Company Log ­ 28th of Blossom, 801
As scribed by BlackHawk

After long hours of celebrating and rejoicing late into the night we look forward to our first day with our true selves with a sense of better things to come.

Before I awake early this morning I was visited by a disturbing dream. I find myself in a forest. In the distance I can hear the clarion call of horns, and the excited baying of dogs. From a nearby bush a fox shoots out and runs halfway across the clearing....he suddenly stops, sniffs the wind, and listens. He turns his large eyes towards me, and I see the fear of the hunted animal. Thrashing sounds in the bushes indicate that the hounds are approaching. With a final look, the fox bounds ahead and disappears into the brush. Moments later a veritable wall of barking dogs erupts from the foliage and sweeps across the clearing. With the sound of nearby thunder dozens of Ardanian nobles attired in red hunting jackets pour out of the woods on horseback. More horn blasts deafening me slightly as the cacophonous mob blasts by me and disappears into the trees on the other side of the clearing. I awaken with a start and a sense of urgency. Other members of our party have had similar dreams of the chased fox but this is my first and I find it frightening.

As we meet this morning the first thing I notice is a glow and suppressed smiles from Lea and Jaden. Apparently Jaden’s heightened spirits have overcome his fear in showing his true feelings toward Lea. I am glad she accepted his advances. But as I look around the room it is not all smiles, for after sharing my dream it appears we all had the same imagery last night, all but Lea. We all share our ideas regarding the possible meaning of this dream, from the Blackcloaks closing in on us here in Puddleby to the possibility of Uncle Max being the prey represented by the fox.

As we prepare for the day and head down for breakfast we notice that there are far less staff around as we have seen this early in the morning. I hoped we did not keep them up to late with our calibration. We have a hardy breakfast of eggs, breads, meats and a strong tea that I sweeten with an unusual honey. Upon inquiry we learn the honey is gathered from the large ants we saw on our way into town. As I look outside through the window I am glad to see the weather is breaking and the rain is finally letting up. The streets seem like rivers of mud I cannot imagine anyone dressing in fine clothes here but I have noticed some of the shopkeepers tend to wear fineries. Seems odd but perhaps they have others to do their errands around town for them.

We decide to split up as not to attract too much attention and to accomplish as much as we can by days end. Jaden and Jotork will spend some time at the library until the shops open later this morning and then Jaden wanted to visit a trinket shop he saw earlier on their way to purchase our needed writing supplies.

Lea, Stephan and I will try and sell our spoils and acquire some additional arms that may come in handy on our voyage to Bliss. We then intend to scout out the docks for signs of the pirates pending arrival. Raven has decided to remain here and finish her meditations and get some additional rest. It seem the return to our true bodies has been harder on her than the rest of us. I can understand that, since while I occupied her body I could sense the strong connection she has to it. I believe we can all see it in the grace of her movements.

We have decided that the best way to sell off our excess arms is to look for a quick sale at Witkus’s Weapon shop, since we are not looking to get the best price just a quick transaction. Wirkus’s shop is a short walk from the Purple Toria and upon entering we find Witkus behind the counter taking inventory in preparation for the coming whirlwind of actives surrounding the Beltane celebration. Witkus is huge man with a long beard and seems to be a fine craftsman as well as a levelheaded businessman. He recognizes Lea and asks her about a particular dagger he once sold her. It seem she has a large collections of blades. He also recognizes one of the maces as crafted by his hand. I asked about magically enhanced items and he said they where rare and that most of the enhancements are short term.

We sold: Morning Star Hand Crossbow Heavy Mace Quarterstaff Dagger Morning Star Chain shirt Masterwork Sap

We Acquired: Masterwork Rapier 13 Masterwork Arrows Small Mace 10 Fire Opals (100gp each)

We decide to return to the hotel to drop off the items and check on Raven before heading to the docks.

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Jotork and Jaden arrive at the library across town. As Jaden ponders the possibility of scribing the invisibility spell he found earlier to a scroll it becomes obvious it is a much larger task than he imagined, estimating it would take him up to 5 day to accomplish. Jaden moves to another area of the library and as he is flipping through a book on winemaking he notices a fine snow of dust that seems to be drifting down around him. As he looks down it seem to be limited to the area just around him. A quick look around reviles nothing unusual.

In the meantime Jotork is looking for maps, histories and texts on the politics of the area but finds very little referring to Puddlelby. It seems that most of these books seem to originate from elsewhere. As Jotork moves to another area he finds an old elvish book with wondrous plates. The images are very unusual showing what appear to be warriors dressed and armed with very ornate, even gaudy items. These include armor with points and spikes, swords with curves and waves, and elaborate headdresses and helms with large plumes. The clothing looks suited for warm weather and consists of silks and kilts. Jotork has never seen anything like this before. Everything in the picture seems to be for show and would be impractical to use. As he his studying the picture further the book suddenly snaps close on its own as if possessed. He reopens it and studies the plate again and the surrounding pages but all seems normal.

Finishing up at the library the next stop is a trinket shop called The Love Shack. As they pass through the town center they notice a lot more people than before, most in robes and to there surprise most are armed or at least carrying weapons but still no sight of pirates. As they pass by the west gate of the city they notice an unusual building near the brewery. It has large locked doors with unrecognizable symbols on it.

