Letters home....
Flocktime 6
My dear Tesseran,
I hope everything with your brother cleared up quickly. I know you were not looking forward to the fallout if you had to become involved, and I was very relieved to hear that it was not necessary. The journey thus far has been very productive. The group that traveled to Jurnre with me has largely disbanded. It’s been hard saying goodbye to my companions, but several have expressed interest in traveling back to Mitrik this time next year, so I may journey back with them at that time.
I have completed several negotiations between the local lords and some of the guild halls here in Jurnre. It has been…let’s simply say instructional and leave it at that. The majority of the discussions were fairly mundane, but I would have loved to have seen your face when the master of the weaving guild took his turn to speak. I think you would have thrown him out the door before he had finished his first sentence!
I miss you, my heart. I have missed your wit and humor on this journey, and it is worse now that I am traveling south on my own. Although Brother Hayburner is good company, his conversation leaves much to be desired.
I am going to be Gradsul for most of Wealsun, but I will be back in Jurnre by Richfest as we planned. I am looking forward to seeing you then. If these letters do not reach you, then they will be awaiting you at the temple in Jurnre.
Peace,
Girard
Flocktime 16
Dear Tesseran,
It seems that Rao has a sense of humor after all. On the way south to Gradsul, I came upon a small village. It was little more than an inn on the road, to be honest. In any event, there was a monkish man who went by the name Rell there in dire need of healing. I was told that he had been set upon by brigands, but that his companion, a most long-winded knight named Sir Harcourt, had driven them off. I healed him, and got to know the knight during the evening as well as a minstrel who was also there. The minstrel told us a story about his experiences upon a slave ship. Tess, I wish you could have heard it. This was an effort worthy of a master bard. I am not ashamed to tell you that I was moved to tears. The slavers seemed to be working with a sect called “The Scarlet Sign”, and he was concerned that the man I had just healed was part of this sect! I asked Rao for guidance, and it turns out that this man’s intentions were not what they appeared to be! His soul was black with evil. I shared my findings with Harcourt to make him aware of the character of his companion. He decided to continue traveling with Rell, but he assured me that he would be on his guard. I hope that will be enough!
The next morning, they continued journeying south to Sir Harcourt’s estates in Gradsul, while I started back north with the minstrel. He revealed to me, after we had been traveling a while, that he was actually part of the band of brigands that attacked the knight’s party. You can be sure that I immediately started wondering what kind of man I had just joined forces with. His real name is Kespin, and he is indeed a bard. (Yes, I know. The similarity to the song we heard playing throughout Mitrik last season was not lost on me either. ) We left the road and found the rest of his companions.
Ah, Tess, I wish I had you here with me now! I am not certain at all about this group. They are giving me a great deal of information about the Scarlet Sign, though. I have enclosed my findings in a separate report and sent it back to the temple along with this missive. I spoke with the head priest there, and he is expecting my reports and will forward them back to Mitrik. Rao willing, he has done the same with the letters that I have been giving him.
There are two Halflings here, named Westwind and Rie. (I don’t know how the second one spells his name, but he is so prickly that I do not think I should ask for fear of offending him). Rie is a master of the woods. I do not think a deer would be able to use the trails that he can find! Westwind is very skilled with his blades, but he is even harder to get to know than Rie. I sense a shadow in him.
The third member of the party (fourth, counting the bard) is an interesting fellow. Very likable and personable. His name is Lysander, and I must admit, I feel more comfortable around him than around the two Halflings.
We are currently traveling in the farmlands of Ulek. We are of necessity avoiding all contact with officials, so I do not know exactly where we are. I will travel with these men a while, though. We are not heading too far away from Jurnre, so I still hope to meet you there for Richfest.
Again, I find myself missing you. I need your advice and your counsel, my love. I am not as sure of myself as I usually am. This is all new to me, and I fear my new companions will not be patient teachers.
Peace,
Girard
Flocktime 26
Dear Tess,
I hope you had a quiet Walpurgis. I know you do not like to acknowledge your birthing day on your own; I wish I could have been there to share it with you. My new companions and I spent it in the home of a very kind Halfling family. There was a young white dragon that had been hunting their area for a little while, and we took it upon ourselves to drive the beast away.
We brought the bones back to the grieving families so that they might complete whatever rituals will bring them peace. Westwind and Rie got into a bit of trouble with one of the matriarchs there when they tried to teach her young son how to smoke their weed. I know you enjoy it, Tess, but I cannot abide the smell for long.
Something happened during the fight, though, that makes me hesitate. The young man I spoke of earlier, Lysander…he is a strong mage, but the energy that he works with is dark. It makes me feel uncomfortable and shaken, like something unwholesome has passed by. He insists that I can examine him with Rao’s will to assure myself that he is pure and good, but that doesn’t answer the question in my heart. We are not naive, my love. I know that there are ways to shield one’s intentions from the eyes of the Gods, so even if the examination shows nothing, the question will still remain.
