Bend River

Today the caravan arrived in a town called Bend River. It is a one road town that seems to consist primarily of agricultural space. We arrived in time to witness a public execution. It was a ghastly scene; one that put me ill at ease as the caravan began to stop. Priestess Sophia went to speak with the sheriff, who walked back with her to meet us. Sheriff Loyal Ruel was polite and welcoming to our party and gave us a briefing of the facilities within the town before pardoning himself.
 
I accompanied some of the others to the inn, so that we could procure boarding before the demand produced by the caravan resulted in us having no such shelter. The inn’s availability was extremely limited. However, fortuitously, there remained two rooms available. Priestess Sophia paid for them. Each room is capable of accommodating three people, and as such, it seems that I will have no choice but to sleep in a room with two of the others. I would have preferred to have private quarters, yet even so, I must concede that such a thing seems to be a luxury in this region. I suppose I must steel myself for the possibility that I may not be able to enjoy a night’s sleep without some company.
 
Once we had located out rooms, I met with Miss Avalon. I may have neglected to mention her in earlier entries, however, Miss Avalon is a member of Priestess Sophia’s flock. The two of us required supplies in town, and so I agreed to accompany her on her errands. Many of the others in our group had already left ahead of us to procure their own supplies, and we met them on our way. Miss Stonetell had business with the herbalist, and it so happened that Miss Avalon and I had our own reasons for going there as well. As such, the three of us made our way to the home of an elderly woman named Vannera.
 
Madam Vannera assumed that the three of us were all Disciples of the Dusk Mage and made some remarks that, frankly, were unoriginal -- though not entirely incorrect. It seems that she is a follower of the Father Moon, and Miss Stonetell garnered some attention from her through the recital of a story. It would seem that Miss Stonetell is also a follower of the Father Moon, though not of the clergy. I attempted to browse for the supplies I had come for, but was distracted when Madam Vannera and Miss Stonetell began haggling. It would seem that Miss Stonetell wanted something for which Madam Vannera requested digits. Needless to say, Miss Stonetell was interested in securing an alternative method of payment.
 
However, this did not come to pass. Madam Vannera became very agitated and asked us to leave. We did so, but not without an outburst from Miss Stonetell. There was an altercation between the two ladies, though it did not come to blows. Madam Vannera opted to flee, though not before setting her home ablaze. I scrambled for aid, sounding an alarm with Minor Illusion. Sheriff Ruel met me and asked me to lead him to the scene. The house had already erupted violently into flames and collapsed upon itself. I assisted the guard in securing Madam Vannera’s livestock and tended the scene with them to ensure that further aid would not be needed.
 
Once the guard had investigated the scene sufficiently and the livestock had been successfully contained, Sheriff Ruel brought me back to his office. He thanked me for my assistance and mentioned a possibility of us working together in the future, to which I informed him that I am willing, though quite hopeful that my services will not be needed during our stay. He asked for my testimony of the events, and I told him what little I knew concretely. Unfortunately, the gulf of my ignorance prevents me from offering a satisfactory answer to such a question. Sheriff Ruel asked me to direct Miss Stonetell to him when I saw her next, so that a more complete description of the scene could be established, to which I agreed.
 
Priestess Sophia returned to the inn as I was collecting my thoughts and we exchanged words for a short while until she went about calling her familiar back once again. Apparently, she had inquired about food and was informed that there was no kitchen at the inn. We will be required to purchase food directly from the farms. We reconvened with Mister Clem and set about going to a farm. There, we were told of a new method of food preservation that was gaining traction in the northern portion of the colony. The method is called pickling, and it was apparently discovered accidentally by a seafarer. I bought some of these pickled goods, both to out of a necessity for food as well as a fair share of academic curiosity. I must investigate this briny mixture that these turnips are preserved in. Perhaps if I can learn to recreate it, we may be able to preserve higher quality rations for longer periods of time.
 
Whilst at the farm, we were informed that the vegetables that Priestess Sophia and Mister Clem could not be washed on that end of the town, as Mister Kostas owns that portion of the river. Evidently, he boils the waters of the river and sells it in kegs. Thus, he is protective of the water that his land is adjacent to. Apparently, the merchant was once a voyager and helped to found the town. We went to the merchant’s estate and were invited to dinner. Mister Kostas was already keeping Miss Stonetell as company as well.
 
Priestess Sophia spoke with Mister Kostas for a while. Apparently, she had a run in with a creature called an Equestradon. It is a reptilian creature that resembles a horse, and uses that likeness to lure unsuspecting prey. Evidently this is how Calliope, Priestess Sophia’s familiar, was destroyed the second time. Mister Kostas also informed us that other individuals have come to Bend River and attempted to found churches. These individuals all eventually gave up.
 
Mister Kostas is the only person in the region who willingly hires Planetouched individuals. He told us of an oft misinterpreted decree made by Almoria the Sunbow, stating that the soul of an individual manifests in their appearance and bearing. Many of the locals seem to interpret this to mean that Planetouched people appear the way that they do because their souls are lower quality than those of others. Mister Kostas says that he does not subscribe to this interpretation.
 
The man who was executed this morning was apparently one of Mister Kostas’s former employees. He was apparently known to steal from farmers and sell the tools Mister Kostas loaned him. The night he was finally arrested, he apparently got into an argument with Mister Kostas and was asked to leave. When he left, he had broken into a farmer’s home and kidnapped a woman. This was the final straw that condemned him to death.
 
Mister Kostas also told us that Sheriff Ruel was apparently a friend of his. Mister Kostas informed us that he taught Sheriff Ruel everything he knows. As much as he presents himself as a moral person, I cannot help but feel ill at ease at the prospect of a law enforcement agent learning their craft from a merchant. Furthermore, a close relationship between the two smacks of a conflict of interest. Mister Kostas seems to bear a disproportionate amount of power in comparison to the mayor of the town.
 
Before long, we excused ourselves from the estate. It was at this point that I informed Miss Stonetell that Sheriff Ruel wanted to speak with her and reassured both Miss Stonetell and Priestess Sophia that the Sheriff did not seem to be working under any assumption of guilt on her part. Nonetheless, Priestess Sophia and Mister Clem both wished to be present for the questioning. I know not why. When we arrived at the Sheriff’s office, I opted instead to return to the inn and see how Mister Malopher had fared on this chaotic day. It seems as though he had a much more relaxing day. I am glad.
 
Mister Malopher inquired about the fire, as well as our companions’ gathering with the Sheriff. When I told him what I knew he excused himself and went to the Sheriff’s office to investigate. It was sunset, and so I decided to enjoy the fresh air whilst I meditated. Priestess Sophia went straight to bed after leaving Sheriff Ruel’s office. Once I am done writing this journal, I suppose I shall do the same. Something about this town is very strange, but I am not sure if it is simply a bad first impression, or perhaps a difference in sensibilities. In any case, I believe that Priestess Sophia tires of the small town, and I must reluctantly agree with such a sentiment.