Hot Spring / Overlook (Date 2/1/8)

The ordeal in the Cage put fire to their heels, and the party fled back toward civilization. Either they eluded all pursuit, or – as was widely speculated – none was forthcoming. Once they felt they were clear, they put some questions to their new recruit, Barsai. His knowledge was minimal, seeming to think the war with the empire was a recent event and not a historical one. The working theory became that he had only minimal self-awareness. The hope is that it will grow as he continues to interact with the party. His management was given over to Hedge. Winter was treated similarly. Marty and Prince Euwyn offered to continue her training and to explore her strange condition. She accepted. Zimudar’s arm was buried in the city. Reincarnating him was deemed too expensive.

Back in Malwan, it was found that the kingdom’s recent expansion had stalled and exhausted its coffers. After meeting with Relania and the team, it was decided that exploration should be their mandate since open resistance was getting them nowhere. Continuing with their theory about improving people’s abilities through contact with the Euwyn and Marty, the party brought Mjelde and Winter with them to explore the hills north of Black Lake.

First night out they encountered a giant, or possibly a group of giants, but they avoided them rather than fight. In the next hex, they found a beautiful, natural hot spring. Hedge showed them how to properly enjoy it. Marty tried to spy on the girls, but was thwarted by well-placed clouds of steam and Ilyana’s all-seeing eyes. Euwyn spotted a family of rare, black swans, which Ilyana and Winter were able to quiet long enough to gather some feathers needed to complete Narlock’s magic fan fragment.

Finally, they reached the mountains. A sheer wall of rock rose up before them. With minimal climbing gear and mountaineering experience, the party opted for a magical approach. Ilyana took the form of a giant bird and lifted them high into the range. There, they found a scenic overlook from which they could see the Sky Tower. They were reminded of a vision from nearly a year ago, a strange sense of deja vu. A rough, but navigable pass cut away from the overlook leading deeper into the mountains.