Killing a man is a lot like felling a tree, swing at the trunk and don’t stop until it falls over.

I’ve paid one of the kids in Finnmaela to write down the description of my last few days in case something happens on the way home, it’s been a bit of a trip. If something is to befall me, I want this note delivered to my family in Corkirk; tell them I loved them.

We left the town and crossed the river, it was a bit of a hike. I think our last foray into the woods and our experience with the trickster fey made us a little jumpy, but it didn’t help that we immediately ran into another song carried through the trees. Kevin, of course, was in a bit of a mood and immediately took off to investigate. I nearly ran after him, but I need to come to terms with the idea that my big brother can carry his own. Some damn Fey creature would have conjured a root and tripped me anyway and that would have ruined our chances of sneaking up on the source of the singing. Thankfully, he came back to the party several minutes later unscathed. He said there was a young man in the cabin, and there was a beautifully baked fresh apple pie; he seemed unconcerned, but my thoughts lingered on that pie. I had to skip breakfast to make it back to town bright and early, I am glad to report my growling gut did not attract any more wolves.

After a long hard ride we came upon thick bank of fog rolling into the coast against the wind. It was easy to see this was no regular fog so we rode fast to the village. I wish I could pick out more detail, it’s a bit of a blur. There was a fiery snake that turned into a group of men carrying torches. There was a figure with glowing eyes. They attacked, and we killed. I get the same feeling killing men as I do with felling trees, everything in the world fades around me and all I see is my axe and my work.  I am disturbed how detached I was to the killing, but we were there to save those people; we were in the right. That’s what I keep telling myself at least…

We hope to be back in Corkirk in a week’s time to deliver these details to the elders and figure out our next move. Apparently I had the sense of knocking one of the robed figures out instead of splitting his head in two with my axe, I’m pretty smart.

                                                Regards,

                                                                Benmore

Laenau help me!  I'm terrified and so out of place away from Corkirk.  I'm doing my best to keep my spirits up for the sake of the others.  Whereas Father Dake has chosen for me the task at hand, the others have volunteered.  They are my flock and I am their shepherd.  It is my duty as a chosen of Laenau to protect these people.  I guess I am a Hearthguard now and my traveling companions my wards.  That being said, they seem more capable than I am.

That first night and the fairies…   I think that's what they were.  I could hear singing and laughing but I wasn't put at ease by this.  Some of the others left the campsite to chase lights, faeries, thru the woods.  Darvin stayed behind with the horses and I wasn't at all sure what to do.  I'll be honest with myself, I panicked.  These woods scare me.  I've never been a woodsman like my father.  I don't have the fortitude for it, never did.  Anyways, I stayed in camp with Darvin thinking it the safest place but it turned out to be the worst place to be.  The campfire suddenly went out and then there was only laughing.  I summoned the fire of the hearth to light the clearing and everything was everywhere!  Our gear and everything, even the horses began to panic. I did the only thing that came to mind which was to try and speak to them in the Elvish tongue.  I told them we were no threat and that we meant no harm.  They did seem to leave but I almost feel it was out of boredom rather than my words.  I think it was Alyx that said the campsite was actually a faerie ring.  Looking back, I guess I can understand to a degree the faeries reaction to us.  We had invaded their home.  This is exactly what Laenau preaches to me to protect; hearth, home, and family.  We were probably lucky we walked away with only a story and no wounds.  I've heard the same stories as the others about vile and evil acts of the fey.

The next day there were the wolves.  FIrst we only heard them but later realized they were tracking and hunting us.  Maybe the Fey hadn't let us go so easily.  Luckily we broke from the wood before evening and the wolves seemed reluctant to follow.  They didn't forget about us however.

