Saralas: Session 22

• The speaker's current condition is not natural, it's the result of a spell or something like that. Artifact, etc.
• Resda and Min think the old lady was sincere
• We discuss what we should do and Resda and Min agree we may not love this but we should probably continue with our plans for now
• Karthos was investigating the Speaker while we were talking and found a chunk of magical obsidian under the bed of the Speaker, who was not awake and would not wake. The object is black ice, a rare magical ore that fell from the sky. It can absorb a spell and release it over time.
• We decide to rest and head out in the morning, heading north to Caer Konig
• The white snow-covered mountains are behind the town.
• We stop at Frozenfar Expeditions. I buy arrows and another quiver from the shopkeeper, Atenas.
• Atenas remembers Garret, and relays that he showed up with three well-armed companions. He helped them with climbing gear and supplies, then they headed to the local tavern. He understood they were going to the mountain after that.
• He says lately there have been quite a few robberies in the town, and they've had trouble tracking down the bandits causing the problem. They've been stealing old weapons, trinkets, artifacts, and so on, rather than gold, food, or other things that seem valuable.
• The other night the lantern at the Northern Light (the inn) was stolen. Glen said the inn's lantern was magical. Trovas said it changed colors
• They sacrifice food in this town.
• We go to the Hook Line and Sinker - tavern. He hands us free half-pints of ale. His name is Glen Korr (Elglendar). We ask about Garret, he says they had some plans to hike up the mountain. They had a few drinks then, he assumes, retired to the inn.
• Glen also seems agitated about the thefts in the town, which Resda asks after.
• Glen also points out the speaker, passed out in a chair by the hearth
• I go over to the speaker, introduce myself, explain the situtation
• The speaker is a bit jittery with all the thievery that's been going on. He is Trovas, a Dragonborn, the town speaker. No one has really seen anything.
• The items stolen don't seem to be obviously related, but the thieves appear very particular about what is taken. He offers to introduce us to the innkeepers and guides us over to the inn.
• We notice the empty hook. The innkeeper seems to be mothering Trovus a bit, as if he might have a habit of wandering and drinking late and night.
• Her name is Allie. She remembers Garret. She doesn't really know their plans, but it sounded like they were planning to head to the peak, and they likely took the most popular route.
• She also tells us about the stolen lantern. She believes dwarves are responsible. The tracks lead out of town, but she has no idea why dwarves would steal, they thought the town had a good relationship with the dwarves. Also no one has seen or heard them, which is odd.
• We view the tracks, they are clear in the snow. They appear to clearly by dwarven tracks. We follow the tracks for a short distance, before they vanish entirely. We look carefully, and note that there are clear signs that the trail was deliberately obscured.
• We relay what we saw. Allie says the town doesn't have much, but offers free lodging and beers if we can return the lantern. We agree to try.
• But head to the tavern again to find out what the sinker is. Min volunteers, and enters a drinking contest. Where she first pukes (which I clean up with prestidigitation), then she passes out.
• We carry Min back to the inn and turn in for the night. Allie seems amused.
• In the morning, we see a fresh set of tracks upon setting out. The tracks go from house to house, they seem to be peeking into the windows, but they don't seem to have gone into any buildings, then they head out of town.
• We follow the tracks, which first head towards the mountain before veering towards the foothills. Before they disappear. We search, and discover a blocky stronghold. Much of it appears buried in the stone, underground. The terrain leading to it is an upward sloping plain covered in fresh snow. There are barred openings with a good view of the hillside. Closer to us is a snow-covered stone bunker with arrow slits.
• It seems dwarven but we're not certain on the details. We sneak around past the bunker and Karthos sneaks into the culvert as a badger, but doesn't find anything.
• Resda carefully shoves open the door with uncommon strength
• Inside is a frozen well, and three cages against the wall. One holds a rotting ogre (zombie?), a second holds two goats, and the third appears empty.
• There is a pit with a drawbridge across it, and a mechanism to raise it. Like an indoor moat. The zombie ogre is howling.
• The door to the south opens into what looks like a cell block. Three cells along the west wall are empty. Each of the five cells along the south wall is an abysmal horror. Humans, probably ten towners, appear to have been turned into mushroom zombies.
• The doors open, and we roll for initiative