I hunker down under an outcropping of rock and my crude lean too and pull out a new journal book I traded the provisioner for before I left. Managed to get this and a bottle of wine for doing the dishes for three days. The wine I am going to have to save for later. That is part of my other plan, which of course is getting delayed again. I may just end up drinking the bottle myself if this keeps up.
Growing Talesinger moon of the 5th month after winter solstice 653 :
I am not one to keep journals normally as very few Ulven will even be able to read it, I suppose this is more for me to start keeping my thoughts straight. Being in hostile territory a few months now and having almost meet my death once already, things are getting more stressful then I would like. I need to start writing down what I learn so I can reference back to it later. I am hoping this will help. Or should the worse happen I can hope that this will be found and returned to my Pack or Clan.
I had been at the Outpost for almost a week. Watching how the outpost worked was interesting. I would of loved some quiet time to have talked with Quartermaster. He gave me the impression that he was interested in what I thought and I was curious on how a Stormjarl ended up quartermaster at the Longfang outpost. Sadly those conversations never happened we all got wrapped up in our duties. I did learn a lot about the area and some history of the region which was interesting and may have given me clues to some other issues.
I was originally there to get my arm looked at, my shoulder was healing from a Mordok arrow but my mobility was getting limited and painful. The Quartermaster was also a healer, I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for it but Gaia provides. My services as a Daughter became quite useful and my ability to read and write were put to the test. There was a corrupted Mordok site found. The witches at the nearby village had a cleansing ritual but it was all written in Old Ulven runes. I knew of the language but I never had the honor to actually see it, I am not privileged enough to have access to the old scrolls. The Quartermaster had a basic understanding of the language as he was dabbling in the runes and gave me, the assistant tavern keeper, and the male Syndar a basic alphabet and we three working steadily managed to translate the ritual into something that I and the Quartermasters mate, Fritha could perform. It was a two day cleansing ritual and we had no idea how the mordok were going to react and even translated it was still in a language I only sort of recognized. I put my faith in Gaia and ran with it. We succeeded and I have made copies I was originally going to send back to my Clan but apparently I am going to hand it to them in person. I had planned to give copies to Khulgar when I go see him as well. I was going to go find him next but shit happens apparently. This is beyond the war, this affects directly our divine calling to protect the ground we walk on. It was a tiring ritual but it felt good to perform. It felt right. I have a hard time putting into words the feeling of being connected to the Mother on that level.
I convinced them to bring back the now cleansed Idol for study, I was going to give to the Witches and Priestess at Onsallas village but they are too scared to take it. They have the Ungo Smash mentality of a lot Ulven I have seen recently. Even I know that if you just treat each symptom the disease, the disease itself will never go away. We need to have a better understand on why/how and what powers are corrupting the Mother. While the cleansing ritual worked, I don’t know for how long it will work or should the corruption get bigger and deeper if it will be as effective. I would also like to know if something like this has happened before. There is obviously a ritual for it which make me believe that it may have. I may need to track down a Tale singer at some point.
After looking at the ground and physically being there feeling that taint press against the protections wards, I believe that whatever it is the Mordok are doing are what is causing the black marks appear on the Mother in my first vision. I now believe that that vision I had when I was stricken with poison and lay dying was real and that notion is scaring me. Then the second dream vision where I felt a presence, It wanted me to follow it. It had a motherly feel but it was too weak to show itself. I know its not Gaia. Gaia knows I follow her already the fact that I wield her love is proof of that. She would not beckon me to do something I am already doing. Either way The Stargazer pack has never had the gift of visions, prophets or rune seers in any of its Daughters or Priestesses. So this is completely freaking me out. Also aren’t I a little old for this? Most of the time these gifts come about when a Daughter first realizes her gifts. To top it all off since I am currently carrying this thing with me I am expecting more to happen before I get home. I am not looking forward to this journey. Luckily I still have some Pineed sap left so if I need to do the ritual again I can. Not what I originally want to do with the sap but as per the theme of the day, shit happens. I also need to get a message home before I get there so they can meet me on the border. I don’t want to take this into new territory without some back up. I be stupid if I didn’t take precautions with this thing.
So after the cleansing we had come upon the graveyard of what I was told was the Blackwings. Though what I remember from the stories there was nothing of them to bury. Though this could of been the burial ground before they disappeared as I do know there were fights with the Mordok. There were white spears sticking out the ground but I don’t remember the stories of their signature weapon being the spears. Though no matter, I was distracted by the spiritual feel of the ground. It was weird. I knew the moment that we stepped foot on the ground that it was a graveyard. I remember the Quartermaster asking me if I knew where we were, I remember stating that it looked like a graveyard. Truth is that I felt it more than the visual cue. Maybe it close brush with death recently that I was more sensitive at the time, or maybe I was still charged from the ritual. It was still disturbing to me that I seem have a sense what I was standing on before I knew it for sure. It doesn’t help my grown concern about being a visionist. I was also concerned about how close the tainted Mordok site was to the graveyard. I wonder if its connected, I pray its not.
