The Danger Gang finally arrives in Sarkel

It's Christmas (or Garlmas, depending on who you ask), and the animals talk for the first hour after midnight, mostly about the bad weather. Forutnately at daybreak the storm subsides and the party is able to make it the remaining distance to the White Fortress of Sarkel.

It's pretty much ruined by the constant Russian incursions, with walls crumbling and only a barely functional garrison. The mighty Jewish nation of Khazaria has seen better days.

The Gang finds Otomesh raving and muttering to himself, mostly tall tales about Hasadi, Vizier of Cordoba weaving a magic carpet so he can visit for tea. He says that all the ancient wisdom the Khazars possessed has been destroyed, except for what got thrown in a pit (typical) and the oldest wisdom of all, which is a tablet he keeps in a box. Upon opening the box he reveals, wouldn't you know it, the tablet has been smashed to bits.

He does mention something interesting though -- that Serach smashed them herself, but not before encoding what was inscribed upon them in the language of death. Pretty clever.

They ask to be led to this pit and find, to their remarkably good fortune, that that pit is well-lined with salt deposits preserving the papers that had been dumped therein. With salt though you tend to get salt golems, and soon elements of the Gang are battling such a creature. Once it is reduced to bialy seasoning they collect the documents from the ground where they lay and discover Correspondence Between Serach the Immortal and Isaac, Exilarch of Babel as well as a leather binder holding a sheaf of pieces of paper.

Gershom reads two of them, and does not die either time. Mazel tov. Unfortunately, he cannot understand the runes.

The party rests and Zombres casts comprehend languages as well as some protective magic. He reads the last sheet of paper, does not die, and gets a name of god for his trouble. He demures from reading any further at this time... best not to push one's luck.

The party rests and is disturbed by a band of wassailing Russians. Karl Shinyhands whups them to a frazzle and they stand down.

Upon awakening, Gershom asks God a few questions and determines that the Lord either does not know or cannot reveal the location or condition of Serach, but that Isaac of Sungaria (or his corpse) is over 500 miles away to the east. Perplexed as to where this will lead, Gershom seeks additional guidance from God. For once, His reply is fairly didactic:

   Although a man be mickle wise
   He does not know where Serach lies,
   But where she lies, there he will find
   The half that Isaac left behind.
   Though you are men of MIGHT, your plan
   You MAY wish to vet with your CAN.
   In town or in a tower tall,
   In citadel or by the wall,
   Where lies the one who "never dies"?
   The truth is now she never lies.

Zombres takes this talk of mickle, citadels and walls to mean that they must return to Constantinople, there, possibly, to consult... Can? The Lord works in mysterious ways.