As they approach The Love Shack Jotork decides to wait outside to give Jaden some privacy in making his selections. The interior of the shop is very nice with a lot of the item displayed in red velvet cases. The proprietor is a lovely lady with long flowing golden hair and wearing an elegant dress. (I still have to wonder why someone would dress like this in a town covered in mud. The cleaners must make a fortune.) Also behind the counter is an odd looking gentleman with a build of a berserker but dressed in finery and looking a little snobbishly as he peers over his spectacles. The woman approaches Jaden as asks what she may do for him. Suddenly Jaden starts to squelch a laugh as he is suddenly overcome with tickles as if someone was running a feather under his robes. He feels that Carlotta has something to do with it. The items in the store seen quite pricey and he finally settles on a tangle weed bouquet for 90cp. The proprietor then offers him a sample of a sweet only sold here. She calls it chocolate. Jaden finds in irresistible and buys a small box for the rest of us to sample. They then leave for the hotel to drop off the goodies before doing the rest of their shopping.

As they enter the room they fine the rest of the party there and then with a shrill sound Lea practically leaps toward Jaden and dives into the chocolate eating four pieces before we know it, all the while squealing with delight. We all try some and the conversation soon leads to how we could import and market the stuff.

Well on with the afternoon. Jaden Lea and Jotork head for the monastery to purchase some parchment then to the alchemists for ink and finally the market for some quills. The monastery is a large bamboo and wood structure with a large exterior gate and a second gate entering onto a courtyard. In the courtyard is a lot of activity including monks training in a Martial Art that no one in the party has seen before. It is focused on the use of bracers to deflect blows and seems to involve the conservation of movement in defense until an opening is found for an attack. Also in the courtyard are a number of booths and rooms with different activities. There seems to be some element of the Celestial church here but without any of the symbols. Jaden approaches a very old bald and toothless monk that looks to be around 140 years old. Suddenly they hear in the distance a booming voice yelling GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL. They all look around wondering if for some reason it was directed at them but saw nothing unusual. Jaden then continued asking if the monks here are wiling to sell parchment. He is directed to a stall in a stable where a man seems to be drawing something. As they move on they see other monks selling artwork and exotic weapons including the bracers they saw earlier. All seem to be of the highest quality. As they approach the stall they and see the artist and a little girl running from him as he yells to her GET OUT OF HERE! They see he was using calligraphy to create a very detailed image of an interwoven Celtic type knot-work. The work is exceedingly precise and done in gold, reds, and blues but across the piece is a large swipe of ink that apparently was the result of the actions of the little girl. Jaden then ask the flustered monk if he is willing to sell some parchment. He asks if that is our child and Jaden gives a definite NO. He sets the price at 20cp per sheet. At this point the girl runs up to Jaden and tugs on his robe calling out DADDY! DADDY! (Jaden thinks the girl might be an apparition or incarnation of Carlotta.) The monk says the price is now 30cp per sheet. As Jaden tries to shoo away the girl Lea talks the price of the parchment back down to 20cp and purchases 10 sheets. Jotork spends his time looking at the weapon shops and watching the monks practice their fighting skills. He is then surprised by the little girl again as she quickly drew a stick figure of a woman on his leg and then ran off darting under the robes of the other monks in the monastery. They all thought it was a good time to make a quick exit.

They quickly head to the alchemists shop and purchased some ink for the rather steep price of 400cp, but it should be enough for all the party. As they leave they glance back and notice about 20 child size inky hand-prints all over the shops door and the little girl running up to them again calling DADDY! DADDY! As the approached the town square she again darted off disappearing into the crowd.

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Lea, Raven, Stephen and I leave the hotel and head for the docks to scout out the activity and to see if any of the pirates have arrived yet. As we arrive at the docks there are no signs of ships in port or on the horizon. All I could see is the breaching of a 60 foot tentacle from a giant squid like creature. So I guess I should say nothing unusual for around here, except for the large number of people and the fact that they all seemed to be armed. I sure would not want to be around here if a riot should break out. As we return to the town center Raven says she would like to visit the Gaia Temple but request we wait outside. As we travel though the town center Stephen spots a person in a gray robe with one very withered hand protruding from it holding a milky white crystal sphere. Stephen greeted the figure, “good day”. I see a quizzical look on Stephens face and he later told us he was hearing the beings voice in his head. “What do you want?” question the cloaked figure, now reminding me more of the grim reaper from stories I heard as a child. “Knowledge” Stephen replies, “That is a pricey topic perhaps something a little less expensive. What do you offer for payment?” “I could entertainÉ.” “Your mind is a curiosity with its thoughts dancing to and fro. You must think more plainly to find what you seek.” “I look for the power you and your kind possess.” “We have no power it is all an illusion.” “That is an interesting perspective.” “All is an illusion. What you seek is an illusion. I seek nothing and nothing seeks me, but what is the nothing.” At this time Raven starts to worry and senses a very elaborate Celtic knot. She removed a knife form her cloak and symbolically passes it between Stephen and the figure to see if she can cut the connection. Stephen continues, “I seek enlightenment.” “One lit candle does not light the darkness.” At this point a small young lady of about 17 appears from what seems like nowhere and pulls on Stephens robes. “Hello mister. What do you need? She won’t help you anyway.” Stephen’s communication with the robed figure is broken but he still seems dazed. Raven asks, “Are you of the same order?” “No a different one.” Stephen now says, “ I am looking for enlightenment.” “A very vast subject to learn. Any thing specific, perhaps something physical?” “I am looking for something deeper than your 17 years of beauty” “What could we trade?” “I play musicÉ.” “No. Do you have anything of value?” “No just copper” “Well if you give me a kiss I will think about it.” At this point I was distracted and the next thing I heard was the woman saying. “There are 40 mystics in range of our voices it may be dangerous to discuss mystic things.” She then takes a golden crystal the size of a hens egg from her robes and begins meditating.

