(G389 04/05/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR4

(G389 04/05/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR4

DAY 444 (20th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Well, the rest of those caves didn't go that well. Not a total disaster, but not great. I think I need to come up with better strategies.

Anyway, after pottering about looking at the pillars and taking notes in them we moved east through the caves and found a stone dais and throne. Who had built it I had little idea of, but it was designed for a human sized backside.

We moved further into the caves and encountered another black pudding. These are difficult things to fight and we piled crocodiles, magic missiles and lightning bolts into it.
It split and one of them engulfed Irritator.
Now, before that, Henny had been grappled several times, but always broke free. Irritator had not chance though and Teleported out. Very wise of him.

I managed to kill it, and we headed back to the Refuge after that.

Good news! Later this evening Lavinia told me she might be pregnant! I checked her over - I am a good healer these days - and she sure seemed to be, but we'll get a second opinion in the morning.


DAY 445 (21th Mirtul)(May)

In the morning we went over to Weyloon and Lavinia went to see a local priest who was apparently the best person to ask about this sort of thing. It seems that it is true anyway - we are to be parents!

With the good lady wife at home then, I thought me and Irritator would have another pop at that network of vermin filled caves.

It did not go well, we were set upon by a group of giant stag beetles and poor Henny was killed!
I was very annoyed at myself because of that. I should have used crocodiles.

Well, I am going to start the ritual to summon another one now. No rest for the stupid.


DAY 446 (22th Mirtul)(May)

Finished the ritual and summoned another megaraptor. Is it even worth giving the poor thing a name?
I should be more careful from now on.

Had a short nap then some lunch and went over to Weyloon to get some books. Got about a third of what I wanted to start building up a decent library.

I should really sort out that cave today, or I'll start looking like an idiot in front of all the lizardfolk. Can't have that, I'll be drummed out of the Druid Club or something.
Just kidding, there isn't a Druid Club! Unless you count those old fools in the Ardeep Forest.

(G388 13/04/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR3

(G388 13/04/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR3

DAY 441 (17th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Oh dear! I forgot to mention. During the last few days I also flew back down to Westgate and picked up my serving girl Molly and her pet monkey.
She's really been growing lately. It must be all that greasy Westgate food. She certainly felt a lot heavier by the time I'd flown the ten hours back!

It was nice to catch up with the Sea Wyvern crew again. I think that Nobby and Urol are now a bit of an item! Good luck to them I say. Nobby also told me she was thinking of buying out my and Veddic's share of the ship.
I don't know about Veddic, but I like being a part owner of the Sea Wyvern. Veddic hardly counts as Shifty just gave it to him before he disappeared forever down in Chult.

They were not long back from Sasserine and were planning to go back again. I told them to let me know when they got halfway, as I wanted to Teleport to the deck of the ship and start building up some good locations for Irritator.

The top floor of the tower is lovely now. Lavinia and Molly keep it clean and airy and the Hallow spell makes it very calm and peaceful. It extends to the floor below. I let the lizardmen use that area when they need to relax for a while.

Anyway, tired from all that work ordering lizardmen around today. Turning in now.


DAY 442 (18th Mirtul)(May)

Re-hired the lizardmen servants I had last time I was here. That's Nakal, Nanti, Jatol and Cupcay. They can help me out with scouting and Molly with the housework. It also gets a few coins into the Sharptooth economy.

K came to talk to me today. It is always tricky to work out what is going on in his mind. They think the same as men in some things, but their faces are hard to read.

I think he doesn't like the idea of losing face in front of the others. It is assumed by everyone that I am more 'powerful' than him. I've honestly no idea if this is true, but it could be that my presence here is a threat to his position as chief.
Anyway, he proposed a sort of partnership and we smoked the pipe of peace together. I think that means I'm an honorary member of the tribe. I'm still not sure - there was definitely something in that pipe and it all got a bit weird and confusing towards the end.


DAY 443 (19th Mirtul)(May)

Took Irritator for a test run today and we Teleported to Westgate and I introduced him to the crew of the Sea Wyvern.

This is now his list of 'Studied Carefully' locations:
- His House
- Lost Refuge
- Weyloon
- Westgate
- Sea Wyvern

Flew to Spectre Island and talked to Random. Me and Lavinia have half and idea of getting traders interested in coming to the Lost Refuge, or better yet, a shop keeper.
Random said he'd keep his ears open for people that might be interested, but not to hold out much hope.

Flew home after that.


DAY 444 (20th Mirtul)(May)

From recent scouting and talking to the lizardfolk I've determined that there are three places in a five mile radius of the Refuge that are considered dangerous.

Myself, Lavinia and Irritator decided to go take a look at the nearest one. I took Henny with me.

It appeared to have once been inhabited by humanoid folk, but now was home to monstrous vermin.

Initially we were attacked by two giant wasps, then giant beetles and ants. As we moved in a black pudding went for us. This was the hardest and most manic battle so far. Henny's attacks made it split into two. But a combination of my crocodiles and Irritator's magic missiles eventually killed it off.

These caves are an interesting network of natural rock and worked stone. We found a kiln and an area of pillars. Some of the floor is paved in black and white tiles. Once the place is cleared out I will give it more study.

Anyway, break time over, back to work!

(G387 30/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR2

(G387 30/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR2

DAY 428 (4th Mirtul)(May) cont ...

Before dinner, myself and the good lady wife took a stroll along the wall and chatted about the future.

I don't have any sense of urgency for returning to Westgate. Fenrir will be settling in to his new role as the head of the Magical Watch or whatever he's up to and I suppose if he or Random need me, they will send word.

