Drakkar Log - Zgwortz and cousins - Dec 1996

12/25/96 - The Lost Logs

The following excerpts are from the book: History of the Clan Zgwortz by Sir Arthur Zgwortz XIV, Chapters 11 and 12.

...during the custodianship of Harriet Zgwortz in the sack of Finriton, that several key logs of the time were lost forever. These logs, which would appear to contain the first mention of the split between the Zgwortz cousins, are referenced in fragmentary form in several older reference works from before that time, which is fortunate, since the time in question is generally considered to be a major turning point in the history of Nork...

...the arrival in Nork of Chizgwortz. We know from Meditations [21] that Chi started his logbook as soon as he arrived in Nork, but none of these logs remain to us. The following fragment, taken from a copy of a log written by Doczgwortz, which was found half burnt in the remains of the Zgwortz family home in Finriton, is the only surviving mention of Chi's early days in Nork.

...has been missing for weeks now. I'm afraid he found that Red Dragon again, and has been eaten.

In the meantime, Chi has been settling in nicely. We've bunked him temporarily in Dum's room, since there isn't another room to the house. If it turns out that Dum is just lost, which I still hope is the case, then we're going to have to move to a bigger house for the five of us.

Chi has had a calming influence on the family. Zig hasn't gotten drunk nearly as much, and Wiz has become almost civil at times. I'm glad he's here. He's been trying to convince Wiz and me to learn his style of unarmed combat for personal protection -- I've been considering it seriously, but Wiz has so far turned his nose up at the idea - he seems to think that psionic disciplines can win any battle. I think he's going to learn different, the hard way.

Still, Wiz...

...much debate over the meaning of the next fragment. Many people believe it is the recording of a dreamed premonition by Doc of the events recorded in Chapter 15, while others feel it may be somehow tied in with the discovery of the continent of Aleria, which apparently occurred at around the same time, the exact date which is known since the fragment retained the date at the top of the page. Still others believe it might have been an actual event which occurred, but this is generally discounted since there is no further reference to this event in later logs.

...Evil, just around the corner. In shock, I stood still and stared for a few seconds, before running as fast as I could back to...

...in his book, Cultural Ceremonies of Nork, uses one of Dumzgwortz's logs to illustrate a point. We've included the reference, not only for the log, which is the most extensive surviving fragment from the missing period, but also because the point illustrated is one of the keys to the behavior of certain members of the Zgwortz clan of the time.

One of the more puzzling aspects of the time known as the Great Alerian Expansion, is the casual attitude towards death recorded in the writings of the time, as well as an insistance within those writings that death was but a temporary setback, and that even the physical and mental aspects of the body were mutable.

Indeed, while it is certain that the healing skills known as Critical Curing and Restoration were known at the time, it is nearly certain that widespread casual Restoration was extremely unlikely, given the costs of such proceedures in this day and age. Furthermore, no evidence exists for the phenominon known in these writings as "Rerolling", whereby a person could obtain a new healthy body better suited for their profession, at the cost only of needing to practice the skills they once had to reestablish reflexes.

Still, this phenominon is occationally accompanied by noticeable changes in personality, writing style, and behaviour that would be difficult indeed to explain otherwise. In perhaps one of the most significant such events, one of the members of the infamous Zgwortz clan of the time shows remarkable changes. The following is an excerpt from the log of this individual, which, although almost certainly fictional, is nonetheless illustrative of the changes in writing style and personality associated with the Rerolling phenomenon.

Yesterday evening, late at night, I was stupid enough to stroll back through the cave where I had previously seen the Red Dragon, in the hopes of finding another Yeti on the far side, to kill for it's fur. Stupid, I say, because no sooner did I enter the cave, when I was baked to a crisp, and eaten as a light snack. I have to say, it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Dum thinks me just become food for big lizard," my ghost said, hovering over the scene. "Doc tell me word to say when I be dead to be not dead, but me not remember word. Not good."

I was mulling this over with my thick, empty skull, when I heard a clanking sound. I looked about, and suddenly saw the vision of an Orc, carring a long, thick chain wrapped about it's person, walking through the wall towards me. It was all white, and I could see through it, so even my little pea brain could figure out it was a ghost too.

"I am Cayt," the ghostly Orc said. "You killed me some time back, but I am not here for revenge. Instead, I have been sent to tell you that you have been given a chance to redeem yourself." With that, it rattled it's chains.

Of course, I had no idea what he was talking about. Redeem myself? I didn't even know what "redeem" meant! I asked the ghost of Cayt, "You tell word to make not dead?"

"NO!!!" It let out a loud moan which would have shook my bones if they weren't inside the Dragon. "Listen, Dumbzgwortz, for my time here is short. You will be visited by three spirits this night. If, by the time the sun rises, you have not yet redeemed yourself, you will be cursed to the same fate as I." The ghost raised it's arm and pointed at me. "Know you well, that this is your one chance to save yourself from a terrible fate. I believe you will fail." With a horrifying echoing laugh, the ghost sank into the ground and faded from sight.

