Welcome to the Everlasting Night
The sun hasn’t risen over Icewind Dale in two years. Many believe that the goddess of winter’s wrath -- Auril, the Frostmaiden -- is weaving a spell to lengthen winter and increase the suffering of Ten Towns. No one knows exactly why, but the people of Icewind Dale are hoping for heroes to step up and save them from the everlasting night.
On behalf of Sheriff Markham Southwell of Bryn Shander, bounty hunter Hiln Trollbane has hired a group of adventurers: Anatol, a human paladin of Amaunator; Harvan Stonebridge, a halfling cleric of Yondalla; Ligs, a dwarf fighter from the Dwarven Valley; Ratimir, a human bard; Ziff, a kobold rogue; Glim Peppadimmie, a gnome druid; and Lain Sorenstarr, a drow ranger. What began as a search for a serial killer has become a struggle for the survival of Icewind Dale, and perhaps the world itself.
Map of Icewind Dale Map of Icewind Dale - West Map of the Sword Coast (5e) Expanded Map of Faerûn (3e) Harptos CalendarSession Recap Menu
Session 13: I’m Taking This Head With Me
Abberant Experimentation
After failing to activate the door with the hand from the table, Ziff and Ligs decided to carefully excavate the body halfway encased in rock at the bottom of the room. After a painstaking 30 minutes of chiseling away rock, the two unearthed a shoulder bag that emanated strong conjuration magic and a silver ring on the left hand.
Ligs continued chipping away rock behind the body to be certain they weren’t missing anything. After another 20 minutes of hammering, he struck another wall of the room and unearthed a pile of debris that had been wrested free from other parts of the chamber, including a bronze doorknob and a pile of broken glass.
Ratimir examined the body strapped to the table and was reminded of some
research he ran across back at
Side view of the mysterious chamber in the bottom of the Termalaine Mine.
Ziff held the bag containing the purple crystals near the door once again, illuminating the hand-shaped panel on the wall next to it. Ligs placed the skeletal hand wearing the ring on the panel and they heard “whir……clunk” come from the wall near the door. The door jolted ajar by about an inch and stopped. Using his warhammer as a pry bar, Ligs wedged the door open large enough to pass through the passage.
Guard Duty
Meanwhile, Anatol stood guard back in the main mine cavern with Moss, Glik, and Neve. Glik bided his time making his biceps talk to each other, Neve threw pebbles at larger pebbles for target practice, and Moss was seated near the entrance carving a piece of wood.
"You are the one called 'Anatol', ya? I'm a collector -- a collector of scents. Ligs smells of fires, hot iron, and the dwarves under the mountain. Ratimir smells of taverns and fancy clothing. You smell a little like him and other things, like the oil soldiers use to clean their weapons...also incense, candles like one would find in a temple...and something else I've not smelled before. Tell me, Anatol, do you know what this might be? If I know, I can file it away and know what it is if I come across it again." Moss the Soldondremn Kobold
Anatol did not know what Moss was talking about.
"Ah, no matter. I'm sure I will figure it out. Neve! Let's go see what ze idiots are up to."
Moss jumped to his feet and set the figurine he had carved -- a human with wings -- in front of Anatol.
I’m Taking This Head With Me
In the next room, Ligs saw a pair of ward runes on the floor, similar in shape and construction to the first, larger one they’d seen. Arising from one of the circles was a ring of metal and stone that enclosed the bottom of a cylindrical glass tank that stretched to the ceiling. The tank glass on the right was completely broken and the space empty, save for debris. The tank on the left was partially intact and contained the skeleton of an Illithid similar to the one strapped to the examination table in the previous room.
Ligs climbed to the top of the room, passing another door halfway up, and found two more cylindrical tanks: one broken and empty, and another intact containing a thick, oily green liquid surrounding the body of a Mind Flayer. It appeared to have been dead for a long time: the skin was coming off in large flakes and bones protruded from several places. Ratimir examined the corpse and noticed that the skin was covered in carefully-made lacerations that had been sutured closed. The left arm was missing, the wound carefully stitched up, and in the creature's head was a metallic object that had been sutured in place.
Ziff entered and, using his
The party returned to the unopened door and opened it using the skeletal
hand wearing the ring and the purple crystals. The door unlocked and Ligs
forced it open to allow passage. It opened onto a hallway that proceeded
approximately 20 feet before abruptly ending in a dark, open space. Ratimir
cast
Ligs returned to the intact tank and struck it with his warhammer. The first two hits deflected off, but the third shattered the glass and the body inside slumped against the ground in a wet mass. He attempted to pick it up, but it came apart in his hands. He cracked open the skull to see if there was another cluster of purple crystals inside and, finding nothing, placed the head in a leather wrap inside his backpack.
The party decided against further exploration of this space until after they had rested, so they exited and Glik rolled a boulder in front of the entrance to keep anyone or anything else out. Once satisfied that things were secure, the party and four kobolds of the brood – Karl, Neve, Moss, and Glik – returned to the town of Termalaine.
Connecting the Dots
Back in town, Ligs split off to bathe at
The party then presented the proposal from the Soldondremn brood to Speaker Masthew, asking that the kobolds remain in Termalaine to live and work. Masthew vowed to call an emergency town meeting that evening with representatives of the Town Elders, Mining Guild, and Merchants Guild in attendance.
Thieves Cant, But Perhaps They Should
It was a short walk to the
"Continue your efforts to undermine Masthew. Spare no expense. -P"Finding nothing else of interest in the apartment, the party left.
Session 14: Live, Laugh, LARP
Tailing a Snake
Just before leaving Veri’s apartment, the party decided on one last plan to discover the identity of the tiefling’s boss. They attached an unreadable, water-damaged message to the single flying snake in the cage and set the snake loose, followed closely by Ziff’s owl familiar, Jghearriex. The familiar was ordered to follow the snake to its destination, then report back to Ziff with the information. With their plan set in motion, the party departed the Schamedar District for the Termalaine Town Hall.
They found a flustered Camit Foxwarden in her office, dealing with paperwork and the aftermath of Conrae Vilniat's arrest. The party described in detail the mysterious chambers they found at the bottom of the mine and the bodies of the Mind Flayers inside. Foxwarden urged the party to tell Speaker Masthew about this, but warned that releasing this information to the townsfolk might be dangerous.
Building Support
Town Clerk Elka Verryt told them that Speaker Masthew was out of the office
meeting with town elders in preparation for the emergency town meeting that
evening. She provided the addresses of two elders where he was likely to be
and the party set out again for the Schamedar District. There, they knocked on
the door of
Moving on to the home of
“However, we must notify the Mining Guild so that the miners understand the dangers that are at hand. Keeping them in the dark would be unethically negligent.”
While Ziff spoke with Masthew, Harvan polled the silver dragonborn Sarchax for her feelings about integrating the kobolds into the town, emphasizing his Stonebridge lineage and the importance of commerce to the town. Sarchax replied:
“I do appreciate your perspective, Mr. Stonebridge, especially given your family’s stature in Ten Towns. But, tell me, will you personally be staying in Termalaine once our decision is made, or will you be moving on to your next adventure? I represent the people of Termalaine, and I must see their will is done, not that of the wayward son of a merchant.”
Before returning to the town hall, Ratimir decided to stop by The Frosty Hoar and get a sense of how the townsfolk felt about the mine and kobolds. He bought a round of drinks and food for the meager crowd in the bar and played a song before making his case for moving forward. The miners there were receptive and promised to keep an open mind at the evening’s meeting.
A Unique Situation
Arriving at the Town Hall Theater, the party found the stage set with three tables: the Town Elders were in the middle with representatives of the Mining and Merchants Guilds on either side.
