[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 7: Bargains and Treaties

From the Journal of Lythande Syldorei

While Mikmik was away from the campsite we continued our discussion of what we should do - return the statue, try to deceive the kobolds into turning on Tartuk, or tell them the truth. As we conversed, Simon became upset and admonished us for our actions with the mites. It was true we hadn't been able to speak with them, but we might have if only we had tried a bit harder.

I am shamed that I did not see this while we were within their lair. We left the two we wounded in the workshop lying on the floor without even seeing to their injuries, though I hold in my hands the power of the Dawnflower to heal the hurts of others.

In the end Simon told us he has realized perhaps he is not suited for this life and would prefer to return to Erastil's temple to rejoin Jhod. Maria at first became angered by this and accused him of being childish and weak. We all separated from one another to think about what had been said. Simon went to gather wood, and Chahana decided to follow him and speak with him further. Mikmik returned with a gopher he had caught and cooked it over our fire, then ate it alone and lay down to sleep.

I prayed and meditated on my failure to show mercy to the mites. The Dawnflower's tenets say that we should only deny mercy to those who refuse to turn aside from evil and from the Rough Beast's spawn. The mites are not Rovagug's children, and they were never offered the chance to amend their misdeeds.

19th Gozran

Last night we slept undisturbed, but Simon is still determined to join Jhod at the temple. I think we are all beter able to accept his choice now. We took the oportunity to ask Mikmik a few questions about Tartuk and how he had come to join the Soostscale tribe. Mikmik told us they are called the Sootscales because among his kind the tribe is always named for the strongest warrior. He was willing enough to describe how Tartuk had impressed the tribe with his powerful magic, but said that Tartuk had come from 'over the moon' and 'across the fields of blood.' He could not or would not elaborate on what those names mean. Perhaps that was what Tartuk claimed and he never explained himself.

By midday we have almost reached the mine where the Sootscales dwell. Mikmik is eager to get back to his home, but we've paused our journey to talk to him again, as Chahana wishes. When she asked Maria to show him that we have recovered the Sharptooth statue, he was extremely excited and blurted out something that we had to coax him to repeat. He says that many of the tribe dislike Tartuk. We have decided we will give the statue to Sootscale, not to Tartuk. Mikmik agrees to cooperate as long as he's allowed to be the first to jump for joy when the statue is revealed.

Three guards met us outside the mine this visit. When we told them we had come to see Sootscale two of them went to report, and a short time later we were told the chief would see us.

We found him in the main chamber of the mine surrounded by many of his tribe, including Tartuk. The last time we were there some of the kobolds were sleeping on pallets there, but not this occasion. Chahana told Sootscale that the mites were either dead or fled. Tartuk then demanded that we hand over Sharptooth. To this Chahana replied, "No, we will give it to your chief, Sootscale." Maria took out the statue again and said to Sootscale, "You are the leader, I'll give it to you." The room fell quiet and the atmosphere became tense.

Sootscale took the statue and held it for a moment as though trying to decide what to do. Then he hurled it to the floor where it smashed into three fragments, shouting, "The curse is lifted! The curse is broken! You brought this evil! Kill him!" He gestured at Tartuk.

The kobolds within the chamber seemed confused. Tartuk's attitude turned combative as he crouched. Some of the kobolds moved toward him as though to defend him. Tartuk muttered something and a blast of flames shot out of his hands, enveloping Sootscale, Chahana, and Maria.

I drew my sword and raised my shield, stepping toward Tartuk. "Cast out the evil from your heart or the Dawnflower will claim your life!" I shouted to him. He cowered from my words. Chahana took the remaining sapling fruit from her pouch and offered it to Sootscale, who had been badly burned by Tartuk's flames.

Then Zander moved in and stabbed Tartuk, driving his blade deep into the duplicitous kobold. Simon shouted a warning, "Look out! We don't know which side they're on!" Tartuk backed up to the wall behind him and cast another spell. Reislin recogized it and calle dout for us to beware that he was attempting to frighten us, but whatever it was seemed to have no effect. I stepped up to him again and told him, "Put your hands down. Turn your heart from evil." To this he answered, "You are not kobold! You have no power here!"

An arrow shot past Tartuk's shoulder where his raven perched and the bird was impaled against the wall. It croaked out a few words before it died. This caused consternation among the kobolds. At first I thought they were angry the bird had been slain, but later we learned that they had never heard it speak before - and its voice was that of the Sharptooth idol.

Maria and Zander both plied their blades against Tartuk, and Sootscale, who had eaten the fruit and been much healed, came forward with his bone club though he was still weakened and his swing did no injury to Tartuk. Then Mikmik rushed in with the knife he had taken from the mites and stabbed Tartuk, and the purple kobold slumpled to the floor in a pool of his own blood.

When Sootscale had fallen, Chahana commented to Sootscale that now would be the time to bring the tribe together. Sootscale spoke to his people, saying that the tribe thaned us for our help and for rescuing Mikmik. Because we had killed mites, he bequeathed the mites' treasure to us. Reislin took the sack he offered, which proved to hold many coins and a ring that met the description of Svetlana's lost jewel.

Sootscale named us friends of their tribe, but he had another favor to ask of us. His people had little knowledge of magic, but as we had demonstrated more knowledge of such things he asked that we make certain Tartuk's lair held no magical dangers that would harm the tribe. This we agreed to readily. While the kobolds prepared a feast, we entered Tartuk's chamber and examined what he had left behind. Reislin also searched Tartuk's body, finding that he had a wand and a scroll on his person. Curiously, in Tartuk's chamber we found his journal, which was written in the tongue spoken by the mites and which stated that he had grown up in a gnomish village!

During the feast we spoke with Sootscale a little, though kobolds are not wont to converse while they eat. We learned of other enemies they face in their territory, which they are happy enough to hunt now that the mites have abandoned the sycamore tree. Among the creatures they mentioned were trolls, tatzlworms, thylacines, owlbears, and something they referred to as 'flying balls of death' for which they could not give us an adequate description that we could identify.

We emptied out Tartuk's cauldron, which did not hold anything magical, and cleaned it thoroughly so we could take it with us. Maria can summon water and she used this to rinse out the cauldron. Before we parted from the kobolds we made a treaty with them that they would not attack travelers and we would agree to them claiming the sycamore tree if they wished. By that point Simon's words had made me change my mind on allowing them to claim the tree. We can't keep them from it in any event.

We had decided that when we left the kobolds we would continue exploring north of the river and then return with Simon to the temple. That night Maria dreamt that the lingering soul from Nettle's Crossing was pursuing her. She awoke in a foul mood and was tired and irritable all day.

20th Gozran

We have explored the area around the mine, and then returned to the sycamore tree to assure ourselves that the mites haven't returned. It seems that when we are farther from the river the spectre can't invade the dreams of Chahana or Maria. The Dawnflower has protected me from such manifestations.