I was honestly excited to reach Stone's End.  Somehow the thought of reaching the safety of a town made me forget what horrors had supposedly befallen it.  The sight of the town quickly shattered my ease.  Everything was burnt, EVERYTHING!  There wasn't even a building left standing, just a few hearthstones amongst the rubble.  The people; men, women, and even children, all burnt.  It's the first time that I can remember being truly angry and somehow i felt very strongly my bond with my Goddess.  She had chosen me for this, thru Father Dake of course, but I knew I was here to discover who or what had caused this death and destruction and to make them accountable for their actions.  I felt like Laenau guided my actions at Stone's End.  She showed me the symbol of bones.  It was something I had seen in my teachings from Father Dake.  Something to beware of and only to know as a symbol of evil and demons.  There were…   mistakes in it, however.  Do demons make mistakes?  It would be like me drawing the holy symbol of Laenau and getting it wrong.  The church is my entire life and I wouldn't get something like that wrong.  To add to the suspicion, the others had noted footprints from a large group of people moving to the river and the very obvious lack of valuables amongst the ruins of the town.  Something was amiss.  When we gathered the bodies so that I could offer prayer and final rights, I felt a need to look closely at them.  It became apparent that many had been killed by blade beforehand.  No doubt this was Laenau guiding my actions again.  Whatever had exactly happened at Stone's End wasn't clear.  We all doubt demons but why the attempt to conceal it as such?  Whatever the case, I find it hard to believe that men could cause such wanton death and destruction but I intend to bring peace to the souls of Stone's End and the other towns that have befallen the same fate.  I swear this in Laenau's name!

Oh yes, the wolves.  They were WAITING for us!  I was deep in thought and more than worried about Corkirk when they swarmed in.  I wasn't ready for them.  Well, let me be honest again, I was terrified!  I called to Laenau for assistance and her blessing upon my friends and i could feel her presence thru me and to the others and I held onto that feeling.  I, however, felt like I was completely ineffective, flailing about in fear.  The wolves must have smelled it on me because they attacked me relentlessly.  Their bites so vicious, so painful!  I don't remember when I fell.  I woke to Darvin above me, finishing a divine healing upon me.  He is blessed by a different god than I but his magical healing seems familiar to me in some of the ritual that I managed to catch.  Malik was bitten quite badly and I drained the last of my energies healing his wounds.  Kevin was upset with me for using the spell on Malik and not one of the horses that was near death.  In hindsight, I suppose I could have bandaged Malik and healed the horse but, again, I was edgy and worried about the wolves returning.  We did camp there for the night and, thank the gods, the fey made no appearance.  Darvin claims to receive his powers from Koed, the forest god.  Perhaps that has something to do with it?

Something happened with the group while I was out.  I can feel a bit of tension between us all.  Then again, maybe it's just my nerves.  Laenau knows how stressed I am by all the events in just the last two days.  Thankfully, we are all alive and returning home even if it is with bad news.  Maybe that's the tension.  Us all being ousted from our normal life and thrust into this waking nightmare.  Yes, we are all different but we are all linked by our recent experiences.  And again, we are all alive.  I suppose I can feel happy that this Hearthguard has been successful in his duties.

Laenau watch over us!

*(It occured to me that bardic magic may not be divine in nature but, considering that Darvin has led townsfolk to believe it is a gift from the god Koed and Amatus teetering between life and death I think i'll leave the post as it is and just figure it was an assumption on Amatus' part.)

That boy probably should have put the horses out of their collective misery rather than argue with Amatus, but I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself: things have not been going well.

Our first night in nearly spelled disaster for the group.  I was awoken to a debate on whether or not there was any music in the air; I'm sure my immediate dismissal was understandable.  That dwarf is a talkative one; I initially figured he woke us all up just to have someone to keep him company, but the lights in the distance were compelling evidence.  Grandmother told me of the Fey.  I didn't recognize the Fey Circle we made camp in however, so I guess she didn't tell me that much.  What I did remember is that one shouldn't bother the Fey; especially faeries.  Angered sprites have been known to rip a man to shreds, all whilst laughing the laughter of children.

