Session 8: Revisiting Friends, and Enemies

General Summary

After purchasing a pearl from a disheartened jeweler the previous day Michael was now prepared to identify the various magical items the party had obtained. First he identified the psi crystal, which had the ability to bestow telepathy upon the creature attuned to it as well as glow with a power proportional to the users intelligence. The two potions taken from the slain goblin boss were potions of animal friendship. Veld awoke having had a nighttime "accident". He had accidentally enlarged himself in his sleep, breaking the bed at the inn the party finally decided on, the The Tired Helmet. Those not involved in the mending of the bed or identification of magical items head out into the town for some shopping while Veld and Michael stayed behind and had a hearty dwarven breakfast. Grimsby summoned his new beast companion, Horus, in the form of a large nine-tailed arctic fox. Bhur bought supplies for his own summoning of his familiar, Snowball, a white pseudodragon. With their supplies and mounts gathered, the party set out to travel back to Lonelywood, as they suddenly felt they were strong enough to take on the druid there after their ambush of the goblin scouting party and Galanodel's dream of the moon dial. They briefly stopped in Targos finding no new information about their various curiosities before moving on. Upon arriving in Termalaine, Bhur spotted what appeared to be Trex, though his entire demeanor and garb had changed. He no longer spoke common fluently nor wore his threadbare satchel. He also was far more timid and seemed to be less intelligent than before, easily spooked by Michael's telepathic communications. This sudden changed distressed Bhur and the party began to investigate what the cause could be. They questioned Trex and accompanied him down to the docks where his delivery was bound. They learned from him that he had no memory of the time between his scouting party travelling in the foothills of Kelvin's Cairn, to being in #Termalaine wearing makeshift dragon wings which he disposed of. Michael attempted to purge and good or evil influence from him though none seemed apparent as well as identifying if any magical effects were upon him, also none apparent. With no other ideas of what could have caused his change and him seemingly being in good health and happy, the party began to head towards the north of town. Natali being both suspicious still of the situation and exceptionally perceptive in the moment noticed a woman passing in their direction wearing what appeared to be the very same satchel that Trex bore when they last saw him. This sudden observation sent the amateur sleuths back into high gear. They quickly descended upon the woman with questions and accusations, siting her defense of their probing questions as suspicious behavior. She identified herself as Delylah, and after refusing to give up her bag to the random travelers continued on her way. The group, unbelieving of her story about where she had obtained the bag and her reluctance to give or sell it to a random passerby lied in wait as Natali changed to a mouse and followed her onto a nearby ship. Natali spent the better part of an hour watching Delylah work as a carpenter on the ship in construction before sneaking into her bag and stealing a mouse-mouthful of the various lichens, molds, and mosses she had inside. Returning to her companions with her stolen treasures, Natali returned to her normal form and the party inspected the bits of evidence. The party was only able to identify that they were fairly unknown varieties that grew only on or near Kelvin's Cairn, and with no other leads to go on, the party dropped their investigation and left town. Arriving in Lonelywood the party checked in with Nimsy Huddle and spent the rest of the evening loitering about town with plans to head out early the next day into the forest in hunt of a druid. Bhur found and investigated the old ramshackle inn, finding it to be uncared for and currently being used to store lumber. Grimsby checked on the status of his hides, finding them about a day away from completion. Others fished. Early the next morning the party set out in search of the hidden druid hideout. Due to the previous travel and the markings left by Grimsby the party made good time, only briefly encountering a lone bear apparently foraging for food, which they provided. Eventually about six hours into their travels the party came again upon the strange moon dial and surrounds. Having come more prepared with severed goblin hands the party set about burning the items they found engraved upon the crystal pillars surrounding the sarcophagus in the nearby brazier. When lit the items quickly burned up in a silvery flame that burned steadily even after the fuel was spent. The sarcophagus was no longer sealed and with a mighty show of strength Veld removed the lid that held the mummy of Sahnar an elf entombed and smelling of pumpkin spice. With their people gone and the elven tomb long since breached Sahnar agreed to accompany the party and assist with whatever they need until their body was no more. With another ally in tow the party set about preparing to fight that which plagued them so recently. Galanodel activated one of the half moon sigils on the moon dial, in turn activating the magic that allowed entry into the two tombs of the half moon. With Veld leading the charge again the party rushed the tomb the druid resided in. With a quick ferocious attack Veld managed to break the concentration of the druid, dispelling the conjured beast she had summoned to fight by her side. As before she took down Veld with a powerful moonbeam, but with slightly less confined quarters the party managed to quickly overwhelm her and end her reign of terror on Lonelywood. In the aftermath of the conflict the party found the corpse of Vurnis, twin to Ravisin, the frost druid that had just been slain. The corpse appeared to have been decomposing some time, though slowed by the cold. They also found a sharkskin pouch containing two unidentified potions and some strange black crystalline shards known as chardalyn piled in the chamber. Nearby was an awakened shrub that Ravisin held captive that divulged all it knew of her and her plans to the party. Apparently Ravisin had awakened many beasts and bid them gather this chardalyn "for the gray ones", and it was to be transported southward in a few days.

Campaign

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frost Maiden

Protagonists