22nd Gozran

We've found a possible gold mine. We came upon a cave entrance and decided to investigate it, and once inside the large chamber we noticed an unusual discoloration in the stone. It was Reislin who recognized it as a vein of gold ore. She used a spell to temporarily soften a small area of stone so that a limited quantity of gold could be extracted. Afterward we used some mud to disguise where the digging had taken place. Reislin has marked the location on her map, but we will tell no one of it. Later on when the area is more secure perhaps we can seek miners to come and work it.

We camped at Thornwood that night, finding that no one had been there since our last visit. Zander had finished crafting a potion bandolier from some of the hides he's acquired and presented it to Chahana. He decorated it with feathers taken from Tartuk's raven.

No one was afflicted by dreams of the spirit that night, but we spoke of it, wondering if it was a curse, if proximity to the water somehow increased its potency, and what we should do about it. Reislin cast a spell upon Maria to recover some of her lost vitality.

23rd Gozran

We have returned to the temple of Erastil and are taking a day of rest. Reislin is busy copying maps for Oleg, while Zander and Chahana have gone hunting and Zander is teaching her a few words of the sylvan tongue. I am enjoying the opportunity to rest beneath the rays of the sun.

24th Gozran

We've decided to spend another day at the temple. Simon is still determined to remain here. He has given the care of the sapling rod to us. Chahana and Maria have enjoyed untroubled sleep here.

25th Gozran

It will take us three days to reach Oleg's trading post. We spied some unusually colorful flowers that we suspect may be touched by the energies of the First World, but when Chahana plucked them to present them to Svetlana, they wilted very rapidly.

27th Gozran

We arrived at the trading post late today. The stack of logs has grown, and there is now a longhouse under construction outside the walls. Kessen told us that his men are eager to sleep somewhere other than tents.

Oleg was very happy to receive the ring, or at least he showed more feeling than his usual gruff demeanor. He didn't stay to hear about our adventures when we described them to Kessen. We have good credit with the trading post now to use to purchase things that will aid us, and the mite treasure gave us each a quantity of coin to spend. I decided to buy myself a better shield, a steel one that will withstand heavier blows than my wooden one.

There was no news from the Hooktongue Slough, nor from Sol Covenant's group or the Varnlings. Some hunters and merchants have passed this way recently and Kessen says they've heard of our exploits.

28th Gozran

Chahana dreamt of the spirit we have begun to call Nettles last night. She woke in pain, and Reislin healed her again. She is determined that we must return to Nettles Crossing and make the spirit stop preying upon our party. After we bought a few supplies with our credit we decided we should leave. Kessen and his men will have to finish their longhouse without any more of our aid.

29th Gozran

We have been traveling through stormy weather. The lightning strikes in the distance are beautiful, but when they are close it is frightful. Reislin has a spell that forms an invisible shelter over her person to protect her from the rain when she drives the wagon. The rest of us must huddle under the canopy.

Chahana has been afflicted with another terrible dream. We must find a way to persuade Nettles that he should let her be.

30th Gozran

The pained bleating of an animal caught our attention today. When we made our way around a hillock to see what had befallen it, we found an elk entangled in a mass of briars. But it quickly became apparent that the briars were not ordinary ones. They were part of a creature that seemed to be consuming the elk.

Chahana shot the elk in the eye to put it out of its misery. This appeared to attract the creature's attention. We could hear it cracking the elk's bones even as it crawled toward us. I could not see any evil aura around it. It made a sort of roar by rattling ts vines and brambles together. Chahana, Maria, and I fired arrows into it. It was difficult to determine if our arrows wounded it.

Zander drew his sword and went to meet it after Reislin cast a spell on his blade and the points of Chahana's arrows. The creature rushed at him. I fired another arrow but it went wide. I dropped my bow to draw my shield and scimitar and join him. Maria also approached it. The creature stretched out its vines to grasp hold of both Zander and Maria and began to squeeze them, its brambles cutting into their flesh. Another of Chahana's arrows flew into its strange body. It was beginning to show injuries, its plant-like flesh oozing whatever served it as blood.

Two tiny glowing missiles flew from the wand Reislin had taken from Tartuk, striking the creature. It ceased squeezing Maria and Zander and its vines relaxed as its life ebbed away. I turned to Zander and extended the Dawnflower's healing mercy to him. Afterward he recovered some of the elk's hide to use in his leatherworking. We still do not know what manner of creature it was that we slew.

Later we came back to Nettles Crossing, still beneath a rainy darkened sky. Chahana called out for the spirit to come out, but he did not appear until she rang the little bell attached to the signpost.
Both Maria and Chahana explained to him that we could not hope to slay the Stag Lord and bring his head to Nettles Crossing if he kept cursing them with weakness and disturbing their sleep. He demanded they swear to bring the Stag Lord's head, and they agreed. Zander, too, was ordered to swear, but the spirit did not speak to me or Reislin. Then Maria asked what grudge he had against the Stag Lord and he told us that the Stag Lord had slain him and his family. After speaking those words he sank bank into the river on which he stood and vanished.

We set up camp in the ruins of his house to rest.

1st Desnus

We have found a point at which we can cross the river. We may continue to the south, even though that land is not within the boundaries of our charter, in the hope that we can find where the Stag Lord's stronghold lies.

Next: part 8, The Fort on the Hill

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 6: Beneath the Sycamore Tree

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

That afternoon as we made our way back toward the sycamore tree where the mites reside, we discussed what we should do next. Zander expressed a desire not to relinquish control of the tree to the kobolds, and went so far as to suggest that we should cut it down rather than allow the Sootscale tribe to claim it. Maria was most displeased with this suggestion, though she agreed that the kobolds should not claim it. Simon wondered if we should claim it ourselves, but none of us could say how we might hold it if we did so.

As we traveled we found other sites where the kobolds and mites had battled. A second examination of the tree found no evidence of any other exit, though we had yet to climb up to the peak of the hill on which the tree grows. Because the mites live in darkness we wondered if we should pursue them immediately. There were paths to the summit. We climbed up, and Reislin was the first to spy an opening among the great old tree's roots leading to an underground shaft.

Maria cast a spell to illuminate our way as we climbed down. Maria, who wears the heaviest armor, had a bit of difficulty with the climb but managed it in the end. The entry took us down some forty or fifty feet into a tunnel with a low roof that caused us all to have to bend slightly to stand beneath it. We followed this tunnel into a larger chamber. Chahana led our band, which sadly led her into a trap. The mites had pulled a bear trap into their tunnels and Chahana had the misfortune to step in it.

As Chahana was struggling to free herself despite the pain it caused her, two mites appeared from behind a small workbench that was scattered with various tools. One of them produced a kind of slingshot which it used to hurl a caltrop at Maria. The other attempted to strike Chahana but failed to touch her. Reislin shouted "Stop!" and conjured a flame in her hand but this did not appear to make any impression on the mites.

