"Agreed,  it's hard to have too much healing"

OOC:  19:05, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 3 using 1d20.  D20 roll

"The Mother will proooovide foooor the fooooood, I am a hunter. But healing herbs are always practical in an emergency."

Today: Khorth rolled 13 using 1d20

With their goods secured, the party was ready to set out on their way to the Axeholm.

As they left the town behind and found themselves in open fields, it was Akyra who first noticed and drew the group's attention to a large creature flying far to the east. It took a moment for some to spot it, or to work out what it was, but the priestess had no delay in recognizing the flying shape to be a dragon. It soared around the tallest snow-capped peak in the mountains for nearly half an hour before disappearing behind the peak for the rest of the day's journey.

Gundren spoke up, "Aye, we've seen that White flying around the area for several days. Icespire Peak seems to be where it's taken up residence. So far, it hasn't bothered the settlements, so we've done nothing about it, but I fear that will change before too long. Whites are aggressive and territorial." He seemed concerned, but Gundren was a dwarf with many things on his mind and many projects in the works. "It's not a threat just yet, so it's a problem for another day."

Travel was easy as you crossed the open and grassy lowlands that skirt the rocky foothills of the Sword Mountains. No clouds blocked the sun's light, which gave some amount of balance to the cool winds that blew in from the Sword Coast. Khorth surprised some in the group when he pulled out his rapier and struck at something low to the ground, not once, but twice. Some drew weapons or readied magical energy, while others simply looked on with confusion or concern, until he bent over to lift the bodies of two medium sized lizards. One went directly into his mouth while the other he tied off by its tail for snacking later.

By mid afternoon you left the grasslands behind for rocky foothills instead. It was a tiring hike, even for those accustomed to travel, as Gundren set a strong pace. Three hours into that, Gundren called a halt as you reached a relatively flat area that had obviously been using for camping, as three fire rings still stood, a small pile of wood was stacked near a large rock, and most of the vegetation had been flattened by traffic.

Don-Jon and the others began to set their packs down near one of the pits. "This is where we camp tonight."

Gundren got the group's attention and pointed up to the dark gray mountains. "You can't see it from here, but if you look up into the mountains, do you see the different layers of rock, where the colors go lighter and darker? If you follow that darkest layer to the south, you'll see the rock split, about where that tree line ends, and then the dark layer kind of-"

"Where the rock looks like it folds over?" Ariadne interjected.

"Aye, that's it. That's where Axeholme is. From the south, that fold is actually a gap in the rock, and that's where the entrance is located. I've had a team of miners working to break through the fallen stones and make way to the gates. The gap is about fifteen feet wide, or so, and all the stone around the gate is perfectly smooth. There's an iron portcullis there, rusted over like you wouldn't believe, but that's the entrance."

Ariadne carefully studied their surroundings,  acquainting herself with this part of the mountains, and helped set up the camp.
She was eager to explore new areas of the mountains, and to see what wonders and treasures would be revealed
And she tried to prepare herself for whatever danger the mountains threw their way

Akyra walked beside Gundren most of the way, her silence one seeming of grim focus was actually contemplation. Her new task was about to be tested and she kept thinking of her place within the group and within bahamut's graces.

When he spoke of the entrance, she looked at the rock, but saw no change in rock color - all she saw was stone on stone, but she trusted the dwarf....after all, she knew him most of her life. "How far is it to the entrance from here Gundren?" She asked

"I wouldn't have noticed those features had you not mentioned them."
Chlora kept her gaze on the different strata of rock that had been pointed out learning perhaps a little bit about the Dwarven people or mining.

Brillik Followed the group, and gnawed on some dried meat as they walked keeping fairly quiet.  He watched the large flying lizard, and finally smiled, wondering if and when they'd meet the foul beast.

Though his comrades seemed to be weary from the day's march Brillik had plenty in reserve, so he looked at the other dwarves as they called for a break in their march to setup camp, but didn't voice his concern.  He was familiar with the area, and heard stories of the location that Gundren spoke of though he never visited it before.  As the dwarf talked of the mountains he immediately recognized the physical signposts that Gundren described, but let him talk and show his own expertise in the landscape.

"A Rusted gate you say?  I've never met a passage barred that I couldn't open... yet, " he said as he stared grimly at Gundren.  A stressful moment passed between the two, until Brillik's face widened into a grin that stretched from ear to ear and he guffawed, nearly falling over.

