*Lady Priestess Nalona has commanded me to keep a journal as a class project. She claims it will help me remember important details and events for the future. I'm not sure about that but then, she has been right so far. I will do as she says starting with how I came into the world and go from there...

It all began for me 31 years and 2 months ago. My father, Resha Rose was, and still is, a very good sculptor in the capitol city of Cormyr, Suzail. His wife, Pearl (my mother) kept the books and tended the store they had in a good section of town. Resha's brother, Royan helps in the designing and carving. His wife, Tulip tends to the house and the growing family. So far they are childless. At the time of my birth I had two older brothers, Rulono and Rakos.

*All the girls in the Rose family are named after gems and all the men have first names beginning with an 'R'.

Recently the business had been so busy that my father hired a servant to clean the shop and run errands. Rulono had also started his apprenticeship. The day I came into existence everyone but the servant were out on errands or on site jobs. Mother discovered Resha had finished a traveling altar case for the temple of Tymora and forgot to deliver it.
She knew that the deadline was coming and despite her condition she decided to deliver it herself instead of trusting the servant. There was something shifty about him or perhaps it was just that he was new and she couldn't trust him just yet, in any case she left the shop for him to clean and went on her way. Upon reaching the temple and getting the fee plus a bonus for early delivery she started out of the temple when the pains of labor beset her. Unfortunately she couldn't get back home walking and having to rest in between contractions and at the time there were no sedan chairs around. Also she knew being out after curfew she would be caught, curfew set by King Azoun. The Purple Dragons were not one to take any excuse. Luckily the clerics at the temple were kind enough to take her to a healing room that was currently empty and helped bring me into the world. Good thing too, for mother had a hard time and
would have bleed to death if she had been at home before a midwife could have gotten a healer in to stop the bleeding!

*Mother used to tell me she was in such pain that when I was delivered and held up to her to see she thought I was surrounded by a silver glow. No one else commented on it so she always afterwards told me it was an hallucination. I've learned in my studies here at the temple that she really did see a silver glow. Tymora had blessed me. The priests tell us that such honors mean she has plans for such blessed people. I'm not sure I want the Lady's eyes looking at me. There are some things I'd like to keep hidden. I sure hope Lord Priest Gormor doesn't read this, he'd find out it was me who put black ink in his wash water.

Anyway, that was the start of my luck and my adventures.

Back home things settled down and the orders came in bringing much needed money to the coffers. When I was three the final offspring our family brood was born, my brother Rylor. When I was four and pretty gullible my older brothers were teasing me unmercifully. They were supposed to be taking care of us while the adults paid their respects to the temple and had a drink or two at a local tavern on the way back. Naturally enough my brothers resented this for they wanted to go out to be with their pals. Putting Resha down for a nap they pretended to offer to
play truth or dare with me. I can still remember that day as if it was yesterday...I took the dare and it was to go up into the dark attic and stay there for one hour. I didn't really want to go but I knew there was still light coming in the chinks of the wood so it wouldn't be all that dark. Entering the attic I heard Rulono say to Rakos,

"I hope there aren't anymore of those spiders up there, you know the ones that have poison fangs..."

"Yeah, I heard uncle Royan say they multiply like rabbits and love to rest on warm things." Rakos replied.

"Oh, there just couldn't be any of those up there." Rulono said. "Unless there were egg sacks that hatched..." and their voices were cut off as they slammed shut the ceiling cover and slid the bolt home!

I panicked and called for them to unlock the door and all they did was laugh and say they'd come back in an hour and then I heard them run outside. Trying to gather my courage I turned around and saw...spiders! Webs everywhere! Old ones and new ones...and as I began to shake and quiver a spider dropped down from the ceiling...I screamed and ran back and forth running into the cobwebs getting them all over my face and hands. Another spider knocked off of a web crawled over my arm and at that point I freaked out. I have no idea how long I was up there but my parents found me passed out an hour after dark. My only satisfaction from that horrible experience was that my brothers couldn't sit down for a week.

*Every since then spiders have been my bane. I've tried to overcome it, but so far no luck. I get the shivers just thinking about them. What was that..???!!! Oh, phew! Just a blue beetle.

As I grew older I wanted to do the things my brothers did instead of more ladylike things such as weaving and cooking. Like exploring or using a sling shot, so I practiced and practiced, often in secret for fear of being laughed at. That year during The Festival of The Sword I entered the sling contest along with my brothers. Much to their chagrin and my delight, I won the contest for my age group and the age group of my brothers! My prize was a very well made sling which I prize to this very day and some sling bullets. Those bullets are expensive and I haven't use
one of them to this day. [**player note, to the day she was writing that is.]

