• Me
• Vincel
• Sylk
• Tova
• Willow

We were told to go to the Ice Spire mountains for tonight's job--a bit later than normal. We met with a woman, Seer, and she let us know of the job details. There was a wounded dwarf nearby as well that let us know of military officers that must not fall to the ogres that the military has been under siege with. We were to recover the commanding officers and rescue much of the platoons. Although the most important piece was a tablet that the Lord's Alliance is highly interested in.

After preparing for cold weather, we set off and began trekking through the snow. I would prefer to not ever come back north. We got stuck in an avalanche. I have read far too many books to know what happens to people when they get caught in avalanches. Absolutely not. Never again. I should refuse any jobs to the North in the future. As we continued on, we were accosted by some strange centipede-like creatures that were quite fiery. After a moment of surprise, we defeated them before continue forwards.

The futher we walked in the snow, the harder it became. To think I even talked about how much I despise hard labor in the hall. We did come across a shield sticking up out of the ground and a hand along with it. The hand seemed like a dwarf's hand and Tova dug the body up, finding a dead man. We searched the body and found items that belonged to him, finding name tags that called him Preroll. Tova took it in order for the holy site to know what happened to the man. We proceeded forward and saw in the distance the holy site that was being beseiged by the ogres.

We attempted to climb down into the gorge and sneak past the ogres before Tova saw them doing combat against each other. It was enough to gauge that we could challenge the ogres to trial by combat to get past them. We defeated their champion and proceed into the holy site, being met with various dwarves that we had to get them out past the other ogres.

We decided to cause an avalanche.

Inside the holy site, there were various sarcophagi that we pulled down from the wall in order to ride on them on the avalanche. We got everyone on board the sarcophagi and secured ourselves with rope as we sailed off away over the snow.

Then we made a long trek back to where we started and received our reward for bringing back the two commanders and a majority of the platoon.

• Researchable Creatures: Young Remorhaz, Frost Giant

Being only my second job here at the Syndicate, this one was especially strange. Although, Sylk has been on both of my jobs, this time it was really nice seeing them do their thing.

Basically, it was Me, Salviron, Sylk, Vincel, and Willow. Way up into the Ice Spire mountains we find a woman named SEER and a really beaten up dwarf named Emelia. I asked if they needed any assistance or if a healer had tended to them and they were already tended to but must have been really bad before because they looked... well they looked not great.

We were given info about a tablet that a Lt. Adriana had and that was our primary objective to get that back. We also really needed to try and save the Captain (Emelia's father). Also getting the battalions back would be ideal and I certainly wanted to save as many as we could.

We venture forth through snow and wind and basic all-around shitty weather. It was a trudge but my new winter gear - apparently it is edible because it is fungal or something? not sure. Either way we get out there, two crazy fire snake/work/centipede things attack us. I was able to use my new spell Laeral's Silver Lance. It was pretty spectacular since I can maneuver it around my allies. No careful metamagic required for that one.

We get to the gorge and see the camp below. There was one big ogre that looked to be the leader and was better armed than the others. Another 36 normal ogres, and 5 or 6 Winter Wolves. We attempt to travers down the gorge and luckily, we had a few things to help us and for some reason, Sylk, decided that they were going to catch us all at the bottom, even though they did not make it down there easily either and took a bit of fall damage. There was only one time they had to catch me... we both were able to stay upright. I think he was just being extra careful with me. I don't know why... it isn't like he likes me or anything.

Anyhoo... there were hours of this trudging we had to go through before this and now we had to skirt past the patrols with these crazy ass Winter Wolves with this freezing breath they spewed as we were caught by one of the patrols. I was able to web just the wolf and the ogre that was with him didn't get stuck, but he was killed fairly quickly and the wolf as well.

We make it eventually down to the camp and decide to challenge them for safe passage. Apparently, they went for it and so we all were able to take down the two things fighting us and get to the dwarves where we found all of them still alive.

To escape, we were able to get two of the sarcophagi off the wall and out and then use it to ride a wave of an avalanche out there. We lost a few... including the captain who I was able to immediately leap off and grab then immediately thunderstep back onto the sarcophagus. It was wild!

We eventually made it out of there but not with everyone. Out of 24 we returned with maybe 16. More than half so we considered that a win. Everyone was happy and we got a few really nice things.