The reptilian hunter hissed when he saw the dragon in the sky, fingering his sword-tooth, itself possibly coming from a dragon. He often took point during the walk and when Gundren gave his explanation of where the entrance to the complex was, he looked confused. As he was confused by his lack of success bringing meat back to the group when they stopped. The poor lizard folk shook his head at Brilik's near challenge to Gundren, not understanding the hilarity of the situation.

---

Today: Khorth rolled 9 using 1d20+4 with rolls of 5.  survival

Gundren answered, "We'll reach the gates mid-morning, the day after tomorrow. Pushing on in the dark isn't safe with all the rocks we're going to be hiking through to get there. Torches and spells actually make it worse, with all the shadows they cast."

Don-Jon pulled up his shirt and showed a series of jagged and roughly-healed scars that ran up his ribs on his right side. "I've been through here a dozen times, know where I'm going and what to watch out for, and I still took a fall."


"Every change in the stone is like an entire book all on its own. Modern history is written on parchment, but the history of the world itself is written in stone." It seemed far too simple an answer, but it seemed like he felt he'd explained it perfectly.


Gundren shared the grim look, and the laughter that followed. "Well, if they haven't managed to break through it themselves, we may just have to put that to the test."

Don-Jon took an interest in the sisters, "Most people don't know one rock from another, most of 'em don't particularly care. If you're ever having trouble sleeping, just ask him some questions and he'll bore you right to sleep." He said it with a smile, giving Chlora a quick wink as he said it.

"What kind of environment are you used to, back home? Mountains? Trees? Plains as far as the eye can see?"

For the first time since they arrived at the campsite, Zhalis spoke up, "We are from an island named Tikal. We have some beaches, but it's mostly tropical plants. Very hot, very humid, good for communing with Leviathan."

"Island life? That's something I could get used to. Sunshine. Calming waves. The smell of that ocean breeze..." Don-Jon seemed rather caught up in his imagination, leaning back as if to bask in the scene he was describing.

Gundren cut in, adding another perspective, "Wind that never stops blowing, raining more days that not, sahuagin and their pet sharks, and sand in your boots, you mean? That's the reality of it in my experience."

Don-Jon seemed almost insulted, "Nooo, it can't be as bad as all that. I've been looking forward to settling down on a beach after my adventuring days are done. Some days, sure. It can't all be good, but it can't all be bad either." He looked toward the clutch sisters for confirmation.

"It definitely isn't all sunshine and roses if that's what you're alluding to, Don-Jon. Sadly, Gundren has the right idea of things."

"Sometimes the Sahugain drag off sacrifices, sometimes we do. Though most of the time it is as lovely as you imagined. I love sunning myself on nice rocks by the sea." Lady Chlora smiles.

Ariadne chuckled and shrugged
"Still, I'm always up for exploring new environments.  Sounds like fun"

Raised in marshes and wetland, the lizard-folk tried to imagine a beach like that described and shook his head to refocus, his imagination unable to make that leap. "Maybe we shooould fooocus oooon the task at hand, there are dead that walk toooo destrooooy in the rooock diggers tunnel."

Akyra listened to the talk, a draconic smile on her face. "It seems there are dangers everywhere these days - all we can do is prepare for what we can."

She looked up. "I grew up in a monestary after i escaped my family - an evil clan wasn't a nice enviroment to live in. The monks were quiet, but taught me well, and as gundren knows, i was a fighter of a hatchling - how i came to be a war cleric."

She sighed as she looked down. "...but like time, things change, and this place we go to was once a place of harmony for gundren and his people. Who knows what we will find. If there are dead, you leave them to me." The last sentence, she said with a certainty of the warrior she once was

Don-Jon nodded in reply to Zhalis and Chlora's comments, though he cast a questioning look in Gundren's direction when she mentioned dragging off sacrifices.

Gundren found Khorth's change in subject to be rather well-timed, "Aye. I have no doubt that Akyra can handle some of the smaller ones you'll run into. The banshee is the one to fear, I am sure. Khorth, you too harness the powers of a god; what tactics would you suggest for the coming battle?"