I am conflicted, my heart. These men are so driven to the Pomarge. When first I met them, Westwind said something about going to defeat the armies and dismantle the slaving trade. I laughed at the time. Considering the amount of time and effort the surrounding kingdoms have spent in trying to contain that wild land, I thought he could not possibly be serious! Now, I fear he was. They are driven by vengeance and anger, and I cannot support this. Nor do I feel that any attempt I make to dissuade them will be well-received.
We are not traveling on any established roads. I am writing to you during the evenings, and leaving these letters in the hands of any who will take them to a temple, in the hopes that the traveling priests of the area will eventually get them to Jurnre. I fear that many of these missives will never reach you. Still, writing to you makes me feel closer to you, strange though that may seem.
We are currently in a small village (you will forgive me if I give no details, as I do not know into whose hands these letters will fall), and we are waiting for a traveling priestess of Yondalla. I will leave this letter with her.
Peace,
Girard
Wealsun 10
Dear Tess,
We have had an exciting week or so here. Brother Hayburner and I are equally unable to explain how we came to be in the thick of such happenings. We had been traveling as usual through the farmlands here when we came upon the tracks of a large beast with many legs. The tracks intersected with a farmhouse that had clearly suffered terrible damage. We found the farmer and his wife inside, and then we took off after the beast. It was rampaging across the countryside, and it was clear that we needed to stop it.
We defeated it in the forest a day's ride away, then we were set upon by ogres. I really did not believe that we were going to survive that encounter. I was knocked unconscious several times, and I know now what you mean when you say that you can feel the protection of God directly around you. I could feel Rao’s presence filling me, protecting me, and sustaining me throughout.
The ogres left after we defeated their mage, and we rested for a day, during which time the Halflings took a (much-needed) bath. The ogres returned in force, however, and demanded recompense from us for slaying the beast, which turned out to be their pet. I started negotiations with them, and the group agreed to the terms laid out by the ogre leader. We were required to seek out an orc that had been causing them some amount of anguish in a part of the swamp. I figured that an enemy of our enemy might be an ally, so I heartily supported that quest.
It turns out that this orc is actually an elvish druid, and he is not the ally I had hoped he might be. He has not only been holding against the ogres, but he sent his swarms of insects to take out a human city nearby. These people had trusted him and welcomed him in, and he destroyed them, nearly to a man. We are sending one of the survivors off to tell the local lord of this tragedy, and I am sending this letter off with him. Brother Hayburner will be going off with him as well. He is a good horse, and he deserves better, and Ulrich has lost everything else. A good companion will serve him well.
We will be going back into the swamps after the druid. I hope that I will be able to hire the services of the hunter who is leading us to lead me back to Jurnre after we finish with the matter at hand. I am looking forward to seeing you again, my love.
Peace,
Girard.
My dear Tesseran,
I hope everything with your brother cleared up quickly. I know you were not looking forward to the fallout if you had to become involved, and I was very relieved to hear that it was not necessary. The journey thus far has been very productive. The group that traveled to Jurnre with me has largely disbanded. It’s been hard saying goodbye to my companions, but several have expressed interest in traveling back to Mitrik this time next year, so I may journey back with them at that time.
I have completed several negotiations between the local lords and some of the guild halls here in Jurnre. It has been…let’s simply say instructional and leave it at that. The majority of the discussions were fairly mundane, but I would have loved to have seen your face when the master of the weaving guild took his turn to speak. I think you would have thrown him out the door before he had finished his first sentence!
I miss you, my heart. I have missed your wit and humor on this journey, and it is worse now that I am traveling south on my own. Although Brother Hayburner is good company, his conversation leaves much to be desired.
I am going to be Gradsul for most of Wealsun, but I will be back in Jurnre by Richfest as we planned. I am looking forward to seeing you then. If these letters do not reach you, then they will be awaiting you at the temple in Jurnre.
Peace,
Girard
Flocktime 16
Dear Tesseran,
It seems that Rao has a sense of humor after all. On the way south to Gradsul, I came upon a small village. It was little more than an inn on the road, to be honest. In any event, there was a monkish man who went by the name Rell there in dire need of healing. I was told that he had been set upon by brigands, but that his companion, a most long-winded knight named Sir Harcourt, had driven them off. I healed him, and got to know the knight during the evening as well as a minstrel who was also there. The minstrel told us a story about his experiences upon a slave ship. Tess, I wish you could have heard it. This was an effort worthy of a master bard. I am not ashamed to tell you that I was moved to tears. The slavers seemed to be working with a sect called “The Scarlet Sign”, and he was concerned that the man I had just healed was part of this sect! I asked Rao for guidance, and it turns out that this man’s intentions were not what they appeared to be! His soul was black with evil. I shared my findings with Harcourt to make him aware of the character of his companion. He decided to continue traveling with Rell, but he assured me that he would be on his guard. I hope that will be enough!
The next morning, they continued journeying south to Sir Harcourt’s estates in Gradsul, while I started back north with the minstrel. He revealed to me, after we had been traveling a while, that he was actually part of the band of brigands that attacked the knight’s party. You can be sure that I immediately started wondering what kind of man I had just joined forces with. His real name is Kespin, and he is indeed a bard. (Yes, I know. The similarity to the song we heard playing throughout Mitrik last season was not lost on me either. ) We left the road and found the rest of his companions.
