Orid 5-12, 653 DR: Following their stay at the Dwürden ruins, the group continued along the Old Taldàni Road toward Ezmir. During their journey they were attacked in the high mountains by a Neðérim, a pack of Skallog, and an Ogdar Jorn sorceress and her henchmen. Reaching an Ezmìri mining town, they learned of an undead problem in the ruins of Krysurgörnn which must be eradicated before the men and their goods can reach home.

Continued from The Old Taldàni Road.

Wōdìndor, 5 Orid 653

It was more than just a bright glare now; it was white. Shapes slowly began to emerge and Dammon could see the dark sides of snow-crowned stones along the mountain slopes. Below them a road wound into a southern valley, disappearing under a stone archway that spanned two towers, one standing, the other in ruins. Beyond the archway he could see the butchered tail of the snow-covered beast that had clawed into him. His sight had finally returned.

After everyone had gathered their things and bundled their feet, the group started out from the twin towers south along the covered road. After several watches of trudging through high snowy passes they stopped to rest at a place where the land fell away from the roadside, giving a spectacular view of the mountains around them. In the midday sun, many claimed they could see the hint of green lowlands to the south. Their relief was slowly replaced with despair when it was realized just how far they had to go. Flender met with the others and suggested that they’d reached the Divide, that place reached on all crossings when you are as far from where you began as you are from where you are going. This observation was not shared with the prisoners, who looked about despairingly, wondering if any of them would ever make it out of the mountains alive. Many began complained about their feet. Some complained of pain, others that they could no longer feel them. Flender could only shrug when asked how much further there was to go; no one knew.

Iyldor, 6 Orid 653

On the next day, many of those that had been prisoners to the Ortor would learn the truth of their fears. It was early afternoon when the winds rose out of the perfect freezing calm. The snow stirred into great circling walls of white, blinding the group as they stood upon the buried road. Instructions were called out but the wind carried each voice away from its speaker, confusing the group and separating it further. Then the screams began. One-by-one the poor travelers were being found in the blinding snow, and killed. Whatever predator had found them, it was preying on the weakest of the group first. With an insatiable hunger it moved from man to woman to man, on an unholy quest for blood. Crossbows were fired into the blinding whirlwind but if they found their mark, none could say. The creature taunted them in a heavy voice, speaking in an alien tongue. Only one member of the group could understand the foul words, and he repeated the monster’s Nethari threats verbatim. It soon became obvious to the group that Dammon was under the Neðérim’s control. Next, one by one, the slaves began walking through the blinding whirlwind and attacking others in the group. Once the group was able to convene at the winds’ center, Ezíkus cast an Orádra to locate the creature and was dismayed to find that it had taken the form of a slave. Once identified, the group was able to circle the creature. It lashed out through the frigid winds with invisible claws and teeth that burned through armor and skin, but it couldn’t withstand the combined attacks of the party and was soon vanquished. As the turning blizzard settled to the bloody snow, its hideous form was revealed. Released from its enchantments, Dammon came forward to examine the monstrous thing. He explained to the group was his familiar explained to him. This was a Neðérim and its name was Eredgredrudzek. He knew little else.

After constructing more cairns along the roadside, the group decided to leave this place. They were able to put several more watches behind them before finding some shallow caves at the base of a high cliff. The cliff served to block wind that howled up the nearby mountainside and the shallow caves gave some small shelter from the elements. After a couple watches of sleep, their rest was interrupted by movement at the rear of the caves. As stones were pushed aside, scaled simians rushed up from the dark depths to drag the sleeping travelers down into their sunless realms. The group rallied quickly, and the Skallog were killed or forced back into their deep tunnels. Those camping in breached caves were moved to other holes. Though the night passed without further incident, the faraway hooting of the Skallog could be heard throughout the night.

Irídor, 7 Orid 653

The next day, Flender left the camp in the early morning to find food on the mountain slopes. The bear meat was gone and the Wyvern tail nearly exhausted. After some deer eluded him, he found a mountain stream and was able to catch an armful of fish before returning to camp. Back at the caves, the group cleaned their weapons and deposited the Skallog bodies back into the tunnels from which they’d come. Their bodies had grown odoriferous in the watches since the fight, and many in the proximity were growing ill. Once Flender returned, the camp had a good breakfast and continued south along the Old Taldàni Road.

Roydor, 8 Orid 653

Though hungry, the travelers were heartened by the descent of the old road. Green fields and forests were visible in the distant lowlands, now less than a Tenday away. For the first time since they’d left the tunnels of the Ort Bragnar Bar, it looked like they might escape the mountains after all. In the evening they found a mountain meadow with a farm. A handful of goats roamed nearby slopes but the house and barn were empty. Closer inspection revealed that the house had been ravaged. The walls were painted with bloody symbols that Ezíkus identified as Ortor. There were no bodies to be found. They had likely been captured and taken as slaves, much like those that the group were trying to free. While a few members went to hunt goats, others settled in the barn for the night. The adventurers set up two Ortòri tents outside the barn.

Sūdìdor, 9 Orid 653

The next morning, Saldus and Flender returned with two deer. Their food stores were near full as they headed down the road at a brisk pace. The slaves refrained from complaining about their feet, and talked among themselves about the green lowlands far below.

