Location: The Surface
Ivan leads Party outside, who finally see sunlight for the first time in months (for Jorlan and Shoor, it is the first time ever)
- Jorlan is shocked by the greenery and the sky, and he takes a moment to absorb it all
- Shoor at first refuses the lightvision goggles offered by Mylz, but regrets it when he is pained by the sunlight
it takes 17 days to travel off the main roads, through the wilderness, and deep into the mountains
- at some point, the air starts thinning and Party has to rock climb; Dibrael falls and hurts himself
Mylz keeps an eye on Shoor the whole way, keeping him disarmed and in handcuffs
- Shoor takes every opportunity to annoy or inconvenience Jorlan, who treats him like a bothersome child
- otherwise, Shoor sulks and doesn't interact with anyone else (including ignoring Skjorn's flirting)
- eventually, even Dibrael stops trying to talk to Shoor after he embarrasses himself by tripping and falling in front of him
Location: Getty's Peak
Party arrives at Getty's Peak, home of Ivan's tribe, and enters the town hall where everyone is gathered
- Themmie is an unwelcome surprise, but the goliaths will not attack her; there is no strength or honor in killing a baby
Ivan's sister Kira introduces herself and explains the situation
- the tribe has been plagued with raids from kobold cultists, and they're losing resources to a white dragon that has made its lair nearby
- while Party was on the way here, the kobolds stole the tribe's most prized possession; Kira wants Party to get it back and slay the dragon
- the cult is believed to be making base in an old dwarven stronghold called Icefang Fortress
update quest: Defeat the Dragon Cult
the discussion is interrupted by a kobold raid, with several surrounding the town hall to prevent interference
- Mylz attempts to question the kobolds, but they aren't intimidated and wave weapons in her face
- Zaz sends Minuet to investigate and she is immediately knocked out with a slingshot
- Party teams up with the goliaths to defeat the invasion force
the next morning, after resting from so much travel and fighting, Ivan leads Party to Icefang Fortress
- Skjorn asks Shoor if he's coming to help fight the dragon, knowing that Shoor has no choice otherwise
- Shoor sneers at him and Jorlan notes, "He actually acknowledged you that time." It's progress!
Party reaches first obstacle: a crumbling staircase
- Jorlan spots a pulley system hidden behind trees - it's what the kobolds have been using
- Ivan, too heavy for the system, climbs his way to the top with no difficulties
- Derendil, also too heavy for the system, climbs up behind him while Zaz gives him verbal support
Party arrives at a collapsed tunnel; it's safe for small creatures, but medium creatures must carefully squeeze through
- Dibrael and Skjorn transform into rats and make it out safely
- everyone else crawls through without issue, except for Shoor due to his bound hands; the Party rats return to try and encourage him to move
- Mylz comes back to uncuff Shoor and help him out, and he says, "Just leave me to die and let the rats eat me." Mylz tells him he's fine and to not be a baby
- Jorlan suggests leaving the handcuffs off - after all, Shoor is unarmed, surrounded, and in unfamiliar territory; he can do little harm
Party comes to the bottom of a steep incline with a natural wind tunnel blowing snow and ice on them
- Skjorn throws snowballs at Jorlan and Shoor
- Shoor throws one back with as much force as possible and gets mad when Skjorn praises him: "Now that's the spirit!"
- Party spots a cave system they can use to get around the wind tunnel, and they come out on top
Party must walk through field of rusty hunter's traps
- Skjorn and Zaz get stuck in traps; Zaz gets himself out, but Skjorn requires help to escape
with Icefang Fortress finally in view, Party walks directly into a kobold ambush