<< more to follow >>

Starday, 1 Neth 4711 A.R.
. We received a messenger from Loy Rezbin in Tatzlford apprising us of their success in founding the town and requesting that we build a road to connect the town with the Citadel for ease of trade. There was also a request for an audience with the Order of Masterful Explorers from Tamerak Elenark, a centaur scholar regarding our find of ancient Iobarian relics from the Valley of the Dead and Vordakai’s Tomb. We spoke with Tamerak at length regarding our discovery and showed him what items we had retrieved from the tomb along with any sketches and other data that we’d recorded during our search.
. In sad news, we received word from Restov of the worsening political situation between the northern and southern sections of Brevoy and the possibility of armed conflict at some point. I am sad to report that Esar has been recalled to Restov and will need to return by the spring. We are starting to think about whom would best help the Sylvan Reaches by holding the post of Magister – though I fear that no one will truly be able to replace our friend.

Wealday, 5 Neth 4711 A.R.
. We are headed east to continue exploring the mountain range south of Vordakai’s Tomb and are traveling along the Little Sullen and Gudrin rivers.
. We came upon a bend in the river today and discovered the body of a baby poluta dinosaur that has been dead for some time. The corpse appears to have been killed by some large predator and we are now starting to look for other signs to tell if this was some wandering creature or if something new has made a home near here.

Oathday, 6 Neth 4711 A.R.
. We are finally nearing the mountain range and discovered another new plant in our area today. Sometime after midday, we entered a small dale with a colossal Fly Trap in a gulch along the river. The thing was incredibly strong and fast. Somehow it was able to grapple and swallow me and then grab hold of Dark Cloud before we destroyed it. Other than our group having more fun with another plant that seems able to swallow me on sight, Quip has taken a small “seedling” from it as a keepsake.

Sunday, 9 Neth 4711 A.R.
. It appears we need to explain to Quip what a keepsake is and is not. For the past three days, she has been using the seedling as some form of sock puppet and even made a small likeness of Adara and I to “swallow” at random times. Her renditions are hilarious, if a bit annoying, and it has helped us during the tedious task of searching this mountain range.
. Yesterday, our only noteworthy find was a cave with a large colony of bats and a vein of iron ore that we might be able to use when we expand this far.

Wealday, 12 Neth 4711 A.R.
. We continued moving north through the mountains and came upon a centaur hunting group. As we exchanged information, they told us of a local oddity, a “ghost stone” near here and warned us to stay clear for our safety.
. During our first night camping, Quip heard the buzzing sound of a female voice outside our camp. We met Zamas, a female phase spider who told us in Aklo that her home was near here. She said she’d been driven out from it by a group of evil creatures and asked us to help her reclaim her home with promise of payment for our help. We quickly realized that she was leading us to the “ghost stone” which is some ancient Elven relic that makes the boundary between the material and ethereal planes thin here – according to Jharyn.
. We quickly fought six Xill with little trouble and allowed Zamas to return to her home after being given a valuable chest.

Toilday, 18 Neth 4711 A.R.
. We continued to search the mountains north toward Varnhold over the past six days and found an abandoned lair that the Spriggans used prior to raiding Varnhold. We also noticed that the weather is becoming more of an issue as it gets colder and winter begins to set in.
. We arrived in Varnhold today and are pleased to see that the town is rebuilding and they boast of a population back at two hundred souls. The town mayor is concerned that the winter will be hard after the events this past spring delayed and destroyed a good portion of their crops. We have assured them that we will send food surpluses from the Citadel to help. We intend to head through the mountains toward Lake Silverstep and harvest the eels that Bevin has requested before returning to the Citadel.

Moonday, 24 Neth 4711 A.R.
. We returned to our homes today after a long cold journey. We found eighteen eels while fishing along Lake Silverstep and the innkeeper Bevin has promised to use them for an “Eel Fest” barbeque as we approach year end.
. Our kingdom continues to grow with no unrest, although we are seeing a large part of our income going to cover consumption from our populace and we will need to look at expanding our farmland and securing other natural resources like logging camps and trapping lodges to help feed our people before long. The local artisans in our three towns were busy creating a variety of magical and mundane items this past month and we claimed two hexes of land south of Varnhold along with two plains hexes along the border with Restov. We added farmland on the plains hexes near Restov and built the road to Tatzlford this month which appears to be helping in our trade among the towns. The OME has added resources again to the treasury and we had a good month in our economy. Bevin’s “Eel Fest” was a success and has helped with a surplus of food for our town and continued good will among our populace.

Moonday, 1 Kuthona 4711 A.R.
. Harrow Reading Past: The Empty Throne Present: The Peacock Future: The Owl
. Quip has been quick to note that we have seen the Empty Throne a couple times in a row and is unsure how this sense of loss in our past is affecting the whole kingdom but believes that there is a shift in attitudes happening with the Peacock in our present.
. We are starting to see some unrest in our kingdom as we enter winter. It seems that the news of unrest to our north is unsettling some of our populace; those who are concerned for family and loved ones in Brevoy. I believe that it is in our best interest to try to stay out of any internal conflicts in Brevoy if possible. We continue to see very industrious workers creating magical items that are being sold in our towns and we claimed two more hexes of land near the Crooked Falls and are adding a stretch of road toward Mivon this month. We have also started to prepare two more hexes of land for farming next spring along with improving the Gold Mine along the road to oLEG’s. We were able to sell the spell book we found in the chest from Zamas and the economy continues to grow in our kingdom.

Moonday, 8 Kuthona 4711 A.R.
. We are heading toward Tatzlford to check in on the progress of the Rezbins, and make ourselves known to the local populace. When we arrived Arctodus met a fellow druid named Borzaki who asked that if we head into the Slough and come across giant dragonflies and could get their wings, that we bring them back to him. He is interested in making a magical cloak from the components and has promised that if we bring enough back, he will craft an additional cloak for every four extra we can find.
. We also have heard a rumor of a Black Dragon that lives in the Slough.

Fireday, 12 Kuthona 4711 A.R.
. We were given directions west into the Slough that would take us to a dragonfly “glade” and were attacked by eight giant insects. Between Jharyn’s cold bombs and Arctodus magic we quickly were able to deal with the dragonflies and harvest twenty-four wings to use on our return.

Sunday, 14 Kuthona 4711 A.R.
. It appears that during our journey into the swamp, a few of us became sick. When we returned to Tatzlford, Jharyn needed to rest and Borzaki has promised to make four cloaks of resistance for us and forward them to the Citadel when completed.

Starday, 20 Kuthona 4711 A.R.
. After leaving Tatzlford, we headed toward our southern border with Mivon to explore the region near the mountains. We came across a small valley where we heard voices whispering in the wind and a series of small holes in the ground. After investigating the area for a while we discovered that the holes in the ground must be causing the “voices” as the wind blows and that in these holes there were also a large cave system with gemstones dotting the walls. We are planning on starting a mining operation here when we can.

Oathday, 25 Kuthona 4711 A.R.
. While we explored the mountain range, we spotted our Silver Dragon in the distance again and tried to find a way to communicate. We were unsuccessful in making contact with the magnificent creature, but she did drop a small item while flying by. We discovered a magical ring of Acid Resistance and are wondering what she has in mind for us – although the Black Dragon rumored in the Slough comes to mind quickly.

Toilday, 7 Abadius 4712 A.R.
. We continued exploring the mountain range for the past two weeks around Vordakai’s tomb, and found a large cavern complex today that disturbed us. We found the remains of a huge Silver Dragon with the right arm and wing badly melted by acid and the skull removed. In the cavern we found an assortment of Black and Silver dragon scales and an ancient stone tablet written in Ancient Iobarian.
. From what little we can tell, the Black Dragon was larger than the Silver and the bones are from a couple hundred years ago (probably). We are wondering if the Silver Dragon we see is some descendant of this poor creature and how large this Black Dragon in the Slough might be.

Oathday, 9 Abadius 4712 A.R.
. We traveled from the cavern of the Silver Dragon to the Nomen Tribe to talk with our Centaur scholar, Tamerak Elenark about what we’ve found. He rewarded us with a circlet of wisdom for our trouble. He did tell us that the legends of this area are that the lands are protected by a Silver Dragon, but that there is only one ever seen, no mate or family in the area. He related that the name of Lake Silverstep comes from this legend and that the Silver dragon was supposed to be female. The rumors of a Black Dragon are old and this dragon was supposed to have moved on years ago from the area.

Starday, 11 Abadius 4712 A.R.
. We are staying today in Varnhold, and believe that it is possible that Maestro Penrod might be a suitable candidate to fill the role of Magister for our kingdom. We have asked him to travel to the Citadel and speak with Esar to learn more of the position and prepare for an easy transition.

. Our kingdom is continuing to see some small unrest as we deal with a hard winter and our consumption is still higher than I would like to see. The artisans have continued to work on new magical items, although with the harsh weather, buyers for some of our wares are hard to come by. We claimed two more hexes for farmland and have added another road section toward Mivon connecting us to the Little Sellen River, and our economy continues to prosper.