I also got some interaction with the outsiders at the post. I have come to the conclusion that the Outsiders are just as diverse as the Ulven. The blacksmith that was there I do believe to have been touched in the head. He was talking about how there was a utopia in the middle of the swamps and had me write a letter for him requesting aid from an emperor and congratulating a king and queen on their marriage. Now I am no expert on how human rule themselves but it seems to me to be counter intuitive to have both a King and Queen and an Emperor. He told the that I wouldn’t be to spell the kings name because it was in a language called Yulfish. I asked if the Syndar could spell it but was told they wouldn’t know the language either. I don’t put much stock in what he said.
The two Syndar I meet. The male seemed stable enough, he had appeared to be in touch with his gods and helped to try and purge the mordok bile from Rogar. Watching him leap through the fields like a rabbit was entertaining. He seemed to be a fountain of energy. He is also well versed in intellectual study as he knew how to read and write. He helped me decode the ritual. He also had a unique ability to find herbs quickly. He had brought back quite a few. His female on the other hand I wanted to grab by the point of her ear and twist like you do to a child who is misbehaving. She shoved Magrat away from her healing of Rogar to shove a potion down his throat with only a few moments of warning that the potion was going to cause Rogar to vomit. I think she means well, as she eventually donated all the herbs that her mate gathered to the outpost. Its hard to tell if her air headedness is an act or genuine though.
I also meet some of the Vandregon. I meet a man name William briefly, he offered me his hand and I took it. He was surprised that I didn’t take his arm and I was surprised he knew our customs. I remember my Father taking the hands of humans in the rare instances that we ran into them on our journeys, I just assume it was how humans prefer to interact. He didn’t seem to be insulted just surprised. I only feel slightly bad for my social faux pas, I hadn’t known that they were Ulven with in the Vandregon until I meet Belthazar Nightriver later that day, he is very talkative Ulven and later Rogar who either needs to get laid more often or needs to hit things more not sure which, he seemed to have some anger issues. Either way the Vandregon made sure I was protected to and from the ritual site, to which I am grateful for. I am not an Adventurer nor do I pretend to be.
I met a young Ulven named Orrin he is a member of the Bloodfangs. He was looking for a relative by the name of Marr. I should keep an ear out for her, he seemed really genuine in his need to find her. I sense a potential in him, he has the demeanor for a good truthseeker calm, dutiful, watchful. He just needs someone to teach him how to ask questions and use his brain and his eyes. Though he still has all the energy of youth so that may be easier said than done.
Also meet an interesting human by the name of Double. We didn’t get to talk much but he seems to be in a field much like my own, a neutral party seeking information. He says that he works for the Stability of all Madrun and has offered me an interesting proposal. He’ll get me information on Starkhaven if I keep him apprised on how the Ulven civil war is going. This seems like a fair trade to me as we are both seeking information on places we cant get to because of our race. I have to admit I am intrigued yet I still need to be cautious here.
I have a letter to the Elders I need to write. A letter to Khulgar I need to write, I still need him to confirm or deny what Raskolf told me about the ill fated meeting and I have feeling that is a conversation I want to have with him in person. I would also rather deliver the translation of this rite to him in person as well to make sure it gets to where it needs to. I will also need to make sure Raskolf get copies of this rite as well, I should of given copies to Stanrick before I left. Balls. Too much to do and I think its going to rain soon as well, my shoulder is starting to hurt. Fantastic.
I tuck my new journal away. I pull out a piece of parchment and my pen as I start to hear rain on to top of the lean to.
To High Priestess Morrigan.
With a sense of urgency I write this. I have in my possession a cleansed Mordok artifact of great power. I also have the ritual that was used to cleanse said item. I have enough reagents to perform the ritual at least one more time should it become necessary on my way back. The ritual was translated from Runic Ulven I have both the translation and the original runic script. I beseech you to send a few well trained witches and priestess to meet me on the edge of the territory in a weeks time. The ritual is tiring and if I have to perform it on the road I am not sure what type of shape I will be in upon arrival. I would like to have some back up waiting for me.
I am leery this artifact but I feel it is imperative that be studied so counter magic can be obtained. I have seen with my own eyes and have felt the corruption that these idol contain. These idols contaminated the land and warping the trees and vegetation surrounding it. I know of at least two other items like this being found and destroyed previous. Though with mixed effects. So far we have been treating the symptoms but not the disease.
I have many other thoughts right now, about a lot of things. I would like to talk to you personally about them once I get home and the idol is secure.
In service
Selena Stargazer, Truth Seeker.
I pack up the writing gear and seal the letter and make it ready to send either via Hawk or Runner depending on what I run into first. I huddle down for the night. I place my bag good arms length away and then draw a protective circle around the bag and then around myself and cast the same protection spell on myself that I did for the others for the ritual. I glare at my bag. I have a bad feeling and I can’t seem to shake it. It’s going to be a long walk home.