Bern
We were all in bad shape, even the barbarian. Seeking a place of refuge, we left the area near the abbey and headed northwest following the road. Prior reports suggested to keep in this direction, but we were unsure how far we would have to travel to reach it. When it neared time to camp. We found a tree. Lit by fairy lights. Small creatures. Fluttering about with their wings. They did not appear to speak our language. But we offered them silver. And they allowed us to camp beneath their tree without molestation.
The following day we moved on. Around noon, we came across a small. Decrepit in. The building was in poor shape. But it offered shelter from the elements and a safe place to rest while we recuperated. While we were there, fish grew bored and wandered off. Shortly thereafter, one of her friends arrived: Pelf, a paladin of Denara. She claimed she did not know Oscar except by reputation, despite serving the same deity. She had been seeking the offices of the Gray Company in Prigswort, but those offices had been closed due to the siege. As we were the closest members of the Gray Company, she offered to join us.
The inn offered a safe place to rest and recuperate, so we took advantage of the opportunity while we could. Pelf, being the healthiest of the group, amused herself by looking over the accounting books of the inn, searching for … financial tracks or something? I don’t know why that sort of thing interests her. I can barely mark my own name and have never needed more than that. But it did seem to hold her interest.
The rest of us listened to the innkeeper speak of local legends. Apparently the nearby lake holds the dwelling of the Witch Queen, and late at night her castle can be seen glowing from beneath the waves. The innkeep even has a special luxurious room which he claims has a view of the lake from which this can be seen. The rest of the group were skeptical of the price; 5gp a night is indeed dear. But I could use the luxury, in my wounded condition.
I took the offered room, which is situated at the top of a dilapidated tower attached to the inn. Pelf tried to talk the innkeeper into offering one of his barmaids to go with the room, in the hopes that would increase sales. She might be on to something in general, but I was not interested.
We spent several days there, slowly healing and listening to the local legends. Morin made a point of speaking with some of the more skeptical passerby, one of whom attributed the strange glow in the center of the lake to an algae bloom. He said it was a perfectly rational explanation for a phenomenon that clearly had no magical or supernatural significance. That discussion inspired me on the second night to stay up late and observe the lake, but I did not happen to notice anything unusual. Perhaps I fell asleep too soon.
The next day, the innkeeper told us of a local pillar dedicated to Ambule. Supposedly those who wish the blessings of this spirit or Saint or godling or something could write their names upon this pillar, and it would favor them in some unspecified supernatural fashion. From his description, this being is associated with the wilderness. That sounded like a good fit for me and my withered arm, so we decided it was worth looking into.
About a half days journey from the inn we came upon the pillar, which sits at the top of a hill, a stone staircase leading up to it from the shore of the lake. Climbing the stairs, we ascended to the base of the wooden pillar. The surface was covered with names scratched in chalk. There were no instructions or tools, no hints towards the nature of whatever strange being was being petitioned. Not even whether the creature was real or a mere figment of the imagination of the populace.
I was skeptical, but the idea of this monument’s association with wilderness and nature offered me some comfort, and I decided it wouldn’t hurt to try. We built a fire to make charcoal to write with, and I wrote my name upon the pillar as many others had done before me. After a moment’s thought u-Heury did the same. We both felt a strange reaction as the wind seemed to go still, and the world felt more weighty. It seemed clear that there was some significance to the act, but not what that significance might be. We returned to the inn, preparing to bed down for the night.
u-Heury chose to leave the inn during what remained of the daylight, seeking to spend time foraging. I was still too wounded to even contemplate such a task, at least not without dire need. Nevertheless, when the barbarian failed to return on time, I left the inn with the others to search. I was unable to follow the barbarian’s tracks, but the moment I set my mind to wonder where I would go to find herbs, I stumbled across his insensate body, lying in a field of poppies. Sighing, we made a makeshift lasso and dragged him out from the field. When he woke, he reported a strange dream of being tied to the pillar while moss ate his feet. We wrote that off to the influence of the poppies and returned to the inn.
That night, I had a similar dream. I dreamt I was chained to the pillar, with strong silver chains that made my skin burn where they pressed against it. I struggled, but with all my strength I could not bend the chains to free myself. How could they have known, I wondered, to bind me with silver chains and not mere rope or steel?
Looking down, I too noted the moss growing at my feet… appearing to grow up into my feet. As if it was taking over such a small part of my body and form. It was a terrifying, slow torture, made all the worse by its painless nature.
After what seemed like forever, I woke from the dream to find Pelf attempting to comfort me. Her healing hands were certainly welcome, but knowing Oscar as I did, I kept expecting her to demand payment. Thankfully, she has so far offered her aid without such demands.
As I woke, I felt the faintest tingles of life beginning to return into my withered arm. Had the healing process finally begun? Had the strange pillar and its dream played some role in my recovery? I could not truly say, as I had only the faintest of sensations to judge by. Yet for the first time in years, I felt optimistic. At the same time I could not help but wonder if there would there be a price to pay?
