The Journal of Celeste Bosk

Entry 19 - Land's Cleared

The Pegasus, Docked in Mirkwood, Nighttime

The South Shore has been cleared. From what I gathered after, Billy spotted Willow as she left her room, and brought her to help us in the task.

She offered to help, so long as we made her a partial owner of the mill. We agreed willingly enough... Though I still do not know what clan or tribe she comes from.

She does not seem to be a bad person... but neither did the Wolves. I wish to trust her, but I am unsure that I will until I have had a chance to ask her what family she has called home. I suppose, in the end, it does not matter where she was from, for she is not there. However, I doubt I could forgive myself should I trust her and she turns out to be one of them. I have meant to ask, I have simply not had a chance.

Perhaps I will leave a letter for her at the Guild Hall and receive the answer when the Pegasus returns.

I digress, though...

As is the course of my life now, once we reached the Shores I was greeted by the scent of something burning. There was no trace of fire, and it was there only once I touched the shores, so I feel that it was another effort from Abigail to coerce me.

Once more, we were faced with that strange tree and the cluster of goblins who called it home.

I was able to hit a goblin with some lightning, another with fire, and the tree with some acid, though I did not have much luck with my spells finding their quarry the rest of the time on the shore. I do not mind though. I am still fairly new to battle, and to be able to see the talent of those around me was fascinating enough.

Willow had some sort of ability which turned some of the goblins into a sort of zombie. It looked strange though, mushrooms growing from its mouth choking it even as it moved around.

Billy was able to deal the final hit to the tree, with the rest of the goblins within following in death not long after.

Continuing on, we found a cave still within the boundaries of the land. Willow sent in one of her two zombie goblins to investigate, only for it to fall before it had yet crossed the threshold.

Closer inspection by Billy revealed a group of hobgoblins inside the cave. Willow used a spell to create a bramble of thorns in the entrance. Unfortunately, one of the hobgoblins came through the brambles and broke her focus on the spell. We ended up fighting closer than I would have liked, with far too many darts coming at us. In a way, it almost reminded me of the festival and the dart game.

Upton took some darts in the neck, though Billy healed him quickly enough. I was injured a few times as well, though nowhere near as bad as the last time we investigated the shores.

We managed to end a few more of the hobgoblins before Billy decided to send a letter into the cave in every language we could speak. It declared we would spare them, if they left the caves and the land. The remaining ones agreed, leaving the caves a short while later.

Not much else of terrible importance was found on the land once the hobgoblins left. Inspecting the tree and caves, we found a magic broom that can fly, as well as some money and stones.

The stones are meant to be of some value, though I asked for only one of them; a moonstone. It is a simple stone, yet beautiful. It is no polished gem gleaming from some expensive piece of jewelry, but I am fond of it. Even if it is meant to be worth something, it is not something that I wish to sell.

Before we had a chance to leave the land, a portal opened, and more of those creatures, wights, appeared with some being I have not seen before. He gave Willow a bag of some kind, before turning his attention to me. He... no, the mind flayer he served wished progress in my attempts to kill Abigail, and urged me only to hurry.

As it was the first time, it was unnerving seeing the wights and the creature. I suppose I am simply glad it was not the mind flayer, however. His touch, and the way it made me feel was less than pleasant, and not something I wish to endure again.

The land, however, is now clear and the construction of the Mill can begin. Though I know little about business as of yet, it is still something I am excited for. I have even been told that, once the mill is open, we will have our first order from a gentleman named Gul Dukat.

As with the changes to Squall's End -however different they may be- I look forward to seeing the progress of the mill as it is built...