His frail hand moves like a vipers strike and a moment later the gold is gone.  

The smile seems locked on his face and his bushy eyebrows are still dancing about. "Well well, aren't you a sweet thing. Alright then. Yes, the Arctic Prince was due to head straight along the shoreline and out to sea, as it always does. But this miss importance woman, a fine piece of rounded ....."  he makes a kissing motion with his lips and hand, "...mwwahhh...anyway...oh yes, so, bit of an older lady, like myself, but you know, you can't replace experience, you know?  So, she books the ship and has them take a detour. Straight north. Now, I talked to some of the sailors before they were on their way. She was following some magical sense or some such, and she was just going to lead them off into the sea. Now, there was talk o her havin them bring her straight back before they resume their regular business, but it all sounded a bit up in the air so to speak. So...if you just hold on here, maybe they'll be back!" 

Badger seems to have slunk off during this conversation, heading out into the cold.  He returns as the man finishes up. 

"I uhhhh...did a little peeping for our owl friend."  He stares dead pan around the group, expecting them to get the hint.  "Anyway, she's on a ship. The ship is underway. No way to tell if they're still headed out, or if they're headed back." 

Kari thinks about it for a minute. Is this one of those shortcut things where you go as the Crow flies, and then you get where you're going sooner? Is there more land straight North? Maybe we could go around and meet up.

The man's right bushy eyebrow raises, "I'm afraid not dear. The sea of ice is just...ice and more ice. There's no going around. And if they're headed west, then it's straight west, and there's no shortcuts for all'yall to make."

Sighing Mal asks, "Is there any other boat that is going that way leaving soon that can accommodate us and our pets or are we resigned to hoofing it along this dreary landscape?"

The man scritches his beard, "There's a boat due in a couple days. If you want to book passage on the next ship into port, I'm happy to book ya. Presume you want to head to the sword coast and Luskan?" 

"By chance is that where our owl friend was heading? If not then no, we will continue in the direction she is heading." Mals responds.

Is there nothing available a little sooner, maybe a private boat that might be big enough to follow our soon to be acquaintance? I would really appreciate it if you know some other way to help us out. Maybe you've heard of me, Kathy the traveler? I performed in Bryn Shander at the Northlook some days ago, and there can be plenty more of that for the boat that can get us where we need to go, to keep the crew in good spirits in this cold and all. No extra charge. Kari smiles as she tries this awkward introduction, trying to be charming under all her bundled up layers.

He nods, "Well, yup, when the next ship gets into port, they'll take on private passage and can take you north in the sea as well if you like. Otherwise, unless you like swimmin in cold water, not sure how you plan on followin that there ship. Like I said, should just be a couple days." 

Kari turns toward the others and gives a little shrug, or possibly it was a big shrug that got lost under all the layers. Looks like it's going to be a wait either way.

Mal shrugs, "At least we get to wait in this fabulous resort location." as she turns around gesturing at everything in sight. "Where is a decent place we can get some food drinks, more importantly drinks and a place to spend the night?"

There is nothing in this wasteland but the prison, and so the group returns up the elevator along the icy cliff, to the star shaped prison near the end of the world. You return to the southern entrance where the guards meet you once again. With your animals already away, you disrobe of your bulky winter gear. The guards then lead you down a stark stone hallway and open a door on the right that leads through into a guard station. Several guards sit at a table playing cards and look up with curiosity. It is here that the lead guard turns and says, "You must surrender your weapons now. They will be stored in this trunk. 

With your only option spending a night in the wastelands outside, and the sudden scent of warm food, the decision is easily made and your weapons are stowed in the trunk. The guards watch you warily as the weapons pile up, while the group watches the guards warily, wondering if their gear is safe. It's obvious trust is required for you to stay though, so you decide to leave your weapons behind. 

On the far side of the guards chamber you move through a doorway and into a moderately sized dining hall with several picnic sized bench seat style tables. A swinging door with a round window in it, on the far left side leads to a kitchen, while another heavier door on the far right leads elsewhere. The only other exit is a hallway to the right.  The guards lead you in, "It's time for some dinner...you can take a seat."  

Dinner smells great, but when it emerges your disappointed to see rather perfunctory meal. Mashed potatoes, a lentil mush, and a small medallion of fried sausage. The food it bland, but not offensive and is filling enough. The dark wooden trays the food is served on are blotched with stains of years of use. The knives and forks are made of thin tin that bend if you press too much on them.  Other guards stroll into the dining hall as you eat, to grab their own meals.  Everyone watches the guests with great interest. A couple of the more talkative guards eventually come over and sit down and start up conversations about news in both ten towns, and abroad, obviously feeling isolated up here and hungry for any news you can share. 

Badger whispers to the group, "This is definitely the room I saw that woman in. Same trays of food."  

Speaking of Badger, it is obvious the gnome is changing. His hair has become darker. He's leaner, and now stands nearly 5 feet tall. Even his face has changed during your travels and his eyes have a strange steel gaze to them.  His voice even seems a tad deeper.