I scanned the mites, seeking to see any aura of evil about them, but I found none. Perhaps it is because they are such small creatures, or perhaps they are not truly evil but only malicious. Zander was unable to move into the chamber due to the cramped size of the shaft through which we had entered. The mite with the slingshot hurled another caltrop with no more success than the first. Simon squeezed into the room and thrust his spear at one mite. Chahana found that the trap was not achored and began to move further into the chamber herself with the trap still clamped around her leg.

The small stature of the mites proved a challenge in addition to the low ceiling of the chamber. Only Zander managed to hit one of them with the cold iron dagger he had borrowed from Maria. Reislin cast a spell to allow her to understand their words but she could not make them understand her and what she heard didn't prove very informative. I moved to Maria's side and slashed a mite with my scimitar. They are not sturdy creatures. It fell to my blade. Its comrade send some magical effect at Simon that did not seem to have any effect on him. A moment later Maria's blow left the second mite lying motionless on the chamber floor.

Zander had taken it upon himself to look for Svetlana's missing ring, but he found no sign of it in the chests within the workshop. Chahana was at last freed of the bear trap and I extended some of the Dawnflower's mercy to heal the injury it had dealt her. She then found a pole that she could employe to check for other such traps.

There were two exits from the workshop. We first took the left-hand exit, finding ourselves within a second chamber occupied by several mounds of what appeared to be offal. Each mound was topped by a large ovoid that was probably an egg of some sort. Looking after these eggs were three centipedes as large as we, and another mite.

Zander immediately moved up to the nearest centipide and left it badly wounded. The mite charged at him. I moved up beside him and the mite slashed me, though the wound was a minor one. I slashed it in return. Chahana then struck it with her sword and the mite collapsed. The centipede bit me in the heel and I discovered that it was venomous as the injury stung bitterly and my foot began to grow numb. I drew back, fearing that I would lose the ability to move. My comrades soon dispatched the centipedes, and after a few moments the stinging and numbness in my leg ceased to trouble me.

At this point because we had seen no sign of other mites we decided to exit the tunnels for a short rest and avail ourselves of the magic of the sapling rod to heal our hurts. When we had moved a short distance away from the tree and Simon planted the rod, the sapling grew three fruits that resembled no fruit I have ever seen before. I consumed one, which removed any lingering effect of the centipede bite and cause the wound in my heel to look as though I had suffered it days ago rather than only a short while ago. After the fruits were plucked the sapling transformed back into a rod and my companions set the remaining fruit aside for later use.

When we had rested, we returned to the mites' lair. The two who had fallen in the workshop were still unconscious. Having already encountered the centipedes, we went through the right-hand exit from that chamber, which led into another descending shaft. My comrades heard noises which they described as giggles and cries of pain, but I did not hear them. Zander and Simon crept forward to see what it was. They observed an egg-shaped small chamber, walls covered in protruding roots. To the east of that lay a broad chasm, its width twice the height of any one of us. More roots formed a sort of bridge across this gap. Within the small chamber were half a dozen mites torturing a caged kobold.

Zander hissed, "They've seen me!" and Chahana entered the chamber, drawing her sword. Three of the mites headed toward Zander. Maria dropped the stone on which she had cast her light spell and entered the chamber as well. Soon we had all climbed down out of the shaft to strike the mites within. Reislin used her magic to cause one mite nearest the imprisoned kobold to fall into a slumber. I joined my companions in attacking the mites, but the low ceiling hampered me and my blade could not connect. The kobold, who had been shouting in the common tongue for us to help it, took the sleeping mite's knife and freed itself from the cage, then ran to attack the mite nearest to Chahana.

The doughty little kobold, whose name we have learned is Mikmik, nearly died in the ensuing fighting, but Zander healed some of his injuries and it was he who slew he last mite. He explained that he had been captured after Tartuk sent him with a group of others to recover the Sharptooth statue. His companions had all been slain.

Maria then looked down into the chasm and warned us that something was moving within it. Zander also went to look. Immediately another centipede emerged, but this one was three times the size of those in the nest chamber. Its size was in our favor, for that made it difficult for the creature to climb out of the chasm. Chahana took a flask out of her pouch and hurled it onto the creature, where it burst in flames. Zander backed away and Reislin also threw a flask at the creature. I put away my scimitar and drew out the boar spear I had won, stabbing it deep into the beast.

The giant centipede swung a tail that bore twin long whip-like tails and its mouth sprayed some sticky substance at me. Zander used his magic to heal me of the harm caused by the beast's mucus. Chahana and Maria both hewed the monster, and Maria's last blow caused it to fall back into the chasm and become tangled among the roots. When it was over Simon told us this creature was a giant whiptail centipede.

It was at this point that we had time to speak with Mikmik and learn how he had come to be there. We questioned him about Sharptooth and he told us that after the statue was stolen some kobolds had fallen ill and others had disappeared. He also mentioned that Tartuk had only joined their tribe a few months earlier and had brought Sharptooth with him, which we found most interesting.

While we were talking, Maria looked down into the shaft and observed that something at the bottom had a magical aura. Reislin confirmed this. Maria and Simon then climbed down to see what it was. There she found remains of a person, though all that was left was fragments of decayed clothing and a broken sword. The magical item was a filthy cloak, which she brought back up. Simon had difficulty making his way out of the chasm and tumbled all the way back down again. As she was climbing back up again Maria noticed that some of the roots protruding from the chasm walls had been prepared to tear away if one used them as handholds, which had caused Simon to fall. Even here it seemed the mites had set traps for the unwary. Zander climbed down to give Simon one of the remaining fruit from the sapling, as the fall had injured his shoulder.

When Maria, Simon, and Zander ascended from the chasm they were on the opposite side. Beyond them lay another large chamber, this one with a higher ceiling. Inside that chamber stood a small table and several chairs. On the table was an ivory statue of a crouching reptilian creature. A mite sat in a chair, flanked by three other mites and a tick that was as large as a pony.

Maria called out to these mites in the common tongue, but the mites did not seem to speak it. The seated mite seemed to be their leader and began shouting as he leaped astride the giant tick. Maria rushed forward and Simon fired his bow at one of the other mites. The rest of us began to make our way across on the bridge of roots. The Dawnflower smiled on us and none of us stepped on any weakened roots.

The tick grabbed hold of Maria and began to suck her blood as ticks do, though because it was so much larger this was much more dangerous than an ordinary tick's bite. Maria struck back at it. I ran up beside Maria to stab the tick. Chahan shot it and it let go of Maria. It turned on Chahaa and Maria and I then swung at it. Maria shifted position to flank the creature and our combined cuts caused it to slump to the ground. The mite leader scrambled away and hit me but did me little harm. I did not see Maria snatch the statue up from the table. Mikmik joined us in attacking the mites, seeking vengeance for their torture of him.

When only one surviving mite remained, he screamed and ran out of the room, shouting. There was more shouting from another room beyond, combined with panicked screams. Mikmik ran after the last mite, and then Chahana shot it and it fell.

