24th Day of the Fall, Year 862

The past couple days have been exhausting, but satisfying. When we got back from Zursula’s underground lair, Sharva, Weasel and I immediately went to her home to begin brewing the cure for the plague. It took several hours to brew enough for everybody, and it was the middle of the night before it was ready. With Toryx’s help, we started going around to all the homes that had people in the worst shape first. Sharva had to improvise an injection system for those who couldn’t voluntarily swallow anything.

Even with our efforts, there were some we weren’t in time to save. Overall, Atwood lost one third of its population in just a month’s span. Morale is very low here, as well as food supplies, and I am worried how the town will recover from this blow. I hope the people coming from Kingscrossing are prepared to deal with this kind of situation.

Last night was the first opportunity I’ve had to sleep since we got back into town, and I only woke up after sleeping for 12 hours straight. I need to start identifying some of the items that we’ve accumulated, and I also hope to make a few scrolls before we leave town, maybe even enough to trade to Sharva for healing potions. I’ve also promised to help Gorgar move the blacksmithing tools from the manor house to the inn, and to help him make the Town Protector clasps. It will keep me busy, but it will, at least, be less stressful than the previous days.

27th Day of the Fall, Year 862

I went to visit the Rona Kor camp today. Eska was sent to bring me to Niesula, and Lucill went back there with us. As soon as we got into camp, however, both he and Eska disappeared, and I was surrounded by the hostile stares of a large group of Rona Kor. It was strange to realize that even though they are cousins to the Dona Kor, they are very different. Niesula soon came up, and whatever she said in Elegeaic made them back off.

Niesula lead me to the center of the village, where Parvati was already waiting. Parvati had two new tattoos, on forehead and arm, and I sensed also a new attitude about her … perhaps from her time with Niesula and the Rona Kor. Niesula said she was ready to get rid of the connection between Bannick’s thorn ring and me. It didn’t take long, but it was astonishing to actually feel a missing part of me return. I hadn’t even felt that lack until it was returned to me.

Sometimes I wonder what I might be like if I had given in to my initial desire to follow the Dona Kor way of life. I don’t think the choices I have made are wrong … they are just different, and I can’t help being curious about the occasional “what ifs” that cross my mind at times like this.

Afterwards, I talked to Niesula about my shape changing. I couldn’t change into her, which surprised me at first, but I think it might be because she isn’t bound to a corporeal form, maybe? Anyway, I was able to change into Parvati … new tattoos included. She was very interested in hearing about all the previous episodes, but had little information to offer me. I sensed she was holding something back, but didn’t feel that accusing her of that would be the best thing to do. I am very curious about what she didn’t tell me, and plan on asking Parvati what she knows at the first opportunity.

30th Day of the Fall, Year 862

I woke up this morning to the sound of a thunderstorm. I’ve always enjoyed storms, as they make such good days to stay inside, reading a book. I had just finished studying my spells for the day, and was about to reach for one of the books Evan and I had collected, when the smell of burning food wafted upstairs. Gorgar was obviously trying to make breakfast, so I went downstairs to help before he burned this building down as well.

Having spent quite a bit of time with Gorgar over the past few days, helping him with his new tools and workshop, I have grown comfortable with him. He started flirting with me as well, although in a friendly manner, and while it felt strange at first, it was actually fun to flirt back a bit. It’s nothing serious, of course, but it made me realize that it is possible to flirt a bit without looking or acting like Katt, whose method seems to be constant overkill, in my opinion. As Gorgar knows I’ll be leaving town, there is nothing more in it than enjoying each other’s company as we work together. Still, it is nice to have another friend here. Toryx gave me a strange look once, when he was also helping Gorgar, but since he has been pretty silent about whatever is going on with Olive and him, it can’t hurt to just let him wonder.

Lucill, Parvati and Gray arrived in time to join the rest of us for a meal, and we were just finishing when Dusan came in to tell us that 20 Reliquian knights (all dwarves) had arrived in Atwood last night. Lucill’s description of the knights made Evan think they might be a group of the Knights of Kolthrim’s Flame. He had seen and heard them over at the manor, but when we asked for more details, he gave us his usual garbled explanation that had us all imagining that the Church wanted to arrest and torture us all for being the heretical bastard children of the Witch and the Gray One.

Having gone much our own ways over the past several days, we chatted over breakfast. Parvati, when asked, said that her tattoos didn’t hurt when she got them (an outright lie, I have no doubt), and that the one on her arm matched one on Gray, and allowed them to sense what the other one was seeing or hearing. She also told us that Bannick was back in the Kingscrossing area. I handed out the Town Protector clasps that Gorgar made. I had three extras: one with Jasko’s name, one with Methrian’s, and a blank one. Lucill was disappointed that he didn’t get one, but as he isn’t officially a Town Protector (at least not yet), I didn’t think it right. Evan told us about the communications he had had with Vidieya. Things are going well back home; Shal’Arbena sent another contingency of elves to town, and I believe a road from Cutter’s Gap to Shal’Arbena is going to be kept patrolled. I can’t remember who said that, but that thought just popped into my mind. Also, the population is expanding to include refugees from Eagleton. Whether they will stay and settle or not, I don’t know. Seems like a lot of changes are happening.

