An Old Friend Is New Again

After surviving the attack by the small group knights, scouts and a mage the group moves the bodies and rifles through their belongings. They find the usual weapons, armor and coin. Vall pulls out of the cloak of the dead mage, a spellbook written in abysal. He tries to read the spells but they are incomprehensible to him and make his head hurt. He tucks it away for later inspection.

They also find 5 packs each with a set of winter gear including fur cloaks and boots and a map showing the path they are on as well as markings for two different locations within the mountain peaks. Beside the dead groups encampment they find a wagon with a harnessed donkey which is loaded beyond capacity with supplies. Dried goods, vegetables and other supplies are in sacks, crates and barrels. All of it strapped down to the overburdened wagon.

DM Note: Poor donkey. How the hell is he going to be able to pull this back up the mountain to the keep.

The sun will set soon behind the mountains and the autumn air already has a chilly bite to it, so the group decides to head back to Baldur's Gate to rest before setting out again. They set back now accompanied by the donkey and his wagon.

Why Are You Back!

Once back in Baldur's Gate they meet Onthar Frume, dressed in his night clothes, who admonishes them for returning so soon.

"Did I not impress upon you the importance of the mission? That lives are at stake?"

They assure Onthar that they have indeed been pursuing their mission and have discovered a map which they show him. Onthar tells them one of the markings is of an ancient dwarven keep. Icethorn Castle. Long since abandoned centuries ago. The other marking is an old symbol warning the travelers of dangers at this location. What dangers it does not indicate.

He admits to their good work and calls for Wonder Ale in celebration. Soon a servant is present with six flagons marked with the Wonder Ale trademark, a cartoon dragon. H declines and downs his own rye which he drinks in great quantity. Araxie drinks H's flagon of Wonder Ale.

Once done his rye, H proclaims he is off to find the closest whorehouse and a real drink. He invites the rest of them to join him. They shrug and follow along. Onthar simply walks away as he calls for another Wonder Ale.

This Calls For Wonder Ale (oh and whores)

The group heads off down the road following H who walks with purpose. The streets are quiet and lit only by the occasional warm light emanating from a window. They finally arrive at The Whet Stone. Music and revelry waft out from the building. As they enter the first thing they see is a poster on a pillar in front of them proclaiming the virtues of Wonder Ale.

Immediately, a young woman, who is haggard and sweaty, approaches them and asks how many Wonder Ales they need. H tells her he needs whiskey. She takes a moment to brush a stray lock of hair out of face and looks at him curiously. No, she tells him, how many Wonder Ales. Araxie tells her 5. The woman immediately hurries away and is seen being beckoned by several others asking for more Wonder Ale.

Vall scans the room for an attractive man and finds one at a gaming table. He puts his persuasive skills to use and soon his companion is asking him to stay and lend him good luck at the game.

H sets off to look for the most attractive women in the room and spies a couple off in the back talking to each other. He has to push his way past a scrawny woman who wears too much makeup and a female dwarf with a mangy beard. He introduces himself to the two woman and asks for their services. He doesn't impress them that much and they tell him that they are taking a break and chatting. They gesture to the scrawny woman and dwarf who will more than gladly be willing to help. H shakes his head as well as his coin purse. This convinces them and they head off to a room upstairs.

Araxie is at the table alone when the barmaid returns with the 5 Wonder Ales. She asks for money and is paid well by Araxie. The barmaid, flushes with excitement and walks away backwards staring at the impressive figure of Captain Araxie. Araxie drinks all 5 Wonder Ales and calls for more.


A Noise In The Alley. A Barrel Left Behind.

Taeilis decides to explore the city. He has never been in Baldur's Gate and wanders the lonely darkened streets. As he returns back near the Whet Stone he approaches a dark alley behind the whorehouse and stops as he hears the rolling of something large upon the cobblestones. When he moves towards the sound the rolling stops and is replaced by the sounds of many footsteps running away. When he reaches the spot where the sounds had come from he finds a large barrel still rolling slightly but no one around. Investigating he finds that the barrel is at the rear entrance to the Whet Stone and on the opposite side of the alley, a large grate. Large enough perhaps for a barrel to have been pushed through.

Taeilis tries to upend the barrel but finds it too heavy to lift alone. Instead he takes a dagger and stabs it into the side of the barrel. It takes a couple of tries but finally a small trickle is let out of the barrel and he collects it in an empty water skin. Saving it for later investigation. He then returns to inside the Whet Stone.

