The Flooded Forest

Freedom is more dangerous than I imagined. I have fought savage lizardmen, a troll-like creature with strange powers, and priests and wizards of Bane.

The lizardmen were intent on killing, our efforts at peaceful negotiation were ignored. I am saddened that we were forced to inflict on them what it seemed they expected.

This Witch has been very hard to track down. At the first ruined lizardman village we were ambushed by a troll like I have never seen before, and hope to never see again. It was very difficult to injure and fought with a ferocity unmatched by any but the most fanatical of Thayan Knights. Two strange Baneites slew our guide, a lizardman shaman called Sheshak. We managed to escape a confrontation with them by pretending to ally with them. One seemed to be dissatisfied with his lot, we let him go. The other disappeared.

We rested in an underground chamber where we found a scholar, forced to work for the searching Baneites. During the night we were attacked by a magical melding of lizardman parts. It was horrible to see, and worse to battle. We were fortunate not to lose any of our party. We did acquire some magical items, I came away with some enchanted gloves.

Our rest interrupted, we soon were underway again, through fetid water anywhere from ankle to chest deep. Among old dead trees Pavel was attacked by a swarm of floating insects. I tried to swim to him and pull him away, but monks are tough to rescue. I decided to swim away from the biting swarm to get a better perspective. I swam into yet another monster. A huge snake-like creature with small tentacles ringing its mouth loomed before me in the water. I tried to touch it with the gloves, which could release a bolt of lightning, but I failed on my first attempt. It bit and stung me and I could tell that it had weakened me greatly. I released the magic of the gloves into it and started to rise for air. As I rose it bit me again while I drew my kukris. I knew I was wounded badly, and I called on Ilmater to protect my companions. With everything to lose I dove into battle with my blades. I struck it once, I struck it twice, the third blow was devastating. It sank into the water, a danger no more.

Then something very strange happened. It seemed that the rogue, Slyl had attacked Pavel from behind, leaving him paralyzed. Someone cast a spell on Slyl and he started to sink beneath the water. I grabbed Pavel so that he wouldn't do the same. Animosus and Kelestri seemed about to kill Slyl before he came back up. Animosus and Slyl got into a fierce argument, there are old wounds here. Pavel recovered, chastised Slyl, and stalked off. Leaf followed him. When they didn't return or seem to stop to wait, I felt the need to go and get them.

I am not sure how long I have been walking with the "mad" monk, but I worry that we are much too far away from the rest of our party. I don't know if I will be enough protection for this fragment of The Company of Light and Darkness.