Kurdishan's Garden

Twenty-fourth Day of Serpent Moon, Year of the Knife
Carrier Hawk Memorandum from Loremaster Walaka
To Sir Sveinn of Hilltop, Paladin Emeritus of Toesch

Executive Summary, Incident 1103

After the incident in which the young wizard H.P. terrorized an agricultural community, Paladin Thor sent league agents to investigate mysterious circumstances in the farming village of Darbin¹. The farmers of Darbin were late in bringing their harvest to the local trade center, no communication had been received for weeks, and messengers sent to the town had all disappeared.

A squad of agents led by the Rashemi warrior-priestess Belit were sent to investigate. They encountered townspeople possessed by weird vines which seemed to control their minds; the enslavement of the populace was the reason for the delay in harvest. These unwilling combatants were defeated without loss of life in a house-to-house struggle. The agents tracked this unnatural disturbance to the home of Kurdishan², a semi-retired wizard who had taken up residence in a former temple located in the community. In the wizard's garden, the agents rescued similarly-enthralled local official Brock Gnath³, discovered the wizard (who had transformed himself into a creature not unlike a Shambling Heap), and eliminated the threat with extreme prejudice.

Agents recovered personal property of the wizard, some of which they kept as booty in accordance with league protocols and some of which they returned to the community to help bootstrap recovery operations; our training seems to have worked well in developing strong habits of responsibility among the field staff.

A follow-up team sent to investigate the wizard's home and possessions did turn up some evidence of correspondence with The Corporation among Kurdishan's personal papers and some artifacts that could not have come from Bandui without their knowledge. Conclusions are tentative, but it seems The Corpration may be discreetly supporting area wizards in some activities that might otherwise have been crackpot schemes; whether they do this to sow random discord or as part of some larger plot, we have yet to learn.

Detailed report sent under separate cover.

¹ Map reference 21C4R5
² cf. "Kurdish of Feck," Vol 23.1, Peerage
³ ref. LSSR White Paper 44.19 "Pillar Retirees"

Personal note:

You will be pleased to hear that this relatively new band of operatives proved themselves quite capable. The young cleric Kahlan apparently showed considerable discretion in applying her divine magic to assist in the battle with the creature, and the ranger Arborealis was described as having had a major part in combat. The thief Samael is still plagued by bouts of ill-sightedness; I have referred him to League healers for curative spells or at least the fitting of spectacles, and anticipate excellence in the future. The Wizard Nyro managed to restrain his usually extravagant modus operandi in light of the civilian noncombatants, and the Bard Allys was reported to have been in the thick of the final confrontation. Team leader Belit performed with her customary competence. I have high hopes for this group, and think we will need their skills in the days to come.

I hope that black fly season in your neck of the woods is passing with somewhat less vigor this year than it is here in Toesch, and that your wife's boils have subsided.