Well on my first day here Two of the old guard took off and another one died by assassination. Lovely start.

We (and by that I mean ‘the summoner’) defeated a group of shape shifting Ogren. Some sort of common ancestor to Ogres and goblins I think. They’re were on a scouting mission, badly concealed as farmers.

We took the remains of one back to what passes for a temple, Isabella is the cleric’s name. Gnome, likes the long bottom leaf. She said it’d take a day.

During the day that bow stringer that was on the boat started talking crap about guns so Finnion (aforementioned summoner) set up a shooting competition. I acquitted myself decently well considering an Alphatian heavy pistol was meant for short range shooting. But it was Lars Eastman, an Axe beak rancher that won the day. He also sold about eight Axe Beaks to Zozo the gunweilding gnome who.

Speaking of which, I saw his gun in action. Thermal thaumatogical binding and extra-dimensional storage capacity with direct access to the firing chamber. The gunsmith is very good.

Oh, the common folk /really/ like watching things explode in midair. Especially with fire.

There was drinks at the inn after the contest. Though I wonder why Finnion went to all the trouble.

Today we got some answers out of the Ogren corpse. He worked for Lord Fane (Vane, Thane?), Viscount of the Blackened Grove. Which we established is in the First World where their base is. Their mission was to scout out our defenses. I need an interim solution before we can build a wall.

I spoke to Rodger Smith and Wesson Hammerstine, stien? About Zozo’s gun. Looks like Rodger – who is awfully tall for a dwarf – is using a technique called spirit blacksmithing, imbuing his creations with emotions shared with his assistant. They must have a very…passionate partnership judging from that gun. Rodger refers to it as ‘looking at the metal, and removing where the gun is not’. Interesting, even if it’s an innate born in ability there could be a lot to learn here.

Caught up with the bowman – I can’t remember his name, he spent the entire voyager here drunk – at the guard barracks. Looks like the guard are half decently equipped. I assume the same goes for these Crimson Blades. – Terrible name.

Oh yeah we undid that bear costume horsedung the last marshal was trying to put in. That was extra dumb.

This morrow we set out through the woods to try and pacify a path to this temple in the woods the others had been to before.

This was a BAD PLAN.

Turns out this section of forest gives them huge trouble every time they’ve entered it, as a gargantuan 20 foot spider just came out of the trees and poisoned two of us, Zozo and Finnion. Fortunately Finnion had the smarts to grease the damned thing and even though his edolon got poisoned too, it managed to fall on top of the spider, knocking it off it’s footing enough to drop it to the ground where it tried to eat me.

I fed it a bullet instead.

We decided to milk it for the poison. Maybe we can get an apothecary to make an anti-venom, seems there’s a bunch of smaller spiders of the same species around. We found its layer, a burrow mound really. We took stock of the contents discovering bodies are and some middling to decent equipment. We gathered up the valuables and laid the remains to rest as best we could. I hope there is a measure of peace for them now.

As the sun was setting and Zozo was getting worse – a potion of delay poison kept him going – we decided to camp out in the den, figuring most animals would stay away. All we got during the night was a bear eating berries.

We totally saved that bear by killing the spider.

First thing on the rising sun we get a visit from Tess’ fairy god mother. I didn’t seem to mention her previously. A charming fairy woman with sea green hair. Lovely, but, a fairy. She offered Zozo and Finnion healing in exchange for like favors later. I probably would have refused personally but that’s just because you can never tell what a fairy will think is a like favor. A straight up trade on the spot is a different thing.

I asked her about the blackened grove and Lord Fane, Viscount there of and all she could say is it wasn’t a part of the Summer Court. It was worth a shot.

I think we’re either heading to the Eastman’s ranch or back to town now, I could go for either right now. Sleeping in this armor isn’t really a joyous event.