At the day’s end, the group encountered an odd sight. Resting on the side of the mountain was a large sailing ship. Unable to fathom what force could lift a ship and deposit it in the high mountains, the group proceeded with caution. Nearing the anomaly, they found that the vessel was surround by large fire pits that were strewn with skulls and long-bones. A number of Ogdar sat a the farthest pit, diligently striking stones together. A cry rose from the slaves as two Ogdar rushed from behind, toward the helpless Yrūn. As the group turned to protect the scattering peasants, those Ogdar near the pits seized their weapons and ran forward to investigate. As melee erupted along the road, a seventh figure emerged from the broken hull of the ship. Unlike the other Ogdar, this creature had brilliant blue skin and with a casual gesture was able to magically raise her bulk off the ground. While Jak, Tressta, Saldus, and Flender fought bravely against the giant monsters, the Ogdar Jorn floated closer, shouting commands to his brethren. Dammon unleashed all the spells he could against the flying Ogdar as Flender let loose with arrow after arrow. Slowly, the Ogdar hunters began to fall, but not without dealing great injuries to the party. Valus, who had been ordered to hide by his father, bravely charged one of the Ogdar to take its attention from a dying companion. The Ogdar met him with a bone-cracking smack that sent the young bard flying into the gravel, yards distant. As the Ogdar turned to finish its prey, another blade entered its side, killing the monster. As they fought, the air seemed to freeze and was filled with thousands of falling ice knives. Moddah circled high above the fray, Weaving spells of ice and frost. It was not until his last Ogdar fell, that the Ogdar Jorn abandoned the battle and escaped around the ridge. Those left standing, hurried between their companions, tending to their injuries. After everyone had been helped, a small group entered the Ogdar camp and the ship. Inside the wrecked ship, buried beneath piles of thick furs, they found the treasure of previous adventurers: armor, a small bone statue, a bow, a heavy mace, a silver plate necklace with previous stones, two flasks marked “Phlogòstra”, a potion, a pair of ornate fur-lined boots, and a crystal orb set inside two gold Dragul. The battle done, they erected the Ortòri tents, which smelled better than the Ogdar ship, and waited for the Ogdar Jorn magician to return.

Talídor, 10 Orid 653

In the morning, the beaten group took down their tents, and continued down the old road. The Ogdar that had attacked the group from behind had just returned from bear hunting, so food would not be a problem in the coming days. By midday, it became obvious that this section of road was better traveled than that which they’d been traveling. The road dipped and climbed as it wound down from the high peaks. By early evening they found evidence of Yrūni mines. After passing a number of abandoned wood buildings, they found a secluded mining village. It appeared abandoned and served the group well for the night.

Padídor, 11 Orid 653

After spending so much time sleeping in caves and Ortòri tents this last month or more, many were reluctant to leave the abandoned mining village. No one seemed to mind the grit and dirt that covered every surface. Many had thought they’d never again see walls, roofs, and doors. After breakfast, they reluctantly gathered their things and climbed back up to the main road. The day’s travel was slow, stopping as they did to inspect other villages and mines that were similarly abandoned. By the end of the day, they found a small group of houses where lights flickered behind shutters, and smoke rose from the chimneys. As they entered the village, its residents exited their homes and welcomed them. Invited into their humble village, the residents shared what little alcohol remained since their last supply. Tressta did her best to translate, but the miners spoke a dialect of Ezmìric that was difficult to understand. Once a miner was found who could speak even broken Taládic, communication were made much easier. Tressta learned that the miners had been trapped here since before winter. They had wanted to leave the mountains before winter set-in, but when the reached the Keep they found it to be overrun with undead. They returned to the village and had been waiting for the mining company to send someone to investigate ever since. If a representative had been sent, they hadn’t made it passed the Keep. When asked about traveling to Taldàna, one of the miners explained that Taldàni ships docked at the City of Boronon, but rarely ventured as far east as Eromir.

Bærídor, 12 Orid 653

The morning of the twelfth was spent gathering the mules and maneuvering wagons laden with ore. Once the miners were ready to move, the group pushed south along the road. The slaves rejoiced as the road cut through flowering meadows, the green and distant lowlands grew closer with every step. Toward evening, a square structure loomed below them. As they drew nearer they could see its ancient stone shape jutting above the lowlands from the Tor’n Gorgyn escarpment. The Ezmìri miners explained that the keep was known as Krysurgörnn and that it had stood astride the road since the time of the Dwürden Kings. They further explained that the ancient fortress remained empty most of the year. In the winter, the kingdom stationed soldiers to repel the Ortor or at least alert the lowlands that the Ort were moving. It had been this way since before the time of their grandfathers. The appearance of the undead had been a surprise. Some distance from the Keep, the miners stopped their wagons and refused to go closer. Flender looked down upon the verdant hills of Ezmir and a terrible dread overcame him. The end of this terrible mountain crossing was within sight but there was one more obstacle to surmount. A chill gnawed through his bones as he looked at the Keep below. Somehow he knew that this would not end well.

Continued from Haunted Halls of Krysurgörnn.

Characters

• Dammon Shroudson
• Jak of Cænden
• Saldus Greymane
• Tressta Drynsval
• Eredgredrudzek
• Ezíkus of Roð
• Familiar
• Flender Orgh
• Moddah
• Nyzcla
• Sholhu
• Valus ur Saldus

Played: 10 Mar 2001