The Bone Shaft
Upon arriving in the Fire Lake cavern, they immediately prepare to defend themselves. No one attacks.
They cautiously search the cavern. All is still. They find their rations, fully intact, but don’t trust it. They thoroughly search every nook and cranny and determine their rocky blockade in the water entrance is intact.
They position themselves around the marbled pink and green pillar. Qarzdaq and Farron take a ranged position while Aran and Qhortho are prepared for melee. Aran has his ghost wolf positioned with him, ready to pounce.
After some discussion, Qhortho volunteers to place the spherical stone into the pillar. After placing it, the pillar shakes and crumbles into a rocky pile. In its place, a large skeletal creature with three heads appears!
Everyone’s artifacts glow brightly.
QHOR: Everyone keep your distance!
Aran and Qarzdaq acknowledge and agree.
Qarzdaq then summons a ball of sunlight in his palms and sends its energy bursting in a wide beam towards the creature. The enemy recoils from the beam’s sheer brightness, but doesn’t seem overly sensitive to the radiant damage.
Qhortho sees an opportunity to catch the skeletal Skull Lord off-guard, but his sword glances off its armor.
QHOR: He’s got heavy plate!
FARR: I got something for that!
Farron causes the creature’s armor to glow a deep red with heat. Though it is clearly hurting it, the creature’s determination keeps it focused on the party. The creature quickly scans the area and repositions itself strategically. Just as it is about to cast some sort of spell, it is countered by Qarzdaq.
QARZ: Yeah!
Qarzdaq Hastes Qhortho and Aran just as the cavern floor begins to subtly shake. Five skeletons rise from the ground around the Skull Lord. Farron heats the Skull Lord’s armor again, but again, its sheer will prevents any major issue for the creature.
Aran attacks the Skull Lord and attempts to frighten it, but it is entirely unfazed. With something like this, chances are he’s immune to such effects. Lord Pepperworth bites at the creature but misses.
The smaller skeletons circle Qhortho, Aran, and the spectral dire wolf.
Aran manages to land a few hits on the Skull Lord, but this thing has a ways to go before it’s felled.
The skeletons seem to haphazardly move around Aran and Qhortho, provoking unnecessary opportunity attacks, and killing 2 in the process. However, while Aran and Qhortho are fighting the lesser skeletons, the Skull Lord manages to walk by them unprovoked!
Qarzdaq sees the undead creature approaching and attempts with all he’s got to disintegrate it. It manages to break a few of its bone, showing just how much damage he could inflict in a matter of seconds, but the Skull Lord continues towards him faster.
It gets between Qarzdaq and Farron, now within striking distance of both with fifteen-foot staff.
Qhortho rushes towards the Skull Lord, being careful not to get too close to Qarzdaq. He hits the creature hard, but not enough to make it lose focus on Qarzdaq and Farron. The Skull Lord raises its bone staff and smashes down on Farron. Farron quickly casts Shield and the bone staff impacts the force bubble as Farron braces for impact. This angers the Skull Lord, who attempts to smash Farron again, but again, only the force shield is struck. Farron quickly uses Dimension Door to teleport across the cavern.
It looks to Qarzdaq as its next target just as his superheated plate armor is getting to him. Aran finishes off the remaining skeletons then rushes up to the Skull Lord and smashes him to smithereens with one solid final blow. Dust billows up from the crushed dry bones it leaves behind.
Aran reaches down into the pile of remains to retrieve the upgraded Ioun stone. He holds It up to look at it more intently, realizing they hadn’t ever tested out what the original version of this thing did.
ARAN: I hear if you take some of that bone dust and put it into tea, it really helps your bone shaft.
The party spends no time waiting around for the Eyrie folks to show up, and teleport at once back to Greyguard.
The Saboteur
They appear in the middle of the Greyguard courtyard. The sun sits high in the sky as they look for Myke, who happens to find them before they find him.
MYKE: My Lords. Welcome back.
ARAN: Got any beer yet?
MYKE: It just so happens that the brewery is almost complete, but I do want to talk to you about something. Things are going well here. It seems everyone is acting a part of a single team. We’re making solid progress here, especially since the stables were completed.
ARAN: That is good news. Why does it sound like you had something bad to tell us?
MYKE: Well… I think there is a saboteur. I don’t know who it is yet, but I intend to find out.