One of my more favorite things to do during the day was to sit in the shop and watch my father carve, he sometimes gave me a small piece of wood and a child sized knife to try and carve something. Mother didn't approve but when I showed her that I could handle the knife and was always careful she relented and let me keep on doing it. My father like to have me around for he said that whenever I was with him he always got good orders and good prices for his sculptures. He called me his "lil' luck piece'. I even got to go with him when he went to the local tavern, The Laughing Lass or whatever tavern was near his deliveries. I loved listening to the travelers and older people tell of wondrous deeds of the past or things the travelers did and saw.

*I think that is how my wanderlust started.

Time passed and mother began training me in the family business, how to read and write, take orders, and do some simple carving of toys. One day I was sent to the market place along with Resha to buy some more paper and ink for designing. On the way back we had stopped for a favorite treat, honey covered scones. My hands were full of the sticky bun and my bag so I was unable to keep a hand on my little brother. Much to my horror he dropped his bun in the street and it rolled out into the center. He ran after it and got hit by a run away cart. His leg was broken in two places and even though a healer came the next day, his leg never healed properly.

*I've felt guilty about that ever since, if I had been quicker, if I hadn't bought the scone, if I had dropped my scone and run after him...I think it was then I started thinking about healing and good and bad luck.

I went to the Tower of Tymora [temple] and a kind human cleric by the name of Nalona explained that it wasn't my fault, it was just a bad turn of the wheel, Tymora was watching elsewhere and perhaps my brother was destined for something important that he couldn't accomplish if he was well in both legs. I wasn't entirely convinced, only time will tell if she was right.

A year after the accident Resha began to go around with a bad group of boys. Unknown to me, several of them were offspring or 'adoptees' of a band of thieves working out of Suzail. Their scam was to have the children run interference with any small loot that might be spotted by the authorities. I got wind, by overhearing my brother and his cronies talking, of a deal going down that evening and they needed extra hands to confuse some stupid nobles and their servants going about the town. I just knew somehow that bunch of boys was bad news and followed them. When I saw the disreputable men showing the boys were to wait I snuck up and scared the bejebbers out of Resha. I sent him home with a flea in his ear and the terror of being beat up by a girl. I told him in fierce whispers, there was no way in hell he could outrun a grownup with his bad leg and he'd end up in prison or on a slaver ship, not to mention the loss of respect our parents would get. They'd have to move out of town!

He left and I was about to go too when one of the adults came by and I had to stay. I was afraid but resting my hand on my sling calmed me down. I was determined that I would do what I could to foil whatever these bad men were up to. I didn't see what happened but the grownups ran by and threw bags at all the children there, many I learned later only had rocks or junk in them, some of the bags had the thieves ill gotten gains in them. There were still a lot of people out for the evening and when the alarm went out the children ran in and out of the crowds confusing everyone and slowing down the watch and the nobleman's guards. I managed to get into an alley lit by one torch and wasn't followed. Opening the sack I had thrust into my hands I discovered two rings and a jeweled bowl dedicated to Tymora. This scared me, for I could die if it was found on me.

Taking heart though I remembered the cleric in the temple who'd been so kind to me before and I managed to get to the temple unseen. Inside I found her quietly contemplating in a garden by a fish pool. With fear in my eyes and a fast beating heart I managed to stammer out what had happened and gave her the bag. I think she must have cast a Truth spell on me or something because as she questioned me and I tried to keep my brothers name out of it I was forced to tell. At any rate I was believed and with my information and descriptions of the adults involved and those of the children, the gang was captured. It was also discovered that the servant I, and mother, was so distrustful of was also a member and he had used the information he gleaned/spied from rich customers coming in and checking out abodes when he delivered stuff, he was taken in the sweep too. Most ended up hung or punished severely, loss of a hand being the least of it and then exiled out of the city. My name never came up luckily. [I believe the only one who could have remembered me was killed in a scuffle when he tried to escape the Purple Dragons.

Much discussion about my so called lucky streaks ensued and with a decent donation to the temple from my parents I was taken in and became an acolyte of Tymora. I wasn't interested in being a temple cleric nor fond of games the Luckbringer specialists were, and with my interest in the outside world and what could be found there, not to mention my sling talent I was taken in hand by a branch of Tymora called Tymora's Favored.

This is a relatively new branch and The temple at Arabel is trying to keep it from spreading. Not much luck, as there are many priests there who think The High Hand of The Lady [High priest title], Daramos Lauthyr will soon be deposed. He is too greedy and power mad.

*Oh dear, I wish I hadn't written that! Can't smudge it out either cause I will get demerits! Oh bother. I must remember to keep my opinions to myself. At least till I can't protect myself.

