Session 48 - Coldport

This is the 48th session of the game Ashes.

Summary
The party arrived in the city of Coldport and decided how to proceed in finding where Gregor Strauss was going, as he was seen leaving from this port via a scry spell. They decided to pay a visit to the Hemlock and Hawthorn School of Sorcery, to find their friend Nikita and see if she can help them.

While in the waiting chambers within the school the party met Magus Onetta, the archmage of the Sovereignty of Exmoor. She is at the school meeting a friend to try to get some information about Kronstrad and Dunland without going there, as she is aware of the Arcanis's reputation. She is looking for an old friend of hers named Ogrin who was taken to the Lodge around 30 years ago.

The party meets with Nikita who is now able to speak, and she tells them that she is now officially a Darkmistress. They discuss many things such as Kaen Caelore and it's mysterious history, as well as Paldae and how when she was in training they would take the students to the Shadow Isles and Paldae to show them what wild, unmitigated, magical use does to a place, as the Shadow Isles became a cursed land due to magical influence. When talking about Gregor Strauss she seems to think that her old mentor Darkmister Zaun knows more and offers to message him, and the party agrees.

Zaun suddenly teleports in and wants to get right down to business. He knew Gregor Strauss years ago when they were both in the school, and he helped Gregor secure passage out of Coldport, but because of how handsomely he was paid he isn't willing to give up Strauss's whereabouts without a task to be done. He asks the party to steal a white dragon egg from Zillian Sarosa, the minotaur criminal leader in Coldport, and to kill him if possible. The party ultimately agrees to try, but can't make any guarantees.

The party then meets with Zillian since Themus had an in from his time aboard the train. They arrive at the docks and find Zillian's ship The Terror, which is painted all red and has skulls just about everywhere on it. They are led to the captain quarters to pay respects, and meet the giant Minotaur who wishes to be entertained by having Elias dance. Emeran speaks up for Elias, but seemingly insults Zillian. It takes Autumn's playing of a death metal song, and some words from Themus to talk business. Zillian arranged the ship that took Strauss away, and is willing to also give the party information, but wants them to agree to a job. The job being the acquirement of a white dragon egg that Zillian sold to a Hag. He realized far too late the value of the egg, and also that the Hags intend to do evil with the egg. The party agrees to go track down the Hags hideout and get the egg back.

Setting out into the frozen wilderness outside of Coldport, the party eventually settles down for the evening just outside of the mountain range. During the nightly watches Emeran and Elias felt some odd tremors, and Acaelus and Astraea witnessed the Legendary Yeti off in the distance looking in their direction, and Astraea felt a burning passion to know more. As they continued the next day they continued in the direction of the Hag Cave, and the same direction the Yeti went, until they were met with a blockage in the mountain pass. At the blockage they felt again the tremors, and where suddenly attacked by a Remorhaz and her children. They won!