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1 Patchwall 580 CY
Oliver's Journal
Leith of Beory, a druid, is leading us to Kleese and the Adri Forest beyond.The Reeve of Kleese, Marok, is complaining that the druid rituals in the wood are somehow connected to the disappearance of his peasants. Apparently the peasants are restless and superstitious about the goings on in the woods, and we are charged with observing the druids and ensuring nothing diabolical is going on.
DM: Leith is the same druid who performed the ceremony in Munevar. After accusations from the Reeve, Galen, the prince's son was charged with settling the dispute.
Of late, things have come to a head. Loggers deeper in the forest have disappeared and there are witnesses that describe the attackers as druids. Prince Herrell has dispatched Galen to investigate the matter on his behalf and observe the druidic ritual on the equinox. Leith has offered to lead us into the Adri and assist us as he can.
First thing in the morning we set out for Kleese with the Reeve's wagon in tow. a twelve mile journey, normally we could do it in half a day, but the Reeve's horse and cart was slowing us down to a crawl. Galen and I walked alongside the wagon, the squeak of a rusty axle the only noise as we walked off the evenings festivities. Isaac and Darcius both rode their horses and kept watch for brigands, as if there'd be any. Can you imagine making a prince's son walk? They didn't even offer us a ride in the cart. Probably fearful for his daughters. Prince Herrell is likely very angry with Galen to send him on this kind of mission.
Let me tell you what little I know of Kleese. A small lumber village of about two hundred people, it is situated twelve miles north of Munevar, near the Adri Forest. There is a mill on the Harp River and most of the homes are very well built. The peasants here live a little better than most in Prince Herrell's land, with the bounty of the forest being so near to hand. There is an herbalist in town, Mistress Jarelle, who makes her own variety of home-brews and salves. Marok is the village mayor, also known as a Reeve, lives in a house much the same as the rest of the peasants, and works with them in the village when he's not handling the Prince's work. Interesting to note that Darcius is the son of the Reeve and is well known in these parts.
The Reeve offered us a room to share in his house and we all settled in for an easy night in the village. We sampled the local brew at the Inn, and it wasn't long before the brew came back to haunt us. Must remember to give this beer to my enemies and give them terrible gas. Asking around the common room, we finally tracked down the name of the sole witness to the latest disappearance: Ol' Jeb.
The brew was a concoction of fermented mushrooms and thick woody herbs. A specialty made by Jarelle and something that takes some getting used to.
Jeb's story went like this, 'We were out in the woods, logging away and suddenly Ol' Neb cried out and when I finally found him he was in the clutches of a man in brown robes. Looked like a druid to me. So's I hid myself under the logging skiff right away so's it wouldn't get me, and I didn't see nothing after that.'
There were no other witnesses to the incident. He also mentioned the other two missing loggers were Seb and Caleb.
In my defense these names were made up on the spot and at a time when I didn't realized they would be immortalized forever in print. That goes double for Stewart the Steward.
2 Patchwall, 580 CY
This morning we met Leith just outside of Kleese and he told us we were going out to the druid's special meeting place deep in the woods, about ten miles out in the woods. We bandied about the idea that if the druid's were evil, and Leith was in league with the druids, then he could be leading us to our death. I'm not sure if we really believed it, but I was wary nonetheless. We bought some rations from the innkeeper, robbery at 5 commons per person per day. Heading north into the woods, we took a well travelled path north for about an hour. Then Leith took us off the main trail into virgin forest. The going was kind of slow once we entered the deep woods. Strangely the forest seemed to part for Leith, but impede our progress.
Towards evening, we broke into a clearing in the woods. In the center, there was a raised hillock on top of which a crude obelisk sat. The space was cloaked in an air of ancient power, the rock seemed to crouch, waiting. There were six men arrayed around it, five wearing brown robes, like Leith, and one was wearing grey. Leith stepped forward and the man in grey pinned him with his eyes. 'Why have you brought these unbelievers here, to our most sacred site on this sacred day?' Leith explained the situation, citing the Reeve's accusations and the Prince's position. The grey robe scoffed, asking what that mattered to him and Beory. Galen stepped forward, identifying himself and speaking of his mission, and that he would brook no argument. He spoke of balance and harmonious living. Again the grey robe scoffed. Galen asked his name, and he said, 'I am Jorth of Beory. And what do you know of balance?' Leith informed us that the ceremony tonight celebrates the autumnal equinox. Galen diplomatically informed Jorth, the grey robe, of his intent to observe this ceremony whether he liked it or not and managed to hammer out a compromise wherein Ryvvik would stay and observe for any diabolical ceremonies or sacrifices and report anything he deemed out of the ordinary. The rest of us would stay at a camp about two miles away.
