The Tale of Storms and Clay

THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS The Winter of AeP 447 was the worst freeze in living memory. The snow fell deeper than ever and the air blew cold and harsh. Still, just before the spring a group of Winter’s Hand set off from Tarabrenth to the town of Curaheim in Tellish. The group included four new recruits to the mercenary band. Just over a week out of Tarabrenth, the group found themselves in a blizzard and attacked by white badgers. The band was scattered. Only the recruits Deryl, Tarron, Valera, and Zonah, along with the veterans Jessie and Zek made it to safety. That group proceeded to Curaheim to try and find any other survivors. What they found instead was the town occupied by Drel’Mareath. The six put together a resistance, freeing villagers, and killing Drel. The villagers told them the Drel’Mareath obeyed the orders of a glowing mage who called herself the Dawn Priest. The resistance struck her mine and killed her second, eventually forcing her to march out. They took back the town from the Drel, which involved trapping a Behemoth below the icy lake nearby. Eventually they tracked the Dawn Priest down to a vault of dormant Drel’Mareath. They killed her and buried the clay army.

Player Characters

 * Deryl: A merchant who joined the Winter’s Hand to impress his children.
 * Tarron Kesvin: A survivor of the tunnels of Tarabrenth, in the Hand to learn to fight.
 * Valera: A priest of Selviir and battlefield commander, formerly of the Silver Circle.
 * Zonah Safar: A Legionnaire cursed by the cult of Nezeril, in Carufell to protect others from his burden.

Important NPCs

 * Carl: A resident of Curaheim and adept fighter.
 * The Dawn Priest: The strange magician who took over Curaheim and declared herself a god.
 * Jessie: A veteran of the Winter’s Hand and the person in charge of training the recruits.
 * Rayna: A medic and lumberjack from Curaheim.
 * Zek: The cartographer in the group of Hand sent north.

Midgame
The Dawn Priest's Journal - Found in session eight, these pages detail the journey of the Dawn Priest from the defeat of the Order of the Burning Palm, to her first months in Curaheim.

Epilogue
The Emissary - This narrative tells the story of Rallia's Emissary and Rallia's Mage as they investigate the remains of the Sun Vault.

Session Summaries
The sky was grey, the snow was deep. The past winter had been the worst one in living memory. It seemed that almost everyday new snow fell. Every night was cold enough to freeze blood. But more than the cold it seemed the countryside of Carufell had turned against the residents. There was little to hunt and less to scavenge. It was nearing the end of winter now. The date, the 35th of Cainus, the second month of the year 447. Carufell was beginning to pull itself together. Where they could, farms would be cleared. The ports would thaw, and taxes would be levied. It is when that last one doesn’t happen that it becomes the problem of the Winter's Hand. The Hand had been contracted to collect taxes from the town of Curaheim in the province of Tellish. The deep snows of winter stopped anyone from going there until now. Still it was a dangerous time to travel. But the Baron wanted her money and paying the Hand costs less than the loss of face. The company rallied by the Hand was twenty strong including four new recruits on their first job, and was led by Captain Boris Virilli. There was Deryl, a happy and cheerful merchant, Valera, a relaxed and commanding woman, Zonah, a man who looked like he had been through war, and Tarron, the quiet and nervous man with a knife far too nice. They had all left from Tarabrenth two days prior. On the second night the Hand reached their full number and set camp on the side of a snow covered road. The new recruits were ushered together away from the rowdy group near the fire and told to wait.

Session One: The Blizzard's Bite
This was the first chance the new recruits had to talk. They did minimal introductions, instead guessing at the Captain’s game. Valera and Zonah believed they were going to get hazed. After letting the recruits sit for a bit, Boris returned with a young, well-armed woman. She was introduced as Jessie, a veteran of the Hand. The captain informed the recruits she would be looking after them, and giving them orders. Then, he walked away. Jessie talked with the group for a bit, asking them what they were good at and putting them on the spot. She then told them as the rookies, they got to keep watch and told them to work out a schedule. Zonah took the first watch. At the end of his shift he immediately broke the schedule by waking the wrong person. In the morning the recruits packed up the camp before the band walked off. They walked all day, rookies and Jessie in the back. After setting up, and setting the new watch schedule, the recruits and Jessie started to chat. She asked them all why they had joined up. Only Deryl was willing to respond. He began to talk about his unique reason. His kids no longer thought he was cool, so he joined the Hand to impress them. His children just didn’t think his old job of being a merchant was very interesting. He had left his business running and wanted to come home with stories. Everyone was in shock as they realized Deryl was going through a midlife crisis. They asked Deryl if he knew how to use a weapon. He responded that of course he did. He was an expert with his staff and once took on two bears alone. He had landed a lucky strike on the first bear's head, crushing it. Everyone expressed doubt about his encounter with the soft-skulled bear. Jessie also insisted that if Deryl was rich, he would have to buy them all drinks. The Hand’s first destination was a small outpost on the border of two provinces. They would resupply there, spend the night, and drink to Deryl’s generosity.

