March 20, 610

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Hunger
I am the Weaver. I have spent these last weeks walking in the dreams of Volta. I have walked the webs that stretch beneath the surface of the dreaming. I have walked hidden paths, protected and hidden by the protective web of Grandmother Spider. At the behest of the Voltan people, and in their defense, I have walked into the dreams of winter. I have walked through dreams of hunger and despair, of ice and cold, of flesh and strength. I have walked through savage dreams of fangs ripping into still beating hearts. I have suffered through dreams of elegant finery and covered silver platters containing the hopes of entire civilizations. But from your decisions, from your hopes and dreams, and with the information that I have learned, I think there is a chance we can end the winter that has plagued us. The Wendigo, once a respected totem, has become something it should not be. It has become a plague upon Volta and her people, and I ask you all now to help me shoulder the burden of making things right again. If able, come to Velno, in Cathym. Close to the lines of battle to the north, at the feet of the Frostpeak Mountains. There, we will weave our web. There, we will correct the wrongs that have been wrought, and attempt to end the winter that plagues us. Come to Velno, bring your hopes. Polish them until they shine like steel. Bring your dreams. Sharpen them until they cut like truth. Bring your will. Temper it with duty and resolve. These are the weapons with which we will fight the Wendigo.

Progress Made

 * The Wendigo's bond to the culture it stole was broken
 * The Deathbringer's Mask 'recovered' by Alric Earthbound
 * The Wendigo returned to its normal level of power

New Problems

 * Confrontation between General Tristan Eastyck and Chief Yuriev may have undone all the work done to get the Wolf Nation to align with the people of Volta under The Chief of Chiefs

Report from Velno, Cathym - Compiled by Lady Rillien Nol'Feredir
Dealing with the Wendigo:

The day began with the adventurers gathering in Velno, Cathym - Alexander Grenditch is Lord of this town. The adventurers knew that the gathering was mainly for the purpose of trying to severe the Wendigo’s connection to the power source feeding her in the North. The enhanced power was allowing the Wendigo more power over its various aspects. The Wendigo is usually equal in power to the other totems in Volta, but the added power source given to her by Daniel Redpath was making her stronger.

We discovered later in the day during the Spirit Farewell for Alric Earthbound’s father that the artifact in the North that was feeding the Wendigo was an artifact of the Gryphon clan that had once allowed the Gryphon clan Deathbringer to harvest dead spirits and send them to their rest. The Wendigo was able to corrupt the power of the Deathbringer mask and use this artifact to bind the spirits of those she had under her sway, so that the spirits would return to her when killed.

Baron Martimus gathered the adventurers together on the steps of the tavern and shared with everyone what he knew of what had to be done in order for the Wendigo to be weakened.

Note: Exactly what had to be accomplished changed as the day went on - I will try to only include what was done in the end - Rillien. At first we were planning to fight the Wendigo on the Dreaming, but that was changed.

1st) The Wendigo needs to be separated from her Champion, Drok the Cave Troll. Drok became the Wendigo’s Champion when Daniel Redpath arranged for Drok to be trapped in a cave during a blizzard with a dying young girl. Though Drok fought for months to resist the hunger, eventually the Wendigo got control of him, he ate the girl, and Drok became her Champion. It pleases her to have such a strong Champion, and she does not wish to give him up.

Separating the Wendigo from her Champion would be accomplished with the help of the Four Winds. The Weaver, a Spider Clan shaman with strong ties to Dream, had arranged audiences for the adventurers with each of the Winds. The Weaver advised us to break up into groups and for each group to appeal to a Wind for aide. He said creating groups that matched the purviews of each Wind would be appropriate, and cautioned us that the North Wind would be the hardest to sway, as she has the closest ties to the North and cold, much like the Wendigo does.