ARAN: What kind of sabotage are we talking about?
MYKE: Missing tools. Destruction of new construction. It’s all minor stuff that might go unnoticed, but I notice it. I don’t have any more of an update on it yet, but I would rather you let me figure this out though. I don’t want random accusations to throw a wrench in the teamwork we’ve got working here. Obviously, it’s your call though.
ARAN: As long as you have a systematic plan to find those involved.
MYKE: I’ve had my trusted men from Winterfell helping keep watch on the grounds through the night, but they’ve evaded us so far.
ARAN: Have you been moving workers from site to site?
MYKE: I have, yes. It’s only been a couple of days since it’s started.
ARAN: Do you think it’s a materials problem? Or a labor problem? I’ve heard stories of a substance that can dissolve metals.
MYKE: I could not rule anything out.
ARAN: You need to log where these materials are coming from and which teams are working with what.
MYKE: All of our materials and tools come through the Nightfort, but I will try to find exceptions.
QARZ: It sounds like you’re on top of it.
ARAN: Once you have someone, I’d like to speak with them.
MYKE: Of course.
A loud bang of something heavy dropping onto stone is heard in the distance, followed by some commotion.
MYKE: I’m sorry, but I must take my leave to handle that.
Myke rushes off shaking his head. He clearly has a handle on things here, but he seems to be carrying a heavy load.
Aran takes out the newly upgraded Ioun stone and walks over to one of the building sites within earshot and sight of Myke. His intent is to assess Myke’s capabilities without making him feel watched. He sits on the ground alongside Lord Pepperworth, resting against a half-built wall examining the spherical Ioun stone as he listens in on the crew.
Aran detunes with his Delver’s Gauntlets and focuses more on the marbled pink and green sphere. After some time, he attunes with the stone and finds it to provide a boost to his charisma and sense of leadership.
They rest that night at Greyguard with plans to visit the Nightfort on the morrow.
The Lords of Graywatch
They awake and perform their normal rituals then teleport to the Nightfort. Upon arrival, one man of the Night’s Watch is within two feet of Qhortho walking towards him. He immediately jumps backward, dropping all of the tools he was carrying.
QHOR: You act like you’ve never seen a Dothraki appear out of thin air!
The man stammers, realizing this is the magic he’s heard murmurs about.
MAN: I… I haven’t. Until now. One more thing I can check off my list!
ARAN: You ever seen a translucent dire wolf before?
Lord Pepperworth stands next to Aran then sits.
QARZ: List is getting shorter all the time.
The man’s eyes are trained on the dire wolf, entranced by its appearance.
MAN: Around here, you have no idea.
QARZ: I’ve seen shit that’ll turn you white.
QHOR: Especially north of the Wall.
MAN: North of the Wall?
QHOR: You’ve never been north of the Wall?
MAN: No, I can’t say I have. But it is on my list!
QHOR: We gotta take this guy along next time!
ARAN: We just came from way north of the Wall.
MAN: Oh yeah?
ARAN: Yeah. We collected loads of dragon glass weapons for you guys.
QHOR: We have just come from the Fist of the First Men.
ARAN: We fought the white army.
MAN: Oh wow! You have dragon glass weapons?
QHOR: On our next outing, you should come. Help us fight.
MAN: I… I’m just a steward.
ARAN: Then can you get us a beer?
MAN: Yeah… I suppose… But wait, are you guests of someone?
QARZ: The Lord Commander.
MAN: He’s expecting you?
ARAN: Well, we’re unexpected, but we’ll welcome us. We’re looking over Greywatch right now.
MAN: Greywatch?
QARZ: Greyguard.
MAN: How could you possibly preside over a castle you don’t even know the name of?
ARAN: It used to be called Greywatch before people were there. Now it’s Greyguard.
The man isn’t buying it and is less in awe of the party than he was just moments ago.
MAN: Yeah, I don’t…
QHOR: No. You don’t, do you. So, where is the Lord Commander?
MAN: Oh, he’s over there.
The man points to the Lord Commander, who seems to be meeting with the First Ranger, First Steward, and First Builder.
ARAN: Thanks. So did you say you can get us some beer?
MAN: Well, I suppose, yeah.
QHOR: We’ll be speaking with the Lord Commander first and get our own beer.
MAN: Very well.
The man picks up his tools and heads off.
