Chapter Three: Wretches Who Stride Towards Their Doom - Part I

Session was held 16th of February at the Skyhouse of Slumber

"This event often recurs in my dreams. We're travelling through the abandoned mining shafts of Karak-Mons, as they are a valuable shortcut on our way. But out of the blue, these vile creatures assaulted our expedition. How did I not smell their hideous stench nor did I hear their stomping feet and the earth below that cried for every filthy step, 

as they progressed towards us with murder in their minds.

They stroke me apart from my comrades, or was it the fury and ecstasy of the battle that made me forget my place among the ranks. I crack a skull or two, when a new band of enemies push against me. Soon I am trapped under half a dozen hostile mongrels that try to tear me apart, one half-breed on top shouting its mongrel speech, perhaps chanting me as a sacrifice for their murderous and imbecile gods. I bend my head to shout for my comrades for aid, but I see how my fellow Bordfol swings his heavy hammer against one of the supporting wooden pillars of the shaft. 

This... This part of the dream is new to me, I haven't seen it before. Have I forgotten it? At the side of my fellows I see my leader, revered captain Gomerus. But I see no burden of sacrifice in his eyes as they're leaving me behind. No. 

All I see is that he wanted to get rid of me!

Bordfols hammer strikes again and the pillar creaks and the ceiling of the shaft collapses."

-Bolwyn Flameblade from the Clan Mithralheart

"Morning lads!" Nespil Crowgale shouts as he kicks the headboards of our mercenaries beds. Weary travelers had just returned from their scouting mission but now Enoch needs them to further plan their soon upcoming expedition to the north. Loaves of bread in their arms, our sleepy adventurers hustled through the city streets. Summer breeze had finally reached Luskan and life there finally seemed somewhat bearable.

Revealing more than a corner from Valgaerds logbook could cause
some to try an ill-fated expedition by themselves, which would be bad.

Old Crowgale stated that study of the log of Valgaerd the Whitefarer was finally complete and he had made out a destination to pursuit. One of the final phrases of the log implied that they should set their course towards the Ice Wind Pass, one of the northernmost parts of Ice Wind Dale. The phrase goes as following:

"The frozen tree of Ice Wind Pass, where men hang like apples in the ice-carved branches. The apple rosy-cheeked, the Captain alas, he guides your way"

So now as the destination is somewhat clear, it is only a question of how and by who's money. As Enoch had explained earlier, old luskanese lord Konrad Haldurssen was interested in becoming a patron for their expedition, and Enoch was to go and discuss the details of their contract further. Meanwhile, he was still confident that the shortest route to Ice Wind Dale would be by a vessel. The Sea of Moving Ice was rumored to be almost ice-free and Crowgale it was a risk worth taking. Thus he ordered our braves to conduct yet again a short trip to the wharves in order to find a suitable ship and a willing captain to take the expedition through the icy perils of north.

A moment later our lads found themselves from the piers of Luskan. They went for several ships in order to find a captain daring enough to take the risk. Captain Huhtamath from the vessel The Ancient was sceptical about the safety and turned the offer down. Old and rugged ship called Calypsos Cunt had no captain at all as the poor devil hanged from the mast with his first mate due a successful mutiny. Fisherman called Gunnar offered to row them to north with his small fishing boat but our heroes had to turn down the generous offer. Finally the stepped on the the deck of Virgin Ingrid, a sturdy three-masted craft. It's captain was Agmuind Saltskin, a seasoned seawolf with a notorious urge to gamble. He promised to consider their request and even gambled few rounds of Six-Eyed-Spider with our heroes. It is a popular game in the north and here are the rules:

SIX-EYED-SPIDER

• Both players take five six-sided dice. 6 is what you go for as it is the spider that scores a round for you. Both players also nominate one number from 1-5 to be the squasher.

• Then they cast the dice. Both of them count their possible spiders. That whom has more spiders scores a bite for that round. Usually the game is played to 1-3-5 or 10 bites, and that who first reaches that amount wins the game. 

• However, you can "kill" your opponents spiders with your squasher. Let us say that your squasher is number three. 

• You throw 1-1-3-4-6, that be one spider and one squasher.

• Your opponent throws 2-2-4-5-6, that be one spider and no squashers (his squasher was number one)

• Now the round would be a draw as both has equal number of spiders, but as your squasher eliminates your opponents only spider, you win a bite.

