Through All Obstacles

Having no further path beyond the remains of the odd tree, the group circled back to the ruins of the earthen font. Moving south from there, Pavo found a tree had lifted a house off of its foundations, and inside he could faintly hear children talking, one panicky and the other calmer. He reported this back to the group who all decided to investigate, though with some trepidation and expectation of attack.

The group's approach brought a young girl and her brother to the elevated porch. They proclaimed that their father had been hurt and they needed help. Pavo threw a rope up to be tied off, while Ash climbed the tree. With them both in the house, it rocked wildly. Ash got the kids to the edge while Pavo picked up the father and carried him to the porch. Zacarius used his travel curse on each as they came in to view. Pavo then jumped and, with the aid of his enchanted ring, floated slowly to the ground. The house, now severely unbalanced, fell away. Ash managed to grab on to the tree as the house fell past, and Zacarius threw the injured man out of the way before the house hit, but was himself buried in the rubble. Luckily, he was not badly injured.

Moving on, the group circled back around to the lake they had initially seen when they first entered. The lake seemed normal water, but droplets were falling upwards, only to fall again as snow. The group found another dawn piper at the center who ordered his servant to be rid of them. He then used his magicks to enchant Kyezra into approaching. Pavo came forward as well, while Wortleby, a gnome hiding in the woods, introduced himself with a crossbow bolt into Zacarius' back. Ash turned to deal with this new threat, shooting him.

The dawn piper let loose with an ear-shredding series of notes from his horn, causing Kyezra and her cat to bleed. In return, Pavo stuck him. Wortleby revealed his nature as a Spriggan by growing to gigantic proportions and striking Zacarius roughly. Zacarius fled, but Ash stood his ground, readied his adamantine hammer and smote the morningstar Wortleby was using, shattering the weapon. Wortleby tried to strike Ash with the remaining butt with little success, and Ash dropped his foe just before the trio in the lake killed the dawn piper, causing the water font to close in a deluge of rain.

With one path left unexplored past the lake, the group moved on. Pavo spotted a tripwire just as Ash was about to set it off. He quickly disarmed it, but not before being noticed by the two fey that set it. They used their nature magic to heat the hated metal of Pavo's weapons, causing him to drop them. They then snuck into the midst of the group, striking to kill Zacarius and Kyezra, neither with much success. The group surrounded them and let known their displeasure.

Back at the reality rift, the group found the way clear. Beyond where the rift had been stood a large ice sculpture, and coming around the far side of the hag's hut in the middle of the clearing strode Nazhena, the winter witch whose tower the group had invaded when first they came to Irrisen. As Nazhena was sizing them up and stating her intentions, Ash shot her with an arrow.

Nazhena summoned an ice mephit to assist while her ice golem was engaged by Zacarius and his spell-produced flaming sword. Pavo and the great cat moved forward to engage the witch, while Kyezra and Ash stayed at range, unable to easily get past the ice golem and unwilling to give up pressure on the witch. The cat leapt to strike the ice mephit but did little against its otherworldly defenses. Nazhena leapt into the air and summoned a spectral hand to aid in delivering her spells, but Pavo snuck in beneath her and struck her with rays of scorching flame while she was distracted, almost killing her. Unnerved, she summoned a sleet storm for cover and fled, leaving a melting ice golem behind. When the storm's magic dissipated, so too did the magic holding the ice mephit to this plane, and the group entered the fabulous hut.

Dawn

The dawn piper laid a patch of grease before the group to hinder them, confident upon his rocky perch. Determined to undermine that confidence, Zacarius used his abilities to place Ash upon the stone stage as well. Ash hit the creature solidly, as did an arrow from Kyezra. Pavo climbed up the stage's edge and set upon the dawn piper as well.

In a panic, the dawn piper drew upon the beauty of the first world to blind those on his step, then tumbled and fled onto one of the floating boulders. Smug in his new perch, he watched the cat fail to get high enough to bother him, but wasn't attentive enough to stop Ash's leaping charge across the open space. Ash dropped to the ground beneath the rock, but the dawn piper was pushed into the woods, where the thorns tore at his body.

In one last desperate attempt, the dawn piper shrilled notes of discord harsh enough to damage those nearby at Ash and Kyezra's cat, but then expired to the vines before he could extricate himself. With his death the stones dropped, the elemental font closed.