The Assembly make their presence known, but stand a respectable distance away as to not interrupt or otherwise intrude on official business.
As the discussion carries on, the Lord Commander jabs his index finger into the First Ranger’s chest, forcing him to lean backward slightly with each strike. The Lord Commander turns away from them and sees the party. He does not look happy.
A Delivery of Dragonglass
He walks past the group, speaking to them as he does.
BYRON: Aran, Qhortho, Farron, Qarzdaq. Good to see you’re still alive. How is Greyguard?
The party follows alongside him.
ARAN: We’re back from the Fist of the First Men. We fought a great battle. We found the weapons the Children left up there for the Watch. And apparently while we’ve been up here, some people wiped out the primary safe haven of the Children in the Reach. We don’t know any more details.
BYRON: Hold on just a moment.
The Assembly look at each other, wondering whether he is even paying attention. Byron turns towards the way he’d come from and motions for the First Steward to come over. The First Steward hurries over at once.
BYRON: Let me see your map of the lands north of the Wall.
The First Steward finds the map in one of his pockets and hands it over. Byron rolls it out on the top of a nearby barrel.
BYRON: Point to where you believe you were.
The group work out where they were and point to it on his map. He nods.
BYRON: That is the Fist alright. So what happened there?
They describe how they were attacked by an army in the hundreds, with dozens of them able to reach the plateau. They describe the way in which the Children were instrumental in the fight, and how although they’d won the day, there were considerable losses.
The Lord Commander does no appear shaken by the undead progress.
BYRON: And you retrieved dragonglass?
ARAN: We did. We brought them with us for you to arm your men.
Byron nods.
BYRON: We had a report from beyond the Wall that a group had been making progress north and they were met by a white cloud the likes none of the wildlings had seen in recent times.
He rolls up the map and hands it back to the First Steward.
BYRON: You see? The report was no farce. This is what we are up against. You still think this a bloody joke? Prepare our stores as best you can. We may have weeks or it may be mere days. Time is of the essence. Do not waste it or we all may perish.
The First Steward leaves and Byron turns back to the group.
BYRON: You mentioned the Children.
QARZ: Yes, but I don’t know how much we can rely on their help going forward.
BYRON: Why?
QARZ: They’re just so few in number.
BYRON: That is exactly WHY they need to be in this fight.
QHOR: The men in the south attacked their home. Razed it from what we’re told. They’re not exactly willing to aid humans.
BYRON: Then they should be doing it for their own good. Without us as meat shields, they don’t stand a chance.
ARAN: I don’t know, they had some neat protection in the Haunted Forest. They might be able to hunker down and ride it out.
Byron begins to lose his patience.
BYRON: RIDE IT OUT?! There is no riding this out! That force plows through us, there is no coming back for millennia!
This is drawing some attention from the nearby Watch.
QHOR: Listen. We don’t know what’s in their heads. We’re grasping at explanations and planning the best we can. We’re going to continue to take the fight to the north.
BYRON: Fine. Yes. My apologies. You are doing a great service to the realm. What else did you find?
They describe the stones carved with ancient glyphs and the packages of dragonglass weapons rolled up in black cloaks. They also describe the spirits waiting on the Fist, there to aid them and find vengeance. They describe how all but this one spectral dire wolf disappeared as they’d destroyed the undead.
Byron mutters under his breath: The Last Rangers…
BYRON: So the stories are true I suppose… Have you learned where they are coming from?
They tell him that they only believe it is to the northwest, but they intend to continue their trek.
BYRON: Look. This is all appreciated. Though you must understand that as much as the realm needs you doing this, it also needs you to be alive. Don’t die, ok?
They laugh and the mood lightens somewhat.
Our First Only Choice
A steward walks up sloshing four pints of beer.
MAN: My lords, here are your beers.
The Lord Commander looks at him then to the party, raising one eyebrow.
QHOR: And where is the Lord Commander’s?
The man remains quiet.
ARAN: Yeah, we don’t have our brewery up and running at Greyguard yet.
BYRON: No brewery? What kind of second-rate operation are you running out there anyhow? Brewery first!
The man smiles like he was invited in to listen to a different Lord Commander than he’s known since his time in the Watch.
ARAN: You know what? I was saying the same thing!
Byron laughs with a single burst.
BYRON: In all seriousness though, who is running the show out there?
The man realizes it is time he takes his leave and does so quietly.