The second day on the road was colder. The clouds above darkened, completely blocking out the sky. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up. Making camp was a welcome break. As usual the rookies took watch. Late that night, with Tarron keeping lookout another member of the Hand ran up to him screaming about a bear. Tarron was immediately suspicious and woke Zonah. They both could tell that the Hand was trying to play a joke on them. Playing along, Zonah told the man to lead the way. As soon as he turned around, Zonah kicked him in the ass. He fell face first into the snow. The rest of the hand, who had been awake, started laughing, waking Valera and Deryl. Zonah just went back to sleep. The next day they talked about the prank with Jessie, asking her if people ever fell for that. Jessie laughed and claimed that one person had fallen for it seven times. They also asked what would have happened if they followed the man. She said they likely would have led Tarron to a snow pit and buried him up to the neck. But now they didn’t have to worry about more hazing. Zonah’s act had earned the Hand’s respect.

A few hours after leaving camp in the morning, they reached the outpost. It was a small compound made of only a few buildings but it was surrounded by a wall and had beds for rent. As the Hand filed in, Jessie introduced the recruits to Evan the proprietor. The two were friends. Evan showed the group to the room they would be sharing, and told them if they needed anything, he would be downstairs. After claiming their beds, Deryl and Tarron went downstairs. Zonah remained, cleaning his boots. In the common room of the inn below, Evan brought the Hand a meal. He also informed Deryl there was a trading post if he was interested. Tarron and Deryl began to chat. It came up that Tarron used to be in the circus. Deryl was interested, even more so when Tarron began to teach him to juggle. Soon Jessie, Zonah, and Valera joined them. Jessie reminded Deryl of his promise and he complies, buying a nice Southern wine. Deryl told them he was from Mordehall. Jessie asked about the Principality, wondering about the colors in the South. She mentioned that someday she wanted to visit. As the conversation continued, Zonah excused himself and stepped outside to practice with his sword. The Hand began to fill the common room. The veterans began to get noticeably drunk. The recruits and Jessie drank less. Evan eventually reminded Deryl of the trading post, and feeling bad for the man, Deryl went to visit it. He bought an elk pelt and a storm stone.

The Hand left in the morning, knowing this would be the last time they slept well until they got to Curaheim. Travel continued for five days as before. The recruits travelled at the back and kept watch at night. Each day it got colder and the sky got greyer. On the sixth day it began to snow. First as a gentle flurry, then a blizzard. Then they began to hear screams. The group looked around, forming ranks. In a flash, Valera saw a man taken down by a mass of white fur. She knew immediately what it was. A White Badger. She pointed yelling it out to her allies. The recruits saw. But the rest of the Hand was in a panic. Ahead there were more screams. Most of the Hand was moving forward separating the ranks. Zonah called ahead to stop them. No one listened. Valera tried as well, three turned around. They realized their hope for survival was in numbers. Deryl meanwhile had noticed a large tree which provided some shelter from the storm. He began to lead the group. He and Tarrron put their backs to the tree. Suddenly another badger erupted from the snow. Just before it could strike Deryl, Jessie put herself in the way. The monster’s claws bounced off her shield. Zonah, Valera, and the other hand members tried to get to the tree as well. One was struck down by a badger. His body dropped to the snow and was pulled under. The badger by the tree struck Tarron. The other badger struck Zonah. Zonah struck back, as did Tarron. Valera hamstrung the one by Deryl. Deryl then struck it with a lucky strike from his walking stick. Zonah reached the tree and attacked. One more member of the Hand died before Valera and the other reached the tree. Jessie blocked another attack and Tarron slashed the badger again. Zonah struck but his slash was deflected by the badger's winter magic. Meanwhile, using the shelter of the tree, Deryl had planned the next move. He guided the group to a nearby cave, moving deftly through the snow. The others were slower and they were followed by the badgers. Zonah killed one. The other jumped from the snow striking the last veteran hand member. Jessie managed to block half the blow, but the man's leg was still torn. With instructions from Valera, she dragged him into the cave. The inside was shielded from the snow and the cave was deep enough that they could find shelter. The badger didn’t follow them. Inside they rested as Deryl looked at their wounds.