With this information at hand, it should be easy to imagine my consternation when that damned dwarf decided to run after them.  It wasn't my intention to run through the Grimarden in the dead of night, but I didn't have much choice.  I was told that I was making too much noise, and that I was the one that startled the creatures, but I very much doubt any of us are capable of surprising such beings in their own domain.  Fortunately, Alyx and I were able to convince him to return to the camp; good to see she has some sense.

There isn't too much else to say about that night.  While we were traipsing through the forest, the mischievous creatures had messed up the campsite.  They did so again at some point during the night, but I wasn't bothered.  The grumbling from these few is unwarranted: we were profoundly fortunate, considering our transgression.

We reached Stones End the following day.  It was shocking, to say the least.  The smell was the worst offender, without a doubt.  Charred bodies, burnt buildings…we were all rendered mute.  All but one.  While I'm sure that he has dealt with the dead more than the rest of us, I was somewhat disturbed by how quickly Amatus adapted to the situation; examining bodies and that curious symbol of bone and ash.  Somewhat disturbed, but also somewhat relieved.  His reaction seemed to snap the rest of us out of our trance, so we set upon the ruins.

One thing is clear from our investigation: this isn't the work of demons.  The fires were started after the villagers were slain, and looted I might add, and Benmore found tracks leading to the shore.  All the villages that have been attacked have been along the coastline, following a line.  While I'm glad that the others have dismissed the notion of a demonic presence, I'm more than a little angered that they believe this is nothing more than bandits.  The symbol alone is proof that something more is at work here, regardless of whether it has been drawn properly or not.  Symbols of this nature are known only to scholars or worshippers.  Amatus recognized it from Father Dake's library; where did this foe learn of it?  Books, especially of this nature, are rare, and it's far too complicated a rune to be drawn at random.

Why attack these villages?  The only spoils worth taking are crops, and these aggressors are burning those.  Why attack these villages?  Because they're near the Grimarden.  Because this is not a simple act of pillaging.  Because this force has a greater agenda, and it has to do with this accursed forest and that infernal symbol.

Addendum: I'm loathe to discuss my failures, but if these pages are going to take their place in the estate, I need to recount all of the events.  Upon leaving the remains of Stones End, we were set upon by wolves as we reentered the forest.  I reacted poorly.  My first thought as they barreled in towards us was, "Loud noise!".  I'm fairly certain that the resulting loud noise I created prolonged the encounter.  The pack leader clearly wanted to leave; it didn't even enter the fray.  The rest of the wolves ignored their leader, probably confused by my blunder.  Amatus was nearly gutted, something I aggravated somewhat upon realizing how torn my hand was.  The spasm was a shock to me and probably something much worse for the fallen cleric, but I suppose I'm glad to see I have such a high tolerance for pain.  The other revelations, apart from the fact that some archer they all recognize has joined our group, is that both Alyx and the bard have…something.  Darvin is responsible for Amatus's swift recovery, as he revealed a capability for curative magic.  Alyx, however…did something.  I felt it.  She has no innate abilities, of that I am sure, but she has something.  She is Mother Grams favored one; perhaps there lies the answer?  No one appeared to be bothered by any of this, I should add.

As impressed as I was with the woodsmen's ability to fight off a pack of wolves, one thing became clear: in a battle with real opponents, we are likely to be killed.  I may have to take a greater part in those situations.  The idea of being outed feels like a grim inevitability.  I have spent much of this trip pondering how each of these persons would react to such news, and I only feel confident in how Darvin would react: he'd out me.  Not out of malice perhaps, but I can't see a bard missing an opportunity for such a story.  I have a hard time placing the rest, but one thing is clear: at some point, the only persons opinion that matters is Amatus.

Our time at Stones End made it evident that he is the leader of this entourage of ours.  There was no talk of who should lead; he merely does.  Regardless of how each of them may consider the news of my abilities, his insight on the matter will sway theirs significantly.  I hope they're correct about the bandits, so that we may never need encounter anything that requires my sorcery.  I'm almost positive that they aren't, though.  There is something greater at work, and none of us will emerge unscathed.