The morning is harsh awakening for some. Araxie peels her face off of the table at which she sat the night before. She reaches out to one of the many flagons in front of her looking for any remnants of Wonder Ale. Flagon after flagon is empty so she grabs one and heads off to behind the bar to find a refill.

Vall awakens beside a large barrel-chested man with thick locks of black chest hair snoring beside him. The room is in a state of destruction. End tables overturned. Plants and their pots smashed upon the floor and sheets flung everywhere but the bed. Vall takes time to freshen up before making his way downstairs.

I Only Take What I Earn

H is awakened by the smell of bacon and fresh bread wafting up from the kitchen below. He is naked save for one boot dangling off the bed. He groggily rises and reaches for his coin purse. H notes that it is much to light. Grabbing his belt with its holsters and guns he marches off downstairs. Walking oddly down the stairs in his one boot. He finds Araxie who barely gives his naked body a glance as he begins interrogating her asking if she's seen the woman who robbed him. Araxie shrugs and returns to drinking.

H finally finds her after banging on the door and surprising an old couple getting ready for the day (and perhaps giving a small thrill to the elderly woman who watches as a tall, thin naked man wearing a gun belt) and a boot inquires if they've seen the woman who robbed him. He tries to remember her name but describes her well enough that the old man points out her room and tells H that her name is Pippa.

He interrupts her with her current customer, a young nervous man, but it makes no difference. She says she took what she earned. He enjoyed it. He should man up and live with it. After realizing the losing battle he is in, H retreats calmly to a room of his own...and proceeds to have a quiet tantrum in private.

In the morning the group heads back to The Order's keep to inspect the wagon that they had brought back with them the day before. They find it still in the courtyard where they had left it. Two young soldiers are looking over the goods when the adventurers approach. The young soldiers ask what they are doing with such an abundance of goods from the westerly villages. This probably represents a whole years worth of goods for an entire village. What they would need in order to survive the winter.

The group looks around at each other with guilty expressions. Perhaps they should return the goods to the villages. After dismissing the soldiers, the group debates the merits of keeping such a hoard and decides to leave instructions that it be returned to the villages (or at least its monetary value). But not before removing what they want. So they proceed to unload the entire cart and find some of what they want.

The Broken Dwarven Bridge
6,800 XP

That done they load up and move along using the now empty cart and donkey as well as H's wagon. After a days worth of travel following the lead of Vall, the group learns that they have passed what would have been a fork in the road and a possible decision. But when Araxie grabs the map out of Vall's hands she finds that they are already committed to the mountain pass they are on. So they press on.

Don't Look Down. Or is it look down...I can't remember.

Soon the group is travelling through blowing snow and bone chilling winds. Out of the swirling winds they see a large crevasse in front of them. Joining the side they are on to the next peak is a massive chain, with links the size of Orcus, himself. The bridge looks drarven made and probably had two chains in order to make a proper bridge. That time has long since passed and only the single chain remains. Someone has take the time and effort to lay boards across some of the links in order to make crossing easier. Halfway along the chain someone has setup a small wooden hut which sits upon a single link.

 As they make their way across, a voice greets them from within the small hut at the center of the chain. The words are faint as the wind whips across the valley and any movement along the bridge is hard to see with the swirling snow. After returning the greeting, H is able to place the voice, a fellow employee from back in the company he had left, Honeywell Weaponsmith and Armorer, Floyd Cullen.

Floyd who is an older surly man who never earned his Letter, The honor of marking a weapon of his making with his own trademark. It would seem he was promised the possibility though with the retrieval of H. The company wants the opportunity to interrogate him as to whether he has given over trade secrets to The Order Of The Obsidian Dagger. Rumors have it that he is working for them now.

H protests but refuses to lay down arms. Floyd Cullen decides diplomacy is over. He quickly grabs Taelis and holds a long dagger to his neck and hides behind the elf, lest H is able to see even a fraction of him and fire off a shot. But Taelis uses misty step and moves behind his would be hostage taker.

Shots are fired weapons are drawn and Floyd tosses his long dagger into the air where it begins attacking on its own. Floyd blows a distinct whistle and two hawkfoxes dive out of the air and attack the group. One of the hawkfoxes knock Brynn, the half-elf, off of the bridge and she is saved from a certain plummet to her death by Araxie's quick reflexes and strong grasp.

After taking care of the two hawkfoxes the group concentrates on overcoming Floyd and soon enough he is wounded to the point he begs off, claiming he was only sent here to collect H. He has no quarrel with the others. H feeling magnanimous allows Floyd to leave without killing him. Floyd passes each of the party on his way off of the bridge and he gives them each a pained apology.