Session Two: The Grip of Frost
The survivors of the attack spent the night in the cave. Though it was cold, it was safe from the storm outside and the rest of the badgers. When morning came, the blizzard was gone and the sky was clear for the first time in weeks. The snow had covered up all signs of the battle and other Winter’s Hand. The name of the man they had saved was Zek. His leg was badly injured despite Deryl’s care. Even though he couldn’t walk, Zek could provide help in other ways. He carried a map of Tellish and was the outfit’s cartographer. That meant he could lead them to Curaheim. The six decided that the town was the best place they could go. According to Jessie, if anyone else had survived they would also make their way to the town. To prepare for the trip North, Tarron climbed the biggest tree in the area. All he saw for miles was pine trees and snow. There were no signs of roads or people. Deryl put his survival skills to use and began making snowshoes for the group. He also crafted a sled for Zek. The five who could walk, put on their shoes and spread out. They hoped by walking far apart they would be more likely to find signs of other survivors. Zonah walked in the middle and pulled Zek.

The whole day passed without event. Zek led them using his map. He helped them find the stone markers that led the way to Curaheim. As they travelled, clouds began to return to the sky. By night the sun was gone and Carufell seemed ready to storm again. The night chilled them to their bones. The second day passed in the same way. The group found the markers but no signs of the Hand. It seemed that they were alone in the woods. At dusk they set up their camp. They sat down in a small clearing with a grove of tall trees to either side. Using Tarron’s shovel they dug out a hole in the snow. Using the same watch schedule that they had set up with the Hand, except with Jessie taking a shift, they settled in.

All was quiet until Deryl’s watch. As the merchant was getting comfortable he heard the sounds of several large things coming from the North. He kicked out the fire and listened. It seemed to Deryl that whatever was coming was heading straight for the camp. He quietly woke the others. Zek still couldn’t fight with his leg. To protect him, Jessie dragged him away. The other four climbed the trees. After several long minutes, they finally saw what was coming. Eight clay men were walking through the snow right to the camp. Everyone had heard stories of the clay men. Drel’Mareath was the name the Old Gods had given them. These clay soldiers were the second army used by the old pantheon. They were obedient and tough. Few remained now in Var’Tareen. Most of the group never thought they would see one. In their ranks of those approaching were two distinct types. One type had an arm that was a clay shield and an arm that was a clay sword. They were what scholars had called Pawns. There were six of these. The other two were lancers. They carried wooden spears. The Drel’Mareath were orange-brown in color and all eight had their arms painted red.

Not able to wait any longer, Tarron shot one of the lancers. The arrow stuck into the clay and it fell over without a sound. The other lancer immediately threw a spear at Tarron. It grazed him, causing him to lose balance in the tree. Zonah shot another. The fight with the eight Drel went quick. The only real danger came when several of the pawns struck the legs of Tarron and Zonah, and when Valera dropped from her tree to find herself surrounded. Fortunately for the Hand, the wounds they had suffered were light. The Drel were slow and easy to avoid. But they struck hard and took many hits to knock down.

Hearing that the fight was over, Jessie returned with Zek. The six then took time to examine the Drel. It seemed that they were not in good condition. Their clay was crumbling. It was centuries old after all. However the red paint on their arms was fresh. From what they knew of the Drel’Mareath, this shouldn't be possible. The clay men did not have the capacity to do this themselves. The paint struck a memory in Valera. She thought she recognized the pattern. But she said nothing, waiting for more information.

The cold morning brought some comfort, though the sky remained grey. Having rested well, Zek could now walk with the help of a makeshift crutch. He informed the group that they should reach Curaheim by midday. Remembering the Drel, they proceeded with caution. When Zek informed them that they were only half an hour from the town, they stopped. Valera and Tarron went ahead to scout. Tarron had learned stealth on the streets of Tarabrenth. Valera had learned to scout during her time in a militia. She also had a coat enchanted to dampen sound. They found Curaheim with a wooden wall made of upright, sharpened logs, around it. Two Drel’Mareath guarded the door. They were taller than the pawns and had hammers instead of swords. But like the pawns and lancers, their hammers were painted red.