We had just finished eating when Weasel saw a dwarf approaching the inn. He went to the door and invited him in. He introduced himself as Knight Marshall Reaf, and seemed pleasant enough. The manor had already been investigated, and the cauldron and the altar had been taken care of. When he mentioned the name of the Reverend Mother who had accompanied them here, we thought that we were heard wrong, as it was the name of the woman whose body we found at Trelawny Keep. We hadn’t heard wrong, however. The Reverend Mother Mara Pardaro had been resurrected. Apparently once the ranking of Reverend Mother or Father has been reached, the Church doesn’t release you from your duties very easily. We chatted a few more minutes before Reaf remembered that he was supposed to bring us over to the church to speak with the Reverend Mother.

She was cleaning the altar when we arrived, clothed in simple robes, and covered in dirt and soot. Not exactly the image I had in my mind, but certainly better than the body we had discovered. She was … nicer, I suppose, than I had expected. She said a prayer for Jasko’s soul, and we gave her Father Janin’s belongings and spoke with her about the Cult of the Gray One. Apparently what we had surmised was correct; over the past year and a half, the Cult, working in conjunction with gnolls, bugbears, etc., has been using various diseases to infiltrate towns and strengthen the numbers of their followers.

The Reverend Mother also had a bit of news that startled me. Apparently the Duke’s 10th Army, or part of it, at least, is assembling up in Cutter’s Gap. The Eagleton refugees that were going to Cutter’s Gap will most likely make up a good part of this new army. What the implications will mean, however, to the rather delicate discussions we have had with Toryx’s Seer connections, I can’t imagine.

She had also used her divine gifts to clear Meroa Talbert of the charges against her, and said that Meroa and Kelsey have been investigating Aven Way and the trade note matter. With the proof we will get from Lord Zoran, it should be enough, I hope, to incriminate Aven Way.

Father Thoms was going to have his first sermon this afternoon, and she asked that we stand up on stage with him. She hoped that our testimonies as to how the Seven helped guide us and our actions to clearing away the taint of the Gray One (or some such thing) would help guide people back to the Reliquian faith. Evan and Toryx (Toryx especially) looked a bit hesitant at first, but we all agreed. Opinions of which was the best faith aside, even Toryx and Evan realized, I think, that showing support of the Reliquian faith was better than letting the beliefs in the Gray One hold sway here.

Evan had offered to show Mara (not being disrespectful, but writing out “the Reverend Mother” repeatedly is too lengthy, as I still have much to note down here) how to work the printing press in the basement of the manor. It, and all the books, were well-guarded by the dwarven knights. Evan successfully demonstrated how the press worked, but was unable to dissuade Mara from having it melted down.

Parvati wanted to speak with me privately, so we returned to the inn and went upstairs into one of our rooms. She said that Niesula didn’t know me well enough to trust me with this information, but she left it up to Parvati’s discretion whether to tell me or not. My shape changing ability is not natural, but something that was magically added to me. She didn’t know when, why or how, but it has a connection to someplace in the north. Parvati said when she becomes an Incarnate, she should be able to tell which direction it leads. Niesula also mentioned that the connection would have to be broken some day, and it would come at a big cost, either to me, or someone around me.

My feelings were mixed as I listened to Parvati tell me all this. The first one was relief that I hadn’t been born with this unnatural ability. While I have become accustomed to the fact that I can change shape - and that was hard enough, given my natural antipathy towards shape changing creatures - especially werewolves, I have had a niggling fear deep down that I am some kind of unnatural creature masquerading as a half-elf. My second feeling was slight resentment towards Niesula for not telling me immediately. This is something that affects me, was thrust upon me without my knowledge or consent - I have a right to know. I tried to dismiss that feeling, however, since I could also see Niesula’s viewpoint (somewhat). As a relative stranger to her, even though I helped with her rescue, she has little knowledge of my personality or moral character. I was also curious, because of the mention of a connection from this ability in me to something or someplace or someone somewhere to the north. To the north are the goblins, Lameena, the Seers, shadows, and nothing good that I can think of, except for Shal’Theran. I also felt dread, at the hint of someone possibly being hurt when this connection was broken. There are still so many questions I have, but I know I can trust Parvati to help me.

A faint wisp of smoke ended our conversation, and I hurried downstairs to prevent Gorgar from burning our luncheon. Maybe it has to do with being metalsmiths, and working with the heat of a forge, because both Vati and Gorgar seem to think that anything less than incinerating can’t be hot enough to get something cooked. I took over from Gorgar, and fixed a quick lunch for everybody before we had to head over to the town hall. It was a welcome distraction from what Parvati had just told me.

