Soot's Journal: Trapping Knucklehead Trout

28th of Hammer, 1512 DR
 
After a long deserved hibernation, full of dreams of myself fighting with the best of my tribes ancestral warriors, I awoke and headed down to the entrance of the inn with Dyleth. The two of us met up with Madu in the lobby of the inn, and we were about to make our way out to the tavern for some breakfast! However, as we were getting ready to go, Luna began to walk downstairs, with me...
 
This freaked us out! We had just been talking about alternate realities and how there could like technically be multiple Soots running around through the dimensions. So, it was absolutely shocking to see another Soot! I grabbed by mace and immediately ran up to it and said, "Luna get away from him! That is an imposter Soot!" However, to me, she seemed confused as to who was the real Soot. So, I pushed her aside and whacked the other Soot over the head with my mace to try and knock him out and question him.
 
As the mace struck the other Soot, it let out a girlish shriek of pain, and then it became obvious what was going on here... Electra had used some strange magic to disguise herself as me and tried to turn Luna against me! This just made me so furious, and I stormed out of the inn towards the tavern. Dyleth and Madu followed me, and Luna came along shortly after.
 
I burst through the doors of the tavern, found a nice big table, and ordered coffee for us four and a nice big juicy salmon for myself. After all the madness and betrayal I have gone through the last few days, I most certainly deserved this. As I was about to take a big bite though, the group decided that we needed to have Electra present before we could make any decisions on what to do next. Luna looked at me with eyes of pleading, and I could tell immediately that she wanted me to go fetch Electra... We argued back and forth for a few moments, but I could tell that there was no winning for myself. I sighed, pushed back from my chair, and left the tavern.
 
Begrudgingly, I made my way back to the inn and walked up to Electra's door. As I got ready to knock, I could hear the sound of her crying from inside the room... I let out another long sigh, realizing that perhaps I have been to hard on her. I knocked on her door, part of me hoping that she would not answer. Between stifled tears called back, "Just give me a couple minutes Luna!" I had no words to say in response to that, so I knocked a few more times until she finally opened up the door. She was very surprised to see me standing there.
 
We chatted for a few moments about what was going on and how everyone wanted her to come back to the tavern. We spoke a bit about how she as healing, and I apologized for hitting her in the head with my mace. It was a very uncomfortable conversation, but we did start making out way back out of the inn and towards the tavern. Along the way, I couldn't stand being around her without knowing the truth anymore. I stopped her and asked her to honestly answer me about whether or not she actually betrayed me over to the dragon. She started explaining on and on about how things actually happened with the dragon, she started getting flustered and upset again, but not upset at me, more so just the situation. As much as I felt hurt, I could tell that she was being truthful with me. As she kept stumbling over her words, I reached out to stop her and gave her a big bear hug.
 
As we stepped apart I looked at her and told her that I believed her, and forgave her for what happened. I also apologized for being to cold to her over the past few days, and I pleaded with her to trust me since I am making the choice to trust her again. I told her that though she knows a lot about monsters, I know a lot about monsters and danger, so I asked her to have a bit more trust in my thoughts an opinions. She agreed, and I gave her the rest of my honey as a sign of good faith towards her. After another awkward moment, we smiled at one another, our friendship restored though a bit shaky, and we made our way to the tavern.
 
Once we arrived, I finally got to eat my delicious salmon and we discussed about what to do next! We talked for a bit about Electra's problem with the Psi Crystal and how we could handle that issue. I also told the group that since we were in the Bremmen, I really wanted to try and find the Knucklehead Trout in Maer Dundal Lake that ate my Papa's Signet Ring. As we discussed, the bartender came over and offered to rent me his boat for the day for only ten of the gold shiny pieces! Though, having had some experience with bartering in the Ten Towns, I told him to make it five shiny pieces! He agreed without any hesitation, and then Electra came up and offered to put one of her own gold shiny pieces towards the price. That was very kind of her, and it seemed like she was trying to make an effort to be friends with me again. With that, I rented the boat! I also agreed to follow the group to the Speaker's house to ask about Electra's problem.
 
