Chapter 5: Haven

Gent 17th - 18th (early morning)

Synopsis

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Notable NPCs
Joszef Anniles, Warden of Hammer's Cross
Grace "The Mace" Traviks, Dwarven Master Mason of St. Krimea's College
Uther Traviks, Dawer Grandmaster Mason of St. Krimea's College
Onyx, Vampire Proprietor of Starhome
Father Byron, Priest of Passion and Cleric of Kalia
Fey Challenger (unnamed)

Notable Locations
The Maiden's Way- The road connecting Etheria's foothills with Haven, then extending up the mountain to The City of the Gods, Etherias.

St. Krimea's College- School of architects, masons, and sculptors located on The Maiden's Way, in the foothills of the Holy Mountain, between Hammer's Cross and Haven. Founded by the Masons' Guild of Haven, it produces some of the finest stoneworkers in the region. Its patron, St. Krimea, is dear to the Dawer people and a member of Kalia's expanded pantheon.

Haven- Second largest settlement in Etheria, situated on The Great River, amidst The Rayan Falls, the splendid town (truly a small city, and growing) is divided into colored wards, protected by a prism-based defense system situated on The Brightwall, and peopled by a mixture of native Dawers (humans), refugees from former Etherian holdings, and displaced aliens from across the extinguished stars. The city is governed by Speaker Melane-Kirk, informed by a council of representatives drawn from the wards and influential factions, and is defended by a police force called Brightcloaks. It is a center of Etherian commerce, containing three powerful guilds in The Masons', Amber, and Gem Cutter guilds.  See Haven article for more information.

Haven Factions I
Brightcloaks- Guardians of the city of Haven, headquartered in the Yellow Ward and the Brightwall; Led by two captains: Mira Beltremieux of the city watch and Rees Duilbrood in charge of the southern border defenses. They're recognized by their muted, rainbow cloaks-and-cowls.

Masons' Guild- One of the stronger guilds of Haven, rich from the overwhelming demand for new building in a growing city filled with displaced peoples. Their patroness is St. Krimea the Mason, a local Dawer goddess assimilated into Kalia's pantheon. They've built a college on The Maiden's Way, St. Krimea's, to train architects, masons, and sculptors.

News & Rumors
1. A week from now, Haven is hosting its ninth annual Festival of Kites. It is three days of music, laughter, food, wine, and much-needed brevity in times like these. They anticipate as many as 1,000 kites this year. Most are homemade, though local businesses sponsor a few of the ‘big names’ in kite making. It’s become something of a competition between the major guilds in town, seeing which kite dazzles most among the Amber Guild, Mason’s Guild, and Gem Cutter’s Guild. Officials give speeches, field games are played, and this year the fledgling Powder Guild will be providing a small fireworks display.

2. Speaker Melane-Kirk canceled her second public address this week. Those close to her are babbling something about a much-needed rest. With tensions rising between Etheria and Izolda, now is the worst time to take a holiday! Or is something more sinister at work? If the speaker doesn't show for the Festival of Kites, something is definitely very wrong…

3. Striga in town! Witches from Segnova have the gall to stay in The Rainbow Serpent in the Red Ward. They call themselves “peacekeepers” but inspire anything but. The cold, imperial way about them is enough to get any honest Etherian’s blood boiling. They’d be well on their way to Etheria if the speaker would just agree to meet with them. Five days now. There’s sticking it to them, and then there’s needlessly prolonging their unwelcome presences. Much longer and there might be an incident...

4. Something serious happened in the Blue Ward last week, over at Frog’s. Two brightcloaks dead, all hush-hush, the whole wharf closed, something is fishy at the docks. Captain Mira Beltremieux says it’s “being handled” but owner Dorottya Tuirn and her staff are still under “temporary” house arrest.

Got the Druid Playtest!

If anyone is interested, as well as updated Monk and Commander.

Haven

13th Age allows for a lot of improvisation. I thought I would give everyone a primer on Haven to use as a frame of reference should you be called on to elaborate on someone, somewhere, or something in the small city. I'd appreciate a quick glance, at least, when improvising.

Haven
(also known by regional natives as Osta)

Haven is the largest Etherian settlement outside of Etherias, the City of the Gods, situated close to the summit of the Holy Mountain (where the heads of state are currently in peace talks). Only two decades ago, it was a thorp with a single inn, a few cottages, and a main street. It has grown into a true haven for refugees driven out by Izoldan advances, orphaned aliens collected by the Gods of Light who prefer the more rustic lowlands to the splendors of Etherias, and Zoldani expatriates. 

The Brightwall, that manned wall with the prisms, copper roofs, and star crenelations seen from afar separating Haven on its Izoldan side, was only finished five years ago. The other walls of the city were only completed last summer! The city is young, but growing exponentially in an eclectic, ramshackle way. It won't be long before it exceeds the new walls. Already two villages have expanded from Haven, huddled on the exterior fortifications. One is a largely alien settlement called Selale (off the Violet Ward) inhabited mostly by Thesolonian philosophers. The second is Veselka (off the Green Ward) which is a wide-spread collection of farms and stables.

The city is structured like a giant color wheel in keeping with national themes of light, prisms, rainbows, and ethnic and religious diversity. There are many color-specific elements in each ward (banners, pigments in the stones and walls, the roof hues, green for the trees, blue for the water, etc) that help give each its name. A central "White Ward" lies in the middle of town, and in the center of that is Starhome, first inn of Haven, overlooking all others on a high hill. Details on the wards are listed below, but a few general thematic elements of the small city include:

