Before I say anything else, I want you all to know I tried to do good.  This is my apology and the explanation I feel you all truly deserve.

Elric came to Audreena and me for help.  We weren’t given specifics, all we knew was that he believed he could bring back King Balin.  To accomplish this, we needed to find three wolf pendants and a special box.  As we were collecting taxes, we found 2 I took one for myself, and Elric wore the other. The third we discovered hung around Riven’s neck.

Audreena took a liking to the necklaces, so I gave her mine, and she placed the wolf pendant around her neck. If I had known what would happen, I never would have given it to her.

Elric informed me that once all three were in the presence of the Hunter, all we needed to do was open the box.  As fate would have it, we all were in town.  I grabbed the box from Elric and, expecting the King to appear or something, opened the box.  

  The second the box opened, my only love, Audreena, turned into a wolf.  This was the last thing I saw before my chest was caved in by the Hunter’s hammer. 

When I returned to the woods, I was greeted by the Hunter, who grunted an apology of sorts.  He explained that “Fenrir Wolf had taken those that wore the necklaces. They were now cursed to live as wolves.”  They were wild and killing anything they came across.  He could tame them, but to do so, he needed to defeat them.  I agreed to help, in hopes that after they were tamed, a cure could be found for my love.

Before we could tame them, they had angered the denizens of the Wood.  The people of the Wood began to arm themselves against the wolves and created hunting parties. 

Alongside Vigo, named steward of Champion’s Hall and thus Lord Elric’s second in command, we used our powers to attack all that threatened the wolf pack.All I could think to do to help Audreena was to join the wolf pack and Vigo agreed. SoI used my Druidic powers to become a wolf, and somehow Vigo was able to stand among the wolves without being attacked. The wolf pack at that time consisted of Elric, Riven, Audreena, and myself as wolves with the Hunter controlling the wolves. Vigo supporting the pack with his magic. However being a wolf didn’t make me strong enough to protect her.  

While all of this was transpiring, a plague had taken hold of the Myth Wood. It had come through some crystals that meteors brought when they crashed in to the Wood.  I was sick, as was most of the denizens of the Woods.  

Vigo told me that he had a plan that would make me strong enough to protect the wolf that Audreena had become, and possibly cure me of the plague.  I figured if Elric trusted him, so should I.  I thought also that, maybe, the cure for the plague would work on others too.  At least then, maybe I could stop everyone from hunting my love and make up for my terrible mistake…. 

Partial note found in a bottle written by Mathis we believe

…

Pain all Troll feel.  Bones break, grow, muscle rip and mend.  Troll am born as slave to one call Vigo.  

Boss say kill people, protect puppies.  Troll like puppies, people try kill puppies so troll want kill people.  

People run like bunnies.  Troll call people bunnies.  Troll is funny.

Troll find bottle.  Bottle have words on paper.  Can read some.  Words hard but troll try put words in bottle too.  Think important.  Bye Bye Bottle…

This note to was found in the bottle written by a Troll?

…

Troll can remember little from before born.  Can remember more words.  Troll remember who puppies were.  Troll remember not always slave.

Troll decide not to like be slave, but still must do what boss says.

Troll thinks one of puppies is special to him.  Troll remember magic that can protect puppy that special to him.  

Oh yea, troll must tell bottle about other troll.  Trolls are friends.  Trolls play fun game called stab.  You see, first troll stabs Troll, then Troll stabs troll. Is fun; Kinda tickles.

Troll find lots of flowers when boss was dead.  Couldn’t find puppies so went to town.  When in town get magic used on me.  For short time, troll have new boss.  Still not like being controlled, but must follow orders.  Not ordered to kill but just to stay in building.

Troll got bored. 

Troll must find a way to become free like other trolls.  Troll must think.  Thinking hurts a little, but it gets easier every day.

Well, bye bye bottle see again soon….

Another note by the Troll in the Bottle. 

…

I have learned much.  I now know of terrible mistake I make before become troll.  I also remember Vigo’s betrayal.  I believe it is the book he carries that give him control over me. He still boss, but he thinks he too smart to be taken down by troll.  I must wait till opportunity arises and not waste chance to be free.

I have gained a better grasp on my magic.  I also remember a name, Mathis.  I think it was my name before I was troll and forced into slavery.   I also remember the name Audreena.  She is one of the wolves.  In fact, I think it is the wolf that feels special to me.  I think I love her.

