Adventure 15, Part 4: Into Slovania
The Road North
The party now returned to their northward trail. Arriving once again in Konas meant they received a warm welcome from the people; the defences following their recent Giant invasion had almost been completely rebuilt, and there were now plans for a wood and stone wall to be erected.
The party returned to Bavaria from here, arriving at Graddon a few days later. Heading out of here, they went north through Balcom, Gorna and finally Hacht. It was here that they learned of Derren's journey over a mountains pass into Bohemia. While the majority of the population in this small town were fearful of leaving the safety of thier home overnight, some of the locals were smugglers who used the darkness to conceal secret trading runs over the pass, meeting with their counterparts in the plains the other side of the mountains. This smuggling continues all through the autumn, winter and spring, when there was enough dark hours to cover their passage over mountains.
Despite the short summertime night, the smugglers has successfully managed to get Derren and his companion over the pass, but they had not stayed long with them, they turned back at their earliest chance and remained out of site of Slovenian guards.
Intrigued, the party made a requests to be shown the same journey. It would be easier now, it was later in the summer, almost autumn, and the night arrived earlier than it did the last time. The smugglers still didn't like the short night; their own trade missions were not due to start for another four weeks, and were reluctant, but the exchange of gold changed their minds.
As night time was short, the party were encouraged to head for one of the rest caves that were on the other side of the pass; there were several dotted down the mountainside above the foothills. The smugglers warned also about the presence of wolves on the other side, and that these rest caves were not always clear and safe to use; occasionally animals would move in.
Over the Pass
The guides left with the party the following afternoon; they intended to get to the beginning of the pass as night fell properly, that would give the travellers as much darkness as was available to get down the mountains on the other side. Right to plan, as dusk fell, they arrived at the entrance of the long narrow cleft high in the mountains between two similar looking peaks. It took a couple of hours to walk along this tight, twisting channel, and the going was heavy. It was cold up here, even in late summer, and the ground was strewn with rocks and was uneven in places; the party wondered how the smugglers managed to move heavy loads along here.
Eventually the pathway widened and began to fall off sharply. The steep mountainside fell away before them but it was too dark to see further than a few a few yards away. This was good, there was a road ahead somewhere which was patrolled by local guards. They trudged down the mountainside for several hours more. Exhausted and weary limbed, they began to look for caves. Jim lead the search but Fax could see better in the dim light, and between them they found one of the caves. It was marked with a runic marker by the entranceway, and inside it was dry and surprisingly empty of animals. They camped down for the day; it was impossible to say how far they had come, and they could not yet see how far in front of them the road lay.
As light broadened they took stock of where they were. Looking back up the mountain they could see the two peaks between which the mountain pass ran, but it was impossible to see where they had come out of it. Looking down over the rolling moorland they could make out the road winding its way through the foothills. They decided that they would try to make it that far during their next march. As the day became brighter, people could be seen moving along the road, and they could make out guard patrols which were scanning the mountainsides for interlopers such as the party.
Night eventually fell; the party had marked the progress of the guard patrols all day long. They watched each as they passed - sometimes northwards, sometimes south. But regularly, an unnatural regularity that suggested they were driven by an external power.
When the darkness was full they set out, the moon was waning and it was very dark. Slowly they picked their way down the mountainside, and the foothills drew closer and closer. With only one stop for food they drew close to the road. Taking care not to be seen by any guards, they shadowed the road to the north and looked for a place to camp where they would be out of sight of watching eyes on the road, but where they could observe those passing along it. It took a little while but a suitable place was found, a small copse of trees with thorn bushes and high grasses around it, set in a hollow between hills. They set their camp here.
Into Civilisation
By early afternoon the party were refreshed and read once again. They moved out to observe the road, and watched its guard patrols. When the time was convenient they made their way towards it, and shadowed it for a while, raising a few eyebrows of people who were dragging their trade goods along it. Eventually they joined the road and made their way along to the first settlement along the road. This was the village of Gristalf. Here the people seemed cold, the party raised many sidelong looks in their fancy attire and heavy armour. A stay at the inn overnight showed that Charles Derren had been here too; he'd left for Vorana, but this was three weeks before.
Now the party stepped into their stride as travellers. They began to journey during the daytime, and rest at the stopover placed during the night, much like the local traders.
The next stop along the road was the city of Vorana. They had barely checked into their hotel before they received a invitation from Count Friedrich von Halpstein, the local feudal lord, to join him for dinner. They accepted, of course. It took just a few minutes to tidy themselves up, before heading out to the Count's castle which was right by the city. Friedrich von Halpstein welcomed the party to his home, to his city, and to his country. Despite their presence being a technical illegality, he seemed genuinely pleased that they were there. He told them that foreign visitors were seldom seen through Slovania, and that he was delighted to make new friends.
The party spent the evening in guarded conversation with this man, they discussed some of the local politics, and a little of how the land operated. They also asked about Charles Derren; Halpstein was only too pleased to discuss this matter with the party. He told them that Derren was on his way to see the lich king, that he was seeking a method to bring immortality, and that he was talking to everyone he could find about such matters. von Halpstein went on to tell the party a little more about the road that lay ahead of them. He warned them of the next duchy along, that they might encounter danger there. The Count of the province, Allesandro Megora, was rumoured to be a werewolf.
For once their night's sleep was not punctuated by the howling of wolves in the mountains. The party slept uneasily with such silence.