RoT 9: "The Great White Death... is Dead"

It’s cold down here. You expected cold on an iceberg, but as you go down into its core, into the ice caves it get colder than you’ve ever experienced before. You bundle up and prepare for what you expect to be a long icy dungeon crawl.

 

As you exit the first room and head south, you run into a small group of Ice Toads. They don’t seem hostile as much as curious at your presence. Brehanna waves at them, and to your surprise they wave back. You notice they have tool bags around their necks, so you decide to engage them in conversation. While somewhat difficult to understand due to their deep croaking as they speak, you are still able to converse. They don’t believe you when you claim to be members of the Cult of the Dragon but they do say they can show you where Maccath the Crimson is at and proceed to take you to her.

 

They lead you around a long circular corridor passing several side passages which you attempt to peak down as you pass. One such passage you are admonished not to enter the “master’s treasure room” and keep moving.

 

They lead you to a large chamber with an empty ice floor and a most unexpected sight. A large shelter is seemingly built of scraps, and in the style of the tents used by the desert nomads of Calimshan, some two thousand miles to the south.

 

The interior of the shelter is surprisingly warm, thanks to a small stove and simple lamps burning aromatic whale oil. Carpets are heaped on the floor in thick layers, and tapestries from every culture in Faerûn hang suspended from a sturdy frame of whale ribs.

 

Books and scrolls are stacked neatly on tables and reading stands made of hide and whalebone. The only furnishings in the shelter not made from these natural materials are the carpets and tapestries, and a portable writing desk that appears to have been taken from a sailing ship.

 

Seated at the writing desk is a female tiefling wearing a blazing crimson cloak over tailored furs. The cloak is fastened with a silver-and-ivory brooch bearing a design reminiscent of a stylized, branching tree—the symbol of the Arcane Brotherhood. Two kobold attendants stand nearby, glancing nervously between you and the tiefling. After a few moments, the tiefling looks up with an expression of pale disinterest and asks, “Have you come to save me or kill me? Not that there will be much difference between the two.”

 

Despite her Ice Troll and Kobold guards you are able to speak with her freely as they do not speak Common and the Ice Toads introduced you as visitors to see Maccath and the Troll really isn’t smart enough to know better.

 

After speaking with her and her showing you the Scriptorium which is full of scrolls and books and various other papers containing a wealth of knowledge, pointing out that this is only a small portion of what Arauthator has amassed but does include all that was stolen from the Arcane Brotherhood.

 

She further informs you that the Draakhorn was here, but six months ago a group of humans wearing very distinctive robes came to Oyaviggaton and able to negotiate with Arauthator to take it with them. Where it is now, she cannot say. She does know that the Draakhorn was a gift from Tiamat to the Chromatic dragons during the dragon-giant war; It was once the horn of her ancient red dragon consort, Ephelomon. It’s so large it requires two medium sized (or one large) creature to hold it while another one blows it. Its purpose was to signal all chromatic dragons.

 

She also tells you how to get to Arauthator’s lair and gives you a ring of cold resistance and two Crossbow Bolts of Dragon Slaying to assist you, but she also doesn’t think you’ll be successful so stays back. If you can defeat The Great White Death and figure out how to retrieve all of the knowledge contained in Oyaviggaton’s various treasure chambers, then maybe she’ll return with you.

 

You make you way down the 60 foot chute from the Scriptorium to Arauthator’s lair and discover him there, waiting. He roars loudly and announces he’s been waiting for you – a roar so loud it vibrates the entire iceberg and temporarily unnerves Pubert, Rikon, and Malice. That and and extreme cold down here makes you expect a hell of a fight.

 

However, Brehana quickly recognizes that Arauthator has an escape route and cuts it off with a Wall of Fire, forcing him to fight you all on your terms. Rikon goes down but is revived by Brehanna’s quick Healing Word and despite his bravado and arrogance, The Great White Death goes down trying to escape.

 

The victory is short lived however as two of his Scrag minions, no doubt summoned by Arauthator’s roar, come running into the cavern…