Town Elders
Ka'el Balefrost , half-elf male, middle aged, scrimshander artist, wearing a snowflake pendantSarshax Nordvaalen , silver dragonborn female, landlord, elderlyRogath Creststone , dwarf male, retired adventurer, elderly and grizzledVincent Danamark , human male, retired mine foreman, late middle age
Mining Guild
Krynt Donoghan , human male, Mining Guild Employee LiaisonJeras Umbermoor , human male, Mine ForemanBrey Grantham , half-orc male, Mine Protocols and Security ManagerSemil Seratolva , human male, Mine Engineering and Maintenance Manager
Merchants Guild
Tolfen Hollowpot , halfling male, manager of Stonebridge's of TermalaineEllienne Silverbalm , elf female, owner of Sune's ComfortVernon Braig , human male, owner of The Frosty Hoar
After a brief introduction by Oarus Masthew, the hearing began. Ratimir led the petition with an emotional appeal for the future of Termalaine and the importance of reopening the mine. Ziff followed with details of the kobolds' experience defending the mine against the unknown dangers of the Underdark. Harvan wrapped up the petition by highlighting the brood's mining and repair capabilities, citing that only with their help could the town reopen the mine in a rapid and safe manner.
After a brief pause, Town Elder Sarshax Nordvaalen addressed the party.
“This is certainly a unique situation. I've not heard of kobolds exercising so much autonomy. The bond between dragon and kobold is strong. I cannot imagine how they would even attempt to defy the power of that bond. How can we be certain they no longer serve their former master? Who is this dragon? Perhaps he or she sent them here for some purpose."
Glik responded quickly.
“We used to serve the vile brute Soldondremn, but we have left that life behind us. We will no longer be slaves to dragons, or anyone else. You have our word.”
Rogath Creststone shot back.
“Your word, eh? How can we trust them? Kobolds’re slippery, that's what they are. Always setting traps, chucking a wasp nest right in your face or up your arse, wearing you down. They hit and then run off and hide, waiting for you to drop your guard so they can hit you again. They have no honor. But...(long pause)...I reckon it takes certain kind of person to stand here in front of us and ask us for our permission."
Ziff added an account of his own experience fleeing from The Axe Mother and how he's lived a free life since then.
Ellienne Silverbalm of Sune’s Comfort and the Merchant’s Guild added:
"What would become of the kobolds if we refuse them? Where would they go? If they are asking to join our community, why not? We certainly have need of skilled laborers. I find it hard to believe that a dragon would bother itself over the loss of two dozen kobolds."
Ka'el Balefrost capped the hearing with this:
"I welcome the brood with open arms. May Auril's blessing chill them, and may they share the beauty of a world in winter's white."
After a fifteen-minute recess, the Town Elders returned with their decision: the kobolds could stay and the town would revisit the question after a six-month trial. With that, the meeting ended and Vernon Braig invited everyone over to The Frosty Hoar to celebrate the reopening of the mine.
Harvan, It's About Your Dad
As they were walking out of the town hall, Tolfen Hollowpot, manager of the Termalaine Stonebridge’s location, caught up with Harvan and told him of Luther Stonebridge’s failing health. Harvan's brother, Conret, had sent identical letters for Harvan to all of the Stonebridge's store locations should he pass through town. Harvan asked Tolfen to bring the letter to him at Sune’s Comfort.
Back at The Frosty Hoar, revelries were already underway. Drinks were had as Ratimir serenaded the crowd with the help of one of the bar patrons and his concertina. Anxious to read the letter from his brother Conret, Harvan departed for Sune's Comfort just before Camit Foxwarden approached their table.
"Nice work, all of you. If you ever get bored working for Southwell, I could use you here. And as for you, pretty boy," she turned to Anatol and tossed a book at him. "That book may be more your speed than Tusk Love. Let me know what you think."
Anatol looked at the paperback book in his hands:
Session 15: Kobold History Month
Once is happenstance
Krynt Donaghan approached the party’s table at The Frosty Hoar and thanked them for their help.
“It’s not often people follow through on their promises up here in the Dale, but you lot sure did. Thank you. You’ve got a friend in Termalaine.”
Sephek Kaltro
Ratimir performed another song for the tavern and was once again accompanied
by the well-dressed man playing a concertina. The party invited the man to
join them once the song was over and learned his named was Sephek Kaltro, an
employee of Torg’s merchant caravan. He indicated that
Ratimir then spent a few minutes getting to know Sephek, asking him where he was from, his reasons for coming to the Dale, how he was able to withstand winter’s chill without heavy clothing, and if he was a supporter of Auril. Sephek replied that he used to be a sailor and had traveled the world, but his ship had become stranded in Icewind Dale. Since he had been born on the Midwinter Holiday and received the Frostmaiden’s Blessing, he possessed a natural resistance to the cold, so he decided to make the Dale his home.
As for being a supporter of Auril, Sephek replied, “Not particularly, one god is about as good as another. I’m more of a follower of money and a warm bed companion, am I right?”
When asked about traveling with
The party sensed that Sephek was holding something back, but were otherwise satisfied with his answers. Ziff noticed Moss had disappeared, to which Glik commented, “Ja, he does that. He takes off without a word, following something he’s picked up with his nose.”
Twice is coincidence
They decided to interview Torrga Icevein. Ratimir cast
With that, the party decided to make their way to Sune’s Comfort to get a night’s rest.
Three times, it's enemy action.
Outside, the weather had taken a turn, the clear sky giving way to a blizzard. The party made their way north to Sune’s and were passing through a shipyard when Harvan heard Tolfen Hollowpot’s voice coming from behind. “Mr. Stonebridge! I have something for you!”
Harvan turned to see the outline of a humanoid, roughly Tolfen’s shape, emerge from the blowing snow just as two ice daggers shot out, one hitting Harvan in the chest. Rivulets of ice spiraled out from the wound, wrapping around Harvan's chest and chilling him to his core.
Tolfen’s voice changed to that of Sephek, who said, “The Frostmaiden will not be denied her due.” Two arrows shot out from behind a crate in the shipyard where Moss was hiding after shadowing the party from the tavern. Neither arrow found home, but they forced Sephek to step back from Harvan.
Sephek disappeared in the swirling snow and the party braced. He appeared
behind Harvan and attacked again, dropping the halfling to the ground. Ziff
landed a pair of crossbow bolts in Sephek, who laughed at the attack. Moss
grabbed the frozen Harvan and dragged him away from Sephek, casting
Anatol stepped in and attempted to cast
"Oh, just look at you. She certainly has a type. What has she promised you? Does she speak to you? Is she speaking to you now? Let me guess: 'Kill him and take his place at my side!'
How do I know that?" Sephek Kaltro to Anatol
Anatol winced as he spoke, closing his eyes, as if struggling against some internal conflict.
Sephek disengaged from Anatol and made his way toward Harvan, but he was
stopped short by Ligs and his pair of warhammers, cracking the well-dressed
assassin's ribs. Ratimir cast
"Go ahead. I won't stop you. Take my life and become her new champion. All that power, all that security is waiting for you." Sephek Kaltro to Anatol
Anatol hesitated, visibly struggling with the decision. He lowered his weapon and then backhanded Sephek, sending the assassin sprawling into the snow. Anatol then dropped to his knees, clasped his holy symbol, and appeared to pray. Through clenched teeth the paladin said, "We can't kill him. Tie him up. Without his hands he can't conjure his weapons."
Session 16: Worse Things
Hot Tub Crime Machine
The party tied Sephek’s hands and gagged him, fearing that he could still use his abilities even without his hands. While they discussed what to do with him, Camit Foxwarden arrived and was brought up to speed on the night’s events. She sent one of her militia to search for Torrga Icevein and advised the party to take Sephek to a secure location.
