Ravenna visits with Earthcaller Franzahl and asks about permanently closing a gate into the void. Franzahl replies, “Is it that the gates are forces of nature, like an avalanche or a volcano. Is it that they can be blocked or buried, but they cannot be permanently destroyed or even moved.
Mar’Khabazza and Ravenna’s visit with the Postmaster is more and less fruitful. Mar’Khabazza explains that what happened to Beryl could easily happen to Opal and without a better understanding of the events of the recent weeks, Opal could very well be in grave danger and not know it until it is too late.
Postmaster Malowne is a pragmatic man and decides to send Mar’Khabazza and his troupe to Akin’s Ridge and the Monastery to speak with Mondaleth the Sage about the threat of the winter elves, what they might want and how to defeat them. Ravenna is excited to go, if only to perhaps find meaning to the voices in her head that are driving her crazy. Mar’Khabazza is less than thrilled with a one month round trip journey as the deep winter settles in for the Long Night. Only the prospect of the Postmaster funing the expedition warms the cockles of his heart.
Before they depart, Mar’Khabazza arranges to have a barn built on the Salt House grounds. A place suitable to shelter a wagon and Schist and Feldspar, Mar’Khabazza’s two trusty draft horses.
December 1, 7761
After two days of provisioning and gathering Senior Sergeant Joktuk, his men and the three Rangers, the company departs via dog sled through the treacherous pass through the barrier mountains and across the plains to Akin’s Ridge.
It is a difficult journey and Ravenna is forced to uses some of her precious herbs to mend sprains and broken bones suffered along the way.
December 12, 7761
Perhaps a day’s walk away from the monastery, the group descovers the frozen corpse of a man in black and silver robes of a priest. Ravenna collects a pendant on a chain of a simple silver compass rose on a fine silver chain. Warily, the group presses on towards the monastery and, hopefully, some answers.
