2022.03.20, Cú Aoife

Abgrf ertneqvat gur rkcybengvba bs n Gerr va gur Uvtu Jvyqrearff. Fheirl grnz: Pú Nbvsr, Fpágunpu, Zbegerq Oybqjlaq, "Ure Uvtuarff" Pnffnaqen, Gnoevf Fgnetnmre, Rzrel Nivkvhz

Bhe vavgvny rkcrqvgvba tbny jnf gb qb fbzr onfvp erpbanvffnapr bs gur nern nebhaq gur sberfg gb nffrff vgf qnatref. Bhe rkcrqvgvba ortna cynpvqyl rabhtu hagvy jr ortna gb urne n abvfr yvxr n Xva va cnva hcba gur jvaq. V ortna nccebnpuvat gur fbhaq va beqre gb frr vs gurer jnf n crefba oruvaq vg. Gehgu or gbyq V'ir orra nakvbhf gb svaq n fvatyr shpxvat yvivat orvat va gung uryyvfu jnfgr naq V guerj pnhgvba gb gur jvaq. Zhpu jbefr pbhyq unir unccrarq gb zr guna jung qvq- fbzrguvat gung frireny bs bhe cnegl nggrzcgrq gb jnea zr nobhg, gubhtu V qvqa'g yvfgra.

Jung bhe grnz qvfprearq nf jr tbg pybfre jnf jung Rzrel, bhe rfgrrzrq fpubyne, pnyyrq n Ubcjbegu jvyybj, ohg gung'f n ovg yvxr pnyyvat n oryhtn n fneqvar. Guvf gerr jnf haoryvrinoyl znffvir naq unq pyrnerq gur nern nebhaq vg bs nyzbfg nyy bgure tebjgu, rkprcg sbe vgf bja uhatrevat ebbgf. N fgernz bs jngre sybjvat guebhtu gur ebbgf ghearq erq. Vg fzryyrq yvxr n puneary ubhfr.

V fahpx pybfre juvyr gur erfg bs gur grnz ortna gb nggrzcg gb pbzzhar jvgu gur gerr. Sebz zl haqrefgnaqvat, Pnffnaqen qrznaqrq borfvnapr sebz vg, naq vg erfcbaqrq jvgu n qrny gung jr oevat vg syrfu, yvxr gur "bgure".

Gur fzryy bs qrngu naq ebggvat jnf bayl fgebatre pybfre gb gur gerr. Haqrearngu vg jnf n cvg gur fvmr bs n gbja fdhner, svyyrq gb gur oevz jvgu pbecfrf va inevbhf fgntrf bs qrpnl. V ortna fbegvat guebhtu gur cvyr hafhpprffshyyl va beqre gb svaq nalguvat erzbgryl erfrzoyvat n Xva, gb ab ninvy. Jung V qvq svaq, ubjrire, jnf gur tragyr evfr naq snyy gung vaqvpngrq fbzrguvat jnf haqrearngu gurer. V frag n erdhrfg bire nrgurecrney sbe onpxhc gb wbva zr nf V pnershyyl ortna harneguvat guvf perngher--pner gung jnf fjvsgyl ercnvq jura Rzrel, qbvat fbzr hasngubznoyl fghcvq fpubyneyl znahrire, jbxr vg hc.

V vavgvnyyl gubhtug guvf guvat jnf fbzr fbeg bs qentba jvgu n znpnoer gnfgr va ubeqrf, ohg vafgrnq jung V fnj jnf na haoryvrinoyl znffvir gbnq. Gur gbnq jr riraghnyyl jrer noyr gb xvyy, rfcrpvnyyl bapr vg znqr gur zvfgnxr bs nggrzcgvat gb rng Pnffnaqen naq fur ohefg bhg bs vgf zbhgu pbirerq va tber. Ubjrire ng guvf cbvag gur obql fuhqqrerq naq n cnenfvgr gung unq gnxra gur cynpr bs vgf gbathr rybatngrq, erirnyvat n znffvir frtzragrq obql nf vg gbbx pbageby bire gur cbbe gbnq'f pbecfr. Guvf, gbb, Pnffnaqen qrsrngrq naq srq gb ure ubhaqf, bayl sbe gur ragver orvat gb or gnxra bire ol na ryrzragny fcvevg bs sver gung yvirq vafvqr bs vg. Guvf ynfg perngher jnf gur zbfg qnatrebhf, erthyneyl fcvggvat zbygra ynin ng hf, naq jr jrer arneyl nyy xvyyrq, lbhe uhzoyr nhgube vapyhqrq, bayl gb or fnirq ng gur irel ynfg zbzrag ol Gnoevf fgevxvat vg cerpvfryl pbeerpgyl jvgu ure fgvpx.

