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Mandower sees only footprints of the goblins and their own. After packing everything you continue your journey to the south.
With the rough hills at now far to the north, the land opens into a broad grassland where the snow is much sparser. The sky is overcast and the temperature has risen, making the march south somewhat easier. For as far as the eye can see, there is nothing but open ground and great fir trees that dot the landscape.
"We are hungry and tired, can we get some food?" one of the goblins asks.
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Setting up the camp takes an hour. You finish before the storm reaches you. It starts snowing and you can see the sun already going down. A few minutes later you see the big, dark clouds above you and the snowflakes get bigger and the wind gets stronger.
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"If there is a storm on the way, should we set up inside these towers? Probably easier than out in the open. Maybe some of this wood they were trying to burn can make a fire indoors? The other tower's door might burn as well. . . and we should check the top of the other tower for wood as well." Eponine continues to ramble on about the storm for quite a while before she finally settles down and prepares to brew up another Endure Elements vial.
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You know that the towers are already too far away to return before the storm reaches you. The shelter you build will keep you warm and safe.
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"So, these sticks go...where? Uh, how 'bout I take the first watch?
Accustomed to a privileged lifestyle, Gustav is little help with building a shelter, foraging for food, or really anything outdoorsy. Still, he's willing to help.
"Good idea, Ludwick. I suppose we should all take this opportunity to regain our strength."
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Orophin keeps a careful eye on the goblins, but pitches in with helping to moulding a shelter when he can.
It appears his natural resistance to the cold helps somewhat, as he can he found with his arms deep in piles of snow doing moulding and securing of the structures.
"Should we try to keep the goblins in a couple of groups - in case of a cave in?" he asks.
Still, while the group is holding off giving any extra rations, he makes sure the goblins are not going to starve or succumb to the cold either.
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"That sounds good my friend. I for one am tired from the days travels. It is not often I have to walk so far."
He turns to the goblins.
"Good night my friend goblins. Remember your promises. And no going outside. None of you, we want you all well! I will ask Ludwick to make you fire to play with once we are all safety at our destination."
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After setting up the camp you sit down in the shelter and warm a bit before choosing the guards for the first watch. Gustav and Mandower are first, Orophin and Tenerek are second and Sald, Eponine and Ludwick are third. The goblins stay inside all the time.
"Thank you nice Sir." the goblins say to Orophin. "How come that you are the only one who care about us?" one of the goblins asks while chewing some dry bread.
Everybody who's inside the shelter can hear the wind and the ice crystals hitting the tent. The wind shakes the canvas. You can imagine that being outside is dangerous.
Gustav and Mandower guard the shelter outside. They don't see much in the darkness, but during this blizzard no creature would stay outside by choice.
After finishing their meal and arguing a bit with each other about who had more food and that it was not enough the goblins finally fall asleep. They slap each other from time to time if one of them farts, but they stay quiet during the night.
After a few hours Gustav and Mandower get into the tent and wake Orophin and Tenerek. The wind is still blowing and a lot of snow is getting into the shelter, but it's still warmer than outside. Once outside Orophin and Tenerek make a very special discovery. In front of the tent's entrance grows a extremely rare snowbloom flower.
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"I would prefer either first or last so I can get a nice eight hour's rest."
During her watch, Eponine will take an hour to brew up a Dexterity Mutagen, along with an endure elements elixir, which she drinks just prior to the expiration of yesterday's draught.
"I wish I could make these that others could drink, but alas I am not yet that competent."
[Edit:]
Eponine watches the flower carefully, and plucks it at what she believes is its most beautiful moment, careful to ensure it is picked prior to the snow fall's end.
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"I care about all, friend goblins. The others, they look after other needs. Keep those snow tiger at bay!"
Outside, when they discover the snow bloom Orophin admires it.
"Beauty indeed. It survives in the most harsh of climates. Truely the land itself will not die - this flower is a symbol of life springing eternal - from the mother earth as much as from the father sun."
He grins at Eponine. "Hold it close, for the beauty may be a reminder of better hours in some tough hours ahead."
All that said, he then takes his turn at standing guard. Though wrapped in furs, it appears he doesn't feel the cold, not stamping his feet nor rubbing his hands goether. At once stage the hood is blown from his face, and it takes almost a minute before he realises, and pulls it back on.
"Even my eyes have a hard time seeing in this gloom" he confesses.
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I am confused, is this a new day? Do we need to prepare again? If not, how much time did pass? Have I made a new Mutagen?
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"Well, I'm glad that storm passed. It hasn't delayed us too terribly long, but I think we should get going if we want to reach our destination on time."
Gustav reforms the false-raven around the real bird's skull. It flies off to keep an overhead visual and periodically checks in. When it reports back, it croaks Taldane words and stares at the goblins with empty, red eyes.
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"Just a raven's skull, actually. That particular raven was a Tien witch's familiar- before she sacrificed herself to save her village from a rampaging monster. I only give a physical substance to the lingering memory of the old bird. It serves me now in a similar capacity to the services it once provided to the witch."
As though on cue, the raven flies off of Gustav's shoulder and resumes its aerial scouting duties.
"Good idea, Tenerek. Just remember, I can only maintain the spell if you stay within about one hundred feet from me."
With that, Gustav mumbles some nonsense words and makes an odd gesture. Long distance communication is now possible.
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The snow around the camp is deep, moving and marching is exhausting. But at least the sun shines again. After a few hours of marching you reach Harvest's End. It's about midday when you reach the small town. The goblins eat their morning rations and keep quiet during the march to Harvest's End.
The village of Harvest’s End is a quiet place. Traveling merchants in colorful garb are easily distinguished from the locals, who dress in woolen clothes of drab browns, greens, and grays. There are no sounds of laughter or play here. Fishermen put their catch out for display, while others congregate in small groups and whispered conversations. Smoke rises from the chimneys of uniform but wellconstructed buildings, most of which are surrounded by small white picket fences.
From here you can use the ferry to cross the Rimeflow river and get to the south end and leave Irrisen behind. You can see the ferry station, but the ferry is not there.
The ferry is run by an ice-troll called Rimetusk.
Rimetask is also the would-be-leader of Harvest's End. If anything bad happens to Rimetusk, the entire village will suffer reprisals from the jadwiga Elvanna once the regional tax collector finds out.
Rimetusk is not supposed to impede legitimate commerce, but he sometimes does to exert his authority.
The ice troll was corrupt before he had power but is now unscrupulous in his crookedness. He’s been known to skim off the top of what he turns over to tax collectors dispatched by the jadwiga Elvanna. He’s also known to take the occasional bribe.
Rimetusk can’t stand humans who don’t know their place (which is beneath him, of course), but he sincerely respects anyone who can best him in a feat of strength, especially wrestling.
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Tenerek runs through his local knowledge to the group
"The ferry is run by an ice-troll called Rimetusk."
"Rimetusk is also the would-be-leader of Harvest's End. If anything bad happens to Rimetusk, the entire village will suffer reprisals from the jadwiga Elvanna once the regional tax collector finds out."
"Rimetusk is not supposed to impede legitimate commerce, but he sometimes does to exert his authority. "
"The ice troll was corrupt before he had power but is now unscrupulous in his crookedness. He’s been known to skim off the top of what he turns over to tax collectors dispatched by the jadwiga Elvanna. He’s also known to take the occasional bribe. "