Velon was still being slightly morose about how he had not done much good since he fled from his abbey. I tried to point out to him that doing your best in the moment is all you can ask of yourself, but he was still rather down. When we arrived in town, I noticed one of the merchants had a decorative totem necklace for sale. It was strange that I could feel magic softly emanating from it. I bought it, but immediately Zephyr took it and started playing with it to try to cast spells from it. At least he quickly lost interest and returned it to me.

We returned to the inn, and I found a table so that I could try to figure out what I could do with the totem. Phelenia and Olrok joined me while Velon went to his room and Zephyr went to eavesdrop on other patrons. Shortly after leaving, Zephyr came by with an elf bard named Ronin. Ronin and Zephyr had apparently struck up a conversation and Ronin was looking to add heroic deeds to his name so that he could join the College of Valor. We chatted for a while, and I was so focused on trying to figure out my magic that I didn’t even notice that Velon returned. His sword was different from when he left, but he did not want to talk about it. Luckily for him, I was able to change the conversation topic when I was able to use the totem to create some bland tasting berries. They weren’t good, but they at least filled us up. Velon still ate half of them, and I could see some of the cuts from the previous day healing as he ate.

I was able to convince the group to check out the mines at Gracklesnark, but before we left for that town, Phelenia and Velon wanted to try to take care of the goblin bandits. There was also a wanted board posted with a listing for a drug dealer named Gobbie Giggletoes that was operating out of Gracklesnark. As we talked, a man from another table overheard us and offered us transport. Velon negotiated with the man, and he ended up reserving a trip for the next day. Zephyr also wandered around the inn and came back after having listened to (and pickpocketed) some goblins. Zephyr relayed that a goblin maned Dogt was the leader of the goblin raiders, and they had a base in the woods to the east. Somehow, Zephyr also managed to pickpocket a crude map off one of the goblins as well. Ronin decided to join us for the trip, and we headed east.

We traveled north on the main road while looking for the landmarks on the map, but quickly arrived at a recent ambush scene. Several horses were dead on the road, along with several slain men. One man was alive and trapped under a horse. Phelenia set his bone and healed him while Olrok and I checked the area for tracks. The man was part of a guard for some nobles that were travelling through. The noble’s bodies were not among the dead, so it looked like we would be in line to get a nice reward if we went and retrieved them. The goblins did not hide their tracks well and we easily followed from the raid site to the goblin encampment.

The encampment was in disrepair, but I could tell it had once been rather well built. For a goblin settlement that was strange, but Olrok pointed out evidence of fights at the walls and the lack of sufficient goblins to guard the perimeter. Our best guess was that the goblins either found the place or took it from the previous owners by force. The goblins and hobgoblins that we saw inside were paying little attention and several seemed drunk. Aside from the two still standing watchtowers with bored looking goblins on them, there was little to prevent us from moving freely inside the camp. Zephyr snuck in and peaked into the main building that we presumed would hold the captives. He came back and reported that there were several captives. The building he checked out did not have the two expected nobles. Instead, there were a male and female elf, of which the man was the leader of the bandits that had nearly killed us a couple weeks ago.

Zephyr went back in with Ronin and the two were able to rescue the pair of elves and escort them out. After bringing them out, Velon grabbed the man and made him kneel. Velon then said a prayer, pronounced the man’s sentence as a thief and attempted murdered and beheaded him. The girl we rescued was irate and cursed Velon for killing her dad. Ronin suggested not leaving any witnesses, but Velon let her flee into the woods. I watched the whole situation with interest but didn’t lift a paw to stop Velon. He wanted vengeance and he got it. Phelenia seemed a little concerned by what occurred, but her nearly being killed by the man probably stilled her tongue.

The assault on the goblin camp caught the unaware goblins flatfooted. Zephyr and Ronin snuck around to the other side and awaited the assault from Velon, Olrok, and I. While they did so, Velon said a prayer that somehow made me stronger. Phelenia made the signal by setting fire to one of the guard towers and Velon and Olrok charged in. I took cover near the buildings and shot arrows at the two hobgoblins that emerged form some tents. The goblin on the watchtower that Phelenia set on fire jumped off it but did not survive the fall. The other goblin in the watchtower turned to us, but then was killed from behind by Ronin.

Velon and Olrok were fighting several goblins and hobgoblins, but also some sort of magical creature kept appearing and exploding next to the goblins. Velon yelled to look for an enemy mage, but I was not able to see any. I was confused and assumed it was a spell from Phelenia since the exploding things were hurting the goblins and not us. I took out one of the hobgoblins and heard Phelenia scream. Two other goblins had looped around the buildings and shot her with arrows. I shifted into a jaguar and ran at them. One had been hit by a firebolt from Phelenia and was already wounded. That one I pounced on, and he fell to the ground. The other started to run, but I was so hungry that I let him flee and instead feasted on my kill. I glanced up to see the last remaining goblin running from the camp with Zephyr and Ronin in pursuit. I hadn’t seen Zephyr during the fight, but there were a few dead goblins on the side of the camp he had attacked from, and his dagger was dripping blood as he chased the last one.

I spent a few minutes eating my kill and wishing that I was better with a sword or my claws instead of a bow. Zhatkeenmora gave me Simeon’s skills and memories, but a much more durable body and the taste for a more personal fight. I feel like this form she gave me has so much potential to grow and I hope that I will soon be able to claw and bite into my prey without having to leave my normal form.

Zephyr located the remaining noble hostages during the fight and he and Phelenia released them immediately afterwards. The nobles were Lord and Lady Brynwild. Their estate was in New Vale, and they are apparently known for being horse trainers. They did not have any money to give as a reward but offered us horses. We are planning on going by boat soon, so we said we would take an IOU in case we needed mounts in the future. I ended up making some healing berries for the nobles, which Lord Brynwild had heard of before. Apparently, that is a common type of nature healing called Goodberries. I guess you learn something every day.

As I write this, I can feel Zhatkeenmora’s pleasure with my kill today. She wants me to fight, to hunt, to feed the hunger inside me and she is rewarding me for it. It is nighttime, but I can see in the dark now...and the dark cannot see me.