Suddenly the ground shook. It was a rhythmic shaking, a repeated pattern. Tarron quickly climbed up a tree to look. The inside of Curaheim was mostly wooden buildings with enough space for about five hundred people. The only stone building was a temple in the middle of town. Walking around that temple was a fifteen foot Drel’Mareath Behemoth. The Behemoth did a circuit around the temple and stopped, it’s long arms grasping the roof. Tarron scampered down the tree to tell Valera what he had seen. The two quickly went back to the rest of the group. The Hand listened on as they described the Drel. Everyone knew they couldn’t take the Behemoth. But they also knew they needed to free Curaheim. Zonah seemed particularly ardent about it. In a hushed voice he told the others that they must free the town at all costs. A Drel’Mareath army couldn’t be allowed to exist here. Nothing was more important than stopping them, even the villagers lives or the lives of any other Hand member. One by one, Deryl, Tarron, and Valera agreed. Zek and Jessie remained silent, not dissenting.

Session Three: The Winds That Blow
The first thing the group decided to do was find a base of operations. Before that though, everyone wanted to see the walls for themselves. At the gates they found the two Drel’Mareath Rooks still in place. As they watched, the wooden doors to Curaheim opened. Out came a war band of eight Drel’Mareath. They were escorting five villagers who all carried wood cutting axes. The band headed East. After watching them go, the Winter’s Hand decided to split up. Deryl and Jessie would search the west for an appropriate base. Zonah and Valera would search the East. Tarron would stay and watch the town with Zek, who was still injured.

Avoiding the warband by skirting north, Valera and Zonah walked off. After some time, they found a grove of cut Northern Pine trees. Not far from the grove, to the North, they found a frozen lake. The lake was wide and long. It was a vast open expanse with little cover. However, besides the one warband it didn’t look like the Drel’Mareath were active in this area. In the west, Deryl and Jessie found hills. The ground was rocky but full of trees and shrubs, even with the snow several feet deep. From the top of one hill, they saw black smoke rising from the northeast. Deryl and Jessie realized that there was lots of cover here, especially because some of the hills had caves. But by the sound of things, there was lots of Drel activity here. As they searched, they heard an approaching patrol. To avoid the Clay Men, they climbed a tree. But the patrol was close and heading directly for them. Realizing there wasn’t much time, Jessie told Deryl she would lead them away. Before he could object too much, she ran off. The Drel’Mareath followed her. Tarron used this time to scout the town. He saw dozens of Drel, possibly one hundred. It seemed they were having the villagers build siege towers out of the Northern Pine. He also realized the Behemoth was guarding the temple. Every fifteen minutes it would do a lap around the stone building, making the ground shake as it walked. Tarron could see no way to take the Behemoth down. Zek sat at the bottom of the tree that Tarron was in. Every time the Behemoth walked, snow would fall upon him.

It took a few hours but Zonah, Valera, and Deryl all came back. Deryl explained what happened to Jessie. After a short discussion, they decided to make camp in the hills. The extra cover was worth the chance encounters with Drel’Mareath. They drew an arrow in the snow so Jessie could find her way, and walked off.

After searching the hills, they found a suitable cave with two rooms. The first was wide and curricular and close to the surface. The second was down a branching tunnel that led deep beneath the ground to a running spring. This room was surprisingly warmer than the room above. There were also coal deposits in the wall. The group started to make the cave defensible. Using Tarron’s shovel they began to dig trenches and line them with pine spikes. Deryl constructed a weave of branches to hide the entrance. Night fell soon. The group fell into the familiar watch schedule. Hours after sunset, around midnight, someone was heard approaching. Tarron was on watch. He whispered to the person, asking if it was Jessie. Just in case it wasn’t, he got his bow ready. Jessie answered back. She had run a wide loop around the forest, outpacing the Drel’Mareath patrol. She stumbled into the cave and went right to sleep.

The surviving members of the Winter’s Hand spent the next day making preparations. First they worked on building defenses for the cave. Zonah dug a trench around the entrance. Valera sharpened sticks to line the trench with. When Jessie awoke at midday and helped. Deryl wove a leaf blanket to drape over the cave entrance. The goal was to have it blend into the forest. While this was happening Tarron went to scout. He found the trail of a Drel’Mareath patrol. The trail led in a straight line several miles long. Tarron followed it north until it took a left turn and headed west. He concluded that the Drel walked in a rectangular loop around this part of the forest. The center of the loop seemed to be the smoke Deryl and Jessie had seen yesterday. When he returned, Zek used his account of the forest to make a map.

