The river curves to the west in a great ox-bow. The landscape rising more than the river, such that you find yourselves entering a deepening, shaded, tree filled gorge.
As evening draws close you start to hear roaring water. Soon enough the source of the sound can be seen; a massive, whitewater rapid where the river pours down into the gorge. It is not a dead end, a narrow game trail makes its way in switchbacks around pale stone bluffs and ledges, up and out.
You have just enough time to set up camp before sunset, if you stop now.
Larin looks down into the churning rapids with dismay. "I doubt we're going to find a way across any time soon," he says. "Looks like we might be able to travel further upstream, but it's getting late. Shall we find somewhere to have some dinner then carry on in the morning?" he asks, his question punctuated by a loud rumble from his stomach.
Autumn gave a nod in agreement. "If you all can get camp started I shall get us something to eat!"
Autumn sees some nice trout in the river. She fashions a gig from a thin sapling and manages to spear a few of the fish.
"Some of us might need to eat through our rations." Autumn said as she came back with some trout. "I wasn't able to gather enough for everyone. I'll gladly cook it and go ahead and take rations myself so you all just need to pick who is getting rations and who is getting fish."
"Bah you will eat the fish Autumn.You caught them its fine. I've bread and cheese"
He smiled at her and they stopped. He really didnt mind.
"anyone have any thoughts about what those folk said? That this stag lord is trying to recruit regularfolk like he wants to build an actual civilization? Worrisome that."
Autumn gave Herger a half smile and a slight shake of her head. "I will if others turn down the fish first. After all I came out here to keep those who chose a new path alive, not getting enough food for everyone is my failing."
When he mentioned what the folks had said she paused in her prepping of the fish. "I will not lie, it has been on my mind, more than I'd like to admit. If he wanted to build a new place... I just don't know... How could a bandit think like that? Could he have seen the errors of his ways? There are just too many possibilities to know without meeting this man in person. You can tell a lot of a man by how he holds himself, and how he treats others."
”My guess is that he is trying to rebuild his forces.” Augustina chimes in. ”You’ve been having success against his bandits, their ranks must be growing thin.”
"That is a very valid thought." Autumn said with a nod of agreement following her words. "Each time we've come across bandits we have come the victor in the end... His number must be feeling the loss at this point."
"This gives me a bit of reassurance on our course of action. If we get down there before he can get her more to him we may face fewer obstacles... I am curious of this, Akiros... If he is gathering hand for the Staglord he must be rather trusted...no?"
"I've got plenty stashed away, and I'm not a big fan of trout," Larin says, pulling out a chunk of dried sausage and some surprisingly intact crackers from his backpack.
"I'm worried about what he's telling these people to try to convince them to work for him," he adds around a mouthful of sausage. "If he's trying to rebuild his forces with other bandits then that's all well and good but if he's lying to people who are just looking for a new life then I'm less happy about that."
"We will find out, let us not worry about it too much for now else it'll keep you all from getting a good night sleep." Autumn pointed out as she began to cook the fish.
"Because we'll find out soon enough after all."
Autumn and Frostbite ate some of their rations while she gave the fish to the others. "Let's get camp set up and hope breakfast is more filling." She said before she helped them get their tents up.
Once more she used her magic to stay vigil through the night and when morning came she turned to getting a better breakfast.
He tossed and turned almost the whole night through, and when morning came it was clear he hadn't rested all that well. Stress and thoughts about his purpose here in these lands kept him from enjoying a deeper sleep. The tenets of his faith rest against the back of his mind. Well... He was no inquisitor but he was here, and he would see the will of his patron god shown through.
"You know Autumn...I understand you have ways to avoid sleep, but you dont have to keep watch everynight like that."
He offered as they ate their breakfast.
"Oh I mind it not." Autumn said before she ate a bit of her breakfast. "A watch must be set and with my abilities it is the best course of action. Not to mention I signed on to this to be a guide for others who journey out into the wilderness. Thus, this is my place."
"You don't look too well, is something amatter?"