“We’ve got three holding cells at the Town Hall. Two of them have my old boss and Verisimilitude on charges of conspiracy and accessory to murder. The third is holding a bunch of drunks that got into a scrap at the Frosty Hoar tonight.”
The party took Sephek to Sune’s Comfort, thrust him into one of the hot tubs,
and took turns standing watch with the help Moss and Tral of the Soldondremn
brood. Anatol, after learning that the killer was undead after using his
The night passed uneventfully and the next day the party took Sephek to the Town Hall where Foxwarden had prepared a special basement room for his interrogation. They learned that Torrga Icevein and her crew had fled the town during the night and no one had seen which direction they had gone. Foxwarden also mentioned that there are two holding cells in Ten Towns equipped to suppress magical abilities: one in Caer-Dineval and another in Bryn Shander.
With two guards stationed at the door and Ratimir holding his
"You're from Damara, yes? It's cold there. A hard life, with proud people. You have storms? Of course you do. No one on this world is spared the storm's wrath. It destroys crops, homes, takes the lives of your loved ones. Storms are a fact of life. They are an unavoidable reality. You know they exist and you steel yourself for their strike, so does that make you a follower of the storm?
"I'm not a follower of Auril, in much the same way you're not a follower of a storm. The storm is a force of nature. You weather it, or you perish.
You see, I have no choice. I cannot escape Auril the same way I cannot escape the storm. None of us can."
"So please understand: there is nothing you can do that will make me more afraid of you than I am of her."
After further questioning, they learned the following:
- Sephek was a sailor on the merchant ship
Ebon Moon out of Neverwinter. He traveled the world shipping cargo on the Sea of Swords, the Trackless, the Shining, the Great, and the Sea of Moving Ice. - The
Ebon Moon was on the Sea of Moving Ice near the Isle of Solstice when a storm sank the ship. Sephek clung to wreckage and was freezing to death when Auril came to him and offered him salvation in return for his pledge of service.
"I was minutes from death when she appeared to be, walking across the surface of the water, freezing it underneath her feet with each step. She plucked me from the ocean and said, 'You may pass from this life into the Nine Hells, or you may pledge yourself to my service.'
Given a choice like that, what would you do?" Sephek Kaltro
Ratimir asked about his victims, and Sephek enumerated all of them.
- Korras Ravenwillow, a halfling trapper in Easthaven
- Moldaibe Vehaldu, a human shipbuilder in Targos
- Mornyl Berdugenn, dwarf glass blower in Bryn Shander
- Garvil Muen, a traveling merchant just outside of Bryn Shander
- Naerth Maxildanaar, Speaker of Targos. "Auril doesn't appreciate people using her to line their own pockets."
- Dana Hellwyn, Maxildanaar's escort in Targos. "I believe she was the second or third one in Targos to be called. Maxildanaar offered her an out...for a price. She took it."
"What about Skath? Was he on your list?" asked the bard.
"There are worse things than everlasting night locked beneath the ice." Sephek Kaltro
"No, though I can't imagine why he wasn't. From what I hear, he was very active in Naerth's extortion scam."
Harvan then asked if Sephek's connection with Auril could be severed, would he want it to be? He seemed amenable to the proposition, though doubtful of its success.
"If it means getting her out of my head, I'm for it. And by the way, my halfling friend, no one has ever survived my blade. You're the first. You should know that she won't give up. If not me, it will be someone else. She's resourceful and...unforgiving."
"What should we do with you?" asked Anatol.
"You should have killed me. Sure you don't want to have another go? There's still time." He looked down, chuckled to himself and contined, "You're a difficult example to live up to. She's not one to take 'no' for an answer."
Ligs asked, "Is there anything useful about her you can tell us?"
Sephek paused for a long time, considering the question and seemed to struggle with himself before responding. "You have to understand, I don't have a choice in this matter. There's not much I can say, but one thing that comes through sometimes when she's speaking to me late at night is this: There are worse things than everlasting night locked beneath the ice."
Return to Bryn Shander
The party rented Axe Beaks and made the journey to Bryn Shander in less than
four hours, including a stop in Targos to pick up Ziff's armor from Graendel
Granitefist. Once in Bryn Shander, they made straight for the
Before getting into detailed conversation about the situation, Mishann sent for Sheriff Southwell. Then the party briefed her on what was going on and if there was a method for severing Sephek's connection with Auril. She said that it was possible but it would take her a couple of days to research it.
Sheriff Markham Southwell arrived and was relieved that Sephek had been apprehended before any more murders had been committed. He directed the party to deliver him to the town jail to await trial for his crimes.
The Midnight Visitor
With Sephek secured in the magic-suppressing town jail, the party repaired
to Ziff's attic loft at
Before bedding down, Harvan and Ziff imbued a few more pieces of chardalyn
recovered from the wolves with the spells
Not long after dozing off, Anatol was awakened by a voice in his head.
"Awaken, Stjärna. This connection is tenuous and we haven't much time. FollowOn the attic floor below was a large black wolf. It stared at Anatol with its head cocked to one side. At first, Anatol tried to quietly don his gear, but the sound of metal armor aroused his companions and everyone was soon marveling at the black wolf in their midst.Indigo . He will bring you to me."
The party followed the wolf a couple of miles south of Bryn Shander where they came upon a circle of five stone menhirs, 15 feet high, 30 feet apart, roughly carved and each featuring a different elven rune. A half-moon hung in the sky above, and the silvery light seemed amplified inside the circle of faintly glowing stones.
"Fallit Stjärna...you have shown yourself to the Frostmaiden this day, and your cut ran deep. I felt the ripples of her rage course through the Spine. The Frostmaiden's Blade is but a foothill of the mountains that lay ahead. Auril is possessive...vindictive. She will not give up her prize without a fight. She has weakened, but still...this journey may prove difficult for you. Your rebellion has endeared you to me, but I must determine if a partnership is a wise investment. Step into the circle and be tested."
The group shared a look and Anatol appeared ready to step into the menhir circle alone, when the voice added:
"I encourage your comrades to join you, though the decision is ultimately their's. You cannot undertake this task on your own. If our partnership is to succeed, it will require the sum total of your might and experience."
With that, everyone stepped into the circle and the scene around them shifted, falling out of focus. A sense of vertigo gave way to a rush of air, then the scene around them solidified. They were standing in a narrow mountain valley underneath a dark sky, only the lights of the aurora illuminating the steep, snow-covered cliffs above. Somehow it felt colder, the air a bit thinner. For five, ten minutes, the sound of the wind rushing through the vale was the only sound.
Then the silence was broken by jagged clacking sounds and the scrape of metal on metal. Humanoid shapes appeared in the gloom, shambling down the vale toward the party. Skeletons, too numerous to count, raised their weapons in unison.
Session 17: Awaken, Stjärna
Against the Undead Horde
The moonless, aurora-filled sky provided just enough light to make out the silhouette of a large humanoid at the head of the valley on the other side of the skeleton horde. An orange glow pulsated from around its neck and its booming voice called out.
“I have something for you, Stjärna. Come and claim it.”
The Vale of Shadows
The shambling skeletons advanced on the party, and Ratimir quickly cast
The party whittled away at the approaching undead, exchanging blows in the moonless vale. The silhouette stepped down from the ledge and into the light cast by the aurora overhead. It was tall: larger than a goliath, smaller than a giant, and clad in green armor trimmed in gold with a long flowing purple cape. It carried an enormous greatsword emitting a soft, purple glow. Long, black hair pulled back into a braid framed a skeletal face, underneath which a glowing orange amulet was suspended by a necklace of green vines lined with minute blue flowers. The booming voice shot out once more.
“Do you think you are doing well, Stjärna? She will not hold back as I have."