Well, the good news is that Stones End wasn't destroyed by demons…probably.

In addition to Benmor, Amatus, Malik, and myself, there was one other who volunteered to go. I don't think I've ever seen Darvin not in the Rooster telling stories to whoever will listen. He's similar to Benmor, I guess. I don't know if he truly wanted to help or if he wanted to have a new story to tell. Our group of five left Corkirk early in the morning. I was a little upset that Kevin didn't show up to go with us. He may prefer to live in the forest, but Corkirk's still his home.

Stones End was a couple of days ride from Corkirk. The first day was mostly uneventful. Just a quiet ride through the Grimarden. Malik and Amatus really looked out of place surrounded by forest. It was getting dark when I made the decision to try to find a place to camp off the road. While that would mean camping in the Grimarden, it was probably safer than camping in the middle of the road that demons could be marching down. I found a small clearing with the help of Benmor, and we set up camp. We made a quick watch schedule and I turned in for the night.

Only for Benmor to wake me up a few hours later. I had the last watch dammit, not halfway through his own. He claimed he heard singing. I listened as hard as I could, but the only sounds around us were the sounds of the forest. But he was convinced something was singing nearby, so he climbed a tree and said there were lights too. By that point, I was awake and a little curious, so I climbed up with him. Sure enough, there was a group of lights just over a hundred feet from camp. As I was climbing down, I noticed that we had set up camp in a fairy ring. I'm really glad they turned out to be the little annoying kind of fairies and not the other kind.

When we both were back on the ground, we woke everyone up to try to figure out what to do about the lights. Apparently Amatus could also hear the singing, so maybe Benmor wasn't making that up. I decided to try to see what the lights were. Benmor and Malik joined me. Malik has a lot of drive, but he couldn't sneak up on the dead. Those lights kept moving further away. Just close enough to stay in sight, but never close enough to see what they were. I'm pretty sure they were taunting us. Eventually, Benmor and I split apart to try to circle around the lights. According to Benmor, the fairies used magic to make a root trip him. Honestly, I believe him. He may not be a tree mapper, but he's a damn good climber and can see in the dark better than any of us. It was when he started running off after them that I got worried. You don't just run off in a forest, especially the Grimarden. I called out to Malik, and we chased after him. We were able to catch up to him and convinced him to head back to camp without much trouble though.

The camp was scattered across the entire clearing! Hearing Darvin and Amatus tell it, the fire went out in a blink, and when Amatus used his magic to make a light, all of our gear was everywhere. We collected everything and I decided to go back to sleep. Darvin took next watch. We woke up to find the camp scattered again and Darvin fast asleep at his post. By this point, I just didn't care anymore and was glad to leave. From now on, I'm bringing honey with me whenever I have to stay overnight in the Grimarden. I'm pretty sure fairies like honey.

The second day was also uneventful, though we did notice wolves were following us. Luckily, they stopped once we left the Grimarden. We eventually made it to Stone's End. It was, horrible. The only signs of the town still standing were a few charred stumps. Ash covered everything and bones were everywhere. I suppose it was some comfort that the smell had abated, but there was so much death everywhere. In what must have been the center of town, the bones were laid out in a pattern. Amatus says that they make a demonic symbol, but there were little mistakes in it. Mistakes that demons are unlikely to make. He also noticed that several of the skeletons had their arm bones cut and chipped, which probably meant that whatever killed them was using weapons and the fire happened after. I'm not sure which would be a worse way to die.

While Amatus began work gathering the bones to give them what rites he could, Malik and I searched around the remains of the village. Something felt off, and eventually, we realized that there was only bones and ash. No warped plows. No singed drapes. Even the smith's anvil and tools were gone. Whatever came through there took everything it could possibly use and torched the rest. Benmor found some tracks to the east of the village and we followed them to the coast. Whatever made them was wearing boots. It was at the coast that we realized that all the villages we'd heard about being destroyed were all south of Corkirk and close to the coast. While there was another village a few days north, we decided to head back to Corkirk and warn them about what we found. We spent the rest of the day collecting the bones of the villagers and having Amatus pray over them.