The druids formed a circle around the obelisk with holly and mistletoe sprigs. Leith and the other six druids waited until the first stars appeared in the heavens and started chanting a mantra. Shortly, light began to shed from the stone and it began to glow blue. The moon rose over the tree line and Jorth broke the circle and stepped to the hillock. He cupped his hands and touched the stone. Light poured like water into his cupped hands and he stepped back. Going around the stone he poured the liquid light into the hands of the other druids, he went back to his place in the circle. The mantra changed slightly. The light in their hands leapt out of their cupped hands and began to dance in the air above them. The mantra took up a dirge-like quality and lasted for some time. The moon rose further and the lights merged into the stone. At that time, Jorth produced a sickle and a bowl and cut deeply into his arm. The blood from his arm was caught in the bowl and he put a leaf over the wound. Going around the circle once more, he cut every druid and collected blood from all of them. The mantra changed again and he took the bowl up to the stone. With sudden brightening the blood was all absorbed into the rock. At that point the light winked out and all the druids relaxed. The ritual had reached it's end.
Ryvvik returned to camp during third watch. He was reticent to tell any details but he said that we had nothing to worry about and it wasn't what we were looking for. Leith informed us that there were two other druidic faiths that may be at work in the Adri. Obad Hai, a largely nature-loving religion, and Ehlonna, a more humane religion.
I took last watch. It let me keep an eye on Ryvvik. He's too tightlipped to leave me comfortable. Galen is satisfied with Ryvvik's explanation, but I'm not. I'm guessing that being that way is part of his training.
The Druid ceremony was to mark Fall equinox, the dirge-like chants signified the death of life that is associated with fall, the blood was the druids commitment to sacrifice their life to ensure the natural order lived on, and the light was a sign of Beory's favour towards the druids. They didn't want anyone there because they didn't want their worship to be made a spectacle, and disliked the idea of unfaithful judging them.
3 Patchwall 580 CY
We headed back to Kleese and the Reeve asked to see us as soon as we got back. Another peasant disappeared while we were gone and a militiaman witnessed it. At least they're guarding the loggers now. As it turns out, Gomer, the militia man, was picking his nose when it happened and only saw the tail end of this event. When we interviewed him his story went like this, 'I was keeping an eye on things and heard someone yell. I ran to the noise and saw a brown robed figure. He knocked me down, picked up a peasant and ran off into the woods.' We asked him to lead us to where the incident took place. Once we got there, a quick search turned up a piece of fur. Leith identified it as dog hair. A further search revealed many footprints, both dog and human. 'No druid would be this clumsy.' ,quipped Leith. Our last question revealed a lot. Gomer said the Reeve seemed happy the attack took place. It led me to wonder where the Reeve's loyalty lay, and who had the most to gain from blaming the druids.
The Reeve was pleased that the guard had gotten such damning evidence against the druids. He was considerably less pleased when the party proved that the druids where innocent. Still he didn't like seeing his work force disappearing, as the druids were making filling logging quotas difficult enough.
Tracking
Leith sent his dog to follow the trail. The dog, a large sized indeterminate breed, tracked like the wind. For half the day we chased the dog through the woods and across strings of the Harp. Isaac and Darcius both managed to take a bath in the course of crossing the streams. The trail eventually led us to a cave in a small hill.
The plan going in was a sneak mission to see what was in the cave, then take whoever it was by surprise. In preparation, Isaac went ahead to see what he could see, supported in close by Darcius. Ryvvik, Galen and I waited at the wide spot in the trail, below a rock slide. As he headed up the hill, Isaac set off a warning trap composed of metal in a tree, which made enough noise to warn the cave's occupants. At that point Galen and I charged straight up the hill at the cave mouth, which proved fairly difficult , given the composition of the rocks. Small pebbles are hard to climb in boots. Meanwhile the others charged the cave up the path. Darcius and Ryvvik set off the next trap, a net which pulled them up into the air. Isaac fired an arrow which severed the rope and spilled them out onto the ground. The cave dwellers poked their head out and ducked back in with an 'Eeep!'
I was the first one to reach the cave and was immediately set upon by a large dog. It only took one stab wound to convince it that there was easier food elsewhere. In the process I almost dislocated a shoulder so I fell back. Darcius pressed in behind me and laid about with his axe, sorely wounding one of the three men in the cave. They surrendered immediately and we tied them up. In the rear of the cave we discovered all the missing peasants.