The group moved on from the scene, heading deeper along the wooded paths in hopes of finding a route to the Crone's hut. As they scouted the next clearing, they were set upon by a pair of Perytons, their antlered heads goring for Ash and Zacarius. Though blood was shed, Zacarius managed to peg one with a tanglefoot bag while the others set upon the one diving for Ash. Both Perytons were quickly brought down.

In a small side clearing, Pavo discovered an occupied hut. As the group approached, the door flung open and an officer of the queen's Winter Guard hailed them, demanding escort to the entrance to these woods. The rest of her group had died here, leaving her with a duty to report. The group did not agree, however, and the officer lost what grip she had and shifted to wolf form to deal with these traitors. Though she got off the first strike, she didn't last long alone against the group.

Amongst the remains of the officer's companions was a welcome boon for Kyezra, a cache of cold-iron arrows in an efficient quiver. Zacarius also found several restorative potions to add to the group's resources as well.

Down at the end of the long clearing, another house peaked out of the dense forest, this one with a small bonfire in front and six people sitting around it. They were celebrating the end of the world, with wine and spirits, and any other alcohol found. The three merchants were quite drunk, while the ladies with them faired better, offering drink to the group as they approached. When refused, each turned into a furious beast, unable to settle with being scorned. The Baccae each focused on the male that had rejected them, striking hard in a rage, but without tactics. Each was brought down with arrows and strikes while the merchants blearily watched on.

Beyond the besotted merchants, a small passage in the forest led to a stunningly large beech tree whose foliage had fallen, creating a dense carpet of multicolored leaves. A light voice from the boughs of the tree bid them retreat or perish, which the group ignored. The dawn piper flying above opened combat by enchanting Ash with deviant and irresistible desire for Zacarius, then called silently for her companion twigjack to help.

While Kyezra attempted to keep the dawn piper busy with flying arrows and her cat climbed the tree to strike at her, Pavo took a potion to grant flight and took to the boughs to meet her in her own domain. Pavo managed to blind the dawn piper as Pavo overtook her and the twigjack struck at Kyezra. The dawn piper quickly went down to blows from Pavo's daggers and the cat's claws while Kyezra and Ash took care of the elusive twigjack.

With the dawn piper dead, chunks of the beech tree disintegrated back to air and the elemental font closed. The group was lucky enough to find an elemental stone present among the roots with power over an elemental of air, a useful tool for later.

In the Dragon's Lair

After making sure the floor was clear, the group evacuated the little girl and moved up to the next floor. Beyond the only door on the next level, they discovered Bella Belvorica. She was startled and initially fearful of the group's appearance, but quickly gave in to relief, describing the dragon Logrivich as mercurial and odd, as he insisted that she sing with her forehead touching his jaw. The group worked out that Logrivich was deaf, not surprising since he lives in a clock tower. Bella was directed to escape to Nadya and Ringierre across the street until the group was done with the dragon.

As they were deciding what course of action to follow against the dragon, the clock tower struck the hour. During the cacophony that followed, Logrivich could be heard screaming with the tolling of the bells. Pavo pulled out the spider climbing wand he had procured back in Nazhena's tower of ice and cast the spell on each person in the group. Though Kyezra's cat didn't take well to the spell, the rest of the group took advantage of it to be ready to enter the ice dragon's lair at the top of the tower.

Ash went through first and saw Logrivich about to take off, so he charged in to get the dragon to stay put. Pavo entered through the trap door from the ladder below to skulk over to a corner, ready to strike when Logrivich was vulnerable. Logrivich, though startled by Ash's attack, took off to get range and determine the nature of his attackers. Even at range, however, Kyezra's arrow followed, though she failed to strike her target. Inuksuk went out a window in the floor below, seeking to be able to strike at Logrivich without crowding into the clockworks with the rest of the group.

Logrivich flew back towards his tower and used his draconic sorcery to cause fog to engulf the top of the tower. The group took the time waiting for the dragon's next move to prepare for his approach, each using what magics they possessed to enhance their chances. Logrivich noted Ash standing just within the right limb of the clock tower wall and alighted on the edge of his ice shelf to unleash a torrent of frost and slush upon him and Kyezra. Though Ash avoided the brunt of the blast as he tucked behind the cornice, Kyezra managed to duck down and avoid it completely.

Ash struck blindly towards the dragon, managing to catch Logrivich with a solid blow to the chin. Pavo decided this was the opportunity he needed and came at the dragon's flank, driving a tendril of flame deep into the creature's heart. Logrivich scraped his claws against the ice as he died, sliding back off the edge of his ice shelf to lie on the roof of the building below.

