I hate Water but now I hate body thieves even more.
Couple of days after our escapades in the tower we awoke in the morning with an unusual guest. A Human Druid Named Darriel Glass that some of our Coterie Knew off. After discerning the man was of no threat we started conversations with him. The discussion went into magical items and which our party had but no way of identifying but Darriel apparently did He wanted gold in exchange for the services though. Laveall was perfectly happy to pay His Asking Price of 200gp (I am done with this persons lack of intelligence) I for one Argued 200gp is way too much, you can buy a house with that much gold. After some masterful haggling on my part we managed to bring his price down to 100gp. He identified some of our items and were happy with the service until he cast a spell on me and claimed I still have a lot of magical Items on me. I said I only had one, The potion of the porcupine, but he argues I actually have five and he proceeded to point them out on my person. Feeling embarrassed that the party found out I had more Items on my person than I first let out I told him to keep his spells to himself and that I don't need his services since its still way too over priced. The Party Interjected and paid him to identify all the magical Items I had on my person. I now had In my Possession six magical items an Elixir of the porcupine, a Luck Stone, a Magical Rapier, a Ring of the Ram, a Scrimshaw comb and I still have that root Mother Molvor gave us. After we parted ways with the druid the group asked me where I found those Items, I just told them I've always had em even before I met them, That seemed to satisfy them.
Some time later the weather seemed to turn on us and started to look for shelter. We found some wagons parked in front of a cave. Upon inspecting them we found some half eaten Human remains and the blood trails led into the cave. We went into the caves and came upon some ghouls and cloaked figures performing some sort of ritual. I used my new comb to mask myself from the undead and thenEluine and I sneaked around some fungi to get closer. The rest of the party came out and started a conversation with ghouls. When the Conversations started to head south, that was when I decided to strike. I rushed around the fungi and struck a mighty blow toward their leader. The Fight was on. The leader turned towards me and faster than I have seen a creature move assaulted me with claws, teeth and even his halberd. I was driven back by sheer flurry strikes but I kept on fighting. During some time in the fight I got knocked down and I found Stevnar right beside me, picking me up and together side by side we fought together taking out the ghouls. We left one alive for questioning.
After some questioning we realized he didn't know much. He agreed to do a job just didn't know he was working with ghouls who took him to this cave and then he was handed a journal. Apparently they were looking for something called a "Toungue of Derende", A type of fungi. He didn't know his employer and couldn't really tell anything else since he didn't know anything else. We decided to let him go after he gave us all his gold and The journal he was given.
After some Investigation we realized the Journal Belonged to Hazel. I remember her from Wheedon Village, A very Intelligent and despite myself, A rather cute centaur (If you're into ladies with more than four limbs. What? I maybe a great lover of women but I do still have my preferences). She helped me out with some questions I have with some magical Items I have.
Upon reading her Journal (I know. not really very chivalrous of us. A Man must respect a woman privacy. Always. However this was a special exeption) we really we may have indirectly crossing paths. She was also being influenced in the margreve (I swear every woman in this godforsaken forest is somehow connected to Margreve. if they really are there really is no chance for romance for me here) just like us to do its bidding. Discovering her journal I hope she wasn't hurt in anyway and that she just lost her journal or stolen.
We Decided to spend to spend the night inside the cave to avoid the storm. However once we wake the storm was still there (I swear at this point the Margreve is just doing this to Piss me off), Despite that we continued on the road to Whistlehollow in the cold and rain.
We arrived at Whistlehollow around mid day and it was still storming. We decided to go to an inn and shelter for awhile. When we got to the inn there were some wanted posters stuck to the walls. One of the poster, if I remember correctly was one of Eagehrts minions, the ones that we released to the forest but the posters seemed to be older than those events. More interesting though was some of the posters had an image if an Erina that looked suspiciously like Dodgy. We questioned him about it but he was very dodgy with the answers (Come at me Hombre!) claiming it wasnt him and that all Erinas looked alike. To further his point he stood next to Leveall but we still can tell the difference. He says you can only tell the difference because we've been travelling together lone enough but new onlookers will not be able to tell the difference. I can argue that the same for every race but I digress. Dodgy then proceeded to collect the wanted posted posters of the Erina that looked like him. I mean That's not dodgy at all (I can do this all day!).
So we entered the Inn and I was so glad that we finally get to enjoy some genuine cooked food and who knows maybe a Señorita will find her way into my arms. It was a simple establishment however there were a group of people who gave us looks as we walked in and I also noticed that the tables had knives with their blades pointing up. The bartender told us to go take seat and so we did. A bar maid came to take our orders, I asked for some milk and started to flirt a little. She wasn't particularly receptive but if given time I'm sure I can win her over. I then asked about the knives, she said it was some sort of superstitious shenanigans. That was when we heard the screaming from upstairs. One of the men who gave us the looks stood up drew his sword and claimed we was going to end this now ans started to make his way to the stairs before his comrades dragged him back to his seat telling him to settle down. Our group decided then to investigate.