Ah, Tess, I wish I had you here with me now! I am not certain at all about this group. They are giving me a great deal of information about the Scarlet Sign, though. I have enclosed my findings in a separate report and sent it back to the temple along with this missive. I spoke with the head priest there, and he is expecting my reports and will forward them back to Mitrik. Rao willing, he has done the same with the letters that I have been giving him.
There are two Halflings here, named Westwind and Rie. (I don’t know how the second one spells his name, but he is so prickly that I do not think I should ask for fear of offending him). Rie is a master of the woods. I do not think a deer would be able to use the trails that he can find! Westwind is very skilled with his blades, but he is even harder to get to know than Rie. I sense a shadow in him.
The third member of the party (fourth, counting the bard) is an interesting fellow. Very likable and personable. His name is Lysander, and I must admit, I feel more comfortable around him than around the two Halflings.
We are currently traveling in the farmlands of Ulek. We are of necessity avoiding all contact with officials, so I do not know exactly where we are. I will travel with these men a while, though. We are not heading too far away from Jurnre, so I still hope to meet you there for Richfest.
Again, I find myself missing you. I need your advice and your counsel, my love. I am not as sure of myself as I usually am. This is all new to me, and I fear my new companions will not be patient teachers.
Peace,
Girard
Flocktime 26
Dear Tess,
I hope you had a quiet Walpurgis. I know you do not like to acknowledge your birthing day on your own; I wish I could have been there to share it with you. My new companions and I spent it in the home of a very kind Halfling family. There was a young white dragon that had been hunting their area for a little while, and we took it upon ourselves to drive the beast away.
We brought the bones back to the grieving families so that they might complete whatever rituals will bring them peace. Westwind and Rie got into a bit of trouble with one of the matriarchs there when they tried to teach her young son how to smoke their weed. I know you enjoy it, Tess, but I cannot abide the smell for long.
Something happened during the fight, though, that makes me hesitate. The young man I spoke of earlier, Lysander…he is a strong mage, but the energy that he works with is dark. It makes me feel uncomfortable and shaken, like something unwholesome has passed by. He insists that I can examine him with Rao’s will to assure myself that he is pure and good, but that doesn’t answer the question in my heart. We are not naive, my love. I know that there are ways to shield one’s intentions from the eyes of the Gods, so even if the examination shows nothing, the question will still remain.
I am conflicted, my heart. These men are so driven to the Pomarge. When first I met them, Westwind said something about going to defeat the armies and dismantle the slaving trade. I laughed at the time. Considering the amount of time and effort the surrounding kingdoms have spent in trying to contain that wild land, I thought he could not possibly be serious! Now, I fear he was. They are driven by vengeance and anger, and I cannot support this. Nor do I feel that any attempt I make to dissuade them will be well-received.
We are not traveling on any established roads. I am writing to you during the evenings, and leaving these letters in the hands of any who will take them to a temple, in the hopes that the traveling priests of the area will eventually get them to Jurnre. I fear that many of these missives will never reach you. Still, writing to you makes me feel closer to you, strange though that may seem.
We are currently in a small village (you will forgive me if I give no details, as I do not know into whose hands these letters will fall), and we are waiting for a traveling priestess of Yondalla. I will leave this letter with her.
Peace,
Girard
Wealsun 10
Dear Tess,
We have had an exciting week or so here. Brother Hayburner and I are equally unable to explain how we came to be in the thick of such happenings. We had been traveling as usual through the farmlands here when we came upon the tracks of a large beast with many legs. The tracks intersected with a farmhouse that had clearly suffered terrible damage. We found the farmer and his wife inside, and then we took off after the beast. It was rampaging across the countryside, and it was clear that we needed to stop it.
We defeated it in the forest a day's ride away, then we were set upon by ogres. I really did not believe that we were going to survive that encounter. I was knocked unconscious several times, and I know now what you mean when you say that you can feel the protection of God directly around you. I could feel Rao’s presence filling me, protecting me, and sustaining me throughout.
The ogres left after we defeated their mage, and we rested for a day, during which time the Halflings took a (much-needed) bath. The ogres returned in force, however, and demanded recompense from us for slaying the beast, which turned out to be their pet. I started negotiations with them, and the group agreed to the terms laid out by the ogre leader. We were required to seek out an orc that had been causing them some amount of anguish in a part of the swamp. I figured that an enemy of our enemy might be an ally, so I heartily supported that quest.
It turns out that this orc is actually an elvish druid, and he is not the ally I had hoped he might be. He has not only been holding against the ogres, but he sent his swarms of insects to take out a human city nearby. These people had trusted him and welcomed him in, and he destroyed them, nearly to a man. We are sending one of the survivors off to tell the local lord of this tragedy, and I am sending this letter off with him. Brother Hayburner will be going off with him as well. He is a good horse, and he deserves better, and Ulrich has lost everything else. A good companion will serve him well.
We will be going back into the swamps after the druid. I hope that I will be able to hire the services of the hunter who is leading us to lead me back to Jurnre after we finish with the matter at hand. I am looking forward to seeing you again, my love.
Peace,
Girard.