North Wind - winter, death, cold, ancient, lore, experience - point person Drake

East Wind - spring, youth, rebirth, new adventurers - point person Maverick

South Wing - summer, growth, nuture, passion, warmth - point person Chastity

West Wind - autumn, bounty, harvest, patience, waning - point person Omi

If we successfully appealed to all of the Winds for aide, they would grant us boons that would help keep the Wendigo and Drok apart at the appropriate time.

A deal was made with the North Wind. In exchange for her help in caging and weakening the Wendigo, the North Wind would not allow the Wendigo to be destroyed, but would instead take the Wendigo back to the North to reclaim her usual dominion and her usual level of power. (Edit: Garion Griswold: Additionally Cynnir is tasked with gathering information concerning the Winter Court for the North Wind, and I am tasked with becoming her Champion)

2nd) The aspects of the Wendigo needed to be severed from her. With the help of the Weaver, adventurers worked throughout the day to prepare a cage that would hold the Wendigo while her aspects were severed from her. The cage was constructed from the power of the Dreaming by Alle and Omi who imbued one side with images that she would find tempting and the other side with things she would find comforting.

The Weaver told us that the Dream cage would be tethered in five places, and that when we are prepared, we’d have to place things in the cage that would entice the Wendigo to enter the cage - the bait ended up being Cynnir, Drake, Marina, Martimus and others.

While the Wendigo was trapped inside the cage, Gertrude would be able to see the strands connecting the Wendigo to her aspects and could, one by one, cut them using the obsidian dagger she earned during the barbarian moot in February of 609.

The aspects that needed to be weakened were:

1) Flesh/Strength - a heart was consumed in order to combat this aspect

2) Ice/Cold - candles were gathered in order to combat this aspect

3) Hunger/Despair - drinking vessels were gathered in order to combat this aspect

4) Stolen Civilization (stolen from the Ralesharr) - “uncivilized” jewelry was constructed in order to combat this aspect

When the time came, the adventurers had to against split into four groups in order to fight each of these four manifested aspects in turn. Engaging the manifestation of the aspect in battle would allow Gertrude to see their connection to the Wendigo and to cut it. Once the aspects were severed from her, then we’d be able to severe the Wendigo’s Champion from her.

3rd) Separate Drok from the Wendigo. This involved having to fight him. After he was defeated, Alric was able to sever him from the Wendigo with the obsidian dagger. After which he lamented that all those close to him die or would die and he did not wish to be close to people anymore so they wouldn't die anymore. He also refused to be the Wendigo's Champion again and went with the North Wind so he would no longer feel the pain of his guilt, but he would no longer feel joy as well.

By the end of the night, the goals were accomplished and the Wendigo appeared to be a diminished, haggard version of her former grandeur. The weakened Wendigo went North with the North Wind to recuperate, and will likely eventually return to her old level of power and influence as a normal totem. Gertrude was greatly weakened by her efforts to sever the aspects before handing the obsidian dagger to Alric to finish the task.

Dealing with Lady Septimus of the Black Iron Gate and The Hall of Kings:

The Lord of Unbound Horizons, a Lord of the plane of Chaos that we have met previously, arrived in town and offered to take two groups of adventurers to two different places.

He offered to take one group North, to a place where Ian Gerling and his ghouls were on the field against an enemy. Whoever went there would be guised to appear as one of Gerling’s ghouls. As long as we acted appropriately, the guise would hold.

The Lord offered to transport the other group to a place where the Lord could not go (as he was too powerful to go there), and so he was interested in the place and wanted to learn about it. He told us that whoever went in that group would go to a place even the strongest adventurer would only have the skill of someone who had adventured for ten seasons.

Swift and many of the new adventurers went to this unknown place, while most of the rest of town went North to see Gerling.