OR

Moonday, 20 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. After collecting the 25 missing ward stones, Jharyn believes that this “fence” was keeping something contained. The problem seems that we can’t just put them back, but must do something more … some sort of ritual must be required to repair what has been done. We are now moving further into the forest as twilight descends.
. We are able to see two moons through the trees as we look to the night sky, Quip is now more convinced than ever that we are on a different plane and the feel of this area is evil. The spellcasters seem to think that this area would be easier to use illusion and shadow magic and that these spells would be more powerful, however this is not the First World. They seem to think this is some demi-plane between the realm of Shadow and the First World. I admit that this is something beyond my own understanding.
. After traveling through the forest for a few hours, we came upon a clearing with a fortress of three towers that seem to be made of thorns. We can see patrols of spriggans walking the rooftops of the towers in the distance. After a brief discussion, we have scouted around the area and moved back into the forest to try to rest before approaching the tower.

Toilday, 21 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. We awoke after sleeping and found that the area is still covered in twilight. I wonder if this area ever sees the light of day. We all continue to have dark, unsettling dreams of our deaths while we rest. I think we must quickly deal with our problem or these dreams will begin to wear us down. We are going to use fly potions to get to the top of the nearest parapet and avoid trying to enter through the front door.
. Quip and Jharyn have both gone invisible in order to scout ahead for us and agreed to use a spell of dancing lights to let us know when it’s safe to approach. When they approached the parapet, they found four spriggans on guard and attempted to sneak into the tower. They entered a bedroom off the tower and signaled for the remainder of the OME to follow them. Dark Cloud led the way through a window on the tower. We quickly slew the spriggans and found our old friend who had been the bee keeper. He refused to surrender. There were two gargoyles that looked like large topiary plants attacking us in the tower as another spriggan tried to sneak up on Arctodus.
. We then entered the throne room of this tower and discovered a female Fey who claimed to be Queen Rhoswen of this realm. She summoned a mass of shadow to defend her and then cast a spell that turned Dark Cloud into a skunk when he charged into the room. Arctodus said the spell is called Baleful Polymorph. She then started screaming that we were fools to challenge her in her own realm and that the second born know their doom and scoffed that we were the best they could send. She then disappeared into the thorns on the wall. Bear destroyed the shadow with powerful blows and we searched the throne room. The throne looks like a tree with dryad carvings that have been scratched off over time.
. We used quite a lot of resources to reverse the spell on Dark Cloud (2 scrolls, 1 spell, 2 dispel bombs and 3 hero points). We then left the throne room and entered an armory and followed the stairs up to the roof. Jharyn drank another invisibility potion before entering the room and Alaric cast bless upon us. When we entered the rooftop, I was turned into a bunny rabbit with her baleful polymorph and then Arctodus used his fire geyser to stagger Queen Rhoswen. I have no memories of the remainder of the fight but was told after that Bear was turned into a stork and Arctodus summoned his Giant Bear spirit before she surrendered. I now have an overwhelming urge for carrots and lettuce … strange!
. Queen Rhoswen tried to negotiate for her life with information on “she who rules her” and explained that we don’t know what powers we are messing with. She said she’s the harbinger of the one who may follow … one of the “first ones” … that she seems to think is a powerful Fey from the First World. She then explained that she was imprisoned in this realm and is immortal here. The OME then forced her to change Bear and I back to normal and then disappeared into a column. After a brief moment, Dark Cloud spotted her and slew her.
. Jharyn believes that with her staff, something he called the Crook of Cildhureen, we could do a ritual to reseal this realm and return to our homes. We searched the remainder of the tower and found dead prisoners in the dungeon. In what must have been the ball room, we found a mural of the queen carrying her staff moving from a colorful area to a darker scene and a female hand casting her out. Dark Cloud buried her at the base of the tower and we restored the totems before performing the ritual.

Toilday, 5 Erastus 4711 A.R.
. We returned from the realm of Queen Rhoswen and found that instead of a couple days, two weeks had passed in our absence. While we were gone, it appears that the fog had become more pronounced around the lake and our populace was becoming more anxious. We also discovered that an entourage from Mivon escorting Anatina Avalsov also arrived while we were gone. Preparations are underway for my wedding at the end of the month as we settle back into the citadel and return to the work of ruling our kingdom.
. Our kingdom continues to grow, however we started to see some unrest from the fog to the south and we are starting to see an increase in the consumption of our kingdom’s resources. We changed the roles of Quip and Alaric in the high council and have claimed the area of the Narlmarch Forest to include Tatzlford and an area that we are constructing a hunter’s lodge. We also built more farmland and an exotic craftsman has moved into the citadel.

Sunday, 1 Arodus 4711 A.R.
. Our kingdom continues to grow; the kingdom seems to have found peace after our experience with Queen Rhoswen. I would like to think that the wedding yesterday had something to do with that. We continue to see an increase in the consumption of our kingdom’s resources; however adding Tatzlford has also helped with a major increase in productivity. We added Anatina to the high council and have claimed territory toward Varnhold and are adding more farmland.

Toilday, 1 Rova 4711 A.R.
. We completed our expansion toward Varnhold by claiming two hexes this month. Our unrest is increasing with this bold expansion. Over the past two months the local merchants have been very productive and all their special magical items are selling well. We are building a house and an Inn in the Citadel (we’re requesting that it be named the Friggin’ Spriggan). We also had a good early harvest this month and continue to see good things here in the Sylvan Reaches.

Oathday, 1 Lamashan 4711 A.R.
. Our consumption has finally started to drop this month and we are feeling stable after expanding to Varnhold. We claimed a hex for farmland this month and have built another house and graveyard in the citadel.
. Near the end of the month, we received an emissary from Mivon. The emissary discussed their concerns in anticipation of completing the trade road to Mivon. They also conveyed a more personal message to Anatina and me with expectations from her father for grandchildren.

OR

Sunday, 19 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. Late last night Quip returned to us from her journey with tales of the Worldwound that sounded a great deal like Old Nan’s bedside stories from when I was a child. To be fair, I have become accustomed to Quip’s jokes and tall tales … not to mention her practical jokes … like the flock of bats or the beards on everyone after a long night of adventuring a few months ago. So, I took all her stories in with a good grain of salt. What disturbed me was that after a while she took the OME aside and told us similar tales of lights in the night and missing children that we had started to hear whispered around the festival the same day. I’m not comfortable with the idea of will-o-wisps around the Citadel or our populace after all the damage we’ve seen them do. We decided in a very impromptu late night council meeting to go in the morning on a ranging to see if there is any merit to these rumors. We are planning to leave Esar in charge again as we leave. I have grown so familiar with him that it almost seems as if he has always been here, but then we haven’t always been here either. On a more personal note, after talking with Esar about rule and succession issues for the past fortnight; I received inquiries from three noble houses (one Issian, one Rostlander and one from Mivon) and have sent an inquiry to Anatina Avalsov’s father in Mivon to form a marriage pact and solidify the treaty with Mivon that we should have worked last year.
. Harrow Reading Past: The Empty Throne Present: The Dance Future: The Joke/ The Demon Throne
. We started by heading toward the Old Beldane. We haven’t been this way in a few months and we were hopeful that she may have seen or heard any information that could help us. So after an early morning breakfast and a few last messages sent by raven, we forded of the Skunk River and turned south toward the Old Beldane. Not far after we crossed the river, we started to notice a heavy fog. Fog is not that uncommon near the rivers and on the lake in the early hours of the day, however this seemed unusual. We were traveling far enough away from the lake that there shouldn’t have been any fog here and it was nearing noon when we arrived at the Old Beldane’s hut. The weather was also growing unusually cold for the start of summer.
. When we got to the Old Beldane’s hut we found that her hut was missing an in its stead was the husk of some twenty foot plant. The coloring and texture of what remained was unusual and we are starting to worry that this might have to do with the seedpods we left her. The air is cool in this area and there was no sound. We could not even hear any birds or small animals. The quiet was disheartening. Arctodus and Quip tried to spend some time talking to the few animals that they could see, and learned that the animals were feeling a sense of otherness and had seen mist on the Tuskwater for a couple days. After spending a couple hours searching for any clue if our friend was still alive, Quip concluded that this may have been caused by Fey. The plant itself offered no clues. It had grown almost as tall as the trees around it and then withered. Jharyn believes there may have been some necrotic magic involved and we are starting to wonder if there is some way for the First World to overlap here with our reality. The other oddity is that the foundation of the hut seems to be hundreds of years old, but we know that the Old Beldane’s hut never seemed that old.
. We decided to continue south toward the abandoned tower on Candlemere Lake. We are calling it Cthulhu Tower. As we rode south we started to notice that the forest seems darker and older than we remembered it from our traveling last year. Instead of a bright, young forest of pine, oak and maple trees that we are accustomed to seeing, we are seeing a very old stand of dark glades filled with spruce and fir trees. The whole area feels out of place. There are very few animals that we can see and even the customary insects that grow near the lake this time of year are missing. As the day went on we all started to become more on edge. It’s noticeable, Dark Cloud has become sullen and Jharyn and Alaric have almost stopped talking. Arctodus has never been very talkative and his eyes are darting from tree to tree. Even Quip’s jokes have almost ceased. I’m not sure if I’m urging Adara to continue traveling or if she is carrying me and providing courage to my failing will.
. Near nightfall we arrived at the joining of the Tuskwater and Candlemere lakes. We found that the fog is thicker as we get nearer the lakes and we spotted a raised hillock that is certainly out of place. We approached to investigate and Quip jumped and started telling us that there was a structure on the top of the hill as she turned away from it. Looking at the hill, it seems like a barren mound of grass and scrub. I rode to the top of the hill searching for Quip’s invisible building but couldn’t see or feel anything. We all agreed that this is an eerie place. When Quip rode to the crest of the hill she thought she could almost touch something as she passed by. I was almost ready to give up on this as one of Quip’s ill-timed jokes when Jharyn tried using a special bomb to “dispel” the building. After a few bombs were thrown, an area shimmered and three ancient stelae appeared. The old stone is black as night and covered in runes of stylized art and stands twelve feet tall. The imagery is no language that any of us have ever seen before and the imagery seems to picture scenes from the First World. The nature of each etching is different and one of the tree stones is broken on the top. The first picture is definitely of the First World, the second seems more akin to our natural world and the third that is broken may symbolize the Shadow Plane.
. As we sat looking at these stelae, we noticed a human at the edge of the trees. He seemed very cautious and oddly, his skin is green. We introduced ourselves to the stranger and learned that his name is Devar Snowgard. Arctodus realized that he is also a druid and spoke to him for a moment in a strange guttural dialect that I rarely hear him use. There is something very odd about his behavior and we can’t see if he has any animal companion. Devar claims that he has been here for the past few years studying the stelae. We asked him about the rumors of Will o Wisp in area and he became more agitated. We told him that from our perspective the hill and its stone monoliths haven’t been here for years and asked him about the First World wondering if we’d somehow traveled from our homes to a new plane of reality. Devar seemed to convulse and we were attacked by six will-o-wisp along with him. When we knocked Devar unconscious another will-o-wisp rose from his body and they started feeding off of our pain and his body. We quickly destroyed the abominations and then tended to Devar’s wounds.
. After Devar regained consciousness, we learned that he’d been possessed by one of the monsters and then forced to kill his wolf companion. He told us that there is an evil fey that passed to our realm and drove off the good fey that normally live here. He told us that she lives near a waterfall up river and claims that we are still on the material plane. This area seems to be some overlap between the First World and ours where her magic is more powerful. We are camping near the hilltop and Arctodus has agreed to raise Devar’s wolf in exchange for his scimitar. After that, Arctodus disappeared into a tree and returned a few hours later with a scroll that he claims he purchased in Mivon. As we slept during the night, each of us was visited by nightmares of being killed multiple times by an evil fey woman. Each death was painful and all I could remember the next morning was drowning, being quartered and hung … I am sure that I must have dreamt of dying at least a dozen deaths. Each of us seems wearier that we should from these dreams.

