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All six players in attendance:

Map link: Abira

After crossing the Manaba River and killing the Ogres on March 24, 1108, the party meets several displaced villagers from the deserted village of Ulan. They tell of how eight Ogres magically appeared in the village a week before and of a great, frog-headed creature - much like the one that Vincent saw outside of Koko. In the battle with the Ogres, several villagers were killed, including the chief, Yowditbul.

The next day, the dead chief's wife, Takala, returns to the village and assumes the duties of acting chief. She seems to be well respected by the villagers and suggests the party remain in Ulan for one day as her honored guests. She relates stories of what is on the road ahead. Unfortunately, her stories are bleak. The party learns that a great evil has befallen the fortress of Abira and that the neighboring villages of Fala and Kitchi have been abandoned. Many refugees are on the roads, streaming south.

That night, Roget has an unusual and vivid dream.

On March 26, the group leaves Ulan and marches a short day to the village of Laka. There they meet some refugees from Kitchi and Fala and hear more stories of Abira.

On March 27, after another short day, the party arrives in Netis, a village that is on the verge of anarchy due to a huge influx of refugees. While setting up camp on the outskirts of the chaos, a great, blue frog-headed monster appears from nowhere in the midst of the group. It croaks an alien word at Vincent, then vanishes as suddenly as it appeared. Vincent immediately attacks Bigby! After a short, violent fight, Vincent is brought under control and regains his sanity. Kesi reports that a rune on her staff glowed a pale blue for several seconds before the frog-creature appeared, then flared brightly when it materialized.

In Netis, the party meets a man from Fala who gives them details of the evil that plagues Abira. It would seem that a great, dark storm cloud came up from the south a few weeks ago and settled over the fortress. It has grown steadily since then and now encompasses the whole valley. As it is still a little early in the year for trade expeditions over the pass, the fortress was only lightly occupied. Nevertheless, none of the guards on duty at the fortress have been seen since the cloud appeared - and undead creatures have been prowling the area on the edge of the expanding storm.

The evening of March 28th is spent camped at a crossroads. The party can proceed forward to Fala (and thence to Abira), or bypass the fortress entirely by taking a left to Kitchi. From there, it is a rough trip through a forest and up into the hills without a trail. Despite the toil this route promises, the alternative is deemed to be far worse.

March 29 is a quiet trip to Kitchi, where the party meets a lone old man who refuses to abandon his home. He gives them directions through the forest and over the hills to the Ata'halne' falls - where they will find the trail that will take them over the mountains and on to the plains of the Etenai beyond.

Aramil locates a bird and uses his Speak With Animals spell to ask it what it knows of the cloud. The bird says that it is “only night”.

For the next four days, the party stumbles through a forest and up into the hills around Awanita peak. Very little discussion occurs about their decision to avoid Abira - and moods are low.

At mid-day on April 2, the trail over the pass is found and the sound of the waterfall is heard to the right. Despite grumblings from Roderick and Kesi, the group turns left and heads away from Abira.

XP awarded: None (held until next session), Running Total: 8,500.