WORK IN PROGRESS…

While picking the gems out of the muck, Abigail pulls out two of her stones of communication and speaks into them.

“Thank Paladine!” she exclaims, “I love you.”

Abi finds out that Maja’s sight has been fully restored and that she is safe. In addition, the Royal house of Borman has offered a regiment of men one thousand strong to assist in the bringing of Malia Dane to justice. Apparently, the Galdeen family had owed Maja a debt it now intends to repay.

Lyssa reveals to Abigail and the party her vision: Abigail and Maja together on the front lines against an unseen enemy on a battlefield of black ice. Abi tells them of the northern lands of Morgoth. Abigail agrees to send scouts to Morgoth, but warns that if Lyssa’s vision is false, she will strike back. Lyssa warns Abigail that if she puts any of her companions in danger, she’ll reprimand her with all of her magic.

They continue to ride to Varnyn and stop in a small hamlet called Swampstaff. At the local tavern, they stop what appears to be a theft of food in progress. The truth is revealed to be much stranger: the food was for a living dog that was where his penis should have been. Lyssa, Vetnik and Trisoll find out after chasing after the man that the man, nicknamed Dog Dick McGirk, was once an adventurer who, but had been put into retirement 7 years prior after his entire party was slaughtered by an evil warlock, was cursed as a sick reminder by having his penis replaced by a living dog. He pleads with the party to save him from his miserable situation. Lyssa calms the dog and steals some if its fur (for investigation on the curse and possible later use) while Trisoll prays to Trithereon to remove the curse. He’s successful and returns the aged hero to his former glory. As a reward, he gives Trisoll a key and the directions to his hoard that he abandoned after losing his last quest.

While the three of them dealt with the strange case of Dog Dick McGirk, a traveling performing troupe stopped at the tavern. One of the performers in particular, an acrobat, takes a fancy to Grum and the pair hit it off, trading drinks and thinly veiled innuendos. The rest of the party packs up and hits the road while Grum lets them know he’ll catch up while he enjoys an evening with the acrobat.

Grum returns to the group after his interlude and finds the party mostly asleep, save for his brother. While they take watch, a brutalized Geldan (bird-man) falls from the forest canopy above, its winged arms broken and hacked. It pleads for healing (via Thom’s comprehend languages) and Trisoll abide, after Moira checks it out for its lack of evil. He reveals himself as Abraxos and tells the party via Thom that he was attacked by assassins from the Jen’mar’ka (sun elves). Abigail informs them that the Geldan and Jen’mar’ka have been war for millennia, both claiming to have been the first race of Kellagha. The party puts it to a vote and they agree to help bring Abraxos back to its nest, knowing that the Jen’mar’ka were a part of the army being raised by the mysterious Black Rider from Dablova’s vision. Together with the help of fly spells, ointments, and agile climbing, they journey under the cover of night to return Abraxos to his nest and to stop the Jen’mar’ka assassins.