Session 18 Report

General Summary

In the down time after meeting with Stokely, Mr. BiG heads to the library to find information on werecreatures or otherworldly incursions. He discovers that someone named Akar Kessel came to the area a hundred years ago and found something named the Crystal Shard, which he used it to raise a crystal tower, Companions of the Hall & Ten-towners fought back against him and destroyed the tower. Crenshinibon is the name of the shard. Barnabas also looked for similar information as he was familiar with Crenshinibon, and he remembers learning that a female dwarf cleric finding the shard on Kelvin's Cairn but history loses track of the shard shortly afterward.   Robin spends some of eir time asking around the Temple for anyone who might know how to remove a curse, or knowledge of necromancers or the Arcane Brotherhood. Ey meet a priest of Moradin, Rhoban Stonecleave, and describes the effects of the black ice on Barnabas, and asks if he has any way of countering the black ice's influence. He says they had some success with removing the item from them for a length of time and they will eventually recover, though it may take time and they can get violent in their attempts to reconnect with the objects. He hasn't heard of anyone from the Arcane Brotherhood since the time of Akar Kessel. Ey describe the zombie hordes they found in the mines, and he confirms eir thoughts that the work sounds like a necromancer's doing more than anything else. Ey describe the man ey saw for a moment in the mines; he is distressed by the fact that a human is haunting the mines. He requests that ey bring down Moradin's wrath on him.   Ballbreken inquires with various scouts about new sightings, but there haven't been any recent ones since the group had so recently cleared out the tunnels. He spends the rest of his time cleaning the gear. Hengar hangs out near the food and weapons, while Saiph joins Robin in potion making.   After a night's rest on less-than-comfortable beds, the group is told that Baerick as awakened if they would like to interrogate him. The group heads over to speak with him, passing a group of dwarves who look roughed up, carrying wrapped bundles. They forcibly took Baerick's black ice armor and weapons from him. Entering the room, they find Rhoban and Stokely. Rhoban says he has a way to force Baerick to speak the truth if we can get him to talk, and casts a spell.   Mr. BiG asks who the woman was, and Baerick states her name is Baccha and she works for Vaelish Gant. Gant wanted to secure production of the black ice for weapons and armor, to be shipped various places within the Ten-Towns. Mr. BiG attempts to force him to be specific but he says the deal had not been struck yet, so no specifics were given. Baerick assumes she is scuttling back to her master in Bryn Shander. Robin finds out Gant is a Luskan spellcaster, and asks if Gant is a necromancer, citing their previous encounters. Baerick denies knowledge of that, as well as knowledge of any other shapeshifters in the area.   Robin asks about where he found the black ice, and Baerick gets a bit neurotic in reaction but admits he found it near the ruins of the tower on Kelvin's Cairn. A Luskan mage, Pallador, hired a group of miners to find Akar Kessel's corpse. Mr. BiG asks Baerick about when he felt the black ice's power come over him -- when he touched it or did it take time? Baerick counters that when he knew what it was capable of, why would he want to part with it? The magical power in it makes him stronger.   Robin asked if they found Akar's body, and Baerick reveals that they found Akar Kessel the man, not the body. Ey promise to destroy him, if possible, and runs back to tell the group. The group is interested in heading to the tower to head off the trouble of Akar Kessel, or potentially head to Bryn Shander to find out about the wererats and Vaelish Gant.   The group decides to head for Kelvin's Cairn, as it is closer, and begin preparing for the expedition. As they begin gathering supplies, they hear heavy footfalls from further down the the tunnels. A dwarf cries "Ten-Towners! Coming up from the valley! Lots of them!" as he reaches Stokely. Robin tries to find out more info, and he says they're armed and don't look friendly. He asks if they can help stop the attack. No banners to indicate what towns they're from, but most were heavily armed and some had mining equipment.   As the group heads out of the Valley, a contingent of dwarves follows them out, armed. Mr. BiG asks them to give the group a chance to negotiate, which they are amenable to. The armed Ten-Towners ahead of the miner masses approaches and addresses the group. He states he is here on behalf of the new Speaker of Bryn Shander, Vaelish Gant, to purchase the mines from the dwarves. He continues that it is in the dwarves' best interest to sell the mines as they do not want to cross the Arcane Brotherhood.   The polite negotiations devolve into aggressive negotiations.