The following postings are an account of Claudia experiences past and present.

"There is a terrible man..." he leaves off for a moment, as though he really doesn't want to speak of this, "and he owns lands for hundreds of leagues around and to the southwest of Quenelles, stretching as far as L'épine des montagnes d'Irrana, the spine of the mountains to the south, and as far west as the Fleuve Vert De Sel, the second river tributary from the mountains flowing to the River Brienne. He believes in slavery and has enslaved the Bretonnians of a dozen farms, to produce for him and work the land to keep him flowing in coin.

"Many regard him as evil incarnate, as bad as any Chaos demon, although we all know he is not." DeGrassi pauses again, looking at the rapier at Claudia's side, again studying her stance and look to make sure she is the right stock. Whether or not he is satisfied, he looks again into Claudia's face and continues,

"Count Mallery is a hard man to be able to talk to, and that is only because those he pays to guard him let no one pass so they, too, may sleep peacefully. However, it is well known that he wishes to woo the Countess Glori D'Aubigne, who has been without her husband for quite some time, now, and it is known that he is dead.

"There is one thing on this Earth that will allow him to do such a thing, and you happen to have it in your possession. Come, come," DeGrassi picks the egg-shaped Jacinth up again and turns it on its fat end, pushing the glass towards Claudia. "Look at the very end, here. It is the crest of Count D'Aubigne, who built his keep upon the bones of a keep that defended against an army of Chaos Marauders in the first Chaos War four-thousand years past. The keep, itself, is said to hold the magic of a thousand good souls, and is considered very strongly, including by Count Mallery, to be a place of significant power in Bretonnia.

"The Count does not want the Countess, however, for that castle, but rather because he truly has a love for her.

The following events take place prior to the caravan cross the Grey Dog Pass.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Claudia read the words on the parchment and then screwed the message up. Gathering her equipment and belongings she readied herself for a journey back to Nuln. Captain Berenkov questioned her sudden action to leave the caravan, but once Claudia advised him that her father was very ill and she was needed at home, he completely understood.

Claudia set off on the journey back to Nuln. After a day of travelling, Claudia encountered a lone rider. He sat upon his horse watching Claudia’s wagon roll past. Then the rider moved to intercept the wagon, but as the rider came closer Claudia noticed that she knew the face of the stranger. It was Vincent and he was clearly unsettled about something. After a brief discussion, Vincent told Claudia that he was responsible for the letter and there was nothing wrong with her father. He continued to tell her that he had landed himself in trouble and he needed Claudia’s help. Vince explained that he had come into possession of an orb. Somehow the Thieves Guild knew about it and they were very interested in it. The Guild had made it more than clear to hand the orb over, rather than go against their wishes. The orb was still at Vince’s shop back in Nuln and there was no way he could return there to collect it. Convinced that he could never return to Nuln, he asked Claudia if she would retrieve the orb. Although not happy about the pretence that she had been summoned upon, Claudia agreed to help Vince. She arranged to meet him back at this location in four days, giving her plenty of time to get back to Nuln, find the orb and return.

Claudia arrived back in Nuln a day later. It was late in the evening and the streets were strangely quiet. As she moved through the streets toward the shop she felt that a thousand eyes were upon her. Shaking off the paranoia eventually Claudia made it back to Vincent’s shop. Parking the wagon down a side street she approached the front door. It was clear the Thieves Guild had already been here. The door was kicked in and the contents of the shop had been turned upside down. The shop was in darkness, but despite the difficulty seeing Claudia thought it wise to use the darkness to her advantage. Remembering that Vince had told her the item was in his floor safe, Claudia made her way to its location. After moving aside some furniture she managed to uncover the safe and open it. Reaching inside Claudia found a small egg shaped item wrapped in a cloth. Not dwelling too long, she put the orb in her pocket and went to leave. As she made her way for the door Claudia heard footsteps outside on the street. Quickly hiding Claudia waited for the person to pass.

“I know you in there Vince, your wagon was a big give away. You shouldn’t have crossed the guild” Suddenly a bottle of spirit with a burning rag hanging out of the neck flew into the shop and smashed on the floor. The incendiary device burst into flames and blocked her escape from the front entrance. Claudia needed to find another way out, so she headed upstairs to the first floor.

