Travel Log: Day 5

Day 5:
 
As we arose, we heard the sounds of battle to the east, where we had come from. We looked back, and saw that a group of bandits and some of the cultists from before were fighting. We decided to wait for them to kill each other, then come in and take out the remaining few. We did so, and looted their bodies. We found some silver and treasure, but most interestingly of all, we found a book on one of the cultists containing notes on some kind of ritual. We couldn't understand the arcane text, so we decided to hang on to it and find someone who could. As we continued along the road, it went back into the forest. While walking, we saw some recently dug graves off the side of the road. One of the graves had a sword sticking out of it that bore the crest of the Meninari, a group of knights that fight for the king of Menar, Lord Felbrook. We assume that they had fallen in battle and, not wanting to disturb the dead, continued on our way. We went a bit further, and, seeing as it was getting dark, set up camp. As I set up our camp. Talia went to find food. While she was away, a strange man wandered into our camp. He was thin, and wore many layers of cloth and remnants of armor. He had a large pack on his back, which was at least two times his size. I asked him his name, prepared to fight. Rather than answering me, he asked if I wanted to play a card game with him. If I won, he would give me one of his treasures, but if he won, we had pay him a price "three times as great as the artifact." For some reason which I cannot explain, I agreed to play his game. After I agreed, I found myself on the ground holding a strange bundle, not remembering what I had done, or whether I had won. I opened the bundle to find a handwritten note which read, "You Won!" and a warhammer, which bore, in elvish, the inscription, "Ellerind's Burning Hate." The hammer was seemed normal, but when I swung it to test it out, the head became red-hot, as if it was still in the forge. I decided to keep the hammer and use it. Talia returned with a deer that we cooked and ate, and we went to sleep.
 
Day 5 results:
 
+25 Silver (125 total)
+ 4 food ( 10 total)
+ Ellerind's Burning Hate
+ 3 Exp. (5 total)
New Info: Strange Ritual, Turf Wars near Aldin, Mysterious Man, Meninari, Menar, Lord Felbrook.