[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 17: The Witch's Spell

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

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

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 16: Into the Kamelands

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

13th Rova, 4711

It sorrows me to write the dates of the human calendar for this month, as they've chosen to name this month for the Dawnflower's greatest enemy.

We still struggle with how we should respond to the evidence of worship of the Angry Hag. I think that Chahana might gladly ban such worship and banish the worshippers, though we've not sent such a message to those we've invited to settle in Neotellus. Though it was I who pointed the stones out to Chahana, after I meditating on the teachings of the Dawnflower I realize that she would wish me to lead the Hag's followers into her light, not punish them for their choice of worship. I will encourage Chahana toward that view.

We visited the keeper of the shrine to see if he would be able to help the merchant who was attacked by Kundal, and to ask him what he knows of the person who left the stones for the Hag. I do not feel that went the way I would have liked, as the words that Chahana and Maria said to him made it seem that we wish the Hag's followers ill. Those words didn't seem to suit the shrine-minder well either. He came here for freedom to worship as he chose, though he seems to follow less distasteful gods such as Erastil. There are signs of many different gods being venerated in this small shrine: Erastil, Iomedae, Gorum, Caiden Cailean, Desna, Calistria, and the local god Hanspur. The shrine keeper did tell Chahana what the woman looked like who had left the stones, and that she had a babe with her and looked to have fallen on hard times. I hope we can find her and help her, and show her that the Hag's ways of spite and vengeance will bring her only more pain. Zander has set himself the task of locating this woman.

After meeting the shrine keeper, we returned to Castle Lorewynd to speak to Kundal. He had been drinking heavily the night before and was not in the best of condition. He was still sleeping when we arrived. One of the guards kicked him awake. I am not best pleased with them kicking a prisoner, but they were no doubt angry with him for slaying Saki, and perhaps fearful of his ability to transform into a werewolf.

Chahana described to him what we'd found in his room at the Knife & Toad, which he professed to nothing about. She then asked him when he became a werewolf. He didn't deny that he was one, nor did he know when this curse or disease befell him. He mentioned having been troubled by a pack of wolves and being attacked by something that he said resembled a bear. But he was unclear on how long ago these events took place. He described having unpleasant dreams, but didn't appear to associate them with either the creatures that attacked him or with what had happened the night before. He seemed resigned and disinterested, though that could be because he was suffering the effects of his drinking and we hadn't used our magics to heal all of his wounds.

After we left him we went to another room to discuss what we should do with him. We wondered if he should be blamed for what he did under the effects of something outside his control. Reislin told us that lycanthropy can be a curse, or a disease inflicted by a bite from one already afflicted, or it can be inherited from one's ancestors. In any case it is not easy to cure. It seems that only the divine magic granted to a priest of great knowledge and experience can do anything to treat this curse, and we know of no such priests even in Restov. There are tales of herbs or other methods used to treat lycanthropy, but these sound just as likely to harm the sufferer as to cure him. Maria then became upset and told us a tale of her own life. It seems as a child she was taken from her family and tortured and forced to do things she knew were wrong because she thought she had no choice but to obey those who commanded her to kill. Reislin, Chahana and I felt great sympathy for her and assured her that her deeds since she joined our company showed that she has redeemed herself. But her own experiences made her feel much sympathy for Kundal's plight and she was troubled that we might punish him when he hadn't chosen to become a werewolf. Yet at the same time she thought he should have known his dreams were a sign of trouble and kept himself apart from other people, and that he seemed to have no remorse for the deaths of Bevan and Saki.

We were interrupted by the arrival of Bevan's parents, who demanded to know why the culprit hadn't yet been executed for his crime. Bevan's father would not be placated, although when Zander arrived he was able to persuade them to leave. In the end we decided that we had no choice but to execute Kundal, as we couldn't cure him and we couldn't keep him prisoner, and we were unwilling to banish him and allow him to possibly slay other innocents when the curse took him. We sent men out to make the announcement to the citizens that he would be hung in the morning, and had a messenger sent to Leveton to give them the news.

I don't want to dwell on the execution of Kundal. As with our choice to execute the bandits we found at the Thorn River camp, it is not a decision that I take lightly.

16th Rova

We've decided that we need time away from Lorewynd to explore some of the territory to our west. We've heard rumors of a dragon slaying settlers and we feel we need to attend to this matter. We've set out once again with Zander's wagon to see what awaits us.

We had only just reached the rocky rolling plains known as the Kamelands when we met our first trouble. Chahana was the first to see several creatures moving in the long grass. These began to move in our direction and soon revealed themselves to be a pack of four wolves, led by what Reislin recognized as a worg. This worg climbed upon on a large boulder and shouted at us in a tongue we could all understand, proclaiming itself 'Howl of the North Wind' and declaring that this territory belonged to it. To this Chahana replied that the word was mistaken and the land belongs to us, and she followed this by putting an arrow in the worg's hide.

