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The hull of the Grinning Pixie creaks and groans in the freezing waters of Kalsgard, at the mouth of the Rimeflow River. Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry, the half-orc captain of the vessel, shivers as she strides in to her well-furnished cabin and out of the bitter winds. A Varki woman clad in leathers and a snow leopard fur coat is already seated inside the cabin.
“Welcome to the Linnorm Kingdoms,” says Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry. She takes a long drag from a hip flask before continuing. “The North is no place for a free captain, but here we are. Oh, Kalsgard is fine—they’ve got stiff drink here—but you’ve got to head inland, where it’s even colder.” She pulls her mammoth-fur coat tighter across her body as she continues. “I hope you all weren’t planning to freeze to death and packed for the weather.”
“You’ve all heard of Jormurdun? Well, that dwarven sky citadel contained an artifact called the Sky Key. King Gutheran broke it into five pieces and gave four of them to his heirs as they fled the invasion, keeping the fifth for himself. One of Gutheran’s heirs, Naldak, traveled into what is now southwestern Irrisen and established a small town called Naldak’s Point. That’s where the trail goes cold. Most likely, Baba Yaga wiped them out when she invaded. The piece of the Sky Key and the ruins of Naldak’s Point are probably buried under a millennium of ice and snow, just waiting for someone—you—to go dig them out. I’ve packed you ten blocks of blackfire clay to make the task more manageable,” the venture-captain says, handing over a backpack stuffed with black bricks. “Don’t forget to take these with you.”
“You’re heading east, up the Rimeflow and Thundering Rivers, past the Grungir Forest, and into Irrisen. Desna smiles—the site is about half a day’s hike north of Dalun, a small trade city on the Irrisen border. Take a small river boat packed with supplies and a letter of trade, make nice with the city officials, and see if you can get permission to travel inland. Head to the site and find our missing Sky Key piece. You’ll know you’re on the right track if you recover signs that the royal family settled there.”
"Watch yourselves in Irrisen. Antagonizing the locals is like poking a sleeping ice bear in the eye, except the bear won’t kill you as quickly. The Society is not especially welcome in Irrisen, so try to keep what friends we have, and if you can, make new ones. With that it mind, I’ve hired a local to bring you safely to Dalun.” Venture-Captain Benarry gestures toward the Varki woman. “This is Haltani, and she will guide you into and out of Irrisen alive.”
The Varki woman springs to her feet gracefully and addresses the party. “It is always a pleasure to meet travelers from faraway lands. It is true that Irrisen is a harsher land than most. Keep your wits about you, and your journey should be profitable.”
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Mavin cracks a smile at the Varki woman. "Not as far as you think, Haltani. Name's Mavin, and I'm a child of the Mammoth Lord territories. It also means I'm well-versed in how slippery and dangerous the Irriseni are."
Mavin peers longingly at the Venture-Captain's cloak. "Any chance your quartermaster has some of those for sale? I tried to forget how cold the north got, but it keeps creeping up on me again."
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Standing with his back to the bitingly cold winds, a Dwarf whose beard is pale grey looks their guide up and down. His skin is weather-beaten and covered in wrinkles and scars, showing his age and yeas of harsh struggle against his Orcish foes. Tough Dwarven made scale is cinched over a thick woolen tunic and trousers, a large shield across his back declaring his allegiance to the Kingdom of Highelm in the Five Kings Mountains.
He pulls a thick black fur cloak around his shoulders as he nods to the Venture-captain and their guide. His wild mane of white hair his blown aside to reveal a leather eye patch going over his left eye, a dull metal plate over the presumable empty eye socket.
"Yer not wrong about the winds there!" he roars sullenly over the winds, seemingly incapabe of beig quiet. "I've never been here mi'self but ah'm glad we have some locals, right what do we know about this abandoned town Captain and these bastard Irrisen folk?"
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A big young man with black russeled beard and hair steps up besides Mavin Krane, and say:
" -and maybe on in a bigger size?" giggles a little, and shows a little of his youth.
Is there anything special, we should know about the area, or someone special?
I mean, besides what the Venture-Captain already said."