In the next room we found a cluttered collection of broken objects and half a dozen more mites, all evidently children, the elderly, or women. These snatched up some of the rubbish in the chamber and fled. Maria attempted to pursue them to see where they went, but at soon as they got out of the tunnels she lost them.

With help from Chahana's torch, Reislin examined the fallen leader. He had nothing of interest on his person, but the table proved to be more interesting. What had at first appeared to be only a heap of twigs and dirt proved to be a suprisingly detailed map of the area. There were stones acting as markers, though we had no idea what they indicated. Reislin took out her journal and carefully copied the map.

In the hand of the ivory statue was a note with two columns, which seemed to indicate the mites and the kobolds. In the kobolds column Reislin saw that it appeared to mention a human ring. Had the kobolds then taken the ring that the mites stole from the bandits?

Under the table we found a sack of coins. Reislin checked the statue and it held no magic. It represented not a reptile but a crouching devil. I had not seen it yet else I should have wished to cleave it into pieces with my sword. But at that time Maria had only shown it to Reislin as she did not wish for Mikmik to see it.

Mikmik expressed a desire to travel with us when we returned to his tribe. Though Maria didn't show him the statue, he told us that it had supposedly cursed the tribe and Sootscale feared it. We began to discuss how we should approach the kobolds, avoiding revealing anything to Mikmik. An argument ensued, for Reislin felt that she could use magic to deceive the kobolds by pretending the statue could speak and having it speak to us rather than to Tartuk. This I do not like as I don't wish to befriend the kobolds by deceiving them. Reislin will not abandon this idea, feeling very confident it will succeed. Destroying the statue was also proposed, which would be my preference, but should the kobolds believe they are cursed by it their fear may not be relieved by its destruction. And what shall we do if our plan fails and the kobolds turn on us? Mikmik now thinks we are great heroes, but would we slay all his kin?

Characters are now 3rd level.

Next: part 7, Bargains and Treaties

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 5: Angry Kobolds and Mysterious Visitors

14 Gozran

Following our encounter with the giant spider, we found tracks of horses, which appeared to the hoofprints of wild horses as they were not shod. We had thought to seek out the location indicated on the note found in the slain bandit's boot, but without any sense of where that hillock lay, we had no way to find it. Instead we decided to follow the herd.

I am not a hunter, but the Erastil must have smiled on me for I was able to find the horses' tracks easily amid the grasses and low brush that cover that rolling terrain. It was the horses that led us to the hillock from the scribbled drawing. An old oak tree, lightning blasted and nearly dead, grew from the peak of the hill, its silhouette evoking an image of a clawed hand reaching toward the sky. As we had reason to believe this tree might hold the lair of the mites that had stolen Svetlana's ring from the bandits, we left Zander's wagon a little distance away under Reislin's care while the rest of us approached the tree.

At the base of the hill we discovered a spot where others had evidently set up camp, making a circle of stones to contain their fire. There was no one camped there when we arrived and no sign of recent occupation. When we climbed up toward the tree, I noticed a spot amongst its roots where the soil had been disturbed as if by digging. It did not seem to be the lair of a beast. Chahana took out her spade and set to digging to see what the earth contained.

Someone had buried a parcel beneath the tree, wrapped in a leather cloak. When the cloak was unrolled it proved to hold a burnt stick, a dagger that appeared to be of fine craftsmanship, a silver ring that did not fit the description of Svetlana's lost ring, and an old leather-bound book that had been damaged by water. I have little knowledge of the arcane arts, but my friends assured me that the burnt stick held some enchantment and the book was a book of spells.

While we were nearer to the tree, we observed some crude sigils had been carved into its bark, though we could not recognize them. We decided to make camp at the base of the hill that night. Reislin was given charge of the burnt stick and the mildewed book, which she confirmed were indeed both magical. After a meal that included some of the squash Bokken had given us, we settled down to while away the hours of darkness, taking watches in pairs.

Maria and I took the first watch. Our concern had been to have at least one person with the ability to see in darkness on each watch, though that is not entirely possible as only Zander and I seem to have that blessing. On reflection we may reconsider our choice of watch partners, though we must always ensure that Reislin has sufficient rest to allow her to prepare her spells each morning.

While Maria and I patrolled the hill, we heard a noise near the tree. A voice called out, saying, "I mean no harm. I'm coming down." We were approached by a human man, dressed roughly in clothing that looked like he might have crafted it himself from hides he prepared. He introduced himself as Keelo, a hunter who had also been following the horses in the hope of catching some and selling them. Keelo had visited Oleg's trading post and had heard of us. He did not seem pleased when Maria stated that we had come to civilize this territory, but he was not hostile toward us. He also told us that he had been attacked by wolves and injured by them, though he was confident that the pack hadn't followed him. Maria then offered him healing, and we agreed that he could spend the night in our camp. By that point it was time for the second watch to begin. We introduced Keelo to Simon and Chahana just before he lay down and went immediately to sleep. Then we took to our own tents.

Nothing else disturbed us during the night, and Keelo departed shortly after sharing two rabbits with us for breakfast. Before he left we asked him to leave a message for us at the trading post should he find any bandits or encounter any dangerous monsters. I think he was surprised that we would seek out such creatures.  Keelo helpfully told us where we would find the kobolds, as well as a damaged bridge across the river. After he went his way, we packed up our camp and set off toward the river.

By midday the land had begun to slope downhill toward the water. Though we couldn't see the river except as an occasional glint of sunlight on the waves, we could see where it lay by the trees and thicker brush that grew alongside it. Chahana caught a glimpse of something that didn't appear natural standing out among the trees. It was a stone chimney, apparently standing alone.

When we reached where the chimney stood we found that it had once been part of a house, but the house had been burned and only the chimney remained whole. On the nearby riverbank stood a thick wooden post with a heavy length of rope attached to it that stretched out into the water all the way to a second post visible on the opposite bank. The shoreline near the post had been trampled down by horses and feet. It seems that someone once operated a ferry there to ford the river.

Maria and Zander found a signpost on the bank still holding a battered sign that read 'Nettle's Crossing. 5 copper.' There was also a small copper bell on the post, presumably to ring if one desired to take the ferry. While they looked at this, Chahana called out toward the remains of the house, "Is anyone there? We mean no harm," in the event that anyone was living there. No one answered.

Maria and Zander noticed that there was some wreckage against the shore a little distance away from the sign and approached to see if it was the remains of the ferry barge. Then Maria called out that she thought she saw a corpse amongst the splintered wood. That seemed peculiar, as the small house had apparently been burned some time ago. How could a corpse still be recognizable after that amount of time?

The corpse was explained a moment later by a figure who rose up from the wrecked ferry and stook on the surface of the water, unaffected by the current. This figure resembled a man wielding a long-hafted weapon, but was clearly not a living man. It moved toward Maria and seemed to be speaking. Simon moved closer to the river and fired an arrow at the creature but his arrow went wide of the mark. Maria then drew her sword and slashed at it, and Chahana also fired her bow with more success than Simon. I saw three tiny motes fly from Reislin to strike at the undead thing. It responded by swinging its weapon at Maria and she shouted out that the cut she had inflicted on it had already closed.

