Zoom 2022-05-10 21:00

The party decides to ignore the kerfuffle to our west, the gargoyles, and a new group of humanoids heading towards the conflict - and we just toddle on down to Dragonsbrook.
Dragonsbrook is a semi-fortified town (low stone wall with wooden palisade). There is a wooden fort a quarter of a mile to the north. The fields around are being worked on by humans with Dark Elves patrolling  - they are keeping an eye out on the sky and the surroundings as much as on the humans. The humans appear to be working freely, with no signs of oppression - though the Dark Elves are obviously in control.
We approach the fort, and are re-directed to the town entrance. Once there, we are asked who our leader is - and Garaf is nominated. He is taken off to an office somewhere and the rest of the party are escorted to temporary lodgings at an inn (The Lazy Duck). Brokev is viewed with concern/distrust as he is an Orc, and is pointedly told not to cause any trouble.
Garaf is debriefed by some very bureaucratic Dark Elves and also introduced to a human in Alveran military uniform called Sunric. Sunric accompanies Garaf back to the Lazy Duck, and we learn the following:
* Sunric is the Alveran military liaison for Dragonsbrook. Most of the Elven controlled villages have one.
* The Elves are still abiding by the treaty and even assisting with the mana-storm near Torgan.
* It was fortuitous that we chose Garaf as our leader to speak to the Dark Elves, as the Elves are beginning to put a lot of stock in Perceval as the oath-taker/keeper. Wildwood is also pretty well regarded.
* Sunric can see that Joshua is currently cursed as an Oath-breaker by Perceval - this will wear off after some time, but in the meantime he won't be trusted by others (and will be overcharged by Percevalians.). (Joshua thinks this is another Perceval scam designed to maintain the monopoly of Perceval traders.)
* Brokev is advised to wear his Wildwood symbol prominently - 'Native' Orcs aren't well known here, and not surprisingly, there is a lot of bad feeling towards the Ghoulaggaban Orcs.
* We are strongly advised not to go to Riverside - Solor runs Riverside and the surrounding villages extremely "conservatively". Solor is described in various disparaging terms ("bloody fruitcake" and "completely unreasonable" were the least offensive.) Sunric explains that her political power is waning, and so she is fanatically defending the turf that she does hold.  
* There is no chance of trying to negotiate the purchase-out-of-slavery of Jamie or any other of his kin - but Sunric says this might be  done through 3rd party intermediaries - and he agrees to contact some Dark Elf agents for us. (He mentions that one of them has a cinderoak habit)
* There is a Dark Elf only pub in town - the White Hart. The Dark Elves are OK to speak to, and quite reasonable/affable most times - but that is because they know they are in charge!
Dragonbrook itself is a bustling town with the harvest being brought in etc. There are about 1000 humans, with not many Dark Elves (about 50:1) - and no Elves to be seen at all. The humans do seem to be thriving under Elven control, though in a somewhat subdued manner. There is shrine to Hashandara (of course!) and a Wildwood shrine outside of town. We notice that imperial currency is being used as well as North Island currency. There was an attack by blink dogs about 3 weeks ago, and reports of more attacks on outlying farmsteads by the Wild - blink dogs, gargoyles and minotaurs. There is some remaining damage from when Dragonsbrook fell to the Elves last year.
In the morning we get our papers - giving us all the right to move through the Empire according to the treaty. The Wildwood worshippers go to visit the Wildwood shrine, where the Wildwood priest is much impressed by Brokev - indeed he prostates himself before this paladin of Wildwood. Brokev is magnanimous, and goes on to offer his services in healing a sick mother who took ill after childbirth. For the first time the party starts to see Brokev as a true paladin, rather than just a naive fighter with some useful abilities.
We stay on at the Lazy Duck (2sp/pp/pn), and chat to several people - both on our first night and on the second night when we are joined by some human fighters (one wounded) in Elven gear - they were part of the second group of people we saw going to the fight. Francis is also able to find an ex-levy from Riverside to speak to. 
What we learn reinforces much of what we have heard before. Solor excepted, the Elves seem to be treating humans well - right from the start they would capture rather than kill humans. (Dwarves were not so lucky!) The humans that 'volunteer' for imperial service are treated well, trained up and equipped well. They are not treated as cannon-fodder - indeed, a fallen human was raised by the Elves following death in service. 
The attacks by the Wild (coming from the north east) are increasing - gargoyles/blink dogs/minotaurs and Ogres - the latter are far more likely to have Shamans with them: As we have experienced, they can cast plant destruction and a spell to summon lots of small poisonous snakes (as we discovered, the best defence is a sleep spell.) Gargoyles are best hit with a blunt weapon (doesn't need to be magical) and though it is known than some can 'phase' through the ground, they don't know much about that.  In general, the Wild creatures will have differing levels of abilities much as we have our different classes and levels.