Session 25 - Trouble at the Pass

This is the 25th session of the game Ashes.

## Summary

As the party made their way down to the city of Silverton they stopped to rest for the evening. During their watch, Emeran and Astraea discussed their decision of keeping the Bellower alive, with Emeran inquiring what they should do in the future. Astraea didn't want to keep the Bellower alive and made it clear that leaving demons alive is always a mistake. During the watch of Themus and Acaelus, the two began to notice that the occasional traveler leaving Silverton looked like they were tossed around. Not as though they had been beaten up, but searched. Themus hopped out onto the road and asked the next person passing what was going on. The person in question was Heath Hardrow, an canned food entrepreneur, who informed the pair that General Marivold was being ever cautious of the road into Silverton as he suspected Blackdale Insurgents were attempting to make their way into the city. The General set up a blockade where people would be thoroughly searched upon exiting or entering the city, and that each magic item would need to be identified before being allowed in, which would take much time. Heath suggested an alternative route if the group was in a hurry and marked on the map a location to a mountainous pass that would circumvent the blockade, a mineshaft owned by Willy Goldwater. Themus thanked Heath for his help, and was also given two cans, one supposedly with beans, the other supposedly with fruit of some kind, from Heath, telling Themus that he was headed for Buyway, then Coldport, then Kronstrad, so they might yet meet again.

The next morning the group was informed about the info learned last night, and decided to try this alternative route. As they prepared to leave a black carriage came quickly down the road startling the group, but they pressed on. About midway through the venture to the pass, the party noticed that a pair of halflings in another cart was tailing them for some time. It turned out that Odell and Birtha (  :| ) were headed into Silverton since Birtha was expecting a baby soon and needed to see a priest. The party conversed with the pair for a time and ensured them that the route they would be taking would be quicker if they wanted to tag along, and the couple agreed to follow for a time.

The party entered the pass and traversed it for a time before discovering that a large rockslide had completely blocked the passage. They found the black carriage that passed them earlier was similarly stuck. The elvan man driving the carriage, Petrov, was similarly told about the pass and was frustrated that they were now stuck. Within the carriage was a mysterious woman who's neck was purplish and bruised, and the party learned that the two of them were students or graduates of the prestigious Hawthorn and Hemlock School of Sorcery within the city of Coldport.

Seeing that the carriages and horses could not get through the blockage it was decided that the party would go to the Goldwater Mine and request dynamite to help blow up the blockage. As they made their way to the mine the party was jumped by a pair of Stone Giants and their direwolves. The party defeated the creatures and continued on ahead. They reached the mine and convinced Willy to use his explosives to help clear the pass.