Many of the Isparians here upon Dereth have visited volcanic Mount Esper, and have stopped briefly at the mountain's small village, precariously nestled between fire and ice. A large proportion of the visitors come merely to visit Silencia, and her tame magma golem, whilst a few brave the heat of the crater's lake itself. These sturdy folk tend to be swordsmen, or allies of swordsmen, and come to do battle with the Fire Elementals of Mount Esper, and wrest the White Fire Infusion from the grasp of the Firestorm leading the elemental creatures.

A few, however, come not merely to visit, but to remain within the gaping mouth of this violent mountain - a decision seen by some as the mark of a hardy soul, but by others, simply foolhardy. Whatever the drives or motives of these folk, it cannot be denied that without their efforts, many of the wonders of northern Dereth would have remained undiscovered - Lord Rytheran's Mage Academy, the Lost City of Frore and the Caulnalain Vestibule can all be found within a stone's throw of Crater Village, for example.

But these ancient constructions, dating from Empyrean times, are not all that is to be found in the lee of Mount Esper. More recently, both permanent installations and temporary camps have been set up in the northern mountains of Dereth - not only by the Isparian populace, but also by their enemies. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Empyrean Fire Propylaeum, unearthed last year by Gaerlan, but other, more mundane encampments exist in the frozen wastes.

One such camp has stood for ages, a mere few minutes jog from the Crater Pathway. Maintained by a group of Banderlings, this camp would appear to be a rallying-point for all Banderling activity in the area, and as such may one day constitute a threat to the Isparian population in the region. Following information I had received from a friend resident in Crater Village, I recently set out to investigate this camp, and try to discover what the Banderlings had cached there. Those seeking to follow in my footsteps should be advised that with the recent changes to the fauna of Dereth, the route to this camp would be most treacherous to any below the 35th level, or those without a full set of protective enchantments.

As I had no direct tie to Crater Village, I began my journey in the town of Mayoi (61.6S, 82E). From there, I made my way to the Settlement Portals located to the northwest of town, and took the Songview Portal (60.8S, 80.2E). This deposited me a little to the southeast of Mount Esper itself.

Having little desire to scale that formidable mountain, I made my way east to the entrance to the Crater Pathway, located almost due west from Songview, at (60.67N, 15.74E). This dungeon is home to a large colony of Zefirs, but I found it possible to evade them and sprint through the entire tunnel. Fortunately, no sense of direction is required to navigate the Pathway - it is simply necessary to follow the path uphill.

Once I reached the Crater Village, I made my way northeast to the Settlement Portals there. I took the Anadil Portal, located at (66.4N, 14.3E). From there, I ran northeast until I located the camp, at (66.4N, 14.3E).

My intentions were to investigate the camp with the aid of darkness and stealth - alas, I misjudged the time of day of my arrival, and was quickly seen by the Banderlings working as scouts. I found myself sorely beset by a group of Thrashers, Enforcers and Strikers, and was forced to beat a hasty retreat - but not without first attracting the attentions of the Banderling Rogue stationed at the centre of the camp.

This Rogue, it turned out, was the object of my investigation - once separated from his fellows, he was no match for my blows, and I was able to see for myself the unique equipment he was rumoured to carry. This turned out to be a potent Fire Spear, with a more impressive craftsmanship than I have seen from any Banderling equipment in the past.

This is a worrying discovery indeed - for many a year, we have dismissed the Banderling as a simple, dumb brute, incapable of complex craft or artifice. This spear, and the Quarterstaff of Fire found in the Banderling Camp near Edelbar, may be the beginning of a worrying trend upwards in the ability and power of the Banderlings. I, for one, will be keeping a close eye on the activities of the Banderling population upon Dereth from now on...