Maria and Zander went forward to face the worg and two of the wolves attacked them, while the other two rushed at the wagon where Reislin and Chahana and I stood. It was not a difficult fight. Though the worg had sufficient intelligence to speak, it was not protected by any magical defenses or special abilities, and its companions were ordinary wolves easily slain with arrows and blades. When all but one wolf had fallen the last fled, but Chahana didn't allow it to escape. Afterward Zander took all the pelts and we went on our way.

The maps provided by Jubilost Narthropple showed us the location of an ancient barrow not far from where we dispatched the worg, and we decided to journey there and see what if anything it held. The mound had split open, forming a cave-like entrance. Zander went in and Chahana looked through the crack, observing that the walls were covered in a mosaic of simple village life and the floor was layered deep with guano and live insects. Innumerable bats hung from the ceiling where they rested. Zander decided to investigate further into the barrow and made his way past the bats to where he found a circular chamber with four passages radiating off it. At each intersection of the passages with the central space was a human face carved into the stone. One of these seemed to inhale as if taking a breath and then breathed out a cloud of black smoke that engulfed Zander. He instantly felt as if he had run for days while carrying a heavy load and eating nothing. He staggered back outside and was scarcely able to tell us what had happened to him so exhausted he was. His stumbling steps disturbed the bats and they came swarming out, though they paid us no mind.

Chahan then rashly decided to enter the barrow and see what Zander had seen, as his weariness prevented him from describing it in detail. The rest of us decided to follow her, letting Zander rest outside.

Beyond the first chamber we came within sight of the circular room. A skeleton lay upon the floor, whatever gear the person had carried in life now almost rotted away. We saw the four faces carved into the walls, and the four passages leading away. Reislin realized that the faces represented wind spirits of the four cardinal directions, and she wondered if they had any relation to the worg's name for itself, Howl of the North Wind. Maria noticed that the skeleton wore a ring that radiated a magical aura, and she used her net to catch hold of it and pull it toward her. Then Chahana and Reislin heard sounds coming from the passage to the north and relayed this information to Maria and myself, as we had heard nothing.

The sounds proved to be the movements of two animated skeletons that entered the central chamber. Chahana stepped inside that chamber so that the rest of use could move closer to the end of the passage in which we stood, and the carved faces did nothing. One skeleton moved toward Maria, and then another. Then the central chamber rapidly filled as ten more skeletons appeared! All of them wielded curved swords and wore chain shirts, though their equipment appeared not to have withstood the passage of time well.

I had drawn my scimitar, but on seeing the skeletons I exchanged it for my mace that I knew would be more effective against these undead creatures that have no flesh. I warned my friends to use weapons other than swords or spears if they could, and that magical cold would have no effect on these things. Maria and Chahana lacked any weapons without blades or points and began to bash the skeletons with their shields. Reislin had taken flight when we entered to avoid stepping in the bat excrement, but the ceiling of the barrow was too low to keep her out of reach of the skeletons. She used the last charge on a wand she carried to blast out a gout of flame that transformed two of the skeletons into heaps of ash, but this drew the attention of the others to her and they began to slash at her with their broken swords or their bone claws.

I stepped forward and with the Dawnflower's might on my side I left one skeleton in an inanimate heap of bones. Reislin had granted us magical haste, and with it Maria used her shield to destroy two more. A third fell to me with my next step. Reislin used a scroll to heal the wounds the skeletons had inflicted on her, and upon hearing through her messenger spell that we had met foes, Zander entered the passage behind us and used his magic to grant Reislin yet more healing. Chahana's shield brought down another skeleton and now we had halved the number of our foes.

Chahana and Maria brought their shields down on two more skeletons and felled them just as Reislin's magic wore off. I crushed a third, and Zander attempted unsuccessfully to use his healing magic to harm another, which was then destroyed by Chahana. We all breathed a sigh of relief that the skeletons had fallen. What they left behind was in such poor condition that it scarce seemed worth the effort of gathering it up.

We made our way cautiously around the center chamber to check the north and south passages, find that both led into small chambers occupied by biers. The signs there indicated that the skeletons had long stood in these chambers unmoving, awaiting some unlucky explorer like the unfortunate person who had died in the central space. But no more skeletons assailed us and the carved faces did not afflict us with the cloud that had hurt Zander.

The last passage that ran to the east led into a larger chamber that held a single bier with a skeletal warrior clutching a sword lying atop it. Decayed banners adorned the walls, and there were various arms and armor stored in the chamber. Reislin recognized the banners as being of designs used by the Kelid barbarians to the north. She was most interested in the historical aspects of the place. Then as we moved nearer to the warrior's bier, something rose up from behind it. We saw another skeletal figure clutching a broken sword, but this one seemed somehow sturdier than those we had destroyed in the room behind us. I at once called on the Dawnflower to grant me her power and channeled her healing at the skeletal warrior, knowing that healing magic harms many undead creatures. But he did not seem much affected by Sarenrae's power. He moved surprisingly quickly to Maria's side and swung his broken blade at her, but his strike slid off her armor.

