No tracks or scents stick out to Barek or Mong, it seems the body has lain here a while, the weather having washed away any identifying scents. Barek will notice Mong being reluctant to go near the body.
This area holds no strange identifiers or mysteries like the last but you do find the edge of the forrest.
A fifteen-foot-tall statue of Erastil stands near the edge of the Narlmarches, partially overgrown at the base but towering above the surrounding shrubbery. Once the stony sentinel standing before an old hunter’s lodge, the lodge has long since vanished after a fire and centuries of growth, but the statue remains. Yet despite years of neglect, the site remains sacred to the god of the hunt, for the priest who built it was particularly favored among the Taldan explorers.
"Keep an eye out for a bear.", Amadeen says softly as she looks around.
Johund smiles at the statue of Erastil. It amuses him to know that some people still pray to the fickle sky gods, when the only real salvation to be found is in the iron of a blade, the wood of a shape, and the dirt beneath their feet.
"Keep an eye out for a bear."
"Aye. We want the pelt." Johund has his daggers ready.
You search the area thoroughly but are unable to find any sign of a bear.
The ground just east of the Skunk River here slumps away into a soggy mire, notable for the fact that a pair of ruined stone buildings jut from the soggy ground. These buildings have been claimed by a lone boggard and his monstrous frog-like pet, a tusked slurk. The boggard calls out in broken common croaking " “Truce! Truce!" Boggards resemble anthropomorphic frogs or toads, complete with webbed hands and feet, large eyes, and overly wide mouths.
These creatures make their homes near large rivers or deep in marshes. There they make small villages composed of mud mounds on the banks. Boggards start out life as tadpoles in breeding ponds, eventually growing to a length of 3 feet before sprouting arms and legs and becoming capable of terrestrial living. Acceptance into the clan then depends on the young boggard’s successful hunt to kill a sentient humanoid. Those who fail are exiled from the clan. As boggards age, they continue to grow and lose their coloration. Exceptionally old boggards bear completely white skin covering massive corpulent bodies. Some of these boggards rank among the caste of priest-kings and enjoy a life of grotesque pleasures ruling their clans.
Amadeen nods to herself as she recalls a great deal about boggards.
She calls out:
"We'll offer truce, so long as you realise that we're not for hunting. What do you want?"
The boggard points at itself "Boggard." He then points at Amadeen "You go."
Amadeen looks to her companions.
"Do any of you think that's unreasonable? Otherwise I say we go."
”Leave a mire with its jumbled ruins? Seems reasonable to me. I wouldn’t murder this creature over that.”
The area of woods is thick with brambles and not easy to navigate but you slowly chart the area.
You notice a cleared area behind some of the brambles. The thick tangle of brambles gives way into a large clearing in the woods, its border partially defined by ruined stone pillars. The western face of the clearing is dominated by a looming, upthrust ridge of rock, nearly three hundred feet across and rising to a moss-topped height of 100 feet at the center. The side of this towering boulder facing the clearing has been carved in the likeness of an immense elk, its antlers drooping down from its weathered face to frame a fifty foot wide cave entrance. A flight of stone steps leads up to this cave entrance from the forest clearing—both the steps and elk face feel quite old and are thickly encrusted with layers of moss. A fifty-foot-long oval pool sits in the middle of the clearing, its waters thick with algae.
Amadeen spends time getting irked over bramble thorns.
But her keen eyes are not so easily distracted from interesting possibilities.
"This way!", she exclaims, as she leads the way to a large clearing, ringed with ruined stoned pillars and with a fifty foot long oval pool in its centre, riddled with algae. The western face, a looming ridge of rock, nearly three hundred feet across and a hundred feet high in the centre, mostly covered with a huge carving of an elk. The 'antlers' of the lowered 'head' surround a fifty foot wide cave entrance, with moss-covered stone steps leading up to the dark.
"Methinks we may have found that temple.", she says, grinning.
As Amadeen leads the group into the clearing you can hear a grizzly bear roaring out and watch it lumber down the steps towards you.
Eluvias
Johund
Bear
Amadeen
Barek
”Time to dance. Shall we?” Eluvias followed this with arcane words, and rushed forward.
Amadeen stares at the bear, meeting its gaze. And laughs.
After their last battle, Johund's a little more wary of rushing head-long into battle. Instead, he moves forward at a more measured pace, whispering a prayer and igniting his best dagger in flames of frost.
Barek will move to get a clear shot.
With a whistle he sends Mong around to harry the bear from behind.
”Time to dance. Shall we?” Eluvias followed this with arcane words, and rushed forward.
After their last battle, Johund's a little more wary of rushing head-long into battle. Instead, he moves forward at a more measured pace, whispering a prayer and igniting his best dagger in flames of frost.
The grizzly bear charges forward trying to sink it's jaws into Eluvias.
Amadeen
Barek
Eluvias
Johund
Bear
Johund moves in on the bear, thrusting his blade up into its gut. .
Amadeen stares at the bear, meeting its gaze. And laughs.
Barek has little luck hitting the bear.
Eluvias unleashes some of his arcane might on the bear severly injuring it.
Johund moves in on the bear, thrusting his blade up into its gut as it attempts to bite him.
The bear collapses to the group it's fur disappearing as it transforms into the form of an elderly human male... even this quickly decays into dust before your eyes. At this moment, the entire shrine seems
to grow more vibrant and colorful. The water in the pool becomes crystal clear, and for 24 hours the waters grant the effects of a cure light wounds spell (CL 5th) to anyone who drinks directly from the pool.
