Session 17: Guard Duty

General Summary

Speaker Waylen agreed to the price of ten finely cut topaz gemstones in exchange for the magical cauldron. He did not however have that much wealth immediately available and would require around 48 hours to call in some debts. He required that the cauldron remain in the town hall under guard, immediately agreeing when the party insisted on being the guards. He gave the party free choice on where best to defend the cauldron with a few locations marked as off limits, his own rooms and the two rooms being rented out by townsfolk. As Michael and Natali started to leave the office they noticed the large black statue being held in the main room. It appeared to be a figurehead from a ship carved in chardalyn of a large horned demon. Suddenly there was a figure tied to the statue that was not there a moment before, a woman with white hair hanging down over her face. Michael approached to investigate and as he got close the figure suddenly looked up, revealing a skeletal face beneath the hair grinning in a horrifying visage.

Natali and Michael were frightened of the sudden reveal and their cries drew the rest of the party. Not seeing anything other than the figurehead they didn't know what exactly was going on. As the ghostly figure reached out and possessed Michael he seemed to calm, Veld picked him up to bring him to safety but Michael squirmed free and began to head for the northern exit to the building. Galanodel, not quite trusting the sudden mood change and hearing the cries of ghost attempted to turn the undead spirit, driving it from Michael where the party could finally see it and quickly banished it back to the lake. Serafin recognized the likeness the statue had been carved in. The balor Errtu that terrorized Ten Towns a century ago and was banished. The party chose one of the empty rooms on the third floor to set up, much to the chagrin of the guards asked to haul water up to fill the cauldron. They decided to provide the speaker with a demonstration of the cauldron's capabilities. The speaker in turn invited the four guards on duty, Briyenn, Evie, Chyanne, and Klissa. The party setup a watch schedule to cover the approximately 48 hours they would have to guard the cauldron. During the early hours of the "morning" they heard a series of loud bangs coming from below like hammers on stone. They quickly awoke and began to mobilize in various ways, Veld and Peh'Tar staying behind to keep watch on the cauldron. Michael and Retar began to scout out what the noise could be, seeing several dwarf sized heavily clothed figures gathering up smashed shard of chardalyn they had broken off the statue. Retar saw as the four guards came up from the dungeon level and attempted to stop the thieves, battle commenced and the party started to funnel towards the fight. A pitched battle ensued where Chyanne was slain and the duergar attempted to flee by turning invisible. Three of the four were caught and killed, the remaining thief escaping in the confusion. Bhur found a small crude drawing in the boot of one of the slain dwarves. The drawing seemed pointless but it was drawn on the back of what appeared to be a torn part of an old ticket for the Easthaven Ferry. In the morning the party gathered back together, most likely at least one more day until they were paid, but with a thief on the loose and a clue in their posession.

Campaign

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frost Maiden

Protagonists