Brynn grins widely and accepts his apology and offers her hand. Hesitantly Floyd takes her hand and shakes it...only to have Brynn use shocking grasp and he jerks, spasms and is dead. Quickly she lays him down on the bridge so his body can be picked over before it falls out of reach. H shrugs.

DM Note: Floyd literally had one hit point left. He really thought he had escaped a painful death. Until Brynn.

Brynn quickly scavenges the body and finds two pistols which she hands over to H for perusal. She then pulls out the scabbard for the dancing dagger that was used to inflict much damage to the group. Just as she pulls it out, the dagger which had been hovering above shoots into the scabbard. The group investigates it but can only come up with the fact that it probably needs attuning and a command word. H quickly inspects the scabbard to look for an initial to see who's handy work this is but cannot find one.

While some of the group are pouring over the body of Floyd, Taelis moves onward along the chain to the other side.

Icethorn Castle
5,500 XP

As Taelis approaches the other side of the bridge he hears a guard call out from behind the curtain of blowing snow. "Is that you Floyd?"

Taelis, unable to tell a lie says nothing. H hears this though and attempts an impersonation of the man he has heard speak only a few words moments ago. The guard seems hesitant and asks what all the shooting was for. H scrambles for a reason but can only come up with a piss poor excuse. The guards launch several spears towards Taelis and one guard charges through the blinding snow, appearing right before Taelis as he stabs the spear directly into the elf's midsection.

As the rest of the group rushes up they see, through a constantly shifting curtain of blowing snow, a mountainside terrace which is littered with dozens of bodies frozen and scattered among the ruins of a castle which extends further into the mountain. The bodies are recognizable as some of the defectors from The Order.

H drops to the ground and scans the mountainside ruin through the scope of his rifle, looking for the soldiers through the blowing snow. Taelis uses wave of force to blast the soldier who is impaling him upon a spear and throws him several feet back. His body thumps into the snow and lies there unmoving. Araxie uses a spell to dump several gallons of water on another soldier who begins to freeze in the mountain snow storm. H finishes him off with a fiery bullet to the chest. Brynn and Vall take on another soldier but the last soldier sees the futility of his fight and runs towards the entrance to of the castle within the mountain. He is cut down, his body dropping into the snow but not before his yells have been heard from within the keep.

Trolls Is So Stupid

Soon the group hears the pounding of very large footsteps coming from within. Out of the darkened entrance emerges a massive troll. He squeezes out of the keeps large double doors and then stands, scanning the mountain courtyard. He frowns as he looks at the body of the fallen soldier in the snow before him. "What's goin' on?"

The group assures him that this is just a misunderstanding and that they are they are sorry for disturbing the troll. The troll frowns and calls to someone else inside the keep. He glowers at the group before returning inside. The adventurers are not sure if the troll believed them.

Vall, strides over to a location in the courtyard where the amount of bodies from a past battle is heavy. He stands among them performing motions and mutter incantations until several of the bodies, including the ones just killed a few moments ago, rise at his command.

The bodies from whatever battle occurred prior to the group arriving are frozen solid. Their bodies creak and bones snap as they stand and begin to move about, icicles stick at odd angles on their extremities. Vall marches them up to the keep, the group following close behind. Vall uses illusion to give one of the dead soldiers a voice while he puppets their mouths awkwardly.

Their are two trolls inside the entrance way. One of them was the one that had come out to investigate. The other is dragging corpses off into another room. The recent battle it would seem had continued into the keep. Vall has the soldier speak, 'You see. No problems. We're not really dead. Just a misunderstanding'.

The trolls buy it.

But Ondine Is Dead

The trolls allow them to stay in the entrance hall. It is a large dwarven built keep but from the looks of it, it has been in disrepair for centuries. Broken columns, cracked walls and rubble litter t Brynn befriends the troll named Jabir and from her conversation with Jabir they party learns that:

• the trolls are not the only ones inhabiting the keep. An uneasy alliance has been formed with the band of humans who have split from The Order Of The Obsidian Dagger, the ones calling themselves The Order Of Wend. 
• The trolls have been promised power and control of these lands once Ondine has completed his task. 

"But Ondine is dead" exclaims H.
"Yeah, he's dead." answers Jabir confused.
"So he is dead.", H even more confused.
"That's what I said. Ondine is dead."
"But he's here?"
"Yeah." Jabir shakes his head.