Eventually you'll be shown to your rooms. Down the hallway from the mess hall are a series of rooms, nicer than you'd expect, with linen and beds that are very comfortable. There are ten rooms here, each with a different symbol on the doors. You recognize symbols of a variety of cities including Baldur’s Gate, Mirabar, Neverwinter, Silverymoon, Waterdeep, and Yartar; the towns of Amphail, Daggerford, and Longsaddle; and the dwarven stronghold of Mithral Hall.  Each seems vacant and are lent to you.  These are all members of the Lords Alliance, and it's clear this building is run by them. 

You have plenty of time in the mess hall by yourselves, the only real place the five of you can comfortably gather. 

Mordekai chats to the more talkative guards, sensing their boredom and isolation.  Whilst he can't give any news of anywhere remotely local, he does have some tales to tell.  Without mentioning his own role in the stories, he spins tales of an evil vampire lord and his pale elf servant who needed to be killed at least twice, a great wizard who'd lost his mind but who was rescued and returned to his former greatness...albeit a little grumpier than before.  A Beholder who trapped a cursed hero in an imaginary town of his own creation, and the cursed book that...well, there have been several cursed books...and Mordekai sees the opportunity to get a little creative, so the tales of the curses and the books get exquisitely interwoven and furiously embellished by Mordekai for the entertainment of these poor guards who clearly are in need of some excitement.

After telling his tales, Mordekai says to the guards, "You must have some tales of your own?  This place isn't the kind of prison for mere rascals and ruffians.  You must have met some extreme characters?"

Mal will wait till all the pleasantries are over with and then will approach Badger. "What have you done? There is obviously something going on, out with it."

The guards take a liking to Mordekai and his stories almost immediately and it's not long before he has the attention of almost every person who works in this place, some trying to nonchalantly listen from a table over, while a small crowd gathers.  As his tales wrap up he even gets several claps. One of the cooks who'd come out to listen smiles and says, "Oooh, do you want a bit of a nip, we're not allowed it on duty but I do make my own moonshine. As long as we're all quiet about it, the warden doesn't mind."  

Meanwhile the guards laugh at his question. 

One of them with long hair and a beard, a large fellow who is likely covered in fur top to bottom, says, "Some of the stories...ha.  If I had to tell you how many times I've had to clean up after an inmate ate their own poop then threw up all over their room...well....it's waaay too common.  Most folk here though...they know they're here for a while and play nice. But, we gets all types of course." 

Another guard, skinny and tall, rather awkward looking beneath his leather armor says in a nasally voice, "Yeah, the most dangerous. We gotz a minotaur, a sea elf, a wizard from the arcane brotherhood, and we even gotz a pixy that disguises itself like a tiny dragon all the time. Some fun stories about this lot for sure."

Meanwhile, Mal finds a moment to confront Badger. Badger sits back with a smug smile on his face. He seems to weigh his options, and location, and then, within your mind, you hear a harsh and foreign voice speak to you, while Badgers eyes seem to bore into you, "Badger is...preoccupied at the moment. You can call me Zendrak. I am altering this form to fit my needs. Do not worry after your ally. I just...need him for a short time. The wizards of Netheril have returned. I can not rest until they are destroyed. I will return your friend, unharmed, once I am done my task."

Mal blinks and then nods her head.

Insight Check: 16

 "This should have been discussed before you just take over someones body," then she chuckles, "but this happening to Badger is kind of funny." Then she whisper, "but for now I guess I have no choice but to trust you."

There is little doubt in Mal's mind that "Zendrak" is telling her the truth. He responds mentally to her, "Trust or not, you are correct that you have no choice." 

Mordekai keeps his tone light, but wonders at the mention of this wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood.  "Oh, I love a good tale of society's most dangerous!  Well done to you guards for keeping them all inside securely!  A minotaur?  You must have some strength among you to keep that one in check!  And tell me more about this wizard - is there not a risk that the Arcane Brotherhood might attempt to break...him? ...her? ...them out of here?"

Persuasion if needed (again, minimum 24 because of College of Eloquence trait - roll of 9 or less on a persuasion or deception check can be counted as a 10): 34

"Ahhh, Prisoner 237!  Yeah, he was some big shot who tried to take over ten towns a ways back. Some adventurers stopped him though and, so as not to piss off the brotherhood, they sent him here instead of sentencing him to death.  We was worried about attempts in the early days, but it's been a few years, and honestly he may talk a big game, but I think the brotherhood doesn't care much that he got caught." 

Another guard, "Magical folk are hard to catch, but without their spell bits and baubs, or a book to read, they're close to just normal folk. Though 237 has got an ego the size of an air ship!  If his ego could keep him afloat, he'd just fly on out of here."

Kari notices Mal's curious one-sided conversation. And with all these changes in Badger... She was going to wait and say something later but things are developing too quickly. "Wait, take over someone's body, is that why you're changing Badger? I was starting to wonder if you were having some kind of late growth spurt, turning into a man and all that." She leans in closer and whispers "So whose body did you take over,  and is that even legal?" She looks quickly around at the guards to see if anyone is paying too much attention to them.

Badger looks at the Kari's face as if trying to judge something, but he doesn't find what he's looking for. In her mind she hears him speak to her, but the voice is not Badgers. "Badger is...occupied. I shall return him after I am done what I need to do. My name is Zendrak, slayer of wizards and servant of the bones. I am reshaping Badger into a more suitable form for my needs."