The group fired off the signal firework and clambered down to the dragon, taking its head before leaving at Greta's urging. Nadya and Ringierre took the survivors of the clock tower back to the hidden shrine while the group headed to the marketplace to take possession of the dancing hut. At the entrance to the marketplace stood a trio of troll guards. The group decided to attempt to talk to the trolls, so Ash charged in to discuss the merits of greatswords. The trolls took exception and surrounded him, beating him rather badly before the group tore them apart.

They passed over the burning troll bodies into the forest grown around the dancing hut. Striking directly toward the center of the hut, they found their way blocked by a dark shimmering portal that warped and disintegrated all that tried to pass through it. The group was able to determine that it had something to do with the first world, but little more.

Exploring the nearest passage through the woods that wasn't blocked led them to a clearing with a large stone stage set in the center and several other stones floating in orbit. Upon the stone stood a legendary creature, a dawn piper, those beings that supposedly had created all emotions. Though he offered the travelers the opportunity to leave peacefully, the group refused...

She's a Witch!

After defeating the weaponsmith, Pavo listened to the door towards the street. Though he didn't hear anything, something made the hairs on the back of his neck tingle. Ash charged in expecting a fight and was walloped by the taskmistress waiting for him. As she readied her battleaxe to strike him again, the rest of the group charged in. Inuksuk struck her solidly with a stone while Pavo tumbled around and struck her from behind and Kyezra pin-cushioned her with arrows. Enraged, she grabbed at Inuksuk. By shear reaction he hardened his skin to stone, but the effort to do so combined with the damage that got through knocked him unconscious. Despite her success in dropping one of her attackers, she was quickly cut down after. A quick search of her chambers turned up the paybox for the trolls in the tower and a magic greatsword which Ash appropriated.

Off the other side of the weaponsmith's room, the group found a jail with a wikawak taunting the imprisoned children. He almost got a swing off before the fury of the group laid him out. The children were grateful for the rescue with one, Gretel, telling Pavo of the witch that lived upstairs with her ghost and the two dragons, one white and the other black. Ash got the children out the door to the protection of Nadya and her uncle.

The group returned to the main hall and ascended the stairs. Pavo, first up, spotted a child amongst the crates at the end of the second floor's hall, but the kid disappeared before he could get a good look. As the group moved up to investigate, Zacarius noted the sound of sighing coming from the right-hand door. Ash opened the door and, spying nothing threatening in the kitchen, moved towards the pantry door. As he stepped within range, the large black oven in the corner lurched away from its flue and bit at him. Zacarius noted the oven appeared possessed and channeled the divine spirit of his ancestors, hurting the construct and, to his surprise, the child still hidden at the end of the hall. Instantly the screams of children being cooked alive overwhelmed the group. Though startled, Ash's sword and Pavo's bolt of frost quickly dropped the golem.

While they were occupied, the child spirit snuck up and drew Zacarius' breath away with a touch, but his ancestors didn't give up his voice that easily. As he recovered, Kyezra and Inuksuk turned and destroyed the child, putting the spirit to rest.

Off the other side of the hall, the group found a small sitting room three doors off of it. One led to a lavatory. A second led to a room with child-sized furniture and a single kid present, too fearful of Granny Nan to be led from the room. The third door revealed Granny Nan herself, next to her bed. She faded in and out of sight, her magics protecting her with ethereal effect. As her door opened, she screamed a curse at the group, scaring Pavo into fleeing downstairs and out of the clocktower. Zacarius immediately hypnotized her, allowing the group members to sidle into position while she was occupied.

The witch's familiar, recognizing Zacarius' enchantment, nipped her chin and broke the spell. Granny Nan cackled a curse at Zacarius, but he avoided her magic. Ash, Kyezra and Inuksuk struck at the witch, but their blows wisped through her without drawing blood. Zacarius, recognizing the nature of her protections, dispelled her ward, rendering her vulnerable to the group's weapons. They quickly struck, dropping Granny Nan before she could do any further harm.

Trolls at Rest

The group set out to the dragon's clock house at early evening, skirting the edges of the trolls' quarter and snaking through the markets and warrens of the Ironmongers District. They arrived at the clock tower to see a small courtyard with a couple of statues walled in by a fence of bones. Though cautious, the group found no traps on the fence and made to enter the tower. Several of them were suspicious of the statues and readied to strike if they stirred.

