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"All right, you win this one. Tomorrow we will go to Dalun to talk with them. Now get to sleep." Halvor growls
On the morning you board your own ship and dozen warriors will follow you in their longship. [ooc]Halvor also gives you two potions of resist energy (cold).[/b]
As the PCs travel into Irrisen, the temperature drops dramatically, falling to well below freezing. In the distance, log cabins march across the snowy fields, walking on knobby wooden legs. During the trip, you see a winter wolf on the north bank, following the boat, but it leaves after a while.
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Stone cliffs mark the border of Irrisen on the northern bank. Chill winds send flurries of snow over the edge, landing in the river and on the grassy bank of the southern shore where maple trees fight the icy doom of Irrisen’s endless winter. A long, narrow cart path winds its way up the side of the cliff from the docks to Dalun’s iron gates.
As you approach Halvor's face turns red and he begins to shake with rage. He turns to you and says “To approach in peace, after all the witches have done…”
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Halvor stares at Sir Maximilien and Uoralveren in amazement. "I have to congratulate you cat-man and elf, your argument is so convincing and compelling that people of Dalun certainly deserve an offer of peace." he lowers his weapon.
When your approach the city gate, guards ask who you are and what business you have.
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Guards allow you entrance to Dalun without any trouble.
The grey stone buildings of Dalun stand huddled together, as if the stonework was attempting to withstand the cold. Snowy cobblestone streets lead to a tall white spire in the center of town, its sharp point piercing the blue sky; an icy sheen covers the surface, glistening in the muted sunlight.
Colorfully dressed merchants stand out against the blue, grey and white clothing worn by the citizens of Irrisen, who trot through the white cobblestone streets with immediacy. The occasional ice troll lumbers along, giving non-Jadwiga humans a disdainful snarl.
Haltani mentions the names of several prominent Jadwiga merchants with whom they can trade, including Alexei Kartov, a respected jeweler. With a successful DC 20 Diplomacy or Profession (merchant) check, the PCs negotiate a favorable deal on the trade goods.
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Uoralveren looks around, distracted by the ice trolls and the Jadwiga humans. "Interesting town," he says outloud to no one in particular.
Though he's from the north, Uoralveren never met a Jadwiga (or another human for that matter) until he had reached adulthood. He had only heard stories of the Jadwigas of Irrisen. Maybe it's the reputation they had with his tribe or maybe it's that Uoralveren has spent too much time in Absalom, but he's a bit stiff when talking with the merchants.
"Hi. Uhhh. We are... looking to trade?" He asks Alexei. "What... uhhh... do you ... have."
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After talking with the mercant Haltani asks you to speak to Baroness Nadya, the ruler of Dalun, to gain her permission to travel farther north. "I can't come to meeting this time, as I have other business to attend to in Dalun, but you should tell the Baroness that “Haltani sends her regards.”
Baroness Nadya can easily be found outside her palace, seated in a garden whose “foliage” is intricately sculpted out of ice. The guards demand that the PCs lay down their weapons and explain why they would dare to enter the Baroness’s presence without invitation.
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Uoralveren lifts an eyebrow when Haltani leaves. "Wonder where she is off to."
"Beautiful garden, your baroness. We humbly request your permission to travel further north. My compatriots and I are Pathfinders and have discovered a potential site we want to investigate just north of here." He bows in front of the Baroness, laying down his weapons in the process. "We have travel papers, if you would like to see."
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The Baroness and her guards seem wary at first, but when Sir Maximilien mentions Haltani's regards, she becomes friendlier and wishes you safe travel.
Forests of evergreens open to a vast, relatively featureless snowy plain, making navigation difficult. Traveling to the dig site requires three hours of marching through the snow and a successful DC 18 Survival check to avoid getting lost.
Each PC must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous check) each hour to resist the cold and arctic winds. Each time a PC fails a Fortitude save, she takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage, which cannot be healed until she enters a warmer area. A cold-weather outfit grants a +5 circumstance bonus on these Fortitude saves.
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Uoralveren waves goodbye to the Baroness. "She was lovely. That ice garden was beautiful, don't you think?"
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Traveling through the snow, Uoralveren feels like he's at home.
But being in Absalom has made him soft. "Not sure exactly where we are going. Can anyone help?"
Being in Absalom has really soften him up. His teeth chatter as he bundles up.
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Haltani helps Uoralveren to navigate and you manage to find to the dig site.
As the vast plains give way to rugged hills, the ground becomes hard and icy. An enormous rocky mound protrudes from the ground, covered in ice and snow. On the northeast side of the mound, thick walls of ice cascade down the side of the hill like a miniature glacier. Two shapeless stone monoliths stand near the base of the mound.
Next task is to break through the ice wall on the ground, or through one of several collapsed pieces of ceiling that have also frozen over in thick layers of ice.
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With a you can use the clay more efficiently and accomplish the task in only 1 hour. The blackfire clay produces substantial heat; PCs who stand near to the melting wall no longer have to roll Fortitude saves to resist cold, and are capable of healing any nonlethal damage they sustained on the journey.
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Two hours pass and after the ice is melted, a winter wolf appears.
"Adventurers! Do you know who that woman, who calls herself "Haltani", really is? Her actual name is Uliyara and she is daughter of baroness Nadya, the ruler of Dalun. If you surrender her to me, I'll let you continue whatever you were planning to accomplish. If you fight, then prepare to face the wrath of my entire pack!" it howls
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Sir Maxililien's hand rests openly on the hilt of his sword. "If she wished to be known by that name, she would have told us so," he answers boldly. "Likewise, if she wished to travel with you she would have told us. Back down now, while you still have your life, or we will defend both her honor and our own with force."
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Badly burned wolf drops lifeless on the ground. End of combat.
"Thank you for saving me, though I must admit that wolf was right about my identity. My real name is Uliyara and I had to use cover identity because of prejudices Jadwiga face from Ulfen. But you have earned my trust." Uliyara speaks
Intricate gilded stonework adorns the entrance, and a complex marble mosaic paves the floor. Arrow slits flank the north and south sides of the hall, but the north side has collapsed and is choked with rubble. On the eastern end, two 10-foot-tall marble statues of armored dwarves flank a fresco depicting an opulent throne room. The faces of the statues have been broken off.
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Sir Maximilien pulls out a cleaning cloth and wipes the blood off his sword in the snow. ”A dishonorable end for a dishonorable creature.” When he is finished, he sheathes the blade and turns to their guide. ”I do not like being lied to, but your caution is warranted in these circumstances. I accept your apology.”
Turning his attention to the uncovered ruin, the knight begins to slowly make his way across the icy floor towards the statues.