Episode Fifty-four - The Return

General Summary

Stood there on the hillside as the snow picked up once again, Aldrich and Arion, both took an inventory of their situation in the last light of day. They were a few hundred yards from a stronghold of Hill Giants, Iceshield Orcs, hobgoblins, goblins, and wolves. They had young Tokin bundled tightly in his protective cloak but still shivering and a dwarf stood near him, along for their journey for reasons unknown to him or them and he too looked chilled to the bone. In two sleds, wrapped with straps, were Calaeriel and Varis who's unconscious state was likely imposed by the purple aura around them. There were three recently rescued women huddled together seemingly freezing. One of the women had forgotten her name and her tattered clothes had left her skin a deep purple. One was a human woman named Andler, she was cold but hugged up to the nameless woman and she was fairing better then her longer term captive companion. Stood alone was a beautiful shoeless woman chilled by the winter but named Autumn.
Pooling their minds for a heading, Aldrich and Arion decided to seek shelter if they could and as set off they traveled south by southwest down to the river known illusively as Gauster Creek. They walked along it as the wind and snow beat down upon them; until they came upon an overhang in the river's bank and it was there that they made camp. After Calaeriel and Varis awoke they all huddled together, Aldrich, Andler, Arion, Autumn, Calaeriel, the nameless woman, Thorum, Tokin, and Varis there under the overhang, as the vampiric dwarf stood watch, in his construct, overhead. The blizzard then sat down upon them, extinguishing their flame repeatedly, for a long four hours. Near the stroke of midnight, as the wind died, they discussed their future dangers, the dragons they'd encountered, and what they were to do next before they all drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, as was decided, they traveled north slowly through the thick snow around Grudd Haug and made camp. It was there that Autumn told Arion she was a Baggins but not the adventuring sort after he informed her of his knowledge of the name. It was there that Autumn warned Arion of the return of the enemy.
"This place is not like home," she began, "and its as far from the Shire as possible. There are dangers here beyond any in the tales I've ever heard and I'm afraid that now this place is more dangerous then ever. I think that you and I are the only ones who know what he could do here but I must be careful, like home I imagine the trees here whisper and the creatures talk. Assuming spies, I will say that I traveled here with someone of great importance to the lore of our home but that I did not travel here willingly. I was swept from an inn with several other people and they were lost to The High Forest like I was but most chiefly among us, aside from the person I've mentioned, was The Enemy."
Fearing spies, they did not continue but upon the following morning their journey did. Their travels took them west beyond the foundation of Gauster Creek and brought them closer to the Summit Hall where the rescued Andler's husband supposedly awaited her. In the days travel, Calaeriel hunted with Magic Missile and returned with an antler she would sharpen and give to Andler, whom remarked of its similarity to her husbands helm.
The following evening, after a quicker days travel across melted snow, Autumn detailed her arrival to Faerûn, she told Arion a story of two ghosts clashing and becoming whole before the inn in Bywater. Not long after Varis cleaned the party of adventuring types and their rescued and proceeded on with the party to return Andler to her home. Guided in by her brother, as Aldrich received thanks for Andler's rescue, the entire party met Lady Stormbanner of Summit Hall well and were greeted to every hospitality. At Aldrich's good thinking, he informed the clerics of the fortified monastery that he felt ill and the entire party, soon there after, were cured of The Turquoise Death though only Aldrich, Arion, Varis, and the nameless woman had the plague.
The Summit Hall allowed Arion to update his map before they rested, as the world seemed to be changing from earthquakes, and come the following morning, as Calaeriel's head was still teeming with the knowledge of what she'd learned of the hall; they ate their fill and found the nameless woman a job. The woman joined the hall to clean and with Arion's clothes on her back, she, for the first time since the met her, had a slight smile on her face.
Come the morning of the 17th of Alturiak in the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, the Champions of Destiny and their cohort found themselves once again face to face with Old Gnawbones. In her presence a deal was struck, with Thorum Boldright and Autumn Baggins in tow, the group returned once again to the City of Splendors, this time to to return the dragon's platinum.
Down nearly ten million platinum, they returned to the Unicorn's Horn to cheers and admiration. With news of success, Farnsworth got the staff packing and set word of loss to The Cartophile. Upon the streets of Waterdeep once more, the party heard news of the missing Open Lord and took it upon themselves to investigate. At the behest of a captain of Castle Waterdeep, the party agreed to use teleportation scrolls to quickly jaunt north and locate the Open Lord. Arion decided the group should take a day to prepare and headed estate with his staff. Come the following morning, they all expected a jump north near Neverwinter and a battle with the Plaguecharged attackers of Neverember.

Missions/Quests Completed

Encounter Summit Hall Respite Complete

Character(s) interacted with

Received Lady Stormbanner's Hospitality

Created Content

Summit Hall [Roll20], Lady Stormbanner  [Roll20], Sir Clearhorn  [Roll20]

Notes

Notable Party Damage:

• Aldrich has a scrape on the right arm of his armor from a javelin.
  Noted Effects: None
• Arion came from Arda with a scar that won't seem to heal. He has several faint scuffs on his shield from the tail of a horned devil. He also has a small hole from from an arrow on his forward facing, left pauldron.
  Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Head). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.
• Calaeriel is pristine.
  Noted Effects: None
• Varis is pristine.
  Noted Effects: None

Old Gnawbones

Report Date

18 Oct 2020

Primary Location

Faerûn