Saralas: Session 43

9 Elesias

• We are in Bryn Shander shortly after Copper told us she'd make the third ring and to come back in two days.
• We discuss the various things we could do and people we could help, and how we could maybe do better.
• We mention the Dwarfs who lost their friends and sled, the man in Targos, the Termalaine mine and the Illithyd crystal and more.
• It's late in the day so we head to the inn and tavern. It's "the rowdiest and most dangerous place to stay in Bryn Shander". It's pretty full, and as we approach a dwarf goes tumbling out the door.
• "Bun's weight depends, is he right side up or upside down? He is curiously light but massy." The Lazy Bun
• There are three dwarves looking for help
  • Hruna, Korux, and Storn. "We need help, and you all look capable and less drunk"
  • They met a Yeti who killed one of their friends
  • They need someone to go back and get their sled
  • As payment, they offer each of us a gemstone worth 50 gold
  • The yeti is in the direction of Kelvin's Cairn
  • The sled is about halfway there, in the middle of the open tundra
  • We ask about their friend, they suggest a burial in the wilderness would be best
  • Min asks if she can buy them a beer, and she takes them to the bar and buys them drinks
• The owner, Scramsax, has room for adventurers. We negotiate for rooms.
• While this is going on, a large mounted fish over the hearth catches Baerwin's eye. The plaque says "Old Bitey"
• As he approaches the fish it comes off the wall and snaps at him, then it begins singing a song "there's a place I like to go, farther up the river's flow, where it is I do not know, must be under all that snow" and then the entire bar erupts in laughter
• I ask Scramsax "what's with the fish". He laughs and says years ago a couple people hauled it out of the lake and he had it stuffed. Later a prankster wizard cast a spell that makes it snap at people and sing.
• People used to come to see it but it's been down with the bad weather. Scramsax says he heard from his brother's sisters cousin that it's something called Climate Change.
• Wodna walks in. The barkeep sees her and immediately his demeanor changes, with a little scowl. He excuses himself and takes a beer over to her.
• "Who is that woman?" I ask. "She doesn't appear dressed for the cold." He says we should stay away from her, and that she's been meddling in the Ten Towns.
• He says she's representing a "corporation" in Waterdeep. They have a lot of money. She starts throwing money around, she'll help with things, she just needs things. He says it's all a little suspicious.
• There's no one else, it's all just her. And wherever she goes the speakers listen. It's the money, it's not common up here and it speaks loudly. From Bryn Shander she's asking for fish, there's a smaller type of juvenile hammerhead that's caught there, and she wants to buy as much as they can fish. She says rich people like to eat it raw as a delicacy.
• Her company is trying to build some sort of resort up on the coast. They need wood to build the buildings and fish to serve the rich people.
• I head up to bed and write to Elodie with an update on what we are doing and ask her to write and send it to our inn in Lonelywood. I hope it reaches her and doesn't just cross her on the road.
• It is now the morning of the 10th and I head down to the common room to meet up with everyone else.
• We set out to recover the missing sled. Karthos manages to charm the polar bears, who turn on the goblins who stole the sled. The bears tear the goblins apart, making quite a mess. We recover the sled, bury the dwarf, and head back into town. Korag gives him last rights.
• It's late evening when we return. The dwarvess are happy and we are paid as promised.
• While we were fighting I had pulled out my grey bag of tricks and conjured a badger. I wonder out loud if Imdra would give us another if we helped find the fishermen again.
• It's the morning of the 11th. We take the day to catch up with things, and in the morning we go to check in with Copper.
• She's already gone, but she has left the ring for the machine with some basic instructions, and a note "good luck".
• We decide to head towards the mountain where we know the mountain guide was found, not worrying too much about checking in with his husband in Targos first. We also remember that the valley of the dwarves is somewhere in that direction.
• The party travels overland towards Kelvin's Cairn, evading several groups of coldlight walkers.
• We arrive late in the day, and find Garret and his companions at base camp, having not even left yet for the summit.
• Saralas walks over to them and introduces himself. He meets Garret, Mokingo, Perliou Barthoom, Astrix. We talk for a while and tell them about the dangers we've encountered. We don't speak explicitly but Saralas does say he's climbed the mountain before and encountered crag cats, and found signs of Yet. Resda speaks up and says she's seen inside the cave and there's a mother yeti and a baby yeti, and she assumes there's a daddy yeti around there as well.
• They decide to not climb, and that they will inform the town and they'll get the hunters out and deal with the yeti and this is just the way things go. Garret will only get 1/4 pay but that's how things go.
• It's fairly late, we have to decide what to do next. We decide to spend the night with the group who are going to head back to the Ten Towns in the morning. It's a very cold night and we are not really rested.
• It is the morning of the 12th and we are not feeling well. Garret intends to travel overland by the shortest route.
• We decide to head towards the moon elf tomb to use it to rest and recover. On the way we encounter another pack of coldlight walkers but avoid them.
• I attune to the mirror and use it to look in on Elodie. She appears to be traveling alone through snowy wilderness. I am not comforted by this and confused. Why is she alone and why does it appear she is on the spine of the world already?
• We rest comfortably in the elven tomb, though Saralas is not easy in his mind.
• In the morning Karthos looks in on Sunblight's kid, which we recognize is the keep outside of Caer-Konig. Wodna is there and she's giving him a backrub, whispering in his ear. She's telling him that she knows Sunblight never respected him, and she's certain he's plotting against him, which is why he's been exiled to this northern keep.
• She is offering to supply him with magical potions that will make his army strong so that in time he'll be able to stand up to his father. He is clearly bewitched by her presence. There might be something she can do, also, but she'll need to know it's exact location.
• We talk for a while and decide to head to the Black Cabin.
• On the way to the black cabin, we come to a glade filled with the frozen corpses of fox and rabbit cubs. Poor animals. Karthos Communes with Nature and then we move on.
• We arrive at the Black Cabin. Hoot is perched on the roof. I wave, "Hello Hoot".
• Baerwin goes inside to the workroom and attempts to listen through the wall. He says he can't hear anything. He walks around the cabin which is clearly perched partway over the edge of the cliff as the cliff is eroding away from under the cabin.
• The cabin is in poor condition, and he could probably enter through the window.
• I look around outside. There is a woodpile that appears to have been there for some time. There is also an outhouse. I do not see any tracks.