Ziff landed a crossbow bolt on Kresselack from his hiding place, briefly drawing the undead warrior's attention. The Black Wolf turned back to Anatol.
“What do you want to be, Anatol? Where does your fate lie? Will you follow or will you lead? It’s time to step out of the shadows and be the person you were meant to be."
Anatol concentrated and skeletal wings spouted from his back. An aura of fear shot forth from the paladin, and his companions were shocked at his transformation. He responded to Kresselack's taunt.
“If we worked together, perhaps we'd have a better chance of bringing peace to the Dale."
Giant Vale Guardians chased the party out of the Vale of Shadows
Kresselack pulled his greatsword into two longswords, arcane energy arcing
between two: one wreathed in red flames, the other covered in glowing green
runes. He tossed the red one to Anatol. Harvan cast
"This connection is tenuous and our time is growing short. This amulet will lead you to the Vale of Shadows on the next New Moon. Bring it back to me. Now, I think it’s time for you and your friends to be going”
With that, Kresselack removed the amulet from his neck and handed it to Anatol. Before he could examine it, two enormous undead giant skeletons clawed their way out of the ground and pursued the party back to the menhir circle. One by one, the party stepped into the circle of standing stones and were transported back to where they started: the menhir circle near Bryn Shander. Overhead, a half moon hung in the sky in exactly the same location as when they had left.
Session 18: Gotta See a Woman About a Moose
Is it you or your parents in this income tax bracket?
The party slept in the next day, then set out on the streets of Bryn Shander to do some shopping. Various supplies were bought at Stonebridge’s (and charged to Harvan’s father) and spell components at the Fancy Compass. With that out of the way, the party saddled up their rented axe beaks and rode north.
During a short stop in Targos, they alerted Augrec Brighthelm of Torrga Icevein’s flight from Termalaine and her involvement with Sephek Kaltro. Then they visited Graendel Granitefist and had him identify the signet ring Ligs pulled from "Ol’ Bitey" in the Targos Town Hall.
“Fascinating. I've not been able to confirm this, but I'd wager that this belongs to a group in the service of Levistus that have taken up residence in Caer-Dineval. This sword and shield motif is reminiscent of the old heraldry of the town, and is a symbol they have co-opted for their cause. I'd advise caution dealing with them.” Graendel Granitefist
Graendel also inspected the agate gems that Ligs recovered after his battle with a group of duergar on the open tundra several months ago. He determined the gems were enormously valuable, especially to a magic users that need them for certain spells.
TPK: Transactional P$#@y Krynt
In Termalaine, the group stopped at the Frosty Hoar and befriended a logger named Jaren who had just left Lonelywood looking for work. Ratimir successfully convinced him to serve as the party’s guide. Jaren explained the the situation in Lonelywood. With the white moose threatening anyone in the forest, logging operations have stopped and people are leaving town. Jaren assisted Ratimir in creating a map of the logging camps and told him of a hermit living in a black cabin to the far northern boundary of the forest.
Ratimir asked if anyone has seen the white moose. Jaren responded:
“One man claims to. A fisherman, from his boat way out on the lake. He says he saw a huge white creature with antlers attack and devour a group of hunters.”
Camit Foxwarden heard that the party was back in town and stopped by to tell them Torg’s caravan was seen leaving Termalaine heading east across the tundra the night of Sephek’s arrest.
Jaren mounted up with the party and rode to Lonelywood. There, he pointed out a few notable locations:
The Happy Scrimshander - a scrimshander art supply store run byIriskee Harrowell The Lucky Liar - the only tavern in townThe Ramshackle Inn - a defunct inn that closed two years ago when the owner committed suicide
Jaren directed them to Speaker Nimsy Huddle’s house. She welcomed then in and inside they found her making cookies for her four energetic halfling children. She correctly guessed that they were Sheriff Southwell’s deputies and seemed relieved to see them. She detailed the grim situation in Lonelywood and the importance of logging not only to the economy of the town, but to Ten Towns in general.
“I’m not trying to diminish the loss of life, for that has been great. We lost several logging teams in the beginning, and now we’ve lost seventeen hunters trying to kill the beast responsible. But, we’ve been out of production now for over two weeks. The effect on our town has been devastating, but without firewood going out to the rest of Ten Towns, people will be out of fuel within a ten-day.”
After a plate of Nimsy’s halfling-shaped butter cookies, the party mounted their axe beaks and made for the forest.
A flock of crows shadowed the adventurers in the Lonelywood
Murder Most Fowl
Soon after entering the forest, a flock of a few hundred crows began to shadow the party in the trees above. Anatol spoke to one of the closest birds, asking for Ravisin’s location. The bird paused a moment, then replied,
“Why do you struggle?”
And later:
“Why do you think you can do anything to her?”
Soon, they arrived at the main logging camp where wood from other satellite camps was processed before being hauled into town. It was completely deserted with a layer of snow covering everything. The crows perched in the trees surrounding the clearing as the party inspected the scene. Ziff sent Jghearriex up for reconnaissance and found a few distinct sets of fresh animal tracks in the woods surrounding them. The largest set, the ones most resembling moose, headed north toward Camp Four. Jaren had had enough and took one of the axe beaks back to town.
The party spent about an hour building a circular rampart as a fallback defensive position and built a fire in the middle. After assigning watches, they settled in for a long rest.
The Bard's Gambit
In the morning, Ratimir donned the druid garb he’d purchased at Stonebridge’s the day before and the party mounted their axe beaks for the ride to Camp Four. Ziff sent Jghearriex up again to scout the route and found a deep ravine lying along the path. As the party drew near the ravine the crows stopped following. Half of the flock separated and returned south.
From the air, Jghearriex spotted a large white animal making its way toward the party. They decided to backtrack and set an ambush at the southern mouth of the ravine. Ratimir met the creature, a large Winter Wolf. The bard lied to the Wolf, telling it that Ravisin worked for him and that the wolf should take him to see the druid. The wolf seemed convinced, and, after a second wolf appeared, escorted the party the rest of the way to Camp Four.
Ratimir convinced the Winter Wolves to bring him to Ravisin
The Winter Wolves diverged from the logging road before reaching Camp Four and led the party to a cirque at the bottom of a steep, snow-covered valley. At the base of the slopes were two perfectly-level stone platforms with a large circle cut from the middle. The wolves led the party to this circle and told them Ravisin would be with them shortly. The wolves then exited the circle and sat away near one of the walls of the cirque.
The inside of the circle was completely free of snow and appeared to be a
moondial. On the ground, arrayed in a circle, were the distinct phases of the
moon. In the middle was a tall obelisk that served as a gnomon. The half moon
hanging in the sky overhead cast a shadow of the obelisk on the corresponding
depiction on the ground, which glowed faintly. Jghearriex spotted a large,
white humanoid creature with antlers attempting to conceal itself against the
wall of cirque above. Anatol tapped into his
Ratimir sat down to begin casting a
“Why have you come? Why did they bring you here?”
Ratimir continued with his attempt to intimate and deceive the druid, attempting to convince her that Auril had sent him to check on her progress. Ravisin didn't accept the bard's story and disappeared into a vortex of ice and snow. Then, the sound of large footfalls accompanied by a heavy, snorting breath filled the air.
Session 19: Ratimir Would Like to Speak to Your Manager
Shadows in the Moonlight
The beast descending from the valley walls raced to the rim of the moondial and looked down upon the party. It was a great, white humanoid with four arms and a skeletal moose head atop its shoulders. As it glared at the adventurers standing below, it perfectly replicated the voice of the crows they had heard earlier.
“What do you think you can possibly do to her?”
The Wendigo attacked Ratimir, slashing at him with its claws. The bard
responded by casting
The Wendigo, which registered as a fiend in Anatol's
The Winter Wolves sat calmly below the crag where Ravisin stood, watching the battle with interest. The murder of crows reappeared and took up positions all around the valley.
