Dear Reader,
The Lost Dispatches of Feraso, the telling of all the tales of my AD&D table during the 90's, is effectively over. All the stories have been told, retold, revised, or even re-envisioned as best I could.
There are a few more tales from Elsderth himself however, as casual onlooker, scheming powerbroker, or simply the Witch of the Nightwood Forest. I advise you to read Ballad of the Pigeon God, or at least episode #1-15 of it, before delving into this final story, starting with episode #95.
1st of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
Another night in the shack to counter my insomnia has created another problem: I completely missed the lizardman attack on the village overnight.
Quite peculiar that they kidnapped women? At first I thought the message I sent to Cellowen sent he and his brigands away and the let the lizardfolk get cocky, but the more I think about this, perhaps the lizardmen kidnapped the women FOR the brigands?
The good news is this new party is quick on their toes. One mention from Torm of a citadel in the swamp, and they're pouring through Ashe's payment of old books looking for clues and a map.
2nd of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The party, combining most elements of the Caldwell and temple forays, left for the castle in the moors. I give them more credit, that after the ridiculous choice of hiring Orphan Timmy to be a torchbearer, they let him tend the menagerie of animals Echelon owns while they're gone.
I visited the youth as Old Man Elsderth, just to say hello. Echelon still brought his pigeons on their travels and let him with a cow and a some chickens to keep alive. Timmy is in good spirits, looks well fed, and with all the attention slathered onto him from the adventurers has a great attachment to all of them, even if some of these folks don't like kids. My only advice for him was to not go into any more dungeons, they're dangerous enough for the grown-ups. Overseeing the animals is a noble job.
7th of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
My fears have been confirmed. The party finally returned from the swamp, water-logged but no worse for wear. Rumor has it that they discovered correspondence with a "Dread Lord" giving orders to the lizardfolk. I did send a message to Cellowan, avoiding mention of the knowledge I know, but I have strong suspicions that he will not respond.
My other suspicion is Athelstand and Iris. I expected Iris to personally deliver the news of the lizard attack and this rise of a "Dread Lord" to the capital, which is what usually happens. Athelstane has forbid her travel beyond Eding, and Isaak Walmund has been given that task. It appears her days representing Athelstane in the Royal Court are numbered.
....
28th of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
I've caught wind that the head of the great church of Akana, Archbishop Adolphus of Hydincall, is en route to our fine little hamlet. In all my years in the village, I have not heard of the Archbishop visiting Omsjik, much less anything closer to us. While the King did not visit us when the G'ba attacked, he did send some emissaries, I'm still across the road from the "future site of a holy temple of Akana" for the last twenty years and that lot is quite overgrown.
....
1st of OctDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The Archbishop and his ostentatious caravan arrived.
I don't like the Archbishop getting involved. Iris usually handles the religious inquiries (which explains why the Church of Akana still hasn't been built in almost 25 years) But to see her acquiesce to Adolphus' first whim is strange. Beyond the fact that it's improper during an official church function, the way she's cozying up to Athelstane is surreal, although at both their ages, this might be the power move both need.
...
4th of OctDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
A most peculiar day, and in my advanced years, that's quite an impressive feat to obtain.
Adolphus requested Velandro, the new party's cleric have audience with him. Of that cohort, he's quiet, plain, and reserved, but as a Priest of Akana, Adolphus probably pegged him as the leader.
I now know after the fact that they were entrusted with the retrieval of the Bell of Chardastes, a relic the rogue cleric Elwyn stole from Hydincall. Funny, Elwyn moved into the old Iron Citadel in the midst of the Nightwood sometime after the goblin invasion. Like all things from Alasku, Crosedean culture has appropriated it to his faith, but for the residents of the Nightwood, the village of Eding, and from my reports, everyone in Draloite, he kept to himself, and beside the peculiar hiring of a dozen orcs who had wandered into the Nightwood, there was little to no activity around the citadel.
From the shack, I had already spied the party entering the Nightwood, so I decided to brew some beer and settle in for some reading, when there was a knock on the door, Quickly assuming my make-up to scare away another child, I opened it to find the Eastern mystic, Kane. He had been trailing the party, and for some reason, turned around to make an inquiry of "The Witch."
I don my full costume when traveling, especially into the Nightwood and Draloite, but when I'm in the company of the Druidess Elswyth, I let down all pretension.
It has been years since I needed to act like the Witch for such a long period of time, but the Eastern man wanted to talk, and sensing no false motives, I invited him in. I'm not sure how much was the Witch persona, and how much was Elsderth, but with the various pots, kettles, and contraptions used in my brewing, the crazy concocting and cluttered shelves helped hide my faults.
There's a sense of balance in Kane that I don't believe I've seen in even the druids, but there's also a good-natured naivety about him. He enjoys things that I don't anymore, and for quite some time. And the matter-of-factness of his answers... and his questions, gave me something that other adventurers and travelers haven't: TRUST.
I've never allowed a person to question me about the duties as the Witch so much, and he absorbed whatever fact, knowledge, or wisdom like a sponge.
I don't remember the actual questions, but to paraphrase:
Kane: So you're the Witch of Eding, Do you protect it? Are you its guardian?
Me: You could say that. Sometimes one must protect the village from outside sources, sometimes from themselves.
Kane: I like this place as well, perhaps my friends and I can be guardians and help you?
I think I may have found my retirement from this life.
