Session 23: Welcome to Risia, the Plane of Ice Report

General Summary

Rare- as you awaken you see a familiar pair of familiar yellow eyes staring back into yours. Glacias stares at you intently in his cat form before inching awkwardly close... and then biting your nose. (pause) As you groggily come to your senses, you realize that you are hanging upside-down, and for a minute you fear that you are back in Xoriat, standing on the ceiling. Looking down, you realize that your feet are encased in ice and you are suspended in what appears to be a shallow cave. A draft cut through you, and you realize with mounting dread that you have been brought to the place of your nightmares. Welcome to Risia!

The remaining members of the Sharn Dragons appeared to have been drug into a seemingly abandoned cave. As Rare and Erisna set about the task of freeing themselves from the ice that slowly crept over them, they found a brutally severed yeti hand, and had a suspicion that the cave wasn't completely unoccupied. They worked on getting Glittergem, Keth, and Tinker over to an arcane fire that Rare conjured. As they began to regain feeling in their bodies, they heard the unmistakable sound of a large creature coming closer. Glittergem, the last to wake, saw the head of the dragon looming behind them and preparing to strike. The party was struck by a staggering blast of cold energy and fled the cave into the Boundless Blizzard outside.
The party was blinded by the snow and ran in several directions. Rare and Glacias were able to redirect the party and navigate toward a chasm nearby. The dragon attacked again with its breath weapon and froze Tinker in place, Erisna pulling his ice-encrusted form down with them and away from the dragon. Though the dragon pursued them, the chasm was both narrow and too tall for even the dragon's breath attack to reach the fleeing party as they mostly drug themselves toward safety.
Next, the party travelled for many hours by foot. Keth, barely clinging to life himself, carried Glittergem for most of the walk while Erisna carried the block of ice containing Tinker. It was a grueling day of walking, but the four of them were able to discuss their concerns and hopes for escaping this new set of challenges they found themselves in. Rare explained her connection with this realm (her patron kept giving her visions of Risia- including the chasm they were currently walking in), and Keth expressed his feelings of inadequacy after the fight with Cavallah.
Glacias, scouting ahead, found a blue light flashing in the distance. That flashing light was in a set of foothills, unnervingly similar to the light that Rare saw in her first vision from her patron. Unsure of what to do next, Rare tried to reach out and connect with her patron through meditation while Erisna worked with Glittergem to thaw out Tinker and fabricate a sled from the rowboat patch from the Robe of Useful Items. With a new sled, and two mastiffs to pull it, the party charged down an immense icy tunnel after being discovered by the White Dragon again.
It was pitch dark in the tunnel, but the party was able to illuminate the immediate area using some devices that Glittergem had previously constructed. In the dim light, Rare told the rest of the party that she was able to reach someone with her meditation. It could have been her patron, but the voice was very different and not nearly as menacing as she had previously experienced. The voice had instructed her to go to the flashing blue light and, with no other alternatives, the party set that as their destination.
Though they maintained their silent vigil on the sled for hours, they never encountered the gigantic worm that burrowed it. Instead, they emerged already within the foothills they were searching for. Glacias flew out to find the exact peak that they needed and returned with the directions they needed to proceed. Glittergem cut the mastiffs free but didn't feel comfortable condemning them to finding their own way and decided to bring them along for the rest of the journey. Climbing the diminutive mountain, the party was led by Erisna and Keth- both of whom single-handedly ensured that the party reached the summit in safety.
Near the peak, the party began to see the nebulous blue light emanating from a flat area that looked as if it had been cleared intentionally. Erisna sensed immensely powerful illusion magic in the area, and the party could all hear the faint sound of chimes in the air. Creeping forward in trepidation, the party discovered that they were at the base of an invisible tower. Beyond the tower, they found a figure hunched over an arcane fire (not dissimilar to the one that Rare had conjured much earlier in the day). Rare called out to the creature, believing it to be her patron. The creature turned to face them and revealed itself to be... a rakshasa. The party prepared for combat but was quickly stood down by the immensely powerful being. Mandodari introduced herself to the party, and things quickly began to take shape.
Mandodari introduced herself as the prakhutu of Dral Khatuur, a Demonic Overlord and the patron that gave Rare her powers. Dral Khatuur is singular amongst the Overlords in that she voluntarily retreated to Risia rather than be banished to a region known as Khyber. Dral Khatuur wants to be left alone (Mandodari might have mentioned that ;) ) and the rakshasa has made it her immortal life's mission to ensure that happens. Rare has been asked to prevent a group that wishes to release the Overlord from her prison as a means of magical ecoterrorism. The group, known as "Storm Front", is believed to be tied to House Lyrandar in some way. Thwarting their plans would go a long way toward keeping Dral Khatuur in Risia for the next few hundred years.
The rakshasa also mentioned a possible way for the party to return to their home in Eberron. Apparently, some giants had escaped Eberron to the Plane of Ice a few thousand years ago following their war with the dragons. Mandodari reasoned that the magics they used would have required some materials that would still be near their crossing site. She also mentioned a giant that was loyal to Dral Khatuur has remained there and may be willing to assist Rare when she arrived. Of note, Mandodari also mentioned that Dral Khatuur dealt with the giants herself- and this encounter took place a few thousand years ago. The rakshasa has not returned to the location since.
The Sharn Dragons were too exhausted to continue immediately, but the reclusive rakshasa was willing to provide them room and board for the night. Beckoning them inside her invisible tower, Mandodari escorted them through her impressive library, the galley, and up to a set of rooms for them to use for the night. As the rest of the party departed for their individual rooms, they heard Glittergem slowly creep into the half-orc's room for the night.

Loose Threads

The party is still not sure what happened to Therin Aloro after their climactic battle with Cavallah.
Rare is preoccupied with what happened to her wife, Ea, who was being held in the Panaceum in Sharn. It is unclear how long the party has been missing (time passes differently in other realms) and she is concerned that she won't get back in time to save her.
Erisna was completely blind in the cave, likely damage taken from being exposed to such frigid temperatures, but what if she's still cursed?
Tinker's lady friend (Ashe) is pregnant with his goblin-human-dragon baby. Is it possible for him to get back to her before she gives birth?
Mandodari named the White Dragon "Arauthator", which scared the goblin piss out of Tinker. It may be worth following up with the former dragon on what that name means.

Items Lost

Glittergem discovered that in all the excitement, the vials containing her Potions of Acid Resistance and her Potion of Resistance to Poison were broken during the events that led to the party arriving in the cave.
Rare lost her Rod of the Pact Keeper +1 and her Shavarran Birch Focus
Erisna lost the mace named Lightbringer and a giant club that she had been carrying around.
Glittergem also made great use of the Robe of Useful Items depleting the last of its patches to manufacture a sled for the party to use in the Worm Tunnel.

Campaign

Flight of the Sharn Dragons

Protagonists

Glittergem Boondiggles

NG Rock Gnome (Guild Member (Fabricator's Guild))
Artificer 5

38 / 38 HP

STR
10

DEX
11

CON
14

INT
17

WIS
12

CHA
12

Rare Mavari

Report Date

14 Jun 2021

Current Hook

If the party wants to return home, they need to seek out the crossing site that the giants used to complete their escape thousands of years ago. Mandodari told you that a giant by the name of Ren'tivik had sworn himself to Dral Khatuur in exchange for his life. He may be a helpful ally in the journey home.