plans and travel

[cellio]

March 2 (Monday)

Damn -- that was fast. Last night I noticed someone scrying on us. Not good! Melisande is on our trail, it appears. Time to leave.

We said goodbye to Brennan, Delyan, and Olver, and said we would try to keep them updated as best we could and that we would look for Charlos. I'm going to miss them, particularly Brennan. And Charlos, of course, but I already miss him.

Garrett has ruined the lives of a lot of people, and we played right into it. Now we have to run and try to hide -- and he has a pet wizard, maybe two, so how effective is that? And the sanctum is left to a bare-bones crew, if you'll pardon the expression. This is so aggrevating! All because he took out a 500-year-old grudge against someone else by attacking the emperor! He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that the person he stabbed had done nothing at all to him. His quarrel was with Renard and Agonadryl, but he took it out on Damoskenes. That makes no sense! I guess when you're 500 years old you don't have to use logic any more?

Today was a gloomy, snow-filled day. Yet, it was bright enough outdoors to confirm something I first noticed a week or so ago in the sanctum: Liandra's eyes are different. They appear to reflect tiny bits of flame -- very striking, and I haven't completely figured out how to duplicate the effect. But I think ruby earrings and a nice thin gold hairband would bring it out nicely on her.

But it was definitely there, and Liandra doesn't do the kind of appearance-enhancing magic that I do, so I finally asked her about it. She said that it happened after she healed the pool, and that she felt but could not describe a change that occurred when she bled into the pool. It seems that she, too, is connected to the land now. Perhaps her eyes reflect the state of the dragon's chamber -- currently filled with intermitent bursts of dragon-fire. Hmm, I wonder if we can use Liandra's eyes as sort of an early-warning system; if they get much brighter, we'll know that things have gone even worse there. I didn't say anything about this to her; I suspect that if things get worse, both she and I will know it anyway.

Kyle has been very quiet since Saturday. I think he's scared, like we all are, and that he also misses Turok. He says drinking just isn't the same without him. I miss Turok a lot too, and I dearly hope we can rescue him. I am glad that, at least, he didn't appear to be in physical pain. Looking in on him again is too risky, though, so we'll have to trust what Liandra saw yesterday, at least for now.

All things considered, this also wasn't the best time for Kyle to set off the enchantment on my diary. What started out as a light-hearted game didn't work out so well. Oops.

March 3 (Tuesday)

My guard arrangement with Hrolf seems to be working out. The two of us have agreed that no matter what, there will not be any time when the two of us are both asleep. When one of us sleeps, the other must be awake and alert for vampire attacks. This does mean that we don't get to share a guard shift at night like we're used to, but that's a small price to pay for a better chance at safety.

We couldn't find an inn last night; we probably should have stopped at the last hamlet we passed through, but we're trying to move as quickly as possible. I do miss Prolix's magical enclosure for those nights we have to spend outdoors.

Tonight, fortunately, we found an inn.

I have an idea for rescuing Turok and Prolix. Well, part of an idea, anyway, but Liandra and Kyle think it's a good one. It does depend on help from Boniface, but that's why we're headed to Kozel'sk. The easy part, it turns out, is retrieving them; the hard part may be breaking Garrett's enchantments.

We can use Turok's bracelet, the one he entrusted to me for the next time he gets swallowed by a monster, to bring him to us. However, we can't do that right now, because it's not safe. Garrett would simply command him to kill us, and even four against one he might be able to kill one of us before we could stop him. And even if we succeed in subduing him, we'd have to keep him tied up until we can free his mind, and that's got to be rough. No, we need to have magical protections in place, like we did when fighting Garrett, and we need to have someone standing by to break the enchantment, before we summon him. This is where I hope Boniface can help.

Please, Pelor, let this work. I miss my friend, and I hate giving him over into Garrett's service without a chance to resist.

The bracelet has two charms, which will presumably allow us to rescue both of them. It's Turok's bracelet, though, so we should rescue him first and then ask if we can use the other charm for Prolix.

I still can't believe that Garrett attacked Agondre just for thrills. He wanted to be famous for killing a dragon -- well how nice for him. Never mind that other people were depending on that dragon. Never mind that when that dragon dies so will he, and all of his potential admirers. What a short-sighted, pompous ass. He doesn't believe in the connection between the dragon and the land -- so how does he explain current events? He can't -- but he doesn't care. Someday we will kill him and remove his blight from Agondre, I hope -- but not now.

March 4 (Wednesday)

Today Liandra told us that her good friend Talia might give birth while we are in Oakhame. When there is a new child, druids gather to bestow gifts, so she suggested that we think about the gifts we would give. These are not material gifts but character qualities, she said, and we give nothing up in the process. This confused Kyle; he was muttering about "how do you give something but not give it?". But I think I get it; it sounds like the folk tales my grandparents used to tell.

I wonder what would make a suitable gift. Liandra said it has to be something we have in abundance. Magical fire seems to come naturally to me, and I think I have it in abundance, but I don't think that would be a welcome gift for a child in a forest. Better to save that for adulthood. So I will have to continue to think about this.

March 6 (Friday)

By pushing ourselves, we have arrived in Kozel'sk. We were able to get an audience with Boniface without too much trouble; he still remembers us favorably for helping them with their monster problem a couple months ago. I would have called that debt even, given that he helped us free Turok from Skullcreeper. But it's good to be remembered positively.

They have had minor flare-ups in the basement, but they have been easily dealt with and reconstruction continues. It sounds like the worst is over. I'm glad of that.