We arrived at the Speaker's home not too long after, and we were surprised to find he was a gnome! Or rather, he actually was a dwarf... Apparently, all of the gnomes I have met so far are actually dwarves and I had no idea! Either way, we discussed with him for some time about what to do, and unfortunately he did not have much advice. He suggested we try to destroy the Psi Crystal, find a new one, or help Electra to complete whatever task the crystal was trying to get her to do... I did not really like that last option, her visions seem strange and misleading to me. For her safety, and the rest of ours, I think it would be best that we not chase after these dreams.
 
After speaking with the Speaker, we decided that it was about time we split up, I had some fishing to do and the rest of the group could go and try to help find more information about Electra's problem. To my surprise, Luna told me she wanted to come along with me! She said that she had prepared some new magic that could perhaps help me to find the ring. This was really encouraging to hear and I became very inspired on my mission to find the ring!
 
Luna and I got into the rented boat, and we head out onto the lake. I told her about the story I heard, about Papa fishing on an ice floe, so I recommended that we head all the way out until we hit the actual water. As we arrived, Luna cast her magics and she actually found the fish! She said it was nearby to the north west, so I rowed us in the direction until we were close. I started fishing when we arrived, and caught five fish without any luck. After some time, Luna cast her spell again and said that it was nearby. I convinced her to call on the nature powers to turn into a knucklehead trout and dive into the water after it! While she was under the waves, I waited above, my mouth wide open ready to catch the fish as it broke the surface.
 
A few minutes later, a fish breached from the surface and I was about to snap my jaws shut and bite it, but I noticed its purple glowing eyes, and realized it was my sister. Just a moment later, another larger trout broke the surface of the waves. I immediately reeled forwards, snapping my jaws shut, my sharp teeth penetrating the scales of the fish like daggers. As I pulled the dead fish from my mouth, Luna hoped out of the waves onto the boat, and turned back into her normal form. I cut open the fish, and to my greatest excitement, inside I found the bony remains of an ursan finger, as well as my Papa's Signet Ring! I cannot believe that I finally found it! Luna was so helpful in this too, I could not have done it without her. I think we will be great co-chieftains together.
 
We made our way back to the town, and on the way there Luna showed me this cool new magic she got from her new relationship with the goddess Selûne! It was this cool blast of magic that hit the ways and caused six fish to bubble up to the top, all dead! I rowed over and grabbed them all, a big feast for us to eat over the next few days.
 
About an hour later, we arrived back in town and went to meet our friends. As we approached, they called out and asked how we did with the fishing. I held up a rope with ten fish on it and shouted that we had food for days! I also presented my ring and told everyone proudly that us two managed to find our Papa's Signet Ring! Electra was kind and offered to clean the fish guts off the ring with some sort of magic, and as she handed it back, it looked its brilliance that I remembered from my youth as a little cub. The carved iron ring with the face of a bear, two small rubies encrusted as eyes. I proudly put it on my finger, the same finger which Papa used to wear the ring on. I felt so accomplished knowing that I finished the task Papa sent me on.
 
For the rest of the evening, I relaxed and did my best to recover from the last few days of work. Since we are probably going to spend the next few days or weeks try to help with Electra's magical curse, I figured it would be best to get some energy and prepare for some fights. I have a lot of people I care about here in Ten Towns, and I have to protect them. As I relaxed for the rest of the evening, I meditated and tried to commune with the ancestral warriors of our tribe's chieftain line. I felt them with me, I saw their spirits swirling around me and welcoming me, each of them wearing that same ring that I now wore on my finger. I could feel that they approved of me, and were watching to see what I would become. Just like I cannot let my friends down, I have a lot to live up to. I must make the warriors of our tribe proud if I am to lead them.
 
~ Soot Isbjorn