24 Lamashan 4709 AR
Leaving Diobel via ship for Almas
I asked Deaglan if he had talked to his wolf yet— I had recalled that some rangers that are really in tune with their animal companions can do so. He attempted, and apparently got a response, for in moments he was wrestling with the wolf right in the middle of a rather busy road. After they rolled around in the dirt for a few minutes, Deaglan announced that the wolf was to be called “Kitty” rather than “Fuzzball.” I am not certain that Deaglan is on the same busy road that the rest of us are on….
During the fracas, I noticed something odd under the wolf’s fur between its shoulders, but Deaglan didn’t want to stop and look more closely.
Candal and I headed closer towards an alley as we were walking, and both happened to notice we were being watched. We took off after the watcher, but he had disappeared after turning a corner. We gathered our companions and explored the alley further, only to find some doors that were just the back way in to some local businesses. We gave up on that and, after going back to the inn to gather Salma (she had two hours of sleep after all!), wandered back to the warehouse she had watched all night. Unfortunately, it was as we had feared and the town guard was already there investigating a murder. We spoke briefly to a guard and could see a bloody body in the middle of the room beyond the partially open door behind him. He confirmed that it was Staizkel, and asked our business. We mentioned we had been looking for work as guards, and were told to try the town garrison.
Realizing that once again we had lost any chance of a lead on our investigation (warehouses hate me!) we split up. Salma and Tythe continued wandering the main street, insisting that they needed to buy some sort of shears, Deaglan decided to take Kitty to the inn and get some drinking done, and Candal and I went to Osprey at “The Tails” where they had originally gone to look for a boat. I cut to the chase and suggested that we just ask to book passage on a ship, rather than ask for work to provide us with transport. At 30 gold a piece, I figured that it was worth it to get off of this island. Alas, they did not have any Ulfen vessels in the harbor, so we booked passage on the one leaving soonest, called the Nighthawk. It is apparently headed to someplace called Almas in Andoran.
We returned to the inn, where Deaglan was dozing by his wolf and empty tankard; Tythe and Salma were just back as well, and looked rather shaken. They had been accosted in the street by three people who were sending “regards” from Tythe’s twin sister Synn. They were thankfully interrupted by the arrival of the town guard (they are everywhere!).
As we talked and got caught up with each other’s adventures, Salma was nonchalantly shaving a patch on the back of Deaglan’s wolf. The wolf did not seem to mind. This revealed what we had only glimpsed before— the wolf had a map on its back. Stranger still, it was the exact same map that Zandu had as a birthmark on his back, and in the same general area. How fortuitous! We had lost the original map when Zandu disappeared, and now, by some strange coincidence, we have the same map of an area in Darkmoon Vale at our disposal! Once we are to the mainland, we can easily travel to Darkmoon Vale.
We were eager to leave the island at once, though Tythe is now so paranoid about being watched that she does not wish to board the ship at the same time as the rest of us. This will be very tricky, since this port requires that you take a smaller boat as a shuttle to the ships docked further out in the harbor, but Tythe says it must be done this way.
2 Neth 4709 AR
Riveredge
The trip on the Nighthawk was rather uneventful. In addition to the crew of twenty was a dwarf calling himself Rogar. I think we have adopted him. He smells nice.
Once we arrived in Almas, we decided we needed to make some more effort to get away from the shoreline, and managed to attach ourselves to a caravan that would be going north the next morning. We spent the night at the Falcon’s Crest (and were told to avoid the Hawk’s Nest). I decided to get some better gear for the trip north, as we may end up in lycanthrope territory (and apparently, unlike the Ulfen werecreatures, they are not welcome in the local communities); I bought better armor and a silver dagger.
Our whole first day and night with the caravan were quiet. In fact, tonight was quiet as well, though we found something interesting to do while the caravan is stopped for the night. Near the small hamlet of Riveredge there is a small, ruined temple to Aroden. Rumor has it that strange lights are seen around it at night. We headed over to check it out and found some freshly disturbed graves around it. Stepping inside the small chapel, we saw the old confessionals, pews, and altar, and some steps leading down, and… the ceiling moving. Bats!
As the swarms of bats flew around us, a rather gigantic bat appeared from among them, biting and scratching at us. Once we dispatched the largest bat though, the rest scattered and flew off, leaving us the choice of leaving the temple, or investigating where the stairs led….