Zander had recovered from the effect of the black cloud and now slid deftly past the warrior to attack, though his blade could not pierce the skeleton's armor. The skeletal warrior slashed him in response. Chahana dropped the lantern she carried to draw her blade and attack with no more success than Zander. Reislin warned us that this was a cairn wight, capable of draining life energy from us with his blade or his touch. I sent another wave of Sarenrae's healing light at him. The wight then moved toward Reislin, unheeding of our presence, and though we all attempted to strike him none of our weapons connected with his fleshless body. Then Zander gripped his sword with both hands and brought it down in a powerful slice that left a gash in the wight's armor and cut into his bones. Maria and Chahana were both also able to deal damage with their blades, and I followed with a blow of my mace that dropped the wight and left it only a heap of long-dead bones and ancient armor.

When we had assured ourselves that there were no other undead waiting to attack us and no hidden passages or secret troves within the barrow, Reislin looked more closely at the body on the bier. She recalled that long ago even by the reckoning of our people a barbarian king had come to these lands to claim them, but had almost immediately been overpowered by another barbarian. This king had gone away for some years and afterward returned to overthrow his foe, and for the next dozen years had been able to defeat any challenger due to his impressive skill with a sword. According to this tale, he had become the founder of the Aldori dueling school to which Zander belongs. The sword the man on the bier bore, as well as that of the wight, were after the Aldori fashion. Reislin theorized that the two men had been brothers in life. While I hold admiration for the brother keeping watch over his sibling's burial, it concerns me that he became an undead wight. What caused this, and what created the other skeletons who also stood guard? Were they left by the makers of this tomb or by some other force long after their deaths?

Once we were done with the contents of the barrow, Reislin looked at the copper ring Maria had taken from the skeleton in the central chamber. When she announced that it was a ring of sustenance, Maria began to laugh, saying that it had done him no good and looking to Chahana to see if she also found this humorous. The humor of humans is something I still struggle to understand.


Next: part 17, The Witch's Spell

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 15: Growing Pains

                                            Territory claimed shown in blue

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

21st Erastus, year 4711

The new nation of Neotellus continues to grow, though not without challenges. We have yet to determine how we should introduce ourselves to those who don't know us, what titles should we use as the leaders of this land. Is our new nation enough to name ourselves as a barony or dukedom? How does our writ from Brevoy apply to this decision?

It was well that we had arranged for the construction of a granary in Lorewynd, but though there was a surplus crop that did not prevent us from experiencing a temporary shortage of food. To further protect Neotellus from such events in future, a second granary has been built in Leveton, and a second mill now stands in Lorewynd. More farmland has been planted with crops as well.

Lorewynd now has a museum in which to tell the history of Neotellus as well as the earlier history of this territory. It is located near the shrine to the gods that we sponsored. We have also arranged for some of the land outside the castle to be designated a burial place.

Jubilost Narthropple and his fellows have continued to explore the lands to the north and east where our granted territory meets the mountains known as the Tors of the Levenies. Thus far he hasn't reported any troublesome monsters nor found any ancient ruins. Some attacks by monsters have been reported recently in the fully explored area, however, and there has been some trouble with wildfires as well.

                                                Jubilost Narthropple

Maria has ordered the training of new militia recruits who will be assigned to the command of Kesten in Leveton once their training is completed. A barracks is being built for them, and Leveton will also gain a dance hall to contribute to the entertainment of the townsfolk.

                                                 Kesten Garess


10th Arodus, year 4711

We have laid claim to more of the territory that runs along the road at the southern border of Brevoy. The barracks and dance hall in Leveton are finished and the new militia for Kesten will soon be occupying the barracks and enjoying the dance hall.

Jubilost reports that the source of the river to the east seems to come down from the mountains. He also warns of signs that orcs dwell in those mountains, that we may need to treat with should we begin sending settlers farther to the east. There may also be a pass through the mountains that could connect Neotellus with Varnhold. Perhaps we could place a watchtower there, if the leaders of Varnhold do not object.

                                         Tors of the Levenies

18th Arodus, year 4711

Tragedy has come to Lorewynd. First it was the disappearance of a young human woman called Saki, who serves patrons at the Knife and Toad. Then a shepherd boy named Bevan was found dead, along with several of his sheep, mutilated by what appeared to be some large beast near a copse of trees outside the town.  At the site of young Bevan's sad demise we discovered tracks similar to those of a wolf but larger. Following them into the copse we lost them, but then discovered nearby the unshod footprints of a human or elf, presumed to be a male by the size. Maria believes both sets of track were made at about the same time.

The person's tracks led back to Lorewynd, but could no longer be found after they entered the town. We decided to warn the townsfolk to remain inside or only go out in pairs or groups in case the killer reappeared.

The following day we learned that Saki had also been found dead, near a cluster of berry bushes. She had gone out to pick berries after finishing her work day at the inn. She too had apparently been half devoured by an animal. but the site had been much disturbed by those who found her and took her body back to town for burial.

We questioned townsfolk who knew both Saki and Bevan and found no indication that either of them had any enemies. Some folk reported they had heard wolves howling, but they couldn't indicate whether it was one lone wolf or a pack. Some of them began to speak of werewolves.

