You'll be pleased to hear that I have arrived at my destination unharmed (though not without incident, as you will see in my next letter). The tales I had heard of Greyhawk's size and splendor were unable to do it justice, as the Free City I find myself in is so much grander and more terrible than I could have believed! I've arrived at a busy time for Greyhawk; a market festival is currently underway, and there are a lot of mages and priests of Boccob crowding the streets as well; have you heard that the great Rigby is dead? He is to be interred here in Greyhawk!
My traveling companions are an interesting pair. The first is a dwarven knight, truly a credit to his race's toughness and skill in battle. His talk of honor would grate if he spoke it pridefully, but to see his face as he speaks is to see how whole-heartedly he believes in his ideals. My other ally is a friendly halfling, whose talent for bending the truth and sneaking about have been useful many times over. They know the truth about me, and both have kindly (and honorably, in the dwarf's case) accepted me without any fuss. Perhaps I can persuade them to come see Deepwood when my task in Greyhawk is finished, as we are quickly becoming friends.
Not everyone in Deepwood will understand why I left, but you do. After all, you were the one who quietly urged me to venture out into the world. The night before I left, we spoke of many things. As you pointed out, a man can't live alone forever, and Deepwood is hardly the place to find a wife. My only real option was Pauline, and she's not interested in (or interesting to) a town full of trappers and woodsmen. Her constant grooming and preening is as irritating to me as it is to you. Perhaps she should have come here instead of me!
My errand here ... the more I think of it, the more impossible it seems to be. The way I see it, I have three obstacles to overcome.
Although I am not a hideous man, I'm under no illusions about my appearance. The first obstacle, then, is to find someone kindhearted enough to see something redeeming about my features, or someone who can see more to me than my “stunningly average looks”. This shouldn't be too difficult, especially in a place with so many people.
The second obstacle is to find someone who can handle a quiet lifestyle, for though Greyhawk is an amazing city, I don't want to spend my days here amidst all this noise and bustle. I seek someone, then, who would accept or even desire a simple life. A bit more difficult, for even amidst all these people there are surely only a few who have grown tired of city life.
Even this will not be as difficult as the third and final obstacle, one which you and many of our other packmates have agonized over in their own lives. I speak, of course, of my existence as a lycanthrope. The last, most perilous obstacle is finding a woman who will be able to stay with me even after she learns the truth.
My hope is that adventuring will bring enough money and prestige to perhaps offset the first two obstacles, though I would prefer a more genuine match than a gold-digger would provide. As for the third ... we'll have to wait and see. I know that Geurta has known about you for some time, and she has stayed beside you these past few years in spite of it all. Yet, as you yourself pointed out, very few people are so open-minded. I will be careful in this endeavor, as to reveal my secret to the wrong person could result in my death.
Things have been quite busy since my arrival, but I'm running out of parchment. The details of my arrival here are best saved for another letter, perhaps in a week or so. I expect you'll be interested to hear the details of my little adventure, and I promise to have plenty to tell when next I write. I have never been so homesick, and after only a few days here! I hope to be able to make it back in time for your wedding to Geurta. Tell Harrold I'll be bringing him gifts when I come home, and tell old Esther to have plenty of cookies ready for me when I get back.
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