Chapter 4 - The Ruins of Elkin

General Summary

“Uncover the Winterstone, hidden within these ruins. They are important for my plan. Once you find it, bring them to my contact at Noke. -Ungruld”

This note, which the party picked off the goblin boss, led the party to investigate the ruins of Elkin. Heading down the stairs, the party found an empty room, with the ascribing of draconic upon the walls, which they could not read. They found two paths: a southern path, and an eastern path. They took the east path. Along this path, they found fearful goblins. The party slew the goblins, who refused to flee down a passage way. Then, they went down into a dark room covered in slime.
In the slime-filled room, Aldric spotted a large cube of gelatin coming right toward them. The party engaged the creature. Charles Mane began chopping at it with his greatsword, Aldric started firing his artillery, and Saphira used her sacred flame. However, Charles would get engulfed in the creature, starting to be burned by it's acid into unconsciousness. Saphira pulled him out, and with Saphira and Aldric's combined effort, the gelatinous monstrosity was destroyed. Charles then tried to go further down the rooms, but activated an axe trap, which gave him a gnarly cut. The party feared what lied below, and thus turned around and took a long rest. [As such, 8 hours was expended in their journey.]
Heading back inside, the party explored the southern path and found three giant wolf spiders. The party swifty defeated them. Saphira uncovered a secret entrance, finding a chest with gold, healing potions, and a clue for a further puzzle. With this in hand, the party tried to continue forward, but Aldric stopped them. He revealed a crushing trap, to which he disabled. Then the party came to a giant draconic door. Charles tried to ram the door, but the spell forcefully pushed him back. Aldric, being an artificer, realized the nature of the door, noticing it was protected by abjuration magic and needed a key.
The party then ventured back down the east path, finding the final room down there being protected by skeletons. Saphira and Aldric realized it was the use of necromancy. The party attacked, defeating the skeletons with their combined magical and melee capabilities. Then, the party solved a floor puzzle with draconic symbols they got from the clue. The floor puzzle would spell out, in draconic, "Release Dark Lord". The party uncovered a staircase, finding the key to the final room.
The final room would be guarded by a flaming draconic skull, calling itself Xraktca, the remains of an ancient dragonborn general. He guarded the Winterstone. The party wanted it, but the flaming skull refused to negotiate and surrounded itself in a ball of fire. As such, the party tried to attack the Flameskull, with Saphira using a guiding bolt to disable it's fiery shield. However, the party would be blasted by the enraged skull, being engulfed in a fireball, knocking out Saphira. Heavily injured from the fire, Charles Mane charged at the Flameskull, cracking it with his greatsword, and Aldric let all of his heavy fire power underway. Through the skin of their teeth, the party defeated Xraktca. They escaped the dungeon taking the guarded loot, including the Winterstone, and refused to look back.

Rewards Granted

The party found the following treasure within the ruins of Elkin:

• 200 gold pieces collectively

• 500 silver pieces

• Fine jewelry: lapis lazuli and a small diamond.

• Four potions of healing.

• An enchanted shield.

Date (in world)

December 14th, 5699.

Report Date

07 Jun 2020

Flameskull by Wizards of the Coast

The skull of Xraktca proved to be a formidable foe for the adventurers, nearly killing them all in an inferno.

Player Characters

Charles Mane is a human fighter of noble birth, hailing from the Kingdom of Goth. However, because of his lazy lifestyle, his family hates him, including his scheming uncle. Now in his 50's, he is now on a quest for glory.

Saphira is a half-elf life cleric, devoted to the mercy of Cardia. She finds herself on a quest to help the people of Icenglav to extend care to those who seek it.

Aldric Gemcutter, a gnome artificer from Avenve, finds himself looking for new inventions and ideas. He now travels in Icenglav to discover new possibilities, and uncover the secrets hidden beneath the snow.