Journal Entry 1: The Ride from Magnimar

Desna be praised! He's finally fallen asleep. Now I like wine, I know wine, gods, I SELL wine! But that man could turn the most ardent Magnimarian wine conossieur into a dedicated mead drinker. Needless to say, he's insufferable, but I think I humored him well enough that he may give the family some custom- by Cayden Cailean we could use it after what happened in Magnimar. Father isn't going to like it, but I think we'll just have to pull out of the market there; it is too dangerous for us, with what limited resources we have at hand. The Magnimarian houses could probably field a small army if they wanted to- we can manage what, a small handful of guards? Anyway, back to the wagon ride.

So beside the chattering fool, my other companions was a happy meeting of circumstances if ever there was one! Four familiar faces from the Rusty Dragon, all travelling back to Sandpoint together- it makes the long journey all the easier, even if I'm the only one game to talk to our sixth wheel. But it was good, catching up with others and learning about what they've seen and where they've been- although privately, it is a little cramped in here, but at least I'm not wedged between the half-orcs. An odd pair they are, without doubt!

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So I was drowsing by the time we were getting near Sandpoint- and I dare say that I wasn't the only one. Then came the boom and then the shuddering crash that ran through the whole wagon- I call it a wagon, because it certainly doesn't merit a title like 'carriage'. I digress, as usual! We'd ground to a stop, the darkness outside was pitch and I could hear the weirdest of sounds. Some of my companions- brave souls they are!- were out in an instant to investigate, and I followed but stopped to call Chimalli from the plane where he lives. (I'd sent him away. His presence invites unwelcome questions at times, and besides, once people realise he is intelligent and can speak, they probably would have charged me an extra fare!)

It was the most unusual thing; the driver and his man were both impaled through on the same spear and pinned to a tree. It was clear that there would be no saving them- no, the priority was making sure that we wouldn't be joining them. But that wasn't the unusual thing; no, that belonged to the sputtering thing tied to the spear (and I use that term as loosely as I used carriage before).

Chimalli was with me now, his feathers and scales glinting coolly in the dark of night, and I sent him up and out to scout out the area, while my silent companion did the same from the ground. It didn't take long before the 'launching platform' was found, as well as the dead goblin that we realised was responsible for it- and then knifed for his smarts. A sad race they are; animal cunning tied to the morals of a toddling child- and they cut out those that sway from that. Who knows what heights such a one could reach; if he can read his mind is more open to seeing things in other way. I'm a dreamer and I know it!

I knew soon enough that we were on the edge of Brinestump Marsh; a soggy pit along the coast by Sog's Bay and only a few miles out from Sandpoint itself. It was always known that there were goblins here; but if they've started attacking travelers, they need to be tracked down. Even if we can't deal with them, at the very least, we can lead others to their camp- although Desna seems to have wrapped fate this night, to bring such a capable group together.

Myself, I was hardly ready for a slog through the swamp, and suggested we head for the lit house Chimalli had seen- there was a local living there friendly to Sandpoint. If anyone knew the area, it would be him. Still, the others were eager to press on before the goblins got too far, and I have to admit there was a point in that. So, slogging it was after all.

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Sound travels differently in a swamp, I knew that well enough- although this was my first firsthand experience with it. But when the fog rolled in, it was difficult to tell what was out there and more to the point, exactly where it was coming from. At one point, I swear it on my soul, I was sure I saw something out there, a human figure but twisted beyond recognition. Someone said that it could be the swamp-beast- but that is just local myth and rumor- surely?

Who knows how long it was- it can't have been that long, the Marsh isn't that big, although the pathways (another loose term!) are thin and twisted. But soon, we came to a battered palisade; the walls empty of guards and the doors in flimsy shape. It was soon obvious that someone had been there before us; the corpses of the goblins we'd been tracking were laid out, peppered with arrows. More, a muddy pit lay before the gates, and strewn all around was mouldering clothing of the sort that I associated with Ameiko and her family. An unexpected sight to be sure. Beyond the gates, a pit was dug with the charcoal remains of more goblin corpses, and the remaining 'residents' were huddled away in their rude ruts. We could hear them; I sent Chimalli to fly in and get closer so that we could hear more.

It was difficult to put together, the language a guttural pidgin; but it was clear they were talking about skeletons attacking them and stealing some form of treasure. Could it be something they stole from Ameiko? Regardless, goblins this close to home needed to be dealt with- and skeletons, walking skeletons was an even more worrying thought. Some of my companions had glinting eyes at the mention of the treasure, but all I could think of was the thought of one or the other creeping into Sandpoint where my family was; my father, my mother and my little brothers.