The owner of the inn told us that Saki had a boyfriend named Johel, who works at the new museum. We decided that it would be unwise not to question him. He is a very sturdy and strong fellow but not overly endowed with cleverness. When we spoke to him it was clear he was distraught. I saw no evil in him, nor any sign of dissembling. Chahana told him to go home and rest, to which the owner of the museum, Adrien, agreed.

After we had spoken with Johel we considered if there might be a way to catch the culprit should he or they appear again. My comrades had begun to suspect that the townsfolk's hints about werewolves might not be entirely unreasonable, particularly since it has been the time of the full moon. Reislin suggested that she could cast a spell on the copse of trees where we first found the footprints, to warn us if any man-size creature appeared there. We agreed this might be a worthwhile plan. In addition we would set guards on patrol around the area and have them go from farm to farm. Zander hid himself near a flock of sheep that we hoped might lure our prey.

As we were standing watch ourselves outside the town, we heard the signal whistles of the guard patrols sounding, converging on the Knife and Toad. We road swiftly toward the inn as we heard screams, arriving to see a bloodied man lying upon the ground near one of the entrances and a creature that looked part man, part wolf looming over him. This creature wore the bloodied remnants of torn clothing and carried a large axe.

Chahana drew her bow and fired two arrows in rapid succession. One arrow struck the creature in the upper arm. He snapped at it as a beast might, pulling it from his flesh. Maria let out an intimidating shout, causing the creature to look toward her. There was a crossbow bolt in his back, perhaps from a guard's weapon. Zander hurried up behind our group and warned us that this was indeed a werewolf, and that it could heal quickly from wounds like a troll. Only weapons of silver would overcome this unnatural healing, but none of us possess such weapons.

Suddenly the werewolf darted into the inn. Zander raced closer to the door, though he couldn't catch up to the werewolf. I rode up to the fallen man and leaped from my steed, extending the Dawnflower's healing rays to the man. He gasped, "Werewolf!" to me when he had recovered enough to speak.

                                                   Knife & Toad Inn

Chahana ran into the inn and called out to the patrons who hadn't yet fled, asking if any of them had a silver weapon. The innkeeper offered her a silver ladle. She didn't take it, instead firing on the werewolf again, but her arrow bounced off the creature's tough hide.

Maria ran into the inn as well and darted past the werewolf to get ahead of him, dodging the swing of his axe as she slashed at him with her blade. Zander joined the others in the building and dealt the werewolf as serious blow. I ran in after them but the werewolf twisted to one side in time to let my scimitar's blade slip past him. Before Maria, Zander and I had entered the inn, Reislin had cast a spell upon all three of us that gave us the ability to move much more swiftly than we were normally capable of. She wisely didn't follow us inside.

Chahana hadn't benefited from Reislin's spell, as she was already within the inn when it was cast. She ran into the room where we all faced the werewolf. The creature tried to attack Zander, but neither his axe nor his jaws touched my half-orc friend's flesh. Zander's blade bit into him, though. He was beginning to look quite bloodied, from his own wounds rather than the blood of his victim. He tried to move toward the door but I blocked his way. Sarenrae granted me the sight to perceive the evil in his soul, but that didn't permit me to smite him with her power. Then Maria slashed him and he collapsed on the floor, sorely wounded but still living.

When the werewolf was down, Zander remarked that lycanthropy is a curse, but also a disease. We wondered if the werewolf could have passed it on to the man he had attacked. While Zander, Maria and Reislin took the werewolf to a makeshift jail, Chahana and I accompanied the wounded man to the shrine to see if the shrinekeeper could cast a spell to check for the disease. When we arrived we found that the shrinekeeper was not there. But on the altar I was dismayed to find a small heap of stones with a stone on the top painted with the catseye emblem of the Angry Hag. When I explained to Chahana what this stone represents she too was dismayed. Neither of us have any desire to support worshippers of the lady of hate, whose name I will not write here.

                                          Symbol of the Angry Hag

We left a note for the shrinekeeper to meet us there in the morning so we could bring the injured merchant, Grigori, to see him then. Then we escorted Grigori back to the Knife and Toad.

The innkeeper recognized that the axe the werewolf bore belonged to one of his recent guests, a northerner named Kundal who had been a heavy drinker and had kept to himself during the few days he had stayed there. With the innkeeper's permission we searched Kundal's room, finding it disordered. Amongst his unkempt possessions were some bloodied clothing and a severed human ear bearing a gold earring, which the innkeeper confirmed had belonged to Saki. It seems we have found our murderer. Reislin took samples of the blood to seek further confirmation through her magic.

                                                        Kundal

The next morning when we met again, Chahana and I told the others about the Angry Hag being venerated at the shrine. While she and I are reluctant to allow the worship of such deities here, the others are not so sure it should be forbidden. I must pray to the Dawnflower and seek guidance on how best to respond to this should my friends declare that such worship must be permitted within Neotellus. While I contemplate this, we must also decide how best to deal with the werewolf if his affliction is indeed a curse over which he has no control. He has killed, but if he was unaware that he killed, is his guilt worthy of execution?