They talk about Myke and how he’s been doing. Byron seems skeptical about some random soldier’s ability to run the castle grounds. They try convincing him that Myke really is a good choice.
Qhortho mentions that Myke didn’t even want the command. He says that surely means he is not thirsting for power.
Byron suggests that maybe Myke was cognizant of his own limitations.
Qarzdaq mentions that they had a need for someone to take a leadership role while the Assembly is away. He goes on to say that Myke’s loyalty to the Assembly pushed him to help in any way they deemed possible and appropriate.
Byron suggests that this loyalty may drive people to bite off more than they can chew.
Aran mentions that, of course, they will accept the final word from Byron, but states it’s worth seeing Myke in action before deciding.
Byron asks if they are recommending him for the permanent position.
ARAN: Yeah, I think so. Unless you have somebody better. This guy’s really good though, and I don’t think you have someone better at the ready.
BYRON: His time in the Night’s Watch can be measured in weeks. There are plenty of people who have learned the ins and outs by moving up the ranks. He may have great intentions, and may be a skilled soldier, but that does not make him suited to command one of the few castles along the Wall at a time where every decision could have a major impact on the survival of the realm. Are you prepared for that to be on your shoulders?
He looks across the group for some response.
QARZ: The thing is, it’s not just him. He has a small group of people from Winterfell with him that all seem to be working well together to divide duties as needed, with Myke being at the helm.
BYRON: All the easier to stage a coup if they believe you are not doing your jobs.
QHOR: Well, it’s not all sunshine and Dornish roses. There seems to be an issue with some tools going missing.
BYRON: This is what I’m talking about! You need a proper commander there!
QHOR: He’s getting to the bottom of it.
ARAN: I don’t think it’s fair to blame Myke for this. Someone is trying to sabotage our progress. He is flushing that out now.
QARZ: Yeah, he’s on top of it.
ARAN: And once we have those responsible, we will let you know. We’ll also find out why. We can make anybody tell us the truth. And that’s a fact.
Byron squints slightly.
BYRON: Have you used these methods on this guy? Myke? How do you know he’s not the saboteur?
ARAN: We could do that. I have no reason to not trust him, but I think that’s a pretty good idea.
BYRON: You see… this is part of the problem. You think this is a good idea. This is a man you believe to be a good commander. A man that, just moments ago, you were vouching to run one of the major stronghold points against the undead. How can your judgment be trusted if you think applying your interrogation tactics on this man is a good idea?
ARAN: Like we’ve said from the beginning, if you have somebody better, put him in there. I like this guy, but I don’t give a shit if it’s somebody else. But here’s what I won’t like. You put someone in that position who is worse, I’m going to be pissed. I trust you and your leadership, but that will piss me off as you would surely understand.
BYRON: It doesn’t sound like you’re spending much time there anyway.
ARAN: We got a lot going on. What can I say. Look at all these dragonglass weapons. Should we just take them a back?
QHOR: We’re fighting the undead up there so we don’t fight them down here. We should not stop just so we can play housekeeper.
QARZ: Our skills are better used beyond the Wall. But we’re not absent from Greyguard. What you must remember is that we can travel very quickly. We’ve been to the Fist. For most, that would entail a three-week journey back to the Wall. For us? Mere seconds. And when we continue north, we will be back at the Fist within seconds, and can continue our journey immediately upon arrival there. When was the last time you sent out a ranging party even five days north?
BYRON: Five days, yes, but nothing like the distance you’ve traveled. Look. My issue is not with you in particular. My issue is that you are making decisions that impact the rest of us while you are not at the post. You do not owe it to anyone to take that post, and perhaps providing you the opportunity to run it is a mistake.
The words linger for a moment before he continues.
BYRON: However… I am not ready to steer away just yet. I need to make sure you recognize your lapses as early as possible, and that will REQUIRE me to be fairly harsh at times. If you don’t like that, then you can fuck right off.
He says these words without vitriol.
An Unbiased Assessment
FARR: Can we take a step back? What if you were to send a trusted high-experience steward out to Greyguard to assess his abilities and train him on his weakest areas? If your man deems him untrainable for whatever reason, that would inform us all that a replacement is needed. But if our gut is correct, and we have many reasons to trust it, Myke is the guy and all of us can feel comfortable with him in charge.
BYRON: This seems reasonable.
