Takes place on the 78th of Lirar’a’mazi in the 372 year

Taval & Mahir arrive at the temple in Aranis Dir and present their letter of introduction to Cha'zul A'havi. Just as they finished their greetings, a commotion interrupted their discussion. They looked up to see a lean young man wearing shepherd clothing, but adorned with light leather armour and some axes. He looked weary as he was carrying another young man in his arms. The unconscious young man was clearly another shepherd and was also clearly injured, possibly close to death.

Cha'zul A'havi motioned him forward, saying, "Drovan, what has happened?" The young man set his burden down in front of the priest. "He is badly hurt and in need of healing. I found Jazim unconcious on the grasslands." Looking around, Drovan notices the two unfamiliar faces. He adds for their benefit, "Jazim is the head shepherd our village."

Taval steps forward, asking permission of Cha'zul A'havi, who nods. Taval reaches toward his neck and removes a necklace with a circle, inside of the circle is a metal droplet of water hanging inside of it. He then reaches down, laying one hand upon Jazim and moving the pendant over his body. A prayer to Chal is heard floating upward from Taval's lips. The color instantly flows back into his pale face. He breathes deeply and his eyes flutter open.

Once awake, Jazim gives his thanks and then tells this story to Drovan, the priests, and the others standing around.

It’s been a hot and dry summer so we were looking for good grass and feed for the sheep. The further west we went the better the grass and land looked. We can’t explain why, but we were happy to find food and water for the flocks. As we were travelling west we realized that we were getting close to ranges of the abandoned villages and farms, we heard stories about as children.

Esah is old enough to remember leaving the villages when he was just a boy. He told us of the sicknesses that couldn’t be cured by healer or priest. Once the sick were move far enough away from the villages they started to get better. Esah told us the villages were abandoned and people were told never to return. After hearing this we gathered the flocks together and thought we might be safe in large numbers.

On the second night on the old range the weather turned, that storm followed was the first rain we had seen in a cycle. At first the rain was a relief, but storm grew stronger and we knew we had to gather the sheep. Esah had found an old sheep fold and we drove the sheep into to it. However, we knew we lost some sheep and one of our dogs, but we couldn’t sure. I forbid anyone from looking for the lost sheep, until we were sure how many we lost.

The storm cleared overnight and we discovered that we had lost nine sheep. Vazir insisted that we go and look for them. At first I thought it was best just to leave and abandon the sheep, but in the end, we decided that Vazir, Tir and I would go looking for the sheep. I wish that I would have listened to my first instinct and left this cursed place. Esah would led the rest back to a safer place.

Even though the storm had been harsh Tir was able to find our missing dog. Something had killed it in night. I don’t know what killed the dog, but it wasn’t a wound any of us were familiar with. Within an hour we found the trail the sheep left behind. It was strange that they were

moving together south and west towards the mountains. Soon it became clear that they were being herded. Our first guess that bandits or starving people had raided our flock, but we couldn’t find any track or signs of people.

As we went west the land was getting green, and there were more bushes and trees growing there than should have been. We could see a forest in the distance were there wasn’t one before. The trail turned completely west to the mountains and at noon we were starting to walk into a wide forest valley. Tir was the first to spot one of the sheep which was savagely butchered and the bones were placed unnaturally in tree. We prayed to Chal, and then Vazir and I continued to follow the trail, Tir stayed behind to get help if we needed it. This place felt touched by the Dark Praj.

The trail was crowded together and grass was trampled by the remaining sheep. We walked by an old village marker, that was overgrown with moss and leaning to one side. We crept forward cautiously both us unsure what we would find. Soon we saw the ruins of a village, stone walls covered in plants, the orchards overrun with vines and brambles. We approached the village and we both frozen with fright. We saw … we saw a wall covered in plants eating sheep.

We turned to run, we had gotten no more thirty steps when bushes exploded with small green creatures. They were about the size of a child and quickly dragged Vazir down. I tried to free him, they carried him away and I was fighting for my life. I don’t know how I escaped the forest but I ran until I collapsed and I woke up in your care.

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