That was when we noticed; one of our companions had sidled past the mudpit and was setting to with oil and fire on one of the huts. Did she realise how many goblins there were?

Biography

Name: Mithennae Ahtisari
Nickname: Sooty
Gender: Female
Age: 26
Race & Culture: Varisian Half-Elf.
Class: Summoner
Profession: Wine broker.
Patron deity: Desna

Ancestry (adopted):
Anthranedas Ahtisari - Father, Vintner, Elven
Miskra Ahtisari - Mother, Shopkeeper Varisian Human

Ancestry (true, suspected):
Shalelu 'Arrower' Andosana - Mother, Guardian of Sandpoint, Elven
Unknown - Father, Varisian Human

Languages spoken: Common, Elven, Varisian

Height: 5'1"
Build: Slim & slender
Eyes: Dark brown
Hair: Dark brown
Identifying Features: A Varisian-style tattoo over her shoulders, upper back and lower neck.
Style: Tends to dress with an eye to style over functionality.

Background: Mithennae grew up in the town of Sandpoint as the child of a human and elven marriage, and is tied to the Varisian culture in which she was raised, even though as a half-elf she was never truly a part of it. She's been working for a number of years as a broker for her family wine business, in particular selling to passing caravans and making contracts with merchants from larger cities, especially nearby Magnimar.

Future: Recently, however, Mithennae has started to get itchy feet that she puts down to two things; her Varisian blood showing through and a Harrow reading that revealed some troubling things about her past- and her future. She's begun to realise that the sedate life of a town or city merchant isn't for her, and a burgeoning desire to see the world. The recent burning of their family wine storehouse in Magnimar has only cemented this- they don't have the resources to fight a trade war, especially if violence and arson are at hand.

Close friends:
Chimalli When she was a teenager, Mithennae came in contact with the extraplaner outsider Chimalli, who takes the form of a couatl. The bond is a strange one, seeming in large part to share a soul, although there is no doubting they are separate creatures with different identities- although there is a certain fluidity to that of Chimalli.

Sandru Vhiski Mithennae and Sandru have always been good friends, even though there is a pretty significant age gap; Sandru has always looked out for her as something of a stand-in big brother. It was in part thanks to him that she came out of her insular shell at a younger age and embraced life and her Varisian heritage. She does wish that he was around more often, and has been thinking of taking one of his longer caravan journeys with him.

Recollections 1: Strange Girl

I've been called a strange girl more times than I can count. Trust me, I'm well and truly used to it! It used to hurt when I was younger, and I went to sleep wishing I was just a regular human, but these days I just laugh it off. I'm a half-elf, and that is strange enough, although that isn't why I'm strange- not these days, not since I've come to know the world more and realise there are stranger things out there. Of course, when I was fourteen, I became one of those stranger things myself.

It was a hot day, unseasonably so, really. It started normally enough, breakfast with my family- Dad, Ma and my two younger brothers. At the time, I was already working with Dad, running errands around town, delivering messages and just being an extra pair of hands when needed. Anyway, my arms were full, hoisting a crate of wine halfway across Sandpoint- I think I was taking it to the mayor's house, a gift of thanks from my father. I didn't even hear them coming up behind me, and the first thing I knew about it was as I tumbled towards the ground, pushed from behind. The usual bullies, thugs really, too small minded to accept someone of mixed blood like me- in hindsight, they're really insignificant, but at the time, they were like gods. Brutish, Chelaxian gods that are to be propiated and appeased in the hopes that their attention will fall elsewhere rather than those worthy of actual worship. They were bigger than I, stronger- and while I was faster, this time they'd clearly caught me unawares, and I knew I was in for a beating. They outnumbered me three to one. To put it lightly, my chances weren't good- and of course they'd chosen a time when Sandru wasn't around.

Just as the first blow was about to strike, my mind reached out. Whether it was an attempt to disassociate with the incoming violence or something else- I couldn't tell you- but reach out it did, and rather than a void, it connected with something else, another will out there in the ether. There was no communication, not in the way I'd speak with you, yet still we connected without speaking, just knowing. Then the blow fell, pain bloomed and I snapped back to my body; but that other essence, that other being? It came with me. There wasn't a second blow. I was dazed, head swimming- but I could hear the screams of terror as my attackers fled for their lives. Wrapped around me was that other part of me, an eight foot long snake. An eight foot long snake with wings. From that moment on, we were of one mind, one will, and for once I actually felt complete. My life changed that day. I was strange, yes... but damn if I didn't love every moment of it.

Overview

This blog will be something of a character diary for my character, Mithennae Ahtisari, in our Pathfinder game, although I may also include some OOC bits and notes as well. As the mood takes me, basically.

Thanks for reading!