I am not going to forget how Sylk actually put himself in front of danger or falling for the whole party that needed him. Stupid, but brave.

No more cold for a while. Although it was a nice reprieve from the sweltering heat here at the syndicate.

~Tova~

Avalanche at the Birthright Stones

20 Kythorn, 1502 DR

Seer of the Lord's Alliance requested our assistance in the far north. An exhausted dwarf, Amelia, had fled a harrowing ordeal, and recounted the story of her platoon in danger. The Frostbite Legion of the Order of the Gauntlet, led by Captain Ezra and Lieutenant Adrianna, had retrieved a tablet of ancient glyphs useful for study. But surrounding frost giants trapped the platoon at the Birthright Stones, and time was of the essence. Salviron, Tova, Vincel, Willow, and I (Sylk) purchased garb for the frigid cold and raced out on an eighteen mile trek.

The first ordeal of our journey was a sudden avalanche. Though Tova and I ducked away, the other three found themselves buried. Willow enlarged Vincel and Salviron cast a plethora of spells to escape. Next, we were accosted by two fiery centipedes, whose bodies burned with embers when we struck them. Despite the wounds, we pushed on with a prayer of healing, as time was of the essence. On the way we discovered the frozen escaped corpse of a dwarf of the Frostbite Legion, signaling we were close. We (very roughly) descended into a gorge, where the frost giants' camps blocked the way into the Birthright Stones. After a fight against a scouting giant, we discussed a different plan of attack.

With some persuasion, the frost giants allowed us a trial by combat. It seemed effortless between three fireball-users and we earned the right to pass to enter the Birthright Stones and see the Frostbite Legion. They seemed alright as we arrived in record time, but with little plan to escape the corner they had been trapped in. Gaining an idea from before, we first pulled a few massive sarcophagi off the walls, then Willow caused an avalanche. The snow buried the majority of the frost giants as we surfed down, though some dwarves and Salviron were lost in the process, the latter of which we did eventually find.

Successful, the platoon and our party returned to Seer and Amelia, dwarven lives and ancient glyph tablet in hand. Though the Lord's Alliance and the Order of the Gauntlet was thrilled, we should be careful if we return to the area. The surviving frost giants have likely spread word of our... accomplishments.

-------

Loot

• 1,400gp (280gp/ea)
• Potion of Heroism
• +2 Syndicate Tokens
• +1 Lord's Alliance Renown
• +1 Order of the Gauntlet Renown

-------

The above information is written to the best of my recollection. -Sylkran "Sylk" Teke'zynge

Once again, I returned to the north to deal with more giants. This was starting to become a much larger problem than I could have ever expected, especially with the first time I traversed north it was just to explore an ancient ruin. The legends of Hotun-Shûl have been paying dividends.

A rather large excursion of us; Sylk, Willow, Tova, Sal (who just so happens to be alive, despite my belief to the contrary) and myself met with Seer and a dwarf woman named Emelia, who had certainly seen better days. Apparently, in Birthright Stones, a troop of dwarves under the Order of the Gauntlet were barricading themself against a sizeable force. Lt Adrianna and Captain Ezra were amongst those trapped, and apparently they had some tablet that would help against the coming giant invasion. We were sent to save those currently blockading against the army before reinforcements arrived and utterly wiped them out.

There was no time to waste.

The journey took hours, and we did not rest on the entire trip. There wasnt enough time, and despite being buried under avalanches, fighting large centipede like creatures that burned like fire when cut, and weather that whipped at our ears, we eventually reached the encampment. Exhaustion was certainly effecting the group's critical thinking skills, myself included, as we made our way down towards the Birthright Stones. Patrolling guards with icewolves were a threat that we quickly dispatched, but someone noticed that this army had a... almost respectful culture related to duels. We approached and challenged them to a duel to let us pass. Which, of course, we handedly won.

Arriving inside, it appeared that every dwarf had survived, and we just needed to come up with a plan to escape. I got an idea to use the snow as our escape route, cause an avalanche, and ride on giant sarcophaguses like toboggans on the way out! The plan went off without a hitch, or, well, we lost some dwarves on the way, but that was... par for the course, really.

We returned, and with only a 4th of the original dwarven team missing, it was a good enough job for accolades. Both the Order of the Gauntlet and the Lord's Alliance were pleased, and Seer was thrilled.