Later Maria recounted that the creature said to her, "You are not my tormentors. Throw the head of the Stag Lord into the river, or join me in death!" I turned the Dawnflower's blessing against the creature and sensed that its aura was one of an evil nature. Then I drew my blade and hurried toward it, ready to smite it with the Dawnflower's righteous anger. Zander waded out into the water to get behind the frightful horror and Chahana peppered it with more arrows. Reislin called out, "Can you be reasoned with? We do not like the Stag Lord either." To this the creature responded, "If you can't give me the Stag Lord, you are my enemies!" and then moved back slightly, putting him out of my range if I meant to stay out of the water. I waded in after him but my blade slipped past his rotting flesh without touching it.

Then Zander had the wit to touch him with healing magic. Its flesh seemed to melt, and it flowed into the river like melting snow. I searched the waves for a moment but could see no sign of it.

I helped Zander climb out of the water, and Reislin used her magic to dry our wet clothes. Chahana went to check the wreckage of the barge. There was no sign of a corpse there. The ruins of the hose also held nothing of interest. We considered using the rope to get across the river and Maria fetched a ring that would have helped to draw the barge across, but in the end we decided we would not try to ford the river. We took a chance on our safety to camp there by the remnants of Nettle's Crossing.

16 Gozran

The next day we set off to the west. Keelo had told us that the mite tree we sought was not the lightning-blasted oak we had found, but a huge sycamore that was known as a local landmark. As we made our way toward the mighty tree, I recalled that mites are known to be malicious creatures and warned my companions to take care. Then Chahana and Reislin spied something blue ahead of us. Reislin cast a spell to also us to communicate in whispers and Chahana and Simon went forward to investigate the source of the blue glint. They found the remains of several dead mites and kobolds. There had clearly been a skirmish. Simon estimated a dozen ore more combatants had fought there, after which the kobolds fled to the east and the mites retreated to the tree.

We spent a little while there discussing whether we ought to attempt to contact the mites or go in search of the kobolds. In the end we felt the mites were not trustworthy and made our way toward the kobold territory.

We came to a cavern entrance near dusk, where we found a placard that had fallen to the ground. We realized that the kobolds were nocturnal creatures despite our having previously encountered some in daylight, and we didn't wish to face them at night so we withdrew and covered our tracks before setting up a campsite. As we sat around our campfire, Reislin told us what she knew about kobolds. Though they are small creatures of low strength by comparison to one of us, they are crafty, fond of making traps and snares, and use their greater numbers to their advantage.

17 Gozran

Though nothing troubled our camp during the night, that did not mean we went untroubled. In the morning Chahana told us she had suffered a very unpleasant dream in which the undead thing from Nettle's Crossing had pushed her under the water and held her there. In the dream she was drowning yet could not die.  After she woke she felt very weak, and had a deep bruise on her breastbone where the creature had used his pole to hold her beneath the water. Reislin examined her and detected a faint trace of illusion magic like that which my father excels at.

Though Chahana felt somewhat unwell, we proceeded with our plan to approach the kobolds. We began by carefully exploring the area surrounding the cave entrance to assure ourselves that the kobolds would not be able to emerge from another exit and outflank us. Chahana desired that we try to negotiate with them rather than attack them, which we did not object to. While surveying the area we found evidence of another skirmish with the mites, though we discovered the body of only one slain mite.

Next to the cave entrance we discovered a mite imprisoned in a simple cage of twigs tied together with sinews or twine. The creature cowered from the light of the sun and whimpered. We also found that the fallen placard we had observed on the previous day had the name 'Oak Top Silver Mine' inscribed upon it.

As we were looking at these things Chahana realized that a kobold had appeared, wielding a spear. Reislin spoke to it in the kobold tongue, which is also the language of dragons, and asked it to fetch its leader. The kobold disappeared back inside the cave. Zander then went to the cage, and Reislin followed him. She made an attempt to speak to the mite within, but it did not respond. Maria took pity on the creature and put a cloth over the cage to block out the sunlight. Zander attempted to speak with it in the common tongue, but it did not react to that any more than it had to Reislin's words. Reislin then recalled that mites spoke the tongue of the Darklands, and she used her magic to allow her to communicate mind-to-mind with it without the use of words. This resulted in the mite scrambling to its feet and hissing at us in a most unfriendly fashion.

Zander attempted to sway the mite's attitude toward a friendlier one by using his healing hex upon it, while Reislin read a scroll that would allow her to speak with it. Just as she finished, two kobolds emerged from the cave. Her magic took effect and she heard the mite pleading to be set free. She spoke with the kobolds, and they explained that they had taken the mite captive and were at war with its kin because the mites had stolen from them. Reislin told them that we were awaiting their leader and asked one of them to fetch the leader to speak with us. It went back into the cave while the other remained.

A short while later two kobolds appeared, sayng that someone would see us soon, but it quickly became apparent that they spoke of two different leaders. Reislin questioned them, and learned that the leaders of their tribe were both their chief, called Sootscale, and a shaman named Tartuk. But both of these individuals refused to come out of the cave to meet with us.

Reislin became concerned when she learned about the shaman Tartuk. She suggested we meet with him first. As it seemed unlikely we would be able to speak with the leaders by having them come to us, we let the two kobolds lead us inside the cave.

Simon offered to remain with the wagon while the rest of us followed the kobolds guards into the cave. The passage forked left and right. To the right we saw a metal grating left by the miners, and three ropes dangling from the ceiling. The tunnels were cramped for us. Maria cast a spell to illuminate the area, though I had no need of it. I heard Reislin murmuring an incantation. Our guide introduced himself to us as Nakpik. As he led us to Tartuk he told us that Tartuk was very powerful, and also that the kobolds were at war with the mites because the mites had stolen a powerful statue. As we walked we were joined by another kobold who I thought was the one that had left earlier to get their leader, who is named Sootscale.

Nakpik led us into a large chamber with a rickety wooden framework at its center and crude banners painted with what seemed to be mystical symbols hanging from its walls. A kobold with purple scales stood over a bubbling cauldron full of some liquid. Up to this point all of the kobolds we had met had black scales. A raven perched upon the purple kobold's shoulder. This was Tartuk, who to our relief spoke the common tongue so that we could all understand him without Reislin having to interpret for us. Almost as soon as we arrived, Tartuk demanded that we retrieve the stolen statue of Sharptooth and bring it to him.

Reislin responded first, telling the shaman that we do not serve him. To this Tartuk proclaimed that we had been summoned by the spirits to complete this task. Reislin then explained to him that we had come to civilize this territory, and Maria added that we could be friendly with the kobold tribe. To this Chahana appended that we could also be their enemies. Tartuk began to boast that his tribe was powerful and that if we agreed to his demand the tribe would be friends with us.