After settling in to their new basecamp, the remaining members of the Hand created a plan to start rescuing the townspeople. They figured that the lumber workers would leave town at approximately the same time as the previous day. If they could start by saving them, they could begin to free the town. Leaving Zek behind, the others moved to the walls of Curaheim. Soon enough they found out they were right. Five workers left the town under Drel’Mareath guard, heading East. As the Hand followed them, it began to snow. At first the snow was light. It picked up as they moved. Once they were sufficiently far from the town they started the ambush. Zonah rushed in, engaging a trio of pawns. Jessie ran forward and engaged a pair of slingers. Valera and Tarron tried to engage a rook from afar, while Derly tried to usher the workers out. As the four workers ran, the rook swung out its hammer, crushing one. Soon enough both Zonah and Jessie had killed the Drel they were engaged with. The rest piled on the rook. Before the rook went down, it struck both Zonah and Deryl with its hammer. Fortunately Rayna, one of the workers, knew medicine. She patched up Deryl but Zonah’s wounds were beyond her expertise. Fearing more Drel, the whole group retreated into the storm and back to the Hand’s base.

Session Four: The Sunshine's Lost
Rayna and the other townsfolk thanked the Hand for rescuing them. Then as the snow fell, they  hurried back to the cave. As they settled in, Jessie took a position watching the door. They didn’t think any Drel’Mareath followed them but they wanted to be safe. Deryl wrapped himself in the elk pelt. Zonah settled in for another cold night. After the villagers were comfortable, Valera asked Rayna about the Drel'Mareath. Rayna began by talking about a woman called the Dawn Priest. She was a travelling magician who arrived in Curaheim some months back. At first she had been a blessing to the town. Her services were not cheap but the magic was always helpful. Still there had been something off about her. She walked with a tired limp and always wore a heavy coat, gloves, and a scarf around her face. On the rare occasion someone saw her skin, they said it glowed golden. Things went wrong when the Drel’Mareath arrived. The Dawn Priest had gone off to fight the clay men and returned with them in tow. More arrived until she had an army. She took over the temple and smashed the idols. Over the winter she had been growing her army and building weapons. Rayna suspected the Dawn Priest sought something in the east, maybe the Baron’s hold, maybe something else. The army was to march when the snow melted. Rayna also said there is a coal mine to the northwest where the Dawn Priest had townsfolk working.

Those from the Hand went aside to talk. Valera suspected the Dawn Priest was an agent of Nezeril. Tarron was visibly uncomfortable. When pressed he mentioned that he encountered a thing that was an agent of Nezeril in the tunnels of Tarabrenth. It killed his friends and he barely escaped. He described the idols of Nezeril, a faceless statue. Zonah said if this was Nezeril’s doing, the Legion of the Dancing Winds would stop the Dawn Priest. This wasn’t the first time he had mentioned the Legion. Valera asked Zonah if he was a Legionnaire. Zonah denied the claim, but as someone from Roadon he grew up respecting them. He told Valera that the Roadani see the Legion as heroes to aspire to.

Regardless of the Herald’s involvement, they needed to beat the Behemoth. Zonah suggested getting it on the frozen lake and trying to submerge it. Everyone agreed but weren’t sure how to lure it out. They decided to lay low the next day. Valera, Tarron, Jessie, and a few of the townsfolk went to grab supplies while they could. Tarron asked to borrow Deryl’s elk hide. Deryl reluctantly agreed. While others were gathering supplies, Deryl and Zek planned the next move. They decided to hit the coal mine since it was isolated. Rayna warned them there was a Drel Witch in the mines. Its magic would be dangerous. While this happened, Valera questioned Tarron about his experience in the Tunnels. He didn’t say more than he already had, but he seemed horrified. In the late afternoon people returned with firewood and more food. Pickings had been rough because of the bitter cold outside. The sky was still covered in clouds and the air was well below freezing. As things settled down in the cave, the members of the Hand got a good look at the axes of the townsfolk. They were much higher quality than they expected for a remote village.

In the morning, Valera and Tarron went to scout the mines, which were a few miles northwest. They took care to cover their tracks. Around midday they found a cliff overlooking the mine. Outside were two rooks standing vigil and a few people moving around. The people were bringing supplies back and forth between the cave and a blacksmith hut. As they watched, someone left the hut and fit a metal cover to the shield of a rook. Jessie, Zek, and townsfolk kept watch around the cave, checked the snares, and tried to bolster the defenses. Meanwhile, Zonah began training Deryl in magic. Zonah had some knowledge of the arcane but no longer had the skill to cast spells. He realized that Deryl was well suited to magic and Deryl had agreed to learn with much excitement. They retreated to the lower cavern by the stream and began to meditate. After a few hours Tarron and Valera returned. They told the others what they saw. The groups decided to attack that night before the Dawn Priest could craft more armor for the Drel. Rayna also asked if they saw the blacksmith. She said Curaheim had an excellent one but he left with his family just before the Dawn Priest took over. She was hoping he made it out alright.

