MORE ALLIES ARRIVE
As we spent our first month out in the open, travelling, we were joined by some old acquaintances of my family. The black knight, Sir Owain is an ally of my family and he has fought alongside us during the many monster raids from across the border. He is extremely skilled with his soul-sucking sword, a scary item which emits a palatable aura of evil! The other man to join us is famous across the entire Empire of Man, being one of the greatest warriors in history. Arik the Weaponsmaster is known for his remarkable ability to use any weapon, at any time, with the utmost skill. No one can match his competency with any and all weapons. He also has the impressive ability to take on numerous foes in hand-to-hand combat without being overrun by sheer numbers. Finally, from my family's' Household Guard, comes one of the tallest men I have ever known: Jiro Halfhand, a great warrior. With this many experienced soldiers, I am now much less anxious about our journey across the uncharted Winterlands. The Tiktok version of this can be found HERE.






 


YURT-STYLE
Sleeping in our new-style yurts was warm and welcoming, and I enjoyed them immensely over the former old-style tents I used to bunk in when I was in the army. They didn't smell constantly of mouse piss like the tents always did, and they were easy to assemble and disassemble. At night, they kept us all warmer far more than any stinky tent. I was beginning to like our journey already.





 


DOLGAR THE DWARF
Speaking with one of the new dwarf arrivals (Dolgan), he remarked how different our sleeping yurts were compared to Dwarvish ones. He said his people had more semi-permanent ones that were iron-clad and used stones at the base. I was much impressed and was sure that the metal/stone yurts would be much more comfortable and (better yet) even defensible than our own felt-lined huts. 




 
THE TRUSTY AXE
After supper I spoke to Dolgan the Dwarf at length about many thoughts and ideas. He was an earthy fellow and his pipe smelled of a mix of rose hips and smooth tobacco. We discussed Dwarvish fighting techniques and other war practices, and he told me of the ancient history of his magical battle axe, which had been in his family for over 2,000 years! He spoke of hordes of orcs defeated, of goblins slaughtered, and even dread ogres that had been slain. After hearing all these remarkable stories, I was dutifully impressed. However, when I pressed him, he refused to give up information to me on where we were going, and what are unique journey was all about. Hopefully, I will find out the mission soon enough. Tiktok HERE.




 
HOOTEN HOLLOW
I learned a great deal about the Dwarves and their history from Dolgan, including the terrible Elf-Dwarf War that devastated the regions to the south, culminating in the destruction of the Golden City of Baalgor (and the creation of the Baalgor Wastelands). Part of that great forest region was known as Hooten Hollow, the home to giant owls and their Elvish riders. Dolgan told me of the many terrible battles his family had waged against the Hooten, passed down through history by oral repetition. He said their actually may be a written record of the wars against Hooten Hollow at the Great Library of Bletherad, but he wasn't sure. The Tiktok for this is HERE.






 
OLD WIDOW WIGGINS HOUSE
We stumbled onto another rest area two days later; a small restaurant- home located near some ruins. The proprietor was an old widow. She fed us jerked chicken, new potatoes, warm honeyed biscuits, and a fruit cobbler for lunch. We were able to freshen up as well. When I asked her how she survived out here all alone, she said she had a minor magical reverse knock gift that kept anyone she didn't want to enter outside. I then remembered that most people in this region have some minor mystical abilities because of the nearby magical Devils Gate. She seemed to be a nice lady and was an excellent cook. Tiktok HERE.







 
THE BANNOCKBURN BRIDGE
As we journeyed north, we reached the outer border of the area claimed by the Western Empire. A heavily fortified bridge lay before us and we crossed under the watchful eyes of the border guards, all of whom were heavily armed and armored. We refilled our rations and water here.





 
THE BORDERLANDS
Crossing into this underpopulated region, our party was able to see the impact of previous colonists; many ruined castles, fortresses, and even small cities could be seen from our caravan. These formerly inhabited buildings were often built by bandit-kings, rebels, isolationists, and people fleeing various wars to the south. Many are unique but all are dead, not a living soul seems to dwell here. 