Maria took this opportunity to explain why we had come to see Tartuk. The raven on Tartuk's shoulder appeared to be muttering in his ear while Maria spoke. Tartuk then stated that the kobolds and humans could live in peace if the mites were gone. Zander suddenly interjected to ask why this tribe had two leaders, to which Tartuk replied that Sootscale was the chief but that he himself was the leader. As he said this Reislin whispered to me, asking me if Tartuk was an evil creature. I opened my senses to him and let the Dawnflower's discernment examine him. He radiated an evil aura. I nodded to Reislin, then whispered this information to my other companions. Maria responded that her own ability to judge others told her that Tartuk was also a creature of chaos and disorder.

Tartuk then escorted us to meet the chief, Sootscale. We found him reclining on a cushion of furs, surrounded by remains of animals covered in ash. Tartuk announced to Sootscale that we would retrieve Sharptooth and slay the mites so that the tribe could claim their lair!

Reislin immediately objected, saying that we had agreed to no such arrangement. Chahana then spoke of our goals for the Greenway and stated that we also intended to speak with the mites in an effort to bring peace. Sootscale was not pleased by this and insisted that we should not make any effort to speak with the mites. He also told us that the kobolds had only been at war with the mites for the past ten days this time, after they stole Sharptooth. The theft had brought bad omens to the Sootscale tribe - the tribe is evidently named for its chieftain.

There were other kobolds present during this conversation, and both Maria and I felt that while they believed the story about the statue to be true, they were very fearful of Tartuk. Sootscale was more favorable toward a peaceful agreement than the shaman but he insisted that the mites must be slain. He also stated that other tribes had fought with the mites for four generations and that they were few, though I was uncertain whether he meant the mites were few or the kobolds.

Finally Chahana assured them that we would bring back Sharptooth and deal with the mites. This pleased Tartuk but Sootscale was not as satisfied. I had the impression that he would have been more pleased had Sharptooth remained in the possession of the mites.

We stepped aside to discuss our plans quietly among ourselves and decided that we should try to meet with the mites and see what would happen. We could not guarantee they would even be willing to talk to us or that any of them spoke a language we could understand, but we wanted to give them the chance. Both Tartuk and Sootscale were displeased with this and the conversation with them grew heated when we turned back to them. In the end I lost my composure and threatened them. Sootscale had already indicated to us that his tribe was small and I warned them that if they attempted to slay us they would suffer for it. I was not the only member of our party to become frustrated when the kobolds refused to give at all on their insistence that we slay the mites outright. We were finally driven out of the cave at spearpoint by several guards, though we took care to observe how many members of the tribe there were and how many of those were warriors on our way out.

Once outside the cave, Chahana released the imprisoned mite. The guards did not accompany us outside and did not see this. The mite was glad enough to be free but did not show Chahana any gratitude for his freedom, instead hissing at her before running off toward the sycamore tree. Maria was concerned that the kobolds would blame us for his escape and wanted to make it look as though he had escaped on his own without our aid. Simon broke an arrow and left an arrowhead to make it appear that the mite had used that to cut the cords binding the cage together.

It would take us a full day to make our way back to the sycamore tree. We headed in that direction and camped as nightfall approached. Along the way we discovered fangberry bushes, but they had been picked clean of fruit. That night Reislin cast a spell upon Chahana and Simon so they could keep watch without becoming fatigued.

18 Gozran

The next morning Zander told us he had also dreamt of the undead creature in the river.

After we packed up our camp we explored the area around the tree as we had done the kobolds' cave, to determine if there was another exit. We found no sign of one. This close we could see that the tree was very old and Maria recognized that it was no longer healthy.

Then Maria glimpsed something unusual moving across the sky and directed our attention to it. I looked up to see a figure flying from the west, away from the forest. Two long red tendrils extended from this figure to the ground. The figure appeared to be a humanoid creature, and as I watched I realized these tendrils appeared to be ropes hanging from the being's waist.

As this strange person drew closer to where we stood we could see that it was a most strange person. It was pale and white-haired, nearly half the height of a person taller than any of us and with very long arms and fingers. The dangling ropes grew shorter as it began to descend, and this close they seemed more like fine plaited thread than rope. At its waist this being also wore a long blade, which I realized with startlement was actually a huge sewing needle!

The tall being descended to the ground, speaking in a language I do not know, but Zander understood him and after he heard Zander translating his words for us he used the common speech. He introduced himself as Alurei, Knight of the Winter Craft. Little motes of multicolored light floated around him. Despite his strange proportions there was something very charming about him. Maria was enchanted by him.

Alurei asked us if we had seen a place where shadows were stacked like mountains or light filled the deepest depths. None of us had any idea what sort of place he referred to, though we all searched our memories diligently. Alurei asked us for our names and titles and we all introduced ourselves to him, though only I gave any sort of epithet that could be considered a title, saying that I am a servant of the Dawnflower. He seemed to be aware of my lady.

It became apparent to us through our conversation that Alurei was a denizen of the Fey realm. Truly the fey can be strange creatures, though not all are evil. Then Alurei surprised us by asking if he could fix something. When he first spoke with us he made a comment to us about the land having been touched by beasts, focusing his gaze especially on Maria's rather mismatched armor and on Zander. This had insulted Zander and he walked away. But Maria was still charmed. Alurei seemed to be speaking of her armor now, which she crafted herself. He drew his needle-sword and the thick red thread attached to it became translucent. The needle seemed to push through Maria, who reacted as though it was strange but not painful. Back and forth Alurei pushed his needle, wrapping Maria in translucent thread as thick as rope. When Alurei finished, the armor had not changed dramatically in appearance but it seemed to fit her better.

With this strange experience finished, Alurei commented that he had only been in this realm for a few sunrises, then bid us farewell and went off to continue his quest. He seemed prepared to spend an eternity pursuing it. After he departed we realized that time does not pass in the same way in the Fey realm and perhaps he did not mean he had been in our realm only two days, but two sunrises by Fey reckoning. This also led us to wonder if perhaps the other peculiar things we had experienced, such as the floating fish and the glowing tree, had been manifestations of the fey realm in this world. Could the glow of the tree have been the light of the fey? One of Alurei's motes of light remained behind with us for a time hovering near Zander.

When at last we resumed what we had come to do, Reislin realized that what Alurei had done to Maria's armor had made it better quality, capable of being enchanted. I wonder what it was that made him do this for her. Was it some sense that her armor was imperfect by his standards? I wonder what the title Knight of the Winter Craft represents among his kindred.

Next: part 6, Beneath the Sycamore Tree

[Star Wars] Guardians of Peace: Update

Some folks who have been following my campaign journals may have noticed that I haven't posted anything about Star Wars for quite a while. I wanted to provide an update on this campaign.

First, the campaign is still ongoing. While there have been a few short dry spells during holidays or periods where the players were victims of colds, the campaign hasn't been cancelled or been on an extended hiatus.