• The trolls hate the humans and one of the trolls, Jabir, lets it slip that mother says that they will kill the humans once Ondine has fulfilled his promise. The party is comprised of non-humans except for H, but he is wearing his dragon mask.
• The humans keep mostly to the feast hall and, by the way, the zombies are in the wrong place. They are supposed to be in the feast hall helping out.
• This takes the group aback a little as they are surprised that the trolls do not seem to be surprised or bothered by the small band of zombies accompanying the group.
• In fact it is perhaps because of the zombies that the trolls mistook the group as part of the Order Of Wend.
• The trolls answer to no one beside Ondine and, of course, Mother.

The group asks if they can talk to Mother. Jabir agrees but will not accompany them, as he is supposed to be helping with the task of moving the dead bodies into a side room for later use.

Brynn tells her new found friend that, not to worry, she will be back and she will help with moving the bodies. Jabir excitedly tells his brother Hoodah, to save 12 bodies for his new friend Brynn to move! Jabir opens the stone doors and allows the group to move through, zombies and all. Brynn looks back at Jabir and Jabir apologizes as he closes the door behind them, "Sorry, humans don't like the breezes"

Mother Knows Best

The group moves through a dark hallway lit by a light spell attached to one of the zombies heads as well as a torch imbued with a magical boost. The group passes a couple of hallways that branch off. One gives off a large amount of aura when Vall uses detect magic. The other hallway is filled with the noise of revelry and the odd sounds of rolling and thumping. The group passes.

Finally they arrive at a point where there is a door on each side of the corridor. They knock on one.

The large stone door opens a crack and the party sees far above them a large eye looking down upon them. The female troll yells at them to extinguish the torch at the same time slams the door shut. The group complies by Vall diminishing the torch to half a normal flame. They try again.

The meet Mother. The tell her they were sent by Jabir and inform her that they too hate the humans and would be more than happy to come to an arrangement by which they rid the troublesome pests from the keep. They find out that:

• Somewhere in the keep is Ondine who is busy with some sort of magical work
• The Order Of Wend keeps to themselves mostly in the Feast Hall and they only answer to Ondine himself.
• The humans have been busy preparing for more of The Order Of Obsidian Dagger to arrive. For which they have been getting the trolls to store the bodies in a side room. 
• When the group asks where they can stay and rest, Mother says they can stay where ever they want. Just not her room. She suggests:
•  the room where they store the bodies
• the radiance pool, but they would have to put up with the noise of bowling for a bit
• and not Ondine's area in the throne room.

After a bit of negotiating they are granted a 24 hour guarantee that the trolls will not interfere in any fight with the humans. They thank her and leave her be.

They decide to check out the room across the hallway before retreating back to the room the 2 trolls were collecting the bodies in. As they crack the door open the waft of warm air, and something else, wafts through the air to them and they hear, telepathically, the screams of a young voice pleading not to eat him.

Stools Return

When they fully enter the room they discover the prisoners. There are two humans strung upside down and a small junior myconid who is screaming, via telepathy inducing spores he releases. They cut down the humans and release the myconid.

One human is Orson Goosecry, chancellor for The Order of Obsidian Dagger. He is a thin gangly man. He has been tortured and ill abused. His hostage takers have been trying to find out where The Order Of Obsidian Dagger has been keeping their money. (as is Onthar Frume current leader of The Order).

The other human has been tortured and beaten to near death. He is frail and barely conscious. Orson tells the group that this is Redwald Spellgaze. He is a First Lieutenant in The Order. They were tricked and betrayed by their friend and superior Aion Tallhelm. 

The young myconid, a mushroom looking creature standing barely knee high squeals with delight as he is rescued. He immediately rushes to and hugs Araxie's leg. Araxie doesn't know this creature but already they are on their way to becoming fast friends. He tells them that his name is Stool. He is the best friend of Onthar Frume. In fact, Onthar had him created from another myconid named Stool, using a cutting and a lot of magic. It seemed Onthar had missed the other Stool so much that he spent considerable resources trying to re-create his best friend.

The large group then moved back through the corridors and returned back to the entrance room and told the two trolls that they could now stop their toils as Brynn would take over hauling the bodies. They excitedly leave, "to not play bowling but to do other chores."

Sleeping With The Dead

The group makes room for themselves in a side room with bodies haphazardly piled everywhere while Brynn hauls the remaining corpses from the main room. As they rummage through the room and bodies they come across an odd clay jar and a necklace which they discover is a necklace of adaptation. Vall uses the opportunity to raise an even larger undead army using the multitude of bodies around him. 

Eventually everyone finds the time to sleep and are awakened the next morning with the sounds of activity in the main room. The Order Of Wend is moving around.

It will only be moments before they realize that some of their men are missing.