Pharast 18th – Err!! You’ve got a Stirge on your shoulder!

The group rests uneventfully in the temple area.

As they leave the temple clearing the group decide to head west. After a couple of hours travelling the group come across two hot springs, the surrounding area was filled with the distinctive odour of rotten eggs.

The group notices some large frogs within the bubbling springs and remember that they fey had said there were giant frogs to the west which were hostile should they be approached, the group decide to leave the frogs alone to their bathing.

The following day, the group continue to head further west to the fringes of the greenbelt and discover what appears to be a small farming village.

As they approach the village through some wheat fields they hear a young voice call out “Applesauce, here boy!!!” 

Just then they notice a flying creature with an elongated nose heading towards them. 

Natalia tells the group the flying creature is a stirge and that they shouldn’t let it get too close, otherwise it would suck the blood from them.  Knowing this, the group prepare to attack.

“Noo!!! Wait!!” the voice shouts as a young barefoot boy with freckles, unkempt ginger hair and ragged third-hand clothing emerges from the wheat field.  The stirge amends it's flight and lands on the boys shoulder, nuzzling against him.

Confused the group ask what is going on with the stirge and the boy, named Ornigaard, responds “He’s my pet sir! Why?”, even more confused the group slowly introduce themselves and explain that they’ve never seen a stirge being kept as pet before, the boy seemed confused in return saying “But, we all have them as pets in the village?!” before Applesauce flies off again with the boy running back off into the wheat field after him "Applesauce!! come back!!!".

The group slowly head towards the village unsure of what they are about to find, as they approach the village a small river sits between them and the village, but further along the bank is a ferryman.

As they greet the grizzled ferryman he engages the group with the story of the wolf in the river that eats children and informs the travellers that the skull attached to his hut is a skull of a baby river wolf!! (Natalia whispers to the group that the skull is actually more likely a deformed stillborn Ox).  These river wolves are a reminder to all that they should use the ferry to cross into  the village of Ravenmoor.  The ferryman asks for a payment of 15cp each to allow the group to cross the river, reluctantly they agree so they can map this strange village.

Making their way across the river the party can see that the village is a small one with less than 300 people, all of whom are human in race.  There is very little that is exported and no importation of goods.  Fully self-sustainable with a large number of pigs and a great deal of fields and crops tended to by villagers (most of whom are farmers by trade), Ravenmoor is pretty insignificant in every detail.  Whilst there is a smithy, local shop, tanners, weavers and a mill, there are no pubs or inns of any kind.  Visitors had better bring their own camping gear, lest they want to end up sleeping in a field looking up at the naked sky.

Along with a ruined church there is a small field of stone megaliths overlooked by a crude depiction of Desna (Goddess of Freedom and Luck); a large butterfly made from wicker and corn-husk with canvas wings nearly six feet wide.  Not far from this religious site is a large fenced off flattened field which is kept clear for a month festival.

Traversing through the village the group do indeed see various villagers that carry stirges, though most are confined to a cage.  The locals are busy but seem curious at seeing travellers, some of them offering greetings to the group whilst others just nod or watch.  Otto decides to stop at the weaver's so he can buy some local spun clothing to try and fit in with the locals and passes several silver coins to the grinning crone he finds inside.  The clothes are very plain and consist of a dun-coloured tunic and canvas breeches and a single butterfly-shaped figure made of woven dried leaves.  This small totem of Desna is carried by the majority of adults in the village and is believed to promote a good night's sleep.  Otto decides not to change into the local garbs and that the clothing would probably be better suited for using to help start the night's campfire.

Speaking to several villagers, the group are pointed towards the mayor's manor, a more impressive building than most.  Outside they find a surly fat-faced man cleaning the yard named Leonard Kriegler, the mayor's brother, who isn't particularly welcoming.  However they are quickly welcomed inside by the mayor, Andretti Kriegler, who is a more friendly face, tall and lean, with more knowledge and understanding about the goings on outside the village than any other local due to having ventured beyond the village boundaries in his youth, visiting several of the closer cities to better understand the workings of civilisation.  When asked, the group inform a relieved mayor that they weren't here to collect taxes but are in fact surveying and mapping the area as per their remit.  The group chat with the mayor for a little while and have a couple of drinks (with a choice of water or a herb-based liquor) before they decide that they have to carry on with their duties and leave the village.  Andretti wishes them luck on eradicating the bandits that plague the greenbelt and see's them out.

As the group leave the village Vaneer looks back towards the village and remarks to the group that “that village is soooo full of crazies!! Lets never go there again, hey?” Miro nods in agreement and they make their way back towards the ferryman and over the river crossing before setting up camp at the forest edge.