Byron asks about the lows and highs, just for additional context. They describe the power vacuum that existed initially and how everything is moving forward in the right direction since Myke has been in charge, save the sabotage situation, which is being chased down as they speak.
BYRON: And he has just been taking it on himself to act?
ARAN: Not exactly. He’s been giving us feedback and his recommendations based on his read on the situations.
QARZ: And his reads have been remarkably on point. His council has been quite wise and open for discussion as well.
ARAN: Yeah, and yet he always defers to our judgment. He is not trying to be the guy in charge for the power.
FARR: You don’t know us well yet, but we’re actually quite good at dealing with situations. We see some of that in Myke as well. It is our official opinion, as the protectors of Greyguard, that Myke be given the opportunity to succeed in this role.
Byron was on the fence until Farron turned on the charisma.
BYRON: I do not trust easily. It is learned from years of being taught such lessons in the past. You’ve provided a great deal more information than I had. 99 of 100 people will believe they know what they are doing, when in actuality, they do not. However, you lot are unique. It seems you are either that good or you may have just gotten lucky. Especially in this case with Myke. Either way, I agree with your plan to have our First Steward go that way.
QHOR: It is not luck. It is just unlikely.
BYRON: Unlikely indeed.
Byron looks around and notices the First Steward across the yard. He calls him over again.
BYRON: Phryd, I do not believe you’ve been formally introduced to this group. They collectively call themselves the Unlikely Assembly, but individually they are Aran, Farron, Qarzdaq, and Qhortho. Assembly, meet Phrydrykstein, First Steward of the Night’s Watch. There is no one more knowledgeable about the logistics and processes of the Night’s Watch than him.
PHRYDRYKSTEIN: Please, call me Phryd.
[pronounced, Fred]
The men exchange pleasantries.
BYRON: Phryd, I’m going to send you out to Greyguard on a very specific mission. You are to assess the man in the leadership role, Myke, and provide training to him with respect to leading a command on the Wall. From what I learned, it seems he is well-suited for the position, but I need a trusted advisor to make the assessment and provide guidance.
PHRYD: Yes, Lord Commander. When would you have me leave?
BYRON: At once.
ARAN: Yeah, hey Phryd, you ready to make the jump?
PHRYD: Jump?
QARZ: Yeah, we’re not traveling by foot.
Phrydrykstein looks around quizzically. Byron smirks.
BYRON: One final word. You have with you the First Steward. He leads the entire Steward Order. Without him, the Night’s Watch will be at a major loss. Take good care of him. Phryd, do not worry. You are in good hands.
Myke and Phryd
They instantly teleport to Greyguard.
They quickly find Myke, introduce him to Phryd, and explain the situation.
MYKE: I thought I was to be an interim commander.
QHOR: Do you want to be replaced?
The steward looks on as if there has been a huge misalignment of objectives.
ARAN: You really are the best person for the job. Given that we’re not the authority on the subject, we’re going to see what Phryd thinks.
MYKE: I’ve been making it work so far…
QARZ: And the First Steward is going to make it work even better. By the way, have you found the saboteur yet?
Myke laughs. It’s been only a matter of minutes since they’d discussed the topic, so he knows this was a joke.
MYKE: Not yet. Check back with me in another few minutes.
The party laughs.
MYKE: In all seriousness though, can I have a word privately?
The party agrees.
MYKE: Phryd, I just want to thank you in advance for your help in getting me up to speed. There is room for you in the barracks over that way. Several of the beds are unoccupied. Please feel free to take any one you wish. I will be with you shortly, I just need to handle a matter with my lords.
Phryd takes his leave and Myke lowers his voice.
MYKE: This guy is the First Steward of the entire Night’s Watch. He’s got a close relationship with the Lord Commander. I mean, that’s pretty obvious. Just, uh, I want to be aware of the political implications of everything, so…
ARAN: Ah. Yes. We want you to act exactly as you have been. Don’t bother hiding anything, no matter how clumsy it may seem. Everything is above board and we want him reporting everything back to the Lord Commander so he has an independent assessment.
MYKE: If any messages are received for the First Steward, do you want me to intervene to learn their contents?
QARZ: I wouldn’t get in the way with anything like that.
Aran agrees.
QARZ: We don’t want anything to tarnish your reputation and the guy deserves his privacy.