As Pavo crossed the threshold, the statues indeed animated. Ash struck at one a couple of times, hearing a sharp crack in the haft of his weapon as he attempted to hew the statue's stone as if it were flesh. Kyezra and her companion cat kept the other busy while Pavo worked on helping Ash take his target down. Though very hard to damage, the group took them down without serious injury.

Inside, the group was presented with an entry hall with double doors to either side and a single door ahead. Pavo was unable to hear anything beyond either pair of double doors with the sound of clockwork above. The group opened the doors to the left chamber, spying a pair of trolls sleeping on their beds. Pavo and Ash readied to strike one down while Kyezra's cat stood over the snoring form of the other. Though the grumbling of giantish from their target caused Ash and Pavo to start, the creature didn't stir from it's slumber until Ash brought his axe down. Pavo's blades quickly finished off the poor troll.

The other troll woke at the death rattle of his companion and Kyezra's cat put claw and tooth to his foe. Ash, Pavo and Zacarius joined in, finishing off both trolls with tindertwigs.

A quick investigation netted the group a good pocketful of gold and a salacious notebook of the city's Jadwiga nobility in less-than-flattering positions. A small door in an enclosure near the room's entrance echoed the sound of clock machinery a little louder than the ambient, but only Kyezra noted it and the group pressed on without investigating.

Another door stood closed off the left wall of the room, beyond which Pavo heard the sound of things breaking. He stepped aside as Ash quietly opened the door, revealing a pair of trolls deeply engrossed in a revolting meal of children's flesh. Pavo sunk his blades deep into the one closer to the door to start the combat. The rest of the group quickly finished off the trolls.

Back to the entry hall, the group took the other paired doors to confront a troll and his trollhound in an armory. Though the troll fought with more guile than their previous opponents and caused some heavy damage on Zacarius and Pavo, it quickly fell to Ash's axe. In the room they found a good amount of weaponry taken from the Iron Guard, some of it crudely refitted to fit a troll's larger grip.

The Wild Thing

After delivering the fish, Ringeirr led the group back towards the square where they had been assaulted by the goblins, and then deeper into the city. Ringeirr's forger lived a few streets deeper into the Howlings.

As they moved through the streets, the group encountered a pare of inebriated winter wolves in humanoid form, stumbling about and complaining bitterly of a lost card game that had lasted the entire night before. As the two groups passed each other, one wolf stumbled into Ash, knocking him off-balance. The wolf demanded an immediate apology which Ash gave, though with no sincerity. The winter wolf snapped at Ash, shifting to his natural form.

Though Ash tried to keep it non-lethal, Kyezra let arrows fly and Nadya buried her hand axe in one. The other stumbled back from the group and let loose with a blast of wintery breath, causing several of the group to shiver and almost laying Ringeirr out. Having seen how formidable their foes could be, the group quickly struck the wolves down.

After recovering, the group moved on. As they wound through the district, a middle-aged man in worn clothes came pelting around the corner, crashing in to Inuksuk. He had just moments to plead for help before his former master came bounding around the same corner in wolf form. Spotting Inuksuk in his winter wolf disguise, Korgin demanded the group move aside so that he could continue the sport of hunting his former slave. Inuksuk declared that they couldn't let Korgin have Jorhan; the two bristled at each other until Korgin's will broke and he left threatening retribution. Once out of sight, Korgin immediately went to the nearest Winter Guards to tell the tale of Inuksuk's lawbreaking, for interfering with another wolf's slaves is the same as stealing.

The group moved up the street and to the right at a tee intersection, spotting a group of trolls in guards' outfits interviewing a pair of white-haired citizens. One of the trolls lazily noted the group, but they continued their questions as Ringeirr led them away. Unfortunately, the group had barely made it to the house of the forger when the trolls came around behind them and demanded papers.

Though the trolls bought the story of the papers held by the group (stolen from the falconers they had left behind in Fishcamp village), they tried to take Jorhan away as stolen property. Ash waited for the trolls to turn their backs, then rushed to plant an axe in one of them. The guards went down quickly.

The group retreated into the forger's house, dragging the trolls with them despite Mortin's protests. Ringeirr then proceeded to chop up the trolls and burn them in the fireplace to dispose of them. Ringeirr then laid into Mortin for locking the door as the group was confronted by the trolls, even though it didn't make a difference to the outcome. Mortin, chagrined, accepted the condemnation and went to work, forging papers for each group member as stilyagi.

