IDROTF C1E5: Return to Brynn Shander Report

General Summary

It was slow going across the tundra while pulling the laden sled behind them. It took the party another full day plus a couple of hours to arrive at Bryn Shander.   They met up with the dwarves easily enough and exchanged iron for gemstones, as well as a 10% discount at the Blackiron Blades. Having completed this task their discussion turned to what to do next, especially considering the dwarves had informed them that Shandar Froth had been seen skirting Bryn Shander towards Good Mead the very day that the party had left in search of the lost iron shipment. Eventually they concluded that they should head to Targos as they had learned that this was the current location of Torg's and they still had to investigate Sephek Kaltro.   The journey to Targos wasn't so bad, given that there was an actual trail to follow. Upon their arrival our heroes quickly discovered that Torg's was set up outside the town's walls, near the southern gate. Saryeras managed to find a merchant willing to exchange in conversation and was told where he could find Torrga Icevein and her bodyguard. However, Saryeras was less successful in gaining an audience and so the party decided to move on into the city to investigate the murder further and wait for the traveling merchant caravan to close up for the night in hopes their quarry would come into the town in search of food and lodging.   Immediately upon entering the town, a large dog very literally accosted Saryeras , knocking him to the ground and licking him all over while whimpering pitifully. It was quite obvious the creature wanted them to follow it so they did, all the way back to what turned out to be it's master's home. Here they met Keegan Velryn, the husband of the dog's owner - who was named Garret Velryn and led expeditions throughout Icewind Dale as a living; including, most recently, to Kelvin’s Cairn. Keegan Velryn implored the party to help locate Garret Velryn as he took the presence of the dog, named Boy, to be a sign that something awful had befallen his husband. Sadly, Kelvin’s Cairn was in the opposite direction (indeed, just past the location where they had retrieved the iron ingots) so the best the party could offer would be to look into it when they next found themselves in that area.   After this encounter, it wasn't difficult to find the Luskan Arms where they ordered some food and drinks for themselves while asking a few questions of the proprietor. They quickly learned that the murder investigation had been spearheaded by the head of the town militia, Skath who happened to be eating in the common room as well. He was not exactly a wellspring of information, however, as his investigation had dead-ended very quickly with no physical evidence (the murder weapon was presumed to have been made from ice). He did direct them to the victim's home and workspace at the shipyard and also arranged an audience with the Speaker, Naerth Maxildanarr. The Speaker didn't have a lot else to add, although it did come to light that the election in Good Mead had been accelerated in the aftermath of a bandit attack upon the town hall. As Shandar Froth and his lumberjacks fought off the attackers, Shandar Froth was unanimously elected as the new Speaker of Good Mead.   With this disappointing news, Kadgrith swore he would still become Speaker and bring glory to Good Mead but the party chose to continue their investigation for now. Heading to the shipbuilding yard they met with the son of the victim from Targos and learned that the old shipbuilder had been acting a bit strangely leading up to his murder. First, there was a period of a couple of weeks where he acted as though he were on his deathbed - bequeathing the family business to his son, saying heartfelt goodbyes to his closest family members and friends, and drowning his sorrows at the Three Flags Sailing almost nightly. Then the melancholy left, only to be replaced shortly thereafter with an extreme paranoia and anxiety leading up to his murder.   Unable to learn anything more of substance, and beginning to feel that really the living deserved their immediate aid far more so than the dead, the party decided that they would head out to Kelvin’s Cairn the next morning, and that they would take Boy with them in hopes he could lead them to Garret Velryn. Deciding to sup at the Luskan Arms and then spend the evening at Three Flags Sailing, they arrived at the former just in time to see none other than Sephek Kaltro walk in...