Fhel 29, 2425 - Chapter 3 - Session 3 - The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music

As we climb upward in altitude the forest slowly thins away to cliff sides and jagged rocks. Thin air and gusts let us know we are pretty high. As we leave the forest behind there doesn't seem to be any fey bullshittery happening now thank gods.
This area seems like it is rarely seen by passer byes. No one should expect us approaching from this route hopefully. The path narrows and all but disappears as the mountain starts to switch back and become more and more dangerous sometimes its no more than a few feet wide in areas as the sides jet out making the only option balancing and climbing as we progress. We came across a ledge about 100 ft long that we had to traverse carefully. Luckily Odra was able to use her equipment to make it a little more manageable for the group. Most of us made it across with ease but we almost hit a snag with Amani losing her balance at one point but she was able to recover and not fall onto the sharp rocks and crags below.
We found a mountain stream that flowed deeper into the pass. We decided to follow that for a bit. Near a shallow pool beside the stream we came across a chimera cub tearing into a caught salmon. As we observed the cub we realized we were also being watched. The cubs parents were on the ledge above us watching us closely not sure if we were a threat, a friend, or something to be ignored. They aren't the smartest of creatures but they are fierce and territorial. Wild, hateful and hungry usually fairly dangerous to tangle with. We decide to carefully just try to skirt around to the north as calmly as possible to not arouse the ire of the parents. Klackers who decided to just nonchalantly walk away stepped on a twig which caught the cubs attentions. You could hear a pin drop as the tension hung between the stare of the parents to our group. We carefully and slowly continue and luckily as we widen the space between us and them they seem to calm and let down their gaze. That could have ended up alot worse.
We kept moving until we started hearing a haunting humming. Beautiful but ominous. The wind swirling around us pebbles kicking up with the strength of the gusts. Klackers pulled out an instrument to find the harmonic resonance of the wind predicting the gusts frequency and pulse strength. As we moved into the canyon a sonic pulse it us like a brick wall. Z'ed plotted out a safe path to avoid some possible falling rocks. I made us some anchor points along the path to keep us from being blown around by the high gusts. We all made it safely through without a scratch.
After that we decided to make camp and rest for the night.
The next morning we continue through the pass uneventful until we suddenly hear whispers. Then before we could react a group jump out from behind a boulder. Wearing Syndicate cloaks and clothing but with the emblems ripped off. One of the group has some rope in their hands. They try and convince us they are just travelers passing through as well but even the most oblivious could tell by their body language that wasn't the case. They seemed to be running from something. Beneath one of their cloaks we spot some glowing crystals. Leyline Crystals! They noticed that we noticed and then we found ourselves in an uncomfortable stand off. Each group just waiting to see who makes the first move. Odra makes the first move asking "What's that you got there boys". They tried to blow it off and said it was just some stuff they found. Calmly talking to them Odra eases their tension and they lower there weapons and say they were surveying some leylines nearby when stuff started to "Get weird". They look like they were pretty beat up and a little malnourished. Klackers offers to take a look at some of their injuries. Pressing for more info on what they meant by things getting weird they said that people had disappeared out of their group and never came back while working in the area. They say they were ordered to retrieve the fragments in the area before the Stonekeepers could get them. The leader who was talking to Odra mentioned he was just a simple miner and it was either stay a struggling miner or work with the Syndicate but he didn't sign up for all this trouble a strange occurances. So they seemed to be deserters of the Syndicate which would explain the ripped off ensignia and patches on their outfits. They were hoping to take the crystals to the nearest town and make a few coins. Taking a closer look they look like they could be used to improve the potency of some of my alchemical crafts more specificlaly my bombs. In some boxes they had near by we also find they had a climbing kit, some healing potions, a map, and some talismans. One of which could help me solve the unstable problem I have been having with MSDOS, the same that PIP also suffered from. This could further my development of my creations! We peacefully relieved them of some of these possesions but did leave them the climbing kit so they could continue safely down. They didnt seem to be a threat to anyone so we let them continue on their way after getting as much information out of them as we could about Len's Hollow and they Syndicats operations in the area. They did give one last piece of advice. Watch out in the woods and if we hear humming do not follow it.
That evening, in the cold reaches of the mountain pass we find a frozen waterfall. The wind sharp as knives cutting through our clothing to our bones. As we touch the ice a deep cracking of the waterfall echoes in the ravene. The wrong step could cause those giant icicles to fall down on us piercing us like kabobs. Bruin created a safe anchor to help us across the ice while Odra plotted out a safe path across the ice where it was thickest. Klackers shouted out a warning as a rogue icicle almost empales me. Unfortunately it did still hit the ice and cause a large crack to form. Amani was able to her magic to reinforce some weak spots keeping more icicles from falling on us. We didn't get out completely unscathed. Bruin did catch some minor fatigue due to the ice and chill. We crest the top of the ice as a sheet of ice breaks free and crashes below where we just were moments ago. We peered over the top and see Len's Hollow. We made it.
We make camp and the next morning we made our way slowly down the decline. Our feet touch soil for the first time in days. Trees and leaves populate around us once again. The forest grows denser and denser. At one moment I could have sworn some knots in the trunk of a tree was almost staring at me. I could hear and feel my tools rattling in my pack but that can't be they are always stowed securely. We decide to move through the woods as fast as possible to get to Len's Hollow. The noise of birds quiets as we get closer to the village. As we get to Len's Hollow its not quite a ghost town but also not a lively village. Its something in between. A gentleman sees us and comes out to meet our group as soon as we are seen. An older man with a cane approaches us and calls out Amani by name. Turns out its Amani's mentor Dugan! He is alive and leading the resistance out of Len's Hollow! He gives us a hasty welcome and ushers us into the village.