 
CASTLE KILLMEADE
Our first stop for the night is near a famous castle, one of the few that lasted for hundreds of years before being overwhelmed by some evil force some time ago. Survivors from Castle Killmeade trekked across the region, making it to safety in the Bishop-City of Dhassa. More details about this battle can be found in the Song of Killmeade, a popular bardic tune that is played often in regional capital at Rhemuth. I have heard this epic telling before and loved the bravery of the people involved in the fighting, as well as the survivors journey to the south.

Dhassa itself lies directly east of Rhemuth, located on the northwestern shore of Lake Jeroth in the Clan Mountains. It is one of the most religious cities in the Western Empire, with an unbroken string of bishops ruling the city since before the foundation of the kingdom itself. Dhassa was founded as a sovereign city over a thousand years ago. Its independence secured by the presence of the Western Empire on one side and Gargoyle Empire on the other. However, the Winterlands later became a part of the Western Empire, leading to Dhassa's eventual inclusion into the Empire 100 years ago. The Bishops of Dhassa traditionally maintain a neutral stance on most political issues, earning them a reputation of fairness and equality that has provided them with significant influence in matters of both church and state. Due to its unique mountain location, Dhassa is often a convenient location for gatherings of the Curia of Bishops. 





 
ITS DISMAL OUTSIDE
I didn't realize this before but the Winterlands is one of the largest areas I have ever been too, and it has an extensive history. For thousands of years people have fled to or hidden out in this area, and they have left ruins dotted all across the land. Most of these sites are utterly useless, but so far we have used one or two to camp in for safety. Early spring here is dismal and cold, with grey-sleeted skies greeting us every morning when we awoke. Breakfast tends to be hard rations and not very appealing. Our travel is slow since dwarves refuse to ride pack animals of any sort. I will grow unhappy at our languid pace very shortly.





 
THE RUINS OF BECKHURST
Today we passed by one of the more famous human settlements, the Ruins of Beckhurst. One of the Empire of Sins' more despicable nobles was exiled here to the north, where he spent time and much of his vast fortune building a large castle and extensive stone maze around it. It seemed that once he died it decayed into wreckage but rumor had it the Mazelord kept his most valuable treasures hidden within the Maze, but so far no adventurous group was said to have found any of it. One of the more esoteric pieces said to be in the horde was several of the famous Treasure Boxes of Mozzarod'don, including once that is thought to be a gateway to one of the Nine Hells (a gruesome find since you would automatically be trapped on that infernal plane by its evil denizens). Most of the other Boxes were said to be benign but of exquisite design, and monetary worth.





 
WEREWOLF SPOTTED
A few days later we came across a gruesome sight in the farmlands surrounding the city of Bloom. We stumbled upon a giant werewolf eating its prey; a lone cow in a field. Our mere presence drove it off but I was unsure whether we would encounter 
more monsters here in the Winterlands. Our nation is fairly new to the region, conquering virgin land every year and I knew the existence of the nearby Devil's Gate brought forth many vile and threatening beasts. It is a supposedly a rip in time and space, spewing forth hordes of monsters, evil creatures, and unknown peoples. I hope our journey isn't to the Gate itself and I will ask my Grandfather about this at the next mealtime.




 
ANOTHER WEREWOLF
In the morning as we were packing up I began to hear the most outrageous noises coming from a nearby field. Ethan of Karse, Jiro Halfhand, myself, and Baltazar Zane (the Conjurer) scouted out the situation, only to find a large tomcat stuck in a tree and being hunted by a large werewolf! Zane conjured up a dozen wolfhounds, which ran off the werewolf. A moment later the ungrateful tomcat jumped down and sauntered off safely into the nearby woods. So much for a little morning excitement, eh?!




 
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