Zoom 2021-04-15 21:00

The party took 9 Owlbear tongues as proof of their kills, and 3 Doppelganger]] heads. Umar and Garaf were healed and the party set off back to the farmhouse.

After about an hour, Umar shot at something that was following us (see Darrell's email)

Later on Dougal noticed a similar heat-signature, which ran off when Dougal shouted a warning to the party. Joshua briefly went to the area that the animal had been, and Kirsten smelled large dog (Alsatian?)/wolf type smells. The party assumed it was a totem or familiar stalking us.

At the farmhouse, the door was barred and the lights were on. After some tense questioning the people inside let us in after we confirmed we knew who Gohde was.

It turned out to be the 8 surviving members of the 'other' party from Braerk who were conscripted/enlisted along with us (and the third party who became persona-non-grata, or rather, simply non-persona.) We exchanged notes and information. We have christened them the Interesting Times Gang.

The party had come looking to meet up with us and were directed to this farmhouse from by the clerk who we took this 'quest' from.

***Darrell to provide briefing of what the party had been up to and discovered, their time line, any legends/research unearthed etc etc.***

The key point was they they met Vinmira yesteday (he is currently drinking The Dunes dry) - and he suggested they they come and find us. They first met V. at Braerk (when we were still there!) before they left for their first mission - so V. must have overtaken us to get to the bridge before us. (But, hey, he can fly since he got all the party over the river to White Beach when the bridge was down.) They had met Miriam in Far Haven (she is head of intelligence there), and she said that V. had only been able to meet us for the first night - he had to leave the next day. So 'Beer-Vinmira' was definitely not the same person. V only ever drinks brandy. But Kirsten can't tell the difference.

Vinmira's body at the amulet pyre can't have been a doppleganger as it remained as V. after his death. We wonder what has happened to his body which we took to the temple of Shanah- and asking them about it is now our top priority. [**Correction:** "Vinmira's" body is in the cellar at the villa, not at the temple of Shanah.]

Other key info that the party gave us was that the Elves are mana consumers - and having used up all the mana in this world, they drained their cloud castles to power their GSOV to go to another world that they could suck dry. They've now come back since we have mana again (and they think the world is a bit of a mess.) The Elven alliance with Alvera is going strong, and the party have been given info by them - including info on the Runic writing and about the cloud castles. They have encountered many Wild species including Wyverns and Doppelgangers (who could cast spells, but not necessarily mimicking the party's abilities. They familiars are the same though.)

## The next day:

We will trade spells and the like with the other party.

All around the house and back up our path are a multitude of dogs tracks - around 70 to 80. (Not the same scent as the dog/wolf that followed us from the OB fight.) We had no indication that they had been around, despite having owl-famliars and other look-outs. The party and kids were fully healed up.

Q. sent Khurak to check that our OB bodies were still at the campsite for us to grab the skins. They weren't. All the OB's and doppelgangers had been eaten - picked dry. So no point going back there then, especially given the concern of what could have consumed 9 whole OBs.

The other party are intending go to Dalzon on the first boat they can get on - they are investigating more about the Clans. We have said we might join them - but only once we have sorted out what the hell is going on with V. first!

## On 15/04/2021 09:41, Darrell Penning wrote:

About an hour into the march back to the farmhouse, Umar is heard to shout "ware" and has obviously fired at something behind the party.

He says he doesnt know what it was, a heat source trailing the party - about the size of a large dog he would guess. It has disappeared now, but Umar doesnt think he hit it.

Darrell