The problem is me. My last post was for Episode 14, which took place in 2018. The campaign reached Episode 36 yesterday

I fell behind on my write-ups because I find that I'm most effective at doing these blog posts if I write them immediately after the session, when my memory of events is fresh. But we play on Saturday nights between 6 and 10 p.m., and when I get home I'm usually too tired to sit down and write up my notes into a coherent post. We also have a Pathfinder game on Sundays and what usually happens is when that game session is over I write up Pathfinder. Then I go back to work on Monday and for the rest of the week I don't take the time to write up the Star Wars session.

As a result of this dilemma, I fell farther and farther behind on my Star Wars posts. Then I misplaced the notebook where I keep my notes, and I couldn't find it for four months.

As a result of this huge disconnect between my blog and where we are now in the campaign, I've decided that I should stop waiting until I get caught up to write about the events in our current sessions. That's just going to make me fall farther behind. Instead, I'm going to start from Episode 36, and hope that someday I'll find the time and energy to write all the missing stuff.

I'll start out by filling in some details of what happened between Episode 14 and Episode 35.

The crew of the Fortune of Greepo were still trying to rescue the kidnapped Imperial Knight Vimma Montari, but as they pursued her they found themselves being drawn into deeper and darker territory. It became apparent that someone else was directing the Shadow Wing pirates and the mercenary Stellite Monks. They discovered that the Monks had Force users among their number. They encountered Vimma on several occasions, initially as a prisoner being forced to cooperate with her captors, but eventually it began to seem that she was voluntarily placing herself as their enemy.

During one encounter with Vimma Montari she gave Taanar Ryl a message: she was collaborating to protect children, which the Fortune crew assumed were the kidnapped children from the colony mentioned in Episode 14. They began working to find out what had become of the children. 

During a visit by the Fortune crew to Cloud City above the planet Bespin to pursue a lead, the city was attacked and completely destroyed by mystery ships that seemed to be trying to eliminate a possible informant the Fortune crew had been seeking. The team managed to escape the destruction, but they now had a mission to find out who their hidden enemies were.

This quest led them into the uncharted Unknown Regions, where they eventually found the planet Valdax 3. There they discovered evidence of an organization that had resources equivalent to those of the Empire or the New Republic, including new designs of Star Destroyers. This 'First Order' seemed to be dedicated to restoring the Empire as it was prior to the death of Emperor Palpatine. On Valdax 3 they encountered a resistance group led by Llando Calrissian. After escaping the planet with Llando's help, the New Jedi Order helped to broker a partnership between the Empire and the New Republic to send a joint military task force to Valdax 3 to rescue the kidnapped citizens of Cloud City. Although the rescue was successful, in the time between the team's departure from Valdax 3 and the task force's arrival, the First Order had packed up and disappeared.

In the aftermath, the partnership between the Empire and the New Republic fell apart. The testimony of Llando Calrissian was not enough to give both governments a shared purpose. Political turmoil had also seized the Republic. When Chancellor Mon Mothma stepped down, her expected successor was Senator Leia Organa, but that expectation failed when the secret that Leia was Emperor Skywalker's daughter was leaked. Leia had to abandon her plans to run for the Chancellorship, and the post was won by a representative of the conservative party that sought a harder line against the Empire. 

Leia suspected at that point that the First Order had infiltrated both the Empire and the New Republic, and the revelation about her family confirmed that for her. She decided to leave the political scene altogether and establish a secret Resistance organization to combat the machinations of the First Order. As she recruited like-minded people to help her, she asked a major sacrifice of the Fortune crew: leave the New Jedi Order and the Antarian Rangers behind and join the Resistance.

Following a short period of soul-searching and with full agreement from the Order, Taanar Ryl chose to part from the Jedi and join the Resistance. Nema, Den, Ren, Ayja, and Ferb all joined her. They kept the Fortune of Greepo, but to accentuate the significant change in their goals and affiliation they changed the ship's name to the Dark Star. 

The First Order's actual location was still unknown, and it was the Dark Star team's first Resistance mission to pursue clues to those coordinates. This led them back into the Unknown Regions, where they eventually ran into a band of Force-wielding pirates known as the Blazing Chain. After some initial trouble, the Dark Star team decided to partner with the Blazing Chain, who were opposed to the First Order's activities. 

During a visit to the planet Ta'amel for a rendezvous with the Blazing Chain's leader, the Dark Stars were attacked by First Order forces. They took refuge in the jungle with a tribe of native people whose males had all been enslaved to work in a mine. Nema followed a local ritual to free the slaves single-handed, then rejoined her teammates to take out the slavers. This event advanced her to graduate from her padawan status. 

Just as the Dark Stars were about to escape from Ta'amel, they encountered Vimma Montari again, this time utterly dedicated to service in the First Order. During the combat she was injured and knocked unconscious and the Dark Stars were able to take her prisoner. And that's where we were at the conclusion of Episode 35: Broken Vows, part 1. 

[Pathfinder] Kingmader Redux, part 4: Boars and Bushes and Spiders

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

15th Gozran

Reislin had cast a spell upon the boggard, Garum, so that he could converse with us. Afterward he told us that he had come from a tribe in the Hooktongue Slough. He had attempted to challenge the chieftain of his tribe but had failed to win the challenge and had been beaten badly and held prisoner. He escaped during a drunken revel and now only wanted to be left alone in his exile. Though he was not truly friendly to us, he did tell us where to find the boar Tuskgutter, and also mentioned a statue of a horned man in the forest, some creatures that may be either kobolds or tatzlewurms, and a broken bridge.

We decided that we would take on the boar Tuskgutter first now that we knew where to find it. Several hours after we parted from Garum we found signs of a boar's presence in the vicinity. The indications were that although the boar was large, it was not as large as we had been led to believe.
By following the signs we soon found its lair within a massive fallen tree that had been hollowed out. Tuskgutter was not present, and we determined to wait for him. I sat upon the wagon seat with my boar spear at the ready for its arrival. Simon sat on the log, Zander hid in the brush, Maria stood watch by the horses, and Reislin waitied within the wagon. Chahana climbed up a tree from which she could easily fire her bow. By the time the beast did return to its lair we were beginning to think of dinner.

When Tuskgutter arrived he seemed startled by our presence. He charged forward and Maria and I came out to meet him and I set my spear. But he stopped and stood looking at us furiously with his tail twitching and his hackles standing on end. This was not an ordinary boar, but was covered in bony spines. Simon later told us this was a bristleboar. Chahana fired on him and struck him with an arrow. Reislin had raised the cover of the wagon bed and now cast a spell, but it didn't have the effect she desired. The boar snorted loudly. Simon spoke to him, trying to calm him as he does with the beasts he brings for our meals, but that had no success either. Tuskgutter rushed me and the spear sank into his flesh. His barbs just missed drawing my blood.

Another of Chahana's arrows struck the boar as Maria moved in with her sword and was caught by one of the beast's spines. Xander appeared from hiding and stabbed the boar as well, and three tiny missiles flew from Reislin to hit it. That was too much for the beast. Still foaming at the mouth, it slumped to the ground and its heaving sides ceased to move.

