The four heroes of Stormhaven were not at peace, with themselves, or even with each other entirely.  So many unanswered questions, so many options, fate was as usual a mysterious and sometimes cruel mistress.  A grudging majority, with time ticking on how long it would be before someone came to question or arrest them for the attempted assassination of the Lord Mayor adding pressure, it was decided to listen to Drusilla, and seek out Ingelbern.


In the days and weeks that followed their disappearance, many stories and clues were uncovered.  Half a dozen people swore they saw them leaving by a main gate, sadly, for the investigators, it was every gate leaving the city.  The gate guards themselves, swore no one left by their gates.   All searches led to nothing, no real evidence, no reliable witness, neither magic nor legwork led to any idea as to how or where the four suspects had gone. Some friends, some magics, some luck, may have been involved.


The real story is less amazing.  Heading to Peryn's Crag, the best direction was through the Witchlight and the Glades and out into the swamps.  An area where many friends were, and ones who did not like to share much with the city.  In dark night, on a skiff, they slipped through the swamps far beyond they'd gone before, until the water became too thick and brackish to push through.  Then they slugged through the muck until the land began to rise, into the very base of the Forlorn Hills.

Here, to turn east, would lead to rising hills and the Demonstone, and Calvrix's Keep even, but to the west of the these hills, they would follow hills, rising to great mountains, and beyond into unknown lands.

Whatever lie behind, a new adventure lie before....

The four adventurers find a certain relief to being on the move, outdoors but away from the many recent mysteries that have cropped up in their city.   Knowing though they might be followed, and despite a master Ranger's abilities to cover their tracks, the group presses on the whole of the next day.  Following on the western side of the low foothills, staying to the rocky paths, across boulders and scree wherever possible to leave little trace of passing.  By nightfall, the hills are growing higher.  The first night is spent in a little natural shelter formed by three large boulders, they help block the wind that sweeps in from the coastland, bringing with it the occasional whiff of saltwater, and the  promise of storms.
The first night is quiet enough, and dry, and rest comes easy.

On the second day, the trail becomes more distinct, man made and easy to follow although it rises and falls along the base of ever growing mountains.  By early evening, the mountains are so large they begin to cast shadows across the landscape, and you get the sense, you will be walking on those dark shadows for much of the rest of your march to Pyrin's Crag.  It is here that the trail splits, one way heads down, perhaps towards the sea, or just to follow more along the base of the mountain, the other rising in a series of steps following a rise in the mountain.

There are runes written on a stone at each path entrance.

Does anyone know dwarvish?
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:21, Fri 08 Nov 2019.

These first days out of Stormhaven, Rath tromped along uneasily, though without complaint. He frequently turned to look behind them, in the general direction of the city, even after it was invisible in the distance. Even more frequently, he took out that infernal compass and eyed its needle. His dark thoughts were a cloud behind his eyes.

Among the rocks, at camp that first night, with the ocean smell and the quiet, he poked at the fire. "Damn few in Stormhaven whose opinions I give a rat's-ass about," he announced. "They wanna call me assassin ... well, what they call me don't change what I am. Rose won't believe it, anyway. Hells, she wouldn't believe it even if it was true." He gave Marissa a sorry look. "But it's gonna be rough waters for you and your mama, I think. And Musfara ... it just pisses me off, is all, that they muddied you with this." (It wasn't that he forgot about Inas. Rath just figured the ranger was in Rath's camp -- uninterested in public opinion and honor, though perhaps for very different reasons.)

"Still, I'm thinking about Ben's mama and her brood, for some reason. Wondering what they think of the accusations."

---

Rath had no knowledge of dwarven runes, and the magic to decipher them was still out of his reach. "What do you make of those?" he asked his companions.

By the time of the first nights camp, Rath checks the compass and it is now facing due east.

Mari's mostly been silent during the start to their sojourn. When Aldo brings up her family, however, she laughs.

"No worries on my mother's account," she said with a proud grin. "She can take care of herself. Before me, there was her riding the high seas. She's got a trove of weapons at her disposal hidden throughout her clothing. I pity anyone who might try to close with her."

"As for me, well, I'm currently in good hands with boon companions and my spear. What more does a lady need?"

Although Inas does not speak dwarven, a close look at the runes reveal he has seen these before on roads and paths before in his vast travels.  They generally mean, free path  and  toll road .     The lower path is marked free.

"Nothing free is easy," Rath observed. "Well, some things are. But, anyway, I say we take the toll road." Obviously, he cedes to Inas' opinion, as the ranger is much better at making a judgment when diverging paths are concerned.

"The toll road'll be better traveled.  Not sure we want our whereabouts known, but doubt that it'll do much harm this far from Stormhaven."

The ranger shrugs.  "Six to one, half dozen to the other.  If you prefer the toll road, that's as good a reason as any to take it."

The party takes the high road, moving up stairs and even a few switchbacks, but the path is wide and smooth, excellently constructed.  Once it has risen about 200 feet above the valley floor, it levels out, becoming a real road.   You could run a horse and carriage along it.  For next few hours, the party makes excellent time as they move along the edge of the mountainside.  After two hours, an arch of stones of some great size comes into view.  Beyond it, from this distance, you can see the road continues on, but also splits and rises even higher into the mountain.  After another fifteen or twenty minutes of walking, you can see figures standing beneath arch, armored dwarves.

Inas notes the dwarves' presence, and continues to the arch.

The dwarves stand pretty resolute as the party approaches, seeming to take little note of their progress until you are only a dozen feet away, at which time one steps forward and speaks in dwarven in a deep voice.

Close up, the three dwarves are all dressed in heavy armor, and carrying large axes on their backs.  They have deep red beards, and are stout strong looking men.

Getting no response in dwarven, he tries again in common,

"Welcome travelers, what is your business and destination upon the Western Road?"

"We seek the other side, guardian," Mari said with quiet dignity. "We are looking for a friend and were told he came this way."

The dwarf nods, and pulls out a leather bound book,

in a thick accent, "Five gold ducets each, for full passage along the low road.  Follow the signs that look like this..." He holds open the book to a page that has a symbol with an axe with three slashes across the blade, "..if you make haste, you'll reach the low shelter by dark, the toll includes safe passage and a bed and fresh water at the shelter.  Sign in here, coins first, if your friend came this way, the name will be in this book".


ooc:  Assuming you pay, and sign, a quick look at the book does indeed reveal, on the page before, two names you recognize,  Inglebern, and Derien, the Doorwarden for the Wizards Guild, signed in one after the other.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Thu 14 Nov 2019.