Session 23: One Falls, A Fire Rises Report
General Summary
The group helps rebuild the Easthaven after the attack of the Frostmaiden. Arvid helps with what repairs and assembly of walls on the local shop, Armin goes off to play somber tunes near the outskirts of town, Lydia helps how she can around town and visits Biri by the statue of Jiang and mourns her fallen friend and ally, bloodying her hands against the statue. As she is getting up to leave, walking past her is a new face she has not yet seen. An ashen skinned humanoid with glowing red hair. Lydia stops this person short, asking their name and purpose. The fire genasi takes a few more steps towards Biri, finding and dusting off Biri's holy book. She states she was sent to retrieve it. Lydia takes the book from the newcomer and informs them that she needs to talk them somewhere more private. The party meets with the stranger in the Wet Trout Inn. There, they learn that the stranger's name, is Char Cinderstorm and she believes that she was sent by Jiang to help Biri. Char futher explains she was held back by the storm and that she meant to get to Easthaven earlier. After a few more minutes of conversing, Lydia hands Char the holy book she had taken earlier. Char inquires what had happened to Easthaven and the party. Everyone goes quiet for a moment as the local Speaker, Danneth, grabs a drink and sits down at the table. After a few more moments silence pass and Lydia explains 'things got bad, the town was attacked, twice'. The Speaker explains that a mechanical dragon forged of dark metal attacked the first day and Arvid continues on saying the Frostmaiden came three days later, looking to wipe the town off the map. Char apologizes again for being late and regrets that she couldnt make it past a group of Winter Wolves and the storm. Speaker Danneth pulls Lydia to the side and explains to her that he has received information that the Duergar might have separate factions and that if she is looking for magical artifacts hidden in the Dale, that a Duergar would possibly be the best one to ask. While Lydia is talking to Danneth, Char walks outside as she sees dead being carried and gathered to be buried. She provides funeral rights and further observes the damage to the town as she walks about. After noticing the destruction, she discovers piles of chardalyn metal from the dragon. After inspecting them, she determines that they are enchanted with dark magics and fabricates the pile into ingots. The forge cleric stashes the metal in her bag of holding so that they can be safely stored away, till she finds a proper way to dispose of them. Char returns to the tavern and asks to accompany the group to the Duergar fortress so that she might learn more about the inner workings of recent events. Lydia invites Char up to their room where she shows her the power source of the Mechanical Dragon. Which seems to share a similar component to the metal, but the power source is completely rounded gemstone, empowered with radiant energy. That night as the sun is about to set, the villages of Easthaven gather leftover wood for a pyre. Char drags over one of the rudimentary axes used by the frost giants and Armin offers a handful of gold pieces to her as she prepares a spell for the ceremony for Biri. The forge cleric uses fabricate to shape the iron weapon into a metal memorial for Biri, filling in the letters with the provided gold. She follows that by making the memorial stone and lighting the pyre with her Genasi flames. A storm gathers overhead and lightning dances in the sky. A few moments later a bolt strikes the memorial to Biri and the words inlaid with gold now glow a light blue hew. A memorial to what is now, Easthaven's first hero. The next day Lydia and the group give Riley and Jonesy, the dogsled operators, the 25 gold pieces Biri promised them for their services in protecting the elderly and children. After watching the two grown men cry about being able to organize Rock Puck Icedale Nationals and almost dying the day before, they head out on foot to the Spine Mountains, southeast of Easthaven. The group makes a perilous climb that almost results in Lydia being swept off the cliff by an almost supernaturally strong wind current sent by the Frostmaiden. As the group finds the Duergar Fortress, they magically unlock the door on the main entrance, sneak up to the barracks, cast silence and fireball eliminating 7 of the 9 duergar guards. The last 2 are made quick work of by Arvid. The group inspects the floor they are on and find a room with a trunk full of duergar treasures and a map detailing the flight path the Chardalyn Dragon was going to take through the towns. They also find a scroll that can be used later on to unlock the treasure room in the fortress. As they further inspect other rooms, Arvid discovers an invisible Duergar who surrenders and exclaims that he means them no harm. He explains that the Grandolpha of the fortress is the figure he and many others are loyal too. Dreck, as he introduces himself, explains that the party might be a valuable ally and that it could be beneficial if they make a deal with Grandolpha. Dreck leads them to Grandolpha Mudzgart. She tells them that if they eliminate Xadarok, that she will assist them. Lydai asks her to give them any information on hidden ruins and towers in the Dale. Mudzgart tells her she knows of a tower, inhabited by the simulacrum of a wizard, Dzann. The two shake on the deal and the party prepares to remove Xadarok as the leader of the fortress.
Rewards Granted
Obsidian sandals - 250g
Smoking jacket covered in gems - 500g
Beard comb w/ garnets - 750g
Platinum Hookah w/ sapphires - 2500g
Xadaroks Scroll of Treasure Combinations
Missions/Quests Completed
The group met the Grandolpha of the Duergar and made a deal with her to kill Xadarok in exchange for information leading to a wizards fallen tower in the Dale.
Character(s) interacted with
Lydia gives Riley and Jonesy 25 gold pieces, the Rockpuck Icedale Nationals are now in motion. Lydia meets Char for the first time and Char joins the party.
Created Content
The Memorial to Biri, Hero of Easthaven.
