A Most Uncommon Hunt
29th of Neth 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
You think back to all the dead that live you've meet, the hateful, the cruel, and the mad. Not something you'd wish on an enemy, much less a friend, but still you understand a bit of Sirim's predicament, unable to taste a bite to bread, to scent the air or feel the wind... "I won't judge no matter which you choose," you say quietly.
Mina closes the book with a thump, looking at the ring of faces tinted gold in the light cast off the gilded death mask upon the cover. "If this were a story an old granny was spinning around the flame on cold winter's eve east of the Vanshlase Hills, now would be the time for the moral to show itself: the madness of meddling in Pharasma's domain without her say so, the folly and futility of necromancy. If this were a tale told in Barstoi, we would be the villains. But then again..." she smiles, wan but unfeigned. "If this were just a tale I do not think we would have made it this far either. We don't strike the most heroic posse, do we? Stories are filled with old wisdom, but not
all the wisdom there is."
"Stories can be a good place to begin," Pepper agrees, eyes narrowed to slits. You don't believe he's sleepy for a moment. "Keep in mind though, new stories have to start from
somewhere."
"I'd rather not be spoken of at all," Sirim grumbles, at least as much as a whisper allows. "A secret unsaid is power, whereas one revealed is as a fortress with its gates unbarred. Father Skinsaw's children get that much right even as they seem to have forgotten, or have been
made to forget, what fortresses are for."
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what
do you think Norgorberites get wrong about fortresses?" Mina asks, sounding genuinely curious in spite of herself. You vaguely recall her mentioning a god of thieves, distinct from the god of war for some reason, perhaps because he is one of those Ascended.
"A fortress requires a trusted garrison, else it is no more than a particularly eye-catching pile of rocks. I wish to seek out one of the vampyri, perhaps in Ustalav?" He looks to Mina, who seems surprised at the offer.
"They say where there's smoke there's fire, and with Barstoi and vampires the sky is black with it," she agrees.
"After we lay the Surefoot dead to rest," Gorok reminds them.
You wonder what the odds of dwarven vampires among the ruins of their city are.
Over the next few days, as the river grows a touch wider and a lot more crowded with reeds and sandbanks, you decide to...
[] Help Mina with a personal matter. Reminded of her her former home, Mina feels ready to send a letter back, enough at least to inform them that she is well once you reach Cassomir, but she can't find the words, regrets and resentments all coming to a boil
[] Spend some time with Cob. He's been trying to learn how to fish, alas he has proven less skilled at stalking fish than any landbound creature, maybe you can help
[] Join Gorok in communing with the iruxi skulls taken from the Wildwood Lodge
[] Speak to Leontas about the Stonewilds and perhaps other tales from the Crusades if he's so inclined
[] Question Sir Prisca about the customs and manner of the Empire of Taldor, perhaps even discover how his kin have come to owe a favor to the Pathfinder Society
[] Speak with Urgor about his plans for the expedition to the ruins of Jernashall
[] Write in
OOC: A bit of a short update, but this is a natural end point. 
