Creek

Lysday, 5th of Harvestide 3034 We have been on the road with the caravan of Jerak Stonehand after arranging to travel with him from Iron Watch to Hilltown for three days now, leaving the caravanasi the morning of 3 Harvesttide 3034.   Two of the warriors of the caravan, Grakka, a dragonborn with green scales, and Lyra Swiftfoot, a human woman, return to camp with a diseased wild dog, that they call a hyena that Lyra shot. The dog is clearly not pure enough to eat, so the decision is made to dispose of it. I try to convince Lyra to perform the ceremony of Release for the dogs spirit, but she does not follow the Great Spirit and refuses, so I bring the dog away from the camp and release its spirit back to the Council Fire of the Great Spirit.   Later that night, I decide to speak with Lyra, as she reminds me of my stolen sister, Songbird that Sings at Dusk, to find out why she has not yet been Bride-stolen and bred as she is a good hunter, and is fit and healthy, as well as having a talent for carving. She thinks I am trying to judge if she is worthy of being Bride-stolen by me, and while I think she is worthy, I can not spend my time stealing a bride when my sister has been taken by the strangers.   Belsday, 6th of Harvestide 3034 We wake to an overcast sky. The rain from yesterday has stopped and we continue on our journey. It was requested by the cook, Milo Hearthwick that I Big Little Man, Volu and Zodak go out hunting to bring in some food for the caravan. I ask them if they are skilled hunters and they all say they are, but after a short time in the woods it is clear they are like children chasing fireflies. We started hunting in a small stand of wood and soon Zodak spotted a piece of cloth in some brush. Zodak thought the cloth looked similar to thge clothing I wear and called me over to examine it. I immediately recognized the cloth as being stitched by Songbird that Sings at Night for I knew my sister’s stitching pattern. I called and end to the hunt and said we needed to get back to the caravan and immediately continue my pursuit of my sister's captures, but before we could leave the stand of woods, a pack of hyenas attacked. During the battle Zodak was bitten by a diseased dog on his shield arm and while he was able to stop the bleeding, the evil spirit of the dog had infected his arm. Big Little Man tried to take a fang from one of the hyenas, but I recognized that the evil spirits of the hyenas infected everything and prevented him from taking it. Little Big Man did not like that, but he accepted it.   We made it back to camp and I urgently asked the caravan leader, Jerek, to pick up the pace in order to catch up with my sister's captures. He was worried that the horses would tire. I told him that if the caravan could not pick up pace, that I would leave it in the morning to pursue his sister‘s abductor on his own. The caravan leader agreed to think about it and give a decision in the morning.   That evening, as we were finishing our meal, I spoke again with Lyra, to reassure her that I do not have time for Bride-stealing right now. Later that night, as we went off to sleep, Kael Stonefist, one of the caravan guards approached me and asked me to stop speaking with Lyra. I couldn’t understand why Kael would have any say over who he or Lyra spoke with and so I was very confused. Kael walked away saying that if I knew what was best I would stop talking to her that confused me even more, but Zodak told me he was being a bully, which was a word that I am not sure I know. These people are all strange to me.   After sleeping for a while I was woken up by the thrashing of Zodak in his bedroll. I immediately recognized that the evil spirit of the hyena had infected Zodak. I was concerned that the evil spirit would win in this wrestling match he had with Zodak's spirit and he was prepared to help Zodak's spirit rejoin the Great Spirit in the sky, least the evil spirit win and condemn Zodak to pain and misery. As I was holding Zodak down, prepared to set his Spirit free if needed, Big little Man threw a bucket of water on us, but that did not seem to stir Zodak out of his struggles. Creek asked Big Little Man to bring some fire to see if the evil spirit could be burned out of Zodak, but before the fire could be applied Zodak woke up and assured me that the evil spirit had not yet won, but it was clear of the evil spirit was consuming him and something needed to be done. Volu said that he had received a message from his spirit guide that the evil spirit needed to be cut out of Zodak so Big Little Man pulled his sword and was prepared to hack off the arm, insisting that he knew surgery and could do surgery, but when we spoke to him and said he should use a knife rather than a sword, he said it was just a test to make sure we were paying attention and then he pulled out a knife and began to cut away the evil spirit that had infected Zodak's arm. Thankfully that seems to have worked, although Zodak will carry a scar for life and will need to nurse his arm for some time.   Not long after that the outriders returned, saying that a band of gnolls was quickly approaching, and they had found evidence that they had sacked a caravan down the road from us. Creek was immediately concerned that it was the caravan that his sister was in, but realizing that he could not do anything to help that caravan at this point, he decided to stay and defend this caravan.   The gnolls attacked rushing forward with spears, and firing arrows at our encircled wagons. Both Big Little Man and Zodak went down under the gnolls attack. Volu used his magic with great effect and I shot several with my bow, before drawing the elven blades my father had given me and standing next to Kael to finish off the last two of the gnolls.   Thankfully, no one else was harmed seriously, and both Zodak and Big Little Man will recover.   Creek is encouraged that assigned from his sister has been found as he has not seen anything or heard anything in three days since leaving the town now he has all the more urgency to get to the side of the other Noel attack on the caravan and see if you can find any further sign of a sister he knows she still must live. He feels it in his heart in his spirit the Noel attack if it was the caravan that kidnapped Songbird as a silver lining, as it would’ve slowed them down and on foot now we can catch them!