Our third day out, we left Stones End and headed back to Corkirk. It seems the wolves decided to wait for us. We were in the Grimarden when they surrounded us. There were too many to keep away, and a few got to the horses. It was a lot of quick and brutal fighting. I think I got three of them before Amatus went down. There was also a loud noise while we were trying to defend the horses. It reminded me of thunder, but there was no lightning and no clouds. Maybe the fairies were still playing tricks? Maybe they were trying to help us? I don't know.
Some notes about our group.
-Apparently Benmor gets better at fighting when he's angry. I should keep that in mind.
-Darvin is pretty good with his narrowseax.
-Amatus may not be the best fighter, but damn if he doesn't go down swinging.
-Again, Malik has heart, but he's not that great with a blade. He is smart though. Maybe he'd do better with a bow or sling than with a seax. I wonder if Kevin would be willing to teach him?
Speaking of Kevin, he finally decided to show up. Honestly, I don't know why he didn't just leave with us. If I find out he was following us just waiting for a dramatic entrance, I'm going to beat his ass from one side of the village to the other.

After the fight, Darvin went over to Amatus and used some healing magic. I never knew he was blessed by Laenau also. He certainly doesn't seem priestly. Maybe he found a trinket like my necklace? Luckily, none of the horses died, though Hester was very close. It seemed like another fight was going to break out between Keven and Amatus when he started healing Malik instead of focusing on the horse. It was getting dark by then, so we settled down after tending as well as we could to the horses. The next day, Amatus healed the horses and we were able to make it back to Corkirk peacefully.

To sum up, whatever destroyed Stones End took everything of value before reducing it to ash. They also used weapons to kill the villagers and arranged their bones to look like a demon symbol, though there were mistakes that should not have been there. They came from the coast and wore boots. The town's barn nearly burned down before we left. And the closest town other than us is also on the coast and may have already been attacked. I get the feeling that we are heading to Finnmaela once Amatus finishes searching through Father Dake's library.

So last night, there was a big storm and the Rooster was full of loggers and farmers. It’s always fun to watch them be stuck in the same room together. In any case, the rain was coming down when Amatus let out a yell. Lightning had hit the storehouse and something had caught fire. A mass of us rushed into the rain to try to stop the fire before it destroyed everything. I admit that trying to climb up the rope to the burning storage loft in the middle of a storm may have been a dumb idea, but it would have looked cool if it worked. Not quite noteworthy of a bard, but bar room gossip at least. The point is, it didn’t work. So I ran in and got to the top of the storehouse the usual way. There was a lot of smoke, and most of it ended up in my lungs when I got up there. The fire was manageable, but spreading fast. Luckily, someone had organized and there was already a bucket line to the river. I made my way over to the loading door and used the pulley to get some of the buckets up quickly. It helped, and the fire was quickly put out, saving most of the town’s grain and lumber.

That’s where it got odd. Everyone was heading in, when suddenly there was this little kid. Couldn’t have been more than 8. No one knew who he was, and he was just standing in the middle of the road in the rain, covered in soot and ash and mud like the rest of us. Amatus was the one who went over and brought the boy inside. I’m not really sure what happened after that because that’s when I realized just how much smoke I’d breathed in. I can now say from experience that it hurts. Eventually Branigan came out of the room they’d taken the boy to and told everyone to get out.

