A Pall before War

Its been a long trek. Hiking to Meliora to stop a war. The Gods of Chaos appear to be uniting. Chaos uniting is not a good thing. It threatens the order of existence. Our tracker is also our barbarian. A good warrior, but a horrible tracker. He keeps getting us lost. The moron is faking it, I just know it.
 
Our Paladin, Kemurial. The irony of Rory getting us lost all the time is not missed by me. Kemurial has to be the most lost paladin I have ever met. He seems to struggle with the tenets of his faith. It isn't a lack of faith, but a question of how to live by it or implement it. Frankly, it has been quite humorous watching him trying to put his faith into practice. As we were traveling, we came across a cursed individual going through a change. I would guess for the first time. He appeared to have Lycanthropy.
 
First, Kemurial seemed like he wanted to destroy him. That's it Pally baybee, murder the poor guy! I really had to laugh. Then, decides to capture him. Really?!?! The guy has broken no laws, is removed from civilization so he wont harm anyone, and the paladin JUMPS INTO ACTION! HOORAY! We finally subdue the guy, no thanks to our heroic leader, and we bind him to his steed. On the way to our destination, we have 2 full moons! I wonder if that was Dispater funning with the Paladin. The Gods do have a sense of humor.
 
Prior to the wereboar even, we encounter a graveyard full of bones of elephants. Mammoth in size, well, because they were Mammoths that used to graze in the area. Kemurial should be useful if there are undead here. Kemurial paladin senses detect spirits. Apparently,they communicate that their Gods relic had been broken. Rory and the Paladin feel inclined to delay our trip to stop a war, to fix a tusk. Priorities..... We appear to set up a makeshift solution. The spirits reward us with a one time us horn that will be incredibly helpful in the war. When morons make good. I gotta tell ya, the Gods have a sense of humor.
 
The only person in the party that I feel is competent is our SorLock, Freya. Being a Drow, she understands remaining quiet, keeping her head down, until she unleashes her fury. I am beginning to respect her.
 
Upon arrival to Meliora, our hero decides to hand off the wereboar to the local guard and pay for his cure. Way to follow through with your beliefs! Apparently, finishing strong isn't one of his Gods tenets, just pay off people to do your duty.
 
Walking though town, there seems to be a pall over it. People are aware of what is coming, but they seemed to concede to being conquered. The pall seems unnatural to me. I wonder if there is magic afoot here. Asmodeus is the controller of Fear in the Nine Hells. This sort of strategy is something I have seen him use in the past. But, Asmodeus is not a God of Chaos. I wonder if the Gods of Chaos are using a similar strategy. No victory is easier then one you have won before the war starts.
 
I suggest we all investigate and find our what we all can. I will go to the underground, I suggest Kemurial mingle with the Nobles, and Rory, well, he just wanders off. I wonder if he is trying to track a place to look? If he is, he will get lost I am sure.
 
I am able to strike up conversations with several individuals. A man in plate. He appears to be a warrior by trade. Our discussion revolves around his desire to be a knight of the realms. He believes success in this war will grant him his hero status. The Fool, the only Heros of Renown are the ones who die in battle! Of course, that is what soldiers do in war. It is part of the cost, and one I am willing to spend.
 
The second is a female, also a warrior. Her presence here seems a bit more pragmatic. She is looking for profit. Whether in battle or afterwards. I believe her only obstacle will be her ego. Her comment, every disaster has its silver lining magnifies her greed. She also made a comment that resonates. Are the attackers looking to Rule or to destroy. This type of answer can dictate the type of war fought. She may be a greedy whore, but she ain't a stupid one.
 
The last appears to be a rogue. This one seems to be connected to an information stream. I invest more time with this one. His information seems useful to my cause. Beorhtmaar is his name. He talks of surviving dwarves of the north engaging a banished wizard to aid find a way to protect them. This could be an item or great magic. This might be the key we are looking for.
 
Rory apparently thinks pit fighting is the perfect way to gather intelligence. Simple minds for simple tasks. He wins his encounter, and 100 gold, and finds out his opponent is looking to join a bestial race's resistance. The race of anthropomorphic lions is preparing for the onslaught. This bit of information is important. It says the pall is not affecting this community on the outskirts of Meliora. This may support my theory of an unnatural effect.
 
The paladins investigations prove as worthless as the paladins attempt to employ the tenets of his faith in life.
 
The coming days are going to be interesting.......