She believes she has learned a way to make her become her again.  I learned this when I used a spell to control her after we lost track of the Hunter.  I hate the thought of enslaving her, but it was the only way to keep her docile.  

Boss Vigo has agreed to help return her to her natural form.  I think he fears that he won’t be able to control the wolf pack when the Hunter is gone, and this would make them a threat.  Regardless of his motivation, I am happy that he will be healing Audreena of my former self’s mistakes.  

It worked!  We created an altar to some wolf god and she transformed into a beautiful human with pointy ears.  Now I needed was to gain my freedom.  I come up with plan.  The plan was simple, find a thief to steal the book from boss.  Plan seemed perfect, but couldn’t get away from boss Vigo long enough to pay for thief services.  

As luck would have it, a band of humans had different plan.  Humans’ plan was to get special weapon to kill Vigo once and for all.  Unlucky for them, they ran into us and were quickly killed, but lucky for me, I was then in position of that very weapon.

The hubris of Vigo was his downfall.  He thought it would be funny to gather all who live in the Wood together, and after that, demand they choose one of their own to be sacrificed to him.  He would in return have me give the weapon to one of the humans.  That is when I found my opportunity.

I had standing orders to kill anyone I see that threatened our group.  In ordering me to give such a weapon to our enemies, Vigo himself had become a threat to our group.  As the humans entered the town, I took the blade and ran him through. 

I was free, or so I thought.

I was still bound by his last command.  I had to kill on sight.  I was trying to help the other troll  save the gnomes, but even though I warned the humans that they needed to run, all they did was grab a torch.  I tried not to, but i killed them all.  I couldn’t help it.

Audreena couldn’t remember anything from her time as a wolf.  She had no idea that I was Mathis or that I had no choice but to kill.  She was still willing to help us trolls and as she was part of “the group” I could be around her without killing her.  She was able to collect everything that we needed to help the now free gnomes create a cure.  She was also able to somehow get all the magic users to sign away the control magic.  

The humans needed to test the cure.  After all I had done, I felt the least I could do is be one of the test subjects.  I even thought of a way to get to the test site without my need to kill to take me off track.  I pulled my hood over my eyes and let Khaos lead me, pretty smart, huh?

I hope it works.  It burns me from the inside, but if it works it will be worth it.

Hope to write more bottle…

Final note in the bottle, written by Mathis while he was a Troll.

…

Vigo was slain in town by his own thrall… Everyone was there to witness it. With Titania’s dagger, his enthralled troll stabbed him in the neck. Whatever possessed it to do so, we may never know.

After his death and everyone left the town, I went to investigate the body. A dark miasma began to rise from his corpse as I got closer to it, and eventually his clothes and flesh all completely disintegrated. Oddly enough, only his bones were left behind. I ordered my men to bring those bones to Grey Arrow. My advisors questioned me about it, and even I had no explanation as to why I made that decision.

The only explanation I could come up with was that Vigo’s influence over the Myth Wood was strong and dangerously powerful despite his evil intentions. And with the strange note we received talking about the rage of the titans of Tartarus, this power could potentially come in handy at some point and if we ever needed it again, these bones could be the answer to retrieving that power once more. My advisors give me great insight into the decisions I make, but without the insight and opinions of King Balin and Jarl Elric, my closest companions, I had to make these decisions on my own and hoped that they were the right ones.

I knew that bringing the bones of Vigo into the keep, and keeping them in the Myth Wood at all was a bad idea. I knew that making this decision without consulting the other great minds in the wood, was a terrible mistake. But one thing I knew for sure, was that the safety of the woods was my top priority and is my duty to protect. If I have to call upon a power we tried arduously to destroy in order to protect it, then so be it. I’ll take time to prepare ahead and take great precautions when dealing with such evil. That much I understand and can guarantee for the people.

Not only will I have to deal with having the bones of Vigo in my home, there are always those in the woods who are watching. Word will have spread of these remains being in Grey Arrow and I must take precautions against that as well. His followers were just as evil as he was, but they were loyal and held him in great esteem. No doubt they will try to bring their leader back from the dead.

It’s only a matter of time until the wood becomes a war torn region once more. Whether it be a civil war or war against the gods. No matter what, we will do all in our power to be ready.