Chpt 3 - The Path to Ironforge

A week passes, each member of our troupe attending to and investigating business of their own, and we find our party reconvening at the eastern gates of Ebonhold to meet with Rorik Wildhammer, Dwarven ambassador to Ironforge. He greets everyone with a hearty hello, and refreshes their memory of the task ahead of them: to journey to Ironforge and investigate the whereabouts or fate of a missing trade caravan that was set to arrive in Ebonhold from Ironforge some time ago. As they leave, he sends them with some last advice and parting gifts. He suggests stopping at the mercantile town of Bluewater, for supplies and advice about where to go. He also leaves Glaurung with a sealed letter for once they arrive in Ironforge, describing the nature of their visit there, and a warning that there is currently both political unrest with the recent passing of their King and military activity in dealing with a surge of Duergar activity from deep within the mountains. He also sends the party with some trusted Dwarven mounts: large travelling rams, of which Hem gets a little excited about and spooks one. Cub has the situation under control, however, and helps her. Glaurung, however, is much too large to fit atop these beasts of burden and is instead given a large, steady mule by the name of Oatmeal to use for the time being. The two are fast friends.

Days go by as the group makes their way along the main road to wards Bluewater. Time is spent marveling at Glaurung and his new massive golden wings, questioning him about the nature of their origin and relationships with deities. People hunt, carve, chat and play music as the days go by, acknowledging passer-by's and enjoying the road, thinking of the journey ahead.

In the middle of the night, on the latter half of their journey, Keth is on watch. She hears howling in the distance, but thinks nothing of it. Second watch is surprisingly difficult she finds, eyes growing heavy and head bobbing with sleep. She looks up across the fire in a moment of clarity to see a massive black two-headed wolf staring at her intently with two familiar sets of ice blue eyes. Before she can react, a dire wolf leaps out of some foliage to her side and starts attacking her. She yells to her companions to wake up, because they have company.

The group rouses as they find themselves surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves. Some have trouble seeing in the dim light of a dying fire, but action must be taken. The party groups together to start dispatching the smaller wolves, Keth struggling to get this large dire wolf off of her. She turns into a giant spider underneath the beast to aid in the process. The two headed wolf saunters around the edge of the fire, eyeing our group of clustered adventurers. Both heads lean back, unleashing a torrent of pure ice from their mouths onto the unsuspecting group, wounding Cub somewhat intensely. This is not your ordinary pack of wolves.

As things are looking dire (heh), Hem notices crashing coming towards them in the nearby woods. Her astute observation awards her with a welcome sight: their companion Bishop, Dwarven ranger, whom had left the party early, makes a return as he fights off some smaller wolves headed towards the party. She shouts in attention and excitement before turning back to the enemies at hand. Cub dispatches the beast assailing Keth with a similar ferocity to the beast, freeing her of it's pin. Keth spits web on the twin headed monster in an attempt to slow it before abandoning that form and matching those of the animals attacking them, a great dire wolf. Glaurung, Hem, Outsider, and Cub all go about dispatching the smaller hunters as Keth and Bishop engage the two headed monstrosity. It unleashes another ice beam that slams into Keth and Hem, severely incapacitating Hem. As Keth and Glaurung tear into the animal with renewed ferocity, the beast falls, an arrow out of it's chest. The arrow then explodes, knocking back and damaging both of the parties front line fighters. Keth angrily tears towards the source of the arrow, before being held back by Glaurung and Hem assisting in the realization that the new arrival is friendly.

After a brief exchange of both anger and gratitude with Bishop, the group finds a night's rest and makes their way towards Bluewater once again, the prospect of civilization a little more welcome after that encounter. They attempt to track the source of the wolves off of the path, but lose the trail after a few days. As they go further east, they soon see mountains stretching the horizon, knowing soon the shapes would be towering above them.