"It can't be good for you though," Larin says, "staying awake all night every night on your own. Do you not get lonely?" he asked.
"Well of course it gets lonely. But the night does provide it's own distractions." Autumn explained as she gave Frostbite a scratch behind the ear. "The night is alive with sounds of it's own, the sky dances with stars and moonlight, animals come out to move among the trees in the safety of darkness, and much more."
"As to if this is good for me... I cannot answer. I haven't seen any side effects however."
Night passes without event. In the morning you take the game trail up out of the gorge, and enter a natural wonderland. A place of crystal clear pools of water, stately trees, and fantastic rock formations. The stone is grey, with a foot thick horizontal purple band at about four feet above the ground. The formations are weathered smooth; some rise as hoodoos, while other formations have holes through them. Some of the hoodoos are as high as thirty feet tall, while others are only a couple of feet tall. The rock forms are scattered, and few, while the water pools are common, and interconnected, all feeding the great rapids behind you. The trees are nicely spaced, mostly hardwoods, with berry bushes scattered here, and there among them.
Autumn brings down a small red deer that was browsing in the peaceful upland.
Reassured by Autumn's response and content for her to continue Larin nods in acceptance and gets on with his breakfast, aware of the likely long day of travel ahead of them.
He looks around in unashamed wonder at the incredible beauty of the area they find themselves in. "I never imagined that the Stolen Lands could be so...amazing," Larin says, mouth agape as they travel through the untouched and pristine wilderness. "This is interesting," he says, pointing slightly upwards at the purple rock band above his head, "how do you imagine that happened?"
Autumn gave thanks to her god and the forest for the hunt of the deer, as it would feed the group well for now.
"I don't know... but they're lovely." Autumn said after she was done and came to look at the rocks. "This place is beautiful, but we shouldn't linger as we do have a task at hand."
"We should get moving I suppose," Larin replies with a sigh, wishing they could spend more time in the most idyllic, peaceful environment he'd been in for some time. "We should be able to cross the river near here, at least," he adds.
The pools and ponds are small and mostly shallow. Though still deep to someone of Larin’s stature.
The ponds are fed by artesian springs, some of which flow up out of sand. The water is clear and you can see the sand move and shift as the water flows up through it. It would be quicksand, except the water would force you to float. Of course going for a swim would stir up the sand, making the water murky for awhile.
The waters abound with fish, if someone had brought fishing gear…
A ridge of old, weathered volcanic stone runs north and south through the area; not really a barrier, but it divides the flow of water. The water on the west side of the ridge does not feed the Thorn river, but forms the headwaters of a different river. One that you haven’t mapped yet.
"Shall we follow this river for a spell see where it takes us?
He asked noting the waters bounty. Fishing would be good here, there was no doubt of that. It was beautiful land the others were correct. It was just a matter of taming it, making it useful to folk.
"Why not? It's lovely here," Larin replies, happy to linger for a little longer. "Looks like there's more than one river that starts here. I bet there'll be good fishing waters for some way downstream."
Autumn nodded in agreement. "Yes, a walk down this stream sounds like a good idea."
"Let us keep going while we have the light. With luck we might find our quarry sooner rather than later."
The waters on the west side of the ridge are not so clear as those on the east. The water is more opaque, and has a pale blue hue. There is a hint of the smell of sulfur about the water too.
This new river runs generally south.
"Let's stick to the east side of the river." Autumn said as they group moved on. "We know more of what is to the east and I don't want to get caught on the west side of the river unable to get back with ease should we need to return to Oleg's
"That makes sense," Larin replies, nodding at Autumn's logic as they move off while the light lasts.
"We'll still be on the wrong side of the Thorn River though." Augustina comments. She doesn't seem too concerned, after all, it is quite unavoidable, if you are to continue exploration.
This new river makes its way across a heavily forested plateau; slow and lazy, it is fed by the occasional hot spring. Algal blooms float on the surface of the water, and there is a rotten egg smell to the river. The quality of fishing is not near as good as it was on the Thorn River headwater side of the ridge.