As the sun set, everyone followed Valera and Tarron to the mines. There were no signs of the tracks they left but they knew the way. Zonah and Tarron took up places on opposite cliffs overlooking the entrance, everyone else set up in the woods. Zonah waited a few minutes before he began to shoot down at the Drel’Mareath contingent guarding the entrance. It consisted of Rooks and Lancer. Seeing Zonah shoot, Tarron began to fire his bow. As soon as the first Drel’Mareath fell, a group of pawns swarmed out of mine. A stark red glow shot from the mouth of the cave, disorienting the archers. It had to be the witch. One group of pawns moved towards Zonah, another towards Tarron. The last three stayed in the middle between the rooks. Before Tarron could take down the pawns, the last lancer struck him with a spear. Tarron was wounded deeply. That was when the group in the woods charged. Jessie and Valera went for center pawns, Zek, Deryl and villagers went to help Tarron. The red light from the witch’s palm hurt to look at and made it hard to strike with accuracy. The Drel’Mareath seemed to have no such issue. On the hill away from the red light, Zonah pulled out his sword and easily took out the pawns attacking him. Valera and Jessie killed the pawns in the center while Tarron, struggling through his wound, took out last rook. Zek, Deryl, and the townsfolk charged the pawns moving towards Tarron, but one townsfolk fell to the clay swords. The witch then shot a lance of fire at Valera, singing her. She dropped to the ground to put out the spark in the snow. Deryl ran up the cliff to help Tarron. Seeing those in the center needed help. Zonah ripped a shield off a pawn and used it to sled down the hill. Something was wrong, Valera noticed the witch was about to do something to the inside of the mine. She screamed at  Jessie, who charged the witch and chopped off its hand. The spell, lacking direction, exploded, damaging the mines, lighting them on fire, and throwing Jessie back burned into the snow. Inside the mine there were screams.

Session Five: The Force of Cold
Deryl ran to help Jessie while the others ran into the cave. Jessie had deep burns on her face and chest, but her shield took the brunt of the damage. It lay before her smoldering and fragmented. Using some snow, Deryl cooled her burns and dragged her away from the cave. He estimated she was going to have bad scars and be out of commission for a week, but would survive. Inside the cave, Zonah and Tarron grabbed the hollow heads of the Drel’Mareath and used them to fling snow on the fire. The fire was eating the wooden supports and popping coal pockets. It was only a matter of time before the cave collapsed. Valera ran deeper until the cave forked. She turned left to the sounds of screams and led the people there out the bunks. Someone grabbed her and said that there were two people trapped deeper. Deryl checked on people who fled the cave and sent them to help Zonah and Tarron. Valera ran down the right path for a full minute before she found two people. One was trapped under a collapsed rock. After trying to free him for a moment, Valera realized there wasn’t time. She took the survivor and ran. As they fled and the man shouted after them. begging to be remembered. At the mouth of the cave, some people had to stop putting out the fire because of the heavy smoke. Zonah threatened them which kept them in place a little while longer, but they eventually had to move. When Valera and the last survivor ran out of the cave, Zonah was the only one left trying to stop the fire. They fled the cave as it collapsed.

Outside the flaming mines, they took a moment to get their bearings. They had saved eight townsfolk including a young blacksmith named Canton. They grabbed his tools from the hut and all together returned to the cave. As they walked, they discussed the armor that the Dawn Priest had been trying to make. Using that and their experience with the Drel so far, they figured out a better way to attack the clay men and where the clay was weakest. Tarron followed behind to cover the tracks of the large group and leave false ones. When they returned to the cave they laid Jessie down and Deryl tended to Zonah’s wounds. Zonah was feeling great and spurred on by the adrenaline of the battle, took the full night’s watch. In the early morning Valera woke up and tried to convince him to sleep. Zonah refused so they stayed up together, neither saying a word. Tarron returned to the cave, throwing one of his juggling balls out from the woods, so the guard would know it was him. He entered the cave and passed out.

