The weather isn’t any better. Our first day here, there was a comet storm- we’re still having to step around smoldering craters everywhere. And TODAY there was some sort of earthquake, and the shattering pulse split open one of those craters and started a fire. The aftershocks just ended up fanning the flames even more, so now half the tents have burned down and there are huge fissures running across the paths. A wild ricochet from a burning branch caught my tent on fire too, and now I have to sleep on the floor in Glurk’s tent.Tomorrow some of the shamans and druids are taking a few campers into the woods. I’m kinda nervous, but at least we won’t be in camp with the junior counselors.

Can I come home yet?

-Glork

“AUGH!” Wort exclaimed, throwing down the letter. “Isn’t that just awful? My poor little Glorkie! First time at camp and his brother’s being no help at all. That rat, I could just string him up to burn at the stake! He’s going to get the skullclamp for a week when he gets home!”

“Oh, do calm down, dear. You know as well as I, camp helps our little darlings grow up strong and smart,” hissed a soothing voice from across the table. “Anyway, if it’s holistic wisdom you’re after for them, shouldn’t they take the bad with the good?”

“I suppose you’re right, as usual,” sighed the Raidmother, sitting back. She took a sip of her tea, and let its calm radiate through her. Glancing slyly at her draconic companion, she added, “Besides, it’s lovely to have the sprout swarm out of the house every now and then, isn’t it? I don’t know how I’d get the new liquimetal coating on the walls if they were all running around the place.”

18th Chillbane
Hey Raidma,The Master said I should write you a letter and let you know what’s going on, so here it is.

I’m getting along okay with the other guys, we go hiking around the old strip mine and play Goblins and Humans in our free time, but we haven’t had much recently. After the big disasters at the beginning of camp, the counselors made us older guys help out in the clean up. We’ve been restocking the quartermaster’s and trying to recoup the equipment that burned up. It sucks, that fire really decimated the campsite. I even had to let Glork sleep in my tent, he was totally embarrassing the whole time. This whole mess has really taken the shine off my week.

The primeval titan said we’re finally gonna get back to warrior training tomorrow. I found a forgotten cave up near the Gruul turf, but it’s too small for him, so Garruk Wildspeaker and Ms. Chandra are gonna help us explore it. I hope we find some monsters to fight when we go into the core,  Garruk said it’ll help me unleash the beast within.

See you next week.

-Glurk

Wort finished the letter and tossed it onto a pile of similar notes before stalking outside. Determined to work away her worries, she grabbed her gardening tools and headed toward the patch of tilled soil. Bringing life from the loam always helped quieten her fears for her brood, and this time was no exception. Gazing across the lovingly cultivated greenery, she decided the Mwonvuli acid-moss was ready to reap and sow the next batch. There had been such rampant growth this summer, she decided, that there might even be time in the season for another planting.

22nd Chillbane
Dear Raidmother,

I know I said before that I hated camp, but is there anyway I can stay another week? The druids finally took us into the Vastwood, and it’s become my new stomping ground. We were originally going to go in and clean up damage from the whirlwind that blew in a huge rain of thorns in at the end of the last session, but it just felt so nice to harmonize with the forest that now I recross the paths from camp every day.

I’ve seen a wolfbriar elemental and some beautiful tree people, once my mentor showed me how to look, but the coolest thing is a little tranquil thicket I found by myself. Out in the Skyshroud claim there’s a very special stand of trees, the Grove of the Burnwillows where the leaves of the trees are alight but never burn. In a hollow between the roots of one of the burnwillows, there’s a fire-lit thicket just big enough for me.

When I’m in the hollow, I can feel the hand of the forest touch me. It’s like the Kodama’s reaching out to touch me (it’s an animating spirit of the forest; by the way, I may have converted to Druidism) and I think I finally understand why you sent me out here. You wanted me to find a worldly tutor, right?

Well, I’ve heard the forest’s primal command and I think I can bring it home with me. The end-of-camp dance is tomorrow, and I think I might actually go.

I can’t wait to see you soon and show you all the other cool stuff I found this week!

Love you
-Glork

Setting down the letter, Wort smiled.