25th Khordrak
Moosenschloss
The galleys could have been portaged the long leagues to Lake Scheffelden, and sailed down the river to Lake Berengar. The golden barge, however, could only have been built in situ, at the base of a pass and on the banks of the river that feeds Lake Scheffelden. This was a voyage long prepared.
The Pink Unicorn crew decided to swallow their misgivings and signal the Saladuran fleet for help. Waving a torch and firing Oskraks’ gun, they were met with two replying reports of a gun, and a pair of the galleys turned toward the mouth of the river.
Samuel led the party down to search the basement for supplies. Finding the basement door chained shut, they proceeded carefully, undoing the chains and listening for any creature that might be trapped below.
The stairs were choked with bones. The skeletons at the top of the stairs had fallen trying to hack through the door; those at the bottom had been cut down defending against something deeper.
In the basement, they found stocks of pitch. They retreated up the stairs, hearing something large and soft approaching. They heaved the door shut in time to trap that something below, though it slammed heavily against the door.
As they climbed the tower again, they heard the sounds of battle from outside. Dropping lit pitch through a murder hole and peering after it, they saw a knight in the golden armor and mitered helmet of a Saladuran sacristan pressing the terrified but still murderous villagers to the wall. The sacristans are an elite order of religious knights sworn to the protection of holy places and relics in Saladura.
They called to the sacristan, and he asked if they needed an escort out of the tower. They descended, but before they reached the ground floor, the sacristan had burst the keep gate asunder.
Seeing Annais on the stairs, he knelt, kissed her hand, and introduced himself in courtly words as Sir Gonçalo. He led them through the courtyard, past a pyre where dead and captured villagers were being burned, and into a quiet corner of the bailey.
The Pink Unicorn crew, in wordless agreement, told him nothing of Calloway. He offered them an escort as guests of honor on the golden barge, which was destined for Dastrux City. They made pretty excuses and arranged to depart overland in the morning.
Gonçalo’s second-in-command, Leandro, reported that nothing in the village had been human. Even the children had been sacks of false flesh pupating “terrible things.” Gonçalo ordered Leandro to prepare an assault on the chapel.
In the meantime, Annais proved to be susceptible to Gonçalo’s trite flatteries. After bedding him, she asked about his mission, and he told them the fleet was carrying a diplomatic delegation with an offer that would reshape the continent.
The Saladuran marines blew Moosenschloss sky-high, presumably obliterating whatever lurked in the basement.
Just before lights out, Aida gathered rumors from the sailors. She heard that one of the decks of the ship was off-limits, and only ordained priests were allowed inside “to tend to the weapon”.
26 Khordrak
The party returned to Calloway’s army and made their report. Hearing that Saladuran forces were present and had passed without challenge through all the northern lands, she ordered an immediate departure and reversal of course. She told Annais, “Now you’ll have your chance to impress me.” Samuel volunteered to compile a report on Varn Lodihr.
32nd Khordrak
Calloway’s army climbed out of the swamp and began moving southwest through the Farnwald.
12th Dulthila
Calloway’s army left the Farnwald and continued southwest, keeping to the edge of the settled lands of the Ohan Valley and leaving the rugged interior of the Old Kingdom on its left.
12th Thelkhastix
The army came to end of the ridge of hills that ran through the rugged interior and turned south, leaving settled lands. The purple line of Varn Lodihr began to rise above the horizon, resolving into snowcapped peaks.
13th Thelkhastix
The army turned around the southern edge of Lake Nuridinal, which men call Kristallmeer. They followed the edge of the mountains of Varn Lodihr now, climbing in and out of the foothills as obstacles demanded. The Three Grandfathers, the three great peaks that dwarves hold as their tutelary deities, became visible as soon as the army rounded the western horn of the range.
23rd Thelkhastix
The army came to Lake Gorominal, a calm body of water with lush reedy . The river issued from the Gate of Dwarrow I, named for the earliest dwarvenking of recorded legend. Beyond the gate lies the road beneath the mountain, which, if open, would give the army a clear march through the range and debouch into Messara beyond.
The army made camp to recover from its two months’ march, and Calloway ordered the Cavedwellers to prepare to scout the way ahead.