1. Etheria is the Baltic States/Hungary/Poland to Izolda's Russia. The native humans of the northern Dawnspears (Dawer) share that Baltic kind of ethnicity and heritage, having much in common with the Zoldani, in truth, and possessing names like Goda, Kamile, Jokubas, Sofija, Alise, Maksim and Daniil. Of course the Dawer represent only a portion of the total Etherian population, but their culture is clearly the baseline. 
2. Religion is central to most people's lives. In Etheria, there is a stunning amount of saints, demigods, spirits, totems, and strange lesser powers gathered from across dozens of worlds. They have be assimilated into the pantheons of The Radiant Mother, The Spirit of Harmony, The Dragon Prince, and The Mysterious Traveler. Beyond the major temples and churches listed throughout this article, there are hundreds of shrines and holy sites.
3. Then include the alien elements, not technology per say (that stuff is kept in Etherias under the close supervision of the Artificer-General Raziel Kirk), but certainly food, culture, music, dress, decoration, and especially worship (see information in Violet Ward on the largest alien populations, but by no means the only). The human population might be very Baltic, but certain alien populations stir it up with unexpected cultural dashes (such as Ancient Greek, Arthurian, Far Eastern, etc). Again, see below.
4. There is a refreshing air of tolerance in Haven and Etheria at large. Despite aliens being kept mostly to the Violet Ward, they are welcomed throughout town. There is no segregation or discrimination largely in part to the assimilation of the alien pantheons into the Othyrian pantheons. Certainly customs don't always mesh. There can be conflict. But it is manageable conflict, not deep racial hatreds found elsewhere in the worlds. 
5. Haven is run by a Speaker (mayor), in this case Tabatha Melane-Kirk, and a council of advisers drawn from The Brightcloaks (city guard), the major guilds, the main temples, and people's representatives from each district (including Selale and Veselka). Disputes are heard publicly, whether in The House of Agreement (temple of Sabriane), The Circle in the Red District, or in Sabrient Hall in the White District (offices of the Speaker). Justice is the law. People do their best to maintain the peace. 

Haven Wards

Not 100% accurate, but for visual reference (missing violet
between indigo and red, and smaller white ward)

The Red Ward holds the largest of the temples and churches, including The Chantry of the Sun and Moonbower dedicated to Kalia (The Radiant Mother), The House of Agreement in honor of Sabriane (The Spirit of Harmony), and The Silvery Bastion for Chroma (The Dragon Prince). Several, smaller shrines such as Cradle of the Blue Mystery, Stones of Oathtaking, and Drake’s Fountain serve as additional religious sites. The Red Ward acts as the face of Haven and caters to visitors with a number of inns and taverns (all considered sacred to The Mysterious Traveler), restaurants, and street acts. The Circle, an outdoor amphitheater, serves as stage, podium, and fairground.

There's a positive buzz in the air about The Festival of Kites in a week's time, many in town already hanging their colorful flyers out their windows. Several vendors have wheeled carts to the Red for prime positioning, ready to do business as the crowds pass the Kaalga Gate (main gates of the city, located in this district) and make for the Green Hills. More will come in the following days. Out in the Green Hills, many pavilions and carts have already been set (and guarded).

The Orange Ward is the commercial district of Haven, location of most of the shops and businesses (but not the guilds and artisans, who keep to the Indigo Ward). There are no magic item shops, sorry, though a few potion and oil shops. The orange ward also hosts the town markets located in two squares. The largest, Kranik Square, contains a healthy variety of mundane and masterwork items. The smaller square, dubbed the Unusuum, is reserved for alien merchants and caters to the cultures and demands of the extraterrestrial population (again, no advanced technology).

The Yellow Ward is built along The Brightwall, serving as home base for city guard known as The Brightcloaks (with their muted rainbow capes and cowls). They operate out of the wall itself, containing six towers and a small, central keep. In the center of the district there is a magical waypoint to Etheria built for times of emergency and allowing quick troop movement up and down the mountain. On foot, the trek between Haven and Etherias is more like a week, certainly longer in autumn and winter. Two officers share responsibility for the Brightcloaks and the waypoint: Captain Mira Beltremieux, chief of the city patrol and Speaker's guards, while Marshal Rees Duilbrood is in charge of the protection of the southern borders of Etheria (hence given access to the waypoint, as well as the city resources as needed).

The Green Ward consists of several large, lovely public gardens providing a very modest twice-yearly crop of root vegetables and berries to supplement the districts nearby granaries. It also includes a small grove belonging to The Circle of Ten, kept by a single aven (formerly called raptorans) druid named Macaul of Rivenroost. Halflings, gnomes, and nature-friendly aliens tend to favor the ward. The Green Ward is the only other access in and out of the city via The Goat’s Gate. The main road in the district, Carver’s Street, leads from the green's animal pens to the slaughterhouses in the Orange Ward. Every Tuesday and Friday, much to the dismay of the Brightcloaks, herds pass the outskirts of The Yellow Ward bringing a potent smell and leaving steaming leftovers. The clean up is one of the chiefest responsibilities of The Sweeper’s Guild out of the Indigo District.

The Blue Ward lies along the banks of The Great River (almost always shrouded in the Rayan Falls mists) and possesses an elaborate series of barge docks that have been largely decommissioned in recent years due to the troubles with Izolda. What barges and boats do go out are kept very local, as none are able to pass the Izoldan blockades south and east on the river (well, there might be one or two smugglers...). It's somewhat of a depressed ward. If trouble is afoot, it probably originates in this ward. Many of the poorer citizens have taken to living in the blue, the largest of these neighborhoods called simply The Falls (not entirely destitute, but as close to slums as it gets in Haven).

The Indigo Ward is as fine and established as the red, home of Haven's guilds. The largest guilds include The Gem Cutters' Guild, Masons' Guild (rich from all the building on the mountain, especially the expansion of Haven and the need for new settlements across The Holy Mountain), and The Amber Guild (one of the main exports of Etheria, plentiful in the mountains, the parent guild of The Gem Cutters. They could more accurately be called the Etherian Mining Guild). There's dozens of lesser guilds, including The Sweepers' Guild (maintaining Carver’s Road and the Red Ward) and The Powder Guild (fireworks, crude explosives, dabbling in gunpowder).

Violet Ward is largest of the districts, the foreign quarter and home to those aliens seeking a more mundane sort of existence in the foothills and falls than in a city-in-the-clouds. It is the meeting of strange and divergent cultures, architecture, and decor, some of which is creeping into the other wards slowly but surely.

Four alien races outnumber the rest, drawn from various cosmic reaches: 

1. Thesolonians from Thesolon [Ancient Greek-styled philosophers and warriors]

2. The Randals of Noble Reginus [Arthurian knights, druid/sorcerers, and nobles]

3. Uquda of the Tranquil Orb [meditative frog-men of Eastern Asian bent]

4. Mitha of Mehadma [Large, clay golems given the gift of sentience by their Shaper in the moments before their world was destroyed; kind of a Hebrew/Middle Eastern feel to them]

The White Ward is the center of the city in more ways than one, its jewel Starhome-on-the-Hill (also known as Diana’s House, Sunnyside, and The Dream House) serving as premiere inn and holy place of The Mysterious Traveler. They claim she spends one night a year at the inn, in disguise of course. All other buildings stand at the base of the vaunted hill, including Sabrient Hall and the town's civil offices, the Speaker’s manor, several small estates belonging to wealthy, local guild leaders, and the very private Tower of the Peryton. It houses the local order of magicians, acting as seers, scryers, and in times of great need the city’s magical defenders.

