Musings of a Future Baron - 7. The Stag Lord's Home

Oathday 22 Gozran 4710

Linzi, sometimes you crack me up.

Though I have to admit, having your leader talking to a dryad only he can see is rather unsettling.

It didn’t take us long to find the abandoned hut. Kressle’s orders were rather specific on its location. There, I was treated to the sight of a druid abusing his child. What joy. I doubt anyone else saw it. Honestly, I’m getting tired of people pushing things into my mind. Well, one person in particular. Guardian, if you can read this, you can suck my-

No, better not write that, she’d probably take it as an invitation. Ugh.

The druid’s name is Nugrah, and his son is the Stag Lord. I can understand why the Stag Lord seeks power now. Being dipped in acid has a rather upsetting affect on anyone. How much more so when it’s your father throwing acid in your eyes because they remind him of your dead mother? I would pity the Stag Lord if it wasn’t obvious he was continuing this cycle of violence. He beat his own father, and if Nugrah isn’t dead yet, I have no doubt he’s undergoing some rather explicit torture at the Stag Lord’s fort. Probably by this Dovan person Kressle’s orders seemed to point to. Seriously, denying an order from your superior because burning down a house without people in it isn’t fun? When I meet this Dovan, I will take pleasure in finishing him. He is one of those people who does not deserve life.

We have a clear goal now. My theory seems to have been correct. The Guardian of the Bloom insists that Nugrah set a ritual in motion in the old temple, and it is the source of the fog. I would return to Jhod, but to be honest, I am not sure he is up for the task of purifying the temple just yet. So my party and I will go alone in the hope that once the temple is cleansed, the fog will lift. It will take time, and we’ll use that time to track down that tomb Tartuccio was interested in. Hopefully we can pick up his trail there.

I am no religious expert. Valerie does have a background as a paladin in training though, so perhaps she’ll have some advice on purifying the temple. If not, we’ll at least try to clear most of the beasts Jhod saw in his vision before bringing him back. With luck, tomorrow will see the end of this fog. And the day after will see the end of Tuskgutter. I mean, we’ll be nearby, we might as well fight a giant boar too. Though I’ve talked with Amiri, and she has a harebrained idea of fighting the beast on her own. I’m trying to talk her out of it, but no luck so far.

We followed the Thorn River southwest, stopping for the night by the river. Hunting went a lot easier tonight, and we will get a good night sleep. I am putting a lot of trust into Linzi’s camouflage by not posting a guard, but we don’t have the numbers for that.