With papers in hand, the group left so that Inuksuk could make his date with Greta at the Tooth and Claw tavern, just on the edge of the Howlings. As they got to the entrance from the Howlings to the rest of Whitethrone, the group was confronted by a trio of mirror men. The group had managed to keep it fairly low-key in the Howlings with only a minimum of violence, so the mirror men gave them only cursory inspections before returning to watch other travelers.

The Tooth and Claw was at the far side of the square, a handsome four-story structure with a stone-walled main floor and decorated wood beams above. Inuksuk entered the tavern and saw Greta just taking off her coat at a table in the middle of the room. Over dinner, Inuksuk tried to get as much information about the city and the dancing hut as he could, while Greta worked her charms. They retired to Greta's room for a more private information exchange.

Though violent and loud in their lovemaking, things didn't get out of hand until around two bells after midnight, when they accidentally broke through one of the walls. They managed to quiet down after that until a bell later, when the magic of Inuksuk's cloak wore off and Greta found out he was a deceitful human instead. She promptly threw him out of the nearest window, then threw his clothes after him.

The next morning, Ringeirr led the group to the shrine of Milani hidden under the hotspring-fed bathhouses near the palace. There, they met with Solveig Ayrdahl, leader of the Heralds of Summer's Return. She had a plan of engaging the remains of the Iron Guard in revolt against the Queen's Winter Guard to open passage to the dancing hut of Baba Yaga, but she needed to trade the death of the white dragon Logrivich to encourage the Iron Guard to attack. With the group agreed to this course of action, they prepare to assault the white dragon's Clock Tower lair.

The Howlings

Having laid low the leader of the Fishtown Guard and his ogre lieutenants, the group freed Ringierre and went through Marcian's pockets. Pavo declared the chest at the foot of Marcian's bed trap free, but when Inuksuk opened it he was stuck by a needle coated in ice troll bile, turning his skin blue. Pavo, always seeking to be helpful, immediately used a cantrip to turn him pink instead.

Ringierre took the group to his home to properly thank them with a meal. After a short time reuniting with his daughter-in-law, Ringierre asked the group of their story and Pavo broke out the sock puppets once more. Once the tale was complete, Ringierre told them his own story, of how he lost his wife and child to the winter witches while he was still young, and how he snuck in to the city several times trying to find them, to no avail. He learned his craft well, and became an established smuggler. He also met with members of the cult of Milani, who gave him a new purpose in life - to aid those in need under the yoke of tyranny in Whitethrone.

Ringierre arranged for a wagonload of fish to act as the group's cover to get in to the city using the Howlings Gate. He knew the winter wolves of the Howlings were lax in their security at the best of times, and even more so with a Queen they disliked on the throne. With the larger weapons of the group stored in oil-cloth at the bottom of the cart, the group approached the gate. The winter wolf Greta challenged them, requesting the papers of all except Inuksuk, since he wore the Rimepelt made from Norgrimm's corpse and it's waning magic made him appear and smell as a winter wolf of the Howlings. Though the group failed to produce believable papers, Greta was amenable to a little bribery. She also secured a dalliance with Inuksuk at a local bar for later that evening.

Once inside, the group navigated the maze of the district with Ringierre's guidance. Almost immediately, Zacarius and Inuksuk spied several goblins lurking in ambush. Zacarius quickly hypnotized all but one goblin; not realizing he was the only one free of the shaman's influence, he shot his arrow at the group and yelled a mighty battle cry, then immediately repented when he realized one of the group's number was a winter wolf. Begging Inuksuk's forgiveness, he tried to drag his hypnotized comrades away from the group.

Ringierre led the group on, down a narrow roofed passage between houses. Zacarius and Pavo spotted a figure at the far end of the passage apparently searching for something; Ringierre identified the cloaked figure as a mirror man and urged the group back around the corner. Ringierre informed them that a mirror man is a spy and investigator for the Queen; the group decided not to risk being discovered and rushed the mirror man in the confines of the covered passage. Pavo moved behind the spy while Kyezra's cat charged head on; between those two and the summoned wolf, they quickly dropped the foe. Pavo finished off the mirror that made up the creature's face.

Inuksuk buried the mirror man in the snow, using his scent to hopefully convince any winter wolves that this was a wolf's kill. To add distraction, Ringierre spilled a few fish in another corner of the courtyard. They then delivered their fish and prepared to go get papers from a forger Ringierre knew.

Trollbridge Antics

Zacarius was rescued from beneath the carcass of the winter wolf, still breathing by gift of Desna. The four falconers were cowed into lending their backs to pulling the sled. Even with Nadya's ire, the group's treatment of the captured soldiers was better than they expected, even better than they received from the winter wolf, and so they pulled the sled through the day.

