Having your hair burned off is a remarkable experience that I could have done without. Now I know why they shave the heads of women with loose morals to humiliated and degrade them– it’s pretty effective. Rightly or wrongly a person is judged in large part by their appearance – at least initially, and usually forever – and hair is a very important part of that look, especially for a woman. I would never admit this out loud but it actually feels kind of nice – it’s very freeing. Even so, every time I catch a look at myself I’m horrified all over again. I need to find some tress tincture as soon as possible because regrowing my locks the old fashioned way isn’t going to cut it and I can’t be walking around like this for much longer.
Leaving Faireholme with farmer whatshisname and his older kids after their successful trip of selling livestock and buying supplies I felt like the eyes of all the half-breeds in town where upon me, glaring at me with judgement, but it was just my imagination. Or my own conscience, whatever you want to call it. I can put up with almost anything with the proper motivation, but enforced servitude is one I have a hard time swallowing. If an angelappeared before me and said that it would grant me either revenge against Duke Eaglevane or the end of slavery forever I would be hard pressed to make a decision.
The trip to Gibson was short and uneventful, the farmer and his spawn headed off to their homestead as we came within sight to the small forest community. As we came into town I could tell that something was wrong. I can’t say why because nothing appeared to be out of place, but I could feel that something had happened. The people of Gibson were going about their business as per usual but when they saw Martialla and myself there was a definitely shift in mood – some kind of mixture of pity and fear. It wasn’t quite the old cliché of everyone dashing into their homes and shuttering the windows but it wasn’t far off either.
Of the pompous gasbag Gibson himself there was no sign, but Tudos hobbled out to speak with us and broke the news plainly – Hardra was dead. Several days ago the village had been attacked, it didn’t amount to much because most of the villagers had fled into the forest but somehow in the confusion Hardra had been killed. The attackers milled around the empty village for a while and then left – they didn’t even take much, although there wasn’t really anything to take.
“What about Altos?”
“He ran off. He was scared that you were going to blame us for not protecting Hardra. I tried to tell him you weren’t like that but he was too frightened and one night he snuck away.”
“Am I not like that?” His face blanched “Just a joke, I don’t blame you for what happened here. Where’s Gibson? I wouldn’t mind blaming him a little.”
“He was killed as well My Lady.”
“I suppose that’s a silver lining.”
Based on talking to some of the other Gibsonites I’m guessing that this was another band of outlaws under the orders of the dragon. Why they would bother attacking a nothing town like this isn’t clear. The new leader of Gibson, an entirely forgettable fellow, put us in contact with the best tracker in the area – Hawkeye or Falconheart or something silly like that – and after a far more lengthy conversation than was necessary he agreed reluctantly to help us find the attackers. A tearful Tudos told us that he wanted to come with us to take our revenge, but I instructed him to stay and keep care of the horses and the carriage. His fighting days were long behind him if he ever had any, which he didn’t.
The tracker lead us east into the woods and caught us some kind of varmint to eat when we made camp – well for Martialla to eat anyway, there was no way that I was touching that thing. After cooking, and by cooking I mean burning, this fanciful repast he fell instantly into the deep and untroubled sleep of a simple person with simple problems. Martilla, who actually did have a bedroll now but without the fluffy pillow, was trying to do the same on the other side of the fire I was poking at.
“What do you know about resurrection?”
“You know most of us actually do need sleep.”
“Resurrection, what about it?”
“You can’t even find magic to regrow your hair and you’re thinking about bringing someone back to life?”
“Just answer the question.”
“That’s priest magic, I don’t know anything about it.”
“But it is possible.”
“Yeah, it’s possible. Why are you so concerned about it? Are you thinking about trying to bring Hardra back? You didn’t even like her.”
“She didn’t deserve that.”
“A lot of people don’t deserve a lot of things, generally you seem not to care too much.”
“This is different. I feel responsible for what happened to her.”
“What about all the people you are responsible for actually killing? You going to bring them back too?”
“Here’s what I don’t understand, if resurrection magic exists why doesn’t it happen more? Even if it costs an arm and a leg there’s plenty of rich nobles out there.”
“Maybe none of them care enough about anyone.”
“You’re more right than you know, but even so, it seems like there would be some who’d shell out the money to get their heir back at the very least. Why haven’t I heard about that?”
“It’s not that simple to bring someone back.”
“I thought you didn’t know anything about it.”
She turned over in her bedroll to face away from me “I don’t.”
_______________________________________________________________
Hair regrowth progress : .006%
Funds: 900 platinum, 4251 gold
XP: 234,561
Inventory: Pathfinder’s Gear (white) Pocketed Scarf, Wrist Sheath, Animal Totem Tattoo (Lion), Dagger of Venom, Bracers of Armor +2, Ring of Protection +2, Light Crossbow, Assortment of Fake Signet Rings, Bag of Concealment, Belt of Giant Strength +4, Vest of Resistance +1, Ring of Sustenance, Gem of Brightness, Silver Chain set with Moonstones, Gold and Emerald Ring (2), Glove of Vampiric Touch, Platinum and Silver Holy Symbol of Kralten, Holy Symbol of Kozilek, Ruby (2), Black Marketers’ Bag, 879 Garnets
Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince
Electrum, watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle
the butler, Alice Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire
Conrad, Erist priest of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror,
Eedraxis, Skin-Taker tribe,
Kartak, Królewna & Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family,
Androni Titus, Greasy dreadlocks woman, Lodestone Security, Kellgale
Nickoslander, Beltian Kruin the Splithog Pauper, The King of Spiders, Auraluna
Domiel, mother Hurk, Mazzmus Parmalee, Helgan van Tankerstrum, Lightdancer,
Bonder Greysmith, Pegwhistle Proudfoot, Lumbfoot Sheepskin, Lumber Consortium
of Three Rivers, Hellerhad the Wizard, Gibson attackers
The Errant Endeavors of Ela the Expert 