Session #16: Into the Howlings district of Whitethrone

Through the Howlings entrance and on to deliver food for Ringeirr and then get papers from the forger.  Yoska has a date with Greta (bow chica bow bow), Mirror Man!!, drunken winter wolves pick a fight but get into a tangled sticky mess, ice trolls and more Mirror Men!!

Solveig and the Heralds of Summer's Return reached at the Shrine of Everbloom (shrine to Milani).

"You want us to fight a dragon at the top of the clock tower to help the Iron Guard re-take the city without a dragon breathing death down upon them, create a distraction to draw the Winter Guard away from guarding Baba's hut, oh, and just rescue some opera singer while we're at it!!  WTF Solveig!!???"...   "Yes Ma'am".

Diary of Zaaz Bloodfortune:

Raised in the north I was, but the cold of this land do be getting to me.   Not the cold of the weather, but of the people.   Most of the people we speak to here are cold and detached.   Mean spirited as the white witches who rule them.  Bits of warmth here and there like the dying embers of a cold fire, but largely the ashes and memories of a time of comfort before….

To town we came, stories all set, ready to dazzle the guards as Stilyagi and such.   In the end, our stories largely fell apart, but the wind of passion blew on one of the embers of this cold place and we met Greta.   One of the Winter Wolves in human form, Greta took a liking to good Yoska and waved us though with the promise of future warmth shared.   In we went with our cart, gear and hiding ones to deliver the food we had promised Ringeirr we would assist with.   Most of the way to our destination and we soon came across something strange.   Mirror-men they are called, and they work for the witches in control of this town.   Strange constructs they are with a face of a mirror and body of grey.  Lucky for us we saw inspection coming before it saw us, and we managed to get to safety before it inspected the wagon.   Ringarr made it through with him already having papers.   We dropped off the food and went to see Morton, the forger about papers of our own.   A close call on the way with Ice Trolls and a locked door, but Dalomar managed to get the door open quickly so we could slide in.  

Talking with Morton after digging him out of hiding, we managed to get him working on papers for us all.   He started with Yoska first so he could go out to pump his new she-wolf friend..   For information of course you voices.   What did you think I meant… ahhh.. hahaha… you think I phrased it blindly, ha.   Now shush, a story I be telling here.   The rest of us stayed and rested at Mortons.   I called a little favor from the spirits to help the quality of his work while Dalomar studied the art of forging with much interest.   

The next morning, after a bit of a hairy night, Yoska wandered back yawning and smiling.   Good for you Yoska, blow those embers to fire…  Greta is wanting to be able to stay longer as a human and not just in the Howling.   Yoska has promised to try to help her as she helps us.   Perhaps he be taken with her snarls in the night.. ha..   Yoska did find for us that the hut is chained in the main square.   The guards have difficulty as all around it a forest be growing most strangely.   From day to night they cut back the forest, but still it grows and grows quick.  

Soon we left Mortons on our way to visit a friend of Ringeirr, leader of the cult of Melani.   Fortune though is always strange lately.   Somehow, on the way, I came to buy a slave.   Owned by and running from his owner, Corgan, I saw the one in question quickly approaching.  Corgan told us the slave had stolen food from his master and in a right fettle he was to extract punishment from the slaves hide.   Unable to sit back and just watch, my heart being too soft for that, in a blink I found I had bought the slave.   One hundred and twenty five pieces of gold gone and owning another person.   It do be a lot of money, but is that really all the cost of one’s freedom and future?    A sad world this… Sad, sad world.   As we went along I decided for now to leave him with Ringierr for now with his papers and instructions to free him at the earliest opportunity.   For now, we can-no take the time to see to that.   

Onward we went till we encountered more Mirror-Men.   A pair of the shinny fellows we met and they waved us on.   I felt though that one of them seemed to be looking suspicious like at us.   Soon we realized they would quickly report in on us unless we took action, so action we took.   Dalomar sprang into action and slammed into one as Sadobras charged up on his cat.  Fighting back and forth we battled in the street.   Sadobras’s cat went down, it shook off my hex of misfortune as if it were naught, and the fight went on.   Finally spilling into a nearby bar we did finish the creation off and quickly left the scene.  

On to a bathhouse we went and down through secret ways we did go.  Finally to the House of the Heralds of Summers Return.   A good name I am thinking this.  With great respect and kind words we met the leader of the heralds and those who worship Melani, Solveig Ayrdahl.   Seeing to our comfort we then met with her to discuss our charge.   Nazena Vaziliovna is in charge of the defense of the hut.   Nazena again is our foe.  She leads a small army that guards the hut and fight the encroach of the forest growing strangely around it.  To get to it Solveig thinks we will need a good distraction.   She will offer the use of the Iron Guard to make such a distraction, but worries that without some way to deal with the White Dragon Drolavich, it will be a useless task.

