Orhan 1 Day 44 TE 6064

We escape. We sell our excess horses on the way out and then teleport home.

Orhan 1 Day 45 TE 6064

We return to SelKai.

Imre works on a nice report for the loremasters. (176 Prose; 140 Loremaster Lore)

While working on that, we get a letter addressed to the Overseer. It's written in 5th-or-6th-grade-level Rhaya.

Dear sir,

We is reporting that the mines is beins overruns by these guys. Dems sumthin like i-ron-breeze. Wez nedds helps. Help.

-Lurrr

Oathar, tells Haeraan, who tells Imre, who goes to tell Alynna that it's time to go on a rescue minion to save our Lugraki employees.

Imre has a nice long chat with Alynna about how it turns out we have Lugraki employees rather than slaves, and it's all sort of awkward since we didn't tell her, but she's remarkably understanding, and doesn't actually kill anyone. She heads off to meditate.

Oathar goes off to pray to Neela to intercede with Cay on our behalf with Alynna. Remarkably, Cay shows up and talks to her. "Perhaps it is a time to move on to a new chapter in your life. Lugraki are tools of evil. Hate not the tool, hate the weilder. It is possible to have one not be fully tainted by evil."

Cay commands her to weld her school into a fighting unit which will be needed in the days to come. "Remember, I will be with you always."

Before he leaves, there's one last thing... "You should give that mage a hug. Don't *mumble* tricksy nyads and their kissy faces *grumble*, doesn't play fair..."

A couple of hours later, Alynna emerges from her room. "Where's Oathar, I have something I need to do to him." Imre tries to take the bullet for Oathar, but Alynna convinces her to go up and see Oathar. It's ominous, but in fact, he gets a hug rather than a thrashing.

Oathar goes to arrange a boat. Imre's concerned that we'll have to sail past Lorgalis-land where there are lot's of pirates.

We arrange for a doobie (Shar) to watch things in Santa Vallandra, and have Gireg Jan get us temporarily assigned to investigate the Iron Wind in Kelfour's Landing.

Orhan 1 Day 47 TE 6064

We stop at U-Lyshak to ask Jack if he's heard anything about the Iron Wind. Imre also asks Jack if any of Imre's spies (Captain Jack's Guys) have reported in. One has left a message on a postcard from Ulor. "Having a great time. Lot's of pirating buddies. Will look you up when vacation is over."

We take ship to Kelfour's Landing.

Welcome to the Bay of Ulor, as we sail to the northwest on the Titan. It's one of Oathar's more unsinkable ships.

Oathar navigates. Haeraan is a nigh lookout. Watch out for icebergs.

Haeraan see three ships, flyng the flag of Ulor. We give them a wide berth (after accidentally charging them for a bit).

Orhan 1 Day 50 TE 6064

We need to get past Ulor. Oathar decides to run the blockade and move through quickly rather than stealily.

Alynna calls the winds, and Oathar mans the sails, and they attempt to run the blockade.

Racing along the coast of Zar (trying to stay away from Ulor), suddenly everything look famliar. Yup, it's a pirate gold place. Oathar marks it on his charts so he can find it again.

They fly by an iceberg (it comes close).

Almost to the open sea. Another iceberg!

Ramming speed! No wait! Oh dear.

Alynna reverses the winds. Oathar reverses the sails, Imre summons a water elemental to push backwards. We slowly start coming starboard...

We get darned close to the iceberg...

Imre starts blasting bits of the iceberg as we run along side of it before they hit us below the waterline. He starts Sculpting the iceberg to his will.

Whew! We survive. All the lines and sails and masts get checked again before we start up the winds again.

We escape past Ulor and into the open sea.

Orhan 1 Day 60 TE 6064

We arrive at Kelfour's Landing.

The place is bigger than it used to be. There's a mill, the town is grown, and it's got more people. Outside the wall is a collection of crude tents and shacks. The shacks seems to be Lugraki/Trogli town.

We pull into the dock, and are greeted by lot's of folks. As we're getting off, a lugraki comes running down the gangplank saying, "Boss! Boss!"

Larr reports: "Boss! It terrible!" Alynna casts Det. Evil. Amazingly, it doesn't come out evil. So she doesn't kill him. The mine is a couple of days away. He says the mine is overrun. About a dozen and a half he remembers, but Larrr isn't so bright. Oathar's accountant is dead.

The townspeople aren't happy with the lugraki refugees. They report some outlying farms got blowed up. Townspeople estimate 5-500 Iron Wind.

Haeraan tries to get further information out of the Trogli. He doesn't learn much more, but it's odd that after several weeks the IW hasn't come down towards the town.

We spend the night in a nice warm inn and head out in the morning.

Orhan 1 Day 61 TE 6064

It dawns cold and clear. We decide to get some supplies and then leave in the morning. Larrr is unconvinced, but we convince him.

We pick up snowshoes and warmer clothes. Kyrik gets a teleport point.

Orhan 1 Day 62 TE 6064

We set off.

While scouting Kyrik hears sounds the next valley over. Skimming over the hilltop, down below he sees a man fighting two figures... They're iron wind guys. The guy fighting them has a lance, but after hitting one, crumples to their strike. Kyrik rushes in while we attempt to catch up.

He dispatches the Iron wind, but does not manage to save the knight who dies. With his dying breath he bequeaths his lance to Kyrik. Back in the trees is a squire holding a horse. He rushes up to mourn his master. Then he asks Kyrik where they're going. The rest of us arrive. The squire is Sancho Panza. His former master was Don Quixote de la Mancha from far away who came here to fight the Iron Wind.

Curse Tales reveals that the origin of the curse on the lance is lost in antiquity. It's the Lance of Quixote: +30 and Slaying against the Unlife. Holy Weapon. Will force the user to attack the Unlife or any windmills in the area. It will teleport into the users hand in preferece to any other weapon. Detects Unlife and windmil within 100'. There are four ways to get rid of the curse: 1) Defeat the Iron Wind, 2) Hand if off to a worthy successor, 3) Perform the role of Don Quixote and receive a standing ovation, 4) Inspire enough people as per Don Quixote to go beyond and dream the impossible dream. We press on.

We go check out some burnt huts. Looks like a hunters lodge that's all burnt out. There's dried blood and tracks everywhere.

Orhan 1 Day 63 TE 6064

Kyrik sees several figures patrolling outside the mine.