• So with luck you could defend yourself against opponents spiders with sufficient amount of squashers even though you'd have no spiders yourself. And in all its simplicity that's about it.

 Our mercenary ship-buyers almost managed double the price for Saltskins seafaring services with few bad rounds but luckily Bolwyn had a wrist of steel and due his efforts they managed to get on the dry.

Deaths constant menace over the
expedition preparations

With the initial contract for a ship, our lads returned to Enoch to inform him about their findings. Crowgale himself had just finished his meeting with Lord Haldurssen, the patron of the expedition. He had mixed news. The good were that Haldurssen was ready to invest 10,000gp to the funding of the voyage, but the bad news were that he wanted to attend the expedition too for reasons unknown. With him about half dozen men. Crowgale was powerless to change his head, and our heroes just had to accept that with the money comes this old geezer in bad health.

Enoch assigned a new task for our heroes. They were to devise an inventory for all the equipment needed in the far north, as chances for receiving any supplies up there were close to zero. Specific quantities of specific items would be examined later as the full party size is confirmed. He also wished that during the next few days the boys would confirm Agmuind Saltskins offer as for the fee. And so, rest of the day was spend at the Seven Sails figuring all the little things that could become handy when the expedition gets real.

Morning came and the sweet scents of summer. These odors were soon forgotten as the lads visited the piers once again in order to hear Saltskins offer. Virgin Ingrids first mate Wyllard the Crab had ill news. Captain Agmuind had gone missing during the night. He had gone to the Cutlass for drink and gamble, but was not seen coming back. Disappearing was against his habits and Wyllard had already send men to find him, who had came back empty handed. Frustrated by  this set-back, our mercenaries agreed to take a run for Agmuind, and to the Cutlass they went.

Quick information gathering at the tavern revealed that man called Artono knew something about the captain. Artono was sitting at a table with his two associates, familiar swashbuckler Windmill-Hacó and perhaps Luskans most notorious mercenary Quorthon the Grim. The lads were not intimidated by Artonos company and questioned him. He had indeed witnessed Agmuind Saltskins game of chance. Few bad casts and foul words had led the captain to some serious trouble with underworld entities. Crimelord known as the Hellmaker, had enough with Saltskins drunken clamor and send him to the Underkeel, perilous realm under the Luskan sewers.

Schnektol and arms-full of something precious.

Captains fate seemed as a sealed one but our brave sell-swords decided he was worth a try. The Cutlass provided it's services once again as it happened to be the current lodging for Luskans official sewer-rat, old timer known as Ulluf Utan. Mister Utan was a toothless geezer covered in grime and filth, but he was helpful nevertheless. He warned our heroes that the Underkeel was the most hostile and vile section of the old tunnels and caverns that the luskanese addressed as sewers.

No time was spend to irrelevant queries and our search-party rushed towards the entrance that led to the sewer section that was in question. As Ulluf Utan led them farther to the rotten depths, a voice whispered for help. As they scouted for its source, a severely maimed and crippled man was found, lying next to his dead mate that was already a cadaver. When suddenly a pack of rats burst out of the mans belly. It soon began quite obvious that it was not a mere peck of rats, it was a whole swarm of pests that your heroes had to fend off. Dozens of nasty bites later they were able to push deeper to the sewers, except that their guide, mister Utan, had escaped as he saw the swarm. So now our heroes were all by themselves.

The upper sewers soon came to and end, but a small trapdoor led our explorers into lower levels. They had just descended to the Underkeel when a strange little man told them to beat it. Man was called Schnektol Dungstone, he was a svirfneblin, deep gnome, digging and looting for booty. Schnektol knew Hellmaker and the location of his criminal nest. Little fellow promised to guide our lads there, and soon they reached an old door near a pond of sewage. Schnektol explained that it was the entrance to the Forecourt, Hellmakers stronghold. The deep gnome stayed hidden in the background as our heroes closed in with the entrance. The door was locked fast, and Posco began lockpicking it with his nimble hands.

But the pool possessed a menace. A pack of scaly men known as the lizardfolk that had been assigned to guard the entrance assaulted our heroes. Their clubs and javelins hit fast and hard, but Tymora was on our adventurers side that day, as they managed to slay those wretched back-assaulting geckos. But the battle had taken its toll, none of them was in a condition well enough that they could raid the Forecourt and face Hellmaker in order to free captain Agmuind. If he was even alive anymore.

Thus they had to return to the surface for a rest, 

and hope that Agmuind Saltskin would withstand one more day

 in the forgotten bowels of the City of Seven Sails....