Moonday, 20 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. In the morning, Arctodus raised Devar’s wolf and then we followed the stream upriver a few miles to the waterfall that Devar described to us. The falls is about twenty feet and the area is overgrown with trees and scrub. Jharyn noticed as we rode near the upper cliff a group of stones submerged in the water. From where we are standing, it looks like there are a dozen small stone carvings under the water. Jharyn decided that because he isn’t wearing any armor to be weighed down, that he would tie a rope around his waist and enter the river to retrieve these stones. As Jharyn entered the water we were attacked by two large water elementals that must have been guarding the area. Jharyn was immediately engulfed by one of the elementals and then started spinning around in a vortex. Arctodus tried to summon a giant fire snake to attack the elementals but somehow they were able to withstand the attack. I leapt off Adara and waded into the water to help my friend and then was caught in another vortex. Quip snagged me with a grappling arrow before I was thrown over the waterfall with Jharyn. After Dark Cloud and Bear killed the elementals we discovered that there were twenty five small ward stones decorated like the monoliths we found yesterday. We have placed them in a pack to carry with us.
. We found tracks on the other side of the riverbank that we think may be from whoever left the stones and are continuing to follow them. After an hour of slow traveling, we spotted two raised mounds and path in distance leading to a low wall of stones. As we got closer we spotted a bleached gnome with pale white hair walking with a giant bee and a bee swarm. Jharyn and Quip moved forward to sneak up and see what is going on by this fence. Something strange happened next as we watched Jharyn break a bottle over his head and Quip then attacked him. We then realized that there were also two pixies up on the walls that were attacking our friends. As I drew closer I saw that the wall is made of more ward stones. The bee swarm almost killed Quip’s riding dog Snipes and Arctodus summoned a geyser of water to deal with the bees. We were able to kill the giant bee and pixies but the gnome wild shaped into a bee and flew away before we could capture him to get more information.

OR

Oathday, 4 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. We are leaving Varnhold for the Citadel today after saying our farewells to Fionna, Gertrude and Quip. Quip has promised to return to us at the citadel in about a month after seeing Fionna on her way. As we rode into Varnhold Pass, we were remembering our charter day founding from a year ago. The charter was formed a year ago, and we should have celebrated three days ago. Once again we are not in our capital on Founding Day. It seems that so much has happened over the past few months. It’s hard to believe that we have been at this for a year. I don’t think that it’s sunk into everyone yet what Fionna’s departure will mean for our kingdom, but we are going to have to deal with this transition when we arrive home.

Fireday, 5 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. During evening watch Arctodus had a vision of “the spirit of the Bear” when a Grizzly wanders into camp. I don’t fully understand what this vision signaled for him, but that just might be my frustration over a bear wandering into camp while we slept. Ok, I’m looking forward to sleeping in my bed again, I admit it.

Wealday, 10 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. We returned to Citadel today in the midst of a powerful lightning storm, soaked to the bone. We are planning to stay for the next week and rule. We also expect to celebrate the founding of the kingdom, even though we aren’t sure how to do that yet.
. When we arrived at the keep, we found that one of our requests for clerical support from the church of Iomedae was filled by a young man named Alaric who hopes to travel with us while we adventure. We had to make some leadership moves for the High Council of the Sylvan Reaches. I have moved from the role of general to rule and taken the title of Baron; Dark Cloud will assume the role of general and we have put Kesten back in the role of warden. While Quip is away, we have Alaric filling the role of spymaster. It took a while to explain it to him, and it is comical to think of this young, bookish man of the cloth trying to be a spider listening to the whispers around the kingdom … we did assure him that this is only for a short time until Quip can return.
. We are thankful that with all the change and the recent threat of Vordakai’s return that there has been no unrest in our kingdom, consumption is starting to become noticeable and we need to look at how to lower that in the coming months. After some lengthy discussions, I have decided to increase the tax level in the kingdom. It seems odd and somewhat daunting that my first official act as Baron is to raise taxes. Dark Cloud and Jharyn both added funds to the treasury so we could plan for the next month.

Oathday, 18 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. The past week has been a whirlwind. I received Pyotor Lebeda in my solar this past Fireday very upset. He reminded me of our promise to his family a year ago to build him a mansion home here in the citadel along with providing him a position in our kingdom and the completion of the road to Mivon for trade with his family. I can understand his concern and reassured him that with all the changes over the past few days that we had not forgotten our debt to him, and asked him for a little more patience and that his home would be constructed at the beginning of next month. We spoke candidly for a time and although I’m sure he wasn’t happy; he did agree to be patient with us for a few more days. He did advise me that he had already contacted his family, and I assured him that I would also send a message by raven to them to advise of our delay and ask for their forbearance while we continue to work toward our mutual benefit.
. We leave to explore around Lake Silverstep for the next week or two.

Fireday, 19 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. We are making good time heading down Gudrin River toward Lake Silverstep and expect to be there tomorrow. While we were traveling this afternoon along the riverbank, we found bodies of seven spriggans and a Cyclops. The fight seems to have been recent, possibly yesterday or the day prior. There were possible spriggan survivors. They fled toward the lake from the trail that Arctodus found.

Starday, 20 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. We are investigating the southwest corner of lake Silverstep. The lake is full of all sort of fish and other wildlife and would be a wonderful resource for food and other natural resources for our kingdom when we expand here.

Toilday, 23 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. It took us three days reconnoitering the mountain range on south side of lake. During our time, we were ambushed by spriggans and Arctodus’ spider-horse was carried off by a huge Roc in flight. For the time being, Arctodus and Jharyn are riding double and we are taking care not to tax the horses.

Wealday, 24 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. While exploring mudflats on the northeast side of the lake we were attacked by mudmen. So, you’ve never heard of mudmen, have you? I hadn’t either. In fact, we named these things ourselves. They were humanoid piles of mud with legs, arms and wicked teeth. They had bits of stone, dirt and small twigs embedded in them. If they are some new type of elemental, none of us knew it, but they were tough in a fight.

Fireday, 26 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. We spent two days exploring the north section of lake after finding an underwater cave for a local predator. After camping to prepare potions of water breathing, Jharyn swam down eighty feet below the surface into a dragon’s lair (a beast called a Peluda) and found some sort of porcupine swimming dragon that breathed fire at him and chased him to the surface. After fighting this beast, we checked its lair and found a sword from a long dead Taldan officer

Toilday, 30 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. It took us three days to search the mountain southwest of Varnhold with 2 rivers. While we were traveling in this mountain, we spotted two juvenile Manticores in the distance.

Fireday, 3 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. We’ve turned our focus to exploring “Talon Peak” for the past few days and found the lair of the local Roc. Her nest was built on the top of a mountain in the foundation of an old tower. We must have gotten too close at some point, because the Roc decided we’d invaded its territory and tried to attack us. We killed the Roc and found three Roc eggs in the tower foundation on mountain top. We are carrying two of the eggs (we broke the third trying to get it into the portable hole) back to the citadel due to the novelty of them.