Chapter 4: Cursed

Gent 17th

Synopsis

• When the golden flash abated, Aiden was left with a well-dressed Zoldani looking utterly stupefied and a white doe with familiar eyes where Ilshana used to be. Of course, the crown-and-chain was cursed and the bard-turned-deer wore it now like an elegant mantle. She bolted suddenly, the quaking of the dire bear's approach reaching its climax. The tree line toppled and a massive, bone-plated ursine out of some prehistoric nightmare attacked! Aiden scooped up the dumbfounded Zoldani and then tossed him into a ditch, sparing him from being trampled. The man rolled with a whimper and hid, his broken leg making escape impossible.
• Fixated on the fleet-footed monk, the dire bear surged with jaws that could crush a ship's mast in a single bite and claws that could gut a gut a full-grown giant. Aiden only just managed to stay ahead before Cassie came to the rescue, exploding onto the scene with a "Yippy ki-yay" and firing a dead-on shot. The bear's left eye exploded, blood misting its thrashing, howling visage. Hoping to take advantage and simultaneously spare his sister the bear's retaliation, Aiden turned on his heels and landed a blow beneath the spewing socket. The bony shielding its malformed head scraped his knuckles raw. Cassie darted in to carve into the creature, but unfortunately missed anything vital.
• Enraged, the bear tackled Aiden. Even Ilshana watching from a ledge, trapped in the doe's mentality, recognized Aiden was as good as dead. Cassie felt the same instinctive fear. No telling what the stunned monk might of felt when over a ton of primal fury pushed him to the ground in the matter of a blink. Then it reared for the fatal attack. Nel was still too far off to help, though managed to push passed the last stand of boughs to witness what was the death of the Archdruid's only son. 
• No! Something snapped inside Cassie. An unseen, predatory challenge cut through the air and demanded the bear's immediate attention. Aiden used the momentary lull to scramble out of the bear's shadow, though not far enough. Still determined to rake the man in two, only the sweet bell-sound of the white doe on high fully drew its attention off the monk. Something almost magical in the doe's appearance, as if the moon had suddenly come within reach of its old, crusted claws, compelled the great bear to abandon the puny prey in favor of the silvery quarry to end all quarries. Aiden and Cassie took pot shots, but the real deciding blow came from something lying in wait and completely independent the group.
• Ilshana was already running when the magical trap sprung. It was at the top of the obscured ledge, out of sight of most of the party, an explosion of icicles lanced from the soft, summer earth. They impaled the left hindquarters of the bear, hobbling it instantly. It's pained roar dared Ilshana into turning back, and she thought she caught a glimpse of something pale and child-like vanishing into the trees. 
• Nel made impressive speed up the slope, spurred by the bear's unexpected cry, and with expert command of her bow severed the monster's arterial blood supply. It was as much a mercy killing as not. As it groaned and grew sluggish, eventually toppling at her feet, she noticed the bear had seen battle prior. It suffered a multitude of small nicks and cuts, as from tiny weapons, and spots of frost-burn. As the others caught up, little time was spared. Nel wasn't keen on leaving the Aleksi alone with his chicken-legged treasure. She charged the siblings with collecting Ilshana and made for the hut.
• Roza was waiting on the steps beside Aleksi by the time Nel got back. The sorceress had secured a proper distraction, but time was of the essence. Unfortunately, time was not on the party's side, especially Cassie and Aiden. They spent far too long giving chase to the wily, white doe. More of Ilshana showed in the deer than the Waylans cared, a playful, quick, and clever spirit that eluded them time and again. But neither were incompetents and Ilshana-Doe, for all her cunning, was bound to the intelligence of an animal more often than not. She was captured, and with the stranger, whose name was Ivanushka, slung like a sack of potatoes over Aiden's shoulder, the motley crew exited "The Bear Woods" hoping never to visit them again. 
• In the modest common room of the dancing hut, Iorwinn quiet on a cot, the party was officially introduced to Ivanushka Plishkev. Aleksi, thrilled to be hosting a boyar (his dress and mannerisms were unmistakable to the muzhik boy), waited on him hand-and-foot, though the class assumptions on both their parts rubbed Nel and Roza the completely wrong way. As Ivanushka slowly put the pieces together with the hut, the boy, and the group, he was met with a less than warm reception, if outright ridicule. Even still, there was some advantage to be gained out of all this and the death priestess was determined to make use of it. She also healed his leg. Aleksi scolded Nel for treating the boyar such and implored the man to use his power and prestige to aid them. He squirmed in his seat, but agreed with a practiced smile.
• When Nel identified the boyar's obvious tell, Ivanushka was forced to come clean or risk immediate ejection from the hut, if not worse. In a nutshell, he was no longer a rich and powerful boyar. He was bankrupt, his inheritance stolen from him and his sister by their aunt, the striga Katarina Skoryat. Circumventing a very serious oath, Katarina managed to remove all competitors to the Plishkev fortune, which she now held. Nel recognized the validity of his story and recalled that, since becoming so rich, Katarina had secured a position with one of the preeminent Izoldan ambassadors. This made Ivanushka's revenge and the party's search for a crown-and-chain cure a little more complicated than an assassination. 
• In the coldest way possible (and the most unlikable way possible, as Ivanushka was very blunt in telling her) Nel offered the Zoldani a deal that was too good to refuse, and in doing so fortified his allegiance. Simply put, she offered the group's help. In return, he would help wherever needed, with the language and customs, certainly, but more so with obstacles only a boyar, even if in appearance only, could negotiate in the very caste-focused Izoldan society. It was a very well-played maneuver on Nel's part. No one would put treachery passed Ivanushka under normal circumstances (bankrupt nobility are a fickle and desperate lot), however the pauper-prince had absolutely no worth to any other faction. No other striga would help him, no other boyar, either, and forget the Iron Guard! And what could be gained from Etherian counter-intelligence without defecting (which Ivanushka did NOT want to do, rather he goal was to restore his fortunes in the Motherland). He had to take the deal and stick to it for any chance at revenge, reclamation, and reuniting with his sister, and so he did. The priestess and the boyar spat and shook, and that was that. 
• Hoping to counter magic with magic, Aiden wrapped the Ogrecloak around the crown-collar on Ilshana's neck and pulled. It gave immediately! Ilshana was freed from the curse brilliantly, however, with a flash of golden light Aiden became a large, brown stag wearing the impressive, blood-stained cloak. He seemed a good deal mellower than Ilshana-Doe had been, except whenever Nel or Roza tried to approach (Ivanushka didn't even entertain the idea of trying). 
• Cassie was able to reach her brother for a short time, but much like Ilshana and Ivanushka before her, the human persona surfaced only for short periods of time before falling away into the animal again. The party puzzled over the final solution to the damned crown-and-chain, but it was more or less decided that the answer lied with some sort of resolution between Ivanushka and Katarina Skoryat. For the time being, Aiden would have to remain the stag...
• With time running short on Roza's imminent distraction, she directed Aleksi to lead them to the river and then, ultimately, to the ancient bridge at Hammer's Cross. Negotiating with the guardsmen of Fort Medved would be far too expensive, and attempting to bargain with the rusalka of the river akin to making a deal for their own drownings. The hut made haste, causing quite a commotion as it entered view of the Iron Guard lookouts. 
• The troops at Hammer's Cross displayed full, ordered ranks by the time the hut arrived at their end of the skinny, stone bridge connecting Izolda with Etheria. Obviously their belief was someone of extreme importance was in the fabled dancing hut (either The White Witch or the Matushka herself, if rumors were true). On the other side, Etherian forces watched on with spyglasses wondering what game the Zoldani were playing. 
• Despite offers of support and looks of distrust, Ivanushka was determined to succeed or fail on his own merits (especially after listening to a sample of Ilshana's horrible Izoldan accent). He left the hut with an air of confidence befitting a boyar worthy of the title and approached the commander of the bridge. Though no one could hear the conversation, half expected to be double-crossed in that moment, the other half anticipated Ivanushka to simply fail at the ruse. After thirty seconds, the penniless boyar returned to the hut with a look of victory about him. It might have even been called smug as he reentered.
• The Iron Guard dutifully cleared the path, presenting ranks on either side of the bridge's path. Flags-wavers hurried halfway across, waving the banners of the emissaries (a flag cut diagonally, one half the white of peace and the other the red-and-gold of the imperial standard). Flummoxed, the Etherian side made haste to accept an unexpected diplomat, especially once so strangely ushered. A portly, over-the-hill flag-waver appeared a few minutes later (out of breath) and swung a white-and-gold flag of acceptance. Still buttoning up his shirt, he made the motions to cross. And so the dancing hut did, with a mix of proud (Izoldan) and strange (Etherian) looks following after. 
• Welcome to Etheria!

