We've agreed that a structure will need to be built to house the falcon in our absence, lest it be destroyed by the elements.
To do it properly, Gurzurk requires about three or four weeks of construction time. In this time, we will also organise the construction of two sleds to carry equipment. Alas, it will probably be Safranna and Roland who do most of the work pulling the sleds, although the rest of us will help where we can.
Lani teleported to the Jarldoms to pick up appropriate winter gear (it is so bloody freezing!). We also got some wagon wheels brought, since we may wish to change our sleds into wagons once we leave the snow behind. When Lani returned, she commented that in going to the Jarldoms, she teleported in high. She's lucky she didn't teleport low.
Well, it'll be time to head off now. We've placed a spire her, with a continual light at its tip, to help find this place when we return. We'll also take one of the compass' from the falcon, used in the compass spell Zim has.
I did a sending to Lani's sister, indicating we are about to go into the anti-magic region, without the falcon, and that they shouldn't expect to hear from us for quite a while.
We expect to cover a mere three miles per day. I hope it isn't that far to go.
Also, the lodestone goes a tad crazy not too far into the anti-magic area, as Lani discovered on one of her flights. Hopefully that won't last too long, lest we get lost.
Oh well, enough procrastinating.
Our lodestone stopped going crazy today. Lani flew about and discovered that the area of aberration occupies a little region, several miles across.
It is getting darker and darker the further north we travel.
Good heavens. Creatures do live in this waste. Creatures dubbed the name Yeti have attacked us. They weren't terribly tough, not compared to the experienced warriors in this party. We killed two of them, and another two fled. They are so very cold to touch, even colder than the surroundings. Excellent as components. I've taken several samples of hair, nails, and other items that don't decay much. Even after death they still radiate cold.
It is getting very dark. We'll have to start lighting lanterns soon.
Safranna found a dead dog in the snow today. A brief search revealed another dead dog. The dogs were harnessed, so we guess that they're probably part of a husky team. They were clawed to death, and appear to have been left where they fell.
We also found two Yeti's, probably the perpetrators, that had been killed by sword blows. The Yeti does still radiate cold. More components.
The team seems to be heading in the same direction as we are. Looks as though we aren't the first then, not that we expected to be.
Damn this place is so cold!
No sun rose at all today. I suppose we are truly heading in now. Our lanterns will use up three flasks every day. We had best hope that it isn't that far to the other side.
Cold, cold, cold.
We have run out of oil. There are only two flasks left, which we are going to conserve for emergencies.
We've decided to tie ourselves together, so none of us get separated.
Gurzurk will give us directions.
Have I mentioned that it is very cold? And I am starting to tire of the food.
Oh bugger. A number of us fell down a crevice today. We only just managed to get Roland and the sled out. Man, Roland is so heavy!
Tomorrow we'll get our equipment out, and then continue. One of us will walk ahead of Roland, in case there are more crevices.
It is cold and dark.
It is cold and dark. But really, coldness is not something to worry over, surely? It is just absence of heat. That is coldness. I am cold. Or was I ever truly warm? I cannot reember. I'm sure there was something other than coldness. And darkness. It is all so dark.
Someone told me that something known as a lodestone has started pointing upwards a little. But I know not what this means, nor do I care.
This thing called a lodestone is pointing up now. Other noises argues should we go ahead, or turn back? Of course, ahead is where we must go. Feet can only go forward after all. How could we go back? The other voices are so very foolish.
So forward we go. We?
One foot in front of the other. Yes, foot. Feet. Funny things. They move. In front of each other. Like other things. Other things move. Is that not so? Things. I'm sure. Not understand. Really. Someone said it is cold?
How can I be sure is other's exist? What is exist? I see nothing. Maybe I dream? Maybe I am dead, awaiting reincarnation, and have these strange dreams of darkness and coldness. Surely that is it?
Yes, I must be dead. A strange state, death. I thought it would be different. Where is the Pantheon?
South we head, says a voice. What a silly voice. Like there is anything called south, where we are now. Ha.
Mutter.
Cold, darkness. The are the same. Where there is darkness, there is cold. Darkness is everywhere. It is so.