Sunday, 5 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. We are turning back toward the citadel and are exploring hills northwest of “Talon Peak” to finish our exploration on the near side of the Nomen Heights. The day of travel was very quiet, but we were ambushed by a Dread Cyclops at night in our camp. We tracked the Dread Cyclops back to its lair and found two wands among the filth.

Starday, 11 Sarenith 4711 A.R.
. We have returned to the Citadel today and plan to stay here for the next week to rule.
. The kingdom continues so show no unrest and we added the area east of Bokken’s hut and plan to settle farmers to help with our need for food. We started construction on Pyotor Lebeda’s mansion to keep my promise to him from a few weeks ago.
. We were offered a rare gift this past week. A local chef named Jamery Gorbasken has offered to host an omelette festival from 2 Roc eggs we discovered during our travels. We also received a delegation from Mivon that has also stimulated the economy. The omelette festival was a wonderful success and we heard many of our citizens enjoyed the festivities. It almost felt to me like I could overlook not celebrating Founder’s Day with our omelette fest.
. Disturbing rumors started to filter in from some of the outlying farms south of the citadel near the end of festival. We started hearing about ghost lights in the distance in the night and children being spirited away from their homes in the night. There is even talk of fog that shouldn’t exist on the lake at this time of the year. We are planning on traveling to search for these children in the morning, I can only hope that the Will-o-wisp that we’ve encountered in the past on the lake aren’t killing children.

OR

Toilday, 6 Pharast 4711 A.R.
. After defeating Vordakai, we rested and healed ourselves in a side chamber off his “throne room” in the tomb. We spent a few hours searching his lair and discovered forty-two soul jars containing the remaining villagers from Varnhold along with some treasure. Fionna released a potter from one of the jars and found out from her that her last memories were from a month ago in the village and she had no memories since then. She was very frightened to be here and after a great deal of reassurances, we left her after she climbed up a rope trick … as safe as we could be for her and told her we’d return after checking the remainder of this tomb.
. We descended to the first floor of the tomb and entered a room with sixteen statues of midget Cyclops carvings. After we entered the room, the door behind us sealed and a metal portcullis dropped at the other and vents in the ceiling opened with water from the river flooding into the chamber. Two Cyclops zombies started to attack us and a giant Moray Eel entered in from one of the vents in the ceiling. While Arctodus summoned his Big Bear to deal with one zombie and I attacked the other, Dark Cloud tried to raise the portcullis so the rest of the party could get out of this chamber before drowning. Quip found a secret room off of this chamber with ancient pottery and claimed a few choice items for herself with some very provocative imagery.
. After almost drowning, Fionna, Gertrude, Arctodus, Bear and Jharyn decided to scout ahead into an underwater cavern and discovered a submerged stairwell and a very angry Elasmosarus in the darkness. As they fought beneath the water, we were summoned to help by a water mephit that Arctodus summoned. We found a ring of Freedom of Movement and a raven figurine in a pile after killing the monster.
. After we were sure that there were no more zombies or other monsters still lairing in this tomb, we returned to put all of the soul jars into the portable hole we found and escorted the potter back to Varnhold.

Oathday, 8 Pharast 4711 A.R.
. We returned to Varnhold today and released all of the remaining villagers from their captivity in the soul jars. We offered to help them by sending guards to protect them while they rebuild their town. We also offered that when we expand the Sylvan Reaches to their border that they would be welcome to join us.
. The villagers were unwilling to think of moving to oLEG’s or the citadel. They have come to think of this town as their home and are anxious about the coming winter with so much time and resources lost. I fear they may have a hard winter if they can’t get crops planted quickly.
. There were a few tense moments when Fionna told the town that she wanted their shrine rededicated to Iomedae after she rescued them from Vordakai. We finally agreed that the town should have a servant of Iomedae sent to help them rebuild; and that when we expand to incorporate the town we would deal with our agreement with the church of Iomedae at that point.

Toilday, 13 Pharast 4711 A.R.
. We returned from Varnhold today and are remaining in Citadel for rule remainder of the month.
. We officially claimed the area around the Old Sycamore and the “Kobold Nation” today and started the construction on the Noble Villa for the Swordlord Illia within the Citadel. Dark Cloud has assumed the role of Warden allowing us to send Kesten to oLEG’s for a time to ensure that the trading post would be safe after our experience with the Manticore. Our economy continues to thrive and the kingdom is still growing well.

Starday, 1 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We are staying in the city to rule for the week of 1-7 Gozran before leaving to explore more around Varnhold.
. We are claiming the territory south of the citadel to include the Tuskwater Lake and Old Beldane’s home. Construction has begun on a General store for the city and we purchased both the oil of flame arrow and pearl of power that were created in this month and our economy continues to grow.

Moonday, 10 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We left the citadel by our folding boat two days ago and have arrived at the tower on Candlemere Lake to retrieve the water-clock and statue we found months ago. The portable hole is making transport much easier and we are thinking about visiting Chief Sootscale and the kobolds after stopping at the citadel.

Oathday, 13 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We arrived at the “Kobold nation” today to find even more reason to be concerned. Last time we were here, he’d posted signs. Now Sootscale has found wives for his warriors and appears to have been raiding some sheep and other livestock from nearby farms. Fionna spent some time discussing our treaty with him and has agreed to accept one of the chief’s sons back at the citadel to be trained as a holy warrior for Iomedae to continue to solidify our bonds.

Starday, 15 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We found a very welcome sight today as we entered oLEG’s Trading Post and spent some welcome time with our good friends oLEG and Svetlana. Elyona has grown since we last saw her and I expect that she will be crawling and walking very soon. From here we are heading toward Restov.

Oathday, 20 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We arrived in Restov this afternoon and have found lodging for a few days. Fionna intends to craft more items for herself while some of us do some shopping.
. I have requested an audience with Lord Jadalki Lodovka while we are here to let him know of the fate of Baron Varn and his settlement. Fionna and I were escorted into Lord Lodovka’s solar on the evening of our arrival for a quiet talk. During our discussion, we informed him of the happenings in the Nomen Heights and our treaty with the centaurs. He was pleasantly surprised by that news. Lord Lodovka shared with us that the troops from Fort Serenko were redeployed north in anticipation of a possible civil war between the Rostlandic and Issian nobles of the Dragonscale Throne of Brevoy.
. We were updated that there has been no word from the Iron Wraiths sent west, however a delegation to Pitax had moderate success in establishing a non-aggression pact with the Free City of Pitax (although that does not include the Sylvan Reaches or Varnhold, but only Restov and the south of Brevoy). Lord Lodovka was pleased to hear that the Greenbelt is stable and that we are working on the road to Mivon. I have a sense that Lord Lodovka and the other Rostlandic noble houses are very deep in their game of thrones with the regent holding New Stetven and the king and his family still missing.

Toilday, 25 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We left Restov two days ago and explored farmland south of the city that is part of the territory of Varnhold. Yesterday we explored around the Kiravoy Bridge landmark and today are on the road to Nivakta’s Crossing. We found a small gulch in the hills with the body of a dead traveler. We believe that this may be someone from Restov, so Fionna has cast a spell on the body and we are putting it into the portable hole to return to the city on our next trip.

Wealday, 26 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We spent three days exploring the mountain along the Red Kiravoy. These mountains are slow going and we are not able to safely ride. During our exploration we found a chasm across two peaks with a suspension bridge of webbing and five of the most ignorant Ettercaps in the history of the Nomen Heights. We heard them talking from small caves below the cliff face and realized that they must intend this as some sort of trap for unwary travelers. There was a skeleton from a dead dwarf on the far side of the drop and a magic sword near him. We quickly slew the monsters and have taken the skeletal remains to return to Restov for burial.

Sunday, 30 Gozran 4711 A.R.
. We are back in Restov today and found that the dwarf was unknown prospector; however the human was Tomin Hanvalki – the brother of minor noble here in town. It appears that Tomin went missing on his way to Varnhold days ago.

Wealday, 3 Desnus 4711 A.R.
. We arrived back in Varnhold this afternoon and found the town is making repairs to the keep and many of their homes. They burned down one pigpen and house that were beyond repair. Even without those buildings, there are some homes that are unoccupied due to the loss of so many good townsfolk.
. One of the local populace has started running services as an acolyte of Erastil and is working to improve the shrine. Most of the local populace are worshipers of Erastil and support him in this work.
. Fionna has a vision from Iomedae while she slept to leave for the Worldwound with Gertrude. When she told us of this in the morning, she indicated that her work here in the Sylvan Reaches is complete. Quip intends to travel part of the way with Fionna as an escort and to hold off on saying good bye.

