The caravan gradually made its way north, following the path of Aganhei. The group chose to take the shorter path, through the Garrjuk Hills and the forest land. The caravan had just descended the Rimethirst mountain pass and entered an area known as the Giant-Downs of Urjuk. The area was known as a burial area for giants, so the caravan traveled away from the area. However, during one day of travel, two giants and a winter wolf stood in front of them and demanded they leave. As the group prepared to move forward, the giants moved to attack. Battle was joined and the party went after the giants. With the separate efforts, the giants were overwhelmed. However, they did damage Sandru, which was made worse by a fireball placed by Seoni a little close to the group. However, Darsus was able to make things right and the caravan continued on their journey.
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A few days later they found a pile of dead, frozen and abandoned. There were tracks leading away, a mix of human and animal tracks leading north. Sheliak also found traces of the undead in these tracks leading away. Darsus and Seoni found traces of old spells that seemed associated with divine magic. After looking for further clues, Darsus and Koya prayed over the bodies. The party laid them to rest in a cairn of stones. As they traveled they saw a group of Erutaki, the native people of the area. They traded information and the Erutaki said they were searching for a group of hunters who had not returned. They were told of the pile of dead and Ulf gave them directions back to the place. They thanked the party for information and each group went on their way.
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The journey continued, with fits and starts as they went through rough terrain. Ulf said he wanted to stop at a small village, Rimakak, in order to replenish some basic supplies for the caravan. The caravan approached the village, located by a lake in the forest. As they approached, Ulf said they should approach carefully. Usually villagers would have greeted the party but there was no sign of life on the trail. Danicia and Sandru moved ahead while Seoni, Darsus, Sheliak, and Cendrine followed. The wagons were grouped together and Ulf stayed back to guard Sophia and Koya in case there was danger.
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The village was still and when Cendrine checked one of the huts she found signs of it being searched but no signs of people. As the group walked through the village, Sandru and Danicia caught sight of a large, greenish creature wandering by one of the huts. When the creature saw them, it ran towards the lake, crashing through ice and submerging itself. The party was now on alert and moved towards the location. Before moving, Darsus gathered everyone together and cast the spell life bubble in case they needed to go underwater.
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Danicia quickly approached the lake to look in the hole. As she walked out on the ice, it burst open and she was grappled and dragged under by a greenish creature. The others carefully approached, and could see other shapes underneath the water. As others walked on the ice another creature burst out and grabbed at one of the party. Others of the party went under water, with Cendrine leading the charge to attack. Six creatures approached and attempted to grappled people, holding them tight under water.
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As the creatures attacked, another smaller creature approached and attempted to charm Cendrine. However, she was able to shake off the spell. The creature then grappled Sandru, while the large creatures attacked or grappled Danicia, and Cendrine. Darsus, Seoni and Sheliak stayed above the ice, casting other spells. Seoni had an aura of fire and moved closer in order to damage the creatures. Meanwhile, while Sandru was grappled, his skin had started to change color.
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The fight continued and the large creatures could not stand up to the party. Sandru was able to break himself out of the grapple of the smaller creature, which quickly met the same fate as the larger creatures. When the party gathered in the village and searched, they found no sign of villagers, however, they did find a lair of treasure the creatures had hidden away. When Ulf looked over the dead, he told of a creature, Qallupilluk (kah-loo-PEE-look), which would charm children and turn them into other creatures. The Qallupilluk would consider these transformed children their children and keep them around to help protect them. Sandru avoided becoming one of them by breaking the grapple.
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After searching the village, it appeared that it had been abandoned and the Qallupilluk and her 'children' had searched and taken whatever they could find. The party was able to resupply some food and continued their travels. After leaving the forest and crossing over a river, they started climbing through a mountain pass. While making their way through a narrower path, they saw another pile of frozen dead, humans and animal bodies mixed together. Darsus and Seoni detected magic so Danicia, Sandru and Sheliak approached the pile cautiously. The group approached cautiously and noticed one of the bodies was an undead creature, a mastodon. As they moved to the pile, four other undead, humanoid, moved out and attacked those closer to the caravan.