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A halfling wearing a priests tabard over a mithril shirt bangs her head as she stands up under the table. "Ow! Since when did the cabin get halfling sized" she emerges from under the table and takes in her surroundings "Oh!" she says
She dusts herself down and tries to make the two wine stains on he tabard look a little less conspicuous and bows to Calisro and then Haltani. "Little one here o Ceilidh. I mean I am Lyteonira Ceilidh a cleric of Cayden Cailean and member of the pathfinder society."
She touches a finger to her nose and adds "They do all the best pub crawls" She reaches for a wineskin and uncorks it. As it heads towards her lips she pauses then offers it towards Calisro and Haltani
"Would you like a drink?"
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Zootloot follows the group into the captain's quarters. It's pretty crowded, especially with all of the tall folks. Zootloot notices Mavin, whom he had just adventured with a short time ago. He nods in her direction. He moves over towards the two halflings, hoping that it will be less crowded near them. Lyteonira seems to be back at the bottle, but when isn't she, and Hootie is making herself at home.
He perks up when he hears discussion about fur coats and other warm gear. This weather here is cold. Way too cold.
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as it stays freezing year round. Powerful witches known as the White Witches rule the nation and allow monsters the same rights as humanoids. The human descendants of Baba Yaga are called Jadwiga, and are the aristocracy of Irrisen. Ulfen people who find themselves in Irrisen at the bottom of the social hierarchy; the fortunate are serfs, and the rest are slaves.
V-C Benarry responds to Mavin, "The Pixie carries a fair amount of supplies. We should be able to meet any of your supplying needs."
“Not much, Darak. I found the name in an old book, and then found the location on this old Ulfen map that predates Irrisen. It’s mostly a dwarven town, so it was probably underground.”
Haltani chimes in at the dwarf's slander of Irrisen, “Not all of Irrisen is bad, but the land is dangerous. Ice trolls, snow goblins, or even winter wolves can accost unwary travelers. Dalun is safe, though; they accept outsiders and are eager for trade. I’ve spent quite a lot of time in the city and have many contacts there.”
“Hootie, keep an eye out for signet rings or other jewelry stamped with the appropriate imagery. And yes, it is quite cold where you're heading.”
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"So we take a boat to this Dalun place and then trek overland to find a mysterious dwarven city? Sounds like fun." Zootloot hops up on a stool. "And I've heard that they even make trolls citizens here. Imagine that."
"Oh, before we go I'm going to want to buy an alchemist fire flask if you have one." Zootloot asks the captain.
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Darak takes a moment to think, whilst storing the iformation given about the foes they may meet in the forbiding Icy plains beyond. Unable to think of much he shrugs before two questions pop into his mind.
"Yeah, who are the Officials we beed to find? Some bigwig Toff or just a pencil pusher?" his voice atill rather loud, "And how do we use the Clay?"
With his questions answered, the Dwarf shoulders his pack and puuls his fur cloak close against the biting winds. Patting his axe at his side he waits for his travelling companions to finish their last minute shopping.
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"Cold Place. Monsters with more respect and power then in other towns. What a fantastic start. I fell myself warmed all over already." As she considers their likely place.
"Oh by the way if it helps, I can speak Skald though I hope the local Ulfen aren't going to be unfriendly towards me." she winks.
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Darak looks down at the drunken Halfling, one bushy gray eyebrow raised as he wonders if she is in fact serious. Working out that she is, the Dwarf shakes his head and indicates the Frozen Tundra spreading across the land, hoisting Lytoenira up to see over the sides of necessary.
"I don't know about no Karl, but the Cold is cause of all that ICE!"
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"Baroness Nadya rules in Dalun. One block of the clay can be used to warm yourself for an hour, or five blocks can be combined to produce the heat of a campfire." Captain Benarry hands a map and a letter of trade to Darak, and directs the Pathfinders to a small river vessel moored next to his ship.
As you are loading the small boat, Haltani asks, "Do any of you know how to sail?"