ARAN: I wouldn’t worry about it man. He’s just here to make you better.
MYKE: What about the saboteur? What if I find him and the First Steward sends a message out… I guess… I just want to know where you want the boundaries placed in terms of information control. I just don’t know what this guy’s all about.
QHOR: We’re all on the same team.
ARAN: He does have a point though about the saboteur. Maybe keep that information close to the chest for now. Don’t hide anything from him, but don’t go out of your way either.
QARZ: We don’t want the suspect going back to the Nightfort though.
MYKE: What if they try to?
ARAN: Just lock the suspect up and tell them you have your orders to keep him here.
QARZ: Just stall the best you can. We’d prefer to teleport the saboteur because we don’t know who else they may be working with. We certainly wouldn’t want for anyone to encounter an ambush on the road between the castles.
ARAN: Definitely keep your focus on learning from Phryd. He’s got a lot of knowledge and we’ll only have him here for a short while. Just make the most of it.
MYKE: Is there any area you want me to focus my learning on?
ARAN: That would be a great question to ask Phryd. From our perspective, you’re doing great. The things they will teach you are beyond our knowledge, so we couldn’t tell you the best things to learn from him.
QARZ: Just keep an open mind and absorb what you can.
ARAN: Logistics, prioritization, strategy. Whatever you can do to keep things efficient and to plan for what might happen next.
MYKE: Understood.
Just before they break, Aran has one more question.
ARAN: Where’s my brewery?
Myke laughs.
MYKE: It’s coming soon. I promise.
The party leaves Myke to meet with Phryd. They tell him that if Myke finds the saboteur, or any suspects, he has orders to keep them here, locked up. Phryd tells them that is fine, but that he will still report back when he has information. Everyone agrees and is on the same page.
The party makes one more point very clear, they are interested in an unbiased assessment of Myke’s capabilities, whether good or bad. Everyone is going to be open to the process and they reiterate that Myke will not push back if he’s told ways to improve. Phryd is happy to hear this, and seems pleased that the Assembly went out of their way to state it explicitly like this.
They spend the rest of the day resting so they can be at full strength and capability before setting out from the Fist.
Re-Enter the Fist
The next morning, after their normal rituals and restocking their rations, the Unlikely Assembly teleport to the Fist of the First Men. The first thing they do upon arrival is open the holographic compass. It still points to the north-northwest.
Aran understands that his friend Lord Pepperworth knows the direction to the target of its vengeance, so he asks Lord Pepperworth which direction he’d like to go. Lord Pepperworth points due west.
They hike down the south side of the Fist then head west along the Milkwater. They make a full day’s travel and they make camp. That night, each of them have vivid dreams. They are all jolted awake in the middle of the dark night by the growl of a snow leopard just outside the tent. It seems to have discovered the structure, but it is apprehensive of getting too close.
This creature may not be undead, but after a few moments, they notice its eyes through the darkness being a blue hue. Not piercing, like the undead, but clearly something is amiss.
They discuss what to do about this thing. Qhortho wants to speak with it. Aran wants to kill it. Qarzdaq wants to let it make the first move, just incase there is some religious significance or a test behind it.
They decide to let Qhortho get some information, but Aran doesn’t trust it. He plans to exit the tent around the back way and circle around in case he needs to get the jump on the snow leopard. Qhortho begins his ten-minute ritual.
For the entire time, the snow leopard paces back and forth, getting more courageous with each passing minute. After the ritual has been cast, Qhortho steps out and speaks to the animal.
QHOR: We mean no harm.
The leopard jumps back and responds. Everyone else hears growls while Qhortho understands it in the common tongue.
LEOPARD: You don’t belong here.
QHOR: I know. We are here to fight the dead. Have you seen them? Where can we find them?
Farron remains inside the tent and sends some inspiration towards Qhortho.
LEOPARD: The dead are all around us. You are about to be part of them. I need food. You are food.
QHOR: I can give you food, if you can help us.
LEOPARD: How much food?
QHOR: Until your belly is full. I am going to light my torch so we can both see each other.
Qhortho lights a torch then retrieves some jerky from his rations. He holds out the jerky for the snow leopard to see and sniff. The leopard is still twenty feet from him, but that’s close enough for it to know the smell of meat.
QHOR: There’s more where this came from. I’ll go a step further and make you an offer. I will keep your belly full if you will warn us of any undead around us.
