Frozen Frontier Episode 36

Thursday 20th April 1511
A light weather day. The party is still inside the Imperial Mine.

Pharis has just activated the Stone Golem after walking in front of it. As it is waking up, Grimes fires the first shot. The Golem moves and pins Pharis to the wall, and asks Jaromir for orders in Old Caldonian. Jaromir tells the golem to stand down. Somehow Jaromir is able to understand the Golem.

The Golem releases Pharis and sits on the ground. Jaromir orders the Golem to follow and it obeys. The others try to order the golem around, but it doesn't listen. Kel William decides enough experimenting and the party goes in deeper into the mine. They find many caved in paths, but Grimes comes across a map that Jaromir can read. The map talks about veins being mined out, but not what was being mined.

Grimes leaves the mine and climbs to the top of the ridge above the mine and looks around for a sign of settlement or docks. Inside Jaromir and Pharis order the Golem to "mine" and it goes off into the dark. Grimes and William follow. The golem removes a section of rock, but stops as there is no minecart to put the rock into. Grimes realises this an Iron Mine by looking at the rocks mined out.

They gry to take the golem away from the mine, but it slows down dramatically after a distance from the mine. Jaromir orders the Golem to return to the mine. The party then heads down the waters edge outside and find a submerged dock.

Kel William writes a letter on one of Jaromir's gnoll scalp, then they build a signal fire for Zaaz. They had spotted Zaaz's ship on the way to the mine earlier the day before.

Wednesday 21st April 1511
A light weather day. Grimes stays near the fire and the party return to the mine to investigate. Nothing of value is found.

Zaaz's ship stops near the broken dock, and a landing party comes to meet Grimes. Grimes explains about the Iron Ore and the letter, but doesn't have the letter himself. Grimes rushes back to the mine to get Kel William. Grimes manages to reacah William in time because Pharis hears Grimes calling out. The party heads back to the docks and William delivers the message, and asks Zaaz to retranscribe the gnoll scalp onto paper.

The party then travel back towards the sled. Only making 4.5 miles that day. They reach Nimrod and the Dogs.

Thursday 22nd April 1511
It is blizzard from the 22nd to the 23rd.

Saturday 24th April 1511
The party return to Swampside. The solders are affected by Pharis' mask and feel fear.

Kel William gets a letter from his uncle.


 * To Captain Marshal,
 * I have grave news. Your older brother Steven Marshal has been driven out of your home by hired mercenaries or assassins.


 * The exact circumstances circumstances are foggy, but we know the assault on the keep was led by an ogre. The goblin mercenaries your brother had hired to act as law enforcement and to construct additional keeps were cut down and routed, with survivors disappearing into the woods. After the battle, Lord Marshall was seen running with arms full of possessions and hasn't been seen since.


 * Your brother James has taken over rule of your ancestral home, although the situation seems untenable. Because he is your brother, his success or failure will reflect upon you, I intend on loading him money from my personal accounts to prop up the estate and surrounding areas.


 * As the summer season of war approaches, we stand at a solid position to overrun the remaing tattered armies of Mistrya. In six months the war should be over and in six months after that the territories of Eridon & Mistrya will be fully brought into the fold. The Princess has petitioned the Queen on your behalf and your men, asking you each be given a tract of land and titles to govern.


 * A year from now you should be Baron Marshall of the Golden Sea. The Matavan and the Half elf will be given lordships and villages in your Barony. The criminal known as Grimes will be pardoned of all his crimes and let go with all of his possessions.


 * Most importantly Melissa has recovered from her illness, which must have been worrying to you for so long, without any lasting damage. Your children have the nanny to tell stories of your adventures. However has she cannot possibly know what adventures you have had, she makes them up. You may have to pretend that you flew on the backs of eagles and swam beneath the ice with mermaids when you come home.


 * Good Favor shines with us,
 * Richard

After reading the letter, Williams pulls aside Pharis and Jaromir to talk with them, over some of David's soup. William reveals offter of title and lordships to Pharis and Jaromir, but they both decline. Pharis planing to head to Sylvas once the Caldonian Expedition is over. Jaromir has no interest in such things.

Grimes has caught a Caribou in one of his trap. William goes to speak with him as they head to the kitchen. William offers Grimes land and gold if he remains for another year in Caldonia. William offters to pay Grimes 50 gold a months for the remaining time, and puts it into writing. Grimes considers the

Since the party as last at the fort a month ago, the new Leatherworker, Brunhilde has made a "quality 32" dragonscale chest-piece for Kel William. 5 AC and 10 Warmth. Grimes and Pharis are measured by Brunhilde for more armor, which will take 4 weeks each to create. Pharis spends time with Brunhilde, and the exchange knowledge on working with the dragonscale in the next 2 weeks.

During the 2 weeks, Jaromir tries to bind the spirits of his ancestors in a ritual to see if he can separate himself from them. A symbol of sealing around a symbol of ancestry written in Jaromir's own blood. As the spirts are drawn hout, Jaromir becomes weaker and eventually falls unconscious on the ground. Grimes finds him some hours later. Jaromir wakes up 12 hrs later. Later Jaromir tries again, this time just trying to draw out his own soul with the symbol of Ego. He removes his soul and tries to puts it in his binding barrel. But there is no sign of anything in the barrel. Jaromir believes he doesn't have a soul anymore.

Monday 8th May 1511
Moderate Weather. They make 13.5 miles that day.

The party decide to head to the mountains where the Giant's Temple to Nerual is as well as the passage the Giants were talking about that was too small for them to enter. So the party head out southwards. Pharis spots normal gnolls in the forest they are passing by 2 miles away.

Tuesday 9th May 1511
Calm Weather. They make 16.5 miles.

A very quiet day. Even Nimrod is quiet.

Wednesday 10th May 1511
Moderate Weather. They make 7.5 miles.

Thursday 11th May 1511
Light Weather. They make 10.5 miles.

Friday 12th May 1511
Calm Weather. They make 16.5 miles.

The party makes it to the start of the river, and are going to cross here to head to the mountains so they can turn to head towards the Temple to Nerual. The party all notices a group of 8 Kobolds heading their direction. Grimes and Nimrod go to meet them. The Kobolds are cheering and think Grimes is a slave of Nimrod. Grimes asking questions makes them realise that he isn't a slave. The Kobolds tell Grimes of a nearby ruined human settlement, but that powerful monsters live there.

Saturday 13th May 1511
Calm Weather. They make 12 miles.

William sends Grimes off to scout the mountains ahead of the party to find the path along the north side of the mountain and finds no pass or tunnels. Traveling down the south side of the mountains, the rest of the party spot an enterence, 12 foot high arc entrance with stone statues flanking each side, a lot like Bokassa's lair.

That night the party are about to enter the passageway, but Jaromir spots something in the snow above the doorway on all fours. Jaromir casts Maximilian's Earthen Grasp on it to seize the creature, but it escapes up the mountain face. Pharis sees that it is 3 foot tall, and it moves like a salamander or gecko. The party head into the entrance, and see there is an inner entrance that is a normal sized doorway.

COMBAT: Behind them ouytside, the party then notices a pack of 3 blizzard wolves heading in their direction. The party fights and kills two of them. Then out of the snow jump out 3 owlbears and attack the party. Pharis finishes off the last blizzard wolf and the blizzard goes away. Grimes releases the grimes from the sled, but they just bark and don't charge. After Kel William kills one Owlbear, four Ankhegs burst from the ground.

To be continued in episode 37.