Well, this is what magic for, right? Even her magic. At least this is how Katia understood the whole deal. She was careful - casting away from people and no more than a spell in ... a time but she did: to dry clothes, to freshen the taste of the stale bread, to redirect cold wind. Eventually, she was fully convinced that even the harshest of travel can be made acceptable, if you know how to add a "home-touch" to it. And the view was SPECTACULAR all the way to Syrinlya!

The tent-town was a surprise, though, Katia expected something more permanent. But at least the welcoming committee seemed friendly. "Katia Ardun, at your service, and your family's," bowed the girl. "As long as the boats can still sail, the cold is not that dangerous." She stopped at this comment, if they were indeed expected she also wanted to hear the explanation.

Morgo growls with laughter.  "Here you learn to expect everything, and nothing.  Come on, then!"  She leads you through the encampment. 

Morgo gestures to the groups of dwarves and elves huddled and chatting around campfires. “They’re planning expeditions to find Aeor’s lost treasures,” she says. “That’s what this whole place is about. If you ain’t exploring, you ain’t banking gold.”

The dwarf stops in front of a large fur-lined yurt. “You can stay here. Belonged to a fool rich elf named Bertron who came here looking for adventure. He found the inside of a saber-toothed tiger instead. Should be some food and the like in there. It’s yours now.”

During the voyage the Old Man helped when required, but often would help create magical flames when heat or fire was needed-and safe to do so. Otherwise spending the voyage rather lazily-it was wetter for sure than his hilltop, but otherwise wasn't terribly different than when he'd sit in the cold and watch the sky. 

The sky, always pretty and worth a watch.

Upon landing, Malik attemtps to work his forgotten land legs, but hussles and bussles along with the group. "Eh, there be many toothed tigers nearby?"

(edit: added in spell link)

Harley is mostly quiet during the trip, enjoying the company and the views. She doesn't mind the cold, and as it gets ever cooler she reflects upon the next stage of their adventure. Back to Eiselcross. She is, however, somewhat annoyed about the seawater, seeping through her warm clothes. Nevertheless she doesn't complain, nothing to be helped by complaining about being this close to sealevel when on a ship.
Her eyes light up at the mention of Aeor's lost treasures, and Harley nods in approval. She hopes Bertron wasn't supposed to be their 'Buyer,' but considers that Elro would most likely have a more reliable contact.

"Wow!" Katia did not know what to say. In stories they always make it sound cool to inherit something, but the stories never mentions what comes with the inheritance - the death of the people (close or distant - no matter) that clings to every object and reminds about itself with every moment you spend around that objects. Was that the reason why kind people of that temporary settlement did not simply take all the riches of the dead elf? Whatever it was, though, the cold outside was truly unfriendly and Katia, though shuddering a bit, stepped inside the yurt. Not before thanking Morgo, though, and asking if she knew "the Buyer" and Orvo Mustave.

"Welp, looks like you'll wanna settle in.  You'll excuse me, but we got an expedition to prepare for."  

The crate contains 50 days of rations, a 50-foot silk rope, a blanket, a grappling hook, a miner’s pick, and a book titled Adventure Sexy: Impress Potential Lovers with Great Deeds by Scanlan Shorthalt.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Morgo. A warm welcome in a cold, bleak expanse wasn't expected but is certainly appreciated. What sort of expedition are you preparing for? What area are you to explore? We'll speak with Orvo but will set out as soon as we can. We need to gather information and finish what we've set out to do as quickly as possible and if there's any chance your group is heading in the same direction we are, we'd appreciate the opportunity to tag along."

(During the voyage, Red Chanter would've cast Identify on everything we've picked up thus far. Listed in my inventory I have: "unidentified coins" & "unidentified folded leather case" plus somebody picked up a mysterious dagger at some point and the items from Urgon's chest.)

Morgo snorts, looking a bit surprised.  "Surely that ain't why you've come, is it? An expedition led by our resident professor, Gulrim Shalebrow, went to search for the origin of the strange magic in distant Mutalos months ago.  It's far to the northwest, beyond the River Inferno. His party hasn't returned. We're preparing a search and rescue mission to bring them back."

"Understood," Red Chanter responds. "No, that's not our purpose nor is it, I believe, the direction we're traveling. It may have been too much to hope we'd be fortunate enough to travel with a group who was already more familiar with the terrain." She sighs. "Well thank you, nonetheless. We'll settle in and go speak to Orvo."

If the kind (and dead) man left behind some coal or dry wood, the first thing Katia would do is to try to set up fire to war the place up (by normal means). She listened to the conversation, though. "We have to talk to Orvo fist to know where we are actually going. My uncle... I mean Urgon, came across of some nasty things, and it seems we need to follow his steps to undo what he accidentally unleashed. I sincerely hope your expedition did not run into same troubles, Morgo."

"You know, I better go talk to him now. Coming, Red?" Katia left the fire to those wishing to rest a bit, and went outside again to meet Urgon's friend.

Red Chanter bounces on the balls of her feet in anticipation and follows Katia.

Katia finds a cache of seasoned firewood stacked nearby.  The wood is harvested and maintained as a communal effort, and all in the camp are allowed to use their reasonable share, assuming they contribute their own labor to the community when the need arises.  Within a few minutes, the firewood is laid inside the tent for any who wish to rest.  At least some set off for Orvo's, however.