It turned out that Ian Gerling was battling Razor who was aided by Lady Septimus (of the Horde) and a number of her undead, including her knight/bodyguard Sir Cassius, who was a incredibly strong undead with great chains wrapped across his chest. Razor claimed himself as “Earl of Greatmarch”. During the fight, Razor was involuntarily wielding the sword Fang. Gerling had been fighting Razor for months, with Fang being particularly effective in defeating Gerling's knights/forces. Gerling referred to Fang as a weapon of the people, like a baronial weapon would be, and that Razor was incredibly powerful while he wielded it in his "own" lands of Greatmarch. Greatmarch seems to be the lands north of the Wall the Wolf Nation once inhabited. I do not know why Lady Septimus is helping Redpath, but it is likely that Gerling's main focus has been fighting Razor and she was at the fight to help Razor, not necessarily as the main combatant.

Lady Septimus seemed to been immune to most all attacks except Silence spells which she Returned to caster memory many times. and I believe we discovered that the only way to hurt would be if we could separate her from her bodyguard, Sir Cassius. The adventurers remained on the field fighting the undead for a long time while one group tried to keep Lady Septimus distracted in conversation while other groups tried to put down or otherwise trap Sir Cassius. The Chaos Lord had told us of the need to destroy the chains around a powerful foe. Sir Cassius was eventually felled, and Lady Septimus called upon Razor to defend her. A Greater Destroy Formal Magic ritual was cast on Sir Cassius by Jarnac using a formal scroll provided by the Lord of Unbound Horizons.

After her knight was taken down, Lady Septimus announced to us that she’d very shortly be calling down an Elemental Strike on the place where we had been fighting her, and that we’d be very wise to flee the area. Omi later suggested that we could look for what location was hit by an Elemental Strike, in order to discover where exactly in the North the Lord of Unbound Horizons had brought us. Tristan Eastwyck later confirmed an elemental strike in the North, though not precisely where.

The Hall of Kings:

Once most of us had returned to town through the Gate the Lord of Unbound Horizons had left for us, we met up with Swift and Jackson and others that had gone to the other place the Lord of Unbound Horizons offered to take people to. Turns out the mysterious place was the Voltan Hall of Kings, a place where the heraldic weapons of Volta are made - the Hall contains the forge that the weapons were made on, and where the weapons are called back to when not possessed by the appropriate noble.

There was a guardian spirit in the Hall that explained the place to the adventurers who traveled there. The Hall of Kings is a neutral place that is the center of all Voltan magic, the well of Voltan magic. Harmony, the baronial weapon of Anym, was in the Hall. If Baroness Cynthia travels to the Hall, she can reclaim it now that it has been removed from former baron Dalton. All the barons have to reclaim their weapons before Duke Reynard can reclaim True Hope.

During the time that the adventurers were there, Daniel Redpath arrived as well. He asked the spirit for the ducal weapon. It appears that Duke Reynard, Daniel Redpath, and possibly a third undead being (undead cannot enter the Hall of Kings) all have a claim to True Hope. The spirit denied Daniel’s request, saying Daniel needs to be tested more. As everyone in the Hall had the strength of a tenth season adventurer, it was thought that the adventurers should try to fight Daniel while they had the chance. Jackson challenged Daniel to a duel to the death. Daniel beat Jackson, but then refused to spill his blood in the Hall of Kings.

This apparently put Daniel closer to gaining access to the ducal weapon.

The Confrontation Between General Tristan Eastyck and Chief Yuriev of Wolf Nation:

In attendance: Tristan, Yuriev, Gertrude, Grenditch, Bron, and a number of adventurers including Shoshoto, Telaris, Rillien, Trivanus, and Fiddle

General Tristan and Chief Yuriev confronted each other regarding Wolf Nation leaving Tristan’s army in order for Yuriev to go north to recover his family’s sword, Fang, from Razor. Yuriev will take Wolf Nation north with him instead of Wolf Nation remaining with the Voltan army and fighting against Daniel Redpath. Before this confrontation, many of Wolf Nation had been on the front lines of the Voltan army, helping keep Daniel Redpath’s forces from coming south.

