25/2/2214 Reach Kal-Zinan
26-27/22124 Meetings
28/2/2214 Leave Kal-Zinan with dwarf emissary
7/3/2214 Battle with Hydra
8/3/2214 Land at coastal dungeon Tareb-Nur the Haunted, fight undead
14/3/2214 Return to Quodeth
15-21/3/2214 Meetings & shopping to 21/3/2214
Storm clouds above Kal-Zinan - by Aeshma (Judith)
After leaving the haunted iceberg it takes us a further week to reach Kal-Zinan up the Swiftice River as numerous locks have been installed by the dwarves to enable ships to reach the upper reaches of the river. When we arrive the dwarves appear tense and unhappy.
They initially assume we are emissaries from Quodeth, sent in response to a request by the dwarves for a meeting. As we are here we offer to meet with the Kal-Zinan Council to listen to whatever caused them to contact Quodeth. It appears that Margish slavers have kidnapped one of the Craft Masters of Kal-Zinan, master Bronn.
The dwarves are intent on retaliation but are presently undecided whether to seek an alliance with Lomar or Quodeth – Lomar’s army is renowned across Thule, but Quodeth’s navy offers the dwarves the most direct access to Marg.
We are invited into the city and taken to the Houses of Waiting until an opportunity arises for us to meet with the Council. In the meantime, the local grapevine is in full working order as a messenger from a broker arrives to invite us to a meeting. Aybrel Arn is apparently a highly regarded intermediary with the dwarves and offers to act for us, for a 5% commission. Aeshma is cautious about her having ulterior motives as the commission is so low, not to mention her eagerness to meet with us, but Vorstag chooses to proceed.
While at the meeting, Finnris shows her the dwarf-made greatsword and asks if she knows anything about it. She responds that the marks on the blade show it was made by the noted smith Tarm Orth-Nhul, sometimes called the Stonebreaker. She offers to send word to him so he can meet with Finnris. Vorstag negotiates a trade for twenty iron spearheads and ten iron-bound shields in return for the Sedarnel’s trade goods.
At the same time, Aeshma is at the tavern talking with members of the dwarf militia who have been called up as war with Marg seems likely. They say that the High Priest of Kal-Zinan, a follower of Nergal, seeks the long lost Eye of Braug, the last of the Cyclops Kings, which is alleged to be a artefact of great power.
It also transpires that the Innkeeper is an agent of the Guardians of the Nine who tells us that a cult to Lorthnu’un, the Lord of the Golden Chalice, has arisen amongst the poorest of the dwarf miners who are hoping that he will lead them to wealth.
The next day Finnris and Vorstag continue arranging the trade with Aybrel Arn, and Finnris meet Tarm Orth-Nhul. The dwarf sorcerer identifies the greatsword as the Sundersword which he forged some forty years earlier for a Lomari warrior. The sword’s thunder power was not working so Tarm reactivates it and offers it to Finnris for a further 1000gp which the barbarian duly hands over. Once told of our encounter with the Ghost Ship of Nimoth, Tarm points out that as Captain Bruneval was cursed, he has by now returned and will be seeking vengeance. If we defeat him again, Tarm’s suggestion is to take his bones to land and bury them as his curse was to wander forever.
The following day we are summoned to meet with the High Council of the dwarves. Previously the dwarves had been able to ensure the return of their people by paying a ransom to Marg, but this time the Margish seem to want to establish their own iron-working craft using master Bronn to teach them. We offer to travel to Marg to try to find him – the prospect of Margish warriors armed with iron and steel weapons would tilt the balance of power.
The Council assign Tarm Orth-Nhul as their emissary to Quodeth and we are asked to convey him back there to meet with Queen Deyane. The High Priest of Nergal takes on a similar mission to meet with the Lomari.
On the way back to Quodeth, we encounter a hydra that seizes one of Tarm’s guards and takes him away to devour. We try to follow but are hindered by a dense mist. We find a ruined cyclops fort and go ashore on the chance it may be using the fort as its lair, but we find only skeletons.
A week later we safely reach Quodeth.
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