Especially compared to the insane autumn we've just been through, winter has been very soft on us. When we came here three years ago, we've been told that trees in the Enchanted Swamp would never lose their leaves... this is not exactly true. They do lose their leaves - but only for a couple of weeks - and as soon as they fall, new ones start burgeoning. This is truely an amazing thing to witness.
Only one minor event came troubling our work ; one day as we were preparing for a sparring session, Thathnu, Uquur's husband, came to me, asking to keep his wife busy and to come with him without arousing suspiscion. He told me some strange things were happening in the old common room. I ordered Uquur to carry on the drilling and followed her husband. While the usual noises arose from the old common bedroom - as kids usually congregate there to play - I was definitely not prepared to see Ilpi, the poor child who died half a year ago, to be playing with his siblings.
Apparently they were not making a big deal that he was dead and were having a great time with him. Their father was as perplexed as I was. We know at this point that ghosts arise from unmemorialized dead people... but we don't know what they are capable of. We decided to take no chance in that, and used one of the few stones we brought with us three years ago to engrave a slab to the kid's name, and bring him back to the afterlife.
Besides morale considerations about the place of the living and the place of the dead needing to keep separate, we don't know enough about ghost to predict their behavior and we don't want to find any other dead child.
We also received a letter from someone we haven't heard about for a long time, back in Hairyoracle. It reads as follows :
Dear people of Watershield
So, this is Luki Usupim. You probably heard the name "Sitsuquistra" ? Dragon hunting, vampire hunting, all that - well. If you havn't, it's not really important ; what's important is, I want to keep the area safe and that's why we need to cooperate !
When Lady Dilol asked you to build a fortress between Hazelslide and the territory of the eastern elves, I was sort-of par of the plan. The idea is, you're the first line, I'm the second line and everything's good.
And about that, well. You're not doing your job very well. Elves continue to sneak past you to flood Hairyoracle. We had to fend them off just right now. It's not a big deal for now, we beat them no problem, but...
Okay how can I say that.
I'll put it bluntly : when we took Hairyoracle, the eastern elves just routed the traditional leaders, the Sly Council. Like they squashed them really bad. So we took the city with my little band and now we're in charge. Problem : the Sly Council is arming up again, Sabu Virtuesearch knows why. Well we exactly know why they are doing this ; and we'll have a civil war on our hands real soon. So I'll be very very glad if you can stop the elves at Watershield because as it stands they will just add up to the mess in Hairyoracle.
Captain Luki Usupim "Sitsuquistra"
PS : Congratulations on capturing Stran ! I fucked her up real good but she can run really fast for an old lady. Four times she escaped !
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Other than that, there's not much to be told. Mim fell off a window while sparring, which made us decide to begin building an hospital before schledule.
The village continues to grow and we're building more houses for the various families to live confortably. For now everythings doing great. Here is a little map of the various families already housed. As a reminder, to access property, married couples and people with children are placed on the top of the waiting list because it makes things easier for everyone.
For now, our doctor and his kids are living in the dependance of Uquur's and Trathnu's house. He'll be moved with his kid to the hospital when its construction is finished.
The hanging garden has been completely enclosed with a glass ceiling, which gives the place a green eery look. The heat is hardly bearable, but our farmers are tough people and will endure.
Mate and Rethi-Eli are working there as I write this report.
And as requested ; our medical report :
Mim Eschahiner :
Stran seems to suffer a great deal of her lopped off hand but I'm not sure about letting her out.
Valken seems to have aged unexpededly and drastically. He has the apparence of someone nearly 200 years old. The causes of this phenomenon are unknown. No apparent wound.
Now for the town council.
We've been there for two years now, and we made some significant progress. However we're still pretty far from completing our mission. We do lack people, and our trade hasnt been good enough to warrant us any kind of title from Mong Kima. Besides our military, while extremely well trained, is few in number and only wears light armor.
Here are the topic I need guidance over :
What to do with Stran and Valken ? Both of them are locked up and present no danger, but isolation is taking a toll on their sanity. Besides we cannot use any of them as it stands.
Besides the wall, the hospital and the usual village expansion, what project should we carry on ? Any proposal is welcome.
Any commentary on how things are going is welcome. Also : we're going to trade massively next summer, and we very well may receive our first nobility title. Any idea on how to prepare to that is also welcome.