The sun has finally set on this seemingly endless day. Ravenscraeg has been secured, and aside from the wasp creatures trapped in the glass case down in the lab, we are the sole occupants of the keep.

After Ameiko and Ulf had been rescued Kali took Etayne and Radella up to find Lute. I turned my attention to the cold door we had skipped earlier.

“Who is there?” I asked through the heavy door.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” demanded a gravely voice.

“I am called Qatana, and my friends and I have taken control of this fortress.”

“So, you serve Kimandatsu?” was the angry reply.

“No,” I replied, “Actually we killed her and all of her henchmen. In fact I have her head right here. What are you doing in there?”

“Captured. Kimandatsu thought to make me her pet.” It retorted with a snarl.

“I am a human, what are you?”

“I am a wolf of the north. My name is Skygni, and I long to roam free upon the snows and ice of my home land.” There was a heavy thud as it threw itself at the door.

A winter wolf then, and from the north where we were bound. I realized immediately it could be a valuable ally once we were on the ice. It sounded like such a nice wolf and it was clearly wrong to leave it here to suffer and die from neglect.

“Wait a few minutes, and when the rest of my companions return we will set you free if you promise to leave without attacking anyone.”

Kali returned and reported that Lute had (as one would expect) happily received the news of Kimandatsu’s end.

I announced my intent to release the wolf so we opened all of the doors between the cells and the kitchen.

Radella unlocked the door and out punced a massive silver grey wolf, easily the size of a large bear. White fur fringed his muzzle and ear tips. He stepped forward towards me and sniffed the head I held aloft, and then sniffed me.

“He is so cool,” whispered Takoda (the pun may very well have been intended), while at the same time Star eagerly asked, “Can we keep him?”

“If you are hungry you will find some freshly killed bodies on your way out.” I offered. “We too are heading north, and if you would like company on your way to your home lands, we could travel together.”

Skygni replied, “That might prove interesting. I shall look for you when you travel north.”

And after snacking on a dead ninja, he left.

Surprisingly not everyone was pleased with this outcome. Kali looked like she just eaten a lemon, and Helgarval was positively sputtering with indignity.

“You can’t just let it go, much less ask it to accompany us! It’s evil!”

Timber hissed, Jerk!” but I shushed him.

Ivan and I both made the argument that Skygni would be serving a greater good, but Helgarval was stuck in his way of thinking. “It is evil. It should be killed.”

I then asked, “Is there no chance of redemption for anyone once they have started down an evil path?”

That gave Helgarval pause for thought, and he seemed willing to accept Skygni’s presence on the grounds that we would be saving him from his evil ways. It could happen.

“And monkeys might fly out of my butt,” quipped Pookie (ever the realist).

Oathday, Arodus 16, 4712 night
Kalsgard

We are finally back at the caravan — it is nice to be home. And while the day long ride back from Ravenscraeg was uneventful, leaving the fortress was not as stress free as we had hoped.

Our morning started with Kali and Lute discussing what had happened here, how that affected him, and what it would mean for the guild. Lute surprised us all by stating, “The guild is finished. I am going straight to the king. We will not stand for this!”

That was comforting.

“As for me, well I still have my business, and once the king hears about what I have done here, well I am sure I will be more than fine.”

What he has done? Kali and I looked at each other and grinned. Ivan stifled a snicker. This was perfect. We could let Lute handle the guild and the political fallout of all that had happened here, and we could walk away with the loot we gathered (no strings attached) and the guild would be finished. We also need not pay Lute any share of the treasure.

We encouraged Lute to move forward with his plan, and provided him with the guild documents we had found to prove its wrong doings.

The day was already looking up. Until it wasn’t.

We were making our way down the switch-back ramps that led down from the keep’s front doors (which we had avoided on the way in) when a pair of very large wasp-like creatures clambered out from a crevice in the cliff face and attacked.

We quickly killed them and explored their small cavern in the wall.

