Cloud Giant's Bargain

Late Spring 1541

General Summary

Nearly five years after the Guardians of the Dale had put an end to Auril, the Frost Maiden’s endless winter, several of our heroes found themselves once again in the comfort of the Northlook. Here in Tentown’s capital, Bryn Shander, Olga, Zephyr, Bolivar, and Xye have been asked by Archanist Eudora to help her investigate “variant” activity. Over the past several months individuals have claimed to have spawned in the Icewind Dale from a different “reality”.
At this current moment in history, time travel magic, commonly known as “Chronomancy'' within scholastic circles, was an unfamiliar and dangerous form of magic. Many groups such as the scholars of Candlekeep and the Arcane Brotherhood even forbid it from being studied. Although the majority of the variants’ presence has been innocent, Archantist Eudora deemed it of top importance to investigate the “time traveling” nature of these events.

Over the past tenday, Archanist Eudora and the group of heroes have been investigating a spire that was plunged deep down into the ice. Eudora claimed that this was a tower broken off from Ythryn, a floating magical city that plummeted into the Reghed Glacier hundreds of years ago. Still to this day, it remains buried under the ice.

Earlier today they recovered what Eudora identified as a “Chronomantic Node”. Having a hunch that there was more to be investigated in the Icewind Dale they decided to bring it back to the Nothlook where they had allies and assured privacy.
Green awnings and flowering ivy tendrils adorn the outside of the squat little inn, and warm laughter of Atenas Swift, the friendly giant barkeep, burbles out through an open window. The wood panels of the exterior are whether worn but clean—an indication of the love and care with which this place is maintained.
Eager to learn more about their discovery, the party enters as the smell of roasting potatoes and fresh ale greets them. Logs crackle in the oversized fireplace, lighting up the room with help of several wall sconces and a low-hanging chandelier. Bright woven tapestries hang along the walls and add a touch of color to the wooden interior. The loud voice of Morthos Destin calls out from the banister of the U-shaped second story to greet them. Having met them a number of times over the past few years, he greeted them kindly. Knowing the nature of their business was likely going to be private, Eudora contacted Morthos ahead of time and paid to have the tavern empty for the duration of their time in the Icewind Dale.

Food and ale were served by the barkeep, Atenas, and his massive construct helper, Deputy Dom. Morthos invited himself to sit down and join them as Eudora began to quietly investigate the Chronomantic Node at the head of the table. In the empty tavern the crew shared stories of past adventures and told epic tales about their favorite or most powerful items; how they obtained them, the foes they defeated to acquire them, etc., each hero trying to one-up each other.
As the stories went on, Morthos glazed at the massive 500-pound bear lying uncomfortably on the floor. He noticed the collar around her next and the stone attached to it. He squinted and began to say, “Hey I think I’ve seen that bef–” when Diamonddust arose and groaned in protest. The table grew quiet. As if she could understand what everyone was talking about, Diamonddust proudly tapped the Titan Stone that was embedded into the collar of the armor on her chest. Bolivar laughed as he leaned forward to press a button and in an instant armor retracted into the collar adorning the stone. Diamonddust looked to the half-orc and groaned once again. Knowing fully well the bear’s desire, Bolivar gave another twist of the stone. Suddenly the bear shrunk down into the size of a house cat and jumped onto his lap to be pampered.

With his jaw to the floor, Morthos pointed at the collar and begged, “Now how the hell did you do that?! Where the hell did that thing come from?!” Zephyr gave a chuckle and shared that this relic is known as the Nimbus Stone, along with a brief explanation of the Titan Stones. When Morthos demanded to hear the epic tale of how they obtained the stone, the party fell silent. Somehow they had all forgotten…
Overhearing the conversation, Eudora off-handedly mentioned how Countess Sansuri had a number of priceless relics aboard her flying castle Lyn Armaal. It was at this moment that Olga, Zephyr, and Xye could somewhat remember how they had recovered the Nimbus Stone from Lyn Armaal, but the details were completely lost upon them. Remembering Lyn Armal, Olga, Bolivar, and Xye could perfectly recall how they recovered the Titan Stone, the Warchief’s Sentinel and how their companion Frilnik Hazario made off with one of the Orbs of Dragonkind with their arch-rival Delsaphine Rojas (Session 49: Fool Me Once, Shame on You. Fool Me Twice... ah' SHIT!).

