Kuldahar

The canoloth growls at the punishment inflicted upon it, but cannot break free of Reòthad's spell.

The canoloth sags against its magical bonds, defeated and beaten senseless.

Try as they might, no one can get any more words out of the cambions. When Zenithral's enchantment wears off they still seem calm near him, but refuse to leave his side over the next few days.

The canoloth is kept under constant supervision, both to keep it from escaping and to ensure that the blood hunters do not meddle with it.

Zenithral’s time with Halla and the twins is bittersweet. The twins, who were both fairly reserved before Ilmadia came to Kuldahar, now seem even more withdrawn - especially Lance. Any interaction with the villagers results in an exchange of suspicious stares and fearful glances (even the blood hunters’ apology is forced and uncomfortable). Still, there are moments when they, Zenithral, and Halla are alone together that the twins seem truly happy. Mona asks questions about Ilmater - ‘Does he wear socks?’ ‘What color is his hair?’ Lance’s eyes shine most brightly when Zenithral plays a game of prestidigitation with him. It is one that Zenithral learned from his mother - and Lance apparently already knows the rules. Did Ilmadia teach him this game in the Hand?

Saki and Arannis both seem uncomfortable around the twins. To think, their own blood mixes with that of fiend in these small cambions! For her own part, Saki makes an effort to at least get to know the twins, but Arannis can hardly stand to be in the same house as them. He insists on spending the time practicing his archery - though he hardly needs the practice! Even though Zenithral has surpassed the older elf in skill, his grandfather’s natural fluidity and grace with every draw and release are traits to which Zenithral still aspires.

The surrounding mountains and woods grant Reòthadh the solitude he seeks. The wind, always frigid this high in the Spine of the World, reminds him of days and nights long past spent traversing the peaks and forests of this wintry realm. He finds his mind clearer than it has been in centuries as memories return to him. Indeed, it is better for a dwarf to grieve his lost people here in the mountains than in the company of a young human village.

As he soaks in the frozen wilderness, he finds a feeling intruding upon his search for peace - a dark feeling that he recognizes, for it once spurred him to seek out companions to hunt down and destroy Icasaracht. It is message, as clear as it was so many hundreds of years ago, from the mountains themselves that all is not right in the North. For the first time, Reòthadh understands the extent of the evil that threatens the land, for even the Spine of the World fears what might come to pass in the near future.

As winds howl a call to action, and the snow beneath his feet grants his old bones strength to rise up once again as a champion of the North, the ancient dwarf realizes that even though his people have been lost, these mountains have always been his home more than the warm halls of Dorn’s Deep.

Every visit to the Cagebreakers is met with cheers. The orcs seem to be doing their best to follow Alalla’s teachings, though she quickly finds that their enthusiasm requires refinement. For example, failure to correctly recite Torm’s tenets should probably not result in the entire tribe taking turns to slug the offender across the face.

They accept correction quickly, however, and none of them more so than Chaide. The older orc woman constantly peppers Alalla with theological questions that delve more deeply into religion than Alalla has ever felt the need to consider. Erevain happily steps in to debate with the woman, and indeed the elf’s broad knowledge of Faerûn’s cultures and religions provides interesting insight. Through it all Halla bites her lip, obviously fighting to not to add her own opinions on religion to the mix.

After a vetting process, Keggruk offers Alalla the names of three more orcs who the orog feels are ready to take the oaths. Each new initiation into the knightly order is an event that makes the surrounding mountains ring with howls of Cagebreakers pleased to see Gruumsh’s hold on the tribe weaken.

Once the orcs have departed, Alalla and Erevain are happy to find some time to spend with each other. Sometimes sparring, at other times engaged in quiet conversation, the two find themselves growing closer than ever as they put the horrific and troubling events of the past few weeks behind them.

As the party is finishing up their preparations for the coming journey, Erevain volunteers to travel ahead of the party and make sure that all is clear for their arrival. Arannis joins him, obviously unwilling to stay in one place for too long while there are things to be done. With the aid of druidic magic the two elves dissipate into cloudy forms and race the wind westward towards Easthaven.

Later that evening, it is only Arannis who returns...