I wish we hadn’t, but it was for the best that we did. The thin form of an elf was lying unconscious on the floor. Looking closer we saw he was riddled with small bore holes. Ivan stated that there were grubs living in the holes, and examining the hapless elf I could see that while technically he was alive, he had already been more than half eaten from within.

There was no way we could save him, and no way we could leave him to this horrific suffering. Ivan slit his throat and Etayne set the body on fire, killing the grubs within.

It was a relatively quiet trip back to Kalsgard, interrupted only by an ongoing argument among Suishen, Olmas and Ameiko over her role in the company, which appeared to have ended in an uneasy truce (or stalemate).

Fireday, Arodus 17, 4712 evening
Kalsgard

We spent a full day preparing for our upcoming trip across the Crown of the World. I purchased some useful equipment, including the Boots of the Winterlands we had found in Snorri’s stash.

Near the end of the day we visited Finn and showed him Suishen, which remained mute during the entire visit (a welcome respite, given the bickering between the sword and Ameiko).

But the day’s big news came from Etayne. She announced that she had been having disturbing dreams of late, and she felt forced to investigate what they portended.

She would accompany us to the next outpost and from there return to southern lands.

We were all saddened by this news. Etayne has been a stalwart companion on our adventures, and we have come to rely on her skill with potions and other concoctions (and with icky goos and liquids in general). She was also our primary healer.

More than anything, though, I will miss her curiosity. I felt like we were kindred spirits in our eagerness to explore.

Starday, Arodus 18, 4712 evening
Kalsgard

Early this morning I spoke with Kimandatsu.

Using a combination of Owl’s Wisdom and Speak with Dead I asked the ogre’s head some questions.

“Did you kill Silverscore?”

“Silverscore. A most useful tool. Yes, I killed her.”

“Who are the members of the Five Storms?”

“The five most powerful Oni in Tien Xia.”

“What is the ultimate goal of the Five Storms?”

“We will rule Minkai as is our right.”

Interesting.

Upon Kimandatsu’s final answer, Helgarval flew up and said that we had solved the mystery of the Rimerunner’s Guild and as such, his time with us was at an end. “May Desna bless you,” he said, and flew off.

Also interesting, and combined with Etayne’s announcement from yesterday, also somewhat depressing.

We found Lute and passed on what we had learned from Kimandatsu, noting that the doors on the Rimerunner’s Guild office were already boarded up. Lute had been true to his word, and the king quick to act.

I crafted a wand of Lesser Restoration with the rest of my day.

Oathday, Arodus 23, 4712 evening
Kalsgard

We have worked with Ulf to ensure the caravan has been properly outfitted and provisioned for the upcoming trip. Tomorrow we leave for the outpost town of Turvick, a journey of some three days. I created a couple wands of Cure Light Wounds.

Earlier in the week Kali and I found Yin-po and made contributions toward the reconstruction of the temple to Shelyn. Kali’s gift was far more substantial than my own, but when the new church arises from the ruins the grinning face of Groetus will be among its adornments.

Sunday, Arodus 26, 4712 night
Turvick

Our trek northward has resumed, and as we travel further north the trees become stunted with dark green, almost black needles. They clump together in thickets and forests around the marshy sunken sumps that form between the crests of hills.

With marshy ground comes mosquitos. I really had the damned things.

We had a small farewell gathering for Etayne at the Winsome Troll earlier this evening, but it felt more like a wake than a party. We leave upon our separate ways in the morning.

She left us with an assortment of potions and the wand of Identify.

Fireday, Rova 21, 4712 evening
Urjlik

The colors have been stark and few as we continued northward. An artist with only white, slate grey, and burnt umber on his pallette could easily paint a scene from our journey at any given moment on any given day. No mixing required.

Koya is the only one dressed in bright colors, but they seem brash and out of place here. I think she has felt this too and she has kept inside her wagon.

We crossed the pass in the Rimethirst Mountains and made our way to Urjlik. This was once a giant stronghold and it is said that giants come here to die. A somber legend for a somber land.