During their travels, Nadya related her plans to get the group into Whitethrone. Her husband's uncle, Ringeirr, had a history of sneaking in to Whitethrone in attempts to rescue his family. Though he never did find them, he still practices smuggling in to the city; he would surely be able to get the group within the city walls without undo suspicion.

Towards the end of the first day, the group approached a bridge. After a bit of discussion, they decided to cross, but were waylaid by troll guards as they reached midway. Several of the group attempted to parlay with the scrags, including giving them the papers they demanded, but the trolls demanded a toll of fresh meat, wanting the dogs and prisoners as payment for free passage. Finding this unacceptable, the party attacked.

While Nadya yelled complaints about attacking highway guards appointed by the queen, Ash smashed his way through the trolls. Pavo struck them blows as he could, often leaving them in perfect position for Ash's axe, while Kyezra peppered the scrags with arrows. The scrags were quickly dropped. After scarring the remains with fire and scattering them in all directions, the group moved on.

As dusk turned to true night, the travelers arrived at a wayfarer's inn and took shelter for the night. Though the evening was pleasant and quiet, visitors the next morning caused a bit of a hubbub with tales of a dragon attack on troll guards at the nearby bridge. With stern looks from the innkeeper, the group tucked their heads low and journeyed on.

Near midday, the group arrived at Fishcamp village and soon witnessed one of the all-to-common attempts by the Fishcamp Guard to extort more money from the destitute fishermen. They had one poor soul surrounded and on the ground. Seeing this, Inuksuk raised a wall of earth between the fisherman and one of his attackers, startling the Guards into looking around. Though they demanded to know who had done it, no one stood forward and they returned to tormenting the fisherman. Waiting for this, Inuksuk raised another wall, and another, infuriating the Guards.

Kyezra, returning from investigating the boundaries of the village, decided on a more direct approach. Upon seeing the assault, instead of toying with the Guards, Kyezra pierced one with an arrow, starting a brawl. Ash, seizing the moment, used his cloak to take on the aspect of a yeti, causing panic not just in his intended targets, but throughout the villagers present. The Guards died quickly, though panic kept the streets from being quiet for quite some time.

Once things settled and the streets were vacated, Pavo coaxed information from a villager on where Ringeirr could be found. He had been arrested, taken to the Fishcamp Guardhouse. The group immediately set off to the center of the ramshackle town.

Once at the Guardhouse, Ash kicked the door in and set upon the two Guards inside. The group tore through them and set about clearing the small building's two rooms. In the back room, they found a hidden door leading to Captain Marcian's chambers and his two ogre bodyguards. Zacarius kept the ogres fascinated with hypnotic magics while Pavo and Ash struck at Marcian, forcing him to flee. They then turned on the ogres; both received heavy bruises before taking the ogres down. While so occupied, neither noticed Marcian sneak back in through the front entrance, but Kyezra had set her cat to guard. When Marcian and the cat noticed each other, Inuksuk struck, hitting Marcian hard. Taking the challenge, Marcian dodged past the cat to strike the kineticist, but seeing the stone armor upon him decided to take out the vulnerable Zacarius instead. Though he hit Zacarius well, he couldn't do enough before Kyezra, her cat and Inuksuk killed him.

Quicklings Be Damned!

The group found shelter under the remains of the church, staying the night as the storm piled snow across the world outside. The morning was bright and clear, allowing the sled to make good time. A little after dusk, the group arrived at the small town of Ellsprin near Glacier Lake's shore. On the edge of town, a small hut sat alone with a body lying in front of it. Even from a distance the blood was obvious.

Zacarius approached the body with the others staying close, except for cautious Kyezra who circled the hut. At the body, Zacarius spotted doll-sized footprints leading to a patch of pristine snow, but not away from it. He pointed it out to Ash, but before either could act Faernip the quickling lost his battle to hold still and started cursing the humans and their stupid fat heads. He struck at Zacarius as his companion, Tindlecrick the twigjack, moved through the bushes by the hut to get the jump on Pavo.

Though a fierce and chaotic battle, the group focused on bringing the quickling down and managed it in short order. Tindlecrick fled back to Zzababa and her hostage. A few moments later, as the group recovered from the hostile welcome, the door to the hut opened a crack and Maret warned the group that she had seen a second quickling when they slew her husband.

