The rest of the trip towards Alda Zocha was uneventful and we arrived without finding evidence of the quickling. The town looked like it had once been small but beautiful defensive outpost. The town itself was on a low natural mesa that prevented easy access except through the stairway to the main gate. The war town nature of the place was immediately prevalent as leading up to the town were crucified skeletons with some writings carved into them. I don’t recall the exact wording, but it seemed like a sort of prayer indicating that the dead should stay at rest. As we approached, we passed some drow elves that were performing a ritual over the bones of more skeletons. Olrok inquired and the found out that the ritual had something to do with preventing the bodies from returning as undead. Regardless of the nature of the ritual, we resolved not to spend much time in the town.

Lacking a better place to start, we went into the main tavern for information. We split up to chat and Zephyr was able to learn that the quickling had been in and around town recently. The dagger thief was thought by the locals to be somewhat mad. He had been acting quite suspicious and often muttering about someone named Zachinne Mora. The quickling had then left to try to find some militaristic druids that had passed through recently.

Zephyr acted a little suspicious and wandered off after chatting with the locals, but he left us with the funds to pay for a room and a meal. Velon and Olrok met a lady named Serena who wanted our assistance in eliminating some creature that a local group of goblins were revering as a new god. We considered it, but already had enough on our plate. Phelenia mostly just seemed cross at our lack of decent accommodations.

Before the evening ended, we regathered and headed over to the guard commander to see if he or she knew anything about the militaristic druids in the region. If the quickling was with them, then maybe finding them was as good as finding him the answer. Velon and Zephyr had to bribe the guard to let us in, but it worked out in the end. We learned that the druid had passed through and set up somewhere far out in the woods to the southwest of town. The commander was rather upset about it and offered us money to remove them from the area.

We stayed the night at the tavern. Olrok and I looked over a map of the region and likely places where a large group of druids could set up a new area. It was both looking forward to and simultaneously dreading seeing some druids again. It has been a while since I have been at one of the circles and I was worried it would bring up some bad memories.

Travel into the woods went rather well. We came across a large group of boars. Velon wanted to eat one, but I shot down his idea since fifteen boars is a lot to take on if they get upset and stampede at us. We skirted around them and pressed on. I know we are getting close because the animals have started following us. We got an entourage of birds that we tried talking to in various languages, but so far none have answered back.

After two full days of travelling, we eventually came to the foot of an immense waterfall. Climbing along the nearby slopes to the top revealed an immense glade. It was over two miles in each direction, had a wide and fast river somehow gurgling up from a spring, and a massive tree, easily thousands of feet tall on an island in the river. I immediately knew there was some sort of magic involved as that tree should have been visible from almost anywhere in the forest, but we had not seen it until we arrived. When we walked into the glade we noticed there were no humans or other humanoids around. Instead, we were approached by a massive bear. I stood in front of my group and did my best to not show it any fear. I was not surprised when it started shifting into a person, but was quite taken aback when the person it changed into was some sort of human-bear hybrid.

The bear person, who said his name was Lomian, was nice enough to answer to talk to us and answer our questions, even if he was not overly friendly. We asked about the quickling and the dagger. He said the dagger was here. It was returned to the tree where it awaits someone worthy. The quickling apparently was not here, although he had been. Lomian was vague, but said something had happened to the quickling because he was not worthy.

While searching around for a safe way to get across the rapids in order to reach the tree, Zephyr came across a person-rat thing named Whip. Zephyr was able to deduce that Whip was formerly the quickling that had stolen the dagger. Whip had some Boots of Speed that Zephyr wanted and the two raced several times. Whip boasted that if Zephyr caught him then Zephyr could have the boots. Despite several races and some traps being set by Olrok and I, Zephyr never caught Whip. When I saw Velon start to take off his armor to swim the rapids, I hastily told Zephyr to get close to Whip by telling Whip that he could bite Zephyr. That ruse didn’t work, but at least Zephyr was unaffected by any diseases that Whip had.

Phelenia and Velon had spent some time trying to figure out a way across the rapids. Not finding any good path aside form swimming, Velon started doffing his armor. He went to where the spring came out and jumped in the rapids. The half-giant was strong and a good swimmer. He managed to maneuver himself to the island, grab some exposed roots, and pull himself up. At the tree he climbed up the various gnarls and bumps. The enhanced size of the tree seemed to provide good hand and footholds for him and Velon eventually found the blade several hundred feet off the ground. He was able to pull the dagger from the tree and start climbing down, although he seemed distracted after removing the blade.

The swim back was not easy. The previous swim was a float to the middle of the island. Now, Velon had to swim across the rapids before being pushed over the waterfall. He made a running jump at the part of the island furthest upstream, but the river was still going too fast. Realizing he wouldn’t make it, I threw a rope to him but he struggled too much in the water to get a hold of it. Olrok ran downstream and tried a second throw, but again the rapids proved too much. Velon saw the waterfall approaching, threw the dagger onto our side of the bank, and braced himself for the fall.

After my initial failed attempt to get a rope to Velon I hustled downstream past where Olrok was making his attempt. Only a couple dozen feet from the edge of the cliff I again threw a line towards Velon and without the dagger distracting him he was finally able to grab it. With the rope in hand, Velon went over the cliff.

I cursed as I realized that there was no way I could hold the rope with a half-giant on the other side, but Phelenia and Olrok grabbed hold of the rope as well and with our combined strength we were able to keep hold of it. Velon held on as the went taut. It swung him out of the water and he hit hard against some rocks on the side of the waterfall, but he was able to secure himself back onto dry land. He yelled up that the dagger was cursed and that we must not touch it. We turned around to see Zephyr standing back where the dagger had landed; holding it in his hand.

Olrok and I ran to Zephyr. I could hear Zephyr mutter something about how he always wanted to be faster. It sounded like he was about to say “I accept”, but Olrok got there just in time and tackled Zephyr to the group causing the dagger to fly from his hand. I removed my cloak and used it to bundle up the dagger so that I could carry it without touching it. Zephyr squirmed under Olrok’s weight, but the half-orc held him in place despite Zephyr’s pleadings to let him have the dagger again. After Velon re-joined us, I gave the bundled dagger back to him. He seemed much less effected by it than Zephyr had been. I suggested we keep the dagger bundled up and under Velon’s armor so Zephyr would not have a chance to steal it. By then it was close to nightfall and we set up a place to stay in the glade.

My current shift at watch here in the glade has been surprisingly peaceful. Lomian warned us that so long as we did not harm anyone there then we would be safe. It is a little bit unnerving how so many of the animals here are watching us through the night. The commander had said this is a group of druids, but he was very mistaken.