Smoke poured up the stairs and Claudia could feel the heat of the fire getting closer. Starting to get panicked Claudia search the first floor to find a way out. The only way down was through the window, but it was a fair drop. Quickly searching the room Claudia found a coil of rope, which was the best quality she had even seen. Claudia tied the rope to the window handle and dropped the rest out of the window. She pulled herself up on to the windowsill and began to lower herself to the ground. Claudia was about a yard from the ground when the handle on the window gave way and both her and the rope dropped the ground. Claudia dragged herself to her feet, looking back at the shop the first floor was alive with fire. Claudia swiftly made her way back to the wagon. When she turned the corner she saw it moving up the street, taken by the guild member. Fortunately, Claudia had her dagger on her, she threw the rope she had acquired over her shoulder and chased after the wagon. Claudia caught up with the wagon and quietly moved up toward the drivers seat. Within a blink of an eye Claudia grabbed the guild member threw him to the floor then stabbed him in the chest with her dagger. The blow was a lucky one, or unlucky, depending on your point of view. The wound punctured the guild member’s heart and he died almost instantaneously. Claudia dragged the body down a nearby side alley. Before leaving she checked his clothing, Claudia found some loose change and a bounty letter for Vince. Not hanging around, Claudia jumped back on the wagon and headed back to where she agreed to meet Vince.

Lunchtime on the forth day Claudia arrived at the meeting point. She had been very careful leaving Nuln and had taken some of the more scenic routes to avoid encounters. Claudia scanned the landscape, but Vince was nowhere to be seen. It was unlike him not to be prompt. Claudia waited for three hours and started to fear the worst. She was about to set off and search the local area, when a horse and rider appeared from behind a small group of trees. She headed towards the rider and Claudia noticed that the he was actually slumped over his horse. Jumping from the wagon Claudia grabbed the rider and lowered him to the ground. It was Vince though he was so badly beaten that she hardly recognise him. He also had a dart in his side, which had a green tinge to the wound. Vince slowly opened his eyes.

“What kept you” he joked coughing up blood. “The guild caught up with me. I tried to fight them off and I did take them both down, but one of them got me with a poison dart. I’ve got some bad news they know about you. They’ll be looking for you and my wagon”. Vince’s face contorted in pain.

“Take the orb and get out of here” Vince managed to whisper before his body went limp and he ceased to breathe. Claudia held Vince for a few minutes and cried. Eventually she wiped her eyes and pulled herself to her feet. Rather than leaving Vince’s body for the scavengers, Claudia moved her belongings into the saddlebags on Vince’s horse and then placed his body in the wagon. Claudia lead the horse off toward the caravan she had left six days ago, looking back at the wagon it was now engulfed in flames.

After another day of travel Claudia picked up the caravan’s trail and follow it. Late in the evening on the following night Claudia saw the caravan camped in front of her. The night watchmen were the first to highlight her arrival. Captain Berenkov was one of the first to meet her.

“That was quick. Was you too late?” He said considerately.

“You could say that” Claudia replied.

“What happed to your wagon?” Captain Berenkov enquired.

“I swapped it with an old friend” Claudia replied with a sad smile.

The following events take place years before Claudia meets her current companions and was learning her trade with Vince her employer and mentor.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Reaching out a hand she grasped the idol. Picking it up slowly off of its plinth was gratifying. The way through the tomb had been treacherous and on a couple of occasions she had come close to triggering a trap or being caught up in one.

“Have you got it?”

“Yes Vince, just give me a second, it’s more delicate than I imagined after what we’ve been through you wouldn’t want me to drop it now would you” Claudia replied.

“No my dear, I certainly would not. It might cost me my head” Vince replied with a sarcastic smile on his face. Claudia climbed down from the idol’s plinth and placed it gently into her sling bag. Carefully making her way back to the entrance of the crypt, Claudia took one last look back at the idol’s resting place. Then Claudia noticed one of the sarcophaguses slide open and a skeletal hand grab onto the side of the open stone coffin.

“Vince you know we saw that ancient warning on the door of the tomb. Well I don’t think it was just a myth to scare prospective thieves away. Run!” Vince looked into the crypt from the corridor outside and could not believe what he saw. It was true the dead were rising to stop them. Claudia had virtually made it to the entrance of the crypt, but a decomposed skeleton was hot in pursuit and moving at pace. The pair ran back towards the opening that they had found in the main tomb wall. Both jumped the trip wire that they had discovered earlier. Turning a corner Claudia could hear the skeletal being getting closer. Vince was still carrying the sack of valuables and the torch. The light from the torch cast an erratic illumination on the floor as the two of them fled their pursuer. Claudia stumbled over some loose rocks on the floor due to the poor light and just about managed to keep her balance. At last they could both see the gap in the wall to the main tomb. Claudia was first through the opening in the wall. Vince followed second, however the sack he was carrying, now full of valuables, was too wide to get through the gap in the wall. He repeatedly pulled at the sack, but it would not clear. Then a skeletal hand the came through the gap and grabbed Vince by the neck of his tunic. The only thing stopping either Vince being dragged back to the hidden crypt, or the undead creature entering the main tomb was the sack of loot Vince was still holding onto.