V pbasrff gung nf V ynvq qlvat arkg gb ure nf fur nggrzcgrq guvf, V jnf nyernql pbafvqrevat jurgure raqvat zl bja yvsr jbhyq or snfgre naq zber uhznar guna yrggvat zlfrys or rngra ol guvf ornfg, fb guvf jnf fbzrguvat bs n jrypbzr fhcevfr. V fubhyq fnl V raqrq hc va guvf fvghngvba qrfcvgr zl orfg rssbegf gb gur pbagenel, nf V jnf cbfvgvbarq qverpgyl ng gur rkvg, ernql gb yrnir vs vg orpnzr pyrne gung V jbhyq zrrg zl raq gurer. V unir abg sbetbggra zl guvrs-bngu naq jvyy abg or npphfrq bs fhpu ol gur yvxrf bs lbh.

Nsgre trggvat rirelbar hc naq znxvat pnzc, V ortna gb pneir gur ornfg, unys qvffrpgvba, unys ohgpurel. Rzrel naq V erpbirerq jung cnegf jr pbhyq bs vg, naq ur chyyrq bhg fbzr fbeg bs pber, juvpu jr guvax jnf gur ryrzragny ornfg vafvqr bs vg. Ubjrire, orsber jr pbhyq trg shegure fghql, vg snqrq vagb nfu, yrnivat hf jvgu ab shegure vasbezngvba. V jnf nyfb noyr gb erpbire frireny vagrerfgvat-ybbxvat negvsnpgf sebz vgf fgbznpu, juvpu jr qvfgevohgrq nzbat gur cnegl. Gurl frrz gb or bowrpgf bs fvtavsvpnag cbjre.

(Fvapr V xabj lbh jbhyq nfx vs V qvqa'g gryy lbh: jr ebnfgrq gur yrtf, naq gurve grkgher vf jbaqreshy naq ohggrel, gubhtu hasbeghangryl gur synibe vf ovggre. Ubg fnhpr vf n qrprag erzrql sbe gung, ohg V'yy unir gb gel fbzr nqqvgvbany cercnengvbaf jvgu gur erznvavat cvrprf bs vg V unir.)

Bhe jnl ubzr jnf yrff genadhvy guna bhe jnl va. V nethrq sbeprshyyl ohg jnf hafhpprffshy va trggvat zl cnegl gb nterr gb ohea gur gerr qbja. Vg'f n unmneq naq V pna'g fnl gung V haqrefgnaq rirlbar ryfr'f ybtvp va yrnivat vg or, ohg, oneevat bar senaxyl cvgvshy naq rzbgvbany nggrzcg ng nefba ba zl cneg nf jr yrsg, V jvyy novqr ol gur qrpvfvba bs gur znwbevgl sbe abj. Shegurezber, ba bhe jnl onpx jr qvfpbirerq n engure ynetr tebhc bs urebaf. Srryvat rkunhfgrq naq abg jnagvat gb qrny jvgu cbgragvnyyl nabgure qrnqyl pbzong, V nggharq jvgu Fpágunpu gb genafcbeg gur cnegl guebhtu gur Tybnz gb fnsrgl. Guvf jnf erpxyrff, gubhtu va ergebfcrpg V'z abg rknpgyl fher juvpu fbeg bs erpxyrffarff vg jnf. Ohg vg ghearq bhg svar.

Bar bcra dhrfgvba gung V unir nsgre guvf nqiragher: jul qbrf guvf ornfg pnyy vgf cerl jvgu gur qrngu-enggyr bs n Xva? Vf vg yhevat bgure cerqngbef bs Xva va? Gung fgvyy vzcyvrf gung gurer ner Xva fbzrjurer va guvf rpbflfgrz. V fuhqqre gb guvax gung gurfr pevrf zvtug or pbzcyrgryl irfgvtvny, gur cneebg-zvzvpel bs zra ybat qrnq.

Nf jr jrag guebhtu gur cbegny naq erghearq gb bhe gbja, V jnf qvfcbfrq gb jevgr gur jubyr rkcrqvgvba bss nf n jnfgr... hagvy V unq n pybfre ybbx ng bar bs gur bowrpgf erpbirerq sebz gur Sebt'f fgbznpu. V'z abg fher jung rknpgyl guvf vf. Ohg Fpágunpu ungrf vg. Gung nybar vf n tbbq rabhtu ernfba sbe zr gb xrrc vg nebhaq. V'yy unir zber gb ercbeg ba guvf ng n shegure qngr.

V jbhyq nccerpvngr lbh gb erfcbaq gb zl rneyvre erdhrfg sbe vasbezngvba nf jryy. V qba'g nccerpvngr lbhe cynlvat pbl. V nz erthyneyl genvcfvat guebhtu gur jnfgrynaq jvgu n pnqer bs arne-fgenatref, ba lbhe orunys ab yrff. Gur yrnfg lbh pna cebivqr zr jvgu vf na ubarfg nqzvffvba bs vtabenapr. Lbhe yblny Ubhaq qrfreirf gung zhpu.

