Sunday, 17th Rova
When the bats began to return to the Lonely Barrow, we took our leave of that place. After one of the undead in the barrow had touched me I felt a general malaise, but by the following day this had passed. The upcoming Toilday would be a holy day for Iomedae, and we wanted to return to Lorewynde for the celebration.
While in Lorewynde we heard rumors of violent lizardfolk in the south, more tales of the green dragon we'd heard rumored previously, a mad hermit who lives in a hollow tree, and a witch in the swamps who eats children. It sorrows my heart that there are never rumors of anything favorable.
The next few days were uneventful as we made our way to the hills at the foot of the Tors of the Levenies and reached the banks of the Gurdin River. There was no good fording place readily found there, but when we headed into the hills near the Tuskwater on the 20th of Rova, we came upon a good spot to cross.
Sunday, 24th Rova
As we headed south toward the Tuskwater we came upon tracks of wagons. We had heard of farms established near the Tuskwater, and soon enough we came upon a man carrying several fishing poles in the early afternoon. Chahana greeted him, and upon learning who we were he quickly advised us of a difficulty he faced in his fishing: a large creature he referred to as "Old Crackjaw" kept stealing his catch. He told us he would give us a magic ring he'd found if we would deal with Old Crackjaw. Questioned further, he explained that he had come from the Lake of Mist and Steam in northern Brevoy while he showed us to his favorite fishing location where his boat was moored. At this point we could see the bottom of the lake through the water for a short distance and then it appeared that there was a sharp drop where the water became much deeper.
As we stood on the shore near Arven's boat, Reislin decided to summon a horse to appear in the shallow water. Just after the horse appeared Maria observed a ripple in the water. When she pointed this out I readied my spear. A large turtle shell, of a size that an elf could curl up within it, appeared moving toward Reislin's horse. Maria and Reislin were standing close to the edge of the water and this large turtle made as if to lunge out of the water at them. Both of them stepped aside to avoid it. The creature had rather dismaying tusks in its mouth. I decided to reposition myself nearer to Reislin and Arven's boat that I might better reach it if it emerged from the lake.
Crackjaw crawled out of the lake and snarled. Zander began to wade out to get behind the turtle, and Maria followed. I heard Reislin speak the words of the now familiar spell to grant us all the ability to move faster. She also lifted off the ground and flew upward, coming to a stop more than three times her own height. Her horse moved away from the turtle. When I looked out I saw that Maria in her heavy armor was struggling a bit to avoid sinking. I moved forward to get closer to the turtle and asked Chahana if she thought we should slay it or merely drive it away. Crackjaw circled, snarled again, and charged toward Maria and Zander moved toward the turtle while Reislin raised her wand to send her tiny missiles at it. Chahana plied her bow, but her arrows couldn't penetrate the turtle's shell. Now that I could see it better I recalled that this type of turtle was called a hookjaw snapping turtle, which could be powerful and dangerous enough to destroy a boat. This one by its look was old and aggressive, which made me realize that driving it away would likely not be adequate to remove the threat it posed to anyone attempting travel on the Tuskwater.
Zander sliced at Crackjaw with his sword, and I waded into the shallow water myself to thrust my spear at it. Maria had recovered her footing and swung her blade as well. Crackjaw thrashed about as it bled its last. When it fell still, we dragged its corpse onto the shore and Zander began to cut it apart, desiring to have its shell transformed into armor.
Arven rewarded us as he had promised with a ring that will allow a falling person to float to the ground like a leaf. Discussion of this ring reminded us of another ring we had recently acquired, which Reislin said would allow a person to go without food or sleep without suffering any ill effect if one wore the ring for a week to attune to it. Both she and Chahana thought this ring's enchantment would be most useful, but Zander had no interest in it at all, stating that he was too fond of eating and sleeping to dispense with either activity.
Before we departed from that part of the Tuskwater, Chahana noticed bones in the mud that resembled the bones of an elf or human. Among these bones she found a blue crystal the size of my fist. When she showed this to Reislin, Reislin determined that it was a magic gem capable of summoning a water elemental, though after one use it would become inert. We searched around the area for anything else of curiosity but found nothing. We have no idea who the poor person bearing the gem was, or why that person was unable to use the gem to save himself or herself from whatever fate befell them.
We returned to Lorewynde in time to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. While there we heard the rumor of the swamp witch, which I mistakenly stated we had heard earlier. We decided that as this tale dealt with children we should investigate it first when we left again.
Here my tale grows disheartening, and I am reluctant to write it down. Yet I shall, for it should be recorded lest I forget.
