January 29^th, 912

I have arrived in Chi-Hanna-Mirrik. The swamp is dense and difficult to navigate, and there is not much of a road between it and Ko-Hanna-Takla, so the journey took two days. I was lucky not to encounter any particular hardships along the way, though I doubt bandits or monsters would have fared well against me in an environment with such dense foliage. Even so, the journey was exhausting, and it was difficult to set up a proper camp.

I have purchased lodging in the city. I think I shall spend a day resting before beginning my studies in earnest.

—Kirra

January 30^th, 912

Chi-Hanna-Mirrik is a larger city than Ko-Hanna-Takla, at least in terms of size. It is also clearly a much older city. Both cities share similar architectural flourishes—buildings carved within the trunks of large oak trees, boardwalks twisting around the flora of the swamp—but Ko-Hanna-Takla seemed distinctly more modern. Most of the buildings of Chi-Hanna-Mirrik are very simple in design and construction.

Chi-Hanna-Mirrik is an isolated city, and as such it is completely self-sustaining. The city is almost entirely surrounded by extensive farming plots mixed seamlessly with the natural landscape of the swamp, growing rice, azolla, cattails, and onions. These farms also stretch into various parts of the city itself, often crammed into every inch of open water.

The people here are not only farmers, but hunters as well. They often send out hunting parties on extensive trips through the swamp, with over a dozen different warbands who rotate between hunting trips and guarding the city at different times.

It seems these people have also succeeded in domesticating a local monster. They are large flying insects with long, blade-like proboscises; the locals endearingly call them mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are roughly the same size as dogs, and some are treated in a similar manner, being kept as pets or even accompanying hunting parties. A large number of the creatures also freely wander the settlement; to my understanding, they are also raised as livestock—primarily for their eggs—but cannot be corralled like traditional cattle. The creatures’ legs are usually adorned with colored bands for identification.

While I did notice some mosquitoes in Ko-Hanna-Takla, they were in very short number there. It would seem the creatures prefer to live deeper in the swamp, and they don’t make good fishing companions; in contrast, it seems they make for very adept hunting pets.

I had a mosquito egg soup for breakfast. I must admit even I found the concept somewhat revolting at first, but I was surprised to find I actually quite enjoyed it.

I have also gleaned more insight into the conflict between the two factions. The people of Chi-Hanna-Mirrik are wary of extensive interaction with the outside world, for they fear it may forcefully change their way of life. They also wish to avoid becoming reliant on other nations or being dragged into foreign wars; after the Holy Wars, they are content to live peacefully on their own. A small number of the residents do seem to feel a sort of superiority over the people of Ko-Hanna-Takla, or over outsiders in general, but that is not the majority opinion. Most of the people of the city treated me with nothing but kindness.

My time in the city has already proven very insightful. I shall remain for a few days before setting out again.

—Kirra

January 31^st, 912

While they were the minority in Ko-Hanna-Takla, the Jirai are the most common race here in Chi-Hanna-Mirrik. Thanks to this, I have been able to observe them more closely. Their hands are not webbed like the other races’, and they stand from six to nine feet tall. They cannot swim well, due to their heavy and rounded bodies, but they do not need to; their towering height allows them to easily wade through the swamp waters.

The Jirai are also capable of spitting up large globs of powerful acid, though it seems they try to avoid using this ability unless absolutely necessary. The people of Chi-Hanna-Mirrik have a very close connection to their environment, and I believe the Jirai are hesitant to damage it.

Shortly into my day of study, a tragedy struck. A recently-embarked hunting band returned early, reporting that a hydra was moving near the city. They are large, powerful, and bloodthirsty monsters, and could wreak much havoc if one managed to reach the city. It was decided that several hunting parties would embark together to fell the beast before it could come closer. Seeing this as a valuable research opportunity, I volunteered my assistance to this missions. A few clearly had mixed feelings on bringing an outsider, but most of the hunters seemed delighted or relieved to have a Dryad in their company. Many are men and women who fought in the Holy Wars and know exactly how effective my kind can be in environments like these.

I am writing this as the hunters prepare to embark. I shall report further at nightfall.

—Kirra

Jan 31^st, 2^nd entry

We were forced to stop and make camp for the night. An unforeseen conflict stalled our progress.

As we traveled, a particularly old Jirai hunter—his name is Gihani-Gohani, I believe—approached my boat and began asking very pointed questions. I was quickly able to ascertain that he disliked me, so I asked why. He only became more aggressive, eventually letting slip that he knew I’d come from Ko-Hanna-Takla and thought I was some sort of spy. Throughout this entire exchange, he repeatedly rocked my boat as if trying to dunk me in the water.

After much ranting about his dislike of the Ko-Hanna-Taklans and of the others’ “obsession” with me, Gohani became increasingly aggressive and eventually outright threatened to strike me. It was then that the caravan was forced to stop as several other hunters came to my aid and forcefully pried Gohani away.

Most of the hunters seem remorseful for the way he treated me. There was a rather heated argument between Gohani and the leaders of the caravan, and I have since heard many mutterings regarding whether or not the hunt can continue. It seems most have concluded that either I or Gohani must be removed from the party.

