Fortuity and Repose

We helped clean up the dead around the fort. So many dead. It took us three days to get everything taken care of. We resupplied the fort with all Kaldir gear and left some of the loot with the people in the fort. Kano was able to negotiate some horses so we can finally return these horses back to the people we borrowed them from. It had taken a while but we did stay true to our word, dealt with the immediate problems at hand and returned them when finished. It felt good to finally fulfil my agreement on that, little did i know the immediate future would be filled with greater and far more costlier agreements.
 
We stopped by a few villages. Kano had a great idea that we should try to sell some of the weapons and armor to villages along the way even if it wasn’t much they could afford. I agreed but was pretty skeptical as most villages had very few fighting men. Most were already conscripted and sent to service fighting the Mjorn. Well now fighting each other but still, not many able fighting men left. We did find a few before we parted ways. Most of the group heading to Riverwatch and Stian and I heading to Bavor’s Rest. We agreed to meet back a few days before the Festival of the Fawn. Finally some time to relax.
 
On a side note I should write this down so I do not forget. The Wolf showed me visions. Of what I am assuming is the Festival of the Fawn and I believe we MUST be there. Then a vision of a hooded figure running through the forest and I am viewing them from behind. Then a boy I do not recognize with dark hair sitting inside an old stone ruin. There is a large basin of water reflecting the light of a full moon. The events do NOT seem to be connected. I should share this with the others. Amaris has a knack for solving riddles.
 
Mora was happy to see me and we finally had some time to spend with each other. Not sure what Stian was up to, barely saw him. Though it was great it wasn’t all long walks and long nights. I had work to do with this stone. Kaen was excited and together we were able to figure out a few secrets of flame and practiced some powers that could come in handy together. It also seems to be able to create illusions which can be great for a good many things. I also helped Kaen to try and more….physically manifest herself so she can “touch” things. We also worked on language. I don’t really know how to teach language between different...species? but we made some progress I suppose. I did ask Mora to accompany me to Riverwatch for the Festival of the Fawn and she agreed. I just hope I’m not putting her in danger by being next to me.
 
We made our way to Riverwatch and my plan was to find a nice Inn with a great room for Mora and I. Well it seems my plans are always sidetracked as we came upon a caravan of Myoki which just so happened to be Amaris caravan. Oh and of course guess who her Father is? The leader of the caravan! Guess who takes some of the brunt of the anger? Us! Oh yes, everyone was there (as in Kano, Toblikai, etc). Well I guess Mora should see what she’s getting into if she’s going to stick with me. To top it all off Amaris told her father we could get him favorable deals with whomever comes into power. How did a simple job mapping out the hills in the pass come to this? Now we’re expected to help find a leader capable of leading the people and also convince them to give all these different groups favorable status and honoring old traditions.
 
On that note - I did ask the Wolf for guidance on that as well. She showed me two banners - a silver stag over a dark green field and Galrix banner “pristine” as if it was made anew. I’m not quite sure what that means. Apparently his widow and General have been quite ruthless taking power. Kano did say the son was “spirit touched”? Maybe that could be something? Could be worth looking into.
 
Now Amaris caravan (the Aolid) was not as horrible as I put out. They seem to be a fantastic group of people and even brought food and other items for trade. The food we will sorely be needing in the near future. Kano also picked up stragglers in the villages and we put them up currently in a warehouse by the docks. I’m not quite sure I want to know the whole story there so we’ll just leave it at that. We will probably need to find a more permanent place for them. We did find a couple of men who can fight though so that’s good and we definitely have the means to equip them. We didn’t hardly sell any of the weapons and armor along the way.
 
Now that we have people to take care of we will need somewhere to put them, they can’t live in a warehouse forever and we can’t afford to house refugees forever. So we set out to find a place nearby where maybe we could have a small estate and put these people up and to work. Little did I know it would almost lead to our deaths.
 
Back when we first got together and were trying to appease the spirits so they wouldn’t rampage across the land killing everyone we ran into a very anti-Myoki barkeep. He had a reason to be though as a woman (his daughter maybe? Something like that) was kidnapped by Myoki. Amaris said it was some caravan of really arrogant jerks who worked in slavery. This was apparently their caravan. ALL. OF. THEM. They seemed to be looking for someone or something so Stian went out to scout and we waited. And waited. And waited. He did not come back and we found out he had been captured.
 
Note - Remember to talk to Stian. This isn’t the first time, We need to know if we need to hire an actual scout for gathering intel. We’ll likely always be outnumbered and in the “not so greatest” situation so we need solid intel for making plans.
 
It was someone they were searching for and it was fast. We chased after it but of course that drew attention from the caravaners as well. Kano stopped first, I second after and then Toblikai. Thankfully his little pet was able to trip up this person and stop her (didn’t know at the time but it was a her).
 
To backtrack quickly I explained (as best I could in limited terms) to Kaen what these people were and she was MAD. Not like when Amaris got shot but she was angry. I didn’t want to fight but if we had to I wanted a show of force to scare survivors so badly they would tell others in the caravan. Thankfully it didn’t come to that.
 
They explained they wanted the girl and what she had. Kano was able to get them to tell us it was stone that the girl had stolen from the caravan leader. Oh and this was no coincidence. This was the girl that the barkeep had told us about...and she had a stone! We needed this and to keep it away from people who may use their power for nefarious purposes. I asked Hrena if she felt the stone. All of us had felt the stone in some way when we had it so if it had bonded then that was it. They would have no claim to it over the bond. She said No. I asked her again and that this was life or death - did she feel the stone. Amaris said she nodded.
 
I told them they had no claim. The stone would bond with who it felt best and once that bond was made there would be no more claim over it lest the spirits grow angry,. I held up my lantern with Kaen and told them THIS spirit in particular is very angry and I suggest you not let loose that anger. They debated some and agreed to go back without the stone or Hrena.
 
As we made our way back we were quickly overtaken by a messenger from the caravan demanding an audience. Fine. We picked a open spot nearby for the meeting. There was no good spot for this. Ya open field was great for cavalry but a secluded area was great for their numbers to ambush us. We had little to bargain with so them talking to us was great. Long story short we now owe them a stone and I gave them my word we would fulfill it. Though we did gain a stone!
 
Hrena told us some of what happened and was very reluctant. Toblikai had the best of luck with her as well as Amaris. She wanted to leave but we need to help her. I’m not going to force anyone out but her leaving with the stone by herself is a death sentence. We need to assist her and help her learn to use it. We gave Amaris some of the group funds to help Hrena get cleaned up and some clothes for the festival. Afterwards we can help get her some equipment for whatever she does.
 
We looked at a few areas that would be a good place to settle these refugees. A small village owned by the Widow (of course) that was mostly empty homes except two families. The farmland was good as well as the herding. It was a bit off the beaten path which is probably why is fell into disrepair. An old fort, largely abandoned and rocky ground and finally an old, small Myoki lighthouse that was largely intact. It would take a lot of work to get up and going so I think the first little village is a good place to settle people.