Potabeau wandered the outskirts of Grin Hollow, ostensibly checking on the enchanted lanterns recently installed along the perimeter. In reality, he was simply avoiding paperwork. Azrath had suggested he "take his responsibility to the people of this world seriously for once," but Potabeau found that responsibility was much easier to handle when someone else was doing it.
It was during this leisurely stroll that he stumbled upon a weathered leather-bound journal lying in the grass, its pages splayed open as if begging to be read. Curious, Potabeau crouched down and picked it up, flipping through its rough, stained pages.
"An orc’s journal?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow. The handwriting was large and uneven, written in a mix of Orcish runes and broken Common. "Well, this ought to be good."
He plopped down on a nearby rock, flipping to the first entry that caught his eye.
---
**Day 3 Outside City**
"We camp near strange human city. Chief say we spy, see what they do. But city... it not normal. It cursed. It haunted. It BAD."
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Potabeau chuckled. "Oh, buddy, you have no idea…"
---
**Day 4**
"We try to sneak closer. Big skeleton on wall see us. It no move. Just stare. Then... it wave. Whole party scream. Gruk run into tree."
Potabeau burst out laughing, nearly dropping the journal. "Oh, that must’ve been Old Sal! I told Azrath that putting a waving skeleton on lookout duty was genius."
---
**Day 5**
"Grin Hollow people make no sense. We see festival in square. Many skeletons dancing. One play drum very bad. Partly want to laugh, but drum skeleton look angry. We no laugh. We run."
Potabeau wiped a tear from his eye. "That was my drum lesson day! I knew I was making an impression."
---
**Day 6**
"Scout Grug hear noise in forest. Go check. Come back with shiny rock. Say it speak to him. We think he crazy. Then rock explodes. Grug no hear now."
Potabeau admired the buffoonery. “Grug got a souvenir, it seems."
---
**Day 7**
"We try to leave, but river glow green. Fish skeletons jump out, chase us back to camp. One fish say, 'Where you going?' in tiny voice. Brog cry all night."
Potabeau doubled over, laughing, gasping for air.
---
**Final Entry**
"We no stay. Grin Hollow is bad place. People crazy. Skeletons crazy. Even fish crazy. Chief say we go home, forget we ever see this city. If we not go now, Brog say he eat journal to forget."
---
Potabeau leaned back on the rock, laughing so hard he had to wipe his eyes with his sleeve. "Oh, this is gold. I have to show this to Azrath and Lilac."
He flipped to the back of the journal, where a crude drawing of Grin Hollow was scrawled. It featured glowing walls, skeletons holding drums, and what appeared to be a flying fish with the words "BAD CITY" written underneath in large letters.
Tucking the journal under his arm, Potabeau stood and headed back toward the city, already imagining the looks on his friends’ faces when he shared the orc’s hilarious misadventures.
"Well," he said to himself, grinning ear to ear, "Grin Hollow strikes back.”