Tristan’s attitude during the confrontation - As the General of the Voltan Army, he states that all forces south of the Wall are his to command. If Yuriev and Wolf Nation leave the army and head North, they will all be considered deserters of the army. Tristan is also angry that forces from the barbarian nations continue to not all wear sashes in the proper colors that identify them as part of the Voltan army. When Tristan sees a force approaching his army, he can often not tell if they are arriving to join up with the army, or are there to fight against the army, and this is causing many problems.

Tristan says that, with or without Yuriev and Wolf Nation, his plan is to push north to engage Daniel Redpath.

Gertrude’s attitude during the confrontation - thinks Tristan has gone too far in ordering Yuriev to stay with the Voltan army and for declaring him and all his people deserters when Yuriev decided he would go north. Gertrude appeals to Tristan to step back from the cliff edge he’s on, saying that she and Tristan have fought side by side, and she is gravely insulted at some of the things Tristan says about the barbarian nations.

For much of the subsequent discussion, both Yuriev and Gertrude have gone outside to cool down

Bron’s attitude during the confrontation - at one point early in the confrontation, Bron says to Tristan, “Evendarrian, you should take time to learn more about the tribes” when Tristan complains about having to deal with the barbarian forces. Bron is concerned for some of the small tribes and clans of Bear Nation that are just now returning from their winter lands and who are not aware of the current issue of Yuriev leaving the Voltan army. Bron worries that the Voltan army will mistake these small tribes and clans, who are also not all wearing the colors of the Voltan army, for the Wolf Nation deserters and that innocent people will be caught up in fighting/slaughter.

Shoshoto offers to Bron to personally help pay for the outfitting of all of the smaller tribes with the appropriate sashes so that they will not be mistaken for enemies of the army.

Bron asks Tristan for time while he tries to alert the smaller tribes of what has happened. Bron says he will try to get word to the tribes to not attack, and to not impede, the Voltan army as the army moves. Tristan says that if his forces encounter barbarians without the colors of the army, that he will allow them to disarm and move aside. But, Tristan says, if they will not disarm, he will kill them to a man.

Bron tells Tristan that Bear Nation has already sent a great number of troops to the Voltan army, and Tristan reiterates that whether or not they were sent, all the troops of Volta are his to command. Bron says that Bear Nation and Wolf Nation have always had problems with each other, but had been willing to work together to fight Daniel Redpath - the two Nations had been asked to have a truce for the greater good of Volta. Bron says that he killed Yuriev’s father, but that Bear will honor the truce between Bear and Wolf until Wolf Nation breaks it.

Tristan, when complaining of Yuriev, comments that Yuriev holds no title. Bron interjects, “He holds no *Evendarrian* title.” Tristan goes on to say that he will not acknowledge the violent tribes that attack us. “Us” presumably meaning the Voltan army.

As the discussion winds down, Grenditch speaks to Bron and says that as long as the barbarian forces without sashes that the Voltan army encounters do not attack, and allow themselves to be identified, that there should be no needless killing.

Telaris mentions after the confrontation is over that, in the minutes before the argument began, that he had spoken to Yuriev and had just convinced Yuriev to agree to have Wolf Nation forces wear the colors of the Voltan army when necessary so as to avoid further confusion. Unfortunately, that has presumably fallen by the wayside. Once Gertrude stepped outside, Telaris was able to persuade her to agree to have her forces wear the colors as well, even though she herself continued to refuse to.

Shoshoto Cast 3 Dreamvisions Regarding the Tinkerer

1)Who is most capable of giving us information regarding the Tinkerer

A: The Summer and Winter Courts

2) What weaknesses do the Tinkerer and his minions have?

A: The three cold iron weapons This may mean those three weapons, or cold iron in general

3) What are the Tinkerer’s motivations for working with Daniel Redpath?

A: The vision shows a large swath of destruction, then shows things that were destroyed being recreated - houses, castles, etc. The vision shows Redpath saying something, and then pointing off. It struck Shoshoto like Daniel was ordering the Tinkerer to do something though he will be seeking further insight into this point.