It seems to consider this.
LEOPARD: If I sense any deceit…
QHOR: You will not.
Qhortho takes a knee and tosses the jerky five feet in front of the snow leopard.
At this point, the rest of the group has no idea what is going on, as all they hear is Qhortho and the leopard growling and snarling back and forth. There doesn’t seem to be any advancing aggression, so they hold tight just waiting for a signal.
QARZ: Hey Qhortho, you doing alright over there?
QHOR: Yes, it’s under control. He’s going to scout for us in exchange for rations.
The snow leopard is instantly on edge. It has just heard a voice from someone it cannot see. Qhortho turns back to the snow leopard.
QHOR: I am here with friends. Do not be alarmed. They are honest and trustworthy like me.
This calms the beast somewhat. Luckily, it has not noticed Aran sneaking around on the ground. Loud thuds can now be heard in the vicinity.
QHOR: I don’t now what that is, but before we find out, I need to know: are you accepting our deal?
LEOPARD: For now.
QHOR: What is your name?
LEOPARD: Ra-Rahr.
QHOR: Ok so listen Ra-Rahr. In order for me to speak with you like this, it takes some preparation time. At the times when I cannot speak with you, we need to have another way to communicate. You are quite stealthy. If you make yourself obviously seen to us or call out, I will know there is a threat. If I do not see or hear you, I will assume there are no undead nearby. When you see us making camp, you may approach for your payment.
The snow leopard agrees to the plan, but its focus is now on whatever is approaching them.
Qhortho extinguishes the torch and turns to the group.
QHOR: Ok, I’ve negotiated a deal with the leopard. It’s going to scout for us and let us know if there are undead threats nearby. Do not kill our new friend Aran! We’ll get you a pelt somewhere else. His name is Ra-Rahr.
Qarzdaq, by way of Darkvision, sees a huge ice giant roughly fifty feet in the distance, but he’s the only one that can.
QARZ: Oh shit guys. We got company.
Suddenly, Qhortho’s and Qarzdaq’s artifacts begin to glow, shining 20 feet of bright light all around them and another 20 feet of dim light beyond that.
The frost giant appears almost giddy as it approaches the snow leopard with its massive great axe in one hand. It lunges forward and attacks the snow leopard.
Qhortho sees the massive frost giant slam its great axe into his new friend. A second frost giant comes into view. Qarzdaq immediately jumps out of the tiny hut away from where Qhortho and the snow leopard are, shedding a red glow all around him from the Amulet of Lightbringer. He casts a twinned and quickened Dominate Monster on the two ice giants. He gains full control of both for the next eight hours! He immediately tells them to stop attacking the snow leopard.
There seem to be more things out in the darkness though. More loud thuds, but from a different direction.
QARZ: Got them! I now control both the ice giants, but there’s something else out there. As for now though, the snow leopard won’t be attacked by these two creatures.
QHOR: Ra-Rahr, I don’t know if you could understand that, but we’ve been able to take control of the ice giants. They will not attack you anymore.
Ra-Rahr jumps away from the closest ice giants, fully expecting to be struck again by the ice giant. When he is not, Ra-Rahr trusts Qhortho just a little more. Qhortho pops open one of his health potions for the snow leopard to drink.
QHOR: Here, drink this!
Qhortho holds it out for Ra-Rahr.
RA-RAHR: What is this?! You try to stalk the stalker?!
The alarm in his voice makes Qhortho uneasy. In the common tongue, Qhortho shouts.
QHOR: If that’s one of us, stop! Ra-Rahr is our friend!
Aran, unable to see anything more than the green glow of Qhortho’s artifact, puts his arms up halfway and calls out.
ARAN: That’s me! I can’t see anything!
The snow leopard quickly moves into the bright light around Qhortho. Loud thuds are still approaching in the distance, but the ice giants remain still, just standing and breathing. It’s a little unnerving.
ARAN: Guys, there’s still something out here guys and it’s getting closer.
Aran turns towards the sounds and takes a defensive stance.
Farron steps outside the hut into the cold causing the hut to disappear. He feels around for a rock with his feet. He finds one and picks it up. He casts Light on the rock, causing the area to be lit immediately and forcing him to squint. Farron tosses the lit rock underhand towards the sound roughly 60 feet away. The lit object soars through the air like an earthbound comet, thudding to the ground and embedding itself in the snow. It is bright enough to illuminate the area through the snow.
