Moving Out Report

The Lost Sons began preparing to escort the Aure'ellar twins through the mountain pass. Aurelia and Vaas met with Lord Jalid, coordinating the jobs and positions of the mercenaries to be garrisoned at the fortress of Ziada.

As they spent the day gathering supplies, a small group of the shadow-cursed Sama'ellar arrived with an exhausted Warren in tow. He explained that the forces of the Empress's Arrows managed to push all the way into Deirrah. They were sieging the city, and though the veterans were able to stop their advance there, the Old Man was concerned by how close they managed to get to the capital. The Crowned Prince sent as many forces to Deirrah as he could.

The party were concerned with this news but determined their current missions still held the most importance. With faith in their brothers and sisters, they decided to continue as planned. Sawbones saw to Warren who informed them he would be staying with their forces in Ziada.

While Myr flew around the fortress, he saw a sandstorm moving toward Ziada. The Sons informed Lord Jalid who seemed happy with the news. He told them during sandstorms he could send his sand walkers to sift the deserts for artifacts. Worried about the magical barrier, the Sons asked the lord what his plans were when the power ran out. He mentioned he could use regular prisoners for a day or two, but he would have to rely on capturing enemy sorcerers or magical beasts once those were exhausted. There were rumors, however, of a certain artifact that could have the power to keep the barrier up indefinitely. He knew where it was rumored to be and had already sent 200 men to retrieve it with no results thus far.

The Lost Sons determined they would hope Ziada could last until they came back from their escort mission and then they would potentially search for this artifact.

Before leaving, they examined the altar once more. They found it was made of the same material as the obelisk in the city with the glass walkers. There were carved markings where a particular sword and a hand could fit. They determined this was tied to the map detailing the ritual for the "True King" of Sitaar. Myr even witnessed a message, enchanted writing from the sphynx that spoke of the "usurper, and the chosen king."

Unable to find anything else of use, they set their sights on the road ahead.

The Lost Sons left the bulk of their force behind with Valeriana as the temporary command. They swiftly made their way up the path, climbing in altitude. The temperature dropped over the course of their journey, making it difficult for Ket to fly.

As they made camp, Vaas witnessed a stranger silently watching them. This stranger wore oddly colorful clothing and feathers in their hair. They moved away and then vanished into mist. Vaas inspected the trail the stranger left but was unable to learn anything from it.

The next day, they encountered a group of people on the mountain path. They were dressed in much the same way as the stranger the night before. After convincing the people they were not a threat, they learned that these were the Adamdar.

The Adamdar were the nomadic tribes who called the mountains their home. They invited the Lost Sons to their "Stand," a seasonal fortress the Adamdar used in the winters. Hoping to find information and possibly a guide for their road ahead, the Sons agreed.

Once at the Stand, the Lost Sons were introduced to Marlen Sunshaper, the stranger who watched them in the night. This man was a leader in the tribe and offered to give the Sons information and shelter in exchange for trade.