Ziff, hiding behind a sarcophagus atop one of the platforms, fired a piece of
dark chardalyn infused with
Anatol and Ligs traded blows with the injured Wendigo, dropping it to the
ground unconscious. The crows descended and attacked, swarming around each
member of the party, tearing at them with beaks and talons. Ratimir cast
As dead crows rained down around the party and the avalanche raced toward the
valley floor, Ratimir thought fast and decided on a desperate plan. He
sprinted for the door that had opened for Ravisin’s
Through a Mirror, Darkly
The party found themselves in a dark chamber roughly the same shape as the platform overhead. Two sealed doors faced each other on opposite walls, and on each of these doors was the symbol of a half-moon. Three statues depicting elven figures atop rune-covered plinths stood against the closest wall. Directly across from the hallway entrance, the barrow chamber turned a corner and disappeared into darkness.
Venturing further into the chamber, the party noticed piles of gnawed animal
bones at their feet. Ziff investigated the sealed doors and found no sign of
traps or any mechanical means of opening. He sent Jghearriex down the dark hallway
opposite the entrance and found a short passage that led to a dead end. At
this ending a golden swath of cloth hung over a rectangular object. Using his
- Harvan's reflection gazed back through glowing blue eyes, carried a mace made of ice, and was dressed in blue and white robes with a shining silver breastplate, upon which was inscribed the symbol of a snowflake.
- Ziff was dressed in the garb of a kobold shaman and carried a staff affixed with a shimmering crystal dragonscale. A crystal sword hung from his waist.
- Instead of Ligs the dwarf, a lithe Silverymoon elf in brushed silver armor, carrying a bow without the modifications recently made by Graendel Granitefist.
- Ratimir's reflection stood tall in a brilliant pelisse jacket and carried a harmonium crafted of cherry wood and mother-of-pearl. He looked dashing, the image of a swashbuckling, traveling bard.
- Anatol wore white firs and silver plate mail emblazoned with a snowflake emblem. In one hand he carried a sword made of ice.
The Frost Druid's Workshop
Ratimir cast
A quick search of the room revealed:
- A collection of animal skins from a variety of forest animals.
- A collection of minor spell components: charcoal, sage, brimstone (sulfur), iron filings, candle wax.
- Several empty wooden buckets, one which contains a few shards of agate, another with small fragments of chardalyn.
- Remnants of meals consisting of dried nuts, jerky.
- A pair of scrolls -- one written in Giant, the other Druidic.
- Around the periphery of the room are numerous empty buckets containing pulverized bits of chardalyn. One contains a shard of agate.
Ratimir cast
- The Druidic scroll detailed advanced uses of the
Awaken spell and techniques for joining together many animals into a coordinated consciousness to cooperate more effectively. - The Giant scroll told of a frost giant wizard named
Thasuldraynen that experimented with substituting chardalyn for the consumable component of various spells. He found that the results varied wildly based on the quality of chardlayn used. Clear chardalyn seemed to empower the spells cast with them while darker pieces tended to have less predictable results. On rare occasions, the spells became tainted by infernal magic.
While everyone else searched this room, Ligs and Anatol made an effort to remove the antlers and internal organs of the body of the Wendigo that Anatol had dragged into the barrow.
Relentless Excavation
With the magical statues providing warmth, the party settled down to a long rest inside the barrow. All night long, members on watch heard faint sounds of digging and panting coming from above. The sounds came and went throughout the night, and the party decided that this must be the Winter Wolves coming for them.
As dawn approached, the sounds grew closer and the party took up defensive positions in anticipation of the wolves breaking through the snow plug. Soon, two clawed hands plunged from the snow bank and and an enormous blue form pulled itself from the tunnel, unfolding its massive height into the low-ceiling barrow. The party stared as an eight-foot-tall Glick the Kobold brushed the snow from his body and said, "He told me you idiots would be down here."
Session 20: What Is And What Should Never Be
Reckless and Foolhardy
Graendel explained to the party how he and Glik came to find them buried under the avalanche in Lonelywood.
“Long have I watched over Vanyali. As an elf, he was reckless. As a dwarf, he is foolhardy. When you passed through Targos on the way here, I could see in his eyes that he was about to embark on an impossible task. I followed, stopping in Termalaine to consult with Capt. Foxwarden. She suggested I enlist the help of the kobolds in the mine, and Glik here was game for an outing.”
The party asked Graendel to inspect the mirror. Looking into it, the artificier saw an alternate version of himself. Instead of powered, arcane armor his reflection had his original dwarf legs and wore the crown of Mithral Hall.
Ratimir and Ziff inspected the mirror to determine if it could be removed from
the wall, but it appeared to be firmly affixed. Ratimir then touched the
surface of the mirror with his hand, and immediately his clothing changed to
that which his reflection wore. He also gained the fine rapier hanging on his
alternate’s belt: a purple steel blade with fine etchings along the blade and
a hilt set with three moonstones. Graendel inspected this sword and determined
it to be the
Seeing the effect on Ratimir, Glik dove for the mirror and touched it with both hands. His scales changed from blue to gold, his pots-and-pans armor changed to the shining blue and orange half plate mail worn by his reflected alternate, he grew from his diminutive kobold size to that of a medium humanoid, and his tail disappeared. He had taken on the appearance of a Golden Dragonborn.
Satisfied with his metamorphosis, Glik departed the hallway and as he left, the party noticed that his reflection had changed once more. In his place was a young gold dragon complete with long tail, wings, and horns.
Ratimir cast
The note read:
“This is the last shipment of agates for the time being, unless we can find a solution to our supply problem. We have also ceased gem shipments to Kuldahar as our last two parties of couriers dispatched there have not returned.”
Of Light and Shadow
Ratimir and Ziff launched a plan to trick the moondial into opening the
sarcophagus. Using a combination of Ziff’s
Inside, another wendigo pulled itself from the sarcophagus and attacked Ligs,
Harvan, Anatol. Glik immediately fell victim to the wendigo’s
Graendel landed a couple of well-placed firebolts, preventing the wendigo from regenerating, then Ziff sunk a pair of crossbow bolts into the creature, dropping it to the floor. Anatol and Ligs got to work dismembering the corpse.
Ratimir searched the newly opened sarcophagus and found:
- An unstrung yew bow
- A piece of parchment containing a neume (a music fragment) that he couldn't decipher. At the top of the page was a drawing of a female silhouette against a full moon.
- Six silvered arrowheads
- A wooden cup with a winged fish etched into the side
While the rest were examining the contents of the room, Ziff stole away to the mirror and touched it, focusing on the staff in the hand of his alternate. He felt the same rush of memories as Ratimir but could not maintain a grip on them. When the flood of images had subsided, he found himself holding the wooden staff topped with the crystal dragon scale.
Ziff was surprised to see that his reflection had changed once again. This new Ziff had black scales and wore blue robes. Around his neck was hanging an amulet with the symbol of a golden eye. Ziff considered the staff he held for a moment, then affixed it to his backpack and returned to the group.
What Do You Want to See?
Ziff and Ratimir used their collaborative moon illusion once more to activate the magic mirror. A swirling gray mist consumed the surface of the glass. Harvan stood closest felt it reach out to his mind with the question, “What do you want to see?”
Harvan asked, “Where is Ravisin?”
The mists cleared and Harvan saw the frost druid with her two winter wolves lurking in the forest, not far from the crypt.
The mirror again reached out to Harvan’s mind. “What do you want to see?”
“Where is Skath?”
The party awakened Sanhar, a Moon Elf Mummy
The mist parted, revealing a dark, stone brick room. A woman, wearing clothing adorned with natural materials, was chained to a wall. A silhouette of a man holding a whip stepped into the scene and began to whip the prisoner. Then, Akmus Skath turned and spoke to someone out of the view, then returned his attention to the woman.