I'm currently really fascinated by the new species of red feather herons I saw around the place today and their hunting methods. I asked Lavinia if it was ok to stay for a while longer. She wasn't happy at first, but after we talked about setting this place up as a sort of base, then possibly turning it into a sort of 'mini-Farshore' she was more onboard. She was at Farshore recently and it sounds like it is doing fine. I'd like to go back again, but for now, here we are.

Lavinia seems to be the sort of girl that likes the idea of laying down roots. Inherited from her parents I think, so we discussed the idea of setting up a base somewhere. The
Lost Refuge is far from ideal, but it does have a few good points - it's remote, and it has an access point to the Plane of Shadows.
I think I would prefer, over all, to be setting up in Kryptgarden, but if it keeps her busy while I get to study my beetles and herons then it is all to the good.

K and the lizardmen seemed to have been under the impression that we would never be back and that this place was theirs now. It's understandable. I tried to make clear to them that it was, after all, us that cleared this place out and that we invited them in.
I don't mind really, and I don't think it will be a problem. The chances are we'll be gone in a few weeks or months anyway and having a druid around is surely a good thing?

So, I think we'll see how it goes. I like the idea of building up the place a bit anyway.

Anyway, first things first. As I left Fluffy back in the forests around Boravia, I need a new animal companion. This takes 24 hours, so I started the ritual later in the afternoon.


DAY 429 (5th Mirtul)(May)

After the ritual, my animal companion arrived - a megaraptor that I called Henny. She's pretty big, with a long tail and ferocious teeth and claws. The lizardfolk seemed quite impressed.

While I was doing that, Lavinia had cleaned out the top room in the central tower of the refuge. She'd done the best she could, but it needs some soap.

That afternoon, a little tired from no sleep last night, as we ate a late lunch K told me that Irritator the kobold wizard was known to be back in the area after spending a lot of his recent loot gold back in Weyloon.

I flew over to his house, if was just a few miles away. It was a tree house in a small wooded area. I knocked as a bird, then as a man, but there was no answer.
I sent Rolanda down the chimney, but she just started raiding the pantry so I turned into a snake and went in after her.

I looked about, and saw that he'd recently packed for a trip. I took myself and the rat back up the chimney, then popped a note under his door.

Turned back into an eagle and flew back with that useless rat clinging onto my back.


DAY 430 (6th Mirtul)(May)

Flew over to Weyloon today.
Purchased a 100 gold's worth of tools, tradable items and cleaning stuff. Shoved it all into my Bag of Holding and flew back.
Also managed to find the herbs, oils and incense for performing a Hallow spell. It wasn't cheap.

Noted that the bookshop is still there, but I'll go back later when I'm more set up.

I need to catch up on my sleep, but I decided to start the Hallow spell, centred on the tower, as soon as I returned. Here goes!


DAY 431 (7th Mirtul)(May)

Finished the Hallow spell today. Seemed to go well. Had some food and a nap afterwards.


DAY 441 (17th Mirtul)(May)

Has it really been ten days since I last updated my journal? Many apologies dear reader!
In truth I have not been on my usual adventures or feats of daring-do so perhaps it is not such a great lost to prosperity.

Since the 7th these have been the projects:
- drain the areas of water that come in under the main wall
- drain the areas of stagnant water nearby that look diseased
- drain the areas that are plagued with nasty insects

I used a combination of my knowledge of nature, the lizardmen and magic.

I've also spent more time than is healthy studying all the local beetles! Utterly fascinating but I will not go on about them in this journal.

Today was different anyway, because good-old Irritator turned up. Part of the plan I've been developing after that last wee while involves having a teleporter on the strength so I popped over to Weyloon and got him a Teleport Spell (not cheap either!). He was delighted about that, but I'll probably take it out of his next share of the loot.

(G386 23/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR1

(G386 23/03/2019 via Roll20 - AP(GM), JF) LR1

DAY 427 (3rd Mirtul)(May)

Something that had been on my mind for a while was to go back to the Vast Swamp and check in at the Last Refuge or the Lost Refuge or Wisphaven or whatever people were calling it.

It's only 120 miles north of Westgate so reachable in a day by air. Today I decided to give it a go and in the shape of a Giant Owl and with Lavinia on my back I flew over there. It took about ten hours, it would have been quicker with a more favourable wind, and we arrived in the evening.

The Sharptooth Clan and K their leader were still there. Spending the night in the guard house tonight. I'll take a look at the rest of the place in the morning.


DAY 428 (4th Mirtul)(May)

Spent today looking about the Lost Refuge, checking out the structures and the immediate surroundings. The Vast Swamp is home to lizardmen, orcs, trolls, hydras and all other manner of nasty beasties.

There are some forested areas, but its mainly marshland. It's a wild and unexplored region and I am gently floating the idea with Lavinia of staying here a while so that I can study it further. I've seen twenty new species of beetle today alone!

Much of the region is more akin to flooded forest, and in the southern part, closest to the sea, mists roll in constantly, shrouding the area in gloomy fog. At this time of year though it is not too bad.

After lunch I flew around the local region, out to about ten miles and saw small villages of lizardmen, orcs and troglodytes. I saw the freshly dead body of an eight-headed hydra.
I wonder what killed it?
I also used my Lay of the Land spell as well, which more or less covered the entire Swamp.

In the evening I talked to K. He tells me that the shadowed lizardmen, what's left of them are to the south west. The clans of Blunt-tooth and Darkfang are to the north and north-west.
Further north are where the hydra are most common and other wild monsters.

K only really knows the five miles or so around the Lost Refuge with any level of accuracy as his tribe rarely venture further out than that.

It's hard to say whether he is that happy that we are back or not, but it's difficult to know when dealing with lizardmen, they are a savage lot.