PREVIOUSLY: Something is afoot in the Kassen logging camp. The heroes arrive to find a number of logs had broken free and toppled down onto the unexpected workers below. The heroes begin an investigation whilst helping the injured workers…
EVENTS: Kal and Sam made their way to the collapsed cabin and found that three workers were trapped underneath. Sam and Kal attempted to move a number of the logs, initially without success. As the workers screamed out for help, Sam managed to find the right position to lift two of the logs, whilst Kal recovered the men and set them aside after stabilizing their wounds.
Meanwhile Zevan and Nell made their way to where the logs had broken free from. There, Zevan began looking for tracks whilst Nell checked for any sign of magical tampering. Both found no signs of what they were looking for, with Zevan and Nell both discovering that the chains had broken through chemical means, although the chains themselves were weathered and clearly in need of repair.
From the tree tops, Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ checked the surrounding area with her keen elven senses. It was then that she observed movement coming from the underbrush, as though something was moving through the trees away from the logged clearing. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ yelled out to Zevan, however Zevan could not see anything from his vantage point. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ also noticed that a fire was brewing at the bottom of the hill near where a pack of chemicals had been smashed open. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ quickly jumped down to alert the others, but fell clumsily upon her decent. Not something a rogue would have been proud of doing. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar_ limped towards Kal and Sam to advise them of what she had seen.
Kal and Sam in the meantime had pulled all of the three of the workers out of the collapsed cabin. As _Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar approached, Kal noticed the young elf’s limp. Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar brushed it off as nothing more than a sprained ankle, but Kal knew better. Kal channeled his divine energy and healed the injured elf along with the men they had just rescued.
Meanwhile, Nell and Zevan went into the undergrowth in search of what Content Not Found: evelyn-lanthaldar had seen. Their search however was fruitless, and whatever had fled the camp was well and truly gone. Nell also detected residual magic nearby, but could not identify its source. With little else to look for, Nell and Zevan made their way to the encampment where the remaining workers were hurriedly making repairs, and the Logging Guild leader, Colbin Vetnar, was barking orders.
Nell and Zevan were the first at the fire. Nell tried ordering the men to help put out the fire, but it was clear they fears Colbin more than they did her. Zevan instinctively grabbed a bucket and scooped water from a nearby trough. Zevan attempted to extinguish the flame alone, but without success. Nell tried again but was shouted down by Colbin, who ordered her off site.
Once the men were comfortable, Eve, Kal and Sam also made their way to the tent encampment where the fire was starting to spread. Sam assisted Zevan with the bucketing, whilst Eve, Nell and Kal attempted to reason with the Logging Guild Leader. It was clear that Colbin was not interested in what they had to say. Nell then created a flame in her hand and threatened some of the workers. This was enough to sway a couple of the men to assist. Colbin in the meantime appeared more worried about the loss of income, more than he was with the well-being of his men.
It was not long before the fire was put out. Meanwhile the Mayor and Zevan’s mentor Arnama Lastrid, a ranger of some renown, arrived at the scene along with a number of the town’s guard including the Captain of the Guard, Gregor Wisslo.
Zevan approached Arnama and explained what had occurred, and showed Arnama the broken chains. Arnama was quick to identify tracks, but could not readily identify what they were. She was able to determine that the tracks went south, further into the forest, although disappeared after about 50 feet. Arnama asked Zevan to head in that direction, and report back anything that they found.
Nell, Eve and Zevan then disappeared into the undergrowth. Kal, who explained the situation to the mayor, observed the three disappear and called for Sam to accompany him into the forest and allow the councilmen to conduct their investigation.
The group followed the direction of the tracks for a good half mile before they entered a clearing. The clearing was filled will felled trees, which did not appear to have been logged, but that the trees had withered and died. The heroes entered the clearing, and as they did so, Eve and Zevan spotted movement from behind bushes. What was moving was unknown, and the group readied their weapons. Eve called out, stating that they meant no harm, claiming they only wanted to talk. With that, a single brownie staggered from behind a stump. Its skin was pale green, with veins cascading across its skin. The Brownie explained that it was suffering a curse, caused by the logging of the trees. A curse brought down on the forest by the Dark Queen. The Brownie gave the group a week to stop the logging, or that there would be consequences for their town. The group agreed, and the brownies disappeared.
The group made their way back to town. They had many questions, but night was fast approaching. Who was the Dark Queen? Why did she curse the brownies and the forest? What did the loggers do to cause this in the first place? Nell decided to converse with her father as he had been in Kassen for many years. Zevan made his way back to Arnama to question what she might know, and Sam was called for duty at the gate tower. Eve and Kal however decided to conduct their own investigations with the town sage, Holgast.
Zevan questioned Arnama into the night, but Arnama was just as puzzled about what Zevan had seen and heard.
Nell went to question her father and after being told he knew nothing, told the girl to do her chores. Wanting to join her friends she declined. Her father however cast a spell, and Nell later woke fulfilled as she had done her father’s bidding.
Meanwhile, as businesses were packing up for the evening, Eve and Kal went about the town asking questions, only to find that a number of key members in the town were missing or unavailable, including the Mayor. They did however speak with one of the baker’s apprentices who they convinced to explain what was going on. The apprentice said that it was part of the ritual. He could not elaborate other than a number of the towns folk were involved and had headed out the day before. Kal realised that his fellow acolyte Dimira Nashare had also not been seen for a day or so. The two realised that the Cobbler, a carpenter and his apprentice, along with 5 other townsfolk were missing. Kal and Eve soon went to Holgast’s tower and found him unavailable. His apprentice, a young man named Moto advised that he was away for a few days, and would return later.
Eve, Kal, Nell and Zevan then went off to the inn to discuss their findings. Whilst at the inn, Kal started making small talk with Asina Silvers, the inn keeper’s daughter. Asina was pleasant; however her mind appeared to be elsewhere. Nell and Zevan watched from a corner booth and found that a fight was brewing between some of the townsfolk and the loggers, in particular the wife of one of the loggers who was injured. A fight broke out, and the town guard was called.
Sam and his friend and fellow guardsman Golfond Kir were first at the scene, having heard the shouts for help from the gate tower. Sam and Kir quickly dealt with the revelers. Meanwhile, Eve, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Asina and Kal, learned that Asina’s father was under the weather. She offered to help behind the bar and during the fight slipped upstairs to Asina’s and her father’s quarters. There Eve found Trelvar Silvers sobbing with what appeared to be a drawing of him and his wife in one hand, and a bottle of rum in another. Eve attempted to counsel the man, however he was clearly upset, and at one stage suggested that Eve reminded him of his wife. Eve, somewhat, taken aback by his advances, withdrew and returned to the inn below.
Having dealt with the revelers, Sam and Kir imposed themselves on Asina for free ale. Asina, agreed, and as the two took their first swig, the Captain of the Guard, Gregor Wisslo arrived. The two were openly chastised and ordered back to the gate. The Captain suggested that the inn finish up for the night and the various groups dispersed. Eve returned upstairs and spoke at length with Jimes “Short Change” Iggins, her friends and mentor. Jimes had nothing to offer, other than a few more suggestions for fleecing drunken woodcutters of their coins.
The others returned to their homes, vowing to continue their investigations in the morning…
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