Notable NPCs
Ivanushka Plishkev- The penniless boyar (Zoldani) was cheated out of his inheritance by his aunt, the striga Katarina Skoryat, after being turned into a stag through a cursed crown-and-chain; He wandered the alpine woods for months, fading in and out of intelligence and beast-mind, until Ilshana accidentally set him free; Agreed to help the party for the chance to enact revenge on his aunt, reclaim his fortune, and locate his sister.

Katarina Skoryat (mentioned)- A rich and talented striga of Segnova; Part of the ruling coven called The Knot; Ivanushka and Alenushka's aunt who, through roundabout means to avoid a sacred oath sworn to her late sister, caused her brother-in-law's death, her niece's hurried escape in the middle of the night, and her nephew's transformation into a stag in order to secure the fortune of the Plishkev family as her own; Nel recalled Katarina is a retainer to one of the leading Izoldan ambassadors, making her simple assassination not so simple; The power of the cursed crown and chain is tied directly to her.

Alenushka Plishkev (mentioned)- Ivanushka's sister; Fled Segnova hours before her father's death for fear of attack by her aunt, and her current whereabouts are unknown.


Treasures
The Crown-and-Chain (Aiden)
A golden crown and chain make for a curious collar around the stag’s neck.
Curse: The wearer of the crown-and-chain is transformed into a stag (or doe) with the faintest semblances of humanity and intelligence. Removing the chain (through magic) transfers the curse to the remover.
Cure: Tied to Katarina Skoryat


Bestiary Addendum
Bone-Plated Dire Bear (slain by Nel)


Notable Locations II
The Bear Woods (Izoldan Wilds): Alpine forest where the party found cursed Ivanushka, fought and killed the dire bear, stumbled upon a magical icicle trap, and may or may not have seen a suspicious, child-like figure.

Hammer's Cross (Border of Izolda and Etheria; along The Great River): One of the few crossing points between Izolda and Etheria, guarded heavily on both sides by the respective nations.


Izoldan Proverbs III
"Fear not the clever enemy, but the foolish friend." - Ivanushka, watching Aiden turned into a stag


Zol Vocabulary Lesson III
boyar- The male nobility of Izolda, each house claiming decent from one of Iggwilv's lovers throughout the ages (some daring blood claims with the Matushka herself, though never in earshot of a striga); They range in race, mostly human, tiefling, and giant-kin. Their influence is centered in the Red Cities (designated wealthy districts of Izoldan cities) where business and politics are decided. They are undeniably patriarchal households in reaction to the matriarchal church and state, possessed of staggering wealth but never on quite the same level as striga leadership (boyar fathers might think themselves barons, but they cannot hold a candle to the true might of the baronesses and are, in fact, beholden to the women who outrank them). Boyars hold the most sway in the capital Lothet, where they are treated as close equals to the striga. The only "free" boyar organization is The Hellfrost Club, and that's such a secretive order few believe it actually exists...

Chapter 3: The Dancing Hut

LEVEL UP 2!