Aran and Farron watch the lit area for whatever might be coming. Suddenly, two ice trolls appear in the dim light near the glowing rock.
RA-RAHR: I’m actually pretty badly hurt. I’m trusting you…
QHOR: And you can. Here, take this.
Ra-Rahr drinks the liquid from the vial.
RA-RAHR: Thank you.
QHOR: It’s not the way we normally administer it, but it works all the same. Here, take some more food too.
Qhortho holds out a piece of jerky. It’s snatched from his hand almost immediately.
Qarzdaq telepathically tells the frost giants to kill the ice trolls. They begin lumbering towards their new targets. The closeness of the massive footsteps to Qhortho makes his hair stand on end. He thinks to himself about how he’s glad they’re on his side. Then he thinks, nah, they should be glad they’re on his side!
The frost giants approach the ice trolls as the ice trolls approach the party. One of the trolls kicks the lit rock as it passes with some force, sending it flying through the air landing just outside the tiny hut, leaving the trolls in darkness once again.
Qarzdaq launches a fireball at the point where the ice trolls were, dealing significant damage and illuminating them briefly. That’s all Aran needs. He whistles for Lord Pepperworth to follow as he runs at the trolls as fast as possible through the heavy snow.
Aran attacks into the darkness and strikes one of the trolls hard. Lord Pepperworth bites at it but only manages to snap the air. Aran follows up with a few more strikes, each of which land. To his surprise, with the last hit, the beast falls to the ground at his feet. The loud thud makes it obvious to everyone that Aran just took it down. But just in case, Aran calls out: “Got em!”
Farron runs over to the glowing rock. He picks it up and tosses it back towards the remaining ice troll.
Aran is still facing the troll when he sees the sky begin to light up behind him. As the rock passes overhead, he sees the live ice troll staring down at him. The rock lands not far behind the troll, leaving the area illuminated to make landing attacks much easier.
Farron creates a Crown of Stars then sends one of the orbs at the newly-illuminated ice troll. It causes the troll significant radiant damage.
The giants attack the troll, taking it within an inch of its life. Qarzdaq sends a Firebolt at the toll, killing it upon impact. It falls to the ground with a thud. One of the giants hits it one last time with its axe, just to be sure it’s dead.
Swapping Dreams
The artifacts die out, exhausting both Qarzdaq and Qhortho. Qarzdaq approaches the frost giants and ask one of them why they attacked. It responds in a language Qarzdaq doesn’t know, but the meaning is clear when it strokes its belly. It was simply hungry… The response is so basic a need that it almost makes him feel bad about his next thoughts. Almost.
QARZ: And how far away is the nearest cliff you could jump off and not survive?
The giant looks around while scratching its head but does not provide a response other than a grunt.
Qarzdaq tells them to run as fast as they can along the Milkwater and after the sun rises above the horizon, to kill each other. They take off running along the river.
Qarzdaq tells the group that he’ll need to stay awake for his plan to work because he needs to maintain concentration. This means he’ll be doubly exhausted when everyone else wakes up. Qhortho will still be exhausted too, but not as much as Qarzdaq.
The snow leopard leaves in a different direction than the giants.
Everyone wakes up in the morning and before they get on their way, they discuss the dreams they’d had the night before.
QARZ: I saw a blue-eyed rider atop a flying beast. It went towards three people, one of which was lying on the ground, who then sat up.
FARR: I also saw someone lying on the ground, but I didn’t see any beast. I saw two other people with blue lights coming from their hands. The taller one had white hair, the other one was a little shorter with darker hair.
ARAN: I saw a young woman in red and an old man with blue eyes and a white beard.
QARZ: Do you think they brought back Tyron and Andrea Redmess? And maybe Tholannan? That doesn’t explain the other people though. I would guess the one on the flying beast was a white walker though.
QHOR: I only remember seeing the outline of someone on the ground and three other people around the person lying down, but then she sat up and had blue eyes.
QARZ: I didn’t see the blue eyes from the person who sat up.
We end this session mid-morning on Day 865 with Qhortho having 1 point of exhaustion and Qarzdaq with 2. Each member has gained 5 kXP, bringing everyone to 180 kXP total. Their intent is to follow Lord Pepperworth’s nose with the expectation it will converge with the holographic compass’s direction.