The forest is mostly hardwoods, and is blessedly free of the heavy thorn thickets that characterized the banks of the Thorn River.
"Yes, but I know where to cross on the Thorn River." Autumn said, "This river, not so much."
"This must be some of the deepest parts of the woods, these hardwood trees grow slower than most." Autumn commented as the moved through. "But, we need to keep moving till it is time to make camp, cover as much ground as we can."
Autumn kept her eyes open as the group traveled deeper and deeper into unknown territory.
Traveling down the river, you come to a section of boggy river bank. It would be logical to circle around to the east, but Autumn notices some half sunk ruins, and a flicker of movement among them.
"There is something in those ruins..." Autumn said as she pointed it out to the group.
"Bah, Be ready folks."
The large ulfen cleric began dismounting from his horse and moving torwards the motion pulling out his morningstar and his shield.
"Hoi there in the ruins show yourself!"
A loud, deep bass voice answers Herger, but in a language none of you know. Except at the end, the words: ”You go!” Are plain enough
Larin follows Herger's lead, hopping down from Frostbite's back and pulling out his own Morningstar. "Did you see what it was?" he asks Autumn before the loud voice seems to tell the group to lead. Larin begins to draw in his magic, a breeze suddenly flowing through his hair and his eyes glowing slightly with a blue light.
"I'm not sure..." Autumn answered Larin.
"I couldn't understand the first language I heard." Autumn explained. "Wait, lets see if they're friendly first. They might just be scared." She told them before she called out. "Can you understand me? Are you with the bandits?"
”No! You go!” The voice booms. Who, or whatever it is, stays concealed behind vegetation and what looks like ancient masonry, that has tipped over and settled into the swamp.
"The voice doesn't sound like taldian is it's first language. Could we all be in agreement to leave... Whatever this is to it's own devices for the time?" Autumn asked.
He scowled and almost spat on the ground. He wasnt really looking for a fight, but he didnt like leaving whatever this boaming voiced thing was behind as an unknown. It had said it wasnt with the bandits, so that at least meant it wasnt a friend of the enemy.
"We arent seeking any problems."
He called back with a frown backing away. He moved back torwards his horse keeping his eyes on where the voice seemed to be coming from.
Larin looks about as Herger and Autumn talk with the voice, making sure that nothing is trying to sneak up on them while they're distracted.
Maybe Larin is distracted with wondering what sort of being could have such a deep, loud, bass voice. At any rate, he doesn’t spot any intruders. Or, it could be, there’s no one there to spot.
"Agreed, let us take our leave." Autumn said before she called out
With that Autumn motioned for the group to continue on.
Larin nods at Autumn and follows her away from whatever is was that was shouting at them. "Seemed unfriendly but at least it didn't try to kill us," he says with a shrug.
Leaving the big voice behind, you climb up out of the river valley into heavily wooded hill country. The forest is mostly hardwoods; The forest floor is cool and shady, with a thick carpet of fallen leaves.
Larin sits comfortably on Frostbite's back as the group climbs up into the forest. A cool breeze rustles the leaves covering the ground and the sounds of the forest are calming and familiar. He keeps his eyes open for signs of anything interesting as they pass through the woodland.
The sights and smells of the forest calmed Autumn greatly, a sense of familiarity.
Larin and Autumn both notice a section of forest in a small valley. The area seems somehow more foreboding than the surrounding woods. Thorns grow among the trees and there seems to be a dimness about the place.
"That doesn't seem right..." Autumn said as she motioned for everyone to stop. Dismounting Solstice, Autumn made her way to thorn woven trees. "It seems like it is darker here... Does anyone else sense it?" She asked.
Larin and Frostbite stop at Autumn's signal as the group approaches a dense stand of trees. He remains on Frostbite as Autumn dismounts, but looks into the edges of the forest which seem dark and uninviting. "I do," he replies. "Something feels wrong with those trees. Be careful Autumn."