Not much of interest happened during my training period other than using my luck for temple interests. As I finished my training I was informed my first duty on becoming a full fledged cleric would be to take a book of new prayers to the Temple of Tymora in a town called Jurgenville. I was also to inform The High Hand Lord Dum Tiddis that
the training of the Favored was going well and to keep a lookout for them as they ventured out into the world. From there I could start my wanderings, aiding adventurers where I could and spreading the word of Lady Luck.

*Today is the last day I write in my journal...OH! I was just told to continue it as long as I could, keeping track of the places I go and the people I meet too! I will have to write small, only 17 pages left.

* * * * * * * * * * *

End of the first day of my travels:

I began my adventures today by visiting my parents and they made sure I had good clothing to keep me warm during the upcoming winter months and a few items of food and some things from the shop, like a good carving knife, merchant scales and a few small pieces of black oak for carving while on the road. Wonders of wonders, Aunt Tulip finally had a baby! She, the baby, is called Topaz. Cute little thing. She has the same hair color I do but baby blue eyes. Mom tells me this will change as she gets older.

* When I get the chance I will have to send her a birthing gift.

I found a merchants caravan heading towards Tilverton and they were pleased to have me join them. Master Bormant game me a reduced fare for doing small healings and bringing a few rabbits to the stew pot and bring
luck to their travels. There was much fear of bandits and bad weather. Thanks to Her Ladyship we made it to Tilverton and we parted there. I to walk onto Haranshire and then on to Jurgenville.

(OOC: At this point in time Amber runs into a little bad luck and is turned into a dog. She eventually latches onto the Truth Seekers and follows them into the Underdark. In time the Truth Seekers figure out that something strange is going on and they manage to dispel the polymorph spell on Amber.)

[*Written in after returned to natural form]

Lady luck continued to shine on my travels until the fateful day I was 2 days from Jurgenville. I had stopped off the road for a lunch break and was sitting quietly on a rock resting before I started on again when I heard something on the other side of a small hill behind me. Curious I crept as quietly as I could to the top of the hill and peeked over. Down below, 50', a small group of humans were arguing. After a while their voices got loud enough for me to hear. Seems they were arguing over some spoils of loot they had gotten earlier that day. I had found bandits! One, a female was claiming a white stick was part of her share and the leader was saying it was his. He had it in his hand as he waved it around gesturing in anger. Suddenly the female struck at him with a dagger and he yelled out,

"Amantha! You Bitch!" as he dodged away from her.

As he spoke the words and waved the stick, out from it shot a thin, green beam that went directly up the hill where I had risen up a bit higher to watch. It struck me full in the chest and the green beam turned to green sparkles that covered me all over. The next thing I knew was terrible pain, my bones were twisting around and hair was growing all over my body. I lost my footing and rolled down the hill towards the road. My screams turned to howls and I had been turned into a DOG! A golden retriever!

"TYMORA!" I tried to yell but all that came out was a loud bark.

Sounds of running feet brought me to mine, all four, and I struggled to get away. Reaching the road I heard behind me more arguing and much laughter as all they found was a dog clumsily running for all it was worth. After a few hours I managed to figure out how to walk and move. My senses were all screwed up and it took me another hour or two to get a handle on the smells my long nose were bringing me. The lose of colors was devastating. But, with a prayer to Tymora in my head I decided that perhaps this would be a safer way to travel and when I reached the temple in Jurgenville they could help me turn back to my normal halfling self. Thinking back on what happened, I thought the bandit leader had gotten luck on his side and discovered the command word - Amantha, it was my bad
luck that he was thinking of a female dog at the time it went off and hit me.

<Perhaps I was lucky after all> I thought to myself. <I sure wouldn't want to be a frog!> … a long pause… <perhaps this is a test of my Lady...I hope I pass.>

Upon reaching the outskirts of the Jurgenville several days later, my nose told me there had been a battle recently and I was careful to enter the town and avoid the soldiers or others with weapons, I finally found the temple of Tymora. I tried to get in and when I did I was shooed out and called names for being so dirty and scrungy looking. I tried to talk, I tried to draw words with my paws but all I got for my pains was a swift kick to the ribs. Feelings hurt, tired and hungry I walked around the town listening to the towns folk talk about the recent events. Hearing the tale of the Truth Seekers over and over, I decided that these must be exceptionally intelligent adventurers and perhaps I could get the attention of one of them and be relieved of the situation I was in. Eating raw rabbit, rats and grass was not something I wanted to continue....

(OOC: Amber had almost two weeks to wait before the Truth Seekers returned to Jurgenville. During that time she began to loose her halfling identity. When the Seekers finally showed up she remembered enough to latch on to them, but wasn't able to communicate when them who or what she was.)