Journal #11 - In Pursuit of Arlo

When we approached the smoking ruin, guards were marshaling the crowd. The building shifted and began to crumble further. We were recognized, and allowed to help. Tybeerian was extracted successfully, and taken to a field hospital. Amber was up in arms about Red being missing, and we believed Red and Arlo were being held in magical restraints that prevented them communicating with us with normal magical means. We knew we had to get to the dwarven city, this was clearly linked with the Quikhands. But first, we looked to see if they may still be in the city.
 
We camped out in the harbor looking for departures, while touching base with the authorities. Meanwhile, Ghiravont went through a blood transfusion with a newly developed potential cure. Hanz was in charge, and thinks the bard Firefly could help us. We followed a lead back to Crown’s Row (the Crown Hall), and met up with the bard. He couldn’t really remember our bender last night, but he talked himself through finding where the Black Quartz might be, an organized crime family in contention with the Quikhands. He took us to a brothel, and Ghiravont disguised himself as a dark elf and interrogated a lady of the night. We took her out into the alley.
 
After they spoke for a time, a group of brigands approached us holding clubs. I tried to persuade him in an intimidating fashion that we weren’t worth the significant trouble we could cause them, but they weren’t quite convinced, although they were frightened. He wanted paid off for something that had nothing to do with us; I got him to leave, but I am concerned they may be a trouble to us in these parts later.
 
After a discussion with the woman, Firefly, Hanz and myself headed to the harbor to find details on the departing ships. The rest went up to the castle.
 
In the morning, we set out on the ship provided to us, pursuing the registered route of the ship we identified. They had taken the underground river passage beneath the Gharvs Heights to reach Gyjiro Harbor from the north. From there, they could move on foot to the Pass of the Old Kings.
 
Tybeerian determined that they were holding up in the forsaken fortress of Aldandun in the southwest mountains, beyond the pass but on the outskirts of the mountains still. They have a person of interest, who is sought by a buyer to be acquired from the Black Quartz who we pursue. It was Arlo - described as a kid they picked up in the empire (Noswald). We spent ten days by ship, fourteen days since we arrived in Alstead. We found Red had been sold into slavery to the Red Network, which operates out of the Sunken Summits. The blasted Red Witch. More crimes for her to pay for. The Black Quartz felt only Arlo was worth keeping a hold of. The network is called Red because those who follow it follow a trail of blood; those who are in it do the same. Based in the Sunken Summits, and extending as far abroad as Al-Kalim to the southwest, they trade in arms as well as slaves (mostly orcs). Amber departed from us to seek Red in the north. Red, sold to the Red Network. I only now realized the terrible irony.
 
Snow battered us as we worked our way up the pass. We managed to clear it, though chilled and weary. The fortress rose in the distance.