Chapter IV: The Book of Aidan MacFaersen
In keeping with my family tradition, I have begun to keep a journal of what will no doubt be my first adventure since I singed Filia Sturmgard's braid at my coming-of-age party. This journal will join the journals of my forefathers as part of The Book of Ignatious.
On 15 Ready'reat, I traveled from my home, the beautiful doomed city of Cauldron, to the Redgorge marketplace to buy salted pork, cakes, and other provisions for the family larder. I came armed, as the stupid beasts of Ehlonna are wont to attack lone travelers on the mountain paths.
After filling my pack with groceries, I noticed a commotion going on at the (thankfully) dilapidated fountain of the great Sundabar Spellmason, (Or as Grandfather calls him, "The Human who convinced 7,500 people that it would be a good idea to live in a cooking-pot).
The commotion turned out to be caused by a Human Cleric of St. Cuthbert attempting to engage the crowd's sense of selfless heroism, but succeeding merely in engaging their curiosity. He asked the crowd if any of them were strong and brave enough to aid the city of Cauldron in seeking the cause of 37 mysterious disappearances. I heard a female voice from the crowd suggest that maybe stupidity would also be a useful trait (among strength and bravery). Obviously the crowd was none too stirred by the dire implications of this good man of the cloth. This is a position I know only too well, and so I was eager to help after he answered my few important questions.
Why haven't I heard of this?
Will we be arrested?
Does the city guard hate you personally?
I asked these last two questions because his plan seemed to be to organize an informal militia and confront the city guard about their lack of action, rather than say, hire a Diviner to auger the cause of the disappearances. The answer to my first question was that the city guard was embarrassed by their lack of progress on the case, and so they were hushing it up. He did not exactly answer my other questions to my satisfaction, but he seemed a good and desperate man, and his son was one of the missing citizens.
My family is charged by the Vesuvians with the protection of the doomed people of Cauldron. While this mainly involves ceremonial placation of the fiery mountain, it is understood that civil unrest might cause her to awaken and erupt, so I consider it my sacred duty to find and stop the cause of these disappearances.
Several other people stepped up to answer the call to action. The first was a Gnomish Savage named Rassi, who, I noticed, carried a sword that she should by no means be able to wield. A berobed Human named Tarik also agreed to help. It was some time before the Cleric of St. Cuthbert, now identified as Adrian, actually noticed that I had joined him. I had to tug on his robes before he looked down. It is not a Ignatious's place to demand recognition for good deeds, but I was worried that he was feeling undermanned, so I did so. Eventually, another human named Kyrin agreed to help, as did a lovely pair of Elven sisters, named (I believe) Megan and Verana. Megan appears to be a warrior of some sort, and eager to aid her fellow man. Verana appears to be a sailor or pirate, it took some needling from her sister before she agreed to come along.
As we rested twixt the long hike from Redgorge to Cauldron, we noticed a cacophony from the nearby woods. Two panicked baboons charged the party. I will never understand the bizarre actions of Ehlonna's forest animals. I attempted to protect the under-armored Tarik (most likely a mage, methinks) with my shield as the warrior-types engaged the berserk simians. After one was slain, Tarik moved to get a clear shot of the other with his crossbow. I moved in to the melee, but the second baboon was brought down by Megan and Tarik.
Megan said she saw a jaguar running off in the woods. Apparently it was tracking the baboons, but wisely chose not to engage a group of armed humanoids. If only the baboons had had such foresight.