Not aware of the confusion, Eudora went on to discuss how many of Countess Sansuri’s trove of relics had long since gone missing after her flying castle, Lyn Armaal, crashed in the late summer of 1510. As the evening went on, the ale continued to flow until eventually Archanist Eudora excused herself to her room to continue investigating the node. One by one everyone eventually made their way to their private chambers.
As Bolivar and Diamonddust settled into their room, the half-orc decided to check in on Eudora before retiring for the evening. As he approached her room, he could see a faint green-purple light glowing from under her door. After knocking gently to not disrupt her, to his surprise she quickly opened the door with a slightly bewildered look in her eye. She quickly pulled him into the room where Bolivar saw the stone floating and glowing in the center of her room in the middle of a spell circle. Eudora explained how she was slowly unraveling and understanding fundamental details of the node.
Suddenly the stone pulsed and began to spin. Eudora attempted another spell, which only made the orb spin faster. The room around them began to shake and creek as wooden panels on the wall began to pry loose. Bolivar grabbed Eudora by the arm and began to pull her out of the room. As he opened the door, he was faced with Morthos in his pajamas with a mug of milk and half eaten cookie in his mouth. A sleepy confused look on his face quickly turned into shock as Bolivar grabbed him with his other hand, and began to flee the tavern.
The entire structure began to shake as he started yelling for everyone to flee. Before he was able to make it to the stairs, Bolivar felt Eudora’s arm escape his grasp as he heard her call out, “My staff!”
As he turned back to retrieve her, his vision was overcome with a bright light.
Suddenly everyone felt as if they were spinning uncontrollably.

Not in Kansas Anymore

As their vision returned, Olga, Xye, Zephyr, and Morthos found themselves standing over a restrained unconscious cloud giant. They stood in a rooftop garden with a lush green lawn dotted with trees and piles of rocks that cloud giants use to make ranged attacks. A hedge divides the yard, and inside the smaller area is a black-and-white marble chess board. The chess pieces are all human-sized and look like decorative suits of armor, their helms sporting designs that differentiate them; for example, the kings and queens wear crowns for helms, and the knights have helms resembling griffon heads. The pawns, rooks, bishops, knights, and kings are suits of animated armor, thirty in all. The queens are helmed horrors. Since no game is in progress, all of the pieces are in their starting locations. Olga and Xye recognized this as Lyn Armaal, the Countess Sansuri’s flying fortress.
As they looked at one another, they noticed that each of them looked slightly younger. It was as if they had traveled back in time. Morthos stated that he felt more… powerful.
The silence of the garden courtyard was broken by the sound of a giant humming. Xye quietly flew over to investigate the delicate dome-shaped greenhouse that has a mithral frame set with panes of stained glass that don’t hold up well to damage. Among the riot of flowering plants and herbs growing within the greenhouse Xye recognized Count Thullen, Sansuri’s brother, inside going about his day.
Recalling that Thullen was not an advocate for his sister’s psychotic actions, they quickly and quietly storm into the greenhouse. Luckily Count Thullen recognized Xye and Olga. He states that he’s not surprised to see them, seeing as his sister has completely removed herself from the Ordining. It’s at this time Xye, Zephyr, and Olga realize that they traveled back in time nearly 30 years. They are currently in the year 1510, recalling that these events transpired just before Lyn Armall crashed.
They now have become variants.
Count Thullen went on to share that she has been practicing “dark magic”. Whatever magic she is practicing is turning her white alabaster tower black, which is visible from the green house. He has heard her make mention of the “Prince of Undeath”. She has become even more obsessed with her masks and now she keeps all of her magic items within her private bedchambers due to her growing paranoia.
Leaving the cloud giant unharmed, they passed through the chamber where they stole the Warchief’s Sentinel. The same room where Delsaphine attempted to kill Xye and together her and Frilnik made their escape. From the gallery a wrought iron spiral staircase ascended to the rooftop above. The roof of the main keep has a lush green lawn surrounding a squat stone building. A three-story tower with a conical rooftop juts upward and outward from the southeastern part of the wall, rising another 120 feet into the air. The once white, now blackened alabaster walls identified this as Sansuri’s tower.