Gent 16th - 17th

Synopsis

• Iorwinn acted as guide through the Stonecages, but she didn't get the party very far...
• An abominable snowman knuckle-pounded into their path, dragging a massive bone-club behind it. It beat its chest and made a show, though the gnome was convinced they could bypass the creature without bloodshed. Roza attempted to make an offering of bones to appease the alpha, but the yeti found the scraps of dogs and old hunters lacking. It attacked, leading to an unexpectedly vicious battle. The toughness of the simian beast combined with the reach of the club doled some hard knocks, bruises, and fractures.
• When the group began gaining the upper hand, the gnome rushed between the fighting to intervene (most gnomes cherish natural life in all its forms). She attempted to calm the raging monster with the soothing Gnomish language. Unfortunately, Iorwinn proved why she wasn't chosen as her mother's druidic apprentice in the moment. She seemed lacking the supernatural empathy her people possessed, the link which ties them to animals. The yeti grabbed her by the waist and jammed her into its mouth. It crushed her skull between its monstrous jaws. She crumpled to the ground while the beast hooted and howled, igniting Roza to finish the beast off in fiery fashion. 
• Nel's cthonic prayers were able to pull the gnome back from the brink of death, but her injuries were too severe. Iorwinn was brain-dead. Feeling overwhelming guilt for her promises of wonder and adventure, Ilshana made a life-altering decision as everyone sat quietly, tending wounds and pondering how on earth they were going to escape the shifting, semi-sentient dungeon without a guide.
• The bard appealed to a mysterious winter fey named Therion for aid, summoning a Cold Sister-like cold. The cavern filled with swirling frost in the likenesses of laughing satyrs and dancing nymphs. The frozen patterns wheeled and wound, creating a trail to follow. Over a half hour, it circled and bypassed many monsters and snares (as distant shadows, grunts, and unsavory smells indicated).
• The aid came at a price, as Ilshana found her fingers from tips to joints vanished. They were still there, but invisible. A strange payment to anyone who noticed, the bard knew exactly what it meant, what it promised. The proverbial clock was tickling...
• The trail ended in an expansive cavern of beige, sepia, umber, and lead distinctly different from the pale walls and permafrost of the Stonecages. This place appeared to be a naturally-occurring cave system in the mountain itself. Steamy, still milk-water stretched in a lake-like spring with ancillary, shallower ponds, supporting healthy blue-green moss which clumped in small isles and hedged the banks. On a central isle sat a shabby izba, spurring hope there was a healer inside (though hopefully not Iorwinn's mother). Perhaps the milk-water itself would revive the poor gnome.
• While the party lurked around the bank, dipping fingers and sniffing the steam, Cassie even sipping a cup of the stuff, Aleksi dove in and took the feeble gnome in his arms. He bathed Iorwinn and dunked her once or twice, to no avail. Meanwhile, Aiden located two separate exits and two chances to find the surface.
• There was no indication anyone was home in the izba, despite calling out. Roza sagely realized this hut could be something much more, one of the rare and rumored dancing huts. Only two had ever been discovered in Izolda prior. They called out a few times, Ilshana suggesting they try the native language of the country. Nel directed Aleksi to wake it up. When the boy called for the cottage to wake, the shutters flew open, wings unfurled from the sides, and it elevated on two, giant chicken legs! A dancing hut! It quickly became apparent that it recognized the muzhik boy as its master, though he offered to share it with the party straight away. 
• After some initial mistrust on the part of the monk, the party gathered inside. It was a very plain, frankly poor interior, but the hut was young yet. In time, it could develop to be very lavish and spacious indeed. And it wasn't entirely impoverish, offering a magical trunk filled with welcoming gifts to its new occupants. The party rejoiced at the discovery of a magic pipe, shashka, ushanka, gusli, and nagyka. 
• Over the next five hours, Aleksi directed the dancing hut to make its way up the nearly vertical cliffs and horridly cramped cracks and fissures of the mountains roots in search of an exit. The night passed, the party slept, but the boy remained vigilant and eager. He was far too filled with wonder to sleep anyhow. He'd inherited something so rare, so magical, it could elevate him to the status of boyar (and subsequently paint a target on his back for every jealous striga in the country). By morning, they emerged from the Dawnspear and into steeper mountain country. The Holy Mountain was nearer than ever, valleys were greener than ever, the sounds of water echoed, they were so close to the border. 
• Another three hours were spent traveling over verdant ledges, through rich, pooled ravines and valleys, over sharp cliffs and sudden peaks, until The Rayan Falls cascading from the shoulders of The Holy Mountain came into view. The vista was so magnificent it inspired tears. And set upon a glistening, mist-shrouded flood plain like a music box on a shelf was Haven. Crowning the town's central hill was the famous Starhome. And defending the Izoldan front, a spectacular wall of star crenelations, bronze and copper roofs, and massive prisms. 
• The exhausted dancing hut, and its young master, plopped down where they stood and slept. So close to Etheria, and still so far away. Between their position on the high mountain ledge and the safety of the Etherian town were fifteen miles of waterfalls and raging whitewater, part of a system of forty-seven cataracts pouring one into the other from the celestial climbs. Whatever bridges, roads, and barges existed on the Izoldan side were undoubtedly occupied by Iron Guard.
• Roza calmly dawned her pack and volunteered her assistance in providing an adequate distraction for the guardsmen. She had certain friends who could help in these parts. Nel wanted to know more, and Cassie wanted to join her, but the young sorceress declined. She did not want her traveling companions to witness the things she would have to do, though she kept that last bit to herself. What followed was a twenty-four hour trial in the darkest cloisters of the immediate mountains, the secrets and specifics Roza's alone to keep... 
• The remainder of the party made the best of their day, Nel and Cassie mostly staying in the hut tending to comatose Iorwinn and the sleeping Aleksi. Their conversations ranged, though it was not lost on the pair the liability of the hut. At some point, Ilshana sneaked out to explore. And not long after, Aiden followed.
• Wandering the flowering slopes of the summer Dawnspears, examining the flora, appreciating the fauna, the bard was having a time of it. On her day-trip, Ilshana spotted the most unusual creature: a majestic red stag with a golden crown collar around its neck, complete with a dangling golden chain. Who could resist the mystery? She followed the stag into a nearby wood, tracking it quite stealthily. She didn't want to kill it, but perhaps if she took hold of that chain... 
• Aiden noticed Ilshana was gone long before Nel or Cassie. Comfortable stalking prey, he followed Ilshana throughout her trip. In the woods, he watched Ilshana on the hunt. The bard put her hands to her lips, hoping to mimic the right doe call. Then, as the stag came over to investigate, she would leap out and snatch the chain. It was long enough to swipe if it only sniffed a little closer. She took a deep breath, contorted her lips, and gave a half-grunted bellow. Aiden's eyes widened, recognizing the noise sounded far more like a bear's challenge than the coo of a deer. Ilshana, too, noticed it was a bit off. She might have lubricated her throat a little before trying.
• She thought of making a second attempt, but something in the deep woods called back, something with a feral, powerful, and resonating sound. Aiden sprung into action, even as the treetops near the heart of the wood began to sway and steady tremors suggested a huge approach. And what better way to escape a determined and no doubt hungry dire bear (what else could it be) than to provide an easier meal. Before Ilshana could fully register what was happening, the monk flew out of the trees and intercepted the frightened stag. With a sharp, sudden strike he broke the beast's leg. What Aiden wasn't counting on was hearing a human cry in response. The dire bear increased its pace.
• Ilshana and Aiden tried to speak with the stag, but it only managed stunted sounds of human frustration and pain. The sounds of the bear's approach turning thunderous, the forest floor practically rolling, Ilshana took the collar and chain and ripped them from the stag's neck. There was a flash of golden light...
• A worried Cassie and Nel exited the hut and looked out over the woods, watching birds in the distance take wing in mad exodus. Ilshana, Aiden, and the red stag lie directly in the monster's more immediate path. And down a sorceress, the dancing hut still sound asleep, it's uncertain the party is ready for what's coming for them.