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"Whee! That's a lot of ice. Can you put me down now please Mr Tall. Lyteonira then heads off to the quartermaster to buy some cold weather gear and plenty of rations. "How long did you say we will take?" Will buy rations to get there and back plus an extra week
later at the small river vessel
"I know I don't" answers Lyteonira
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Darak shakes his head, his wild mane thrashing in the icy winds. Ensuring he is stocked with plenty of rations for the journey he looks at the small boat uncertainly and at his companions.
"Nit much use for dingys in land-locked mountains. But how hard can it be?" he shrugs his broad shoulders and gets ready to enter the boat.
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Darak attempts to assist whilst sailing, it seems that the Dwarf just cannot stay idle, and that when he is, he keeps his one good eye on the look out for danger in the passing landscape. When they make camp, he does so with a Soldier's efficiency, always seeking a defensible spot and keeping his bedroll close enough to the fire, bt facing away so as not impair his vision.
"Ahh Lassie, I have been a soldier for as long as I can remember, over a Century as your people would count it. The Mountains of the Five Kings is a War-Torn land often besieged by orcs of Belkzen." he spits the name of the Orc stronghold as if it were a curse. "I travel now cause of Me brother, he left to join this society and I ain't seen him in some time. Got me best Urgosh he does."
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Round 1
Effects none
- Lyteonira
- Darak
- Hootie
- GM
- Mavin
- Therrach
Haltani listens carefully to Mavin's stories, but find most of the other Pathfinders uninspiring. On the third week, a bend in the river and several large rocks cause white-water rapids across most of the water’s breadth; only a narrow channel with a swift current flows without obstruction near the southern bank. Tall trees grow on either shore, casting shadows with their large overhanging branches.
A large net suddenly flies up out of the water, blocking the river, and two men with javelins spring up out of hiding. ”Who are you? And why are you fools going into Irrisen?”
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Rocked by the sudden lack of motion, Darak's hand darts ton his vicious Twin-bladed Axe as his Good eye looks around for the perpetrators of this ambush. Seeing the Human warriors break cover and approach, he avoids drawing his axe, but his hand remains firmly on the haft.
"What's it to ye Laddie?" he counters with a growl. "Think ye own these waters ye poachers? Or are ye common bandits?"
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The village of Whiterook sits against a tall cliff wall. A line of close-growing birch trees and tangle of vines shield the village, acting as a natural palisade. One of the larger birches bears a carved bird, which lends the village its name. In the center of the village, a massive fire pit sits stocked with timbers and dry brush as if ready for a massive bonfire.
Several humanoid bodies hang naked in the trees outside the palisade. Hanging next to them is the skinned corpse of what appears to be a bear-sized wolf. Haltani mutters as you walk past the bodies, ”Savage butchers . . . monsters all.”
The guards lead you to the center of the village and introduce their leader, Halvor “Going into Irrisen expecting anything but death is folly. Ice and pain await you there; even if you live, you will have lost much by going there. Turn back. Abandon whatever fool’s errand has sent you.”
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Mavin draws closer to Haltani and whispers, "Agreed. Best keep your thoughts to yourself until we get out of here, though. I think these men have seen war with the winter folk for too long."
Mavin hears out Halvor's threat, then smirks. "I'm afraid the Decemvirate's will overrules your words of warning. We are no strangers to the predations of Irrisen's monsters, but we have a mission to uphold and intend to see it through. We are well-equipped and prepared to face the dangers ahead."
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Halvor seems very unimpressed with your behavior, and it is rather obvious that you slighted him in some unintentional way. “I know of Dalun and their claims of peace. I believed those claims myself, up until the last moon. They sent envoys to talk of trade, but as we were about to let them in, we were attacked by winter wolves, ice trolls, and a dozen Jadwiga soldiers.” He spits on the ground before continuing. “We slew enough of them to scare them off, but lost many good warriors. I just wished we had captured that Jadwiga witch while she was here, but she vanished into the night.”
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"I'm sorry for to hear of your loss. However we were informed of Dalun's good intentions. Do you have the spoils of that battle that you may allow us to examine, Great Chiefien?" Hootie attempts to soothe his ruffled feathers with some flattery.
"We would rather go in prepared if Dalun has indeed turned against what they preached."