Idle Time

As the party explores the southern room, Hildreth pulls out his journal and begins to write.
 
"I am not happy with how this trip has been turning out. It's been better since we defeated those cursed bunny boars(?), but I am very happy that I'm descended from Ice Dragons, otherwise I don't think my current garb would keep me warm enough to be here. Yet survive the night we did."
 
Looking up at the silence, Kern and Xylund are having an emotional moment over the new found pool. "I don't think I'm doing a good job with making and retaining friends. I tried to be jovial with Davynn, but I think I just upset him. I've observed that these people will sometimes act strangely around one another and even, at times, demeaning, yet they take it as something friendly and good natured. I don't think Davynn found my antics to be the same and instead seemed distressed. Maybe I should try a different approach. Or perhaps I should keep trying and wait until I find the right way to be obnoxious but in a friendly manner?"
 
At the sound of screaming, Hildreth views the room from Zohar's eyes to see Kern and Xylund restraining Lana from jumping into the pool of water. Both Zohar and Hildreth shaking their heads, he continues. "I know I don't understand what is going on when it comes to friendships, but I also wonder if they know as well? It would make sense considering they have been together this long, but I see things like this and wonder how they even manage to dress after a bath let alone defeat hags, ferret out a conspiracy in an enigmatic druid circle, solve the mystery of the farm that houses animal people and find their missing friend. More proof that I need to keep learning."
 
Xylund goes rushing past, back through the curtain of hair, and a moment later cries out that he cannot move the snail. I suggest he just brings it in with the snail in tow, and he comes rushing back inside, and tosses the ladder, snail and all, into the pool. "Well, that wasn't what I was expecting, but then again, what was I supposed to expect? Wait, is that the hag?"
 
~ One Hag Battle Later ~
 
"Why are they so skittish? Both Davynn AND Kern are against harvesting their organs? But it worked so well last time when Xylund and I did it with the last hag we came across..."
 
~ One Interrogation Later ~
 
Hildreth's shadow is cutting the bodies apart in an autopsy, while Hildreth takes notes as the others work at taking down the wall of snow and ice. "Well, these might not be hag parts, but they at least were hags, which means these parts might still be of use if we cannot get anything from the hag or hags that live here. Although, I feel that even if these parts work they won't have the potency to give me the power promised. I need to look more."
 
Ignoring the screaming, shovel banging and gelatinous burning happening behind him, he continues. "While I appreciate Xylunds understanding of the situation at hand, I think his overzealous attitude could be tempered a bit. The Hags need to be destroyed no matter what, but Kern does make sense when he says we need more information. Knowledge is paramount in all things, and even if there are things we cannot learn to help us on our task, there might be more for us to learn and act upon than previously thought. Who knows if the conspiracy involving the Druids is all the hags are up to? What's that smell? Is that..calamari?"
 
~ One Davynn Tunnel Later ~
 
Looking around the strange room, Hildreth finds a small book that seems to be keeping track of trades like a ledger, and a larger, burned book, with a handprint being charred into the cover of the book itself. Silver stains the bottom and upper side of the book which seems to be of fairy tales. "Hmmm, this seems to be keeping track of animals, for the most part, pigs specifically. Every part, internal and external, cataloged and tracked, to whom and for what. It seems easy to connect the hag or hags here to the Druid circle now. Yanan was also involved in some of these trades as well. It's definitely worth interrogating her when we are done here."
 
"More searching has revealed that the Druids themselves traded this magic mirror to the hag. Remembering my experience with the painting, I think I will wait to look into the mirror, if at all. That doesn't seem to be stopping everyone else though. I hope there's nothing bad that will happen if they do, but considering a hag wanted it, even it it was something pure and harmless (unlikely as it came from the corrupt Druids), it could have easily been corrupted by the hag after the fact. I'll wait and see what happens."
 
~ One Gold Piece Later ~
 
"That didn't take long."
 
"This mirror is...cold. Everything is cold. Was the room always this cold? I can hear voices. I can make it out but it's all useless. It sounds like regular chatter.
 
Oh.
 
Maybe it's not all idle. Some of the subject matter is pretty graphic and macabre. Murderous schemes, taunts, planned mischief and violence. How can no one else hear this? AH! It cracked. I could feel the shards as if they cut me, but I'm not wounded at all, and the mirror is in one piece again. Why do I keep looking into these things? No more magic mirrors or paintings for me."
 
After deliberating we all decided that more answers would be had to continue this investigation back in the town. We are leaving Kern to seal the entrance behind us before we return. Kern is back. Why is everyone grinning?