Next: part 16, Into the Kamelands

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 14: A Nation Grows

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

Starday, 11th Pharast

At the end of our time with Falchos and Tyressia I am sorry to say Thistle flew away. But I have not stopped thinking of the beautiful griffon since we parted.

When we left our new friends, Chahana suggested that perhaps we should explore the area surrounding the rhododendron thicket where we had slain the hangman tree, then go north to the pit trap where we found the thylacine to see if the trapper had removed the animal. She proposed that if the thylacine was still in the pit we should release it. Afterward we should go on to explore some of the territory between this part of the forest and Lorewynd that we have not visited up to now. We all agreed to this plan.

12th Pharast, Sunday

The rhododendrons have begun to bloom, making the thicket a much more pleasant place than it was when the tree occupied it.

We found our way to another river, neither part of the Thorn nor the Skunk. Chahana recalled that it is called the Murk River, which leads farther south beyond the territory we have been given claim to.

13th Pharast, Moonday

This day we discovered a logging camp near the river where it widened and grew deeper to form a pool of slower water. We discovered it at first by hearing angry voices in the forest. This led us to a group of men by the river bank. With these men was a young woman standing in the water near two of the men, whose demeanor indicated that they were protective of her. The other men were calling out to her to let those men go. We all realized at once that this young woman was a nixie.

Chahana attempted to distract them by shouting at them, but they didn't react to her shout as she'd hoped. One of the men, who was wielding an axe in a threatening manner, remarked that he thought there was a problem, but he seemed to be speaking more of the nixie than of our arrival. Reislin recalled that nixies are capable of charming men to become their lovers and we suspected from the somewhat empty eyes of the two men with the nixie that this was what she had done.

One of the men said something to a large man and called him Kerax. Kerax warned us to stay away and confirmed our belief that the nixie had used her magic to enchant the two men. Maria then began to address the nixie in a friendly manner, trying to persuade her to release the lumbermen. The nixie argued that because the loggers had cut down trees surrounding her pool, it was only fair that she take some of the men for herself. Chahana joined Maria and they spoke for coming to a friendly compromise. The nixie seemed to be somewhat amendable to this.

Kerax at first was not so favorable to this idea, instead contending that we ought to get rid of fey creatures rather than try to befriend them. It took the combined efforts of all of us to turn him from this thought. In the end it was Zander who found the best solution: he offered to donate the tree token Tyressia had given him to the nixie, whose name is Melianse, to replace the trees the loggers had cut. When he gave a token to her she was delighted with it, and when it grew instantly into an large tree she was entranced. Zander then gave her his second token, and following his example the rest of us handed over our own tokens as well.

To further remove any opportunity for disagreement, Zander suggested that the loggers take over the former bandit camp along the Thorn River, as there is a good ford there and plenty of trees. Kerax and his men finally agreed to this, though at first they were reluctant to cooperate or to submit to our authority despite that they intended to sell their lumber to Neotellus. It was helpful that Zander and Reislin also mentioned to them a grove of coach trees in which they were quite interested.

Before we parted from Melianse she promised to notify us of any troubles along the river, and we took our leave with the hope that we had made new friends and resolved a dispute. Chahana took the opportunity first to ask if the loggers knew who had made the pit trap, and they responded that it was a trapper they knew as Old Clements. She asked that if they encountered him they warn him to check his traps more often and not leave any animal in a trap to suffer for days.

14th Pharast, Toilday

When we approached the pit we could hear pitiful yelping from within. The thylacine remained trapped at the bottom just as we had left it near a week earlier. At first we thought that we might create an earthen ramp for the creature to climb out on its own, but we had only a single shovel amongst us. Then we realized that the earth that had been removed to create the pit lay nearby. Our decision then was for Zander to attempt to calm the thylacine while we poured the earth back into the pit to allow it to climb out, after which we partly refilled the pit so that any animal with the misfortune to fall into it would be able to climb out unaided.

The last we saw of the half-starved thylacine was its tail as it rushed away from us when it had escaped the pit. Perhaps we will need to issue an edict advising local hunters and trappers to amend their ways to avoid causing undue suffering to the beasts they pursue.

15th Pharast, Wealday

As we made our way back toward Lorewynd, our attention was attracted by sounds of anxious shouting and the panicked screams of horses near the river. We rushed to the bank to find that a small and very colorful wagon had got caught midstream at a fording point, its wheels wedged against the stones in a swift current. The two ponies drawing the wagon were terrified at being trapped in the rushing water. On the opposite bank were two more wagons and a group of very anxious gnomes. One gnome who had been in a fight by his look stood atop a boulder shouting directions to others who were attempting to pull the wagon free with ropes.

The gnome on the rock shouted at us to help, and without hesitation I dropped my weapons and shield and plunged into the water. Zander, Maria, and Chahana joined me. With the four of us hauling at the ropes we eventually managed to free the wagon, much to the gratitude of the gnomes.