Notable NPCs

Therion- A winter fey of considerable power and clout; has a mysterious connection with Ilshana; created the frosty trail which led to the Stonecages' exit and the discovery of the dancing hut

The Red Stag- a majestic creature with fourteen-pointed antlers; a golden crown collar and dangling golden chain made it unique, more so the limited human voice

New Items
A set of copper-and-silver earrings, necklace, and ring (25 gauld together, or 6 separately), two fine daggers (4 grivna each), a collection of steel buckles from shoes, belts, and other bands (34 grivna), a birch pipe (56 copecks), a small amber hairclip fashioned like a bird of happiness (5 gauld), 25 feet of salvageable hempen rope, a rabbit’s foot on a small, copper chain (30 copecks- mostly for the copper), a steel fork, butterknife, and spoon (10 grivna as a set), flint and steel, small wooden flask (1 grivna) of blueberry-hinted mead, gingerbread squares in a sealed, glass jar, and a walnut-sized dollop of black opium twice-wrapped in wax paper (1 gauld, Cassie)

A Young Dancing Hut [Aleksi]
This young dancing hut is a descendant of The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga, appearing a rundown izba with a steep roof, crooked chimney, beak-like front stoop, shingled wings, and long, large chicken legs. While currently a sparse two-room interior of hard, wooden furniture, thin mattresses in the corner, a rickety stove with nothing but a lukewarm pot of shchi and a weak kvass beneath the elevated wash basin, if nurtured it will develop more rooms and increased luxury over time (including magical chests, extradimensional closets, bookshelves, studies, bedrooms, ballrooms, baths, and larders filled with the finer things in life). A dancing hut is priceless, even more so in Izolda. Boyar and especially striga would be willing to pay small fortunes to own one in the fashion of the Grandmother of Witches. It is a sign of great status, perhaps dangerously so, as only two of the most powerful witches in Izolda own one (Baroness Imprela Carnast and Matushka Iggwilv-Yaga). Those not considered worthy of the honor won't enjoy that honor long...
Special: It understands only the Zol language, and recognizes Aleksi its warlock master
May travel up to 8 hours without rest, though must then sleep 8 hours in a stationary position- disguised as a cottage. Over time, its endurance may increase.

Smolder [Nel]

An ivory pipe fashioned like a stylized, curling plume, studded near the mouthpiece with flawed rubies like embers, and quite warm to the touch.

+1 MD

Recharge (11+) Ask a question of a flame and understand its reply.

Recharge (16+) Control a nearby fire into performing one action (moving, leaping, changing color or shape, attacking by expending a chosen attack and converting damage to fire, etc). This can be used in reaction to a fire attack.

Quirk: Refuses to drink water, no matter the circumstances

Danila the Weeping Gusli [Nel]

This saw-shaped instrument is damp to the touch, forever soaked with the tears of the muzhik widower who crafted it. The nameless peasant worked his grief into the very fibers of the wood, then gave it the name of his lost love. When played, the strings trickle tears. 

+1 bonus to spell attacks and damage

+4 bonus to checks involving sad or moving performances (+8 at funerals)

Recharge (16+) The sorrowful sounds of the gusli summon tears unbidden, compromising even the hardest hearts. She will tailor her song to strike a chord in a nearby enemy and overwhelm it with grief. On a spell hit with this instrument, add the dazed condition (-4 attacks) until the end of its turn. 

Quirk: Compelled to place flowers on lonely, unmarked, or forgotten graves

Elina the Free [Cassie]

A steel shashka (single-edged, guardless sabre favored by the cossacks of the steppes) with a braid of black horsehair for a tassel at the base of the hilt. 

+1 bonus to attacks and damage.

+4 bonus to checks involving horses

While you are staggered, you deal +1d6 damage with attacks that hit using this weapon.

Quirk: Craves the open steppe and the wide, blue sky and will opt for any path that leads through such lands; Adores horses

Jadis’ Hat [Ilshana]

White, unspoiled ushanka (Russian style fur hat w/ flaps).

+1 MD

The wearer resists all grime, grease, muck, and filth, effectually immune to getting dirty.

Resist Cold (11+) or receive only half damage from cold attacks

Quirk: Obsessed with the color white

Hemorrhage [Roza]

Glistening nagyka (lacquered leather tightly braided into a whip with a tiny, metal hook at the end) are regarded by the muzhik as symbols of oppression, used by the Iron Guard to punish those who offend them. With every movement, it gives a soft hiss.

+1 attack and damage

Recharge (11+) When you hit with this weapon, you deal 5 ongoing damage

Recharge (16+) If you use this weapon to humiliate, interrogate, or torture someone, you receive a bonus recovery for the day.

Quirk: Laughs at other’s tears, however discretely 

Bestiary (Sessions 1 - 3)

Humans (Northern, Zoldani)

Frost Giantkin

Human (Krovi)

Winter Sprite

Ogre

Brown Bear

Giant Snow Slink

Muddlemind Mushroom

Gnome

Hellcat

Abominable Snowman

Young Dancing Hut

Red Stag (magical)

Dire Bear

Zol Vocabulary Lesson 2
shchi- a thin cabbage soup and essential sustenance for the poor, muzhik population
kvass- watered down bread-beer and national staple of Izolda, each household and family having its own special recipe
privet- hello
izba- typical Izoldan cottage
sidet- sit
prosnut'sya- wake up
cossack- Free Zoldani of the eastern steppes, eschewing the brutal rule of the baronesses to live free in wild country. They are tolerated only for their usefulness in autumn and winter, when their tribes are forced to hole up in the mountains (the steppe in the cold season would equal death) and thus combat the monstrous infestations of the Dawnspears not loyal to the striga (minotaurs and orcs, mainly). The two unruly factions of monsters and cossacks keep each other in check, allowing the witches to focus on more important matters. Cossacks are capable warriors and skilled horsemen. They're led by very strong, cunning, and charismatic types who provide surprisingly honest democracies- each cossack has a say in all matters. If ever a cossack is unhappy, he or she is free to move on. Make no mistake, however, the majority are far more rogue, fugitive, and miscreant than romantic ideal.

Chapter 2: Bad Trip

Gent 16th, 49 A.S.