The warrior pondered Gundren's question before shrugging. "The Mother dooooes noooot care hoooow the deed is doooone, She ooonly wants the dead that walk back in the natural cycle oooof life and death. I am a foooorest and marshes hunter, I dooo nooot knooow about rooock diggers tunnels. Without a map, I can noooot fooorm a strategy. But I'm sure that with Raging Charger at my side, I can stooop the dead that walk looong enough for Darkscale, Firehairs and the Scaly brooood tooo destroooy the dead that walk frooom afar."

Ariadne nodded with a wry smile
"My specialty is dealing with the living, but in my Order the undead are vehemently hated.  They're not part of the Natural Order,  after all.  So you'll definitely have all the help i can give destroying them"

Akyra looked at her hands and had a serious look on her face. "Any undead, i will deal with - just keep any of the other things off me and i will deal with the rest." She had a hint of the warrior still in her

With a bit of food, the warmth of a fire, and friendly chatter about origins and plans, the night passed by mostly without event.

During Chlora's watch, she felt a chill run through her and a sense of fear that went along with it. She didn't know the source, and neither saw nor heard a reason for it, lingering for just shy of one minute before it faded. Zhalis was awoken, adding another pair of eyes and ears to the mix, but still... nothing. The two finished Chlora's watch together, and Zhalis's afterward, but the feeling never returned, and the source was never identified. Chlora wondered if perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her, but it had an almost physical presence of realism about it that made her quite certain that the source was real. Whatever it had been.

When morning came, Don-Jon prepared a meal and then he and the miners who came with him split off from the group as they'd planned, and the party joined Gundren in their continued journey toward the ruins of the dwarven fortress of Axeholm to face the fallen banshee and whatever undead or other tricks awaited them there.

The broken, gravely paths slowly solidified as you entered the mountains proper and dirt mostly gave way to solid stone. The vegetation changed, becoming more sparse and much smaller in general. The wind picked up a chill, hinting at the cold weather that Gundren had told you to expect. Brillik and Gundren took to the changes in both weather and environment like they had been born to it. About what you would expect from dwarves, really.

Some of the trail was nearly as good today as it had been before the dwarven fortress had fallen, while other parts had been completely erased or even destroyed by time and weather. The mountain air was fresh and clean, but carried an occasional hint of metal to it, and what dirt could be see was a reddish-orange in color; a result of high iron content, Gundren explained. Where the path was good, travel was easy, and where it was not, the hike was increasingly rough and having to actually climb was not uncommon.

The first 3 who reply, include a d20 roll for me, please. This part is more of the journey, getting us to Axeholm itself.

Akyra was one of the first to arise, most seeing her sitting crossed-legged and looking to the sky almost blanky. The cool weather, though an annoyance to most of the dragonborn kind, was a welcoming feel to her. Since her transition into her new role within bahamut's embrace, she found her childhood fascination of weather was again peaked.

As she rode by Gudren, she looked at the dwarf with a smile. "Al the years i spent focusing on the battle tactics and fighting, i forgot the freedom of nature and life." She looked in the air as they made their way. ":I questioned my choice at first if it was the right one - not stepping into the lightning as i would have done that to save my friends. No, my choice of remaining as a warrior priest or this new incarnation i am becoming."

She looked at the dwarf. "Yes, i still retain my warrior training and instincts, but i also have a new path, and feeling the wind's embrace somehow has freed my spirit."

---

<OOC: Akyra Clethtinthiallor rolled 16 using 1d20.  roll as asked by gm.>

Ariadne smiled to herself at the cleric's words.  She didn't respond,  as they weren't directed at her, but she was a bit amused by them.  As a druid, she appreciated growth and personal evolution, but didn't share the same feeling of drama about it
 She was more stoic about her changes, and just accepted them as her path in the Natural Order.

Ariadne enjoyed the walk, even when they needed to climb the rocky terrain.  The natural world was much preferred to her, especially now, when they approached a confrontation with the unnatural dead.


OOC:  06:53, Today: Ariadne Greenthorn rolled 19 using 1d20.  Requested roll

"That was most unpleasant. I think the banshee may have been watching us last night. I felt it in my scales, as did my sister." She informs the others.

"Or perhaps the mines stretch all the way out here and under us." She shrugs slightly and prepares for their trek.


09:03, Today: Lady Chlora rolled <orange>15 using 1d20 ((15)).
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