You find Orvo's tent as described. A garland strung with alarmingly long and sharp fangs is strung along its perimeter. A campfire burns in front, and the tent's flaps are open. Inside the tent sits a young dwarf whose face is scarred as though scratched by a large claw. A shortsword is casually laid across his lap as he warms his outstretched hands.

"Hail there," he says, hardly looking up. "And what's the tide washed up today?"

"Well met, friend!" Red Chanter calls as they approach. "If our directions are to be believed, you'd be Orvo, then. The name's Red Chanter and we come seeking information and guidance." She shifts from cheerful greeting to a more somber expression. "Not sure if word has reached this far yet but Urgon Wenth has passed after contracting a strange illness he caught up here and it seems it's spread to several others back on the mainland. Urgon had taken Katia, here, in and treated her like family and as she was going through his belongings to put everything in order, she found a good bit about adventuring with you written in his journal. We're hoping you can take us to where you found a particular haul of artifacts he brought back with him. With any luck, the cure might be nearby."

Orvo's expression falters.  He looks crestfallen.  "No, not Three-Legged Wenth!  Are you sure you mean Urgon?  What artifacts?"

Katia's eye immediately filled with tears - the wound was still fresh and Orvo was the first one since the funeral who seemed to be concerned - but she swallowed the tears. "Yes, this is how some called him. For my family he was just Urgon, and I used to call him "uncle". What he found - and what killed him - was the blue liquid in vials. Elro - this is our elder in the village - found the name for the thing, "frigid woe". Found about the cure too - another liquid - or was it powder? - no, liquid! - a milky liquid stored in gold vials. If you saw - or have one! - it will save several lives already."

"Bless his soul.  Urgon and I had a great many adventures.  There'll not be another like him."  Wiping his eye with his sleeve, Orvo nods and considers each of you.  He reaches for something beside him, a walking stick, and hobbles to his feet.  It's clear he's suffered a serious injury that's impacted his walking ability.

"Blue vials.  Aye.  We found them in an old Aeorian ruin. Salsvault, it's called.  It's here on Foren.  It ain't easy to get around, being partially submerged in water.  See, in that area the glacial ice is thin. In fact, we call that region Thin Sheets.  The ruin, it's incredibly well preserved, probably something to do with magic.  A lot of Aeor's ruins are like that, especially those that house hazardous materials or significant projects."

Once we got inside, we could tell it was some sort of Aeorian lab. We only got a little ways in before being chased away by animated suits of armor.  But in that time we collected several artifacts, including those funny blue vials.  We--we had no idea what they contained!  Urgon hung on to his share of the items to take back home to Palebank.  I sold all of mine to the Buyer here in Syrinlya."

"You've got quite the hike ahead of you.  Salsvault is two hundred miles northwest of here!  I'd come with you but, well, I got caught in an avalanche a couple of weeks ago.  Managed to avoid the worst of it, but my leg broke when it got caught under the weight.  I can draw you a map of the general location.  Once there, look for the ice mephits. Ice mephits are drawn to the magic of the place. That's how we found the ruin, ya see.  We followed one of the critters."  

"Sold it?!" No, Katia did hear (mostly) the rest of the speech and come to think of it - what else would Orvo do with the loot? Uncle sold it too. But somehow she hoped at least that problem was solved. Apparently not. "We need to see that Buyer fast!" She returned from the door to say "Thank you Orvo, we must go quickly."

The idea that vials were sold probably weeks ago never crossed her mind - Katia harried to The buyer.

Orvo walks out after you, cupping his hand over his mouth to call out.  "Don't worry, lass!  I didn't take any of the vials.  Urgon kept them all.  I didn't think they'd amount to much.  I'll work on drawing up a map.  I'll need to check my journal.  Come see me within the day!"

(At The Buyer's Hut)

The buyer's hut is easy to locate.  As Morgo said, it's the largest in the camp.  Inside, the pungent scent of incense fills the yurt, whose walls are painted with glowing arcane runes. A brass brazier burns brightly at the center of the floor, around which are set a few plush chairs, a bed, and a large stone chest. On one of those chairs sits an elf reading a book. A small dragon with green butterfly wings is curled in the elf’s lap.  The dragon lifts its head and chirps curiously as you enter.  "Hush, Dew," says the elf, stroking the animal's head.  Neither distinctly male nor female, the elf's appearance seems to radiate an other-worldly character.   Something suggests that androgyny is not their only distinct characteristic.  They set the book aside with one hand.

"Greetings, fresh faces. You must know that I am The Buyer.  Have you come to trade artifacts for coins?"

"Uh!" Katia stopped before jumping into the Buyer's yurt yelling about blue liquid. "Sorry, Orvo, I was not thinking straight. Of course, the map. Thank you for that. We will be back for it in a minute." She walked inside Buyer's shop (?), house (?) with he relative dignity. "Good day to you, Mr. Buyer. We," she looked back to make sure it is still "we" "did not come to sell, not now at least. Elro sent us. There is a deadly sickness that comes from the ruins, " (she explained about the blue liquid and the cure) "Elro wanted us to bring you the cure the moment we get it, so you can transport it to him. Just wanted to tell you that we are hear and begin our search. If someone heard - or ever brought to you - the golden vials, it is very needed in the village. Oh, and if someone brings you this blue vials - don't let it go to the world, please?"