Synopsis

• The party woke to find Cassie missing. Evidence suggested she bolted in the middle of the night, and Aiden's continued tracking found she'd hardly erred to avoid trees and bushes (ripping apart a blouse and clawing up her vest and pants in the process). Strange no one heard her. And the stride, depth, and placement of the tracks intimated a truly magnificent agility. Could it have been the work of an enchantment?
• In the hunt for the missing explorer, the party came to a ravine cutting a line through woods. The only way across appeared to be a bridge, one guarded by a tethered, overfed bear. On the other side of the bridge, snoring loudly, were two ogres. Perhaps they were keen to exact tolls from passersby, or perhaps they were set here by striga to discourage travel at a key crossing point. Either way, Cassie's tracks cut through their camp and eastward. To circle wide and try to pick them up again would have proven an extremely difficult task, if impossible. 
• It was decided best to lure the bear away from the bridge with scraps of food, a job for which Aiden volunteered. While he did so, Ilshana and Roza crept over the rickety, wooden suspension. Though the bridge creaked suspiciously, neither crossing disrupted the ogres' slumbering. Aleksi hid in the brush, watching as Nel dragged her leg over the undulating boards.
• Roza had noticed in her approach a curious thing in the trees, blue but not a bluebird, one of the diminutive fey. She generalized it as some sort of winter sprite, one quite cognizant of its power over them while nestled right above the ogres' heads. One sound could be the pebble which sparked an avalanche of violence. Nel tried to reason with him, but the efforts were wasted on the mischievous creature. Ironically, in her efforts negotiating the bridge and negotiating with the fey, the death priestess made just enough clatter to wake the giant-kin. 
• Grahsin and Gohrin, as they were known, groggily rose, Ilshana finding herself nearest to the pair of flabby, hirsute, foul-smelling brutes. They spoke only Jut (Giant), elated breakfast had arrived. 
• Roza, who happened to speak their language, pointed to the sprite in the trees in hopes of turning their aggression feyward. The winter sprite winked out with a cruel chuckle, as fey are wont to do at inconvenient times, rousing Grahsin's ire. 
• Ilshana attempted an epic verse to confound and browbeat the pair, but unfortunately neither ogre had any idea what she was saying. Sounded impressive, though. Then again, she was very small and her cheeks, still plump with youth, looked absolutely delicious. Gohrin hammered the poor girl with a meaty fist. The winter sprite reappeared, looking genuinely distressed. 
• Roza gave the ogres a cold ultimatum, which really only incited an even more violent and gruesome response than had already been given. It would be a horrid fate should the girls be captured. Their rejection of her terms inspired the young sorceress to demonstrate her true power, a sudden and shocking explosion of lightning and howling winds which blanketed the area and struck her enemies in full. The raw power was enough to give most in the group pause, certainly the winter sprite as Roza willed an errant bolt to crackle up the tree and fry him on the branch. He fell dead in a blackened, smoking crisp.
• Ilshana managed to hold Gohrin by herself, taking a giant heel to the chest and then some in the process. Wondering if she'd survive the next few minutes, Nel answered with a backward heal courtesy The Judge of Souls. Ilshana got to experience all the pain leading up to her impending death, while her wounds magically closed. It was an experience the bard never, ever wanted to feel again. Such was the sort of interventions the goddess of death offered to those who should rightly die. Nel was certain the goddess did not like to be cheated in such a way, especially by her follower, but that did not stop her.
• Aiden surged over the bridge and landed a sharp kick in Grahsin's throat. The monster gagged and stumbled backward, giving Roza an opening to dig a dagger through his elephantine hide and into his chest. If that wasn't enough to fell him (it wasn't), Nel berated her goddess and supplied the ogre's death in recompense for Ilshana's survival through a very horrid wilting of life and limb. When Grahsin was reduced to a withered husk, his corpse collapsing under its own weight, Aiden rushed to Ilshana's defense and landed a finishing blow on the affronting giant-kin, punching the bridge of Gohrin's nose into his brain and killing him instantly. 
• In the aftermath, Ilshana wondered if the sprite really deserved to die. Roza thought so. Nel hobbled over to frisk the corpses, coming away with an eclectic mix of bartered goods and coin... quite a lot of coin for rural ogres, in fact. The bones of dogs and masters suggested a past ambush, perhaps. Or maybe the one who placed them on the bridge paid well. Or was it the tolls collected by those who could pay coin, the rest murdered where they stood?
• Aiden picked up his sister's trail again and made for the woods ahead, Roza following while Nel and Ilshana retrieved Aleksi and released the bear. Cassie wasn't far, nude and unconscious in a patch of feathergrass. Exposed, they saw several savage looking scars across her back and a few minor nicks and scrapes from her wild night. Aiden hoped she wasn't on drugs...
• Cassie awoke with no recollection of what had happened to her. She was intact and unspoiled, thank the gods, and mentioned something about strange dreams and a feeling of ultimate freedom. Aiden wrapped his cloak about her just as the rest of the group came by. At the sight of the bare explorer, Aleksi might have hit puberty. He bashfully offered her errant clothes he'd recovered along the trail. And when Cassie pecked a kiss upon his brow for the effort, he turned three shades of red. 
• The party retrieved the rest of their things from the old camp while Cassie dressed. Nel had a quiet conversation with the girl during the downtime, and Aiden claimed an old, ugly cloak  that could only ever hope to fit his tall frame from the ogre's things. Almost immediately he sensed it was something special. 
• They spent the rest of the day traveling the mixed country toward The Holy Mountain, two days or so from the Etherian border. There would be Iron Guard in some capacity, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it. In the meantime, navigating the very southernmost tip of the Dawnspear Mountains brought they to a proverbial fork in the road: climb the rises, or risk the chasms beneath. Climbing was sure to take them where they needed to go, but none were well-enough equipped or provisioned for scaling peaks. Of course, the subterranean realm of Izolda had a notorious reputation mostly earned from the horror stories told about Tsojcanth. But these were not the lands of Tsojcanth, were they? The baronial lines between Baroness Drelzna's territory and Baroness Litka's woods were vague, different on every map in truth. Ilshana did not hesitate entering "The Icecaves of Dawn", the party following.
• Through several obvious tunnels, the party came to a spleen-shaped cavern bubbling with hot springs. A giant lizard squatted over a clutch of eggs, hissing in warning at being approach. Lizards were not uncommon in Izolda during the summer months, but none this size. Ilshana was happy to use her creative license in calling it The Dawn Lizard and a liondrake (dragon was pushing it), though Nel thought it far more mundane in a giant snow slink. The priestess tossed a few coins into the air, distracting the creature with shinies and simultaneously offending Aleksi's muzhik sensibilities. They pressed on to further caverns, yet another fork in the road in whether or not to take the flooded caverns or the dry, narrower passages.
• Roza opted the waters, warm mineral baths that did wonders to soothe aches and pains. The others quickly joined her, feelings of light euphoria washing over them. Aleksi was nervous (as was Ilshana) over having to swim any great distance. Aiden suspiciously examined the water from his dry perch, determining it tainted by mushrooms, the kind that make people feel funny and see things. So long as they didn't ingest too much of the stuff, they'd be okay. There was an underwater passage leading on, well wide enough to swim through. Perhaps there was a way out.
• While listening to Ilshana's unbidden advise, Cassie tied a rope to her wrist and gave the opposite end to her brother. She left her pistols and, knife between her teeth, dove under and made her way through. The opposite end revealed a stinky crop of giant mushrooms and their euphoric spores overwhelmed Cassie's better judgement. She lazily climbed onto the slimy shores to be closer to the fungi, crawling over the decomposing corpses of others who were more than happy to stay in dopey bliss until death. As it turned out, a greenish-gold gnome with deep, gem-like eyes was still alive. Cassie confused her with a leprechaun and much tickling ensued in the pursuit of the gnomes non-existent gold. Just as the gnome was caving, Aiden yanked the pair back through to the surface. In the process, both drank inordinate amounts of the tainted water.
• The pair were out of their minds, giggling, stumbling, confusing every other worse spoken to them. Ishana got a good laugh, but the others weren't so amused. No sooner had they all exited the water, bright, blue eyes flashed in the darkness of the exit passage. Kittens! Small, white, frankly adorable snow leopards bounded into the chamber. They hissed and spat and tried looking fierce, only succeeding when they summoned their giant-sized mother. They watched as the cats' eyes glowed the impossible cold and their faces peeled so far backward their jaws and skulls distended and slid into blood, dripping exposure. Not snow leopards after all, the party found as they fled back into the waters, but hellcats out of frozen eight ring of Cania.
• Luckily, it seemed the feline dislike of water was universal throughout breeds, and the hellcats stopped at the edge of the waters. The mother crouched and waited, her babes leaping around her in anticipation. Ilshana became to splash at them in a shooing fashion, until she realized the creature's bodies were so cold water became ice crystals as soon as they touched them. Mesmerized by the phenomenon, she continued until Aiden stopped her. If anyone could inspire a cat to willingly leap in water, it was Ilshana. Nel and Roza decided water wasn't the only thing worth lobbing and fired sacred light and searing fire, ranking number two and three on the list of elements the hellcats despised. They fled, certain easier prey lied elsewhere.
• The gnome assured the group they would not return and climbed out. Cassie and Aiden had a little heart-to-heart, while the others learned a little more about the gnome. This started with her name, Iorwinn. She was daughter of the Underdruid, the party in fact being in The Stonecages of the Underdruid, a kind of living dungeon of shifting tunnels and cells tied to a central 'dungeon heart'. It wandered throughout the earth, swallowing up rare specimens for its keeper. 
• Iorwinn was willing to make a deal with the group, showing them the way out in return for the murder of her brother. After a little more conversation, however, Nel and Ilshana sensed Iorwinn didn't really want to kill him, she was simply frustrated being the neglected stable girl of a famous gnomish druid, having nearly died fetching a few mushrooms for a catoblepas, while her brother received all the attention and tutelage as druid's apprentice. 
• Roza was quite suspicious of the girl, though, and Aiden hated all fey. Ilshana insisted the gnome come with them on their travels, earning several critical looks, including from Iorwinn herself. She'd heard the tales of clouds and trees, of sun and moon, and thought it all sounded horrifying. She'd never left the Stonecages in all her years, but with Nel and Ilshana's insistence, Iorwinn ultimately joined Aleksi as an unlikely member of the fellowship. 
• But escaping the Stonecages wasn't as simple as backtracking. It would require risks, time, and most importantly trust...

