Mayor Of A Kaelor-Shaped Hole

Morning After

Lucia woke from her nightmare and climbed onto Dyrbov's roof for air. Below, Torvald and Kaelor took coffee from Dyrbov. Up there she drew the Wand of Finding and said, "I wish to find my companion Torvald's father, alive, dead or changed." A mote of light drifted up and bent south, wound past the pier and behind the Salty Ostrich, and vanished. When Kaelor called her down, she showed the wand and said she had been trying to repent. Torvald offered a forearm; Lucia hugged him instead and said she was sorry.

Mayor of Snowglen

The party resolved to head south for Donalensk. Dyrbov pressed on them a thermos of coffee, water, and rations for nearly ten days, but chose to stay and keep the lights on for survivors. Kaelor anointed him mayor of Snowglen and charged him with the fields, the books, and a census. Lucia left two gold for any boat that might come, to help with the purchase of supplies. Kaelor then walked out through the wall, leaving a Kaelor-shaped hole, and Dyrbov promised to patch it as his first act in office.

South Through the Snow

In the streets, Vaelan stepped on a snow-hidden corpse and snapped its frozen arm. Lucia heard it, said nothing, and giggled. They passed the Salty Ostrich, where Lucia had lost the mote, and decided against using another charge yet. Out in the bitter wind, Lucia led them south until dusk, when she and Torvald found a hollow among old trees to shelter in. As they made camp, they witnessed again the beautiful aurora in the sky, made up of green, blue, pink and purple hues.

The Yeti

Lucia strung bells as an alarm and Vaelan's spark lit a small fire. On watch, Lucia saw a tree bend far to the south, then the ground began to thud. Torvald knew it for a huge yeti, drawn to flame. Kaelor grabbed a log by its hottest part and hurled it east, burning his hand, and the creature followed it. As the party slipped south, Lucia sent a lit arrow north, and the twenty-foot yeti lumbered away toward Snowglenn.

Cold Camp

They made a fireless camp a mile and a half on. Kaelor admitted he had been frightened; Vaelan said they were exactly where they were meant to be. Then something large rushed overhead in the dark, felt rather than seen. Vaelan kept it to himself, and they went on south.

Griffons

At a rickety bridge, Lucia cast Jump on Kaelor, and as he leapt a griffon snatched him into the air. Kaelor wrenched free and fell, and lay broken until Torvald's healing word raised him. A second griffon smashed itself into the embankment just barely missing Vaelan, and Vaelan's fire burned one from the sky. The other seized Lucia; Kaelor's smite made it drop her, and she fell hard. Vaelan sent another blast of flame hurtling into the chest of the winged beast, destroying it completely.

Climbing Out

Kaelor roused Lucia, and Torvald's healing brought her to her feet. The griffins lay charred. Kaelor climbed the bank and called it "a doddle," while Torvald and Vaelan slid down it again and again before finally scrambling up. They made one last camp under the aurora, with Donalensk a day away.