Zeshan Wayfinder and her dwarven convoy, which Dhukhean has been tasked with escorting back to Korvosa, are due today. Dhukhean arrives at the Swinging Sword Inn for breakfast. He has polished his boots, his beard, and his bald spot, and his ceremonial clothes are impeccably pressed. The scent of beard oil is pervasive throughout the dining room, and some of the patrons silently gag. Kaylessa Irkell thanks the Coopers for their help in getting most of her staff back. Breakfast is heartier and more abundant this morning, but the weather outside remains unseasonably cold and snowy, unusual weather for this area.
The Coopers decide to brave the weather and meet the convoy on the road. They saddle their horses and head north on the Long Road towards Westbridge. A few hours out of Red Larch, a storm strikes from the west and soon the road all but disappear beneath a blanket of snow. Only the trees and boulders on the side of the road indicate its direction. The snow keeps pilling on, and after eight hours of traveling the Coopers are exhausted.
Daryle finds a sheltered space and pitches her tent. Darelle outdoes her sister and uses the jar of cloud to create a cloud castle on the ground. Lawrence wraps himself in his warm blanket. Ruddy finds a rock, and has Naga heat it to a comfortable temperature. He then climbs a tall tree, bundles up in his sleeping bag with the rock radiating heat and keeps guard, watching the area despite the blinding snow. Daryle sets up a few traps that will trigger an alarm if someone, or something, approaches during the night. The Coopers divide the watches among themselves, but the night is uneventful and they are able to rest.
Abadius 15, 4713
At midpoint in the night, Ruddy notices the storm abating, and soon the last flake fall from the sky. When a weak sun rises in the east, the entire countryside is covered with a deep blanket of white snow. Over 20 inches fell over the last day. Though it is not snowing anymore, the winds continue to blow and the temperature remains very cold. In the distance, a few miles north, Lawrence spots a flock of carrion birds, while two larger flying creatures are moving east, away from the flock at vertiginous speeds.
The Coopers trek north through the snow with difficulty. After an hour, they come to the scene of a battle, covered with snow. Two wagons have been overturned and broken, and a dozen human corpses lay underneath the snow. Though some have been slashed and pierced, most show blunt damage similar to the dead bodies from another encountered caravan under attack. Each human body wears a livery of a red star on black tunics, which Dhukhean recognizes as that of his clan. There are no dwarven bodies in the ruins of the caravan, and everything has been thoroughly looted. Lawrence and Thorne search for secret compartments and hidden places, and find that even these did not escape the pilfering.
On the edge of the battle are two cairns. One stands about ten feet tall and appears crudely built. The other one, about three feet tall, is of human origin. Dhukhean examines the larger cairn and determines that it was built by bugbears. Digging through the stones, Dhukhean discovers that at least five bugbears wearing a distinctive brown leather armor bearing a strange symbol are buried there.
Lawrence advises the party of his discovery, and soon they are on the enemies' trail. Darelle and Daryle estimate that they are probably about twelve hours behind them. The Coopers follow the trail north over ten miles, and eventually turn back east towards the Long Road. Once again the trail blazed by the large group has been camouflaged so that it would be less visible from the road. They then travel on the road for another four miles, before another trail, once again camouflaged, heads east in the Sumber Hills. Naga transforms into an owl and flies up. He can see far towards the horizon northward, but the Sumber Hills stretch eastward. He can spot evidence of the trail heading along the foothills, and then reconnects to the Stone Trail. He returns to report his findings.
The trek through the wilderness emerges back on the Stone Trail, but once again the trail veers off the road and enters the Sumber Hills. Lawrence discovers a finely made white scarf. Thorne identifies it as dwarven, while Dhukhean recognizes it as Zeshan's scarf.
With night rapidly approaching, the Coopers set up camp. Naga spots several fires in the distance, probably the town of Beliard. Closer to their camp, however, along the Stone Trail about two miles away, is a small fire. Naga flies towards it, and lands nearby. Four heavily armed men protect a small wagon. Two of them are cooking dinner, while one is guarding and the other is putting the finishing touches to the tents. He eavesdrop on their conversations. Aside from their concerns about possible attacks by bandits, the men are worried about rumors they have heard in Westbridge that Old Gnawbone, a green dragon who dwells in the Sumber Hills, has been more active of late. Naga flies away, startling the guards, who let arrows fly. He informs the Coopers of what he overheard, and the party gets ready to spend one more frigid night in the wilderness.
Abadius 16, 4713
After a light breakfast, the Coopers break camp, and examine their options. Lawrence spots three flying creatures in the distance, about four miles away, flying a northerly course following the Dessarin River. Should they attempt to contact them, or are they hostiles? Daryle uses a mirror to shine the sun towards them, and the creatures immediately turn and head their way. Soon the Coopers realize that the three creatures are actually griffons with riders on their backs. One of the rider lands. A beautiful human woman wearing a winged helmet and a finely crafted armor lands her griffon, and disembarks. She introduces herself as Savra Belabranta, a captain in the Feathergale Society, a group of flying enthusiasts with deep pockets who repurposed a small castle south of here in the Sumber Hills, and who enjoy flying with their griffons. Given all of the troubles around the Dessarin Valley, they've been keeping an eye out, and her patrol has been on the lookout for a large group of bugbears who traveled through this area two days ago, but lost them in the storm.
Thorne asks her what the Feathergale Society is. She replies that the Feathergale Society is a group of well off individuals, mostly hailing from Korvosa, Tanram and as far away as Caliphas, in Ustalav. These individual share an interest in the noble calling of aerial steeds and found the Sumber Hills to be perfect for their sport due to the high winds and turbulence. Talking to her, Thorne gets the distinctive impression that she's a rich and spoiled person who achieved her title not through her accomplishments but through her family's influence. Savra invites the Coopers to Feathergale Spire next time they are in the area, so that they can ride together. Thorne gives her a healing flower.
Resuming their pursuit, the Coopers continue deep in the Sumber Hills, and find themselves at the end of another exhausting day still in the wilderness. They pitch camp, select watches, and they try to get as much rest as possible.Unfortunately, during the night their camp is attacked. During Naga's watch, he hears growling and scratching sounds coming from outside the cloud castle. He wakes Ruddy, and the two of them step outside to investigate. They are confronted by three large toad-like beasts with six legs, each ridden by a small fey creature. They immediately attack. The battle goes poorly for Ruddy and Naga at first, but soon, with the rest of the Coopers joining the attack, they are able to defeat the attackers, killing all fey and two of the beasts while one escapes.
Abadius 18, 4713
With injuries and running low on supplies, the Coopers return to Red Larch. On their way through the southern part of the Sumber Hills, they see Feathergale Spire in the distance...
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