I was trying valiently, but ultimately fruitlessly, to figure out what had just happened when a barbarian strode into the lair as if without a care in the world. He was dressed in rich furs, and carried a bronze longsword. Gleaming jewelry adorned his neck, waist, and arms. Oddly, he was walking a few feet above the ground, straight towards me, and the Dragon, although looking straight at him, ignored his presence. It was then, through an amazing feat of cogitation I had never before experienced, I realized that this must be the first Spirit whose presence had been foretold.

"I am the Spirit of Barbarians Past," exclaimed the Spirit to me. "I am to show you how the Barbarian of the past lived, and died, so that you might learn from them. Will you come with me?" The Spirit stretched out his hand.

"Me will go. Here is boring." And I placed my own ghostly hand inside his.

In a flash we were elsewhere. Here, in raw, untamed wilderness, I saw a Barbarian as they were in the distant past - raw, berserk, stupid. Armed with a longsword, and dressed in Wolf furs, the Barbarian slew monsters left and right. And was himself slaughtered through sheer numbers. Elsewhere, I saw a similar Barbarian being killed by a monster he was too stupid to know he couldn't fight. Over and over I saw Barbarians fighting and dying because they refused to admit they couldn't lose, and insisted on going out alone. Strength and raw energy were good, but not enough.

And then I was back in the cave, with the Dragon. The spirit was gone, and in his place was another Barbarian, this one dressed in a Yeti fur, carrying a Halberd. I realized this must be the second Spirit.

"I am the Spirit of Barbarians Present," exclaimed the Spirit to me. "I am to show you how the Barbarian of the present lives, and dies, so that you might learn from them. Will you come with me?" The Spirit stretched out his hand.

I already knew how the Barbarian of the present dies, but I wasn't doing much floating around this cave, so I said, "Sure. Me go with you, watch more Barb die," and placed my hand in his.

This time I saw barbarians, better armored, holding halberds, making their way through the Nork dungeon. Their better weapons and armor allowed them to survive longer, but still they died. Many spent some time with other non-Barbarians, and these survived longer, but in one scene we saw the Dragon was fighting a group of people, with a Barbarian hacking at it while the others stayed away, shooting arrows and forming psionic disciplines at the thing. After some time, the Dragon was dead, but so was the Barbarian. So better weapons and armor, and travelling with companions helped too, but still wasn't enough.

Back in the cave again, the spirit was gone. For a while, I pondered, but not too heavily lest my brain overheat. The Dragon, sleeping fitfully on his pile of treasure, rumbled in his sleep. Suddenly, from my vantage point, I saw a Barbarian entering the cave. Dressed in Yeti fur, with a yellow cloak on top, and carrying a halberd, he moved stealthily by. Looking to be certain the dragon was asleep, he quickly and silently made his way through the cave and out the other side. I watched in frank curiosity as he moved out of sight, then started when I saw his hand move back into view, beckoning to me to follow. Curious, I floated out of the cave towards the intrepid Barbarian.

"I am the Spirit of Barbarians Future," exclaimed the figure, sitting on the stairs, smoking a small pipe. "I'm the embodiment of the raw power of the Barbarians past, the skills, weapons, and armor of the Barbarians present, combined with the cunning to know when to fight, when to run, and when to sneak by. Yes, there are times when you should block all thought from your mind, but it takes that cunning to know when it's smart to do so. I'm what *you* could be if you wanted to change your ways."

I was convinced. "Me want to change. Not be Dumb anymore. Be cunning. Be strong. But how me change?"

"Ah, my friend, that is the easiest thing in the world for you to do. Just turn around three times, click your heels together, and bellow at the top of your lungs that you want to Reroll!"

So I did.

So I am.

I ain't dumb anymore, and I ain't taking it, either.

You can call me Barzgwortz. And it's no more Mister Nice Barbarian...

As you can see, this sequence is obviously either a hallucination brought on by injury, or a complete fabrication. However, it must be pointed out that following this entry in the log, Barzgwortz (formerly Dumbzgwortz) wrote far more intelligently, although accompanied by a noticeably less pleasant personality...

...ran into Dumbzgwortz in the Steel Flower Inn yesterday, to my shock and amazement. He looks somewhat different, which he attributes to a Reroll, although under much changed conditions than the ones which Zig and Doc have gone through. Even more amazing is the change in intelligence and personality - Dum actually conversed quite intelligently with me, far better than Zig has been able to do.

But the personality changes were the most evident. Dum (or Barzgwortz, as he insists he now be called...) has developed a most irritating personality, almost deliberately abrasive, I might have said. He disparaged my mentalist skills quite insultingly. I then received my second shock when another person sat down at the table with us.

It was Lightfingers, LFZgwortz for short. Now, I hadn't seen LF for some time, ever since he stole a scroll from me at the last family get-together, and I admit I wasn't very cordial to him in this instance, but that didn't give Bar any good excuse for picking me up and throwing me out through the window -- hanging around with LF must be a bad influence for him.

I brushed myself off and made my way home to discuss the news, only to find more bad news awaiting me. It turns out that Doc received a letter from the asylum...