Study Notes

With the fire banked and roaring, their stomachs full and their wine glasses topped up, the four adventurers rifle through all the letters, notes, sketches, maps and journals.

Their are only two maps. The first leading from the Three-Quarterling's cave to a large blackened and twisted tree. The second leading back towards Scar Burrow and showing Koenig's hidden forest base.

There are also only two sets of letters. The larger pile are all from Koenig, who you also knew as the Rat King. They are written in the secret language of the Druids and mostly indecipherable but Liga Bur recognises a few words from his training under the orc trackers from his tribe. 'Love', 'Father' and 'Son' are the most obvious but a few others also stand out... 'Poison', 'Humans' and 'Confict'. The second, smaller pile are from another Druid called Thornberg but unfortunately, Liga Bur can translate nothing additional from these.

The notes and sketches are obviously the result of years of observation. There are literally scores of self-portraits of the Three-Quarterling himself and drawings of the now dead Owl/Horse: Howl and Orc/Scorpion: Scorcion plus the very-much-alive Dog/Hawk: Dork.

Just by quickly scanning through, you soon find several dozen drawings of the horse-headed man you encountered a few days ago. 'Charlie-Horse', the Centaurs had called him. You also find references to the Cat/Raven hybrids: Cravens. One of which was brought down by Sir Briefadel's trained falcon.

Bizarre looking as most of them are, some of the other names make you laugh. A huge, powerfully built wolf-like creature with monstrous Boar tusks is labelled a War and an oversized rabbit with short curled horns, weird horizontal slit goat eyes and a long chin beard called a Grabbit.

The journals are mostly just sad and lonely diary entries but a few of them contain useful information about the groups' current situation.

'Normals are completely safe from the magical pools influence whilst within these cave walls but will be again vulnerable immediately upon leaving.'

'Even when a Normal has resisted once, that resistance will only last until the next sunrise.'

'When a Normal has resisted the strongest call of the pool thrice times, he is forevermore immune to its influence.'

Another entry explains why the Three-Quarterling was able to coexist with the Howl, the Scorcion and specifically, the terrifying Beer.

'Hybrids have an inherent understanding and sympathy for each other. Whatever their intelligence, they will never attack another Hybrid.'

Just then, Liga Bur's sturdy dog; Mir Hundur wanders in looking very pleased with himself. The creepy black remains of one of the loose Bat/Beetle: Battles, hanging limp from his mouth.