When Deryl woke up he placed the elk pelt on Tarron and went outside. He sat with Zonah and Valera. When everyone else woke up, the Hand organized townsfolk to start gathering food and materials. Deryl focused on making cots for the sick, gathering berries, and getting some healing herbs for Jessie. Valera organized caves while Tarron and Zonah hunted. At lunch Zek and Canton approached Tarron, Valera, and Deryl, to say they were going looking for the blacksmith. Everyone agreed this was a good idea and wished them luck. Zek and Canton disappeared into the woods. Valera and Zonah went to recover stuff from mines. Before she left, Tarron asked her if she was alright. Valera told him she had never commanded a force this size before. At the mines they grabbed the  half made armor from the forge and some weapons. They left just before a Drel force arrived, led by a bald man wearing red war paint. Valera and Zonah noticed that the Drel’Mareath followed his orders.

One of the villagers led Deryl to a local healing leaf. As she did so, she questioned Deryl about the Hand. He reassured her that the Hand would make sure to free Curaheim. He returned to the cave and made tea for Jessie from the lead. He noticed the clouds were thinning and the air was warming up. He remembered that the Dawn Priest wanted to march with spring. They were low on time. Deryl gave Jessie the tea, which would cause her to hallucinate but would help her fever. She mumbled something then opened her eyes. Looking directly at Deryl she said “The winds Deryl, the Winds” then she closed her eyes and mumbled “they follow”

Zonah decided to go hunting instead of returning from the mines. He found elk tracks and spent the rest of the day following them. They led him far from camp. He found the elk as the sun set. A shot with his longbow brought it down. He tucked the body in a snowbank and made himself a fire to camp outside in the cold. The clouds above him were thick and dark, the air bitter. Valera didn’t realize he would be gone all night. She waited at the cave for Zonah, taking a long watch outside. Eventually she went to bed. In the middle of night Zonah was awoken up by a lone Drel’Mareath walking from the northwest towards Curaheim. It pushed its way through the snow, seeming to not care about Zonah. Even when Zonah shot it, it keeps walking. He shot it again and it fell face forward into the snow. Zonah inspected it, noticing there was no paint on its arm. In the morning, the Hand organized a search for Zonah. Tarron ran into him at midday. He helped Zonah with the elk, and said Valera was worried about him. They met Deryl in the woods. He and Tarron took the elk. When they reached camp, Valera was mad. She thought it was selfish of him to not say where he was going, or that he would be gone for the day.

It was cold again, the clouds thicker. They no longer seemed to be low on time, but still they had to act. All the Hand talked in the cave about what to do. Tarron suggested burning the siege weapons. Before they could plan how, the sound of a loud horn echoed from miles away. Rayna ran in and frantically told them to look outside. They saw a high beacon of red fire stretch into the sky. It seemed to be located between the mines and Curaheim. Rayna, who was worried about her family said they must hear the Dawn Priest out if she wanted to parlay. The Hand agreed and went to inveistage, bringing Carl a villager with them. Rayna wanted to go but since she was the only medic, they convinced her to stay behind.

Session Six: A Host of Force
-walk to beacon

-arrive see force of guy on horse in red war paint/rook/3 archers with red war paint/pawns with hostages

-ask Carl about hostages, says they are related to first people they saved, kid is Rayna’s son

-discuss how to approach, Valera OK with hostages dying. Zonah wants to save the kid

-Tarron has vision guy can’t use magic and see’s lancers hiding in the East

-eventually he blows horn again and calls them

-guy tells them Drel to “Kill the hostages if I die”

-Valera and Zonah approach, he tells them of his offer for them to leave w/ Hand hostages release later. Will also give them the money they came for. IF they don’t accept will kill hostages

-Valera gives commands disguised as joke/hypothetical

-Zonah runs forward and cuts the mans mouth

-Carl goes with him, breaks the rooks armor

-Derly goes for kid, breaks the sword of the pawn holding him

-Tarron aims at archers, gets the attention of Lancers

-Zonah chops of guys hands, pawns moving

-Tarron takes out a lancer

-valera finishes off the archers with a lucky throw from her knife

-Deryl frees kid who hugs him

-Carl runs for other lancers

-Both lancers hit Tarron, he falls unciousius and suffers great wounds

-Deryl frees other hostages

-Zonah takes out rook  by cutting off its hammer arm then killing it w/ hammer

-Carl breaks armor of lancer then gets hit bad

-other lancer aims for Valera but accidentally hits bald man, he dies and the pawns form ranks, Deryl takes one down and runs

-everyone retreats, Deryl stabilizing tarron.

-Zonah gets on horse, charges into pawns ranks killing one, distacts remaining Drel, recovers his sword

-Meets up with others

-hostages thank Deryl

-get wounded on horse, Deryl asks Tarron if he has a death wish

-return to camp there is rejoicing, Rayna is super happy to see her son

-Zonah and Valera go out to recover weapons/hide tracks

-Derly and Tarron take watch. Deryl practices juggling. Tarron very happy, Deryl asks him about the circus life. Tarron says he saw everything there was to see there. New town but same routine

-Zonah and Valera discuss keeping horse. Zonah insists and names him Jerry.

