Cor-Wynn
The Stein and Sword
Safka
Dearest Mother,
Things haven’t gone exactly as planned. The first part of our trip went well. It wasn’t hard to promote the brewery in the surrounding area. One taste of our brews and everyone could see how far above the local swill they were. We traded our brews with several taverns in exchange for goods and services and came out well ahead. We also generated plenty of interest in our return with additional batches. As a side note, the Lela Root Beer was overall more popular, but the Winter Nut Ale had a dedicated if smaller following. I think perhaps adding a little spice to the Winter Nut Ale would increase its popularity.
We didn’t get into trouble until we ended up trapped in a collapsed cavern where we found some strange potions and books. We found our way out obviously, Kurdreg is pretty handy with an axe and can chop though a tree in no time. The weirdness started just before we left when we were looking though the books and potions on the wall. You know I can never resist trying a new drink so of course I started taste tasting a few. I’m sorry to say you wouldn’t recognize me now. I look like cat … with wings … and gills! That isn’t even the worst part. It’s almost too much to bear let alone put down on paper. I can’t drink alcohol any longer!! I mean I literally can’t drink it. It turns to water in my mouth. How can I keep creating our masterful brewing creations if I can’t tell what they taste like? You know how much I enjoyed a brew at the end of the evening, and the start of the evening, and the middle of the evening, and well all during the day. I don’t know how I’ll cope. I had hoped to find new ingredients and inspiration for additional brews on my journey and now this!
I wasn’t the only one that decided to take a taste of those potions, but I definitely got the worst effects. I mean Flan did end up with a third eye, covered in snot and pregnant by Nori. But she seems quite happily in love with Nori and is looking forward to the baby. Kurdreg got a fairy companion, but he was also stuck with a rat head and unending itchy rash. Such nasty creatures, rats. I had to control myself to not claw his face off when I saw it. Between that and the rash it was a blessing when one of the potions resulted in his death. At least his suffering is over, while mine continues.
Oh how it continues. As if I hadn’t been punished enough, when we made it back out we discovered the cart had been ransacked by demons and they drank all my beer!! I know, I know, the demons were all destroyed, but these were new ones that had just entered our realm. As if I didn’t feel bad enough after the results of that cursed potion, the sight of my kegs all smashed really did me in. I was alternating between being utterly distraught and immensely angry at all that had happened. Then I spotted those stumbling drunk ass demons and the anger won out. I charged right into them. Luckily, I’m now armed with claws so I was able to start tearing them into shreds. Let me tell you, that felt really good, but wasn’t even the best part. Yalandra had read some the books in the cave and decided to try out what she’d learned. She started tossing these magic missiles at the demons causing them to scream. When I had a pause in the fight I decided to try putting what I’d learned to the test and started throwing fireballs at the demons. It didn’t work for me every single time, but they were extra crispy by the time I was done. Just in time too, as one of them had been going after Flan and she was screaming about the baby.
So now we’re headed back to town, though the going will be slow without our horse and cart. It will just be Yalandra and me as Flan and Nori have decided to find a place to settle down to start their family. We’ll also be bringing back the ashes of Kurdreg for his family. I’m cautiously hopeful that perhaps I can look to my God, Cayden Cailean, with hopes that if I go on some grand adventures and accomplish some impossible deeds that he might grant me the miracle of restoring my ability to imbibe alcohol.
Your Loving Daughter,
Dar-Wynn