“What are you doing? Let it go it’s not worth your life” Claudia shouted realising that Vince had not continued to stay right behind her. Seeing that Vince was now caught in a stalemate with the creature she raced back drawing her sword as she ran. Claudia brought her weapon down on the undead monsters arm and cut right through its wrist joint. Vince fell backwards and the skeletal being shrilled in pain. Pulling Vince to his feet the pair ran out of the main tomb, jumped the pit with spikes at the bottom, ran up the stone staircase and back to the surface. Forcing the door shut Claudia and Vince sat up against the door to the tomb breathing heavily.

“Tell me you’ve still got the idol? Cos I don’t fancy going back in there funnily enough” Vince asked.

Claudia smiled grabbing her sling bag. She could feel the shape of the idol through the soft material. “Looks like you’ll be keeping your head. Just do us both a favour, don’t lose at cards again. I don’t think I can take much more of this”.

Vince laughed “Come on let’s get back to Nuln. If we’re quick we’ll make it in time for breakfast”.

“Take your hand off me or you’ll lose it”.

The drunken oaf laughed out loud. His cronies also burst into raptors of laughter at the reaction of the young lady. Moving away from the drunken lout Claudia tried to ignore his immature actions. The drunken youth followed her down the bar and put his had on Claudia’s rear. Then grabbing her tightly licked her ear.

“That’s it! I was try to save you from this, but you deserve it you animal” Claudia exploded. Grabbing the youth by his privates he contorted in moderate sensitive pain. Once his hands had been removed from her body she let go, but this was quickly followed by a raised knee to the youth, which connected right between his legs. Dropping to the floor coughing profusely his friends decided to intervene.

“Ok young lady. Aaron didn’t mean any harm he’s just trying to be friendly. I think you’ve taken things a bit too far” The tall, well built youth said approaching Claudia. He then grabbed her by the face and threw her backwards, which sent he off balance and she fell on her back on the tavern floor.

“I think I’d like hear you say you’re sorry” The tall youth added.

“Really? Well I think you should go hang yourself, you ugly donkey’s arse” Claudia replied aggressively regaining her composure. Jumping to her feet Claudia pulled her sword to hand and stared hard into the eyes of the youth. “If you want an apology then you’re going to have to force it out of me. Your scum of a friend deserved that and his lucky that I didn’t leave him permanently scared or maimed” Claudia continued.

The youth smiled and drew a large hand axe, which had been holstered to his back. Then two of his friends stood along side him and drew a sword and a club respectively. The three of them advanced on Claudia who was now slightly concerned at the position she had put herself in. One on one was fine, but three to one, even if they were drunk, was not her version of fair odds.

“Just wait a minute. There is no way that this lady will face you vagrants sole handily. I will not allow it. If you want to run her through then you will need to best me first” Said a well dressed and spoken man who positioned himself in front of Claudia. His hair was long and well kept and he had a perfectly shaped moustache. Throwing his flamboyant hat on a near by table he pulled a rapier to hand and addressed his foes. One of the drunken youths charged at the stranger. He was quick on his feet and used his attackers speed and momentum to send him tumbling into a table, which contained a full round of drinks. The tankards were sent flying and the youth was knocked unconscious by the fall.

“Who’s next?”

Both of the remaining youths advanced on the newcomer. Adjusting his posture to a defensive stance he waited for his attackers. Blocking the sword attack was straight forward. The youth was poorly skilled with the weapon and his attack barely posed a threat. The tall attacker with the hand axe was slightly skilled and gave him a tougher challenge, but he parried the attack none the less. After a few exchanges the well dressed newcomer had managed to see off the attacker using the sword. With a well placed cut across the arm and a thrust to his shoulder the youth fled the fight. The youth bearing the hand axe saw an opportunity to strike and finally beat the parry. Just as the axe was about to lodge itself into his rib cage the blow was blocked by another sword. Claudia and the newcomer both sighed in relief as her parry was just in time. Claudia engaged in combat with the axe wielding youth. A number of exchanges took place, but neither had managed to gain any advantage. Claudia wildly hacked and managed to get her sword lodged in the hard wood bar. Seeing an opportunity, her attacker attempted to bring his axe down on her. Dodging the blow the youths axe was firmly planted into the tavern floor. Bent over he desperately tried to free it from the floor boards. Claudia kicked the youth in the face and he flew backwards, landing on his back holding his face. Delivering a second kick to the genitals the youth was finally finished as he rolled around the floor in terrible pain.

“We’ll my lady that is certainly one way to defeat your enemy. Thank you for blocking that blow I feel I had exposed myself” The well dressed stranger announced from behind her.

“Thank you for stepping in like that, it was very brave of you” Claudia replied turning to face her new found friend.

“That sword you use is not meant for a lady. You really should be using something with a little more grace. Please accept this as a gift of gratitude” Throwing his rapier towards her, Claudia managed to catch it by the hilt. Feeling its weight and how it glided through the air with ease. A smile grew across Claudia’s face.

“I would happily teach you how to master that weapon”.

“That sounds like an offer too good to pass up, when would you want to start ?” Claudia replied still smiling.