We told him that we have a problem involving Turok and Prolix, and that they have been captured by a vampire. I said that I think I know how to retrieve them, but I do not know how to break the hold that, according to legend, vampires have over their victims. We talked about protection from evil as a way to dull it temporarily, but I said we needed a permanent solution. Boniface said that there is a way to do this, but that he himself lacks the ability. He suggested that we consult with the Priest-General Brand, high priest of Kord, in a few days.

Boniface asked if we had yet heard the prophecies they had learned about, and I told him we had. He asked if we had any insight into what they meant and I found myself trying to explain arcane geography without going into details. This was a mistake, I think. I think he understood the part about "Agondre's bane" being both the weapon and its wielder, at least; I think he politely listened as I tried to explain the "capital".

Since Brand is not yet available, we will go to Oakhame to speak with Seamus, try to scry Charlos, and perhaps attend a new-baby ceremony, and return here in a few days.

I wish it were safe to try to look in on them again. I really want to know how Turok is doing.

March 7 (Saturday)

We arrived in Oakhame tonight just in time -- Talia was in labor. Liandra ran off to join Mairead and the other women. She invited me, but I safely extracted myself. It could be really embarrassing; I didn't want Liandra to see that most of what I know about birth involves cows and goats. I don't think, with humans, that you're supposed to reach in and guide the horns... (And from what I remember of my sisters being born, humans are much more finicky and icky than livestock. Best to leave it to the experts.)

After some time we heard a cry and someone told us that the child had been born. It's a pity the father wasn't there; he's in Cardior in the army. Much sooner than I would have expected, Talia and the baby joined us and we had the naming and gift-giving. The boy's name is Riordan. That's a pretty name.

Mairead spoke first and gave him the gift of leadership, followed by Seamus who gave him the gift of memory. Then it was my turn (I thought the residents would be first); I gave him the gift of cleverness, to figure out puzzles and connect information together. I hope that was ok -- I think it was, because Seamus nodded approvingly. Kyle gave him skill with a dagger, Liandra gave him compassion (an excellent choice!), and Viggo gave him cunning. There were many others, of course, but I do not remember them all.

Later, we talked with Mairead and Seamus about recent events. We told them everything about Garrett and the fate of Turok and Prolix. We also told them about our other adventures since leaving Oakhame; it was getting late and we will talk more tomorrow. Seamus and Mairead share our concern for the new danger to Agondre. Garrett has clearly set something in motion that is making him stronger without his having to do anything at all, and now he knows about our efforts to stop him. Bad. Very bad.

Seamus had a bit of disturbing news for us, too: the cat-man we found under Durgam's Folly escaped a few weeks ago. We don't know where he went, nor do we know what he was doing here in the first place. I wish Turok were here to tell us more about his sort.

It might be my imagination, but Seamus and Mairead look weaker than they were a couple months ago. I hope this is a temporary condition but fear it might not be. Oakhame is pretty connected to the land, after all.

March 8 (Sunday)

Liandra scried Charlos today. She and Seamus both said this probably wouldn't work because he's a ghost, but it actually did. Go Liandra! I'm sure Oakhame's scrying pool helped, too.

She was able to see him but not communicate with him, and he did not speak. He was in a library with no one else around. There seemed to be no danger of being seen by Garrett, so she took the time to look around. Eventually she spotted what appeared to be Prolix's spell books -- or, at least, they looked like spell books and they are small like his. I wonder if Prolix is still being beaten and kept awake. We can't risk looking.

We talked with Seamus about the high priest of Kord. Seamus knows of him and says he is a stubborn man who will certainly expect a donation to his temple. That doesn't surprise me; I hope that we are able to come up with enough among the three of us. Seamus said he will contact his friends in Kozel'sk and arrange for Kord to hear some of the songs about us; that might help. (It sounds like there are more songs now, too. That still feels a little strange, to have people singing about me.)

Seamus said that the high priest enjoys wrestling and similar contests of strength. That makes sense. None of us can provide a challenge for him directly, but I wonder if it would be useful for me to offer to shape-change into bigger things and wrestle with him. If it gains his favor, I'm willing to get tossed around a bit.

March 9 (Monday)

So far we have not noticed any more scrying. I don't know whether to be relieved or paranoid -- perhaps Melisande has found a way to scry sneakily. I hope we are not endangering Oakhame by being here. We are going to leave tomorrow for Kozel'sk.

Liandra had a good idea. Because the priests of Kord are warriors who value strength, she is bringing him a markorl sapling on which she has cast a growth spell. She says it will grow quickly once planted.

We've got about 700 gold pieces to spend. I hope that will be enough. We spent most of our money on preparations for the fight, of course. (And Prolix went over budget, too.)

March 10 (Tuesday)

We reached Kozel'sk today and were able to meet with Priest-General Brand. The man is physically imposing and strong -- except that he is currently walking with a cane. It does not appear to be from an injury and the man is not old. I have a bad feeling about this.

The temple of Kord is large, probably the largest in the city, and grand. We were first led to the high priest in a public thoroughfare with many other priests around. We did not want to go into detail there; we stated only that a friend was being controlled by an outside force and we wanted his help in breaking that control. Eventually he offered us a more private space to talk and we were able to tell him about the vampire.

As Boniface predicted, Priest-General Brand will be able to help us (for a significant donation). We discussed some logistics, and he told us to return tomorrow.

I pray to Pelor that this works, and for the strength of Kord's high priest. I am eager for the return of an independent Turok, and we are almost out of resources and ideas. As Pelor's warmth returns to the sky, may it also strengthen all those working for the land.