As Reislin rode to the north upon her summoned horse, Chahana suggested to the rest of us that we move away from the old woman's cottage and set up camp for the evening, after which she wished to speak with us. She and Maria found a location they felt was suitable and we set up our campsite in silence. Chahana then told us she wished to be left to herself for a short while before speaking to us all.
When she sat down upon a fallen tree trunk, she asked that we not interrupt her until she had finished. Then she spoke to us of how she felt that up until this time she felt she had done well in the role of leader, and that if we concluded she was not fit for that role she hoped there would still be a place for her in Neotellus.
Zander was not at all interested in this discussion, but immediately spoke up when Chahana had finished, asking what we should do about Reislin who was on her own in this wild region that we had yet to fully explore. He felt that we should set off in search of her at once. Maria concurred with his opinion.
Not wanting to disregard what Chahana had said, I commented that perhaps rather than going at once to speak to the old woman we should have investigated the disappearances first and spoken to the parents of the children who vanished. My comrades reminded me that the other rumors we had followed had proved to be largely true and we had no cause to assume this one was untrue, and also that the old woman in the cottage certainly had behaved in a manner that would give the local folk reason to be fearful of her.
In the end we set aside discussion of Chahana's leadership in favor of following Reislin to make sure she was safe. Hoofprints that were presumably those of her steed were soon discovered. We traveled into a marshy area along the southern shore of the Tuskwater when we came upon another set of tracks that resembled those of the troll we had encountered during the past winter. Zander asked Chahana what we should do, and she replied that we should investigate them and deal with it if it should prove to be a danger. Zander then asked Maria what should be done, and she stated we should find out what the presumed troll was up to. Zander wondered if we should try to approach stealthily, but Maria suggested we try to get closer and observe if we could.
Soon enough we confirmed that the tracks we had found were those of a troll. This one was accompanied by half a dozen kobolds of the same purple-scaled tribe we had run afoul of before. This we knew was unusual, as trolls and kobolds are seldom friendly.
The kobolds noticed us at once and began hurling slingstones at us though it seemed their aim was only good when they were aiming at Zander. Chahan drew nearer to them and fired her bow. The troll jumped up from where it had been sitting and rushed up to us roaring, bearing no weapon but its claws and teeth. I drove my spear into it with both hands. Maria flanked it as the kobolds encircled us, but they didn't prove serious foes. Neither did the troll, who fell soon enough though his trollish healing ability prevented him from dying until Zander methodically cut him to pieces and several vials of acid were emptied upon the bits to dissolve them.
We had managed to take one kobold prisoner and questioned him. Zander asked if we should slay him or let him go after we asked our questions, to which Chahana replied that this depended upon his responses. The kobold told us that their leader was 'King Troll', who was described as a mighty warrior capable of slaying dragons. The kobold claimed that they had no encampment but were wandering hunters, and that there were "many twenties" of kobolds in their band. The kobold professed not to have seen Reislin. He also claimed that their troll king would take our land from us and the kobolds would eat all the people of Neotellus.
In the end we let the kobold go, as several others had fled when the troll fell and we hoped they would all tell the Troll King that his enemies were more worthy than he thought. The kobold attempted to elicit some information from us before running away but we did not fall for his tricks.
There was no sign of Reislin around the place where the troll and kobolds had rested. As it was close to dusk by this point we again made camp, the others being unwilling to let me lead them through the darkness.
We returned to Lorewynd on the following morning. Before we set off, Chahana told us she had received a message from Reislin during the night assuring her that she was well and had already reached the town. When we arrived the guards at the gate were quite dismayed that we had come separately from Reislin. Reislin did not wish to meet with us at that time, and after leaving our gear in our rooms we each went about our own business. I have taken up a practice of walking about the town and castle and extending the Dawnflower's healing to anyone I find who is ill or injured. When next we speak of inviting more merchants to our fair town I shall recommend a baker, so that I may ask the baker to bake some loaves of Dawnflower bread if I am able to acquire sunflowers.
26th Rova
Chahana summoned us all to meet with her in a parlor of Castle Lorewynd, and asked if any of us wished for her to step down from her role in our new land. To this I replied that she had made only one mistake, one that did not result in anyone's death or any endangerment of Neotellus. Maria then told her that perhaps she should remember a leader is not required to fulfill all roles and she should allow the rest of us to take on more responsibilities. To that end Chahana suggested that henceforth when we wish to meet peacefully with folk she will allow me to speak first, as Sarenrae has granted me the gift of speaking kindly, which Chahana herself finds difficult.
We also had a discussion of whether or not the land on which the old lady has built her cottage is in fact part of Neotellus. In the end we concluded that we cannot lay claim to it, at least not yet, as we have not acquainted ourselves with all that surrounds it. Some among us felt that our writs from Brevoy granted us all the land between the Narlmarches and the Tors of the Levenies to east and west, and that land from the southern border of Brevoy to Lake Candlemere north to south. But after we talked of this I am convinced that we have only been granted the right to lay claim to those lands, but our claim has not been established yet.
There was a great deal of conversation surrounding what had happened at the old woman's cottage and how everyone had behaved, which I will not transcribe here. Chahana wishes to contact Tyressia and Falchos and seek out their knowledge of the old woman. She has now become convinced the old lady is harmless as I at first thought. I saw no evil in her soul, but I must not forget that she can be dangerous without having an evil nature.
Later that day we were approached by a man who asked if he might have our support to found a new village near the old tatzlwyrm den. Chahana has agreed that once we have secured that area for their safety he and his family are welcome to settle there.
As we were about to part, a distraught couple came to us begging us to find their young son who had been missing for three days. This couple, the Tannorsens, are known to us, and Reislin seemed to be aware of their boy Tygg. It seems he is fond of exploring the shore of the Tuskwater and had not returned from his last foray. The guards had been unable to locate him. After telling the guards to send someone to tell us if the boy returned, we gathered up our traveling equipment again and set out in search of the child.
28th Rova
On our second day searching along the edge of the Tuskwater to the south of Lorewynd, we came upon a small shoe that appeared to made for a child. It did not have the appearance of something that had been lying in the open for many weeks. We had also come to the shore of Lake Candlemere, and had spied a ruined tower on an isle in the center of the lake. Reislin much desired to find a way to reach the island and explore the ruin, but we were focused on finding the missing boy and determined to circle the lake.
29th Rova
Lake Candlemere is not a large body of water. We found a river that runs from the lake into the Kamelands. This river is surrounded by marshland, and this was where we noticed smoke in the near distance. We had heard of lizardfolk in this region and decided to investigate the source of the smoke. Soon enough we came upon a hillock that rose above the marsh, from which several columns of smoke as from cooking fires rose into the sky. This hillock was surrounded by a palisade of sharpened tree limbs. On one side was a gate, over which lizardfolk stood guard. As we were looking at this, we heard what we all felt was the scream of a human child, perhaps in fear or pain. Immediately we began to make our way to the gate, observing as we approached that the guards did not appear to be hostile toward us.
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