Decrypted Version
Notes regarding the exploration of a Tree in the High Wilderness. Survey team: Cú Aoife, Scáthach, Mortred Blodwynd, "Her Highness" Cassandra, Tabris Stargazer, Emery Avixium

Our initial expedition goal was to do some basic reconaissance of the area around the forest to assess its dangers. Our expedition began placidly enough until we began to hear a noise like a Kin in pain upon the wind. I began approaching the sound in order to see if there was a person behind it. Truth be told I've been anxious to find a single fucking living being in that hellish waste and I threw caution to the wind. Much worse could have happened to me than what did- something that several of our party attempted to warn me about, though I didn't listen.

What our team discerned as we got closer was what Emery, our esteemed scholar, called a Hopworth willow, but that's a bit like calling a beluga a sardine. This tree was unbelievably massive and had cleared the area around it of almost all other growth, except for its own hungering roots. A stream of water flowing through the roots turned red. It smelled like a charnel house.

I snuck closer while the rest of the team began to attempt to commune with the tree. From my understanding, Cassandra demanded obesiance from it, and it responded with a deal that we bring it flesh, like the "other".

The smell of death and rotting was only stronger closer to the tree. Underneath it was a pit the size of a town square, filled to the brim with corpses in various stages of decay. I began sorting through the pile unsuccessfully in order to find anything remotely resembling a Kin, to no avail. What I did find, however, was the gentle rise and fall that indicated something was underneath there. I sent a request over aetherpearl for backup to join me as I carefully began unearthing this creature--care that was swiftly repaid when Emery, doing some unfathomably stupid scholarly manuever, woke it up.

I initially thought this thing was some sort of dragon with a macabre taste in hordes, but instead what I saw was an unbelievably massive toad. The toad we eventually were able to kill, especially once it made the mistake of attempting to eat Cassandra and she burst out of its mouth covered in gore. However at this point the body shuddered and a parasite that had taken the place of its tongue elongated, revealing a massive segmented body as it took control over the poor toad's corpse. This, too, Cassandra defeated and fed to her hounds, only for the entire being to be taken over by an elemental spirit of fire that lived inside of it. This last creature was the most dangerous, regularly spitting molten lava at us, and we were nearly all killed, your humble author included, only to be saved at the very last moment by Tabris striking it precisely correctly with her stick.

I confess that as I laid dying next to her as she attempted this, I was already considering whether ending my own life would be faster and more humane than letting myself be eaten by this beast, so this was something of a welcome suprise. I should say I ended up in this situation despite my best efforts to the contrary, as I was positioned directly at the exit, ready to leave if it became clear that I would meet my end there. I have not forgotten my thief-oath and will not be accused of such by the likes of you.

After getting everyone up and making camp, I began to carve the beast, half dissection, half butchery. Emery and I recovered what parts we could of it, and he pulled out some sort of core, which we think was the elemental beast inside of it. However, before we could get further study, it faded into ash, leaving us with no further information. I was also able to recover several interesting-looking artifacts from its stomach, which we distributed among the party. They seem to be objects of significant power.

(Since I know you would ask if I didn't tell you: we roasted the legs, and their texture is wonderful and buttery, though unfortunately the flavor is bitter. Hot sauce is a decent remedy for that, but I'll have to try some additional preparations with the remaining pieces of it I have.)

Our way home was less tranquil than our way in. I argued forcefully but was unsuccessful in getting my party to agree to burn the tree down. It's a hazard and I can't say that I understand eveyone else's logic in leaving it be, but, barring one frankly pitiful and emotional attempt at arson on my part as we left, I will abide by the decision of the majority for now. Furthermore, on our way back we discovered a rather large group of herons. Feeling exhausted and not wanting to deal with potentially another deadly combat, I attuned with Scáthach to transport the party through the Gloam to safety. This was reckless, though in retrospect I'm not exactly sure which sort of recklessness it was. But it turned out fine.

One open question that I have after this adventure: why does this beast call its prey with the death-rattle of a Kin? Is it luring other predators of Kin in? That still implies that there are Kin somewhere in this ecosystem. I shudder to think that these cries might be completely vestigial, the parrot-mimicry of men long dead.

As we went through the portal and returned to our town, I was disposed to write the whole expedition off as a waste... until I had a closer look at one of the objects recovered from the Frog's stomach. I'm not sure what exactly this is. But Scáthach hates it. That alone is a good enough reason for me to keep it around. I'll have more to report on this at a further date.

I would appreciate you to respond to my earlier request for information as well. I don't appreciate your playing coy. I am regularly traipsing through the wasteland with a cadre of near-strangers, on your behalf no less. The least you can provide me with is an honest admission of ignorance. Your loyal Hound deserves that much.