Trolls and Ghosts - The Journal of Aisha Yethtai

I am getting tired of having to leave behind situations in order to attend to other matters. The matter in Noanar Hold rankles at my principles, but as it currently stands I am not equipped to handle the situation and the locals are equipped to survive it as it currently stands. Still, I am concerned that the delivery we made may have been in aid to the troubles at that settlement, but I am getting ahead of myself and it is best to recount these events in proper order.

We came from seeing to the atrocity at the village near the Evermoors which the ogres had ransacked. Moving to the settlement of the Calling Horns we encountered Lady Tamalin Zoar who ran the inn and provided protection to the surrounding area by collecting small taxes and using it to pay the mercenaries that passed through for their services. The Lady has the makings of founding a good and respected noble line. I think I will see about doing what I can to help her secure her demesne. As the region becomes more populated it is likely she will come under external pressures.

It is well that we stopped as the inn was attacked in the night by trolls that had decided to cross the ten miles of open ground between Calling Horns and the Evermoors. I must admit that I underestimated the trolls given how I traveled with two individuals capable of producing fire with a gesture. 

They were terrible opponents. Gwenfys was out faster than any of us and found herself caught in close with one of the beasts unable to use her bows. I and Filia reached the battle moments later and engaged a second. A failed attempt at dragging the attention of both creatures to me resulted in leaving Filia exposed. When their heads and arms were removed, the limbs continued to attack us. I had to shove my own arm into one of Gwenfys's fires to remove the claw grappled to it.

We took some time to tend to our wounds and then went with Gwenfys to back-track the trolls path to make sure there weren't more of them somewhere. Then we came back and spent another night in safety and security before moving onward to the aforementioned situation at Noanar's Hold.

The settlement is haunted. Literally so, we delivered the Lion Shield crate as asked but rather than be invited in as would be customary for the couriers of a delivery, especially those with noble blood, we were simply rebuffed as if we were beggars. We retired to an inn following this somewhat unexpected insult where we were faced with a trio of Waterdhavians who do their home city great shame.

These three brothers are that worst sort of noble. That sort who feel that a title is a matter of privilege rather than responsibility. Wastes of flesh and blood that believe everyone and everything owe them something for the mere fact that they did us the favor of being born into the world. 

I will admit that their insulting manner and the words they used to refer to my own great city of Silverymoon provoked an unworthy line of vitriol of my own. I found myself caught up in my outrage at their ignoble natures. Filia and Gwenfys had to recall me to myself and convince me to return to my own corner of the inn.

Regardless of that, as far as I know these three are merely worthless and that does not leave them deserving of being hunted down in the night. While we slept, one of the lot took it upon himself to step out into the night. His cries awakened myself and the others. Filia remained in bed, I am not entirely certain why, but Gwenfys and I geared ourselves up and went to see about the matter.

The surviving brothers reported the presence of spectral horsemen with no eyes running down his brother. They came close to taking out their anger and grief on the peasants but we were able to stop them. The spirits did not come into the inn, thankfully, as we are not well-equipped for handling specters, as I noted above. 

Conversation with the innkeeper revealed that this "Dark Hunt" had been fixture of the area for quite sometime and relayed the basic rules of the haunt. Namely that anyone who was outside in the night was fair prey to the hunt. We managed to convince the Waterdhavian wastes to wait for the morning and when we came out found that their brother's body had been spirited away. 

I tried to make the situation clear to them and suggested that they return to their family and hire out mercenaries and adventurers equipped to handle ghosts and the dead if they absolutely must have revenge. Only time will tell if they take my advice to heart. I rather suspect we will find they have tried to take revenge themselves and ended up dead, possibly becoming part of the haunt. 

I suspect we'll learn of this because I mean to go back to Noanar's Hold and deal with this once I have studied the enemy more. For now, however, the giants are the greater threat and one which my weapons can touch. The ghosts of that benighted place shall have to wait.

We then traveled up to Everlund and delivered the message as requested by Lord Protector Darathra Shendrel. It turns out the Lord Protector has well-connected friends. I will not state it more plainly than that. These friends have provided us with some interesting gear. 

Among the various pieces of gear there was a rapier adorned with the holy symbol of Eilistraee. They did not know a name for the rapier but I feel confidence simply holding it. I shall see if Aunt Sariel knows anything about it, though I suppose she is still just an acolyte in Eilistraee's priesthood. Until I know better, I'll refer to it as Bestowment and hope the Red Knight has no problem with my carrying the blade of such a wild goddess.

I just realized that the last time I spoke to Aunt Sariel face to face she was but twelve years old and playing the part of various famous heroes through grandmother's mansion. By now most humans outside of Silverymoon would think her an adult, but I'll probably be old and grey by the time she leaves childhood.

Tarnish has been of little use for most of the past tenday. Ever since the battle with the fire giants her thirst for alcohol has been driving her with greater ferocity than I had noted when I originally met her. I know there is something that she is not telling us. Something that she is trying to keep drowned in a constant stream of alcohol. I only hope she gets a handle on it before it kills her or us.

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