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At John's request Groloday will report on our last session:

 

I woke up in a strange room with a splitting headache, the horrible conviction that Nolantor intended to kill us all by becoming a White Moon God, and the apprehension that I was in an enemy camp. The last thing I remembered was looking up into the strange, unreal depths of Gonn Orta's eyes. Then my brain exploded and all I knew was pain. Nightmarish dreams followed in which Nolantor figured promonantely. But enough of that. Where was my ax? I wanted to find it and then show it to Nolantor. Alas it was not to be. Cursed trollkin marked my every move and I could find neither my ax nor Nolantor. I did however find my comrades-in-arms.

 

They were engaged in trading with the giant Boshbasil. When they told me they'd not only been in the same room with Nolantor but shared drinks with him it took all my self-control to stop myself from screaming at them. They unashamedly explained that our weapons were all being held til our departure and that the giants allowed no violence within their walls. Bah! I'd have happily split his skull with a mug and traded my life for the lives of those in Pavis. Had Gonn Orta laid me low to prevent that very thing? It seemed likely.

 

Well then, I decided to make the best of it and joined in the trading with the troll-loving giant. He seemed utterly unconcerned with the doom drawing near to them as well as us ("We do not share the concerns of the small folk nor engage in their affairs") and drove merciless bargains for his goods. Nevertheless we obtained a variety of useful spells and items for our coming battle. I do not regret trading away my Mostali crossbow but I shall miss it. However I count it but a small loss if I can save Pavis. In the end, nothing else matters, not even my life. But I shall not forgive the giants for their greed and taking advantage of us in such dire times.

 

Twelve hours after Nolantor's departure the giants allowed us to follow him. We set off on a snowy mountain path back towards the Valley of Avalanches and the forbidding castle of which Lukaros had said little but now reconned to be Nolantor's goal. Tracks spotted by Dorgon led that way as well and what seemed to be the last stage of our so-far fruitless pursuit began. The land was open enough that only normal caution seemed needed but two days ahead lay a dangerous, narrow passage where we expected trouble: the Toothsome Gap. Freezing winds chilled us and the danger of frostbite was ever present. That night I meditated and chanted long over a living crystal I'd traded from the giants. It's qualities were unknown but Boshbasil had seemed to think it would help us. Now I would see. Eventually I succeeded in attuning to it and found that it strengthened me in spirit combat [Grampa's Aid: +2 to effective POW vs. spirits]. I was somewhat disappointed but not ready to call it a loss. Who knew what the future held?

 

The second day was much like the first. Nightfall came just before we reached the Toothsome Gap and according to plan I was awakened at midnight to cast the Pathwatch spell for which I had traded. It would last until next I slept and I planned to remain awake for as many days as possible. The spell proved its utility less than an hour later when two hostile beings approached our camp. We prepared our magics and charged them; two huge, fearsome cat-like creatures who had the power to enthrall those who met their red-eyed gaze. We both took and gave deep wounds without being able to decide the battle when both cats suddenly took magical flight. We resumed our watches and were not surprised when the cats approached again hours later. This time they hissed that they would trouble us no more in exchange for two of our beasts. Judging that a victory against them would likely be too costly we accepted the deal. The cats took the beasts we sent them and true to their word came again to us not.

 

The next day we threaded the narrows of the Gap. As expected an avalanched descended on us. We lost but two beasts from it and recovered the goods from one. We saw no sign of Snow Trolls (with whom Nolantor had departed the giants' fort) and knew not if they had caused the fall. We continued on and soon reached the wider valley where the dangers were less. The rest of the day and the next night were uneventful. The following day around midday I finally succumbed to lack of sleep and the Pathwatch ended, its task well done. We had but one more casting available, from Nikkolai, which we intended to use as we approached the dark castle.

 

We traveled without incident for several more days, each so much alike that I cannot now easily remember them or precisely what order various minor incidents occurred in. The land was gradually descending and eventually found ourselves back where we'd been scooped up by the Elder's Hand spell and taken to the giants' fort. Sometime in this phase of our journey we encountered an injured giant. I cared nothing for his woe but thought perhaps this was another move of Nolantor's against us for he seemed dazed and an odd magical aura was upon his head. We could not relieve his suffering nor make him understand us so we finally left him.

 

On another occasion we were approached by a troll one night. He told us that the war drums we'd been hearing menaced both us and the "moonman" some of his folks had (were still?) traveling with. He seemed to think it better to let us fight the moonman and they would fight whoever was left. In exchange for this favor he demanded a minor gift from us of food and fighting gear. We gave him one of our few remaining pack beasts, a centipede carapace and Nikolai's sword (which he didn't need since he was using Magasta's Wrath). The troll was pleased and left us, warning us to leave the area quickly least troll warriors find us. This seemed prudent and as we'd already broken camp (due to some worrisome sounds in the night) we moved on as well.

 

We also encountered again the caravan of troll traders. I kept my distance as before and learned later that they'd heard many stories about us in their travels in our footsteps but whether the stories were good or ill they did not say. They traded Nikolai some Elven fungus of possible medicinal value in exchange for a copy of the map we'd gotten from the winged folk then they departed up into the higher valley lands we'd just left. I wondered how the snow trolls would welcome them. Perhaps they'd fight each other and save us some grief later.

 

I also remember that we came upon a nomad beast dead with no wounds and stripped of gear. This seemed like the work of Nolantor save that before he'd killed the riders and taken the beasts. There seemed no answer to this riddle and so we moved on. As with many questions we had in this quest there was but one sure answer: the death of Nolantor.

 

The last incident I remember was an encounter with a disease spirit that had been haunting a watering hole. Elohwyn and her allied spirit slew it quickly using the Banish 1 matrix we'd traded from the giants.

 

And then, off in the distance we beheld the dark castle haunted, so Lukaros told us, by ghosts of Lunars. There it seemed we would finally face Nolantor in battle. If we prevail or fall shall be another's story, though if we fail and the world ends who shall write of it? Or indeed, who shall read these words?

 

[The text ends with a prayer written in Pavic]

Runequest Summaries