OR

Moonday, 21 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. After resting last night and some horrible dreams for everyone, we searched behind a hidden door and found a small chamber with a mix of stone vessels and bronze tools that we think might have been some form of mummification rite with canopic jars. There was another secret door behind the statue in this chamber that we are not able to open at this time.
. After leaving the crypt we entered an unlit chamber with two sets of double doors leaving it. In this room we found two small oil lamps with matching shallow cups that might have contained dried blood. On the walls friezes show processions of animal-headed creatures marching along a black river bank toward each shrine. Arctodus tried to light one of the lamps and set of some sort of magical trap of black smoky tendrils reaching out to us. We left this room going north and after a small passage found a room of different mortared construction and encountered a lobsterman (evil Zoidberg) that Fionna told us was a Piscodaemon. When we were challenged by it telepathically to know who allowed us to enter the inner sanctum of the horseman of death, Quip quickly mentioned Vordakai’s name. Jharyn walked passed it and found a small prison chamber holding Xananthe.
. Fionna was not willing to parley with the daemon and we were forced to fight it before we were prepared. The daemon hurt our party badly and we needed to rest afterward to try and remove the paralysis effect on Xananthe. We did laugh afterward that we might need to work on our communication skills a bit.
. While we rested with Xananthe, she was able to tell us about her trying ordeal of entering the valley and finding this tomb. She seems to have entered the complex from the base of the river and then was defeated by a couple zombie Cyclopes. After that her memory is unclear as she faded in and out of consciousness and was visited by horrible nightmares of an almost skeletal Cyclops with no eye and a red gem in its socket boasting that she was an “honored guest of Vordakai” and he would return for her when her dread was complete. She told us her flail was missing but might be a useful weapon if found.

Toilday, 22 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. Harrow Reading Past: The Keep Present: The Betrayal Future: The Empty Throne (mis)
. We decided to go back to the secret door behind the statue and have Gertrude cast knock to get past it. We found a small room with a bas relief eye sculpture on the wall that shows conjuration and divination magic, but we are unable to determine its exact purpose.
. We have decided to return Xananthe to her people and then go on to Restov and resupply before we try to find Vordakai. We are unsure of what this monster is, but our fears are growing that he may be some form of undead lich … and possibly beyond our strength.

Oathday, 24 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We were received warmly by Mother Moon and the Nomen Centaurs today when we returned Xananthe to her mother. After they conferred in private, we were asked to stay the night and welcomed into the tribe with a feast in the evening. Unfortunately, the tribe’s memories of their ancient lore are spotty, but we are starting to fear that Vordakai may have been some ancient warlord from a now extinct cyclopean empire in this area.
. How can I describe the ceremony we witnessed and give it full justice? The Nomen are certainly a proud and warlike tribe. They are barbaric to look upon and fierce in battle. I noticed that most of their warriors are the women of the tribe. It seems that the tribe is almost two thirds female, and I got a few hints that years ago their male warriors were slain in a border skirmish. Now, the men are “protected” to keep the herd alive by staying in the camp and reduced to almost becoming breeding slaves. It seems even more amazing that Dark Cloud has left that and become an adventurer. It is very noticeable that the tribe barely suffers Dark Cloud’s presence as if they are shunning him for going against their traditions but unable to drive him from their midst.
. As I watched the tribe, Mother Moon began speaking about the return of her daughter and extolled our bravery by facing the Valley of the Dead and returning to the tribe. Although she is aware that there is still a threat from the undead in that catacomb, she did not speak to her tribe of it, but instead used this evening as a celebration. We were all decorated with war paints and brought into the center of the circle while the warriors danced around us in their leather armors and long spears to music of drum beats and pipes in a whirling frenzy. The tempo of the dance continued to increase until it was a deafening roar. While the warriors danced, I noticed that they were cutting each other with their spears and the dance was designed to stir their passions and ready them for battle. When we thought that we couldn’t stand how loud the music and beating of their hoofs were it all stopped as a deafening silence and all eyes were turned on us in the middle. Mother Moon came forward and smeared her own blood on each of our foreheads in turn. After that, we were welcomed to the tribe as members and the celebration continued with a feast under the sky of roasted deer and boar, seasoned vegetables and heady ale. The celebration lasted until after the hour of the wolf and when I finally went to my tent to rest, I’d spoken too many of their warriors comparing our various combat tactics and telling boasts of our feats in battle. Somewhere during the evening I lost track of the others, but did notice that many warriors of the tribe were enamored talking to Quip … she seemed to steal the show.

Starday, 26 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We have arrived in Restov and plan to quickly resupply and try to do any research we can of the area’s history. We sent a raven to the citadel to communicate with Esar. Fionna is spending some time crafting and we are searching for some magic items. We traveled hard to get here as quickly as we did, and I can feel a sense of concern from each of us as we consider going back to the tomb. I am ready to return as quickly as we can. If whatever befell Varnhold came from that tomb, then neither the Nomen nor the Sylvan Citadel will be safe until we return and deal with this Vordakai.

Moonday, 5 Pharast 4711 A.R.
. We returned through the Valley of the Dead and arrived at the waterfall overlooking Vordakai’s Tomb at sunset. Now having returned here a second time, I find myself filled with a sense of dread. This place is vile and ugly, bathed almost in blood, as we see the color of the sunset upon the limestone. After a brief discussion, we are going to enter this complex as the light fails tonight instead of waiting and trying to sleep again so close to the crypts. No matter how tired and sore I am from riding all day, I know that I couldn’t sleep with the horrors we’ve already seen in this unhallowed place.
. After we got across the gorge to the landing we entered last time, we discovered that our “backdoor” had been locked again with magic. Yeah, that should have been our first warning of the things to come. The floor on the passage down was slick with grease and someone had placed sharp rocks at the bottom. We lit a torch and burned the grease out. After a long while, we descended to the tar room again. When we opened the door again, we found three more Soul Eaters waiting for us. Dark Cloud, Quip and Jharyn were in the room and each watched part of their souls harmed by these horrors. There isn’t much room to fight from the ledge near the door, especially when you want to retch from the horrible smell of the tar in the room.
. Once we dealt with the Soul Eaters, we ascended the stairs off to the south. We climbed a short distance and entered a “dining room” that will haunt my dreams until my death. We entered a large feasting hall with a huge dining table in the center and a banquet of terror. There were seats around the table with thirty three human corpses that we realized were our neighbors from Varnhold. I remember stories told by my old wet-nurse when I was a young boy of cannibals and savages from the jungles far to the south that would eat the brains of monkeys as a delicacy … usually as a warning before seeing my brothers and I too sleep at night. I hadn’t believed her stories any more than I did her story of the man in the moon until today. Each of the Varnhold residents here had the tops of their skulls cut off and their brains removed. The looks of terror and pain on their faces let me know that they were conscious and aware of this as it happened. After a few moments to look on this grizzly sight, we realized that most of the leaders of the doomed colony to include Baron Varn and a priestess of Erastil were seated here. I’m not sure what we hoped other than that this was not the whole population of Varnhold; I for one found my blood boiling to destroy whoever did this … and we got our chance very soon.
. The ‘guests’ were attended by four more zombie Cyclops monsters that we destroyed. As we broke into the room, Quip was able to destroy one of these monstrosities right off the bat with three arrows while Dark Cloud closed with another zombie and was hurt badly and knocked unconscious by its long reach. Fionna tried to go toe to toe with another beast and took the brunt of a painful beating that almost knocked her out. Jharyn’s bombs are becoming more powerful and he launched a few bombs at the fourth beast while Arctodus moved to heal Dark Cloud. For a few tense moments the battle was in doubt, but we quickly recovered to finish the fight. It is fun sometimes to travel with this group, and at that moment I enjoyed listening to Quip’s hooting about how she’d killed one of the zombies by herself … she was walking on a cloud for a short while from this.
. We checked a door off this hall and found another corpse on the floor of an Ulfan male that died a few weeks ago. A specter rose from the body and reached out to Jharyn in anguish. It’s hard enough to fight the living or these zombies, but it’s even worse to fight a flying cloud when your sword goes through it with not damage. Our best guess is that all of the bodies from the Varnhold group must have died a month or more ago, and we destroyed this specter before climbing up stairs to the balcony above the hall. We discovered a secret door off the balcony that led into a small chamber smelling of sulfur with a pool containing a huge water elemental. Quip was grappled by the elemental and ingested into the waters. Jharyn’s bombs destroyed the elemental while Quip spun around inside it.
. The next room we entered was decorated with kneeling forms and a shrine with a throne made of humanoid skulls. Seated on the throne, we finally met our “host” – Vordakai. We had encountered enough undead zombie Cyclops to know how ugly and large they are, but this thing was impressive. His eye was missing, and in its place was a large red gem. He began to talk with us about how he welcomed us and wanted to learn from us about his new “kingdom” and what had changed during his long sleep. Vordakai was arrogant with his belief that we would cow before him. He was able to paralyze both Arctodus and myself at the start of the fight, although Fionna and Arctodus were able to remove his vile spells. We did him great harm with a ton of damage before he cast a spell and disappeared. We quickly realized that he cast a spell to dimension door and we ran to the room with the bas relief of the eye to continue the fight. Dark Cloud was paralyzed at that point and Jharyn used all of his bombs before Vordakai dimension door again to his throne. We returned again after destroying his bas relief. We heard him cry out in pain from the destruction of his carving and Arctodus summoned his Big Bear to grab the Cyclops when Quip landed the final blow to destroy Vordakai’s menace.