The group set out promptly to backtrack the quicklings to their layer, catching Zzababa just as she started taking out her rage at Faernip's death on poor Garen. Zacarius moved Ash into the decrepit barn serving as the quicklings' hideout while Kyezra circled looking for another entrance. Pavo worked his way in as well, keeping Ash from being overwhelmed while Zacarius teleported Garen away from Zzababa's ire.

Kyezra did find a back entrance in to the hayloft of the barn, but had little luck getting inside. Ash and Pavo managed to drop the quickling while Inuksuk harried the twigjack. Once the fey were dispatched, Zacarius tended to the wounded while Pavo dug out the stash they had accumulated from waylaid travelers.

Maret was overjoyed to be reunited with her son Garen and gave the group shelter through the night. In the morning, Nadya and Maret restocked the sled's provisions and arranged for Nadya's boys to stay behind while Nadya led the group in to Whitethrone.

Travel was swift until mid-afternoon, when Kyezra spotted a hawk high above, circling back the way it came, with leads tied to one leg. Soon after the group found itself set upon by archers hiding in small clumps of trees on a low ridgeline ahead, while more hawks moved in to harry them. Inuksuk and Zacarius drove the hawks to return to the archers while Ash, Pavo and Kyezra worked their way forward.

Norgrimm, winter wolf and leader of the archers, was hiding in the snow along the path. Seeing most of the protectors away from the sled and Nadya busy trying to both cover the sled and keep the dogs in cover, Norgrimm charged forward and let loose with chilling breath along the sled leads, engulfing Zacarius as well. Though Inuksuk tried to taunt the winter wolf away from the sled, Zacarius let loose with a fan of burning flame. The enraged Norgrimm snapped forward and crushed Zacarius' chest, dropping him to death's embrace. Norgrimm then joined him in death at Inuksuk's assault.

Ash, Pavo and Kyezra finally made it in to effective range with the archers, downing three of the four hawks and severely wounding one of the archers. Seeing their leader go down, they surrendered.

Springtime for Megaloceros

Giving up on turning their companion's heart away from his new-found bride, the group set out across the snow again. The day's travel was boring. That evening, the gremlins that had been following the group stole Zacarius' healing wand.

Around midday during the next day's travel, the group spotted a weird cloud ahead. Approaching, they found the cloud was actually circular, risen around a verdant grassland in the middle of the snowy wasteland. In the grassland they saw a single great elk happily munching on the grasses. Ash also spotted a pair of winter wargs attempting to hunt, hindered by their white coats in the tall green grasses. Ash alerted the group and they engaged the wolves. Ash charged in while Zacarius shifted Pavo to the rear of the wargs. Though the wargs were able to damage Ash heavily with magically cold breath and ripping fang, they were both bested pretty quickly, one blinded and the other pierced several times by Pavo's blades.

As they were recovering from the fight, the elk came trotting over to defend its territory. After charging towards the group, the megaloceros engaged in stomping and bellowing to get the group to leave. Ash realized that not only were they not really needing to fight the elk, but that an elk of that size could do a lot of damage, moved the group out of the greensward, keeping weapons down and eyes averted. The elk, satisfied, romped elsewhere, no doubt hoping to attract his females.

Nadya and the group spent the next hour or so calming the sled dogs and sorting their leads, during which a stranger came up to the camp, telling of a vision from the lights before the stars that led him to this land. He was an Erutaki, called Inuksuk, a spirit talker for his people. He was also trained as a kineticist, able to manipulate the stone. Though not exactly welcomed with open arms, his open nature and ease of spirit earned him a space to travel with the group.

That evening, as the rest of the group set up camp in a convenient dell, Nadya sent her son Orm into a nearby copse for firewood. Pavo decided to investigate the dell as well, spotting a trio of hungry wolves looking for easy prey. Pavo called out for assistance immediately. The wolves started at the sound of alarm and decided it would be prudent to be elsewhere and slunk off.

After camp was set, the gremlins visited again, stealing Zacarius' color spray wand and all the spacing wedges for Ash's axe, including the one currently holding the axe head in place. Inuksuk spotted the gremlins before they could approach the camp for a third time that evening, calling on the earth to force them to flee. The gremlins decided they were bored of this group now and went to find someone more interesting to play with. Inuksuk had served as blacksmith for his tribe before following his vision, so knew at least the basics of setting an axe and went to the copse to find good wood to make more spacing wedges, returning with replacements before camp was fully struck.