-recover weapons including axe/bows/hammers. Look for mind stones find one in the bald man.

-Jessie goes out of cave to say hi. Says she sees funky colors. Derly says she should be resting. They chat and Jessie asks what she missed. She has bad burns and raspy voice.

-She asks about Tarrons time in tunnels and says she needs a vacation either south lands or drunk for a week

-Tarrons fully recounts his tunnel story

-Jessie goes back inside and Tarron tells Deryl about his quest to kill the king

-Wind picks up for Zonah and Valera, super loud and carries the sound of a marching army from Curaheim.

Session Seven: In Frozen War
-Return to the cave and tell the others what they heard

-Discuss how to leave camp. Eventually ask everyone who wants to fight. All raise their hands. Send one of the hunters south with Rayna’s son, to protect the boy and tell others what is happening.

-As the group leaves, they blow up cave, Zonah rides away

-Going to walk a big loop and attack from across the lake.

-As they travel, notice that the farther they get from camp, the shallower the snow gets, and the more green appears. Cold and grey now though

-Walk into the night. About and hour later, hear someone moving in the woods, Jessie points to a figure running away

-Zonah chases them down on horseback. Sees it is a woman in leather armor and red war paint. He warns her that if she keeps running he’ll behead her. She doesn’t stop and instead he cuts her in the leg as he rides past. Dismounts and sees she is reaching for a knife, threatens her again and she stops. Notice her right hand is scared.

-Others run up and tie her up. Valera demands to know who she is and what she knows.

-The scout claims that she is a follower of the Dawn Priest “the new god” Claims the Priest is her own magic source and is willing to use it. Claims the other gods won’t interfere because they are weak

-She also claims the Priest took half her Drel’Mareath out but left the Behemoth behind. Soon though the Dawn Priest will find a new army in the east.

-As the Hand is about to kill her, she starts laughing and the paint on her head and hands starts to glow. She erupts into a pillar of flame stretching above the treetops

-Just before they are about to move out, barrage of flame comes down

-townsfolk scatter, Deryl and Tarron get out. Jessie grabs townsfolk and runs out. Tarron flips over a burning log

-Valera gets hit, some townsfolk get singed, they start to scatter. Zonah corrals them on his horse

-Valera’s cloak is on fire so she drops to put it out. Another fireball is about to hit her but the wind pushes it aside.

-quickly leave, no one killed just injured\

-discuss tactics. Rayna insists the behemoth is what is keeping the townsfolk scared tells them if they taker it out the townsfolk will rise up

-Talk about how to lure out Behemoth. No one is sure if the mind stone will work on it. Know it has to protect town. Eventually at Tarron and Valera’s ugring they decide to try and convince the  behemoth the town is on the lake

-run into zek

-get to lakeside, Jessie gives them warpaint and they start crossing

-Halfway behemoth roars, Derly does spell, behemoth and others come out

-battle, zonah splits off, gets hit with stone

-behemoth gets leaked under its own weight

-grabs Valera, Jessie and Tarron hold her from being dragged under Derly strikes hand, she is free

-see witch in town, witch annotis rest of DM who start crossing, Tarron shoots off it’s hand

-Behemoth hand breaks through ice

-towns folk rebel taking down approaching drel army

-Zonah reveals his secret about curse. Deryl uses him as a focus to conjure a blizzard mixing season and storm magic to permanently free the behemoth. They approach town and make their peace with Zonah’s curse

Session Eight: Beneath the Cold
-Return to Town, Zonah sets up defenses, Valera reads Dawn Priest’s Journal, Deryl helps take care of injured

-leave in morning for vault, of which they found a map to in the Journal, leave Jessie to defend against remaining Drel

-10 days to vault

-Find the vault a few hours behind the Priest, fights two of her followers with 2 monster

-Find room with mural of Hlesmil which saps color

-long hallway of heat

-illusion wall

-find Dawn Priest and a thousand dormant Drel, she has awakened some

-she tries to offer them power, they decline

-fight priest, Deryl uses magic

-drop rock on her head

-she lives and uses all her strength to awaken a Behemoth, burns to death in process

-Behemoth throws drel at them

-they escape as cavern collapses

-Deryl and Tarron return to Tarabrenth to try and kill king

-Zonah and Valera head North to try and find Selviir, guided by a trail of wind