Entry from Kilkarak’s Expedition Journal Day 163

I can’t move today. Instead of healing my bruised ribs, the saffira crystals have had an adverse effect on me. My breathing has become labored and my energy has waned considerably. This morning I decided to ditch the radia crystals and heal normally, but I don’t have strength to carry on with the journey. I wasn’t going to write in the journal either and just rest completely, but I saw another unusual display of local fauna and feel compelled to report it.

Dashyl went off to explore while I stayed in camp, lying still. I had fallen asleep and was awakened by a screeching call. A purplish grackyl was squawking and dive-bombing something in the hesprys tree under which I slept. A pair of black and white magus also trilled and fluttered about the top of the tree. The object of their displeasure turned out to be a red-crested barrow hawk. Barrow hawks are legendary aerial predators, able to snatch smaller birds out of the air for meals.  For the grackyl and the magus birds to molest a barrow hawk was curious behavior, indeed. The brave pestering of the smaller birds soon had its desired effect; the barrow hawk took flight, its green feathers and red plumage shiny in the afternoon sun. Why the large bird did not turn and devour these pests is beyond me. Perhaps it had just killed and eaten, or maybe it did not like the taste of those particular birds. If I had been that bird, I would have stood my ground and ended the nuisance without delay.

I am not done writing for the day. Dashyl has returned with food and what sppears to be a large saffira crystal. This crystal seems to be refined somehow, whereas the crystals I attempted to use to heal my ribs were raw and rough. From Dashyl’s description of where he obtained the food and crystal, it must be a tool of the Akrasa people. Dashyl said he snuck into some type of housing structure of a people with blue skin and some with green skin. I was not aware that there were green-skinned Akrasa, so Dashyl’s proficiency at sneaking and thieving has lead to a new discovery as well as helpful items. A refined saffira crystal should have a positive level of radia and heal me. The food looks like a type of root vegetable infused with a bluish radia powder and could also have some healing effect.

Since he stumbled upon them, I finally told Dashyl what I knew of the Akrasa and how I thought they had been watching us since we left the canyon.  Dashyl didn’t think they were hostile, but they didn’t see him, so there’s no telling what their reaction would be to a stranger in their midst. I feel rested and recharged already as the sun sets on this day. Instead of taking a detour to the Akrasa settlement, I feel we should press on to the area where the starskin carapid is said to inhabit while I have the strength and we both have sustenance.