OR

Sunday, 13 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We spent most of the previous evening after securing Varnhold researching what might have caused the problems here. We believe that we are closer to solving the mystery of Varnhold’s citizens. After researching in the notes we found from Mr. Pendrod of the Kitharodian Academy we understand the area better. In one of his volumes on the Taldan Armies of Exploration, we found a cryptic note about a location described as Vordakai’s Island. We think that Mr. Pendrod might have concluded the bracelet coming from this location in the mountains around Varnhold. This entry in the history book also had a small handwritten note positing that Vordakai is some Nomen Centaur god. We are unsure where to proceed as yet, but did recall that prior to Earthfall there was an ancient cyclopean empire in this region that would have been about the same time as the ancient Azlanti and Thassilonian empires. Now I know I should have paid more attention to those classes that father paid for with that boring old troll of a schoolmaster.
. If this Vordakai has anything to do with the Cyclops’s, then is this a sketch for a ring or a bracelet that we are looking at? While examining the notes, Gertrude identified the magical bow we found yesterday as Skybolt – a powerful weapon forged by the Nomen Centaurs years ago. We are unsure how it came into the possession of the spriggans, but think it might be a useful bartering piece.
. Among the possessions that the spriggans had horded, we uncovered a long sword with the Varn family crest, a folding boat, a map of the area, and supplies that will help the local economy. I am looking forward to a full list from out quartermaster, and Jharyn has assured me that he will get that to me later. I expect that when we find the Varnlings, I will be able to return Baron Varn his family heirloom.
. Our plan is to go back into the mountains and retrieve the raven figurine, then head east toward the Nomen tribe. Jharyn has concluded our inventory as follows: a set of magic Breast Plate armor, a magical Seeking Heavy Crossbow, a Bag of Holding – Type 4, 10,000gp, the Varn family sword that I’m carrying, a Wand of Spectral Hand with 17 charges, half of a paired set – ring of Friend Shield, Skybolt, six potions of water breathing, a magical Morning Star that Jharyn is carrying, two large masterwork Battle Axes.

Moonday, 14 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. Today we rode east looking for the centaurs and came across a very unsettling sight. We found a giant Cyclops that had to be thirty feet tall and weigh almost four tons wandering the plains. I remember that millennia ago they were powerful wizards and warriors that ruled a vast area. Fionna claims that their culture was as remarkable as the Azlanti or Thassilonian, but this beast didn’t display any of their cunning. The brute did make up for his degenerate nature with a huge club and amazing reflexes for something that large.
. We started the combat with Gertrude hasting us and Fionna’s blessing and then split up so the beast could not attack us en mass. I was able to charge on Adara and after landing a decent blow with the lance, the beast knocked me into unconsciousness. The battle was fierce and the beast was unrelenting as it charged with a horn on its head. In one savage blow, Jharyn was hurt badly and his horse died trying to move away from the monster. I know that the Cyclops was hurting each of us with relative ease and that the Giant Bear that Arctodus summons was not a match for this thing. It seemed that everything we tried – magic, sword or missiles seemed ineffective. Eventually, we were able to wear it down and finally destroyed the abomination.
. As the fight ended, Quip found herself greeting a band of six Nomen Centaurs that were attracted to our fight. She wasn’t able to warn us of this new threat due to the loud cries that the Cyclops made and our own battle rage. We found a small bag of gems on the beast and then turned our attention to the newcomers. After a few tense moments of introduction, we were able to “negotiate” an escort to the Nomen tribal camp from the war band leader – Dark Cloud.
. We were forced to have Arctodus and Jharyn share a horse after the loss of Jharyn’s mount. We rode hard the rest of the day toward the east, and have been promised that by tomorrow evening we should arrive at their camp if we can keep this pace. The horses were all exhausted from the hard ride. It seems that the centaurs’ stamina is unnerving. They would routinely ride ahead until almost out of sight then circle back for us. I know we are trying to be diplomatic in hopes of finding our lost countrymen, but I have to say that these Nomen were truly asses with the pace they keep and their savage behavior might explain some of the previous conflicts that Brevoy has had with them. I know that the group is hopeful that this might change, here’s to hope!

Toilday, 15 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We rode hard all day today again, and our party is starting to show the signs of wear. I know we all consider ourselves as seasoned campaigners now; so none want’s to admit to being sore from riding however even Quip is quiet and there is none of our normal banter as we arrived at the Nomen campsite.
. This Nomen tribe is matriarchal in structure. There were about one hundred fifty centaurs moving around the campsite and focused on a large bonfire in the middle of camp. Our guide, Dark Cloud, was challenged by a sentry on our arrival and explained that we needed to speak with Mother Moon, the tribal chieftain. Quip and Jharyn thought they saw a black bird following us into camp … possibly a raven. After a very cold welcome, we were led to Mother Moon after she finished a ritual that we think may have been focused on an aspect of Desna as the moon. Fionna spoke for the group to Mother Moon in sylvan and explained what we discovered in Varnhold to include the missing village, the spriggans and the notes on the bracelet mentioning a Vordakai. Mother Moon explained that Vordakai’s name is an ill omen of a “slumbering warlord” from ancient times. We returned “Skybolt” to the tribe and Mother Moon told us that the spriggans have been a problem for some time to her tribe. She told us of a cave the spriggans inhabited south of Varnhold and detailed a place to the south that is taboo for her tribe named the “Valley of the Dead” in the midst of the mountain range with an island in the center of a small river.
. Dark Cloud has been told by Mother Moon to accompany us to the Valley of the Dead. She also mentioned that her daughter, Xananthe, has been missing for a short time and may have gone to the valley on her own. We have been offered a small tent to rest in for the evening (with a guard) before we are to leave in the morning.

Wealday, 16 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We traveled south today while watching for birds and passed the skeleton of a Linnorm where the Nomen make offerings. We have seen some Mastodons in the distance this evening.

Oathday, 17 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We reached the base of the mountain range this evening and set camp for the evening. While Jharyn and I were resting, our campsite was attacked by a monstrosity … some sort of soul eater spirit creature. With each swipe of its claws, it is able to hurt us and does damage to our senses. After an intense struggle, the creature fled toward the valley faster than we could follow in the dark.

Fireday, 18 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. Harrow Reading Past: Demon’s Lantern (mis) Present: The Lyre Future: The Hidden Truth (mis)
. This has been a very strange day, Quip started with a harrow reading and she believes that any secrets we discover about the Valley of the Dead may be bad. After seeing the valley for ourselves, I have to agree. We followed a trail into the mountains and after midday entered a valley with posts set at each fifty feet around the whole vale. On each post we found the skulls and grim totem items. Dark Cloud told us that the totems were placed by his tribe in ancient times to keep people away from this area.
. About a mile past the totem we found stone stelae written in an ancient cyclopean language that we think may be gravestones. There are thousands of these pillars in the valley. As we worked our way through the valley, we came upon two wandering guardians for the grave markers … two zombie Cyclops emerged from the pillars as tall as the one we found a few days ago. During the fight, Quip thought she saw her raven again and it flew away before we could get a better look.

Starday, 19 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We traveled a short distance in the morning and found a cliff with a waterfall and a hundred foot drop. In the middle of the river below the waterfall, there is a large limestone outcropping that stands as a tall pillar in the center of the river almost the same height as the waterfall. From this distance, we could see holes in the side of the pillar. We think that one of these might be an entrance into the spire.
. Arctodus cast a spell on Bear to fly across the river from a near cliff while we found a quiet campsite for the horses and started to fly across on Dark Cloud’s back. When half of our group was on each side of the river, we were attacked by three wyverns. I was almost killed by the poison on one of the wyvern’s tails. After the fight, we found an old Issian long sword in their lair that Fionna now wears and then set up camp on the far side of the river to rest. Jharyn took two doses of wyvern poison and we have a small pile of precious gems to add to the party’s treasure.
. Late in the evening, we thought that we saw an adult silver dragon staring at us from across the waterfall. We remembered the legends of a silver dragon protecting the area, but it has not been seen in many years. Quip tried to talk with it using some combination of dancing lights to write in the sky, but she wasn’t able to approach with Jharyn when they tried to fly over.

Sunday, 20 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We made a second trip across the river this morning and entered the spire near the top when we found a small landing with a door going into the darkness. The door was locked with magic and we entered into a dark passage leading down that smells as if it hasn’t been used in a long time. We opened a door into a chamber that I can only describe as a scene from the lowest rung of hell. We found a tar pit with noxious fumes and an undead human floating above a landing on the far side of the room. With such a small landing and this horrible smell, we couldn’t all get into the room to fight. Arctodus seemed nauseated by the fumes and the undead cast cloud kill before we retreated behind the door and waited. We destroyed the undead and then moved away from the tar pits toward a door to the west. There is also a stairwell out of this room going up toward the northeast.
. Beyond the door to the west, we found a crypt and fought two more soul eaters. We also discovered a secret passage leading out of this room and decided to rest here to regain our spells and heal.

OR

Toilday, 1 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. The Sylvan Citadel continues to be stabilizing influence and that is helping the kingdom grow while managing our consumption of resources. A potion of reduce animal and a +1 Light Hammer of Spell-storing were created this month. We have added the territory around Bokken’s Hut and are preparing more farmland in that area. We chose to improve the Oaktop Silver Mine this month. We are counting our blessings as we continue to experience an economic boon with settlers moving into our territory. It is still my great pleasure to report that the kingdom of the Sylvan Reaches is small but growing and our people are happy.
. Fionna also introduced us to her work companion, Gertrude. Gertrude is a Halfling arcane spell caster.

