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3: On to Town.

And so the party struck forth once again on the Path to Glacern. Though bonded together by hardship and combat, still each man and woman seemed an island unto themselves in the isolation of this cold land, and each fuelled their steps with thoughts of the warm hearths of Glacerns Inns and the soft luxury of their linen.

For some time now the footsteps of the group had been accompanied by the ghostly music of the howling wolves, echoing forlornly in amongst the trees. Though their song had initially drawn all hands closer to swords and axes, the party had eventually become accustomed to the sound, and even the mules seemed no longer to notice the cry of the lupine hunters as they stalked the forest.

As they rounded a bend in the icy path, the distant gates of Glacern and their grim guards now in sight, Bear held up his hand urgently in a signal to stop. All eyes and ears now strained to a single task as one by one the group were struck by the realisation that the howling of the wolves no longer hung in the air. There was an eternity of silence pressed into a single moment of time, as everyone held their breath…... then the Wolves exploded from the trees.

Although their number was around eight, to the assembled adventurers it seemed as though a sea of fur and fangs was descending upon them, but there was no time to dwell on the dread they instinctively felt. The party moved as one man raising their weapons to strike. Ulora and Gyorn switched to the short swords they kept at their side, this enemy being too many, too fast and too close, for their bows to be effective.

The leading three animals reached the group with frightening speed with the rest of their brethren hardly a moment behind them. The first wolf was a large and powerful animal, but his size and speed availed him nothing as his initial leap toward Bears throat was cut dramatically short as the warriors enchanted Mace crushed his skull and he dropped dead to the floor. The second animal reared up toward Gloern, and knew no more as the Dwarfs wickedly sharp axe cleaved the beasts head from its shoulders.

But the third wolf had almost been on top of the second and managed to fasten its jaws around the fighters armoured wrist. A forth creature suffered a moments hesitation as it arrived between Ulora and Gyorn, confused as to whom to strike out at. In the event, the decision was made for him as the two swords of his opponents hacked into him from above and to the side, leaving him only time for the briefest of yelps as death claimed him.

Gloern heaved aside the animal that had held his arm. The deadly fangs left their mark on his armour, but had failed to find the flesh beneath. The Wolf was hurled backward into the next attacker, breaking its back and causing the interloper to flee in panic. This in turn proved a devastating blow to the morale of the three remaining animals, which turned as one and fled back toward the safety of the trees. Ulora quickly drew her bow and sent an arrow hurtling after them, dealing swift retribution to the trailing creature. As the deadly shaft plunged into the back of its neck, the wolf fell dead to the ground just short of the cover for which it had leapt.

As the party stood, still poised in case of further attack, the two legionnaires who had been standing at the gates to the town arrived breathlessly after their sprint to help beat off the lupine attackers. "Are any of you hurt?" asked the lead guard. "I couldn't believe it when they attacked you. I never saw a pack venture so close to the gates and attack so well armed a party."

Bear assured the man that the only casualties were the bloodied animal corpses lying around them and together with the guards the party made its way to the gates of Glacern.

4: The Stone Warrior.

As they arrived at the town gates, the Legionnaires took up their posts once again and Bear surveyed his surroundings. The guards stood either side of the sturdy wooden gates, set in a mighty wooden Palisade. Mounted on the wall, a sign proudly pronounced "Glacern" and nearby a flag fluttered in the breeze, its emblem of ten stars across a warriors sword a defiant banner against the onslaught of the world outside. Through the gate Glacern itself sat atop a plateau, surrounded by a yawning chasm that seemed to fall away into nothingness.

The party crossed this chasm by means of a great stone bridge which seemed hewn from the very rock surrounding them, as though some giant hand had scooped a mighty slab of rock from the cliff face and laid it across the gap. As they crossed, Ulora watched the flakes of snow now falling thickly around them, disappear into the depths of the chasm and she wondered once out of sight, how long they would fall.

After the bridge, the path split into a folk to the left and right of a large pentagon shaped building. A sign outside bore the legend "Onocs Magicatorium". In front of this building stood a powerful statue, illuminated by the glow of an ornate lamppost placed where the path split. An unnamed warrior standing with feet apart and hands resting on the pommel of a mighty sword. A lone sentinel, planted as if to keep watch over the bridge itself. As they approached this sentinel, each of the party felt the hairs on their necks and arms begin to rise and they realised that the statue was emanating some unexplained aura of power and indeed it was only then that they noticed that the falling snow found no purchase anywhere on the stone figure, coming to rest instead at its feet.

Where the path ran to the left, it passed a tall stone watchtower and a guard could be seen at the top with arms folded, following the adventurers progress through the snow. To the right, the pathway led past the front of a small dwelling, stone built and with a tall slated roof, on one side of which stood a long chimney which breathed smoke into the slowly darkening evening skies.

The first order of business would have to be finding the Overseer of this place so that Gloern and Gyorn could present their respective reports and as luck would have it, the legionnaires at the gate had told the party that the Overseer, Ibsen Yamas, could be found at the moment in the town's lone drinking den and hostelry, The Lucky Hurggis Inn.

Following the directions that they had been given, Bear led the group along the path to the left past the tower. As they past the Magicatorium, Ulora's natural curiosity could not be denied and she stole a glance in through one of its many windows.

What she could see of the interior of Onocs Magicatorium followed the shape suggested by the outside of the building. The ground floor consisting of a large single Pentagon star shaped hall, the points of which were deep alcoves. Some in shadow, but in some Ulora could make out chests and tables adorned with an assortment of jars and bottles. Tapestries lined the walls, their designs swirling and mystical were unfamiliar to Uloras untrained eyes. Steps on either side of the hall, led to a walkway set at about chest height, which ran all the way around the rear wall and a little way from the window from her vantage point Ulora could see three figures talking. One was an old man, who given the lateness of the hour she presumed to be Onoc and the others were perhaps his staff or apprentices.

In the middle of the hall, the stone floor gave way to marble and six impressive pillars stretched upward out of her sight toward the rafters. At the centre of this ring of pillars stood a beautifully carved statue of a kneeling warrior with raised sword. Ulora found the statue familiar and yet she could not quite focus her mind on the memory. She leaned in closer to get a better look, but at that moment the face of the old man appeared inches from her own at the other side of the window. Onoc regarded her with a glare for a moment and then pulled down a thick drape with a snap!

With a wry smile, Ulora shrugged to herself and turned to rejoin the rest of the group.

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