Chapter One: Compass to the North-Encounters at the City of Sails - Part I

Session was held 24th - 26th of August at the Hidden Cabin of Shadowlands

"I am the last,

so may the Gods hear my testimony.

It really does exist,

the legends are true.

Oh how I wish they would not be."

Sword Coast North

The day was Fourth of June 1372 after the Dale Reckoning. Summers first breaths were spreading across the north, and the spring drizzle was reviving the flora in this harsh land that is known as the Sword Coast North. There, in the independent port city of Luskan, two companions walked through the muddy streets filled with cutthroats that were ready to loot the last remaining coins from the cold corpse of the unwary. The two found their way into notorious tavern known as the Cutlass. There with fresh pints in their hands,  the weary travelers had the opportunity to witness a curious performance. The whole tavern ceased it's ever-continuing brawl only to hear the story told by man known as Enoch Crowgale. 

That will be me, my dear reader.

"For those who I haven't met before, may I present myself, the name is Enoch Crowgale. I came here tonight to tell you about a myth that I reckon to be the myth of Ultima Thule, but which many know as the Land of Eternal Light. This place of legend has been called since the Dawn of Toril as Thaczil Di Ro Kear by the Great Ancient Wyrms, while the elves who once strolled these northern lands knew it as Myth Cor'Cirith. So did the dwarves in their deep mines beneath the majestic mountains, Ankor A Bryngrom was the name of the myth and Migdhal Wyrdrazh was the great outpost that stood there. Even the foul creatures who lurked in the mountains above the dwarven strongholds had the name Uzg ob Gith-Drautas reappearing time after time in their crude orc sagas.You known that you have heard from it in the disguise of the familiar medley sung by skalds from the campfires to Halls of the Kings:

Enoch Crowgale 

North - From the Kingdoms of Men,
North- From the Great Dwarven Halls.
North - From where the Elves have strode,
North- From the Last Giant Throne.

Beyond - The Gods and their might,
Beyond - The Great  White Glacier.
There lies the Land of Eternal Light,
Now, always and never.

As I have hastily proven, this miraculous land walks with us regardless the race or culture. It's ethereal promises of power and riches untold have aroused many for searches in vain, and thus it has been said that no one has ever seen nor witnessed it's glory. They say it is only a myth. But I am to prove them wrong as I know what they didn't know. I know the man who saw it and returned and I have the compass to guide me there, and few of you may reach it in my company. So those intrigued by my words, join me later this evening at the third booth for wine and chatter, and maybe we are able to negotiate the terms for our journey together!"

And thus the sage ended his short performance and the crowd was left pondering his words. But soon the patrons burst into laughter, trying to outwit each other with mocking rants about Crowgale and his ill-famed journey of regulating  food rations from Luskan to Neverwinter. As the troubadour resumed to his play, the two companions began to peer for the third booth, and soon mister Crowgale appeared there with a full jug of wine. Quickly after he had sat down, four men approached the booth. These four were the men that we would soon learn to known as the Adventurers.

First sat the two companions.
First one was a young shield dwarf fighter Bolwyn Flameblade from the Citadel of Adbarr,
and his companion was a orc cleric Orgot Shatargat-thrak from Clan Ironjaws of eastern Spine of the World mountains. An odd couple indeed.
After them came a small man from the Western Heartlands, Posco Pepper, a halfling.
And after him came his friend, an elf from the distant realms that still possesses the splendor of yesterday, Thelon Celtharion of Evermeet.
These four quite different men were the only ones to show genuine interest for Crowgales speech, and thus they were just a glimpse away from the begin of the greatest adventure of their lifetime.

Bolwyn Flamblade, Thelon Celtharion, Orgot Shatargat-thrak, Posco Pepper

Crowgale explained his plans briefly, not giving away too much information just yet, as he could not be sure about the motives of the four. He had planned recruiting some sort of mercenaries for the solid core of his expedition to the Ultima Thule, and the four men interested about his speech would suite just well, if only they'd be willing. He promised them great adventures and possibly great wealth split in fifth-shares, but only after good night of sleep, as tomorrow he would reveal more.
The four mercenaries were quite enthusiastic about Crowgales expedition plans, and they promised to escort him to his apartment, while he would show them the Seven Sails-inn on the way.

