherman and the next thing I know I'm here and in nothing but my underclothes. I'm glad I wore my good undershirt and pants for my adventure! At first I panicked thinking Sherman was gone too but he was hiding in the bed straw. The half-Orc introduced himself as Throg and asking all sorts of questions. It seems the same thing happened to him...he just woke up here with no memories how he got here. He even started talking to Sherman!! I am so freaking jealous. I have always thought me and Sherman talk really well but to actually get some feedback from the little guy, maybe get to know him even better...I mean he IS my best friend...
Anyway no one knew anything. Even the weird guys in the other cells. There was two Humans guys (Vasoovi-something? and um...Zryan?...I think he was the darker haired smaller one), a lady Elf (Aster?), a brawny Human-ish lady but something is different about her (Cassia?), and of course Throg the half-orc in my cell. Well he is not just a half-orc...he magically changed into a badger and ran around trying to help others out of their cells and getting me a nail so I could pick the lock on mine.
Fuck us all to the deepest hell a tentically creepy monster comes in again. (He in earlier to feed us slop and talk to our minds). So I um...well panick a little and stupidly rush him with nothing but a chain. I miss, but escaped to the outer room... it really was an amateur mistake but I do gather up some pottery bits to use in case I need to throw something. First rule...never be unarmed or unprepared. So this guy vanishes and then um...I think we break through the next door and then some other guys show up and destroy these mutated humanish things on there side with this other tentically creepy monster....one of them is this Elf guy but super dark skinned...and a Dwarf...Illde-something and Gal-something.
Man there are so many new names in my head. This sucks...
Oh and a wild looking man...I think he said his name was Salvester...which is crazy because Sherman traveled with a Salvester...who was a wolf-man shifter and a drunken slob. It couldn't possibly be the same guy...I mean that was forever ago. They give the others some weapons and armor. I was hiding at the time not sure if any of these guys are good or bad. First rule of adventuring...trust no one...well except many Throg. So I steal some daggers just to keep myself safe and follow them all out. There is like a war going on out here with some of the nastiest, weirdest, mind-twisting creatures I have ever seen! We get shoved on a boat and as we travel across the water we get attacked by this brain-tentically-flying thing. I wonder if this is the Grell things that Ophelia told stories about. She said Sherman slayed many of them on his adventures...also that they are mind-rapey. Well we killed this one alright. I got in a few good hits. Its a start. I mean Sherman probably would have blasted it from the sky before it even reached the boat but its a start for me.
We reach the shore and find the portal out of the city is gone and we have to escape the city the hard way. For now though we are safe. I guess these are my companions now. Sherman's adventures seemed so organized and planned out and neat even when he was surrounded by shit (Literally). This just seems...terrifying, confusing, so...well far away from everything I know. Except Sherman of course.

Entry -- The Arena of DOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
So we start talking about what we are going to do...it seems like I know more about the history of this town than anyone. Seriously, even the magic stuff. Its crazy. We go down a list of different places we know and really focus in on the Arena and Phoenix Tower. So we sneak to the Arena and I am like freaking out. I am almost positive this is where Sherman fought and became famous. Unfortunately I never got his notes on that battle but I remember something about the cheers of the Arena ringing around all of Liminal. I can hear them now chanting the name of the great Sherman as I sit here in this old viewing box overlooking the dark space. Talking with the others it seems we are all connected some how. Throg is related to Grok who traveled with Sherman. The Elf is Lady Astra who is like the daughter of the elf thief who traveled with Sherman. The fairer haired human Sir Vesuvious seems like he is connected to Sir Hippy that provided the Mansion for Sherman. The brawny girl human Cassea was really trying to not talk about it but she seems connected to Zethas the evil evil EVIL companion of Shermans. It really truly seems like everyone was brought here because of Sherman! Well except the Bard. He was super dodgy about it but I am guessing he is connected to Ruhe the demon with part of a soul.
Well we searched and searched the place. We found water...a few potential shelters (I helped with that) and in the lower areas a creppy old mutant. I didn't tell the others at the time but it was Tomar Adus this old old old champion fighter from back in the day. I have no idea why he is still alive but we um...well solved that.
We left him alone at first (We would have been able to sneak up but...these clods are so fucking loud sometimes. Yes lets bump into ever freaking chain as we sneak up on the killer mutant!!!) but then he attacked us after we found an armoury. Im not sure it was fully him any more because his spine came out of his back and attacked us! That can't be healthy. I felt really really proud of how I fought today. I used many of the techniques my master taught me and got a good two or three stabs on him. It would have been better if I just assassinated him when we first met him but we didn't know he was crazy yet and...well my companions ruined that anyway. We found lots of loot but it is killing me we have to split it up. I wish we could take it all with us and store it away. I mean I have taken some gold in my day but there is like thousands of coins here!!

