Turn 20 -- Off to the Mire Turn 20 -- Off to the Mire After accepting the offer of exploring the New Mire, the group is led out of the mansion of Darius
Carman to begin their task. As the party leaves the meeting room, Talimar notices that one of your
number is missing, Kre.
"That darned thief!" says Talimar, "He's wandered off again!"
Not wanting to alert the guards escorting the party out of the mansion, Talimar keeps quiet as the group exits the mansion. As everyone steps outside you notice Kre sitting on the steps of the mansion with a sour look on his face in his hands, a rather large guards standing over him.
"It seems this one 'ere got wadn't too in'erested in the meeting as 'e tried to step out. I
thought it'd be best to just bring 'im out 'ere to wait," says the guard with a grin.
"Thank you very much," says Talimar to the guard as Kre gets up to join the group, "We
appreciate your discretion." He then hands the guard a silver crown for his troubles.
Beleg and Brother Randor both move to surround Kre as the party leaves the walled mansion. "We have had this discussion before," begins Beleg, "I will not allow you to steal from the good people of this valley."
"Nor I," says Randor.
"Stealing?! I was simply looking for the washroom!" replies Kre with slightly feigned
innocence. "Would you care to search me?" offers the young thief.
"That will not be necessary," says Talimar, "Beleg, Brother Randor, I'm sure Kre understands
the seriousness of your beliefs and will continue to honour those beliefs."
"That's right," says Kre, "what he said."
With a slap on the back to Kre and a smile, Randor speaks, "Oh I'm sure you will my friend, I
have no fear of that." And with that, the group takes off to walk the short distance back to town.
As the company walks back to Milborne, Ras, Dain, Druckner and Kre walk off to go to Rastifer's
store to buy the necessary items for the trek into the Mire. The rest of the party goes to talk to
Garyld about the Mire. Entering the ranger's carpentry shop, you find him about to close up for the
evening.
"Hello!" says Garyld as he greets everyone entering the store, "Do you have any news of the
lady Jelenneth?"
"No, my friend, I'm afraid we don't," says Kersath to his fellow ranger, "Have you heard
anything from the other rangers in the area?"
"Nay, I sent a message to Shiraz in the east, but she hasn't heard or seen anything."
"Well, we have been offered a commission from Darius Carman to find out what is the
cause of this New Mire. What can you tell us of that area?" asks Kersath.
"The New Mire aye? About time they did something about that. Well the area that is the New Mire covers about 15 square miles or so of area east of the Patchwork Hills. Until two years ago that area was good farming land. The first year, the soil there grew waterlogged, until the roots of plants rotted in the ground. This year, the problem is even worse. Cutter Brook has not flooded, nor does the water in it seem foul or bad to drink, yet the affected area has almost doubled its size. The poor farmers of the land have been forced to buying feed for their animals and themselves and are threatened with destitution, as you saw earlier today with the auction." replies Garyld.
"You won't be needin any special equipment really to navigate the area. It's just small
marshland. A bit muddy and waterlogged but not too much trouble." offers Garyld, "I
wouldn't know where to begin your search though, nor what ye'd be lookin for."
The party then thanks Garyld for the information, little as it is, and then takes their leave of him. As
this group leaves the carpenters shop, Ras and the others walk up leading a pack mule laden with
items for the trip. Seeing as the hour is late, only an hour or so before darkness sets in, the party
decides to retire to the Baron of Mutton for the evening. It's a quiet evening tonight in the Baron as
most of the townsfolk decide to stay home for the evening as most everyone is in a sombre mood
following the auction of the Denfast farm today. Most of the conversation in the Inn focuses around
the mystery of the Mire.
After hearing that the Company has been commissioned to solve the mystery, most of the
townspeople offer words of thanks as well as many offerings of good luck!
Rising early this day in order to set off on their mission, the party has all met outside the Baron of
Mutton and is now prepared to take off. There is very little conversation as the group tries to fully
wake up. There is a light mist hanging around as the party leaves the streets of Milborne and sets
off down the road. Shortly after lunch the party arrives to the area that used to be the Denfast farm.
The area that used to be their home is completely covered in a shallow marsh and the surrounding
areas that used to be the farmland are totally waterlogged. The spread of the mire just completely
swallowed up what used to be prime farmland.
"It appears we've found the New Mire," says Dain to no one in particular.
"What type of magic could cause this?" asks Talimar.
"I don't know, but I want a piece of it," replies Dain with a grin and a twinkle in his eye.