On the roof trees and shrubs sprout from the ground here and there, and three telescopes are mounted to the battlements. Near the staircase is a pile of rocks that cloud giants can use to make ranged attacks. Perched on the battlements are six undead Aarakocra Simulacra. Half of them facing outward and half facing inward. When they attempted to enter Sansuri’s chambers, the centuries animated and attempted to ward off the intruders.
After making quick work of them, the heroes entered the lowest level of Sansuri’s tower. The walls of the room are festooned with masks, fifty in all, each one worth a fortune. These masks are sized and molded to fit Sansuri’s face, and each captures a specific mood or emotion. No single artist crafted more than one mask for the countess, so each mask has a unique style. The masks rest atop narrow shelves set into the walls 10, 15, and 20 feet above the floor. A few shelves are empty, indicating that the countess has room to expand her collection. Zephyr notices that the floor in the chamber gives off a metallic sheen.

Sansuri's Hall of Masks

As they enter the chambers, Morthos notices that there’s no staircase to the second floor above when suddenly the door slams shut and the floor begins to shake. They take flight as the floor below them opens up into a vat of acid and the air in the chamber is replaced with a toxic gas. They manage to deactivate the trap and continue their ascent up the tower to the throne room above.
When they arrive at the Countess’ Chamber they find Sansuri sitting in her throne, expecting them. In her hand she is wielding a scepter with a skull symbol that Zephyr recognizes. He notices she has placed into small insert into the floor. The genasi feels the hair on the back of his neck as he feels a presence that he remembers all too well. On the wall behind a giant crack opens up into a hellish landscape, from which smoke enters into the chamber.
Sansuri attempts to bargain with the party. Knowing what the Ragtags are capable of she offers them a Chronomantic Node that she has in her chambers above if they let her live. However upon inquiring she refuses to give them the Nimbus Stone. Upon the denial, Xye unleashes a fireball in her direction which evaporates once it reaches the anti-magic shield protecting her. When the smoke fades, Countess Sansuri gazes at the party, and removes her mask. With a coy grin she twists the handle of the scepter.
A bright flash strikes through the chamber. The air becomes a furnace blast of heat as an extra dimensional space has been opened from the crack in the wall behind her. The rough cavern walls within glimmer with orange light and crimson shadows. A deep but quiet rumble reaches your ears, and the source of the light confirms your worst fear: a river of molten rock flows through the cave.
Playing in the lava like a child in a puddle is 30-foot tall several ton giant infant. The monstrosity has the head and legs of a goat, although with ram-like horns, a bloated body, and small withering bat-like wings. Countess Sansuri’s laugh echoes through the chambers as she unleashes her fiendish child upon the party.

Countess Sansuri's Spawn of the Dodkong

Showdown with Countess Sansuri and her fiendish Spawn of the Dodkong

Ragtags Defeat Countess Sansuri

In her chambers above they discover lots of magic items including a section of the study with a Chronomantic Node floating above a spell circle. On a desk near the spell circle they find Sansuri’s extensive notes on her studies about the node along with a map to the lost City of Ythryn they recall Eudora discussing just hours ago.

Map of Ythryn

Xye Planeshifts the party to heaven where he knows they will be safe while he gets a chance to study Sansuri’s notes. Carefully Xye activates the Chronomantic Node and manages to get them back to their reality.
The rumbling tavern ceases to shake when Xye, Zephyr, Olga, and Morthos arrive just moments after they disappeared. Atenas, Deputy Dom, Bolivar, and Eudora in tow come rushing downstairs to see the four standing in the entryway of the Northlook tavern.
With humility, Eudora proclaims that she doesn't know Chronomancy well enough and decides it best to get the Chronomantic Node somewhere safe ASAP. After refusing to go with, Morthos stays in the comfort of his tavern as his guests teleport back to Eudora’s tower in Luskan.
Dismissing any help from Atenas and Dom, beaten and bloodied Morthos limps his way to his bedchambers. Too sore to do anything but sleep, he lies his head on his pillow. Before today, he almost forgot how happy he was to hang-up the adventuring life; not missing the soreness that comes after a long day. Excitement begins to swell as he recalls the reunion with his friends, the Guardians of the Dale happening here at the taverns next month.
His pleasant thoughts are interrupted as he hears the door to his room open. He calls out, “Dom I told you I’m fi–.” When he sits up in his bed he sees a familiar male red tiefling dressed in fine clothes standing in his doorway. Confused, Morthos calls out, “Barrister Kadro–” when suddenly his body seizes and locks up.

Avarice & Barrister Kadroth

Morthos is overcome with fear as he hears his chuckle. The red tiefling steps aside and makes way for Avarice, the albino white tiefling that tormented the Guardians all those years prior. The last sight Morthos sees is Avarice staring down at him with a relentless gaze before a hood is swept over his head.

Report Date

20 Oct 2022