Fireday, 4 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We received word two days ago that a Manticore has started attacking oLEG’s Trading Post and they need our help. Midday today we arrived at the fort and found that everyone was safe. The guards had tried to defend the Trading Post with the catapults and crossbows a few times, but the Manticore flies to fast for those weapons to have a good effect. We did learn that the beast likes to fly by at sunset and cause havoc which gave us some time to prepare.
. When the Manticore arrived, we prepared within the fort to protect our friends. Somehow Jharyn must have lost track of time and found himself alone outside the fort; he appeared as a special target for our adversary. As the Manticore started to fly at Jharyn, Arctodus cast air walk on Adara allowing me to be able to combat it in the air. While the Manticore tried to hover over Jharyn, Adara and I were able to charge it and set my lance. Fionna and Gertrude were casting spells to damage the monster, while Jharyn threw bombs and Quip shot it with arrows. I have to say that charging a monster feels different when you are suspended thirty feet above the ground. After the Manticore died, I spent a few minutes with Adara “riding the air” and hoping that my poor horse would grow accustomed to this experience. Somehow, I don’t suspect this will be the last time we fly into combat.

Toilday, 8 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We neared Fort Serenko today on the road to Restov. We debated attempting to catch another herd of wild horses; thinking to sell them in Restov as we noticed that the Fort seemed quiet. It looks from a distance to be abandoned. I’m not sure what that means but I doubt it bodes well for our patrons in Brevoy.

Oathday, 10 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. Yesterday we continued southwest from Fort Serenko along the Shrike River toward Crooked Falls. The falls are a stunning area with five individual waterfalls and a branch breaking off into the mountains for the Crooked River. Although this must make the river unadvisable for use in ferrying supplies, it does provide a breathtaking view.
. Today as we began to explore into the mountain pass, we noticed a Roc flying in the distance. Quip stated that it was a female after looking at it through our spyglass; granting at that distance I’m not sure how you can tell.

Fireday, 11 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. We ascended into the pass and found an abandoned watchtower occupying a peak surveying the area for miles. We can see Varnhold from here and suspect that the Varn expedition created this watchtower.
. When we entered the watchtower to investigate, we found that it had been abandoned for weeks; and we are growing troubled that we don’t see any movement in the town below us as well. Unfortunately, it is close to nightfall already so we have decided to sleep here in the watchtower and investigate the town tomorrow instead of attempting to descend from the pass in the dark.

Starday, 12 Calistril 4711 A.R.
. Harrow Reading Past: The Crows Present: The Peacock Future: The Forge
. While we rested overnight, we took turns observing Varnhold. It appears that on the far side of the town there is a stockade and guardhouse. We did see some movement from the stockade and there are wild animals wandering through the town. We did not observe any smoke or fires overnight and have started to wonder if there has been some sort of evacuation given that Fort Serenko also appears abandoned.
. This morning as we prepared to leave the watchtower a freak storm of hail and freezing rain hit the pass causing us to delay in departing. When we did finally leave, the path was covered in ice and Slicer and Arctodus’ horse both nearly lost their footing and fell off the side of the cliff. A well timed tanglefoot bag stopped Slicer’s slide and Arctodus cast spider climb on his horse for better footing. We have now taken to naming his horse “Spiderhorse” in honor of this new ability.
. By the time we finally reached the town of Varnhold it was nearing sunset and we felt an urgent desire to check the area quickly for clues. We approached the two nearest outlying buildings and determined that they were farmhouses. One has an enclosure for a pigpen. All the pigs have been dead for a while, and we encountered a feral dire boar feasting on the corpses. We attempted to knock on the door of one of the farmhouses before entering. We discovered a home that looked as if someone just walked away from it. All of the owner’s belongings were still there to include spoiled food in the pantry. If the residents left, it doesn’t look like they took the time to pack any of their belongings.
. We continued to search the buildings on the near side of the river. We found a tannery and brewery along the way. Both showed the same signs of the occupants abruptly leaving. Varnhold’s brewery showed multiple vats of “Cheerful Delver’s Stout” under production (and spoiled over time) and we found the cashbox and recipe under a floorboard.
. At the river crossing, we were attacked by a Chuul. Now there’s a nasty piece of work. Next time I order lobster for dinner, I expect that it will be dead before it’s served to me. We found the Livery and Blacksmith after crossing the river – once again no living occupants. The animals all appeared to die from lack of food and water after the townsfolk left. We next discovered the home of the local seamstress. Although it was empty, the home had the look of having been looted or torn apart inside.
. We approached the two story inn next. It is a cheerful building painted with a sign declaring to all that it is the “Waterhorse Inn.” What we found inside still puzzles me. The inn doesn’t appear to be looted and the food is all spoiled like the other homes we’ve checked so far. Toward the back of the common room we found a bizarre statue. It appears to be a statue of a giant sized spriggan facing the table with a shattered skull holding a book. Hastily scratched on the door jamb is the word “Nomen.” It is our opinion that the spriggan must have set off a magical trap that killed him when he touched the book. The book is an Iobarian Pre-history of the area and the research notes belong to Ervil Penrod. It appears that Mr. Penrod was researching a bracelet (we found a sketch) and must believe it predates the Taldan expansions in the area. Fionna and Jharyn have started to sift through the notes and believe that from what they can tell Mr. Penrod believed that the bracelet might have been prior to the Thassalonian and Aslanti empires from millennia ago.
. We entered the Church of Erastil next, and found that the small shrine had been looted and desecrated. We continued on toward a family farmhouse, where Jharyn found the hard way that you shouldn’t try to pull a cat out from under the porch when it doesn’t want to come out. Arctodus spoke with the cat while feeding it. The cat claims that “the feeders left in the red sun time when they heard the new birdsong” … whatever that may mean.
. The town granary is now overrun with rodents and we found the potter’s home smashed to pieces. We found the door removed from a sod house and the inside was looted and tossed. We discovered a journal in the mess from a Willis Gunderson who appears to have been a Ranger in the employ of the Varnlings. He detailed skirmishes with the Nomen Centaurs and an entry of searching the pass a few weeks ago. He detailed finding a bracelet in this southern pass “down by the river.” The next thing we found was an old Ulfan symbol to ward off evil and a page partially torn out of the journal. There was also a folding boat among the contents of his home.
. We continued searching each house as we approached the keep with little hope of finding any more evidence of what transpired here. The gem cutter’s home has been looted and may be beyond repair. As we got close to the hill and the tower, we could see spriggans on the wall. Quip and Jharyn both went invisible and tried to climb over the wall and release the gate entrance so we could enter. I’m not sure what happened next, but there was a loud noise followed by Jharyn’s cursing and then the gate opened up.
. We began to charge into the keep hoping to help our friends inside. The few spriggans we encountered in the outer keep were not prepared to make a good defense (some were drunk) but the bastards must have dug a spiked pit trap near the entrance to the keep. Adara and I fell into the trap as the OME finished the outer guards. I climbed out of the pit and helped with the siege of the keep. After a few moments Jharyn and Quip had climbed to the top of the structure along with “Big Bear.” The Bear tore part of the roof off and was trying to get at one of the spriggans inside when Jharyn set off a fireball in the upper floor. Meanwhile, below we had broken in the front door and were dealing with murder holes in the ceiling and wall. I must admit that by now with my horse in a pit trap, and boulders being dropped on my head that I was becoming a bit agitated by these spriggans. This did cause me to get my dander up, and when Fionna charmed one into ceasing to fight, it gave Bear and I the change to slaughter the three spriggans on the ground floor. Before they all died, we did find out that the spriggans claim the town was deserted when they arrived. After a good few minutes of fighting, the “Big Bear” was able to lift Adara out of the pit. As a consensus the Order of Masterful Explorers has determined that if a tavern or inn is built in the Citadel soon it should be called “the Friggin’ Spriggan” with a band playing named “the Screamin’ Spriggans.” When the battle was over, Fionna sent word back to Esar at the Citadel by our messenger bird of what has happened here in Varnhold, and we expect a reply in a few days.
. As of right now, Fionna and Jharyn are returning to the inn to research the notes we found, Quip and I are headed to the shrine to see if we can clean up some of the damage, and the rest of the team is collecting what items the spriggans have left behind after stripping the town. It seems that we have another mystery on our hands. The nice thing is that we have the inn to use tonight for rest and a comfortable bed while we determine where to head next.

OR

Where have all the people gone? The Borg have transported them to a cube and assimilated them! Arctodus told me so. Really.

Fireday, 1 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. Harrow Reading Past: The Bear, Present: The Winged Serpent, Future: The Betrayal.
. We have spent the past month in residence at the Sylvan Citadel and among the demanding work of ruling; we have enjoyed the company of both the ambassadors Tanys Arend of Mivon and Kelal Daros of Varnhold. Over the past few weeks, I have enjoyed hearing Daros’ reports of the success that Duke Varn and his team are experiencing in the Nomen Heights. He has indicated some concern dealing with local barbarian centaurs of the Nomen tribe, but insists that we should plan on meeting with his lord this coming summer. I expect that meeting to begin a long and prosperous friendship between our two states.
. We were also petitioned by Loy and Latricia Rezbin for aid in founding a settlement in the Narlmarches near the location where we encountered the Tatzlwyrms. They plan to call the town Tatzlford and we have pledged a small amount of supplies to help them begin with the understanding that when we eventually expand the kingdom, the town will be recognized as citizens of the Sylvan Reaches.
. Our continued stability is helping the kingdom grow and a potion of invisibility was created by our resident alchemist. We have added the territory where we found the fang berries this past spring and constructed a smithy in the Citadel. We are working on connecting the road from the Citadel south to the Gurdin River ford. We are commissioning a garrison to help guard oLEG’s Trading Post and a Dwarf named Drogon Hammerstone and his team have arrived to work our new smithy. Construction of a set of armor for General Oran Rief has begun. We are counting our blessings as we continue to experience an economic boon with settlers moving into our territory. It is still my great pleasure to report that the kingdom of the Sylvan Reaches is small but growing and our people are happy.