In the crowded square Raven soon overhears a conversation that catches her ear. She hears something about outlaws and a reward for capture. She follows the voice to a pair of cat beings one male and one female. Raven approaches them and ask about the reward. They seem cold but say that some humans are looking for a stranger in pilgrim robes and they are offering a reward in gold for him. They said they heard it at a tavern. Raven then touches her claw medallion to see if she elicits a response. They ignore her and walk off.

I then spot Jotork and the others and call them to join us. Just one last spot to visit for the day, the Gaia Temple.

At the temple Raven removes her robes and enters alone. She said she could feel the power of this place but did not feel a “unity” with it. She carefully walked around the fine mosaic floor tiles and meditated for a short time. She notices the acolytes guarding the doors and approached one. She is dressed very richly and has long blond hair, artistic earrings and greets her with a smile. “How can I help you?” questions the blond acolyte with a broad almost patronizing grin. “Are you preparing for the Beltane celebration?” “We do not share it with the common person and our celebrations are our own concern.” “How do you become a member of your order?” “The priestess will see you if you are worthy.” “How can I see the priestess?” “The priestess will contact you. If your are not greeted you are not worthy.” Raven tries hard not to laugh and leave the temple walking across the mosaic tile work.

On the way back to the Purple Toria we pass the temple with the stone head. I say I have one more errand and enter the temple and pray at the head. I hear the same chimes as I did before. At this point Raven becomes very irate an said; “YOU VIOLATED MY BODY BY PRAYING AT THIS TEMPLE AND I DO NOT FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU KNEW MY BELIEFS!” She then storms out of the temple. After we all exit she reenters and prays to her god for forgiveness and then prays to the head. She also hears the chimes.

As we finally head back to the inn suddenly Lea proclaims, “They are here”. “The pirates?” we ask. “Yes!” “How do you know?” “I can hear things in my head.” The crowds start to disperse in small groups. No one seems to be alone. “Can you tell who it is?” After a short time, “It is a pirate named Jameson. He is a neutral pirate here to buy and sell liquor. He won’t be the best to try an travel with.” “How do you know this?” “There are others that know. I hear their voices. We better get back to the inn.”

As we enter the inn an employee approaches and says that Fara will see you when you are ready. I seem we lost track of time and was not aware dinner was so close. We tell him that we wish to clean up first. As we are freshening ourselves we question some of the things we encountered today.

Could the head somehow have placed Carlotta’s spirit into the little girl we were encountering all day? But who is to know. Lea says she would like to explain a little regarding the Mystics. She reaches under her robe and removes a gold egg shaped crystal the same as we saw the 17-year-old woman used. Lea explains that these are mined here locally and it lets her project her thoughts to others and that she can hear the thoughts of others who possess this same type of stone. They are somehow connected with the life force around the Island and do not work once you leave the area. She also warned us that the Mystics don’t answer questions and just talk in riddles. For those that do pry punishment usually follows. Stephen you where probably spared because she sensed you were new to Puddelbyand and found you a curiosity.

We all head down to meet Fara and as we enter here dining chambers we notice she looks quite different than we have seen her before. She was not dressed in her armor and her hair was done up in a very fancy style. She says she will be leaving very soon, possibly on the same ship as us. (I have to wonder how safe that is. Trouble seems to have a way of following us). Raven describes the conversation she had with the cat people regarding the bounty. Faya says she knows and clarifies the information. A group arrived last night and said they were looking for an outlaw, an elf with tattoos. They are offering a 10,000gp of gold for his capture. He is to be considered dangerous and is wanted for the destruction of a ship. The size of the group is not known but there at least 5 and they are dressed in pilgrim robes. Faya stops for a moment. There is one thing I must ask of you if I am to give you any additional assistance. I must ask you to fulfill you promise and pray at the Wind Shrine in Bliss. This way you will be true to your story for I cannot be part of a lie. We all agree. She then asks Lea if she could also book her passage when we arraign our own. As we proceed with dinner Stephen tell Fara about our group dream last nigh and asks for her insight regarding its meaning. She responds by saying it may be simpler than you think. The people in it could just be Ardanians, but it is just a guess.

Tensions are high during dinner and the discussions tend get very heated at times. It seems that Jaden and Lea are the only ones that can enjoy the dinner.