Harvan asked, “In what town is Skath?”
The view dropped away and climbed several hundred feet to reveal the town of Caer-Dineval.
The mirror reached out for the last time. “What do you want to see?”
Harvan asked, “Where is Torg’s?”
The scene of Caer-Dineval dropped away and the perspective shifted westward, settling on the great rift at the foot of Kelvin’s Cairn, the Dwarven Valley.
With that, the view faded and the mirror returned to showing alternative reflections of the party.
The Frost Druid Returns
Graendel and Glik urged that it was dangerous to remain longer, so
everyone ventured outside. There, they deciphered the puzzle of the third
sarcophagus and uncovered Sanhar, a moon elf mummy. Sanhar did not remember
how long or why he had been there, but pledged to serve the party. Anatol noticed
that the magically frozen arms of Kraneth Nylgard had thawed, and he removed
the
Just as they had decided to leave, a thunderstorm materialized overhead and a bolt of lightning struck the ground between Ligs and Ratimir. Then, Ravisin the Frost Druid appeared on an outcropping and said, "You have something that belongs to me. I would have it back." She rammed her staff into the ground and waves of force sprang forth across the icy ground, coalescing into a huge ice elemental that towered over the party. The two winter wolves stood on the ground underneath her as the hive mind murder of crows circled overhead.
Session 21: Leave None Alive
"Leave none alive. Bring their belongings to me." Ravisin the Frost Druid
The party concentrated fire on Ravisin, hoping to break her concentration and either defeat her outright or drive her away. The two winter wolves were dispatched first with a combination of crossbow bolts, katana slashes, and fire bolts. Ligs attempted a daredevil manuever and vaulted atop the ice elemental, taking out chunks of the frozen creature with his pair of warhammers. The crows attacked, pecking and tearing at the adventurers with their talons and beaks. Sanhar the Moon Elf Mummy killed several of the birds with his necrotic touch.
Having taken quite a lot of damage, Ravisin jumped from her
high perch into a tree as she cast the spell
The Elven Tomb in the Lonelywood
Sanhar the Hide-A-Key
Ligs and Anatol set about skinning the winter wolves, saving the pelts
to be crafted later. The party then interviewed Sanhar, learning that the
mummified elf had been laid to rest a long, long time ago by a clan
of moon elves from south of the Spine of the World. After Sanhar
remarked that the party had activated the moondial and interacted with the
"The Manifold shows things as they are or as they could be. It's a very powerful artifact used by both the Moon and Star elves to observe the universe. Through it, one can view the many possibilities of their existence and, with mental focus, sometimes those possibilities can be pulled through the mirror and manifested in the current reality. However, the mirror will often take something in return."
"It was rumored that very astute practioners could step through a Manifold, though that magic would be very difficult. I know of two other such mirrors on this world: one in the Yuirwood near the Sea of Fallen Stars and another in the Kryptgarden Forest."
Sanhar, the Moon Elf Mummy
Learning that Sanhar had knowledge of ancient elven magic, Ligs handed the mummy the rubbings he'd made of the runes surrounding the holding tanks in the mysterious chamber at the bottom of the Termalaine mine. Sanhar recognized the runes and explained that they were part of a ward that inhibited psionic abilities. When asked about the statues that surrounded the moondial, Sanhar explained that their magic warmed the moondial to prevent snow from building up and confused the minds of humanoids that approached the area, preventing them from finding it.
Sanhar asked if the party wanted him to activate the moondial, then produced a very convincing and large illusion of a half-moon in the opposite phase of the current moon in the sky. The door to the barrow opened once more and the party entered.
Possibilities Revisited
Inside the barrow, the party examined the mirror again, gazing at the reflections of their alternative selves. Sanhar appeared as he might have in life: a lithe and pale elf with bright eyes, silver hair, and flowing robes. Behind the group, Glik stared at his reflection as a young golden dragon.
Ligs looked thoughtfully at the image of his previous form, cleared his mind, then touched the mirror. Nothing happened.
Session 21A: Interview with the Mummy
While Ligs interacted with the Manifold, Harvan cornered Sanhar and breathlessly rattled off a series questions, hoping the mummy could offer some insight. Sanhar answered each question in a voice that sounded full of echoes as if in a large room very far away. It was a calm, patient voice, but the distance and reverberation imbued it with a feeling of loneliness.
Harvan began with, "What does the Ice Maiden want?"
“I don’t recognize the name ‘Ice Maiden’. Is this an entity descended from Pandesmos?”Harvan asked, "What is this place?"
“This barrow was established to guard the Manifold. Upon our deaths, myself and two elves were interred here to insure that the Manifold was never removed. However, I see my two companions (Sanhar gestured to the two rooms with empty sarcophagi) are no longer here.”
“You are the first to wake me, so you are the only ones I’ve seen since I was laid to rest.”
Harvan continued, "Who are these statues of?"
“The statues here are representations of the ten arcanists and cosmologists that created the Manifold. The magic they emanate protects the barrow.”
Harvan finished this line of questioning with, "Is there anything in this burrow we haven't unlocked yet?"
“You have discovered the operation of the dial and the Manifold. That is all I know.”
Ziff described the mysterious chamber at the bottom of the Termalaine Mine to both Sanhar and Graendel, asking them if they knew anything about it.
Sanhar replied:
“As I described earlier, these runes are used to inhibit psionic abilities. Our cosmologists knew of psionic beings from the Astral Plane, but we never encountered them personally. The creatures you describe sound similar. This structure merged with the bedrock suggests some powerful magic was in use. I would very much like to examine this place.”
Graendel listened to Sanhar carefully as he spoke, then asked, “Master Sanhar, do you know the year in which you died?”
Sanhar turned to Graendel and replied:
“Of course. It was 642, The Year of Shining Stars.”
Graendel’s eyes widened briefly, then he added:
“The Year of Shining Stars is a date from the old Mulhorand Calendar. Our moon elf companion was interred here over 5,000 years ago.”
Sanhar’s desiccated face was inscrutable as he said, “It seems I have been asleep for some time.”
Graendel turned away, stroking his beard in thought. Eventually he said, “Glik described the mystery at the bottom of the Termalaine mine on our way here. Had we not been pressed for time I would have sought to have a look. I believe it warrants closer inspection.”
Harvan pressed Sanhar once more, asking about Auril and her followers. The mummy was silent for a moment then replied:
“I apologize, Amandil, but I have no knowledge of an entity with that name.”
Graendel interjected:
“Mr. Stonebridge, accepting how long Sanhar has been interred here, Auril is a relative newcomer. 5,000 years ago the pantheon of this world was much simpler and included only 13 deities, none of which were so specialized as to reign over a single season like Auril."
Harvan changed tack and asked, "What is the Manifold?"
"The Manifold is a device to view the myriad possibilities throughout the planes of existence, other dimensions, and distant worlds. Sometimes the reflections show things as they really are, peeling away layers of illusion or rolling back the passage of time. Often, the images peer into parallel planes or dimensions to show alternative outcomes. Skilled practitioners can use a Manifold to connect two distant points in this plane or others and step through it. When activated by a specific type of light, the Manifold can be directed by the thoughts of the one closest to it."
Graendel nodded with apparent realization as Sanhar spoke and added at the end:
”I’ve read of these devices, but did not know any remained here on this world. The arcanistBowgentle of Silverymoon wrote about encountering such on one of his many adventures in the Astral Plane. Much like the Spellweave, he believed that it functioned by tuning into fundamental vibrations that serve to separate the planes of existence.”
Just as Graendel finished his sentence, the party heard Glik call from the hallway where the Manifold hung. "Hey, you guys! Come look at F@ckstick's reflection now!"