We came upon a small cottage surrounded by a fenced garden with a scarecrow standing watch over it. We wanted to ask the occupants if they knew of the rumored swamp witch, but we stopped at the garden gate and called out a greeting, Chahana taking the lead in this. There was no response at first. Maria called out a second time in a louder voice, but this still brought no reply. Chahana then decided to open the gate and walk up to the door. Just as she did this Maria noticed there was a bell hanging on the gate post. Then someone looked out through a window and shouted to us, asking who we were. The speaker's tone was not welcoming. Chahana explained that we had come from Lorewynde, to which the speaker called out that it lay to the north, leading Chahana to think the person in the cottage could not hear well. Further attempt at an introduction only elicited demands from the cottage occupant that we go away, and accusations that we meant to claim her land.
I added my voice to the others, endeavoring to persuade the old woman to allow us to speak with her and demonstrate that the rumors of the swamp witch did not refer to her, but it was to no avail. Chahana determined to approach the cottage and try to speak with the woman without shouting from the gate. As soon as she stepped inside the garden, the scarecrow began to move. Masses of fireflies few out of its head. Maria and Reislin found them fascinating to watch and lost all interest in speaking to the old woman.
I readied my shield and stepped up beside Chahana. Chahana readied her own shield as well and drew her sword to defend herself from the scarecrow. Maria shook off the effect of the fireflies and tried to strike the scarecrow but immediately fell under the spell of the fireflies again. Zander joined us and averted his gaze as he swung blindly at the scarecrow, which meant that he was unable to strike it. The scarecrow then attacked Chahana, slamming its body into her twice. She had also been entranced by the fireflies, but recovered herself. She and Zander flanked the thing, yet because they didn't dare to look directly at it their blades could not touch it.
I put my shield up between my eyes and the scarecrow and attempted to hit it with the shield on the theory that the larger surface of the shield might give me an advantage to touch it when I couldn't see it, but this availed me nothing. Chahana backed away and took out her bow to fire an arrow at the scarecrow. While we were all trying to hit it Maria recovered again and realized that it must be some variety of construct, which would be immune to attacks that carried cold energy or magic that could affect the mind as it didn't have one. Then Zander struck it and it shattered. With the scarecrow gone Reislin was freed of the entrancing fireflies.
I lent some of the Dawnflower's healing mercies to Chahana, who had suffered some harm from the scarecrow. As I did this I asked her what we should do. Chahana still desired to speak with the old woman. Maria reminded her that we hadn't yet declared our claim on this land, and Reislin stated that she thought we should still investigate the rumor. Chahana then called out again, insisting that we would speak to her about these charges. I felt some discomfort at her tone in this pronouncement, but I did not object, though I wondered what she would do should the woman continue to refuse to speak with her. The woman did not answer, and then I voiced my concern. Should we drag her out of her cottage and threaten her with harm to make her speak?
Maria looked around the garden and observed that there were some poisonous plants within it. She shared this information with the rest of us. The garden was also full of small fetishes, the purpose of which I did not know. Reislin examined them but she also was unfamiliar with their purpose. Then the door opened and the old woman looked out. She looked older than anyone I have ever seen before, with a cast to her features that perhaps spoke of fey ancestry. Her demeanor was hostile and she began to speak and gesture as though casting a spell. Reislin warned that this spell was meant to frighten us, but the Dawnflower has lent me a mantle of her power that is proof from fear and because Chahana and Maria were next to me they also were protected but not entirely immune. Zander was not within the spell's range and Reislin was still by the garden gate.
Maria cast a spell of her own and stepped forward, attempting to intimidate the old woman. I also stepped up and tried to soothe the woman's ire, but it was too late. Chahana implored her to speak civilly with us but she cast another spell at Chahana, Maria, and Zander. Zander attempted to get inside her house but was unable to get through the doorway. The woman swung her walking stick at him. Maria swung her sword at the old lady, moving oddly slowly, and her blade drew green blood. I availed myself of Sarenrae's power to perceive evil in the souls of creatures but I saw no evil in her. Perhaps the hue of her blood came from her fey ancestors. I attempted to persuade Maria to forego attacking her because she was a frail old woman. Maria then somehow struck Zander. Chahana shouted out for us to back away and continued pleading for the woman to talk to us. The old woman cast another spell and Maria fell over.
This must have distressed Reislin, for she began to cast spells at the old woman. A spider's web covered the little cottage, trapping the woman within but not hindering her from using her magics. Chahana realized that Maria was asleep. I tried to convince my companions that the woman was harmless and we should not accept the rumor without proof, but the old woman's anger coupled with our own anger and fear led us all to foolish reactions. Reislin kep trying to cast spells at her while Chahana attempted to forcibly drag Reislin away. Zander bore Maria's sleeping form out of the garden and woke her, but she was confused and began shouting at Chahana that she was a poor leader. Zander walked away rather listen to all of this.
When Chahana let go of Reislin, Reislin angrily summoned another horse, mounted it, and rode off to the north. I said a blessing over the garden before we departed, leaving behind a furiously angry old woman.
I fear this may have caused Reislin to abandon us, and also has broken Chahana's confidence in her ability to lead us. But I will pray to the Dawnflower and hope that she will show me the way to restore our faith in each other.
Next: part 18, Little Boy Lost
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