But Luskan showed it's danger just outside the Cutlass, as two thugs were to mug Crowgale and his new companions. Rat-Zim and Spikefist demanded Enoch to hand over his compass that he had shown earlier at the tavern. Crowgale was willing to cope, but the four mercenaries prepared a show-off of their skills. After a split second of high speed action, Spikefist sat crying for his shattered guts, and Rat-Zim lied on the muddy street with his left eye punctured, shaking in a neurological shock. The adventurers had a promising start.

Later that evening the heroes arrived to Seven Sails inn, where the innkeeper Vegar Rosolov offered his quality, although ridiculously overpriced, services. After the good night of sleep granted with exclusive right of Arcane Brotherhood, the heroes gathered around a marine breakfast which was plentiful. For the record, that was the first time Bolwyn and Orgot tasted seafood.

Valgaerd Last Poem
(slightly modified
Dream-Land by
Edgar Allan Poe)

As the morning grew to forenoon, four men who had slowly found a common tongue among themselves, gathered at Crowgales apartment. It was filled with books and strange gadgets with geography and measurement importance. He also had a full shelf of compasses, a curious wit of a somewhat possessed mind. Now as everyone was still interested about his great expedition after a night of sleep, he began adding details.

Crowgale explained that he believed that man known as Valgaerd the Whitefarer managed to reach the Ultima Thule and return from it. As a partial evidence he presented the adventurers a short poem penned on the death bed of no one else than the Whitefarer himself. In addition to this he had confirmed from several sources that Valgaerd had kept a journal or log about his adventure beyond the glaciers. None had ever witnessed it so it was merely a legend as the whole Thule adventure itself. But Crowgale had a hunch about the log, as he had managed to dig up information that Valgaerd had been buried with some sorts of documents. And thus, our newly formed adventure team received their first quest for plundering the tomb of Valgaerd.
Crowgale reckoned that the nordman was buried on the island of Icepeak, that was few hundred miles northwest from Luskan. Crowgale administrated the heroes to acquire a vessel of transportation from the piers of Luskan, and he preferred to depart tomorrow morning. And so they left to the Luskan Piers in search for a suitable ship to Icepeak island.

Old man Martinus - the tanner

The harbor of Luskan was known as the Piers and it was located on the Dragon Beach, southern one of the many sand strands of the mouth of River Mirar.   The piers were full of sailors and lowlifes seeking to gain advantage from one's misery, but with determination our four sell-swords tracked down a harbor clerk called Garald Karenin, who was able to pinpoint a suitable ship for their desires. Withering Wench was the name of the ship and Herrod the Herring was its captain. Walking past ships macabre figurehead (mummified old woman in a red dress) sure gave them shrivels but the old caravel seemed otherwise quite seaworthy. Captain Herring (who got his epithet from being successful on fishing the northern Sword Sea herrings into extinction) accepted the travelers into his ship that would depart next morning, but he asked them to perform a small task in favor.

Ships First Mate Jónsi explained that he would need the four braves to help him carry some leathers and hides from a local tannery. The four companions agreed to help although they felt their skills weren't in a good use doing such dull labor. Later that evening after spending the day goofing at the marketplace, our heroes returned to the piers, where Jónsi had just launched a small whaleboat from Wenches stern. Rowing they went towards the sunset and after mile or two of following the coastline to south, when they docked into a old pier that belonged to the tannery of Martinus. Stench was foul as they struggled out of the boat, while Jónsi sneaked closer to the tannery waving a small but fierce club in his hand. At this point the mercenaries understood they were heading towards a brawl. And with a quick move, Jónsi stormed inside the tannery, shouting Captains greetings for the treacherous tanner Martinus.

The scuffle was bloody, leaving Martinus incapacitated, maiming his wife and killing their son. Martinus had positioned a local mercenary on his front door, but the backdoor assault forced the sell-sword to surrender quickly. The hides were quickly carried back to the launch, and our mercenaries rowed into the nightly mist.

Later on, as they returned to Luskan with all the leathery plunder, Jónsi explained that brutal actions were necessary as Martinus had declined to pay up his debts earlier this day. And so our newly weds returned to the Seven Sails Inn and slept few hours only to return to the piers at the dawn with mister Crowgale, who was excited to see his age-old dream finally coming into life. Their success at the icepeak would determine whether or not the expedition would be formed.  And so  the Withering Wench departed towards Aurilsbarg, the "capital" of the Icepeak, and our new heroes began their first real quest together.

The Withering Wench leaving Luskan at dawn.

End of Part One