Rewards
80 copecks (copper), 12 grivna (silver) each; mixed bones of dogs and their masters; small cask of molasses; wooden flask of vodka (half empty); a hatchet; small leather pouch of foul-smelling tobacco

The Ogrecloak (Aiden)

This large, road-worn cloak has weathered rain, snow, wind, and worst of all the cruelties of men. It's shielded the backs of the unwanted and persecuted, giving it a suspicious and overprotective nature. It has seen battle, hastily mended with ugly stitches and given several mismatched patches. It ranges wolf gray, storm cloud, and midnight in color. Ogre blood stains the fringes.

+1 disengage checks, Add Dexterity modifier to disengage checks

Quirks: Suspicious, Overprotective

Notable NPCs

Grahsin and Gohrin (slain): Ogres camping a bridge in the Izoldan Wilds, a few days from the Etherian border; unusually well-paid for ogres (who tend to barter, along with much of the muzhik population); kills go to Nel and Aiden

Winter Sprite (nameless, slain): Diminutive fey with blue skin, big pointy ears, and white moth wings; Threatened mischief during the ogre sneaking and laughed when the party was discovered; Seemed genuinely concerned with Ilshana's well-being, but didn't help; Roza fried him for the threat he could pose joining the already difficult battle

Iorwinn: Gnome daughter of the Underdruid Feyntorlen; Native of the Stonecages, a dungeon in the Dawnspears where her mother houses a number of animal companions; She's been designated stable girl against her will, quite jealous of her brother's druid apprenticeship; Iorwinn's never seen the surface and was frightened of leaving the Stonecages despite her hatred of the place, however Nel and Ilshana swayed her from the intended murder of her brother and convinced her to brave the wonders and horrors of the overland with them; Surprisingly fluent in Common


Notable Locations
Ogre's Bridge (Izoldan Wilds): Rope bridge spanning a gorge in the forests, once camped by an overfed bear and two ogres

The Stonecages of the Underdruid (Southern Dawnspears): Series of icy and flooded caverns filled with exotic animals and their young, companions of the gnomish Underdruid; Iorwinn claims the tunnels worm of their own accord, an unassuming cage for the beasts and the uninvited that only aedelsten (people of the earth in Gnomish) can decipher.


Gnomish Cusses

• molepoker

Zoldani Wisdom

• "If you follow a fool, then he becomes wise." -Papa Nabozhy
• "Treat every woman as your friend, or she will surely become your enemy." - Mama Nabozhy