Zoom 2023-04-11 21:00

Northlake: We repair/replace/renew our kit, and ensure that we have cold-weather clothing as the weather is turning frosty (5gp max). Vinmira says that he can get us positions as guards on a military convey to Far Haven, which we accept. We give Vinmira our Illusionist scroll out of the kindness of our hearts, and engage Olg to exchange the Lizardmen 2H Sword for something that is useful for Brokev. [Though not part of the zoom session, the party will be aware that following the attunement to his cursed medallion and his first Commune, Joshua had a private chat with Olg, and also visited the Wyldwood shrine for the first time this visit]
The journey towards Far Haven is fast and uneventful - though we do meet up with some Maratasan scouts along the way. At Far Haven itself, the main convoy stays outside the de-walled city, though we observe one wagon with the senior officers go into the city proper. We are paid 5sp each for our guard duty. 
The old chancellor (Thar Cortan?) is nominally in charge of Far Haven, and he does make a good chancellor, but the Thunderclan are clearly in control of the city. Though pre-eminent, there is no 'swagger' or bullying from the Thunderclan who appear to treat all the other clans respectfully. Their current aim is to try to bring WhiteBeach into the Wildwood 'fold', but they are somewhat discombobulated [Darrell's word, not mine] by the threat posed by the Lizardmen.  (Some intel: 7 Lizardmen ships went off to Salahan - just one managed to make it back.)
There are many more Clans (about 20) around the Meeting Place than before. About 5%  of the Giants are x-Wild - and there are also some Blink Dogs and Handlers who have come over to Wildwood - we try to have a good long chat with a Handler over a campfire. The Shannah temple is now a dual Shannah/Wildwood temple.
Brokev manages to find a Centaur who knows about Bridgeton. Apparently the Red River has shifted course, and Bridgeton is the abode of the Blue Witch. We will need to get permission to go there and should be aware that the area is being raided by the Wild with increasing frequency. The have been many, many pilgrims who have been sent there, all with the same quest of replacing part of the old bridge with Meldorian, and we are able to purchase more than sufficient Meldorian for the task: 75gp for 20 'pencil-sized' pieces.  
We get permission to visit Bridgeton (which we know as Roubank), with the following conditions:
* Do not enter the stockade ever
* If the Blue Witch come out of the stockade, do not talk to her (for our own protection)
* If anything gates in - we must fight it.
After our dealings in Far Haven have concluded [party to let Darrell know of anything we wish to do there], we leave for Bridgeton. 4 days out we reach what is obviously an outer-picket area where there are frequent Clan patrols. We speak to several of them - stating our business - and one of them lets us know of a dried up riverbed south of Roubank where the bridge might once have been. We are warned that the creatures gating in are 'very Wild' - eg the last creatures were an amalgam of Blink Dogs and Displacer Beasts. The patrols are aware of when/where a gate is opened, and their standard operating procedure is for any nearby patrol to stand their ground and defend themselves until other patrols arrive to assist. 
We head towards where we were told the old bridge might be, and in foul weather (ie suitable for Call Lightning) we find the old riverbed - and come across the old bones (~1 year) of two humans - searching the remains we find a Pathfinders badge.Suddenly the weather clears rapidly, and about 800 yards ahead we see a disturbance which Joshua identifies (with a rule-breaking TrueSight) as being a gate. 
Action Stations!
[Note - Next session is 25th April - no session on April 18th]