Next: #97 - Proposals and Adoptions
The Lost Dispatches of Feraso, the telling of all the tales of my AD&D table during the 90's, is effectively over. All the stories have been told, retold, revised, or even re-envisioned as best I could.
There are a few more tales from Elsderth himself however, as casual onlooker, scheming powerbroker, or simply the Witch of the Nightwood Forest. I advise you to read Ballad of the Pigeon God, or at least episode #1-15 of it, before delving into this final story, starting with episode #95.
1st of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
Another night in the shack to counter my insomnia has created another problem: I completely missed the lizardman attack on the village overnight.
Quite peculiar that they kidnapped women? At first I thought the message I sent to Cellowen sent he and his brigands away and the let the lizardfolk get cocky, but the more I think about this, perhaps the lizardmen kidnapped the women FOR the brigands?
The good news is this new party is quick on their toes. One mention from Torm of a citadel in the swamp, and they're pouring through Ashe's payment of old books looking for clues and a map.
2nd of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The party, combining most elements of the Caldwell and temple forays, left for the castle in the moors. I give them more credit, that after the ridiculous choice of hiring Orphan Timmy to be a torchbearer, they let him tend the menagerie of animals Echelon owns while they're gone.
I visited the youth as Old Man Elsderth, just to say hello. Echelon still brought his pigeons on their travels and let him with a cow and a some chickens to keep alive. Timmy is in good spirits, looks well fed, and with all the attention slathered onto him from the adventurers has a great attachment to all of them, even if some of these folks don't like kids. My only advice for him was to not go into any more dungeons, they're dangerous enough for the grown-ups. Overseeing the animals is a noble job.
7th of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
My fears have been confirmed. The party finally returned from the swamp, water-logged but no worse for wear. Rumor has it that they discovered correspondence with a "Dread Lord" giving orders to the lizardfolk. I did send a message to Cellowan, avoiding mention of the knowledge I know, but I have strong suspicions that he will not respond.
My other suspicion is Athelstand and Iris. I expected Iris to personally deliver the news of the lizard attack and this rise of a "Dread Lord" to the capital, which is what usually happens. Athelstane has forbid her travel beyond Eding, and Isaak Walmund has been given that task. It appears her days representing Athelstane in the Royal Court are numbered.
....
28th of SepDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
I've caught wind that the head of the great church of Akana, Archbishop Adolphus of Hydincall, is en route to our fine little hamlet. In all my years in the village, I have not heard of the Archbishop visiting Omsjik, much less anything closer to us. While the King did not visit us when the G'ba attacked, he did send some emissaries, I'm still across the road from the "future site of a holy temple of Akana" for the last twenty years and that lot is quite overgrown.
....
1st of OctDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
The Archbishop and his ostentatious caravan arrived.
I don't like the Archbishop getting involved. Iris usually handles the religious inquiries (which explains why the Church of Akana still hasn't been built in almost 25 years) But to see her acquiesce to Adolphus' first whim is strange. Beyond the fact that it's improper during an official church function, the way she's cozying up to Athelstane is surreal, although at both their ages, this might be the power move both need.
...
4th of OctDec 1069 Village of Eding, Kingdom of Crosedes
A most peculiar day, and in my advanced years, that's quite an impressive feat to obtain.
Adolphus requested Velandro, the new party's cleric have audience with him. Of that cohort, he's quiet, plain, and reserved, but as a Priest of Akana, Adolphus probably pegged him as the leader.
I now know after the fact that they were entrusted with the retrieval of the Bell of Chardastes, a relic the rogue cleric Elwyn stole from Hydincall. Funny, Elwyn moved into the old Iron Citadel in the midst of the Nightwood sometime after the goblin invasion. Like all things from Alasku, Crosedean culture has appropriated it to his faith, but for the residents of the Nightwood, the village of Eding, and from my reports, everyone in Draloite, he kept to himself, and beside the peculiar hiring of a dozen orcs who had wandered into the Nightwood, there was little to no activity around the citadel.
From the shack, I had already spied the party entering the Nightwood, so I decided to brew some beer and settle in for some reading, when there was a knock on the door, Quickly assuming my make-up to scare away another child, I opened it to find the Eastern mystic, Kane. He had been trailing the party, and for some reason, turned around to make an inquiry of "The Witch."
 |
| Kane |
It has been years since I needed to act like the Witch for such a long period of time, but the Eastern man wanted to talk, and sensing no false motives, I invited him in. I'm not sure how much was the Witch persona, and how much was Elsderth, but with the various pots, kettles, and contraptions used in my brewing, the crazy concocting and cluttered shelves helped hide my faults.
There's a sense of balance in Kane that I don't believe I've seen in even the druids, but there's also a good-natured naivety about him. He enjoys things that I don't anymore, and for quite some time. And the matter-of-factness of his answers... and his questions, gave me something that other adventurers and travelers haven't: TRUST.
I've never allowed a person to question me about the duties as the Witch so much, and he absorbed whatever fact, knowledge, or wisdom like a sponge.
I don't remember the actual questions, but to paraphrase:
Kane: So you're the Witch of Eding, Do you protect it? Are you its guardian?
Me: You could say that. Sometimes one must protect the village from outside sources, sometimes from themselves.
Kane: I like this place as well, perhaps my friends and I can be guardians and help you?
I think I may have found my retirement from this life.
Next: #97 - Proposals and Adoptions
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