I’ll say this about Father Thoms … he’s definitely a fervent believer. His oratory skills reeked of fire and brimstone, and had us standing on the stage enduring his insults and our aching feet for over two hours before any of us were invited to speak. Lucill was his usual eloquent self. Evan made a touching speech about the need for everybody to come together as a community. So touching, in fact, that Lieutenant Senris stepped forward and called for Evan to be the spiritual leader of Atwood. An insult to Father Thomas, as well as proof that Evan and Toryx have been busy the past few days. Evan was quick to smooth that over, and then Weasel stepped forward and gave the performance of his lifetime, and had the people giving him a standing ovation when he was done.

Father Thoms finished up - finally! - by encouraging the entire town to come together tomorrow to rebuild the church, and then Gorgar’s smithy, as well as any other buildings that needed repair. Most everybody seemed much more encouraged when we finally were able to leave.

Call me a heretic if you like, but I can quite happily live without 3 ½ hour sermons. I escaped almost as quickly as Sharva did, and finally remembered to ask her if she wanted some of the plants and seeds I had gathered from Zursula’s lair. I gave her about a quarter of what I had collected. I am quite sure that both Sharva and Atwood will benefit from those plants.

Lord Zoran met up with us after the sermon, and gave us the letter he had written to give to Baron Gulnyr. I read it out loud, and was touched by his brutally honest portrayal of what had happened. We have several leads to follow now, once we are in Kingscrossing.

After Lord Zoran wished us a safe journey, we accompanied Mara back to the church to help her clean (except for Toryx and Lucill, who went to bond with the dwarves). Mara seemed fairly friendly, and with five of us working, it wasn’t long before the statuary and altar were clean.

Before we set up watches for the night, Parvati told us a few things she had learned from Niesula. Zursula was probably half-wyvern rather than half-dragon, as we had been assuming. She thought that Marl might be a wyvern who had been affected by a Blood of the Earth potion. Needless to say, the Fey Nar would most likely be on the lookout for us. Niesula also said that Lameena was struggling against giving up her physical form, but despite her efforts, her arms were starting to change into bark. Lameena probably wanted the Vron-Ock so she could merge her essence with that of Myrrath’s. That thought makes the hair rise on the back of my neck, so I’m glad Niesula said she would destroy it as soon as she has her full strength back.

1st Day of the Hearth, Year 862

After a quick breakfast, we met up with Mara at the church. Someone had tried to scry upon her last night. Combined with the ambush the first time she tried to come to Atwood, and her ranking within the Reliquian Church, the Cult of the Gray One seemed the most likely culprit. Rat bastards!

She granted us all Indulgences, except me, as I was already under one, and then we headed out. I was a good day for traveling, and by mid-afternoon we had reached the edge of the woods near Trelawny Keep. After reviewing the basic layout of the compound, Gray went off to scout. Using their matching tattoos, Parvati said there was a manticore inside. Toryx immediately got excited, envisioning multitudes of manticore spikes protruding from his armor. After a (not so) brief discussion, we moved in.

The manticore Parvati mentioned turned out to be a whole family - 8 babies and 2 adults. We killed them all, and afterwards I helped Toryx gather up as many tail spikes as possible. After making sure that nothing else was in the compound (the stench made me throw up, so my efforts were less than enthusiastic after that) we retrieved our horses and continued on our way.

Parvati and I were scouting ahead, and after a brief period, saw movement along the sides of the road ahead of us. Gnolls were preparing to ambush a caravan coming from Kingscrossing, so we decided to spoil their plans. Parvati changed to an eagle shape and flew ahead to warn the caravan, while Evan and Weasel came up with the idea of creating an illusionary caravan to draw out the gnolls and have them fight us, rather than the caravan.

I have to say, as general tactics go, this was an excellent plan. Even though there were several trolls, gnolls, a hill giant, and some Seers (one of them was Gunnel-Thul, Toryx’s old friend), we killed most of them. Gunnel-Thul ran off, but we did manage to keep one of the Seers alive, and he is now our prisoner.

We joined up with the caravan, and saw Milee who, along with several other elves, was helping escort a number of refugees to Kingscrossing. One of the refugees had actually been a captive of the Seers, and was the granddaughter of Baron Laren. The elves had rescued her, and were bringing her, along with the refugees, with them. Milee mentioned that there were several hundred refugees, all capable of fighting, who were headed towards Cutter’s Gap. It’s going to be a very full town, I’m sure, when we get back. In the meantime, we suggested traveling with the caravan, and our offer was eagerly accepted.

Maybe Milee will be willing to help me smooth out my Elven as we travel. It will help pass the time, at least, and I can always return the favor by helping her with her Common.