When that was done and we were on the shore drying ourselves, I realized that the gnomes had been encamped on the river bank and had been attacked by kobolds, several of which they had slain. These were not from the Sootscale tribe, however, for they lacked the dark scales of those kobolds and instead had red and violet scales similar to the foul mage we had disposed of when we befriended the Sootscales.

The leader who had been shouting from the rock introduced himself to us as Jubilost Narthropple and explained that he and his clan are explorers and cartographers. He was offended when Zander asked if they were treasure hunters. Reislin was of course very interested in his maps and showed him some of her own, which he did not seem to find very admirable.

I used some of the Dawnflower's blessings to heal as many of the gnomes' injuries as I could, although it appeared that they had a goodly supply of potions and salves of their own. Jubilost told us that his clan were in this area seeking an ancient dwarven ruin. While he and Reislin discussed maps he pointed out an ancient burial site to the east that perhaps we will seek out at some point in future. Some of the other gnomes mentioned having encountered some other beings of our size to the south, but could not come to any agreement what manner of beings they had seen; some argued that these were tribal folk wearing serpent-like helmets, while others insisted they were lizardfolk.

Out of curiosity, Zander suddenly asked Jubilost if he had ever heard of a place like that the fey Knight of the Winter Craft had spoken of. Jubilost immediately divined that a fey creature must have given this description, and opined that such a description shouldn't be taken literally as it was given by one of the fey, and in his words "they think sideways."

After we parted from the Narthropple clan, we searched the area for more evidence of this other tribe of kobolds. We must do what we can to protect the people of Neotellus and travelers through our lands from this danger.

15th Sarenith, Oathday

We returned to Lorewynd to a busy period of activity. In that time, Lorewynd has acquired more houses and Neotellus more farmsteads. There is a school now, and a sewage system to keep our new capital hygienic. I have used some of our shared funds to establish a shrine to the gods of good. Narthropple and his clan have been hired to further explore and map the lands to the east that we have not had the time to investigate ourselves, though as of yet they have not found anything of great interest or concern. But the clan have made their way to a river that lies close to the mountains, which we had hoped might be useful for transport of goods. Unfortunately there is a waterfall that blocks passage, which can only be overcome by constructing something to allow boats to pass over it.

In addition to expansion of Lorewynd, Oleg's Trading Post has ascended to the status of a village, which has been given the name of Leveton in honor of its founders Oleg and Svetlana. Leveton has acquired an inn to house the travelers coming there and a stable for their horses.

These advances have not been without challenge. Some folk who have come to claim land within the confines of Neotellus have misunderstood the conditions under which they can do so, and have considered their lands outside the limits of our governance. Thus far we have been able to convince them with wise words that they are mistaken and that paying small taxes to for the common good is preferable to being entirely on their own without access to all the advantages sharing with us can grant them. Of course were they endangered we would still come to their aid, but this way we can assure that we have the necessary resources to help them should some misfortune befall them. I pray that the Dawnflower grant them safety and good health so that no harm comes to them. We are glad to welcome them into Neotellus.

Next: part 15, Growing Pains

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Redux, part 13: Into the Narlmarches

From the journal of Lythande Syldorei

Moonday, 27th of Calistril, in the year 4711

Our visit to Bokken to deliver the fangberries was interesting, to say the least. The herbalist is an eccentric character. When Chahana reached out to rap on the door of his peculiar house, it flew open suddenly before she could touch it and Bokken appeared, as wild-looking as he was on our last visit, exclaiming, "Go away! I'm not Oleg!" He was calmed when Chahana told him we had brought him fangberries and this helped him to remember who we are, after which he invited us inside. It seems that his experiments in combining various herbs and tasting his concoctions has caused him to lose much of his senses of taste and smell, and as a result he can only recognize the scent and flavor of fangberries.

We had not entered his home on our last visit. It is a peculiar structure, an artificial hillock that he has created by heaping earth of a framework of oaken beams. The beams are bowed in the center of this construction, which makes it appear quite likely to collapse at some point. I suspect that Bokken doesn't notice this lack of structural soundness as he is more concerned with the bundles of herbs hanging from the rafters than with the rafters themselves. In addition to purchasing potions from him, Reislin also used our common funds to acquire three wands that can remove certain physical ailments.

While we were with him Bokken complained to us of strangers who keep arriving at his hut looking for Oleg's trading post and are annoying him by getting on the roof of his home. Yet when Chahana asked where we might set up camp for the night he told us to camp on the roof. It was telling that just after he said this the rafters creaked an a cloud of dirt fell from above. We did not spend the night on his roof.

The next day we made our way to Oleg's trading post. It has changed a good deal over the time we spent building up the community of Lorewynd. The longhouse Kesten and his men were building is finished and has become a makeshift inn for travelers passing through on the way south. Chahana discussed with Oleg and Svetlana the possibility of turning their trading post into the center of a town and making one of them its mayor. It seems likely that Svetlana will take on that role as Oleg isn't temperamentally suited to it. There have also been some small houses built there, so the trading post is already on its way to becoming more than a way station.