Following the original plan to skirt the edge of the Mire, the party continues east for a few miles
before moving south along the edge of the Mire the rest of the day. As night falls on the party,
camp is made along the southern edge of the Mire on solid ground.
"I suggest we not have a fire tonight," says Talimar to Kersath as he was preparing to make
one, "This close to something that we have no idea what we are up against, I don't want to
draw any attention to ourselves. The iron rations will be fine for tonight. And everyone stay
alert on watch as well."
"Aye aye, captain," says Kersath as he ties the bundle of firewood back together and sets it
aside.
The company spends a quiet, tense evening as everyone contemplates what could be causing the rise in the Mire as well as what may be hidden deep within it, if anything! With the evening passing quietly, the party wakes the next day to continue their search. This day the group is able to skirt the entire southern section of the Mire and come up along the far eastern edge along the Patchwork Hills. Again, nothing is found to even hint at the origin of the Mire. Speaking to every farmer encountered along the search, no new information is gained nor are there any hints as to its origin.
The party continues to search the Mire, making a counterclockwise rotation of the Mire, each time moving farther and farther inward for three more fruitless days. Just as the group is about to be discouraged and abandon the futile search when they stumble upon what may be a clue! If not a clue, at least something interesting to investigate.
Upon one of the frequent stops to talk to some of the local farmers, Ras overhears a conversation
between a local farm lad and his friends. The boy apparently has been telling some tale of
blue-skinned fiends at the edge of the Patchwork Hills. Ras brings the boy over to recount his tale
for the party.
"Aye, there be dozens of 'em! Huge, like giants! With flat faces and pointed ears, like
yours!," says the boy, pointing to Talimar and Kersath, "They had wide mouths with hundreds
of sharp, pointy teeth. They had bright, shiny armour with spikes, and huge two-handed war
axes!"
"When did you see these creatures?" asks Beleg.
"At the very dead of night," offers the lad.
"If it was the 'very dead of night'" says Talimar, "How could you see them so well to give
such vivid descriptions?"
"Well, maybe it wasn't that late, more like dusk," amends the boy.
"And their size? the weapons? the teeth?" asks Brother Randor, "I am a servant of Tyr and
lying is not accepted by Him."
"Oh come on, I was just funnin'" says the boy after Randor's rebuke.
"It seems we have an aspiring young bard," says Beleg with a smile as he lays his hand on the
boys shoulder, "It's ok, we all like to embellish a little now and then but we need the truth."
"Well ok, there was four of 'em and they was only 'bout four feel tall. They did carry shields
but the armour looked old and scrappy. And they only had hand axes. But their skin was
blue! I swear to ye on that!"
"We believe you on that, boy," says Ortho with a smile, "No one would make up somethin'
like that."
"Now you say you saw them only the Hills, that correct boy?" asks Kersath.
"Yea, around the headwaters of the Cutter Brook."
"Well thank you for the info," says Beleg as he hands the boy a silver coin, "We appreciate all
your help."
Druckner then offers up his opinion, "Sounds like goblins t'me. I've had a few run-ins with the
cowards while travellin' with me Pappy."
"I agree," says Talimar, "Definitely goblins. I don't see how they could be the cause of this
mess but it bears checking out. We've had no other leads as of yet."
As the hour is late, the party agrees to set up camp outside this farmstead and wait till the morrow to make for the Hills and Cutter Brook. Another quiet evening passes as everyone prepares for what may be the first sign of real trouble in the past week.
Weapons and armour are cleaned of the days muck from searching and watches pass quietly once
again.
The party heads out early this morning, several members quite anxious, hopeful of perhaps solving
this mystery and getting out of the marsh and back onto solid ground, others nervous about what
may be ahead. A couple of hours travelling east brings the party to the headwaters of Cutter Brook
but there is no sign of Goblins or anything else in the area. The area is dotted with several
abandoned farms that are quickly falling into ruin. The ground becomes increasingly waterlogged as
the party moves deeper into the Mire along the Brook. Movement is slowed by half and Druckner,
Gnore, and Ortho curse with every step as moving has become extremely laborious for the
Dwarves, each step bringing a deep sucking sound and a curse as they pull boot from out of 2 feet
of mud. Ras had abandoned the whole idea of walking two hours earlier to ride on the shoulders of
Beleg. As the group is noisily moving through the Mire, Kersath returns from the point with news.
"In the name of Mieliki! Keep quiet! You all are making enough noise for an army of
Cormyrean Knights! I think I've found something up ahead. There's a cave ahead about a
hundred yards and I believe I saw a couple of goblins on guard at the entrance." says
Kersath upon arriving.