I, Drak of the Thornberry Clan, Slayer of Beasts, Master of Shadows and Grand Orchestrator of Festivals, invite you to sit down, grab a pint and prepare for a journey of a life time . . . my life time.

My first real adventure began with sheep. It started out like a normal summer day until I was summoned to the Duke’s council about a flock of missing sheep. The Great Lord Duke Arroway was asking for a brave volunteer to track down and find the lost sheep. Without a second thought I knew I was the Duchies only hope to protect our lands like my forefathers before me. Pleased to know all would be well, the Great Duke insisted on sending his daughter Caiella, our blessed cleric, with so I could teach her the ways of the lands. The Duke also suggested I take his Master Hunter, Trow of elfish descent, as his large ears and keen eyes would be most useful in seeing or hearing the cries of our poor sheep. I figured seeing as I was already taking a party with it would not hurt to invite the majestic wizard Barthaan Danys to come along and get some fresh air from his stuffy books.

In no time at all we where hot on the heels of the vicious sheep-nappers. They turned out to be GOBLINS! We easily followed their trail to what turned out to be an ancient building carved into the mountains. Negotiating with goblins is like asking a human to make a Hobble berry cake pies . . . it’s not going to happen but if you don’t try they become offended and storm off in a huff. Fortunately for us the goblins only wanted to kill us and take our stuff and during the negotiation process all the goblins where killed. Trow found a fancy spear on a bugbear that had been mean to a trapped fireball on a stand that got upset and set him on fire, so Barthaan had to consol it to calm it down so it would not burn us. I happened to find a neat crossbow from one of the negotiators that shoots out a jet of flame and accidently set the rest of the goblins on fire.

We found the sheep but before we were able to move them out Caiella sensed an evil darkness nearby. Sure enough we encountered a Necromancer who was actually the head cheese in the sheep-napping scheme. Turns out he was kicked out of the Duchy for dabbling in the dark arts and he was holding a grudge. It’s too bad, he had some real neat stuff, like this HUGE Manster that he made out of a bunch of different parts. It was no match however for our brave cleric Caiella who gracefully dispatched it as Trow and Barthaan beat down his skeleton bodyguards. As the evil wizard cast his dark magic’s, I knew I had to act, so I raced past all dangers and through myself at the dark wizard. To my great surprise I found that Barthaan had changed him into a large frog. He changed back just as I got to him and I had to fake my death to get the upper hand. I was so convincing that when he turned his back to me I sprung into action and ended his evil reign with a quick thrust of my blade. He learned a valuable lesson that day, never turn you’re back on a Thornberry if you’re caught stealing his sheep.

Once again we were getting ready to head back to the Duchy with the sheep when Barthaan felt a powerful magic nearby. He pleaded with me to remain and check it out with him, he looked so sad, how could I say no? We encountered some strange lizard people known as Kobolds, who where kind enough to escort us to their leader, a magnificent white Dragon. Barthaan and Caiella tried to be diplomatic but everyone knows the way to get on a dragon’s good side is to offer food. So I began discussing with her a feast of all feasts and was trying to put together details on what she wanted on the menu when Barthaan, he must have been jealous of my dragon knowledge, shot a pillar of fire into the room. Needless to say the dragon did not take too kindly to that tactic and tried to eat us all. Of course we were forced to kill her and her Kobold friends but to honor her we have her head hanging in the Duke’s Hall for all to be in awe. Lucky for Barthaan, Caiella’s clerical powers and quick thinking saved his life. I must admit, I tried her technique on a chicken once just to see . . . it must be a human thing, for I have never seen anyone drown back to life before. One day I shall ask her about it . . .

I was able to report back to the Duke that all members where accounted for as well as the sheep and a wagon full of loot. This ended my first of many adventures with the companions I call my friends, tomorrow I’ll tell you about the time I uncovered the door to a lost people and my first encounter with orc's.

In a small valley nestled among the Great Mountains of Zod, lies the agriculture rich Duchy of Arroway, once part of the Empire which fell over a century before our story begins. The Great Lord Duke Norton Arroway and his Majestic Duchess Wan Danys Arroway rule this peaceful land. With the help of the Agriculture Guild run by the widely known Thornberry Clan, the Duchy has begun to prosper and the time has come to think about reclaiming the lost lands of the fallen empire to start a new.

The Thornberry Clan was once a small nomadic family moving from valley to valley adapting their talents to help fill needs and make a name for themselves. In one valley they may be fishmongers making a living off the rivers, the next they would find themselves working as spies or saboteurs and yet another valley they would become farmers, bakers or merchants. As fate would have it, they happened to move into the Arroway valley as farmers, shortly before the news of the Empire had fallen reached the ears of neighboring Nobles. When the Nobles began rebelling and started their invasion against the Arroway’s the industrious Thornberry Clan picked up arms and joined the Arroway’s in driving back the armies. For the first time in the history of the Clan, they were rewarded for their efforts with permanent lands and a place on the Dukes council as advisors on the state of the lands.

Over the Course of the last few decades the clan has swelled its numbers, even with the wonder lust that strikes all Halflings, many find their way back or encourage others on their travels to make the journey to the Duchy. The Clan established the Great Hall of Trades which allow peoples of all kinds a fair and hassle free place to conduct agricultural business. One key aspect of the Thornberry Clan set in place by Elder Grandmaster Ballester of the Thornberry Clan, the day he signed their allegiance to the Duke’s of Arroway, is to continue the practice of all the trades the Clan had learned previous to settling. Every member of the Clan is trained in multiple trades so the knowledge of their forefathers will not be wasted and the survival of the Clan will continue on for generations to come.

Over the Course of the last decade the Guild has grown in popularity with the locals as farming and trades have become more lucrative, leading to quarterly celebrations to honor the hard work of all individuals. This sudden boost in the economy was brought on when a certain individual who is blessed with many brilliant ideas and gifts was not only elected to take over the responsibilities of running the Great Hall of Trades but was also nominated to represent the Clan on the Dukes council.