Cold.. Darkness.. Forever..
Bloody oath! Light again! And food. Ah, nothing like real food again. And decent sleep in a shelter created by Gurzurk.
I do not want to do that trip again any time soon. It was awful! And we very nearly ran out of food. Completely.
Blessed abundance is so very nice!
A pity not all spells work here. Blink does not, sending does not, dimension door does not. Fly does work. It appears that any spell involving communication or instant transportation of an object fails.
Pity. Well, we'll get by. Fireball works.
We've decided to take a week off. And a well deserved week as well. We were in the anti-magic region for a mighty long time! Almost a whole seven months.
That was a very pleasant week off. Endure cold really helps - if we wanted, we could run around butt naked in the snow, and feel fine.
We can give Safranna a fly spell, and she can pull the sled along (the other sled is dismantled at the moment) whilst in the air, especially with a few lighten loads. We can achieve an estimated nine miles per day this way.
Off we go. Time to see what's here.
Whao! A white dragon attacked us today. Roland defeated it. He had little trouble. Lani noticed that her summoning spells failed. Guess it's since they involve instant transportation of creatures.
Roland is very happy at his achievement. In future, perhaps we should let Roland, dragon-slayer, finish off dragons.
Well, I get some more spell components.
We have seen glimmerings of light today.
The sun is red. We are definitely on track.
Time for another party!
Hmm. I had a disturbing dream last night. I was walking down the streets of Sind. There were mystics n the street, and other Sind citizens. Then I looked up, and saw the sun was red.
It was an unusually vivid dream. I do not like this.
We continue travelling south.
And now I have been married for three years. It didn't seem like long ago when I wrote of my second wedding anniversary.
The red sun does not move. It neither rises nor sets. Our movement does change it's position. I guess this is since we are still close to the pole.
It is likely that I am inaccurate in what date I believe it to be. How we keep track of time here, I have no idea.
There is a speck in the sky. We have no idea what it is. Even in the spyglass it still only appears as a speck. It must be very far away. It appears the speck is moving, in a regular direction, raotating perhaps about a central point?
There is another speck in the sky today. It is moving in a direction opposite to the one we first saw.
We keep heading south.
It has been getting gradually warmer and warmer. We've seen a variety of specks in the sky now, all moving back and forth. What they are is unknown.
We can see mountains in the distance to the southeast. Since we have seen nothing else of interest, we may as well head there.
We have arrived on decent soil for a change! We may as well leae our sled behind, as we can carry what we need to. Gurzurk builds a small structure here, to house the sled, and so we know where to go when we want to head out.
We can see a large inlet to the south, and mountains to the west. We'll head for the inlet.
We arrived at the inlet today. It's salty, and has chunks of ice in it. Not very interesting.
We've decided to follow the coat from now on. As far as we can tell, people prefer to build in coastal regions when possible.
Encountered a river today. We'll follow the coast.
We're still following the coast. It often goes north, and then south again. Predominantly it heads south.
Numerous specimens of the local wildlife have attacked us, but we've had no problem defending ourselves. Seems like a pretty tame area really.
We've noticed that some of the specks in the sky seem to rotate in a regular fashion. Soon we'll be able to start guessing when they will appear. If we had some sort of timing device, we might even be able to time the regularity of the specks.
It is going to take us a long time to follow the coast. I hope not too many months pass without event.
New years day, if you believe the Thyatians.
Something interesting. We have made contact.
We met a local. He seems pretty primitive in appearance, but even though he is furry, he wears clothing, such as a leather jacket.
He seems friendly enough. Melany commented that in his society, warriors are highly admired. I imagine this fellow is a pretty decent warrior.
This guy also knows more than one language, which I find surprising. We are, of course, communicating using a tongues spell. He speaks in his native tongue, but does know another language, known as Nether, a trading language. This was mentioned in the book by the lady mage, which we read ages ago.
Well, we see no harm in staying, helping out in the village, all that, in order to learn this language.
Besides, it'll be good to speak to others for a change. We've been stuck with each other for almost two years now, and frankly, we're getting a bit tired of it.