11 Marpenoth (October)
Location: Caer Dineval

Upon their triumphant return to Caer Dineval, the celebration at the Uphill Climb in that lakeside village raged on well into the small hours of the morning. Even Speaker Siever, normally bellicose and curt, was in high spirits, bouyed by the return of the Howling Fiend.

Though all present were aware of the fact Derrick the Drownder and his men were still out there, the loss of their finest ship, black ice ram or not, would be a telling blow and might just be the decisive edge the village needed to prevail against the pirates. In any event, the mood was joyous (and perhaps amorous for some!) and an evening not soon to be forgotten by any present.

But, all parties must come to an end, and the next day most paid dearly for their participation. Symbolic of everyone's physical state, the next morning broke cold and snowy, perfect weather for one to remain hunkered down in bed beneath a mountain of wool and fur. Much of the village is paralyzed that next morning, though those few souls who wisely decided to call it an early evening have enough wits about them to carry on with their days. Perhaps not so for our adventurers, who spirit or not, needed the downtime after several action packed days.

The adventurers spent much of that next day resting and recuperating from their exertions, celebratory or otherwise. Outside, snow flew in sideways sheets, the biting wind seeking any crack or crevice, struggling against the warmth of roaring fires and glowing coals.

The following morning, the snow has let up some, though flurries still descend from ashen clouds onto the village. That morning, the village is abuzz with new tidings: cultists of Auril swept through the village late last night, breaking into homes to round up residents for a sacrifice to the Frostmaiden. One such victim, Addisun, a young girl managed to break free and escape, arriving in the village frostbitten and nearly dead on her feet.

Addisun relays the gruesome tale between bouts of deathly shivering. A large number of villagers were rounded up, marched up the slopes of Kelvin's Cairn, stripped of their clothes and made to lie down on a rocky precipice overlooking the lake. There, the Auril Cultists formed a circle around the villagers, chanting over the villagers cries for mercy.

Addisun manages to slip away unseen. She traveled through the dark of morning and arrived just after dawn. She says she saw perhaps a dozen cultists, though she can't really remember.

As this sad tale is relayed, understandably, the villagers begin to eye the adventurers once again. "You will help us again, will you not?" one distraught woman asks.

Thane seemed very much the worse for wear come morning.  He definitely had had a LOT more to drink the previous than he was used to, and even his hardy Luskan constitution had taken a beating.  He was a bleary eyed presence the morning after at the common room, where he hogged a space in front of the fire wrapped in a thick blanket and drinking herbal teas by the potful.

He wasn't very talkative, whether having been suffering from a poor temper or maybe even slightly embarrassed about something.  Either way, he only mumbled short responses to queries and obviously preferred to be alone with his thoughts.

The second day, however, he was feeling much better.  Upon hearing of the trouble with the Frostmaiden's Cultists and the kidnapped (and most likely dead) villagers, the telltale flush of anger bespoke his immediate opinion.

"I'm inclined to do somethin' about this!" he declared.  He poked Hengar in the ribs.  "Sure as hell seems folk up here like freezin' other folk to death.  I'm kinda tired of it, meself."

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OOC: Rumor has it that Thane had intended to take a bath after the big party, but sadly passed dead out in the bath room before he could even get his boots off, and woke up come morning half frozen to death!

Kira had spent a lot of time with Dal, expounding all the virtues of their manly cohorts.  She'd forgotten her telling herself she wasn't going to drink more and by the time she'd found her way to the bathing chamber, she was far too giggly and walking somewhat sideways.  Seeing Thane passed out, she sighed and tried to cover him with a towel in lieu of any blankets then made her way to a room where she somehow managed to find her way under the piles of blankets sans boots but not socks.

The next day she'd spent bundled up close to the fire but would also spend lengths of time looking out the window, blinking sleepily as the snowflakes fluttered about.  She was a bit like a cat, part of her wanting to go out and play but feeling far too warm and lethargic to actually do so.  It felt too good to do nothing for a change, to be warm and have a full belly.  It was a comfort she hadn't known much of in her life and she was smart enough to bask in it for as long as possible.  She was no queen after all but she could dream!

She knew the peace couldn't last though and during those waking moments she'd thought of the scream they'd heard in the wind that had nearly sent them into the frozen waters.  The axe fell the second day as she descended for breakfast, looking sleepy yet rested at the same time.  Hearing the tale of the kidnappings, Kira sighed heavily as she accepted a mug of warm cider.  "Had a feeling they'd rear their ugly heads sooner rather than later," she grumbled.  "Need to cut the head off the snake, stop this crap once and for all."