Session 22: They're Called "Barrow Bucks"
The party peered down the hallway that housed the Manifold Mirror and saw dwarven Ligs staring back at a human version of himself, clad in shining white dragon scale armor, a greatsword slung on his back, and his bow over one shoulder.
After handing his bow to Graendel to hold for safekeeping, Ligs focused his mind on the armor and touched the mirror a second time. There was a flash and a lifetime of alternative memories and experiences poured through his mind so quickly that he wasn't able to retain any of it. When he'd recovered his senses, he looked down to see his dwarven body wearing the dragon scale armor he'd seen in the mirror and that his pair of warhammers was gone.
The new reflection looking back at Ligs was a tiefling version of
himself, possibly representing a different result of the
With the loss of Ligs' warhammers, both Ziff and Ratimir searched their belongings and discovered that they had also lost items to the Manifold. Ratimir had lost his mezwed instrument and the ornate scimitar inscribed with the story of Angajuk, the awakened whale. Ziff found that his Thieves Tools were missing, but in their place he found two books: a spellbook written in his handwriting, and a much older book apparently written in some ancient and undeciperable dialect of draconic.
Securing the Barrow
Sanhar explained how the statues kept the area warm and confused the minds of humanoids wandering nearby, thus protecting the barrow from intruders. The party questioned whether they could find it again once they left. Sanhar offered that he could always find it as could Ziff's owl familiar, Jghearriex. Feeling that they had options for returning someday, the party decided to leave the statues in place and not interfere with the protective magic.
Jghearriex had still not returned from pursuing the flock of crows that were
assumedly following Ravisin, so there was no way of knowing how far away the
frost druid had traveled, leaving the party uncertain if she would attempt
to return to the barrow. In case she did, Ratimir set two
With those two traps set, the adventurers located their axe beak mounts and started back to the town of Lonelywood, pausing to disguise Sanhar and recover the body of Jaren.
First Floor of the Ramshackle Inn
Second Floor of the Ramshackle Inn
Far Past Bedtime
The first stop was at Speaker Nimsy Huddle’s house where they found her
fresh from getting all of her kids to bed. She listened to a brief version
of their forest encounters and invited the party to visit again in the
morning for breakfast. Since Lonelywood lacked a working inn, she gave them
the keys to the abandoned
The Ramshackle was a short walk from Nimsy's house. It was a sturdy, two-story inn that had seen its share of deferred maintenance, though the inside was dry and warm enough once a fire had been built. Out back, Ligs found a pair of hot geothermal pools that refreshed the travel-weary dwarf. After Sanhar had been posted at the front door as the night watchman, everyone picked a room for themselves on the second floor and turned in for the night.
Of All the Ratimirs I've Met, You're the Ratimiriest
Ratimir was just dosing off when he heard the "pluck" of a stringed instrument in his room, and then a voice, sonorous and melodic.
"Ever so sorry to bother you, but could you give me an "A" note? The cold here is hell on instruments."
Ratimir tried to blink away the scene lit by the flickering flame of his room's small wood stove. Seated in his room was a well-dressed man with a neatly-trimmed goatee strumming an odd-looking lute with metallic strings.
Ratimir pulled out an instrument and played the requested note.
"AH, yes. There we go. Thank you! You know, this place wasn't easy to find, and it's extremely hard to hide things from me. But when that went missing I had to find it," the mysterious stranger said, pointing at the rapier that Ratimir had acquired from the Manifold Mirror.
Label affixed to the bottle of Maple Rum Olidammara shared with Ratimir
The man continued, "The rapier? 'Caution is for the cowardly.'? Yeah,
that's mine, or I should say my avatar's. Sort of a signature item, really.
Anyone who stands against the avatar of
Ratimir and Olidammara, a trickster deity from the world of Oerth, played a duet and then discussed Ratimir becoming the latter's avatar on Toril. When Ratimir awoke the next morning, he discovered he had a tattoo of a theatrical mask on his arm.
I Fear My Ziff is Gone
Ziff was awakened by someone calling his name and saw that the dragon scale staff he'd gained from the Manifold Mirror was gently glowing. He grasped the staff and was immediately thrust in a dark void. In the distance he saw several points of light, all around him. He chose the one that appeared closest and walked toward it. As he drew near, he could see the form of the crystal dragon Saryndalaghlothtor lying face down, her hands bound by some sort of arcane runes. The dragon lifted herself up and said:
"Ziff! He told me you were dead, and he was furious that you didn't have the book. Where did you hide it?"
Ziff didn't know what she was talking about and then the dragon realized, saying, "Ah, you are not my Ziff. No, you are from without, though you share his heart. I fear my Ziff is gone, but I see the Ithlis from your reality has not yet found you. Let us risk a little more light and see what we can see."
The alternate reality Saryndalaghlothtor sat up and opened windows to hundreds of other realities, each showing a different version of Ziff until she found the one currently residing in the Ramshackle Inn in Lonelywood.
"Ah, there you are. He has not found you yet, but he is looking. I see in many, but not all, of these realities Ithlis has prevailed. Be wary. He seeks the book, and his obsession with chardalyn has made him a ruthless adversary. Your friends and the refugees of Soldondremn are worthy allies. Depend on them. Now go -- the time you spend here exposes you."
The Happy Scrimshander
In the morning, the party returned to Nimsy Huddle's house where they breakfasted and regaled her of their full encounter with Ravisin and her army of awakened animals. They thought it prudent to omit specific references to the barrow or the Manifold Mirror. Nimsy rewarded the party with ownership of the Ramshackle Inn and a load of lumber stored in the shed behind the inn.
Then they visited
- A burly fisherman wrestling a knucklehead trout the size of a Remorhaz onto the shore.
- A Frost Giant queen playing a flute while sitting on her throne of ice.
- An older, worn carving depicting two people riding snowy owlbears: one a large goliath-sized man with long hair and wearing ornamental armor; the other a female elf wearing druid garb and holding her staff high. Behind them was a large oak tree.
- A skull with gems in its eye sockets and six crystals in the place of teeth, locking the skull and jawbone together.
- A glorious city underneath a dome whose streets fed into arcane portals through which the city inhabitants passed.
- A flat plain with a single, conical mountain in the middle behind which several meteors were falling and striking the ground.
Session 23: You Only Live Two or More Times
Scrimshaw Folktales
Harvan interviewed Iriskree about some of the scrimshaw pieces, specifically the frost giant queen playing a flute on a throne of ice, the meteor shower behind a mountain, and the city with the arcane portals. Iriskree said that most of the scrimshaw art she acquires is based on common Icewind Dale folktales, and wasn’t aware of any specific historical events being depicted in the art. Although, Iriskree did mention that giants believe that music was crucial in the creation of the universe and that flutes, specifically, imported a unique significance.
Anatol studied the piece with the barbarian and druid riding owlbears and noticed wolf motifs on the barbarian’s armor, consistent with what he’d learned about Kresselack. Turning the artwork over, Anatol noticed the artist’s signature and asked Ligs to take a rubbing of it for later research.
An Overnight Pursuit
Finished at The Happy Scrimshander, the party made their way back to the Ramshackle Inn where they found Gary* waiting for them. The owl familiar replayed its aerial pursuit of Ravisin’s murder of crows into Ziff’s mind. The path led southeast across the tundra, crossing Lac Dinneshere and Easthaven and into the Spine of the World mountains. There, the pursuit ended in a wide valley underneath an unnaturally large tree. Gary* witnessed a large white owl that had been leading the crows transform into the injured Ravisin and collapse onto the ground underneath the tree.