They seem to fear that Gohani may lash out if his pride is wounded further. He is a proficient hunter; they cannot afford for him to hold grudges. Yet, they are also loathe to abandon me. Many seem to see their treatment of me as a source of pride—“a Dryad has graced us with her presence; it would bring shame on us to turn her away”, this seems to be their logic. I cannot help but feel conflicted by the way they view my people, but I suppose it was an inevitability, given our role in the Holy Wars.

I must also admit that I did feel fearful of Gohani. I have weathered many a battle, but always from the sidelines; I am relatively frail, and I would not want to hurt him in self-defense, either. I am glad the others stepped in when they did. I write now in an attempt to calm myself and to sort through my thoughts.

The hunting caravan travels through the swamp by boat. I, along with the Hek and Tiddalik in the party, ride in the boats as they are tugged along and guided by the Jirai. Most pull two or three boats at once; the number of boats one can pull seems to be a mark of pride, and some of the leaders pull four at once.

My boat is pulled by a Jirai woman named Kakana-Nakana. She says she is capable of pulling three boats at once, but her comrades insisted she be dedicated solely to mine. Apparently, she fought closely alongside one of my kin in the Holy Wars; the other hunters have deferred to her, as one who has “experience” with how to treat a Dryad. We both got a laugh out of the ridiculousness of it.

Kakana has a rowdy personality, but she is very kind and was eager to answer my questions. She also continually rebuked Gohani throughout his rantings, and she was the first to come to my aid. I momentarily feared what she would do to him, but fortunately things were resolved without resorting to extensive violence. “Extensive” is the operating term; Kakana got a good punch in, which I admit was very satisfying to watch.

She and the other hunters seemed shocked to hear that I traveled between the cities alone, and that I did so unarmed. It would appear I was rather lucky not to encounter wild mosquitoes or a monster they simply refer to as “fireflies”. They greatly stressed that, should I ever see a light out in the swamp at night, I avoid it at all costs; the so-called fireflies are powerful monsters that prey on the mosquitoes, and they are attracted to—and occasionally emit—light.

The boats have been linked together for the night, in a similar manner to what the fishermen of Ko-Hanna-Takla do out at sea. The hunters take shifts watching the swamp for dangers, though they say mosquitoes and fireflies are both intelligent enough hunters to generally avoid such large groups. They have assured me I may rest the whole night, but I do not expect I will be able to sleep for a while. Kakana is part of the first shift, so I think I will speak with her some more.

—Kirra

February 1^st, 912

Early this morning, I asked Kakana to bring my boat to Gohani. I did my best to explain to him that I have no allegiance to either Ko-Hanna-takla or Chi-Hanna-Mirrik; that I am simply a traveler and do not expect special treatment; and that I do not expect or demand that he like me. I was able to convince him to set his dislike of me aside for the sake of the hunt.

With that problem solved, the hunt resumed in earnest. The party that originally found the hydra left several markers behind, and using them we were rather easily able to locate the hydra nest.

Hydras are large and powerful reptilian monsters with multiple heads, each capable of producing destructive magical breaths. They also possess thick armor and powerful regeneration, able to regrow even a severed limb or head in mere moments; some accounts state they are even capable of living with their heads severed. Under normal circumstances, they are a truly terrifying force for even the most seasoned of hunters. Unfortunately for this hydra, the Jirai’s acidic spit serves as the perfect counter to its armor and regeneration.

This particular hydra had built a nest in the swamp. It guarded several large eggs, as well as a mound of mixed carrion. It seems this is part of a common ritual for these monsters. After they mate, they travel in a pair until the female lays its eggs, at which point they construct a nest. The male begins going on a rampage, killing all creatures in the vicinity and bringing them back to feed the mother and their soon-to-be children.

We were lucky to encounter the female hydra while it was alone. Our boats and the Jirai formed a perimeter around it, and as the attack commenced, I used my abilities to bind it using surrounding plants and its own nest. The beast was strong enough to easily break these bindings, but I stalled it long enough for the Jirai to shower it in a volley of acid. From there, it was pelted with spears and jets of water as the acid burnt through its scales, and finally the Jirai warriors closed in to behead it and pierce the weakened monster’s heart.

Once the hydra was dead, the hunters got to work quickly. Several Jirai loaded its body onto a large pontoon with wheels; this vessel will be used to transfer it, the body of the other hydra, their eggs, and their collected carrion back to the city across several trips. Others built basic fortifications around the nest—to assist in the coming battle against the hydra’s mate, and to provide a base for later.

Our caravan retreated from the nest to allow the other hydra to return there. It finally arrived after several hours, and we utilized the same strategy once more. We were able to take down both hydras with no casualties, though quite a few hunters were wounded.

With both beasts felled, construction around the nest resumed. Moving more than one pontoon through the swamp is difficult, so the hunters would transport their quarry across several trips instead. Further fortifications were necessary, as some of the hunters would be living in the nest for several days as the spoils of battle were transported. During that time, they will need to defend their kills from other monsters, and they will be in charge of treating the meat to keep it from spoiling.

I accompanied the first group headed back to the city. Night is falling, but the hunters are planning to continue their march until they reach Chi-Hanna-Mirrik. I long for the comfort of a bed.

—Kirra