They soon arrive in the town of Bluewater, with Cub and Keth noticing something strange. The acrid smell of decaying, burning flesh is amidst those of civilization. Concerned, Outsider and Eagle take to the skies to see what they can make out. Glaurung flies up onto the roof of a large nearby building to make out what is happening. The disturbance atop the establishment seems to draw the attention of the resident inkeep, a friendly, grizzled, middle aged ex-soldier named Alexander. He requests Glaurung dismount his business and that they come inside to chat and have a drink, with most of the group gladly obliging him. Glaurung and Cub are concerned, however, and make their way towards the source of the fire. Outsider sends Eagle as well with the instructions to fetch him if things go awry. Inside, the group finds a pleasant atmosphere and a welcoming table with Alexander himself to discuss the town. The party is fascinated by Alexander and his companion, the small, white-haired pixie Cheesecake who seems to help the man. After some discussion, they determine the nature of the town, Alexander and Cheesecake, and the recent zombie problem the town has been dealing with. In the meanwhile, Glaurung and Cub track the source of the fire: a large pile of burning undead corpses, attended by a couple members of both the Greyguard and Stone Legion. Glaurung gets some information about the zombies and the orcs, through much frustration in dealing with a Dwarf whose personality seems in direct opposition to his own. Cub is chill about the whole thing, making sure everyone leaves happy.

The pair make their way back to the inn, where the group confers about what to do next, discussing all the new information they now have. They decide to sleep in the inn for the night, and head towards Ironforge in the morning. Answers could be found along the way. In the evening, Keth and Outsider bond over their newly discovered shared interest of carving, Glaurung finds a small shrine to Bahamut at which to pray, and Bishop broods quietly in his room, or with a beer in his hand at the bar. Hem and Cub, in the meantime, find themselves fascinated with their new pixie friend. Cub approaches her, speaking in Sylvan, to which Cheesecake exctiedly flutters about and babbles to Cub about finally being able to talk with someone. She takes him to Alexander where she has him translate for each other, and the two long time friends can finally speak with each other. Both Alexander and Cheesecake are eternally grateful for this unique gift, offering the party free room and board as long as they may need it. Cub teaches Alexander some common Sylvan phrases and words into the night.

In the morning, Hem and Keth take to the market to commission some cloaks from the wolf pelts they recently acquired. Outsider, however, wakes to a situation a little more worrying: Eagle returns from a hunt, seemingly nervous. With some connection, Outsider gleams that there is a group of zombies travelling with some hulking behemoth coming down the mountains. He informs the group at which they decide this is a priority and they need to protect the town. On their way out of the city, they spot some guards and inform them of their plan. After some brief insults and sarcastic jokes are thrown, the guards agree to set up a perimeter and request the party come back if they need help. The dwarven guard with whom they are becoming familiar suggests to Keth that their scaly friend...lighten up a little bit.

The party takes their mounts and makes quick pace to the source of Eagle's trepidation, thanks in large part to Outsider's ability to navigate them through the difficult mountainous terrain with swift ease. They soon approach a long forgotten pass higher up in the mountains proper, washed away from common knowledge by a landslide long ago, they deem. The group stills themselves as they feel a steady rumble coming their direction, to which Outsider tells them to brace themselves as he flies ahead. Stealthily approaching, he sees a small cadre of zombies surrounding a massive undead giant carrying a large dwarven pillar behind her. He lays a rope trap quickly as they approach, sending the giant careening forward, smashing into the earth, signalling his allies to attack as he starts to pepper the group of undeath with arrows.

The party attacks, at first to much success on the fallen giant. Things seem to be going well, even picking off a couple small zombies and tearing into the meaty target of the giant in front of them. The giant soon readies itself, however, and unleashes two massive attacks; slamming Glaurung into the dirt with her pillar, and then picking up a massive boulder to heave at Outsider. Both are severely injured by the onslaught as the party realizes just what kind of foe they face. As they keep assailing the monstrosity, it seems to be keeping itself standing past the point of breaking on the sheer power of it's hardy build and willpower alone. Glarung flies to the other side of the giant, attempting to flank it. As the group tries to fell the hulking zombie, it swings at Keth in her lion form, smashing down with the full force of her pillar. In one smooth motion, it is swung back over her head, down atop Glaurung, leaving him a bleeding, broken mess, dying on the ground. Thankfully, Cub manages to speed to his side and save his life with his mysterious manipulation of his own life energy. Keth, in a fury, finally climbs the beast, tearing into it's back and neck, felling it by ripping it's head off.

As the group dispatches the remaining zombies, and collects themselves after their victory, Hem, Bishop and Outsider look up into the mountains ahead. Higher up, they see an ancient dwarven gate shutting atop the path...