Ah, the sweet sound of the bowstring... and the even more satisfying sound of a well-placed arrow hitting its mark! My encounters in Sola have been much more rewarding since switching from my anto to a common longbow. In one battle against the never-ending supply of zombies, ghouls and ghasts that the city seems to produce at will, I had three arrows from a rapid succession of four strike with near perfect precision. Well grouped, strongly nocked, they made quick work of the shambling zombie drawing closer toward me -- and zombies are not particularly susceptible to arrows! I am finding some degree of distaste with undead, however, now that I have encountered their kind on numerous occasions. At first, I thought there might be promise in their breed, but they appear generally unintelligent. The more powerful creatures may be more formidable, but they rely on innate ability rather than tactics. I find it difficult to respect those of inferior intellect. More than once now, the inspiration for a new spell has gripped me: Malif's Zombie Arrow... perhaps I shall craft it one day. Once cast upon a sheaf of arrows, should any find their mark in a pathetic zombie-type undead beast, the arrow bursts into flame, igniting the wretch. I envision the arrow burning for a short time, though long enough to eventually fell the pathetic creature. Of course, during that time, I would have to repeat the processes with a near endless supply of his brethren. Still, it would be an efficient use of spellcraft!

The whole arena of spellcrafting seems one that I have neglected of late. I have not penned a scroll in sometime, and this seems unwise, both from the point of view of maintaining proficiency and for purely practical reasons. And I believe it is high time I began work on spells of my own. After all, how else is the name Malif to live through the ages? One can not rely completely upon the bards to recount the glories of a wizarding career! A few eponymously named spells must be left behind in king's treasure chests and dragon's hoards!