Moonday, Rova 24, 4712 evening
northern caravan route

We elected to follow the main caravan route northward, avoiding the “short cut” that led into the hills due north. Apparently the river crossings for the short route were beyond the ability of our caravan to make safely, and the short cut would in all likelihood have led to a long delay.

And so it was surprising when early in the day a voice from the sky challenged us to stop and turn back.

“I am Kjaerulff, spirit guardian of these sacred lands. You have invaded our home, turn around and be off.”

Yes, well his claim seemed dubious and we had no intention of turning around. Detect Magic showed the voice to be a simple illusion spell, and so I challenged it.

“Oh, confound it all!” shouted a gruff voice as a giant stood up from behind a low lying hill. “So be it, interlopers. These are not your lands.” He then began to chant, and an obscuring mist formed around him.

Ivan dispelled it.

“Blast and confound you,” the giant shouted, “At ’em boys!”

With that a pair of winter wolves charged across the snow toward us.

Kali glared at me, but I called out to Skygni, who came running to our aid, engaging with one of the other wolves.

We set to work, and soon there was a dead giant and two dead winter wolves lying in the snow, their blood coloring it a shocking scarlet. All in all I found it rather sad, but the stupid thing would not listen to reason.

Interesting enough during combat Kali was actually wielding a weapon (a glave) which was unusual for her.

We took the useful stuff the giant had been carrying, and then followed his tracks back to a cave. A broken down armored wagon was outside, and we found a scroll tube hidden on a human body. Ulf recognized him as having been another guide.

[381]	wand of elemental touch [12 charges]
[382]	rusty great ax
[383]	gold plated astrolabe
[384]	magic map of the high ice: +2 bonus to survival checks for not getting lost +5 bonus to security checks

Fireday, Rova 28, 4712 evening
northern caravan route (Bearleg Lakes)

We are passing through the Bearleg Lakes region. The marshes have grown in size and with them so have the mosquitos. You’d think the cold would kill them off, but you’d think wrong.

Sparna has been busy working on his double headed dwarf weapon. He’s already fairly lethal in combat as it is.

Starday, Rova 29, 4712 evening
northern caravan route (Taraska River)

We crossed the great northern river today. We celebrated at dinner with the Korvosan wine I had rescued from Ravenscraeg, some succulent meat and tubers Ameiko roasted, and an apricot cobbler I made for dessert.

Ameiko and I have been doing the cooking, and we trade off who cooks which meal each day to keep it interesting. Sometimes, like tonight, we join forces for a single meal. Ameiko likes to grill over the fire or roast in the hot coals, while I prefer the dutch oven and saucepan.

Moonday, Lamashan 1, 4712 evening
northern caravan route

Nihali reported that we were being tailed by a pack of dire wolves. Skygni recommended that we just let them be. We did and they eventually moved along to hunt easier prey.

Beorn expressed his disappointment that we couldn’t also have a dire wolf as a companion.

Fireday, Lamashan 5, 4712 evening
northern caravan route

We encountered a neatly stacked pile of frozen human corpses along the trail today. They had been clawed to death, and tracks led off for a few hundred feat before vanishing.

We made several guesses as to what could have killed them, but we could not figure out why anyone would then take the trouble to stack the bodies.

Starday, Lamashan 6, 4712 evening
northern caravan route

A silver dragon swooped over our caravan today before flying off to the east. We all wonder what that means.

Toilday, Lamashan 9, 4712 mid day
northern caravan route

The silver dragon flew low over our caravan a short while ago and called out, “Ho caravan, there are ice trolls up ahead.” It then flew off.

I have never seen a dragon before, and am delighted my first dragon was both friendly and helpful. I joined in with my mouse friends in wishing that the dragon could accompany us on our journey.

But Ulf only grunted, “Humph. Ice trolls. They are smaller than regular trolls, and as you would expect, adapted to the cold. And they’re smart.”

It sounds like more trouble is coming and soon.