Reunited with Spesof after our ice devil encounter, and we spent some time getting our gear sorted in Norholt. The town’s well-equipped for northern adventurers - had some maintenance work done on my bow and restocked arrows. Spesof treated himself to some exotic flying dragon dish at the inn. Can’t say I understand the appeal, but the half-orc has particular tastes when it comes to his meals.
The next morning, we decided it was time to introduce ourselves properly to the local power structure. Marquee Philipp Ghurst controls this territory, and it seemed prudent to make our presence known rather than operate in the shadows. When we requested a meeting, he invited us for breakfast - though his initial greeting was less than warm. Called us the “dogs of Dorthana,” which didn’t sit well with me.
Made it clear to the Marquee that we’re not anyone’s lapdogs. We keep our own counsel and pursue our own interests. Seems he respected that directness - turns out he’s a warrior himself, and there’s something to be said for mutual understanding between those who’ve seen real combat. The conversation went better once we established we weren’t there to play politics or grovel for favors.
During our discussions, we learned about the local armorer in the castle who specializes in gear for fighting ice creatures. Momen was particularly interested in this - seems he’s been thinking about better protection against the cold-based attacks we keep running into up north. He spent considerable time with the armorer, treating it like a research project. Can’t fault his thoroughness, especially after that ice devil nearly killed him.
After our diplomatic duties were handled, we checked the adventure board for something to keep our skills sharp. Found a contract for a giant ice bird that had been terrorizing the area. The pay was decent, and it seemed like a straightforward hunt compared to the political maneuvering we’ll need for the Fossen banquet.
The hunting party they assembled was typical for these northern expeditions - a mix of local fighters and the inevitable nobleman who wanted to claim credit without doing the actual work. We tracked the ice bird to its territory without much difficulty. These creatures are impressive but predictable in their hunting patterns.
The actual fight went smoothly. Between Spesof’s frontline work, Momen’s magic, and my arrows, we brought the beast down without anyone getting seriously injured. The interesting discovery was that the bird had been clutching some noble woman - apparently another kidnapping victim, though she was unconscious when we rescued her. Always nice when these hunts have a proper rescue, even if she never got the chance to properly thank us.
Of course, our nobleman “leader” immediately tried to take full credit for the successful rescue, painting himself as the hero while downplaying our actual contributions. Par for the course with these types. The woman was in no state to contradict his version of events, which made his grandstanding even more irritating.
The whole expedition served multiple purposes - kept our combat skills honed, added some coin to our purses, and reinforced our growing reputation in the region. Plus Momen got his specialized cold-weather gear sorted out, which should serve him well in future encounters with ice-based creatures.
Next up is harvesting the roc parts before we head out. These materials could prove valuable, and there’s no point leaving useful resources behind. Momen will handle the extraction work - he’s got a much steadier hand for this kind of delicate butchering than either Spesof or myself.