Oathday, Abadius 3, 4713 evening
Caravan

We dropped down from the high ice this morning, which was a harrowing experience in and of itself. The day started as usual with us tediously moving along the flat plane of ice when we came upon a dip in the ice, which led down into a deep wide crevasse that snaked away to our right.

“Not this one,” Ulf called from ahead, and we passed it by. An hour later we came to another dip to our left, which we followed down. Gradually we descended as walls of ice on either side rose steadily higher. The wagons had bunched together when the walls closed in and I heard Ulf explain that the previous ice canyon ended in the Khumba Icefall, a cascade of ice that was impassible by wagon, and effectively suicide to try even on foot.

By noon we had passed out from the ice and onto solid ground. A few stunted trees sprouted from the glacial till surrounded by clumps of bunch grass and a low succulent ground cover peeped through where the wind had blown clear the snow. The caravan route passed by frozen interconnected ponds and large boulders covered by lichens of bright orange and vivid yellow-green.

In the summer this place must seem like paradise after coming down from the frozen wastes, but even in the winter it seemed to us like a garden of unsurpassed beauty. We made camp here, much to my delight.

Looking back I saw a massive wall of white and turquoise, split with with many fissures and adorned with towering pinnacles of splintered ice. It was an imposing sight, and I knew at that point that I would not be taking this way back if I ever returned.

At least there is now something that can be called daylight. Sort of. It’s more like dawn followed immediately by dusk, but the brightness and duration frows with each day we move south.

Fireday, Abadius 4, 4713 evening
Caravan

This morning I cast another restoration spell on Vancour, our sick driver, after which he announced he was ready to drive a wagon again. I suspect coming down from the ice shelf helped about as much as my spell.

Speaking of spells for assisting others, I had known for some time that every morning Ivan cast a spell with Koya and Ameiko standing nearby. A few days ago I watched more closely and realized he was using Status. Why hadn’t I thought to do this with Shalelu? I am doing so now along with Ameiko.

In addition to monitoring their well being, Status also gives an indication of distance and direction to the target, which could prove useful if Ameiko were taken again.

I then realized that the Enter Image spell would be useful in the event that either Ameiko or Shalelu went missing. I gave each of them a small statuette of myself, which I had crafted in Kalsgard, and asked them to keep in some outside pocket for easy access.

Sunday, Abadius 6, 4713 afternoon
Caravan

At noon we came upon a small cabin not far from the trail. The area around the house had a lived in look, and smoke was rising from the chimney. Several of us approached and Sparna called out a greeting. The bottom half of a dutch door opened and a sturdy looking halfling walked out.

“Oh, visitors. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone come from Ul-Angorn until later on in the year. I don’t recommend you try the ice this early, and it seems to me you could use a better guide. My name is Kobi, may I offer my services?”

Despite some grumbling from Ulf to the contrary, Kobi seemed friendly enough, and he was the first fresh face we had seen in months that didn’t belong to someone trying to kill us. Takoda and Huffy liked him right away and I agreed with them.

It took a while for him to understand that we already had a guide and that we had in fact come from across the high ice. “What, you came across in the winter! Who was foolish enough to guide you during the worst time of the year?”

We told him.

“Ulf, oh yes, I’ve heard of him. Still, you might find my services more to your liking. I for one would have recommended you wait. The winter storms have been worse this year than ever before, and I am surprised you made it without suffering losses. Or maybe you didn’t,” he said looking curiously at us.

“Oh, we encountered quite a few trials on our way here,” I replied, “there was the white dragon at the beginning, then the sylph in the storm tower, and an army of undead. But we defeated them all and made it through no worse for the wear.”

“Uh, huh, sure you did,” Kobi said skeptically.

His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when we pulled Katiyana’s severed head from a bag of holding.

We shared a congenially lunch with him, and then moved on. As Kobi reminded us (with a “Yes, yes, I already know that!” from Ulf) we had to climb back up onto the high ice after leaving Ul-Angorn, and did not want to lose our hard-earned acclimation to the altitude.

Wealday, Abadius 9, 4713 evening
Ul-Angorn

We made it to Ul-Angorn by mid day. The town is a small trading outpost that mostly serves the passing caravans in the warmer months. In the winter it acts as home base for the rugged group of area trappers. While small it provided a welcome taste of civilization after so much time in the wilderness.

Earlier we had decided on a public explanation for our unusual winter time trek across the frozen wastes: Koya was old and dying and wanted to visit Tien Sha while she still could. It seemed a reasonable enough story, and safer than revealing our true purpose.

After seeing to the needs of the caravan, we wandered into town along with Ameiko, Koya and Shalelu. Mostly we wanted a place to relax and get a hot meal and a drink or two, and maybe socialize with the townfolk. There was only one option: a pub called The Frozen Spike.

Inside the inn was warm and cosy, with a large hearth in the corner and several lamps hanging from heavy wood beams. The barkeep, a friendly lass named Gerta, bade us to sit where we liked and soon brought us food and drink.

There were a handful of other patrons, including a pair of dwarves, toward whom Sparna quite naturally gravitated.

But even when seduced by the comforts of the pub we were on guard. We knew we had been tracked by the Five Storms all of the way to the high ice, and were certain they would be looking for us to appear on the far side.

After finishing our meal Ameiko offered to play and sing, to which Gerta happily accepted. This seemed like a bad idea, and all of my friends squeaked out warnings, “She’s going to draw attention to herself!” But there was nothing I could do to stop her that wouldn’t have drawn even more attention to us.

By this time Sparna had returned to the caravan, and Ivan was outside keeping an eye on the pub’s door. Radella had blended in with the crowd, which had steadily grown during Ameiko’s performance.

