Ice In Their Veins

The group interrogated the wandering tradesman ‘Blorf’ (the Dwarf) and he drew a map of approximately where Salsvalt is. His loot was divvied up, and Hunter got the Candle of the Deep, a candle that stays alight even when wet, and can be used to see underwater.

A few days of travel later the group happened upon an injured Griffon. Moonlit Shadow was able to keep it calm as she pulled the arrow from its wing, and it offered the party a chance to ride on his back, greatly reducing the travel time from 12 days to 6 days. Once closer to Salsvalt, it landed and let you off, then flew away.

With Blorf’s map, Moonlit Shadow was able to quickly locate the entrance after only a day, which was frozen shut. Aaron used a torch to melt the ice and he and Bob together were able to open the door.

Inside, the party found 2 doors, one locked and one unlocked. Sound seems to travel through the crashed and partially buried laboratory very well, possibly alerting enemies to your presence.

Traveling through the unlocked door, the party found a room containing two treasure chests, surrounded by a smattering of sand. The chests were opened but discovered to be empty, aside from more of the same sand. Whatever had been stored in the chest had clearly been taken. In the sand, The Wiz found footprints - 2 dwarven sets, one of which belonged to Urgon. And 2 human-looking sets.

In the next room 2 large suits of armor stand in the center of the room, and a lone foot was sticking out of a pile of rubble. Bob and Aaron moved the rubble after The Wiz investigated to find that the foot was still moving. Underneath, a blacksmith who had been working in the area had been trapped and turned into a zombie, who now seeks to eat the party’s brains. Hunter got a 15 on his initiative. Combat begins next session

The party’s latest encounter began in violence against the trader Blorf the Dwarf, whose wagon proved to be carrying far more than simple wares. Moonlit Shadow was quick to engage, striking at the dire wolves and blooding one of the beasts early, while Hunter ended the immediate threat from Blorf himself with a clean shot that dropped the dwarf unconscious without killing him. In the thick of the fighting, Buff showed real courage, using what strength he had to heal both himself and his allies and keep the party standing as the struggle turned brutal.

That brutality found its clearest outlet in A’aron. Though his orcish nature urged him to finish Blorf where he lay, he mastered the impulse and spared the dwarf’s life. Instead, he turned his bloodlust on the wolves. One he hurled into the air with a savage sweep of his axe, and the other he split cleanly in two as it tried to flee in terror. Buff’s bravery came at a heavy price, however, as one of the wolves tore into him and brought him down before the fight was over. By the end, the ground was soaked in blood, Blorf lived only by the party’s choice, and the scene left little doubt about the sheer force A’aron was capable of unleashing.

Once the battle ended, the wagon drew the party’s attention, and its contents proved far more interesting than expected. Bob uncovered a strange rope that The Wiz identified as a rope of mending, which passed to Moonlit Shadow, while a deeper search turned up a scroll of false life for A’aron, a cap of water breathing for Buff, a candle of the deep for Hunter, and a dread helm for Bob. Dean claimed a strange metal rod with a button at one end, clearly magical, though its true nature remains unknown until it can be properly identified or studied further. As Blorf began to stir, he saw what A’aron had done to his “babies,” and his horror only deepened the party’s suspicions. Remembering Blorf’s earlier claim that he knew the region well when he spoke of trading the coats, A’aron has begun to suspect that the dwarf knows more about this place, and perhaps about what lies ahead, than he ever intended to reveal.

The group, having secured their winter coats, took the ship secured for them to Syrinlya on Eiselcross, a voyage that took 9 days much to the chagrin of the party members afflicted with Frigid Woe. They had little interest in speaking to the various adventurers and treasure hunters there, unwilling to so much as purchase a healing potion from the alchemist.

They quickly set out toward where they believed Salsvault to be, braving the ice and snow. After 5 days of travel, they came upon a traveling salesman whose wagon had been caught in the snow. He asked for help and A’ron gladly pulled his wagon from the snow. The dwarf (Blorf) explained he had been attacked by Dire Wolves and was trying to make his way back to Syrinlya but his wagon had gotten caught. He noticed he group’s warm-looking coats and offered to take them and sell them, splitting the profits 70/30. The group declined.

Just as A’ron realized the wagon was suspiciously easy to pull from the snow - almost as though it hadn’t been stuck at all - Blorf made a new offer. Either the group splits the profits… or he splits their skulls.

At that moment, 2 well-trained Dire Wolves began growling behind the group. It was am ambush.