So now here we sit, discussing attacking a white dragon in a fortified clock tower to kick off an uprising and rescue the opera singer Bella Belevrica (likely paramour of Solveig I am thinking) so we can steal the living artifact of a legendary Witch queen.  It seems mere weeks ago I struggled to use my hexes and plied the roads as a merchant, and now I and my wonderful companions be planning the death of a mighty beast and a caper of theft likely to be legendary in its own right.  Our lives have taken a turn into deeper waters and I pray to the jabbering sprits for our success….

Fire….. Ice….  Embers……

The Howlings

Ringeirr

Greta

Solveig Ayrdahl

Session 15 Reign of Winter, The Shackled Hut: Whitethrone reached

Patrol defeated, bridge Merrow bribed, Ringeirr Malenkov rescued from the corrupt fishcamp guards, onward to the howling district of Whitethrone for papers.

From the Diary of Zaaz Bloodfortune:

For once a warm night filled with happiness and laughter we thought, but oh the trials to come.  The day started out at Elsprin as we said goodbye to Nadya’s children and relatives.  Poor ones… The pain to come…

Not half a day out of Elsprin our eyes caught sight of birds ahead.   Different than last time, crows these did be not.   Cautiously we approached we knew what not, but soon we were beset.   An ambush of hunting birds and archers did attack.  And a mighty Winter Wolf did come with them, howling at us “those who cross Nazena will die!”   

Wheeling his cat to face the mighty wolf, Sadobras charged at the wolf.   Striking a mighty blow against it, he shouted back, “Those who cross Zaaz Bloodfortune will die a pointy death!”   

Even as my heart labored under the fear of the attack, it filled with Joy to know my companions held me in such esteem.   I will do all I can to be worthy of the accolade and take good care of them.   Soon all of us were to fray, casting spells and attacking.   Mighty Yoska took down the Wolf even as Sadobras went down.   I poured potions down him as Noname summoned his eagles to attach the archers targeting us.   Spells and flames and mighty blows we struck at the birds that did be attacking us, but just as the day seemed won, the ugly hand of fate did strike.   Concentrating their fire,  the enemy drew and let fly at Nadya.  Arrow after arrow struck the vitals, blood fountaining out of her, a last cry for her children.   Quickly in our rage the remaining archers were slaughtered, but a mother of two fine young ones cut down before any chance of healing.  The voices in my head sang a dirge of sadness.   They sang of her going to a more tranquil place, but their words don’t comfort me. 

Pain, sadness and doubt upon us we carried her back to Elsprin so she could rest with family.   As we walked, more determined we became that should the opportunity to bring her back presents, bring her back we shall.   At the relatives house we packed her in ice and snow to preserve the body.   Night had falled and we had not even the strength to tell the truth to the little ones.   Oh, what pain they must feel.

Morning again and away again, we must press on to our mission.   After long travel we came to a bridge.   As we approached evil Merrow three rose from the waters the bridge traversed.   Giant and scaly, green and be-gilled they demanded of us a tax of one horse each.  Sick to our core from the battle whence we had lost Nadya, this time we opted for words.   Strangely, my words held more power than usual and we were able to work towards a bargain.   In the end, Noname managed to get them to trade 3 minor potions of healing for passage.   Painful to trade my creations for passage, but less than we would likely spend come to battle.   

Soon we made it to the fishing village we sought.   A mean and cruel place this.   Did be a gang of strong arms and warf tuffs beating a poor man senseless for not paying taxes.   When the finished, a minor healing and help we gave him and an escort home.   He did tell us the local watch is taken to inflating the taxes to almost 4 in every 10 of coin or fish he lay hands on.  Recent it was that things had gotten so bad.   Certainly not when Baba Yaga was around.   Also he did tell us that Ringeirr Malenkov, the man we seek is in a cell, guest of those thugs.  After escorting him home, and with some coin for his help and more coin to his wife for watching our horses, we did go and scout out the Gaol.  Deciding to use a distraction to try to draw out the guards and sneak Sadobras in to free Ringeirr, Noname knocked on the door.  He spun a tale of a giant spider attacking to the Ogre that answered the door.  In moments it became clear the Ogre was too stupid to understand Nonames wonderful tale, so I gave him a weakening hex and then blinded him.   In moments Sadobras slipped invisibly inside and the battle was on.   Another Ogre and a rogue type defended against us.  Back and forth the battle raged till finally they were all down.   Freeing Ringeirr, we gathered his stuff and looted what other value we could from the guard shack.   

Then off into the town and to a hiding spot of Ringeirr.   We told him of our relationship with Nadya, her death, the fate of her two boys.   We told him of our need for papers to enter the town and soon a way was devised.  Earlier we had gathered the skin of the Winter Wolf and found with it we could make a Ryme coat.   With that shaggy vest, one can easily pass for a transformed wolf and get easy passage into the Howling district of the city.  Additionally, the Stilyagi nobles are known to not put up with the requirement for papers.   Bluster our way in we shall, while Noname and Sadobras hide within the load of fish we shall be bringing in.   

Will we get in safely?   I know not, but I know the curse of the Black Rider pulls me on.   The voices within cry me on. I must go on…