Entry - Bard's be shady bitches
So we headed over to the Phoenix Tower...that was a bad idea. There was obviously some sort of fire barrier all around and even when I threw a pottery piece high up...**POOF! BOOM** shattered like the rest of this goddamn city. So we moved on to Sanctuary of Worlds. Easily more productive. Cassea apparently received a message from Abraxton about heading to the Old society of valorous deeds!!! The one and only. The once great sanctuary of Sherman the Great. Ok, true its not like he founded the place but it is his heritage too! His parents and probably grandparents and great-great-great-grandparents all probably went there. Its like in his blood!! Unfortunately we dont know where that is...So we have to head to the magisitry to find out. We did find some even better studded leather armor for me and some books and paper...which you know since thats how Ive been writing all this...and some shelter...so we did some research, got some leads, and then in the middle of the fucking night, mister shade bitch bard decides to slip away. You would think he is a fucking rogue the way he sneaks and hides and lies all the time. As we are trying to sneak are way over there (apparently every sneaks better when we arent the ones at risk...) we hear a wicked scream of some beast. That fucking bard is going to get all of us killed!!

Entry - Saving Bards, Taking Names
Well I almost killed the stupid bard after we saved him. I was soooooo fucking pissed at him but Throg held me back. The rest of the party is right. The bard wasnt trying to double cross us...he is just an idiot. God, how did Sherman put up with other people. I mean Throg is great. I actually enjoy traveling with him. He keeps to himself but has nice thoughtful words to say. He actually seems to be nice to me, for some reason, and hes not too bad on the eyes either. I mean not like that. Damn...when will they make ink you can erase away. The elf is just stuck up and annoying and her constant "perfection" is really ugly. The Cassea girl would be pretty if she wasnt so angry all the time. Shes kind of got a beauty of both man and woman, but her face is hard like stone. I do like her though...she was almost as pissed at the bard as I was. The fair haired human is almost forgettable which makes him a good companion. Not too opinionated, just does his thing, but I know where I stand with him. I respect that. Then there is the Bard. Throg has said he is a sater or sader or something because he saw his feet turn to hoofs one time but the bard denied it. I want to believe Throg. I do believe Throg but the bard wasnt lying as far as I could tell. Anyway, the bard I dont trust but...well I dont think he means harm either. He was definitely hiding something...he is connected to Ruhe. Ruhe was once a member of the Valdaree and so is the Bard. He is trying to find Ruhe. We are all connected to Sherman. Sherman is the key!!! Oh yea...and we found a bunch of stuff in the place the bard almost got us killed. So I guess it wasnt a total loss. I pocketed this bead which apparently can do all this cool stuff.

Entry - Out of the city, into the tunnels...of DOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM
So we find the society house and it is like completely destroyed...I was thinking of all the great things that place held. Literally some of the greatest treasures that Sherman acquired on his great journey. But lady Kaedlah must be watching me. I found a pouch that might be related to Sherman. It had some winning tickets form the Arena and some weird tokens that looks um....well....slutty... As we searched the ruins, Z'Orian of all beings, finds the fucking MOTHERLODE!! IT must have been the remains of Shermans treasure room. A broken picture of Sherman's parents and this weird egg thing. Not sure what that is... A skull with a huge crack in it...I am guessing from one of the squid brain things. A carved and lacquered haircomb. A tooth...I think this must be the dragon tooth from the red dragon he defeated...I would have thought it would be bigger then this. Travel clothing, which fits me surprisingly well considering how big Sherman must have been, and a raven suit. A silver serving dish...which i am not sure what that is from. And a large pendant. I couldnt keep it all...I so wanted to. But I decide to keep the dragon tooth, the picture of Sherman's parents (which I know Sherman would want kept safe), the clothing, the haircomb which I am not sure but looks like he really took care of...I wanted to keep the pendant too but when I told everyone the stories no one understood anything except Lady Astra insisted I give her the pendant since it was connected to her dad or something. I think she has daddy issues. Poor girl. It must suck to have unrealistic expectations of someone you barely know but is like a god in your eyes. Anyway we cleared out the ruins to open up some tunnels under the building. We are about to head down and are attacked by some monstrous wormy things. With them out of the way we descended. I am really embarrassed to say I freaked out s little. Sherman would be so ashamed. I just saw all these blood sucking fiends everywhere and I just panicked. We were out numbered. I ran and hid. I did slice one on my way. Fortunately, the battle didn't last long. I dont think anyone noticed I hid. Man...I really got to learn how to calm myself down. We debated for a bit about which way to go then all headed out together...only to run into a big blob. We took care of that too pretty quickly. Man there are a lot of monsters down here. At least I can practice my skills.

Entry - Fucked Face
I can't even.........my face........acid
the fucking bard
We woke up screaming........ We were searching for traps.....I was suppose to
should not have been me......I wanted to kill him......these It wasn’t
I must look horri
Why fucking me
I just hate everyone........why am I even here.......what the fuck.........
I dont have anyone and now
I'm never going to be like Sherman. I can't do this.