Kesten Garess has new people serving under him, including the niece of his commander in the mercenary company. We had a conversation with him about taking on the role of sheriff for the territory surrounding the trading post, as the increased traffic from Brevoy has led to some unsavory characters entering the territory we have taken charge of. Kesten recommended the woman who is his commander's niece as a good judge of character, but before we offer her a position we wish to ascertain how loyal she is to Restov. Kesten himself seems willing enough to give up his membership in the mercenary company to take up the role or enforcing justice in the northern part of Neotellus.

Moonday, 6th Pharast

When we had concluded our visit at the trading post, we decided to head to the southwest to hunt for the tatzlwyrms that had been reported there.

The Narlmarches are a much denser forest than the forest to the north where the Temple of Erastil lies, with thick undergrowth that is more difficult to pass through. We've seen signs of unusual things that we suspect can be attributed to a strong fey presence here.

As we were working our way toward the odorous Skunk River, we heard something that sounded like a dog yelping in pain.We decided to investigate and found a pit trap that had caught a creature resembling a lean dog with striped haunches. Maria recognized it as a thylacine. Such beasts are not particularly dangerous, but are valuable to trappers and traders in wild beasts. The thylacine had apparently been in the pit for several days. It wasn't wounded, only hungry and afraid. The pit wasn't the sort of trap that would mislead a person, unlike the metal traps that had snared Chahana when we first began to explore the forests near Oleg's. Though Reislin wanted to rescue the creature and set it free, the rest of us decided to give it some food and water and leave it in the pit. We didn't want it to suffer, but we also didn't want to deprive a trapper of his livelihood.

The day following our discovery of the thylacine, we reached the Skunk River. We had seen no sign of the trapper who had dug the pit, nor of any other person in that region.

As we came to the bank of the foul-smelling river, we caught sight of what appeared to be a dam across the channel between the bank on which we stood and a small islet in the center of the water. Some of the dam appeared to be debris, but portions of it looked to my companions like something that had been constructed deliberately, though not by any creature with knowledge of building.

On the ground along the bank we noticed tracks that resembled those of the hydra we had fought, but the creature that made them had claws unlike the hydra. Just as we observed these tracks, Chahana glimpsed a creature on the islet sunning itself. It was swiftly recognized as a tatzlwyrm. Reislin says that these wyrms are a kind of dragon, but they are neither as intelligent nor as well-armed as true dragons. I was surprised to find that they are no larger than I am, but Reislin warned us there could be a mated pair, or even a whole nest of twenty or more such creatures.

Maria and Zander began making noise to attract the wyrm and it immediately launched itself across the river to reach us. When it gave a cry we heard another such creature answer it. The first wyrm rushed up to Maria, hissing angrily. The second wyrm swiftly joined its mate in attacking us. Very quickly our arrows and blades dealt with both wyrms. When Zander examined one of them it proved to be a female laden with eggs it had not laid yet. Nonetheless we watched the islet cautiously to be certain the pair had no young. Reislin cast a spell to summon an invisible servitor to remove some of the debris it could lift from the dam. When we return to Lorewynd we will seek laborers to come here and clear the rest of the blockage. We also took the heads to give to Oleg, who desires one to hang over the fireplace in the trading post.

Among the debris in the dam we found the remains of a man, clad in scaled mail that proved to be enchanted and bearing a longsword forged of cold iron. In addition to these remains we found an assortment of gold and silver coins, a pewter drinking vessel, a silver ring, and a jade statue of a nude elven woman posed in an unarmed fighting stance. Chahana claimed the ring and the drinking cup. Then Reislin discovered a water-tight scroll tube containing a map of the surrounding area. It seems the poor soul who died there was an explorer.

Having dealt with the tatzlwyrms we determined next to find the statue of the 'horned man' the boggard had told us of, which we believe to be a statue dedicated to Erastil.

Oathday, 9th Pharast

The statue of Erastil was not difficult to locate. It is quite a large statue on a tall base, though now overgrown and covered in moss. Nearby are the burnt remnants of what may have been a hunting lodge, though it has not been occupied for many years, possibly not for the whole of my lifetime. Reislin made a map of its location. This area seems devoid of predators, perhaps as a result of the One-Eye's influence.

Fireday, 10th Pharast

We headed to the southwest after finding the statue. It became unnaturally still as we went on, the somewhat marshy forest empty of bird calls or insects buzzing.

We began to detect an odor of decay, but it did not smell like the usual stink of rotting vegetation or decaying flesh. When we came into a sunken clearing we found the source of the smell, the corpse of what at first appeared to be a horse. On closer inspection Reislin realized that it had cloven hooves, and a horn had been cut from its head. It was a unicorn, which made her sorrowful. Because there were no scavengers or insects consuming its remains, it was not decaying in the normal way. There was no sign that it had been slain by weapons or predators.