On our way up the stairs and woman burst from the stairs carrying a lot of bloody cloths. As she passed us by I asked he if someone was giving birth upstairs. She said yes. Stevnar then asked if he can help. I told her he was a very capable healer. She gave a reluctant nod. After another scream the party rushed upstairs exempt for me since I would be of much help for this matter. I heard some commotion upstairs and eventually I heard someone say we need Whiskey, Butter and Leg of the guy downstairs. I though to myself finally something I can be useful at. I saw the guy and managed to convince him to give me his wooden leg. I handed it over and finally decide to come up. There was an Old lady laying on bed with a gal protruding from her torso, A man with a baby at the corner and Hazel unconscious on the ground. The lady Took the leg put butter in it and stuffed her odd looking pet in it and sealed it up. She gave us the told us to go to her sister Marva's house to get a soul jug, the only thing that would keep her soul from being consumed by whatever was growing in her. Her pet in the leg will serve as proof. And after some directions just like that we have our next quest.
On the road to the House we found some bodies. I went ahead and Tried to inspect them. That was when a huge mass of leaves and compost erupted all over the body and some lizards from the forests came and attacked us. We dispatched the monsters no problem but then we realized the body was still alive. We managed to revive him and he said they were an their way to the Marva's house when they were attacked by the lizards and he's Father died in the battle. He thanked us after awhile and handed Dodgy a nice coat that made him invisible in the rain. After that he headed back to the village.
We Continued on until we ran into a a giant spiders nest and there was a deer person caught on the webs. We were on our way to untangle him until we were beset by giant spider. During the fight a Larger on appeared that can turn invisible. Still they were of no match to us. We untangled the Deer person which I was told were called Alseids. He told us he was cursed to leave behind human foot prints which was a cause enough for his tribe to rip off his antlers and banish him (once more the Margeve proves its uncaring and cruel nature). Dodgy cast a spell to remove his curse and that was the end of his plight and he went on his way. We pressed on.
We finally found the house it was suspended on a rope using its eight wooden legs like a spider over a chasm with a fast flowing river underneath it. Eluine and I Decided to climb the rope to get to the house. That was when the rope snapped and plunged into the river. I hate water but I managed to grab a hold of the house to avoid being carried beneath the current of the river. The house managed to drag itself to the shore and we entered. We called for Mavra but no one answered. We investigated a chest that was on the room and managed to open it. There was a force in the chest that tries to suck into into it. The party decides to split up in a way. half will try to figure the chest out while half will try to get the house moving back to Whistlehollow. Eluine tried investigating but was Sucked into the chest, now I did not know what he was doing in there we wanted us to look for a cork. We could find one. Me and Stevnat tried to pull him out but to no avail and I was sucked in there with him. There were three bottled in there which I had a feeling one of them was the soul jug. We released the Humunclus which was the old ladies pet and said that his master Jedza Nansa (which I had the feeling was the old Ladies name) was dying and we should get back ASAP. I do not know what Eluine did but he got us out. We then Operated the House ad group speeding our way back to Whistlehollow.
Upon Arriving we realized Jedza was close to dying but managed to ask her how to get soul jug out. She Answered we needed to stick for hand in there to get it. We managed to grab the soul jug and managed to give it to her where she proceeded to open it. I guess her soul got sucked in. That was when I felt a force trying to force its will into my body I wasn't expecting it so I manged to kick me out if my own body. My being dragged into the bottle and I saw my body say "Brace yourselves, its too late, its about to burst out off my body. Prepare for a fight.". That was when Jedzas Body Exploded.
The Gall came out off her body and proceeded to attack. I managed to reclaim my body and join the battle. The beast rode a whirlwind and summoned lightning creatures from the storm outside to help him fight. What followed was one of the hardest battle we've had in a very long time. I kept missing my attacks with both my swords (Which never Happens, A Testament of how formidable our foe was) and some my companions went down. The gall also had the power to drain the lightning creature to help him heal himself, Adding its already formidable arsenal of abilities. Then I started to get into a groove and I tried to remember Rodrigo's teachings "Combat is like a dance, you must follow your enemies movements and then when you see your opportunity strike like you life depended on it because it does. Also always Aim for the Vital points that sustain life. If it bleeds it has a heart, Pierce it!" and I started to hit with my attacks and my compatriots decided to focus our attacks on the gall eventually Killing it. With their master dead and gone the rest of the lightning creatures dissipated. I leaned on a wall and slumped to the floor. That was one of the most terrible foes I've ever had to face, it felt like I was staring death in the face.
That night we slept in The inn. I picked a nice, comfortable corner to curl up and sleep. That night I was woken up by an owl. I reached for my dagger thinking It was another one of the Margreve's shitfuckery. The owl then talked telling me how even Though I distrust the Margreve (Understatement of the century right there) It was still thankful for my services to it. The owl then gave a box. I pried it open with my dagger without touching it and saw inside it was the same tinder my compatriots received. The ones that imbues their Item with magical power. I Grabbed the box and Thanked the owl. "Gracias Señor Owl." I said. "To save the child you must also save the forest." The owl's parting words before it flew away into the night. What ever could those words mean???