Into the Woods
Graendel, Ratimir, and Sanhar packed up and headed south for Termalaine to get a head start researching the mysterious chambers at the bottom of the mine. Harvan, Anatol, Ligs, Ziff, and Glik decided to ride their axe beaks north through the Lonelywood to find the Black Cabin and the hermit mentioned by Nimsy Huddle. Along the way, they found one of the mummies missing from the elven tomb slumped against a tree. Only its footprints, leading back to the approximate location of the barrow, were visible in the snow.
Ziff took the opportunity of the slow trip through the Lonelywood to
tell the party the story of his life in the mines under Mirabar. He
told how met his mentor, the arcanist
The party continued north and eventually came to the headwaters of Maer Dualdon. There, the river feeding the lake narrowed into a canyon. At the top of the east side of the canyon they found a dilapidated wooden cabin on stilts.
The Summer Star
Glik and Ziff kept their distance outside the cabin while Anatol searched
the outhouse, finding a collection of diagrams and notes being used as
toilet paper. Ligs entered the cabin first and found the main room badly
charred, a burned corpse on the floor, a thoroughly destroyed book with
only the word "ETHER" remaining on the spine, and a device consisting of
two concentric rings around a black rock. Harvan cast
When the light faded, Harvan saw that Ligs was gone, leaving only ashes behind. But Ligs was standing in the same spot, only he had been shifted into the Ethereal Plane. He found he couldn't interact with anything on the Material Plane except for the device with the concentric metal rings. He picked it up and used it to communicate by scraping words into the charred table and ashes in the room. Soon after, Ligs heard a voice behind him and turned to see an old gnome standing in the doorway to a bedroom. The gnome, also in the Ethereal Plane, said to Ligs, "I'm Macreadus. Apologies, dwarf. I tried to tell you not to touch the Summer Star, but no one could hear me. It needs to be fixed, but I learned that far too late. If you want to get out of this, we're gonna need to tell your friends how to do it."
Session 24: The Light of Day
The Summer Star
In the Ethereal Plane at the Black Cabin, Macreadus explained to Ligs that the Summer Star can exercise a limited amount of control over the weather by harnessing energy from the Ethereal Plane. He believed adding a third control ring would prevent a backflow of energy from the Prime Material when the device is activated. This backflow is what shunted Ligs into the Ethereal Plane.
Using notes found in the outhouse and directions transcribed from Macreadus and Ligs in the Ethereal Plane, Anatol and Glik worked through the night in Macreadus' workshop forging a third ring for the Summer Star.
Ziff searched the remaining rooms of the cabin and found a letter from Copper Knobberknocker to Macreadus.
Macreadus,
I’ve had enough of this damned, relentless cold. I feel it creep into my bones, my head, my heart. I’m heading back to Ten-Towns for a decent meal and a warm bed. I fear this endless winter has numbed your mind, and any tinkerer worth their chains can see the Summer Star is a fool’s errand. Maybe without me here to incessantly complain to, you’ll finally snap out of your obsession.
If you truly insist on dedicating your remaining days to this doomed project, might I suggest that three is better than two. I considered telling you before, but you were particularly rude about the dinner I made last night.
May the light of the Morninglord protect you,
Copper
Ethereal Reconnaissance
Ligs, in his ethereal state, flew from the cabin and crossed the tundra to Caer-Dineval. There, he sought the house depicted in the Manifold Mirror as the one belonging to Akmus Skath. Along the way, he saw the streets of Caer-Dineval were deserted save for shambling zombie giants walking patrol and families huddled in their homes.
At the house assumedly belonging to Skath, Ligs found a clean, orderly, but unlived-in space above. Descending to the basement he found a crudely dug chamber featuring the same kind of shelves carved out of the permafrost found at Skath’s house in Targos. Except here, there were rows of jars on the shelves. Down a short hallway, Ligs found a wooden coffin, empty save for a thin layer of dirt.
Leaving Caer-Dineval, Ligs unsuccessfully attempted to locate Ravisin and the large tree near the Spine of the World. Knowing it was nearing dawn, Ligs returned to the Black Cabin.
The Blessing of the Morninglord
Once the ring was complete and attached, Ziff inscribed it with the
runes required to repair the Summer Star. Harvan attuned to the device
and was overwhelmed with the urge to release its energy. A bolt of
energy struck out from it into the sky and for the first time in two
years, the sun rose over Icewind Dale. Macreadus' form began to fade
and as it did, he thanked Ligs and told him, "Turn my body over." Once
restored to the Prime Material plane, Ligs did and discovered an
Outside, the party saw that the Summer Star's effect was localized to
an area around them approximately a mile in diameter. They decided to
carry the corpse of Macreadus back to Bryn Shander and deliver him to
Copper and Mishann at the House of the Morninglord. Then, the holy
symbols of Amaunator carried by Anatol and on Ligs' new amulet glowed
brightly and the entire party felt an internal warmth instill them
with confidence. They had just received the
The party saddled up their axe beaks and settled in for the trip back
to Lonelywood. Not long after entering the forest, the party saw the
familiar searching lights of a trio of
Session 25: Sacrificial Pawns
Return to Termalaine
Ratimir took Graendel and Sanhar to inspect the mysterious chamber embedded in the bottom of the Termalaine Mine.
Moss told him that a Grell recently emerged from the open shaft near the top of the mine, but was quickly defeated by him, Neve, and Andor Ryla (who has been assigned to the mine by Camit Foxwarden). He went on to say that Tral, the kobold tinkerer, was working to close off the mine shaft opening.
Ratimir suggested equipping the mine shaft opening with a trap to capture a Grell and find out who they were working for.
Ratimir, Graendel, and Sanhar then ventured back into the mysterious room embedded at the bottom of the mine. Sanhar took several minutes to inspect the building materials of the room and then issued his analysis:
"These walls were built with a technique my people developed to conjure stone with magic. You can see how the pattern repeats every few feet. It's far stronger but less than a quarter the weight of traditional stone masonry."Graendel continued:
"This place...have you ever heard of the Netheril? They were a cabal of powerful mages over a thousand years ago. Legend has it their cities soared above the clouds. They ruled Toril from the skies for generations until something happened. They made a mistake, something attacked them, it's not clear, but whatever happened, their grand cities crashed to the ground. I'd bet my workshop that this is Netherese."
Inside, Graendel discovered the
"Look across to the opposite wall. There -- about a hundred feet down -- there's a vertical gouge in the natural stone wall. Something broke off of this hallway we are standing in and plummeted about 300 feet to the bottom of this shaft."
Sanhar confirmed the arcane technology in the rooms was meant to inhibit the psionic abilities of the confined illithids and channel that energy into a collector located elsewhere.
After exiting the chambers back to the mine, Ratimir cast a
Ratimir, Sanhar, and Moss rode the bucket lift back to the top of the mine while Graendel stayed behind to work with Tral on methods to close the mine shaft.
Back outside the mine Ratimir, Moss, and Sanhar saw the sky to the north
fill with the brilliant light of sunrise as Harvan activated the
No One Turns Their Back on Me
Back in the Lonelywood forest, the party finished searching the bodies
of the two
The golems attacked with their devastating
The party eventually defeated the golems, with Anatol delivering the finishing blows on two of them. The familiar voice came to him once more, saying, "You're too talented to let go." The Sphere of Annihilation, after being successfully controlled by Ligs’ concentration, dissipated on the ride back across the forest.
The Dawnbringers
Once the party arrived in Lonelywood, they found the town residents in the streets looking to the skies in wonder. Nimsy told them that everyone saw the sunrise and word is the deputies from Bryn Shander were responsible. The party said they don’t want to fuel any dangerous rumors, but Nimsy responded that the news may be out of their control.
"They're already calling you "The Dawnbringers" and that's not going back in the bottle. You've brought light back to the Dale...and where there's light, there's hope."