It seems the votes were 7-1-4-2 (I considered the Ds as well. Would have bunched them with Cs if it had mattered, but it didn't, really). The Wielder will go, very well.
The eldest brought again the matter of the Wielder in front of the council the night before the expedition was to board the boats and head upriver. A debate once again started, with many expressing outrage to the threatening tone taken by the shaman and some going as far as proposing to drown him in the lake for his new violation. In the end, though, the majority decided his words had to be weighted carefully, assuming he knew what he was talking about, so he would be let go with the expedition, although not in a command role.
There was alot of grumbling within the council anyway, many fearing that backing down on the decision would weaken their authority in the eyes of the tribe.
The eldest took to himself the duty to approach the Wielder with the news. The bald man was waiting near a fire, gazing at the flames. When he was informed, he merely nodded, without reacting further, his eyes still locked on the fire.
Dawn came and the expedition finally left. The twenty-one men took six boats and several stone and earthen containers with them, to facilitate transportation of samples back to camp. Joint leadership would go to the fire keeper and the water shaman accompanying the men, while the Wielder would stay in a supporting and advisory role.
The first day passed without incident. The water was a bit muddy but otherwise clean, the hills were verdant and full of wildlife (you stop to hunt along the way, you don't want to exhaust the supplies you brought with you) and the sky was clear. Only a small tendril of black smoke came from behind the hills. Everything seemed fine.
The next day passed very much the same way, hills, hunting, clear sky, muddy water.
The following day... was different.
You reached the end of the hills on the side of the Fiery Mountain. The moment you got out of their shadows, the world... changed.
The first sign something was wrong was an overpowering stench that everyone could immediately smell.
Then the water shaman shouted in disgust and pointed at the waters. Where just minutes ago they were muddy, but otherwise clear, now you're navigating on an ash-choked, grey slime. Paddling suddenly became harder, as if the water was pulling at your tools.
Then a second, equally horrified shout came from the front boat. The men there were pointing to the sky and the mountain, now fully exposed to your sight.
You looked, and a nightmarish scenery presented itself to your eyes. The sky was dark. Very dark. Where previously a tiny whisp of smoke rose beyond the hills, now a thick column ponderously, ominously covered a whole quarter of the horizon. The land was blackened, lifeless. All vegetation is dead, covered in ash. Nothing can survive in this territory.
You quickly pulled to the shore and convened.
The water shaman wailed: "Horror! Abomination! - he turns towards the Wielder – Look! Look what your arrogance, your lust for power brought to the land! The water spirit is crying in despair! All life has been taken from this land! We must turn back and warn the camp of what we've seen! We can't stay here a moment longer!"
The Wielder didn't react to the shaman's words. He merely surveyed the horizon, nodded to himself, then turned to the rest of the expedition: "Yes. This is what I was afraid of. This is what I warned the council about. Without me, this land would have killed you, mercilessly. The fire spirit is unleashed here, as powerful as I ever felt it. But with me, you stand a chance. We need to leave the boats here, take our supplies with us and go nearer. I can keep you safe from the poisonous air, but we won't find any food in the area."
The men were terrified, but many found solace in the Wielder's words. They dind't want to leave the boats behind though. Although the stench coming from the river was awful, going by foot would be slower and the boats would still provide a quick mean of escape, if the situation warranted.
So, choice time:
A. Listen to the water shaman. Turn back on this nightmare and report to camp. From there, the council can decide what to do.
B. Listen to the Wielder. The expedition still has a mission. Going on foot would provide more versatility, and you can't stand navigating the disgusting river anymore.
C. Keep going by boat. Although the river is as dead as a river can be, it still is the most convenient trail to the mountain's neighborhood.