Nothing happened, and as Ameiko returned to the table amidst enthusiastic applause, I began to think that perhaps we’d have a quiet stay afterall.

Some time later a man came up behind Ameiko and asked if she’d like to see some music he had written. He too was a performer and would appreciate her opinion of his work, and maybe she would want to play some of his songs. “Just come back to my home with me.”

Much to my shock and horror, Ameiko stood and said, “Sure, I’d really like that.”

Several things then happened at once. First, Beorn began to scream, “He’s done something to her. You need to do something. Now! Do it now!” Second, I realized that the Status spell showed that Ameiko had been charmed. Finally, without thinking I put my hand on Ameiko’s shoulder and pulled her back down into her chair and tried to distract her.

But she was having none of it. “What? No, I want to go see his music. I am free to do as I like.”

The stranger eagerly repeated, “Yes, you should come with me.”

Beorn was yelling, “Do something! Do something now! Now! Do it now!” I looked around for Kali, but she was no longer there, and so I did the first thing that came into my mind and cast Hold Person on the stranger.

He froze, and Ameiko looked puzzled. My companions looked alarmed, but Beorn hissed, “Yes!” Olmas was trying to move Ameiko away, but she too had noticed my spell and was sputtering angrily, “What do you think you’re doing?” as she reached for her rapier.

I said, “He’s charmed you.” just as Ivan burst through the door shouting, She’s been charmed! Kali followed in right behind, and after glancing at the man said, “He has a transmutation aura.”

Radella appeared behind the stranger with her blade set against his back and said, “If you move you die”. Olmas moved closer in and Shalelu jumped to her feet, sword drawn.

I then lost hold of the stranger, who vanished, and in his place stood a purple ogre. Another oni!

The townfolk panicked and fell over one another, toppling chairs in their haste to get away. But Ameiko was angry at having been charmed and rushed the oni with Shalelu at her side. The ogre had no chance of surviving our onslaught, and realized its error too late. It tried to evade us by turning to mist, but Ivan immediately dispelled it, allowing Ameiko to fell it with a well placed stab. I finished it off by clubbing it to death.

Both surprisingly and disappointingly the oni had only two pieces of mediocre gear.

[432]	chain shirt
[433]	great sword (given to Gerta at The Frozen Spike)

Olmas and Kali tried to calm the bar patrons down, and discovered that none of the townfolk had seen the stranger before that night.

Ameiko performed a second set while Kali danced to the music. This had the desired effect and the crowd settled down. I glanced over at Olmas, who was mercifully sitting quietly by. During her earlier performance Olmas had tried to sing along, but it sounded more like cows bellowing in labor than singing, and I was glad he did not join in this time.

At the end of the evening Olmas gave Gerta the ogre’s great sword to display as a memento of the event, which greatly changed her outlook on the proceedings.

Oathday, Abadius 10, 4713 late morning
Ul-Angorn

We did our usual Speak with Dead routine soon after waking.

Who were you working for?

I am an agent of the Five Winds.

How did you find out we were here?

Waiting to see if you would come.

How did you get here?

Traveled by magic.

Did you communicate our presence to others?

Yes.

The Five Winds? Was that just another name for The Five Storms?

The most significant of the oni’s answers was that our presence was now known to others, and we could expect more encounters like this as we made our way south.

The wagons were still undergoing repairs, and so we had another day to spend in town.

Several of us visited the village’s shrine to Desna, which was a simple but elegant structure. I asked if we could add a small addition to Groetus, and after some initial hesitation, the townsfolk agreed (I think they realized what a comfort Groetus’ promise of the end of times would be during the long dark hours of winter). On the back side of the temple Kali and I shaped stone into the form of Groetus’ benevolent grinning skull and inscribed simple words of comfort for the village faithful.

Moonday, Abadius 14, 4713 evening
Caravan (back on the high ice)

We climbed back up onto the high ice today. We are crossing a narrow band of the ice cap, and will only be on it for a relatively short time.

Rather than climbing up through a chasm like the one through which we came down off the ice, the ground here rose up in a mounting series of cinder cones and ridges around which the ice flowed. The trail simply led up into the highlands and onto the ice.

The smell of noxious fumes filled the air, and we stopped so I could collect samples of liquids from the steaming, bubbling noisesome pools. After we stopped for the day Radella set up our alchemical lab and was able to isolate several vials of useful chemicals:

• 1 vial sulfuric acid
• 2 vials arsenic
• 2 vials cyanide

I wondered where Etayne was and what she was up to.

Toilday, Abadius 15, 4713 mid-day
Caravan, Domagolki Forest

The caravan climbed over a pass between two peaks. The wind picked up, but the trail entered a forest which provided some protection. Unlike the trees we had passed below these were coated in a thick layer of ice, giving them an other worldly look.

We had not gone far into the forest when we spotted a pair of giant white spiders emerge from the trees, one on either side of us. Unfortunately our scouts were far out in front and to the rear, leaving a smaller crew to defend the wagons than usual.

These spiders were able to fling poisoned barbs from their limbs, and bit with a potent venom. As usual Olmas was the first to experience the venom’s effects. The battle was fierce and we were able to slay both creatures, but Sparna had been bitten multiple times and was lying unconscious by one of the wagons by the time the fight had ended.

We’ve managed to restore Olmas to normal, and to bring Sparna back from imminent danger, but he still needs additional restoration.

Radella and I worked carefully to harvest spider venom.

I think tonight Ameiko and I should cook something special for dinner using some of the fresh supplies we purchased in Ul-Angorn. Despite our victory the encounter with the spiders was unexpected, and seeing Sparna lay helpless in the snow next to a wagon wheel was demoralizing.