We

Following the tracks we found outside of the ruined church proved easy enough, and fighting the cultists and their undead minions was not much harder, even though I was wounded during the fight. But realizing that some of the people who I have befriended have tainted spirits makes me worry about being away from my people. How can a man... No, how can a god allow his followers to commit evil unless that god is also evil? And if that god is evil, and allows evil to be committed in his name, by his followers, then are they not just as evil as the cultists whose spirits we just released from this world? Is this what all outsiders are like? Is everyone here carrying a tainted heart, like that of the hyenas, inside of them? The elders say that when an evil spirit is released it doesn't go to the Great Council Fire, but that the North Wind blows it back to earth to be given a second chance to please the Great Spirit as a lessor creature. Perhaps these cultists were once men who displeased the Great Spirit, and now displeasing him again, perhaps the North Wind will blow them into the bodies of hyenas, or snakes, or worms.   Thank the Great Spirit, that Lyra agreed with me about how intention hurting those who can not defend themselves is only the path to corrupt spirits. Releasing the spirit of an opponent who has fought bravely, honors them, and yourself, but torture of a living creature is a betrayal of the Great Spirit. I would not have been able to remain with this group if all of them were so tainted. But now I wonder about myself... Zodak called on the power of his god and sent magic into me. If his god is tainted, and Zodak is tainted, have I now become tainted through this magic? I will cleanse myself of this taint as soon as possible, and I will not allow the magic of a tainted one to touch me again. The elders said the Trickster can appear as anything even as a friend until it is too late. I will have to speak to Lyra. She has proven herself to me by protecting my back, as I protect hers, but now I fear we will have to watch our backs against those we travel with.   I pray to the Great Spirit that Songbird that Sings at Dusk is safe and that she is returning home as quickly as possible, and that I may follow her as soon as I can confirm her path.

So close to finding Songbird that Sings at Dusk, only to come up empty handed...   After tracking the caravan that was transporting Songbird to where that caravan had been attacked, and then tracking those attackers to an old cathedral in a small corpse of trees, it turns out Songbird had escaped her captures sometime earlier. I fear that I have lost the trail to my sister. Knowing her as I do, she would either attempt revenge on those who captured her, or make her way back north to our clan. Since all those who were responsible for her capture are now dead, she is probably headed back to the woods. Hopefully I can retrace my steps and find where she escaped and get back on her trail.   During the fight in the cathedral, Lyra stepped in to save me from a blow from a cultist, allowing me to continue on to the head cultist to try and prevent him from further corrupting the world of the Great Spirit. Later, I returned the favor, but Volu, whose magic I am growing concerned over, struck and severely injured Lyla.   After confirming that Songbird was not here, I took Lyra outside and tended to her wounds and held her waiting for her to wake up. I did not expect an outsider to protect me as she did. No one from outside my clan has ever done such a thing for me before.      

Creek's clan was attacked by the Hearth Smoke clan who came to steal food and women. Creek's twin sister, Songbird that Sings as Dusk, was one of the women taken by the raiders. Creek and several others, including his older brothers gave chase.   The rules of bride-stealing are simple, if you can get the stolen bride back to your clan before she is rescued, then she becomes your wife. If the groom-thief is caught before that, he is given the chance to pay the bride-price, which is determined by the rescuers based on the status of the stolen bride, or if the price can not be paid, the groom-thief may fight in a single combat with knives until an opponent's hair has been cut, with the winner receiving the stolen bride.   When Creek, his brothers, and fellow clansmen caught up with the Hearth Smoke raiders, they were all dead, as were several of the stolen brides. The remaining women were taken by a group that left the Druthain Woods and headed towards Iron Watch to the East. When the rescuers reached the edge of the woods, the clansmen spoke and voted to give up the chase as the women were taken out of clan lands. Creek disagreed and implored his brothers and his fellows to continue the pursuit, but they majority decided to return to the clan. Creek stayed with his band and they turned for home, but later that night, after tossing and turning for hours, Creek snuck away from the camp, and headed for Iron Watch.   Once arriving in Iron Watch, he spent several days asking around about his sister with any who would speak with him. He finally heard from a patron at the Black Steel tavern, that he saw a woman matching Creek's description tied behind a wagon that was at the caravan staging grounds outside of town. When he got there that caravan had left several days earlier. Creek found a caravan that was leaving Iron Watch and headed to Hilltown, so he joined the train of merchants and other travelers as they began their journey.   As he moved with the caravan, he met several others who quickly became his friends on the long journey to the south. He does what he can to keep the caravan moving as fast as possible, but caravans seem to have a will of their own.