When I looked at it I saw that the horn had been removed after the unicorn's death. Its eyes were milky white, and that I knew had happened to it while it was still living. Reislin thought that it might have been slain by powerful magic, and the lack of any living animals or insects suggested to her that the slayer was a fey being. The other creatures were driven away by this power. Maria wanted to bury the unicorn's corpse, so Reislin's servant dug it a shallow grave and covered it with a cairn of stones.

As we left the unicorn behind and continued on to the south, we came to a point where we heard voices. I could not understand their speech, but my comrades who can speak the tongue of the fey folk were able to make out their words. A male voice and a female one conversed, the female anxious and weeping. But when they realized we were near they ceased speaking. They didn't respond when Reislin asked if we could approach. When we moved toward where we had heard the voices coming from we saw no one.

Suddenly a man with horns and legs like those of a goat appeared, demanding, "What are you doing here?" Maria replied, "We want to make this place safe for everyone." Then the unseen woman said, "For everyone?" in a hopeful tone, and a beautiful woman whose hair was full of leaves stepped out of the trunk of a tree.

This lovely woman said to us, "Our safety is in danger. Our friend is in trouble." The goat-man comforted her and explained that some nightmarish danger had come to threaten this part of the Narlmarches. Chahana then asked them rather bluntly if this had anything to do with the dead unicorn, which startled them. We explained to them what we had found and how we had buried the unicorn. The man, Falchos, who is a satyr, responded that the unicorn would have preferred her remains be given back to the earth, but Chahana told him that we had chosen to bury the remains because of the lack of natural decay.

The woman, Tyressia, is a dryad. She told us of the dark shadow on the land, a dangerous creature that sought to destroy her. She and Falchos spoke of their missing friend, Thistle, who had gone to fight this danger. Thistle, they explained, was a griffon, which made my heart lift as I recalled the sight of the griffon that had flown overhead when we first found the Temple of Erastil. The danger Thistle had gone to fight was what they referred to as a death tree or hangman tree, a dangerous plant that is capable of moving about like a beast. Falchos told us that although the tree moved slowly, it was capable of grabbing and restraining other creatures with its vines and was strong enough to tear a man in two. He referred to it as being near "the big road to the south," which we at first misunderstood as meaning a roadway we didn't know of, but we came to understand that he meant a thicket of unusually large rhododendrons.

When we had gathered everything that Falchos and Tyressia could tells us about both the hangman tree and the griffon, we set off at a rapid pace to find and deal with the tree before it could slay Thistle. The rhododendron wasn't difficult to recognize as it was larger than any we had ever seen. The tree was also easy to see, as it was large and at that moment engaged in a struggle with the griffon, which it had entangled in one of its vines. The noble beast was bloodied and showing signs of flagging. It screamed with a sound that resembled both the cry of an eagle and the roar of a lion.

Falchos had already warned us that only slashing and chopping weapons could cut through the tree's tough bark. We drew our swords and approached it. In my eagerness to help the griffon I ran out ahead of the others and was immediately ensnared by a vine. As soon as Zander came within its reach he was also snatched up.

Reislin sent some of her unerring tiny missiles into the tree, causing it to twitch. It lashed angrily at the griffon. Chahana moved closer to use her sword, and though the tree seemed to swing a branch at her it did not strike or grab her. Maria slashedthe tree and it cried out, seeming to speak in the same tongue that Falchos and Tyressia spoke. I stretched my hand out to the griffon and extended some of the healing light the Dawnflower grants me to the courageous creature. Reislin cast a spell upon the griffon and it broke free of the tree's grip. I healed myself of some of the harm it had done me, but its crushing grasp prevented me from seeing its evil aura.

Reislin sent more missiles into it while Zander broke free and he, Chahana and Maria assailed it with their swords while the griffon attacked with claws and beak. This caused the tree to lose its grip on me also. Because Reislin's missiles had done it so much injury, it moved to attack her and now she was caught by it. Zander grasped his sword with both hands and struck it a mighty blow. The tree now looked sorely wounded. Black tarry leaked from its bark. Maria's blade chopped into it once more and it bent almost double and ceased moving. When it was still its evil nature was unquestionable to me.

After we had healed our wounds, Thistle the griffon bowed to us. It came to me and pressed its head against me so that I could touch its wonderful feathers. Though it cannot speak, it can understand our words, and Chahana introduced us to it.

The hangman tree proved to have a small amount of objects it had presumably taken from its victims tangled among its roots. We recovered several pieces of amber, a silver ring, coins, and a dirty bundle that proved to be an enchanted robe.

Falchos and Tyressia met us as we were on the way back to tell them of our success. Tyressia was overjoyed that we had slain the hangman tree and rescued Thistle. As reward she gave us each a berry like those that grow from the sapling rod, a willow wand that can heal wounds, and six acorns that will transform into fully grown trees when thrown to the ground. Zander asked that he might keep two of these. They also told us that Thistle is only their nickname for the griffon, which it is willing to bear from them but seems displeased to have us use. As it can't speak we don't know what other name it may have. I find that I have a strong desire to discover its name.

Next: part 14, A Nation Grows