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The humanoid undead attacked Cendrine and Seoni and surprised them with an attack. Both felt bone numbing cold that could paralyze them but they were able to shake it off. Darsus had channeled and done some damage to the undead. However, the mastodon gored and slammed him. A distraction was created so that Darsus could safely leave. Sandru and Danicia prepared to deal with the mastodon while the others attacked the other undead. Koya, Sophia and Ulf helped out in this battle while Cendrine and Sheliak also attacked. Seoni quickly moved out after taking damage and moved to a point to attack the mastodon. Lightning flew out while Sandru leaped in and back out for his attacks. The undead mastodon then overran Sandru and trampled him, leaving him prone underneath. Darsus fired a searing light and the undead mastodon was gaining more damage. Sheliak moved in and attacked, however, the mastodon gored him as he moved in.
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The other undead had been vanquished, and with the concentrated attacks on the mastodon it quickly went down. Darsus and Seoni healed before the party searched the area. When searching the bodies they noticed a strange symbol, a 3 fingered icy hand, carved into some of the undead bodies that had taken down. Darsus remembered this was a symbol of SIthud, a demon lord who had lost his position in the outer regions of hell. He was known to be searching for ways to regain his lost kingdom in hell and he worked in frozen wastes.
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The party took one of the humanoid undead and a tusk from the mastodon to show to any Erutaki they might encounter. As the caravan prepared to travel again, Ulf mentioned that he wanted to change their route slightly. He wanted to detour to a small village, Iqaliat, where he could check on information on the route ahead. He had a talisman and was friends with the hearth mistress, Sonvaut, so he felt he could get more information there. The caravan traveled for a few more days and reached the cliff village of Iqaliat. The party was welcomed by Hearth Mistress Sonavut but Chief Nalvanaq and Shaman Tunuak were more standoffish. Sonavut invited the group into her home and served them hot fermented goats milk as part of her welcome.
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When Ulf asked about the path forward, she told him that hungry storms or morozkos had swept down from the High Ice and were blocking the path to the east. The storms were normally not bad this time of year but they had increased and were occurring further south than normal. There were also reports of strange black pillars guarded by walking frozen dead that also blocked the way. With both of these dangers the Path of Aganhei would be closed to the caravan.
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Darsus told of their encounter on the path with frozen undead and she said it sound like the stories they had heard of the black pillars. She also confided that the village was being attacked by a white dragon. The attacks had made the village uncertain and they did not wish to share their problems with outsiders. She felt that because of her friendship with Ulf and Darsus candor she could trust them with the story. The village had sent hunters to slay the dragon but none had returned.They have lost so many warriors that they cannot risk sending more out to look for the creature. The chief and Sonavut also have no idea why the dragon is attacking the Shaman says that the attacks are because the villagers don't have enough faith in the spirits of the wind. The shaman has even accused Sonavut of leading the villagers astray, which she denies.
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The meeting ends and they exit the hut. WHen they exit, there is a large group of villagers who Tunuak is urging to attack the party. He says they the party will inflame the dragon more and the spirits will further punish them. He then states that ordinary sacrifices will no longer work and they must sacrifice one of the party in order to satisfy the spirits. The rest of the party must then leave at once.
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The party confronts Tunuak while Sonavut urges the party to not hurt the villagers, that the mob is not evil, only afraid. The group detects that Tunuak is misleading the villagers and forces him to back down. However, he says that the group needs to leave the next day and he leaves for his hut. The chief had stood by, waiting to see the outcome, divided because of her shaman attacking guests. The chief and the hearth mistress lead the party to rooms where they can discuss the situation and what to do. The chief and hearth mistress agree to join them later after they also discuss what has happened.
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The group decides to confront Tunuak, especially since Helgarval, the Cassinian angel accompanying Darsus, detected evil from the shaman but no one else in the village. The Nalvanaq and Sonavut agree to go with them and confront the shaman. However, they find he has left the hut and his apprentice assume he went up to the top of the cliff to talk with the wind spirits. The group searches the path, flying up to the cliff but finding no trace of the shaman. While the others walked up the path, Cendrine noticed some unusual stone work and found a secret door. The rogues Sandru and Danicia looked the door over and found no traps. Fortunately they were flying or in the air when they sprung a trap that opened up into a 50 foot pit with spikes at the bottom.
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The chief and hearth mistress knew nothing about the door. The door opened into a long tunnel that led deep into the cliff. The chief and hearth mistress said they would look in the village while the others searched the tunnel for the shaman. Ulf, Sophia and Koya also said they would help with the search in the village while the others searched the tunnel. The session ended here.
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