Entry - Its just one of those days...when everything is just fucked
Ok so, I don’t even know where to start. Woke up screaming, laughing, completely out of control of myself. I felt so violated but I wasn’t the only one. It happened to Vesuvious and the fucking Bard as well (serves him right). Lady Astra on the other hand tried to run away in a panic, or thats what I was told. Its like Liminal is infecting our minds slowly. We found a bunch of doors and I owe Casea because she gave me her portion of some loot because I picked a rather easy lock for her. I was feeling pretty good about myself. Even found some traps on some doors and then...I feel so fucking angry just thinking about it. The stupid bard tripped a magical trap and I was hit with acid which burned my face off. I blacked out and the next thing I know Throg is over me saving me again. My face still feels burny and tight and it is obvious I must be hideous now. I couldnt take it. I was on the verge of killing the Bard, breaking down. I felt insane. I was seeing red and like the walls were closing in. I had to get out of there. I went to the first room we opened and slammed the door. Almost instantly this skull floats up, flames on, and starts attacking me. The others join me and we kill it pretty quickly. The bard didn’t help. Well he did heal me a little but barely….
We finish searching the place and then get attacked by a big fucking spider. Again the bard is useless. We get a bunch of loot and wait by the portals and then this old fucker comes out of nowhere and starts ripping these beholders out of thin air. We kill a few and then the Bard gets the fucking brilliant idea to cave in the hallway right over the only members of our group I can actually stand...and probably could have killed us all. Granted the trick worked and kept the other monsters at bay until we could escape but still. Fucking Bard.

Entry - ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
We are out of Liminal, but apart of me feels like I am still there, still in the chaos, still lost. I feel like I lost so much there. When we first left the island I started thinking this could be my adventure, but it is nothing like Shermans. His was full of Wargies, saving girls, pink frizzy drinks, laughable hippie characters, quiet reflection over tea, adventures in bars and cathedrals, finding out your companions are princes, arena battle games...his stories had down moments but everything worked out. He always came up on top. He got a shop and started a business...I...I just feel like I keep losing things. Losing myself. Fuck I lost half my fucking face! I asked Belgrem the Dwarf and he said he might be able to find someone to fix my face but it wont be cheap. This isnt an adventure...its horrible...And I swear if that fucking bard tells me everything will be ok and all happy dinky doory I will hit a vital organ with the next thing I throw at him...
I woke up this morning weeping...I felt like I was running from an endless void of darkness...when I woke I felt like there is a whole part of my mind that I cant get to...like I have memories which are just at the fingertips of my thoughts. I'm not sure how everyone can be so cheery and happy. We have been ripped from our homes...lost everything we own...I don't even recognize myself anymore...

Entry - Hit me Bardy One More Time
The day started out pretty good. I didn't wake up to horrible despair and, while it still looks horrible, my face will probably make me look tougher. Have to play the "bad boy" card with the ladies. Or something. We all pretty much hit the town. I helped Varsy buy some diamond shards and sold off some of our gems. I got some of my clothes fixed up, commissioned the smith for a sword and crossbow and tools. Won't have half-cocked makeshift tools again if I have to weld them to my fingers!!
All pretty standard...and then the screams started. These horrible creatures seemed to be everywhere. There was like 4 or 5 of them! Almost completely killed Cassea the brave (or stupid...not sure yet, but a good heart nonetheless). Lady Pointed Ears on the other hand disappeared then returned...shiny. Elves are weird.
I will try not to rip the page to shreds as I write this.
The. Fucking. Bard. Blew. Me. Up.
I was well hidden, hell I barely knew where I was, and about to attack (not at all considering running away) when the Bard makes the shrubbery I'm hiding in explode. WHO DOES THAT!?! He didn't even hit the fucking monster!! I don't even know how someone can be so oblivious. It's like the harder he tries the more I get hurt!!  He's gonna kill one of us, which normally I wouldn't have a problem with except it's probably gonna be me!! Reeds journal

Entry - what Dreams May Come

I dreamed a dream of days gone by.
Of fireplaces
and pints of ale.
I dreamed of Sherman's words as he wrote down!
I dreamed him saving the world

Then I saw myself as he is
And dreamed of me so strong and tall and happy
There are adventure to be had!
No bard with songs
No wine untasted

But then the patrons quiet down
With their heads full of slumber
As the terror starts to grow
And my dreams are torn apart

He wouldn't have feared
He would have fought
He would have saved the day!
But he is gone and I ran away

And still I dream he could be here
That we could adventure together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And these tentacles I can not weather

I had a dream of how I came to be
In this hell I am living
The tentacles they came for meeeeeeeee
And they killed
The dream I dream.

Oh and I left behind Sherman's Journal and Cloak of Elvenkind given to me by Ophelia

Entry - There and Back Again

Three-Coin. Where Sherman destroyed vile kobolds and a wolf queen and a great red dragon. And I was taken and striped of everything and forced into this nightmare. Rosie is as charming as ever. But there is something about this place. It makes me want to flee in terror and I'm supposedly immune to that!!