On the afternoon of the next day's travel, a ruined village came in to sight. Though most of the village was reduced to no more than crumbled remnants of forgotten walls, the church in the center of town still had enough of a roof to make a decent shelter; with a storm threatening on the horizon, the group decided to check it out. Set over the entry arch of the church was the symbol of Desna, and standing within its decrepit walls was a pair of priests. Even as Pavo warned the group, he heard the sound of children screaming. The group was overcome by a wave of crushing despair though it found home only in Ash's heart. The two priests shed their illusionary skins, growing jagged teeth and rough claws while their vestments appeared to rot in moments.

Zacarius called on holy energy to strike them down while Ash and Pavo engaged them. The two huecuva struck at the faithful of Desna, one charging Zacarius and the other going for Inuksuk, only to be intercepted by Ash. With holy energy and bolts of stone, axe and dagger, the blasphemous priests were finally laid to rest.

Pavo found a hidden cache of treasures the priests had stashed before their deaths so long ago, extracting a couple scrolls, a feather-falling ring and a bladed belt for the group's use. A little poking around led the group to surmise that the priests had turned from Desna when the rest of the town fled Baba Yaga's army of giants during the first winter war, the prelude to the founding of Irrisen.

Marriage

The first leg of travel to Whitethrone was mercifully light on falling snow, though the wind was strong. Within hours of setting out, though, the gathering of ravens foretold that the journey would have its share of excitement. The ravens gathered into a pair of flocks while the group spurred into action, with Nadya driving the sled into the forest they had been keeping on their left and Zacarius and Yrrah stopping just inside the tree line with burning spells ready The flocks followed in a stream, chasing the cart into the forest shadows; though many tried to pull up as the group's rearguard let loose, most ravens were burnt to a crisp and the flocks dispersed. The next several meals consisted of roast raven as the group journeyed on.

That evening and the next both passed quietly, though the stores of meat gathered from the evening's hunt went bad before noon on the third day. With no apparent cause, the group disposed of the putrid meat and resorted to the stores that Nadya had packed.

After leaving the forest line to cut across the plains, the group spotted a thin wisp of smoke ahead. A cottage in a small copse of firs came in to view. As the group approached, a stunning young lady with fiery hair emerged from the cottage to plea for help - her husband had been taken by trolls early this very morning. Though distrustful, the group decided to help and followed the troll's tracks back to a ravine about a hundred yards behind the cottage, to a small cave.

A beast emerged as they approached, but it was easy to tell it was far too small to be a troll. Yrrah and Zacarius moved forward to meet the creature with violence while Ash pulled his spyglass, noticing that the beast was a human with a hunch made of moss or fungus. The group engaged the man, dousing him in alchemist's fire and putting arrows to his chest; as they fought him, the fungus hunch appeared to move on it's own, often dodging out of the way of blows to let the host body suffer the strike. The man went down quickly, making it far easier to crush the mold. A quick search identified this as the young lady's husband, and the desiccated, almost mummified corpse of an ice troll under the snow nearby.

The group returned to the cottage to tell the newly-made widow of her husband's fate; though she was heartbroken, she offered hospitality for the evening, which the group accepted. During the night, Ash and Kyezra identified pests disturbing their equipment as gremlins, as they both preferred to sleep outside, away from the obvious trap. Inside, another gremlin attempted to jinx Nadya's bow, and the young lady set her sleeping guests to a deeper slumber, so she could charm her chosen victim to stay with her. Yrrah failed on her third and last attempt.

The next morning, Yrrah acted decidedly out of character, proclaiming that he would be staying to help the young lady as her new husband. Much arguing was had, until Ash took the young lady out behind the woodshed and (after trying to talk her into giving herself away) took an axe to her. She cried out and went to the ground; Yrrah raged from the house to come to her aid, while Nadya and Kyezra drew bead, at least in part to keep Ash from felling a helpless woman.

As Yrrah and Ash fought, Kyezra pulled the young lady from the vicinity, also getting her to admit to what she was, a huldra - a wood wife, a companion to men made of wood, hollow in back. After Yrrah was knocked out, Ash trussed him up to sling on the sled, but Nadya refused, for she would have no bound man on her sled.

Now, a final decision awaits: let the huldra live with her chosen mate, despite her having coerced him with a charm, or find a way to snap Yrrah out of it (or drag him along despite Nadya's objections). The group knows of no way for a charm to last as long as this one apparently has, yet Yrrah is obviously completely changed in goals - he is Destined in blood, and it is extremely doubtful that Destiny is to be a range farmer on the plains of Irrisen...