IDROTF C1E11: Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Report

General Summary

As a new day dawned, the party decided to canvas some of the locals in Easthaven to see if anyone knew anything of the missing fishermen. It turned out that the four were regular companions and owned a boat, Bunch o' Knuckleheads together. Like many fishermen during the Everlasting Rime, they tended to bring along supplies of ale and spirits to ward off the chill on the lake. One of the other fishermen that the party spoke with offered to lend a rowboat for their use in searching for the crew of the Bunch o' Knuckleheads.   Kadgrith pulled the rowboat behind him across the frozen shallows of the southern shore of Lac Dinneshere. Once they reached open water he held the gunwales as the rest of the party climbed in. Andove Littlefoot seated himself in the prow and began to beat out a rowing rhythm on his drum. The remainder of the companions began to row.   They chose to follow as close to the western shore as the ice would allow, eyes peeled and listening to the howling wind race down the 80 foot high cliffs along the shore. There were many ice flows to weave their way amidst, and it was slow and brutally cold work. Eventually, however, they came upon a boat bobbing freely on the water. The stern held the name Bunch o' Knuckleheads in white lettering. Pulling alongside, the party was able to see into the other vessel and it contained four tackle boxes, four rods, many empty bottles of ale, and no sign of the fishermen. Scanning the horizon and the shoreline Zinlis Arosath spotted a series of four caves along the cliff face nearby - the party decided to investigate just in case the fishermen sought shelter in them for some unknown reason.   As Kadgrith pulled both boats ashore, Zinlis Arosath looked for signs of the fishermen or their passage. While nearly a tenday had passed, which would normally mean any hope of a trail was long lost to the wind, the transition from ice to open water here meant that there was a perpetual transition area of slush that would form at the height of the day and freeze again as true night took hold. In this area Zinlis Arosath was able to find boot marks leading towards the caves, thanks to the wind sweeping clear any drifted or fallen snow from the ice.   The party followed a straight line to the one cave that was at ground level. It turned out to be where one of the Lac's estuaries flowed out from an underground spring - or did, before freezing solid as a result of the never ending night/winter. The walls and 50 foot high ceiling were all caked in ice. The going was very slow if one didn't want to fall flat on their ass every third step. Zinlis Arosath was able to confirm that the occasional boot tread they had been following continue along this path, so the party continued until they reached a frozen waterfall.   Kadgrith offered to climb it and then pass down a rope for the others to use to scale the icy wall. As he climbed his way up he had a momentary vision of ice cracking and falling away from the waterfall to deposit him ten feet below, flat on his back. He took inspiration from this vision to be extra cautious and made the top without incident. Once the rest of the party was up top, they explored a bit further and found that the tunnel branched north and east. Zinlis Arosath was able to find tracks heading east so that was the way the companions moved.   They entered a much larger, much higher cavern at the end of a gradual 20 foot rise. This cavern's floor was littered with all manner of bones and garments and armor and arms. It was also splattered in freshly frozen blood. Near its center, caked in ice and other bones, sat an intact skeleton of a frost giant. As Saryeras drew closer to look, he heard a sudden crack and caught sight of movement. The skeleton was animating!   Andove Littlefoot would later write, "Thank Tymora that the ice had formed so thickly around that monstrosity. If it hadn't first had to break free of the thick ice and stand up, we may have seen a very different outcome to our battle. However, her luck led to our GLORY! and we vanquished the thing."   Moving deeper into the tunnels the party encountered another branch, again one leading north and the other east. There were no more tracks to follow; they had stopped quite suddenly near the frost giant skeleton. The party chose to move north this time and eventually came to an overlook that looked down at a frozen spring. The ice was unusually blue, and cloudy, but beneath its surface they could see the faint outlines of additional giant skeletons. They quickly decided to backtrack and investigate the eastern branch.   As they descended rough-hewn stairs the party came to an unexpected sight. A decrepit old woman, wrapped thick with tattered clothing and cloaks, was toiling over a large cauldron and working a butchers knife over some kind of meat on a stone block. The cauldron and her own body blocked the party from seeing what type of animal it was she was butchering for her stew. She looked up from her work to see the adventurers finish their descent and then, suddenly, Saryeras fired off a Firebolt at the old woman.   As the rest of the party positioned themselves around Saryeras Andove Littlefoot wondered what manner of heroes attacked old ladies in caves. Then, a sudden emergence of a ball of wispy light shone on the visage of the old woman and Andove Littlefoot understood. She was horrifying! Purplish-grey skin hung loosely, unblinking eyes bulged, and her string black hair was woven through a myriad of ... finger bones?   While the hag may have proven formidable in a longer fight, the party was merciless in their onslaught. Zinlis Arosath had lost control of his faculties upon sight of her, but was able to bring himself back under control after running around a corner in fright. The others assaulted her with everything they had. Kadgrith had clearly had enough with being a nice guy, and screamed a battle cry "FOR GLORY" in the hag's face before cleaving her nearly in two with his greatsword...and then hacking at her lifeless form for a few more seconds.   The wisp winked out of existence with the fall of the hag and the party spent some time investigating her lair but turned up empty handed; other than discovering that the cauldron held fishermen's stew. They quickly moved to explore the remainder of the cave system and eventually came upon an abandoned camp. They found some notes, written in dwarvish, that Zinlis Arosath informed them presumed that long ago there was a natural hot spring within that was used for ritual suicide by Frost Giants. The adventurers then decided to make use of the abandoned campsite and get some much needed rest. Unfortunately, Zinlis Arosath was too exhausted to remain alert and had nearly drifted off when a starving dire wolf crept upon them. They made short work of the beast, before completing an uneventful rest.