Hammer 17, 1371

Dear Master Zorthaster,

When I last wrote, I told you of our adventures in the city of Sigil. When we returned to Daggerfalls, we still had several quests here to wrap up. On the 13^th we joined Broder at the stables where we loaded up a sled with our winter gear for the trip to retrieve the telstang. He scouted ahead while we followed with the sled. I have to say that riding in a sled, pulled by a nice sturdy ox is really the way to travel in the frozen wilderness. We had one scare when Broder came charging back after spotting some horsemen in black to the northeast. We took cover in the trees and avoided notice. I suspect they were Zhent scouts from the Flaming Tower.

That night, around the campfire, we discovered that Kerith's father works for the Zhentarim. He seems to think that this is just some job his father has -- some random career choice that his dad made. I said that while Kerith has proven to be a trustworthy companion, I did not think that anyone could choose to continue to work for the black network and remain untainted by their evil. The bard does not want to see that no one working under the black hand can avoid being touched by it. I am afraid for him.

We also discovered that Cedrik's real name is Primula Easterling. She was given a male name when she left her people to adventure amongst all of us. Her people seemed to think she caused them or herself some shame. I'm sure I don't understand it all. Even after a long discussion, I did not see what the cause of the shame might have been. I guess I just don't understand elves. If only they could be a little more straight forward when they are supposedly trying to explain something. I feel a lot more comfortable calling the priestess Primula instead of Cedrik. She just asked that we refrain from calling her by her real name in the presence of her people.

On the next day of our journey we were ambushed by krenshar. There were three of the big hunting cats. The sight and sound and smell of them when they do that horrible scream and facial skin thing is more terrifying than I ever could have imagined. Fortunately for me, I was aboard the sled when they attacked and the ox hardly noticed them. I was able to summon a celestial dog to help in the fight. I also hit one of them with a magic missile. I felt pretty good about the battle. Broder came racing back from his position as forward scout just as my companions killed the last of the creatures. Afterward, Xan climbed aboard the sled, dragging the three carcasses with him. He spent the rest of the afternoon skinning the cats as we rode along. The muscles that control the krenshar's facial skin are fascinating. I did a few anatomical sketches, but they got a bit covered in blood and snow and seem pretty cryptic now.

Dravis' body was well preserved in the beaver lodge. Broder went in to retrieve it. He had packed some picks and shovels and several of my friends helped chip a grave out of the frozen ground. I was not very helpful digging so I stood watch instead. Broder said a few words about how Dravis would be missed and talked a little about how he once helped protect Daggerfalls from an invading orc army. He said that "Those who also carry the flame will finish the mission." Then the ranger planted a canoe paddle in the frozen dirt as a grave marker in remembrance of some adventurous trips down the river with the dead man. Primula gave an elven blessing and then a more human one. In the end, though, there was not much to do but get on with loading up the telstang and making our way back to Daggerfalls.

That evening, Broder was more talkative than usual. He told us that Dravis would often go on missions hunting spiders. Broder himself was more of a mountain specialist, looking into the old remains of the giant nations out here. He mentioned something that really interested me. He said that some of the old giants were runecasters and left their magic embedded in symbols carved in stone or wood. Now though, more of the hills are haunted by undead. Undead that were formed out the restless souls killed during the wars between wizards after the fall of ancient Netheril.

Broder told tales long into the night. Tales of Erigyn the Dark, Bone Witch, Chronomancer, and servant of the Dark Sun. Tales of how Slash and Burn reportedly killed that family of white dragons. He told us of the mysterious malaugrym, shape shifters that came to this place to wage war against some organization. I fell asleep listening to the soft voice of the ranger and awoke in the morning thinking of screaming krenshar sprouting tentacles tipped with fanged mouths, not knowing for sure what I had dreamed and what I had heard from the ranger.

We pushed on for a long day on the 15^th so we could make it back to town. It was dark when we finally arrived, exhausted, at the gates of Daggerfalls. I was all for dealing with the telstang in the morning, but not so my friends. We delivered our cargo to Master Brightblade and received the final part of our payment for the recovery job. I was so tired by then that I just stumbled back to the Woven Tower and collapsed.

My companions are a very ambitious bunch. We were off on our next mission almost immediately. Before we left to recover Master Wands' books, I placed an order with Aurora's Catalog store. The clerk assured me that my order could easily be shipped to the outlet you always use. I would be ever so grateful if you could check in to see when it arrives and then see that it gets to my father. I finally accumulated enough gold to set him up with his own carpentry kit. When it arrives he should be able to take on his own jobs and do them the way he sees fit. Just so you know, I ordered the following: 1 mallet (oak with a lead core), one awl, an auger, a bow drill with four drill bits, a chisel, four clamps (a 4", 8", 16" and a 20" table clamp), a box of nails, some wooden peg stock, wood glue, four hammers (one for nails, one for spikes, a chisel hammer and a peg hammer), a lathe with a selection of woodcarving bits, and two saws, one crosscut and one ripping. To get all these tools to and from, I also ordered a wooden wheel barrow. I am hoping all these things come in before Midwinter Feast. I'd so much like for this to be my Midwinter present to my family.

On the 16^th we left Daggerfalls for the cave Master Wands told us of. Before reaching our destination we were approached by a figure in a black cloak. It was wearing dark armor and a white skull pendant. A few more skulls hovered over its shoulders. It claimed to be a necromancer and a representative from the Bone Tower. It told us to beware the undead of the Dagger Hills. The Bone Tower does not wish outsiders to come and rouse the dead here. It also said that we might approach the bone tower if we were brave enough. It told us that it was Urich, Fourth Fane of the Bone Tower. After questioning us, Urich determined that we were going to an area that did not concern him. He pulled up his cloak and disappeared, leaving one hovering skull alone to watch us walk off.

When we finally reached the cliff overlooking the lake we set up a secure rope at the top and slowly climbed down to a narrow ledge that led into the cavern. We had all just barely squeezed into the narrow crevice when those in front encountered a nasty trap. It was a dried spider husk filled with a terrible dust that filled the lungs and choked the breath. Aramil got the worst of it. He kept choking and coughing until I thought he was going to die. Even now, he is doing very poorly. His breath is short and his health has been damaged. He insisted on pushing onward though. We sprinkled the floor of the chamber with water, hoping to keep the dust from rising with our footsteps.

Next the leaders of our party sprung a pit trap and were hit by darts as they scrambled out of it. They heard giggling of little voices ahead. I fear we have more nasty surprises in store before we quit this place. For now, I must turn my attention to surviving this place.

Until next,

Cedar