The next morning Ingram called the village to the town circle. According to the boy, demons burned his village to the ground and were trying to do the same to Corkirk. Then he started asking for volunteers to go look at the kid’s village. Poor Amatus was actually shoved by Father Dake. I swear he gets more ornery every year, and Amatus really doesn’t deserve to take that from him. I was honestly surprised when Malik stepped up. I remember always delivering medicine to him when we were both little. He’s been healthy for years, but still, first impressions. There was a dwarf too, though I’m not sure if he wanted to help or hear people cheer for him. Turns out, he’s Kevin’s adopted brother. I don’t know the whole story, but I know there’s bad blood between Kevin and his father, though he’s never said anything bad about his brother. Benmor! That’s his name. I saw Kevin leave and head toward the woods. I kinda hope he decides to come to. He’s fun and we’ve worked well together. Oh yeah, I volunteered too. Told Branigan that he’d need to find another tree mapper until I get back. Rhys is probably the best replacement. That gnome is quick and has a good eye, though he’s still a little young.

Anyway, now I’m sitting here with a packed bag next to my desk. Spear, sling, axe, lucky amulet all ready to go. Just have to say goodbye to Mother Gram and I’m off to hunt some demons. Apparently. I really hope this ends well. Nara watch over us all.

Considering the circumstances, I probably should have known it was only a matter of time until something happened.

The townsfolk had actually been fairly reasonable since they retreated into the village proper; safety in numbers, I suppose.  Most of the rumors about the current happenings I had eavesdropped had been fairly mundane: either roaming bandits or vicious infighting had led our neighboring villages to their current fate.  I figured that I would probably be able to return to the estate within the next few nights with good news: they aren't blaming us.

Then the fire started.

The tavern was as loud and obnoxious as ever, or at least I assume, and then someone opened the door and started shouting.  I think it was Father Dake's boy, but I can't remember.  Everyone went mad, scrambling to the exit.  By the time I had made it outside, many were rushing into the flames to save the goods; I can only hope our surplus stock survived, as I didn't check.

I spotted a man off to the side, staring into the mud.  Hoping that perhaps he had found some clue as to what had happened, I rushed to his side and asked him what he was doing: nothing fruitful, it turned out.  I made my way behind the storehouse for a moment of privacy, and set out to detect any magic in the area.  I circled the entire storehouse to no avail; this fire was started with conventional means.

Rather than investigate the inside of the storehouse and give the villagers the sight of an Erenor standing among the ruins of their livelihood, I returned to the tavern and dried off.  After a short while I had the thought that perhaps this firestarter had set the storehouse alight to empty the tavern, but considering the overall mood, the men barring most of the rooms, and the fact that everyone was so wet and sooty that I couldn't recognize the few faces I was familiar with, I didn't look around to see if there was any merit to my idea.

After the pandemonium of last night, I would have appreciated a quiet morning, but with the dawn came news: their was a demonic presence in the land.  That's what Ingram has led us to believe, at least.  From what I gather, some child from one of the afflicted villages made it here last night during the storm.  The little one claimed demons had set upon his town.  Regardless of whether there is any truth to his claims, the moment that demonic forces were mentioned, I realized what my next course of action was.

It was only a matter of minutes before the cry for volunteers began, and I stepped forward shortly after Father Dake had proffered his ward for the investigation.  If I had remained silent, suspicion would eventually reach the family.  If I go, the chances of my line being outed are greater than they have ever been; or at least as far as my memory serves me.

My father once told me of a time in his youth where he had agreed to accompany a group of Corkirk representatives to a nearby village to discuss trading agreements, or something along those lines.  He had spent a fortnight in this other community and nothing untoward had happened, until the fifteenth night.  He was making his way back to the Inn after relieving himself, when a trio of besotted men approached him.  This other village had their own stories about the Erenor clan; how we have the entirety of Corkirk under our spell, bending to our every whim and desire.  They believed my fathers arrival meant the beginnings of an Erenor presence in their fair village, and attacked him.

My father is a strong man and at the time, a more than capable sorcerer; definitely more skilled than I.  He cried for assistance, and ended up being beaten half to death while waiting for the aide of one of his companions rather than defend himself with either fisticuffs or sorcery.  Those were the lengths he was willing to go to in order to keep our heritage a secret: in order to keep the Erenor name mundane.

I can only hope I have such conviction.

As we are set to start tonight, I found this video and thought some of the newcomers may appreciate the quick introduction it provides.