I extended the Dawnflower's healing mercy to Maria's wound, and Maria cast a healing spell on Xander, who had also been gashed by a barb. We all wondered if the barbs and spikes were normal, and Simon assured us that they are for the kind of boar Tuskgutter was. He also told us the beast was old for its kind, and we could see that its coarse hair was shot through with gray. Zander went to work removing its head for the old fellow back in Restov and skinning it. Simon advised that its meat is edible though likely a bit tough due to its advanced age.

On the following day we spent time in camp while the boar's meat cooked. Afterward we set off again to the north. Eventually Chahana and Reislin noticed something odd. There was a small tree that appeared to be glowing. When we approached it we realized that it was not glowing, but there seemed to be a light shining on it coming from nowhere. It stood in the shade of other taller trees and there was no beam of sunlight shining upon it. Reislin and Maria determined that there was an aura of magic emanating from it. Rieslin also noticed that its shadow was moving slowly but noticeably as though the light on it was shifting. Chahana then plucked a leaf from it to see if the light remained with the leaf, which it did not.

Suddenly Zander realized that a peculiar bush had appeared by the wagon that had not been present when we all climbed down to examine the tree. Then the 'bush' abruptly transformed into a tiny thorny creature. Chahana spoke to it, trying to befriend it, but it did not react to that. Zander then attempted to intimidate it. It reacted to that by exploding in a mass of splinters that struck almost everyone other than msyelf. Reislin spoke to it in the fey tongue, but that had no more effect than the words Chahana had spoken. Maria and Simon had realized that it was a fey creature called a twigjack, which was of an evil nature.

The twigjack leaped away, vanishing into the nearby foliage, but a moment later it reappeared in a different spot and attacked Chahana. She heard it hiss "I will feed on your blood" in the common tongue and fired an arrow at it. Simon also fired on it and then set out the sapling rod. Zander ran behind the twigjack to take up a flanking position with Chahana. Despite it attacking us, Reislin kept asking it questions about the peculiar tree, which it did not answer. Maria and I both attacked it and it moved nearer to Chahana, sending out another blast of splinters that left me feeling quite painful and weak. Reislin was so badly hurt that she fainted. Maria slashed it again and the twigjack collapsed.

Zander then ran to administer a healing potion to Reislin, and I called on Sarenrae's mercy to treat my own wounds a little. Chahana wondered if perhaps the twigjack had been protecting the tree for some reason. We decided to move away from the area as soon as we had recovered enough, as Simon warned that twigjacks sometimes appeared in groups.

We decided that we should return to the temple of Erastil, where Jhod would give us more healing. We made our way there by passing the river ford where the bandits had made their camp and found no indication that anyone else had visited there. Jhod was quite happy to see us again and grant Erastil's healing mercy to us. We shared some of the boar meat with him and he prepared us a much finer meal than any of us are capable of producing. The rest of the boar meat went into his smokehouse.

Once we were all healthy again we spent a part of the next day helping clear away rubble around the temple and then rested for the afternoon.

On the next day we traveled to another ford over the river and then made our way out of the forest as we headed back to the trading post. It required two days of travel to reach the post from the temple. When we arrived we found that the stack of lumber we had taken from the deadfall trap had grown. Xander asked Oleg if he would send Tuskgutter's head to Restove, and Oleg told us that after he had exchanged letters with our benefactore, the reward for slaying Tuskgutter had already been sent to him. We agreed that Chahana was best suited to take the bow and arrows, as she prefers archery to wielding a blade.

We decided that we would leave again the next day and explore more of the plains. Oleg told us that to the east of the trading post we might find an alchemist named Bokken. We did not specifically plan on visiting him, but we thought if we found his abode we might make his acquaintance. Before we departed Reislin wrote a letter to be sent to Varnhold in response to the missive Maegar Varn had sent us.

By mid-afternoon of the next day, we spied a column of smoke that resembled the smoke of a campfire. We decided to investigate to assure ourselves it was not another group of bandits. We quickly realized that the smoke issued not from a campfire but from four clay chimneys protruding from what at first appeared to be a hillock. But as we drew closer we realized that the hillock was a log cabin covered in soil. It was surrounded by gardens, with one garden even growing on the roof. Atop the house a human man was working among the plants.

Maria called out to him in greeting, which startled him. At first he seemed disinterested in conversing with us, but gradually as Maria did not give up he became more interested, particularly when we mentioned Oleg and asked about potions. It was quite obvious this must be the alchemist, Bokken. He is an older man with unkempt hair and a rather eccentric personality.

Bokken brought out some potions after Zander asked. Zander has an interest in alchemy and this seemed to attract Bokken. Oleg had mentioned that Bokken's healing potions taste quite pleasant, and Bokken soon revealed that this is because he adds fangberries to them. When we asked if we could do anything for him he told us he needs his supply of fangberries replenished. He also presented us with an assortment of squashes and a very large pumpkin after we told him we had dispatched the bandits. All of the foods I have eaten since I left my homeland are strange to me, but somehow more flavorful amid the natural suroundings. I look forward to enjoying Bokken's squash.

We questioned Bokken about dangers in the area, and he was impressed that we had disposed of Tuskgutter. He warned us of a very large spider we might find. We set  up camp that night near his house. In the morning when we rose he was nowhere to be found.

After we left' Bokken's house we soon enough came across scattered bones that told us the spider had been there. We spread out a bit to search. Just after some of us heard a rustling sound, a black spider with limbs that could have encompassed our wagon burst out of the ground from beneath a trapdoor and bit Simon, then retreated beneath the ground.

As we all moved toward the trapdoor, the spider lunged out again to strike at Maria. I was able to strike it with my sword. It withdrew again, this time disappearing entirely from sight. Zander raised the trapdoor and looked down into the tunnel that led down beneath it, observing that it was quite deep. Chahana lit a torch and was prepared to climb down a rope after the spider, but we dissuaded her because no one would be able to join her once she climbed down into its lair. Then Maria cast a light spell on one of the scattered bones and dropped it into the tunnel.

The spider did not emerge again after I hit it, so we devised a plan to smoke it out. We gathered some grasses and brush and set them afire, then Maria kicked them down the shaft. The spider was soon driven out by the smoke and flames and Zander and I stabbed it to death. It fell back down the shaft as it died and we shut the trapdoor and let it burn.

While we waited, Zander examined a large birdlike skull he found  nearby, which Simon told us was that of a young owlbear. Then Maria cast spells to summon water out of magic and put out the fire, and when the smoke cleared Chahana climbed down into the lair to see if there was any evidence of victims who were not animals. She found the remains of a man, a bandit by the silver Stag Lord token he bore. She brought his leather armor, his sword, his coin purse, and the token up out of the spider's lair after confirming that there were no eggs within waiting to hatch out more huge spiders.

Next: part 5, Angry Kobolds and Mysterious Visitors