Eluvias used prestidigitation to clean the after effects of the battle off of himself. ”A decent workout, if short. Anyone have an idea of what transpired here? It would seem that this man was cursed, though I know not why it would effect the water. Perhaps it was divine in nature?”
Before she replies, Amadeen ponders for a moment.
Amadeen considers perhaps the man offended a god (Erastil?) or a powerful spellcaster in some way.
"A word of advice, folks. Do not irritate Erastil or a high up spellcaster. Now, how about we have a rummage around?"
Amadeen begins to search the area for interesting bits and pieces.
Unfortunately this place has not been in use for some time and your search fails to turn up anything of value.
Disappointed, Amadeen turns to the others.
Anyone find anything worth coin?"
"Not yet," says Johund, eyeing the cave. "Certainly no bear pelt. But, inside...."
From his belt pouch he produces a small bottle. He bites the cork and spits it aside, then drinks the potion. . Then he steps toward the cave entrance, eyeing it warily.
It seems the 'bear' was using this spot as a den. It's faded and overgrown but carving exalting Erastil can be spotted.
"I think that confirms it. We have our bounty!", Amadeen cheers.
"Let's keep exploring once we're done rooting around here."
Amongst the wooded area you find two hot springs bubbling at the source of the Skunk River, filling the surrounding area with the distinctive odor of rotten eggs. Despite the smell, the hot springs are really rather pleasant to relax in.
Broad expanses of grasslands fill the next few days.
You find the corpse of a trapper. In an attempt to rig a deadfall along the south bank of the Thorn River here, he overstepped his skill and was pinned to the ground by several large logs when his half-completed trap
collapsed on him.
The trappers’s hatchet, stuck in the stump of a tree a few feet from his
dead body’s outstretched arm, is a masterwork hand axe.
The ropes that snapped and allowed the logs to crush the trapper’s legs and pin him to the ground appear to have been severed by something sharp.
Seeing the mess, Amadeen casually asks:
"Who fancies an axe?"
Then she spots something.
"Huh. Someone cut the ropes with something sharp. Now who would want this guy dead?"
"T'weren't me," Johund says defensively, then realizes he isn't being accused. He adds, chuckling, "Though, y'ave t'admit, were a clever kill. Trapping ter trapper. Looks like his own ax were used fer ter deed."
"Oh, Johund!", Amadeen chuckles.
"But seriously, someone snuffed this guy. This seems very odd to me. Vengeance maybe? Perhaps we can track his own trail to his lodgings. Perhaps there's a gleeful ex-wife there."
Barek just looks around blankly until Amadeen points out that the trap had been sabotaged. "Trappers can get nasty over their favorite trapping areas?"
"Personally, I like Amadeen's version," Johund says with an amused grin.
After a while you find a basic camp site nearby but there is little of value, the tent having collapsed some time ago.
"Something about this irks me. Why kill him? Especially, why kill him and leave a pricey axe behind? A message? A warning? To whom?"
"Beats me," says Johund as he finishes searching the site. "Bah. If he had valuables, they're already took. Poor sap. Unless...it was the same filth what put skivvies in me rations?"
"Hmmm. We never did find them. Maybe they upped their game on that poor sod."
As you explore this forest you start spotting bear traps, which aren't uncommon given the trappers that move about these areas but what makes these odd are they aren't marked to identify them to other trappers or travellers, you could very easily step into one. The first might be an accident but you discover man unmarked in this area in a reckless and malicious manner.
"Right. Sod this. You see any unmarked traps? Spring them, break them, or steal them. It might hack off whomever is behind this nonsense into coming for us."
”A very reckless individual to be sure. I would not mind killing him.” Eluvias said this flatly, while looking at one of the traps. He would hate to walk into one. All the more reason to end the life of whomever was behind it.
Johund's eyes narrow. "Some fool just askin' t'be offed."
Plains stretch before you, prime land for farming in the months and years to come.
The plains here are a little more rocky and patches of blackberry brambles.
At this point your group turns back towards Oleg's trading post. Some lands to the east are still unexplored but you have a firm idea on the lands to the west now.
Jhod approaches your group as you return to the Trading post. "Did you find any sign of the temple?"
Amadeen strides into the trading post like she owns the place.
Well, in a way...I do.
She smiles to herself as she walks in.
"Well Jhod, we did indeed find that temple. There was a bear, and we fought it, and when it died it turned back into a man."
"I'm not entirely sure what that means but you have my thanks. If you ever have need of the blessings Erastil has granted me they are yours at no charge... if there's a material needed as sacrifice for it you'll need to provide it but other than that my abilities are at your disposal."
"I think they had been cursed. Pissed off Erastil perhaps. But your offer is sound and I welcome it.", Amadeen finishes with a smile.
**********************
When no one has anything else to add, she will turn to the others.
I think it's time to clear this up.
"Folks, I need to ask ye something."
”Hmm?” Eluvias crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
Johund also crosses his arms. "Not lookin' fer a wife."
Amadeen shakes her head, smiling.
"Lucky for you then that I'm not offering."
Then she gets more serious.
"I was an orphan. And elves take a long time to grow up. But I got lucky. A hermit elf in the woods, Haleen looked after me."
She pauses.
"And then one day, she left. Some old business I imagine. Thinking about it now, she had the air of an adventurer about her. But I haven't seen her since."
She looks about.
"I got a lead. That an elf who looks like her entered the Stolen Lands. I want to find her. Will you help me?"
She looks at the others, with a mix of emotions.