Moving on

After finally finishing up all our business in Brandenburg, we decided to make plans to leave and choose our next destination.  The townspeople all but threw the maps at us for us to check nearby cities and outposts in the area.  I wonder if they were trying to hint at something…

Anyway, after some discussion as to what our next course of action, being either we try to find out more information about this strange orb that Kalaral dropped, or to determine the exact nature of our Spellscaring, we decided we would find out more about our Spellscars.  We chose a fairly large city not terribly far from Brandenburg, but would still require several days of travel to reach.  We did have hopes that by following the river south we might manage to meet with a ship on it’s way down river and book passage, but that did not occur.  We also we not able to persuade Lord Padrag to lend us his daughter to provide some light travelling music, for some reason he seemed averse to this idea.  So we departed Brandenburg, with Lord Padrag’s recommendation for an adventuring license and a destination.  Mortis Ironarm declined to continue with us, but did give us some good deals on a few items from his family’s forge.

We made our way south, along a road of sorts, for a couple of days without incident, when we began hearing sounds of a battle to our west.  With the river cutting a wide, deep ravine blocking our path, we had some difficulty making our way across it.  When finally we made it across we moved deeper into the trees toward the sound of battle.

Using the treeline as cover, we came upon what looked like a bandit ambush.  An enraged elf and several of his companions were being attacked by some bandits.  There was also someone lying on the ground, tied up with some strange ropes.  Conferring quickly, we decided to aide the elves and launched ourselves into the fray.  The elvin leader seemed grateful for some assistance.  An odd occurrence during the fight, one of the bandits, who was using the treeline for cover while firing at us, suddenly stopped.  During the fight, we made our way over to the prone individual and untied her and brought her back to consciousness.  I know it sounds odd, but I’m sure before we headed over toward her, I heard a call inside my head, a call for aid.  Once untied and awake, she proved quite helpful at dispatching the bandits

We managed to stop the attack and the last of our enemies withdrew.  I decided to give chase to one of them, with the help of Weedy, who decided at that moment to change into my most hated and feared of animals, the pelican.  At the time, I didn’t know it was her, and so got the boost of speed I needed to catch my quarry and end him.  As I made my way back to the clearing, I heard a muffled thud as something hit the forest floor.

When I got back to the clearing, the elves were thanking Weedy and Yraen.  We introduced ourselves to the once former captive who turned out to be a Shadar-kai named Alar'riel.  She claims no memory as to how she wound up where she did.  I examined her bindings but could determine no more then some arcane power is about them.  As we were making conversation with the elves, we detected the presence of another.  This one turned out to be a wild Shifter, but after calling out to her, she retreated.

We accepted the elf leader’s offer of hospitality and followed them back to their camp, where they had a feast waiting.  Weedy and myself have decided to question the elf of his knowledge of Spellscars and he says he does have an old story about a Spellscared hero, which he is going to have the Story-Teller relate for us, so for now, I will put away my journal and make my way over to the table with Weedy, who’s decided to start wolfing down meat and drink already.  I swear by Correlin, I’m the only one who has been taught basic table manners.  Hmm, that’s an interesting thought, I might teach my companions the basics of etiquette.