Starday, 2 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. We have chosen to visit the Old Beldane and see how her cultivating of the seedpods we left her progresses. I can report that her disposition toward our team certainly hasn’t gotten any better. She still would rather not have us show up, but she did show us that the plants growing from the strange seedpods have an otherworldly appearance. She seems rather convinced that they come from the First World.
. After leaving her home, we headed south toward the ford between the Tuskwater and Candlemere Lakes.

Moonday, 4 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. We are in a hill area south of Candlemere Lake with the Shrike River. Our travel is going slow with the accumulated snows, but the group feels that we need to press on in our exploration regardless of the risk to our animals. We started to find prints from a large humanoid creature in the area near the river and purple stains in the snow. As we crested one of the hills, we found a Hill Giant (Bubba) named Munguk mumbling and blubbering as he tried to get the last drops from an earthenware jug the size of a small casket.
. When we got near, he decided to launch a bolder at Jharyn. Apparently, throwing large boulders is how Hill Giants say hello. Throwing large boulders at our alchemist might sound like a fun game (I don’t recommend that you try it at home), but it is definitely how Cavaliers choose to initiate a charge. I was able to attack Munguk as I rode by the first time, and then charge him on Adara.
. It was at that point that something incredible happened. Munguk chose to drop his club and sat down blubbering – saying he was sorry. Quip questioned Munguk (in what I must say sounded a great deal like my mother scolding me when I had been caught being bad as a child) whether he was sorry for throwing the boulder because it was wrong or because he’d been caught. After a moment, Munguk chose to rise and resume the fight. Bear quickly finished the work of slaying this monster.
. We went through the sack that this giant was dragging around and found a collection of shoes and other fetishes, a battered but still functional spyglass, a wand of hideous laughter , a necklace of fireballs, and a crude map, sketched on the back of a piece of smelly, uncured hide showing the location of the Dwarven Redoubt. It seems that in addition to having poor judgment about attacking wandering people, our friend Munguk was something of an alcoholic and I’m pretty sure that the notes on his “map” indicate that the “mean, poopy head trolls” live in the redoubt.

Toilday, 5 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. We continued our exploration south today after leaving the area where Munguk “lived.” The day was fairly uneventful, however as we slept a pack of wolves attacked our campsite while Quip and Fionna were trying to sleep. For the record, someone should warn the local fauna not to wake our cleric. She can be a little grumpy at the interruption and I’m sure that comes out in her fighting – to the dismay of these wolves.

Oathday, 7 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. An old friend of mine would have said that “we beguiled this area to the ground” as we explored it. We did have one remarkable experience. You might think that the sight of a fully grown Owlbear charging at you out of the trees would be disturbing enough. What we saw was this Owlbear was being chased by a forest drake as if flew in pursuit. That will be a memory that I doubt any of us will forget too quickly.
. We focused on attacking the forest drake first, and with Quip’s continued good help with grappling arrows were able to make it land. After finishing the drake, we then dispatched the owlbear. The only thing left was to find the drake’s lair, which unfortunately didn’t have much in the way of treasure.

Wealday, 13 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. We had to stop our exploration for the last four days and find a cave in order to ride out a blizzard. I should warn you, being in a small cave for four days without anywhere to go is punishment enough, but when you add the incessant practical jokes of a gnome in a stag helm … well let’s just say that walking home in the blizzard was starting to look pretty inviting.

Wealday, 20 Kuthona 4710 A.R.
. Over the past week, we found a waterfall (that looked very beautiful with ice hanging from it) near the Slough and found the lair of a very grumpy Hodag while exploring around the Dwarven Redoubt.
. Today we finally arrived back at the Citadel, and our plans are to stay here until we celebrate the New Year with our kingdom.

Sunday, 1 Abadius 4711 A.R.
. Harrow Reading Past The Idiot Present The Lost Future The Courtesan
. The Sylvan Citadel continues to be stabilizing influence and that is helping the kingdom grow. A potion of cat’s grace and a potion of good berry were created this month. We have added the territory where we encountered the Narthropple Expedition this past spring and are preparing more farmland at the fang berry patch. We chose not to build any additional structures this month. Drogon reported that construction of a set of armor for General Oran Rief moved well this past month as he was able to double his normal monthly output. We are counting our blessings as we continue to experience an economic boon with settlers moving into our territory. It is still my great pleasure to report that the kingdom of the Sylvan Reaches is small but growing and our people are happy.

Fireday, 13 Abadius 4711 A.R.
. We left the Citadel on the morning of the 9th with clear weather for the first time in a fortnight and proceeded south toward the Shrike River and Little Sellen River to continue exploring the area. We found an abandoned ferry station that could be repaired and saw a herd of wild horses.
. Last night another pack of wargs attacked our campsite thinking we must be easy prey with our horses and baggage train.

Sunday, 15 Abadius 4711 A.R.
. We came upon a bend in the Little Sellen River today. What we found was more disturbing that we could have expected. We found a small glade littered with dead a Sootscale hunting party and small tufts of fur and feathers. Our trackers believe that the kobolds found a large owlbear that they could not overcome. Our fears continued to grow as we continued to follow the trail of this owlbear (they think it might be fifteen feet tall) heading directly for the Citadel. Fionna sent our “messenger bird” ahead to warn Esar and our town that they might be in danger and we set out with all due haste to our homes. With each mile our dread continued to grow.

Moonday, 16 Abadius 4711 A.R.
. After our forced march the previous night, Jharyn and Bear both seem to be fatigued from the pursuit. As we neared the outskirts of town, we began to see the destruction that the beast had wrought. Thankfully, our warning had allowed most of the populace to retreat into the fort before the owlbear arrived. The loss of life was minimal. There were a few deaths, some trees and livestock were destroyed and one house and the herbalist shop will require repairs. All in all, we were lucky.
. Reports from the City Watch and our populace was that the largest owlbear anyone had ever seen came into town like a cyclone and then left heading roughly back where we had come from.

Toilday, 17 Abadius 4711 A.R.
. We quickly resupplied ourselves and began tracking the owlbear. It headed in a meandering course that ultimately led back to the area around the bend of the river we stood upon a couple days previous. We easily found an entrance into a hillside following the path and prepared ourselves to enter the owlbear’s lair. The opening chamber was dimly lit past a short distance and we found the room full of violet fungi and shriekers. Jharyn set off one of the fireballs from the necklace we found on the Troll king and destroyed the vegetation. We began to cautiously spread out and search for our quarry. Quip found a shambling mound in one of the adjoining chambers while Jharyn noticed a swarm of spiders were being drawn to us from another direction. At that moment, Arctodus chose to send a flaming sphere down the central passageway and caught the attention of the owlbear.
. We quickly went from thinking the situation was manageable to utter chaos. Quip was grappled and being drawn into the room with the shambling mound. Arctodus was able to momentarily entangle the spiders while Jharyn burned the shambling mound with bombs. That allowed Quip to come free, and we discovered that the shambling mound was infested with a centipede swarm when it died.
. I challenged the owlbear and charged it, realizing that if we didn’t take the fight to the beast quickly we would be in big trouble. The owlbear easily grappled me, and I realized that this thing could cause a great deal of pain. Arctodus summoned his “Big Bear” behind the owlbear and Fionna advanced on the owlbear while it tried to crush me before throwing me like a rag doll across the chamber. My breath was momentarily knocked out of me on landing and then Arctodus was there to heal me. Jharyn started to deal with the spider swarm and centipedes while the “Big Bear” distracted the owlbear. Between the combined effort of Fionna, Quip, the “Big Bear” and me; we finally killed the owlbear and then quickly finished the fight.
. When we had a moment to look around, we discovered that this owlbear had been fitted with studded leather barding. We also found two cubs and the owlbear’s dead mate near the back of the deeper chamber. We plan on taking the cubs back to sell. There were also the remains of a group of bandits in the chamber. Fionna cast speak with dead on one of the corpses and discovered that their leader was named Eric. He appears to be from one of the local barbarian tribes and was hired in the Hooktongue Slough near Fort Drelev to use this owlbear to attack the Citadel. Eric’s corpse also said that he was sent by his “future lover” of “purest corrupted beauty” to tame this owlbear and that she gave him a ring to help with that. The ring is certainly magic, but we can’t determine much about it. We collected the equipment on the bandits and intend to bring their corpses back to town to try and question more.

Sunday, 29 Abadius 4711 A.R.
. After leaving the owlbear lair, we returned to town, sold the cubs and left the bandit corpses in cold storage for later questioning and set out to see the Old Beldane hoping that she could scry on the ring and find out more for us. She asked a high price for her services and we chose to head north with the ring. We hoped that Tyg-Titter-Tut might have some insight.
. Tyg-Titter-Tut had a very simple and overwhelming reaction to the ring. She couldn’t explain why but said the ring was bad and didn’t feel right. This had us wondering if it might be cursed.
. We returned to the Old Beldane with this information and renegotiated for her services. Unfortunately, while she was attempting to scry on the ring’s owner or creator the ring exploded causing a little damage in the Old Beldane’s hut. This certainly didn’t help her disposition, and this is leaving us with more questions about our secret adversary than before.

OR