Highharvestide, 1376, Year of the Bent Blade

We wake up and Christian is already ready to go. We head out. After a while, we see the keep, made of black stone. It's really big! And there are people rats. We ponder how to get in, and ask Christian. He says that there is a secret entrance - though he is still convinced that this is impossible and hopeless. 

We wait for the guard change and then we sneak into the basement. We peak into a storeroom, and see 6 candles in 6 alcoves. We hear some sobbing, and turn and see a ghost crying at the end of the hall. We ask what is wrong, and she answers that she wants her doll - but she can't remember the doll's name. Behind us, we hear Christian mutter something about Marie and it being a longer time than he thought since he had left. We look around, maybe there is a hint to help us find the doll's name? We find questions that seem to refer to other people, people that maybe Marie knows. We ask their names, and notice that in order, it spelled out another name, Claire. We ask her if her doll's name is Claire, and she says yes, picks it up, smiles and thanks us. She also mentions that there is a Crackatuck nut in the library which will waken the Defenders.

Christian tells us that the library is on the top floor. Vorest calls a bug over and he scouts out the staircase for us. Not sure how long she has been able to that, it's pretty cool! Once we get to the library, avoiding all the rats, we start searching. I find a book on Nut Trade, and when I mention that it's a bit odd, Vandederp pulls it. A door opens and he enters. He finds a chest, and inside there is a giant stone nut. There is an inscription at the bottom:

"This nut will release my guardians. No man or woman can command them, nor someone who has shaved or worn boots."

We call Christian over and give him the nut - he is the only one who could possibly fit the description. As we are doing that, Vondal and Christian go very still, like they have heard something. Christian whispers "Claire..." Is he talking about the doll? I really hope he doesn't hear a ghost girl's doll.

We go downstairs - there was a floor that had statues and some sort of throne, and that's where we heard the noises. Christian cracks the Crackatuck and the statues wake up and start attacking the wererats. The rat king has 7 heads, and his queen has grown to a giant size! There is also another creature like Christian, but female that fights to get away from the king and queen. They seem able to call more wererats, and giant rats and even swarms of rats. They are very difficult to fight, but the statues (are they made of tin?) are very helpful. So are all the animals that Vorest has called up - and there are a lot of them!

Christian and Claire thank us for saving them. Apparently Claire is Christian's beloved, and was sweet enough that the ghost girl named her doll after her! They wish that they could help us, to go home, but they just don't know how to help. We are disappointed but not terribly surprised.

We step back to think about our situation, and the world starts getting wavy, like I've drunk too much and I'm about to pass out. I fall, and close my eyes, to help regain my balance, and control of my head. I open my eyes again, and I appear to be on the ship! It is far too cold, and I close my eyes again, in case it is only wishful thinking and I'm hallucinating, but when I open them, I am truly back on the ship! I hear a crew mate shout at the captain, and he scurries over to check on us. He explains that we appeared to have been in a coma, all four of us, for DAYS, and that we were cold to the touch. As we get up, and start moving again Vandederp and Vondal look in their bag - and find all the crowns are still there.

When we are up, we ask what day it actually is. And we find out we had been asleep for four days. No wonder I feel so stiff.

30th of Eleint, 1376, Year of the Bent Blade

 What a beautiful day this is! Oh, but those are some pretty nasty looking clouds. And the wind and waves are really starting to build up. 

Thunder, lightening. 

4 water elementals come onboard - perhaps they were playing in the storm and then decided they wanted to play with us. We manage to defeat them, but Vondal and I got pretty beat up. Thankfully Vorest can (and does!) heal us. 

At night the wind picks up again. The captain does not like this wind, he says it's odd. It is pretty cold - it's been pretty nice out until this wind picked up. When it starts to snow, everybody is concerned - it should not be snowing here. And then we notice the ice on the water. The captain tries valiently to avoid it, but it is too late and we are trapped in it. We are helping however we can, but it no use, it is hard to even see, let alone hear over the howling wind. This is as cold as it was in the mountains by Waterdeep! How is is so cold here? Eventually the storm stills, and we can tell we are no longer moving. As we go to make sure the crew is okay, we find we are the only ones on the boat. Where did everyone go?

We can see an island in the distance, but everything else is snow or ice. We make sure that wee have all our warm clothes, and manage to fashion some cleats our of materials we found on board. There is another storm coming, and it doesn't look good. In fact, it looks so not good, that we think it is a better idea to try and run for ANY shelter on the island than stay with the boat as it creaks and groans in the ice. We even think we hear snaps, which really decides the running idea. 

We reach the island, and the storm seems to go around it, going straight for the boat. I hope the other people were able to get away, but I'm not sure where else they would have gone, since they don't seem to have been here. We decide to keep walking, if nothing else, to keep our blood flowing. After a bit, we see something shiny in the distance. As we get closer, we see that it is hunched over, like it is a kind of man, sitting. It appears to be made of wood and metal! Vondal approaches, and the "man" turns his head and speaks with Vondal. They exchange greetings, and the rest of us approach. We ask if he knows a way out, a way for us to go home. He says no, but maybe his creator does. But his creator and his home has been taken over by the Rat King. The metal man is despondent, for which he apologizes, explaining that he wishes he could free his beloved from the rats, but he is unable to. When we offer to help, he says that we are too few, but he will join and let us try. He names himself Christian Elias Drosselmeier. He grabs his weapons, and says he's heading to his keep.

Vandederp's sword starts announcing danger, and then the ground starts rumbling. A frost salamander, as Christian tells us, jumps out of the ground. It nearly took out Christian, but we defeat him, and manage to keep Christian alive. 

We continue, and eventually Christian mentions that he thinks it'll take about another hour to arrive. Vandederp's sword, being ever helpful, let's us know that there is more danger, as three snowmen pop out of the ground. They are a difficult fight, and we beg rest afterwards. Christian mentions that he knows of a cave we could hide in for shelter.