Session 20: Guardians of the Dale

General Summary

That evening at the Northlook, Morthos found himself quite restless. He was reliving the killing blow of the Chardalyn Dragon over and over. When Morthos had brought a beast or another human to their timely end in the past, it was customary that he would harvest their soul which would in turn make him more powerful; a small tithe for his Patron who gifted him his abilities. In heat of the moment however, he hesitated and decided not consume the soul of the Chardalyn construct. His restlessness was born from curiosity or perhaps regret... What would have happened if he did absorb the pure evil essence of the Chardalyn Dragon? His wondering restlessness was satiated when he found a letter that had been delivered to the Northlook in the late hours of the night:

The ancient white dragon Arveiaturace has hidden some of her hoard within the Dark Duchess. As you know, the Luskan pirate vessel got stuck in the Sea of Moving Ice near where the dragon likes to fish and hunt. Having remained aboard the icebound hulk after being deserted by his crew, it appears that Captain Rudolph Bluemoon still watches over his riches even in death. -L

The next morning the party woke up late, sore and stiff from the seemingly endless gauntlet they had just endured. The party made their way through Bryn Shander, attracting attention as they went, and met with Speaker Devusa Shane. She was gathered with the remaining Town Speakers that had fled to her town.

Present Town Speakers

Devusa informed them there would be a ceremony held tomorrow in honor of the party for everything they had done for Tentowns. After leaving the audience of the Speakers, the group set off on their own missions. Bulwark and Reinaldo went out to help repair and rebuild what remained of the town. Morthos characteristically found himself among a swarm of Tentowners and provided entertainment in whatever ways he could. Nix found herself at the site where the Chardalyn Dragon had crashed landed. She could not help but to feel an overwhelming sense of deja vu.
While there, she was caught off guard by an unlikely individual; herself. In what remained of the courtyard Nix saw her human identity, Amelia, staring back her with a smug grin on her face. The doppelgänger exposed her true identity when she reverted to her native form which Nix recognized as the same doppelgänger that stabbed and nearly killed her in the Battle for Easthaven (Session 17: Chardalyn Incarnate). Upon learning that she works for Lunar Enterprises she attempted to get a message to Mad Jack Dawkins for an audience.
That evening, when the party gathered back at the Northlook, they were met by Vellynne Harpell. She shared with them the true reason for her helping the party back at Sunblight and again in the fight for Tentowns.
“I need your help to find an ancient city buried under the ice. This city, Ythryn, is a lost fragment of the Empire of Netheril, whose wizards created many of the magic items we find scattered across the world today. It holds magic beyond our wildest dreams. We might even find something there to end this hateful winter. Using divination magic, the Arcane Brotherhood has learned that the city is buried deep inside the Reghed Glacier. But the glacier can be cracked open at a place where a waterfall once flowed down its side but has since frozen. We have already found the waterfall. All we need now is the magic to break open the glacier.”

The Codicil of White

“Written and guarded by Auril’s followers, The Codicil of White is rumored to contain a spell or ritual that can carve a passage through the Reghed Glacier, under which the lost city Ythryn is buried. Divination magic has revealed that the book is being held in a frost giant fortress on a mist-shrouded island in the Sea of Moving Ice."

Professor Skant

"The orb is a family heirloom that was stolen from me by a former colleague named Nass Lantomir. The orb has the personality of a scholar and is named Professor Skant. Its knowledge will help us once we descend into Ythryn. Nass is after The Codicil of White. Find Nass, and we find Professor Skant.”
After sharing this information, Vellynne parted ways with the party. She told the group that she would reconvene with them at Angajuk’s Bell when they were ready.

The Cold Passenger

That night, Atalanta found herself in a fitful sleep. When she opened her eyes, she felt icy wind rushing against her face. She was freezing cold, and as the Midwinter Child, this is a feeling she was unfamiliar with. As she took in her surroundings, she felt the rhythmic flapping of the giant white eagle she was riding upon. Reflexively, she attempted to grab onto the beast she was mounted upon but instead found herself as a passenger observing someone else's consciousness. Taking in the landscape around her, she found herself soaring across the Sea of Moving Ice towards a snowflake shaped island. Gigantic masses of ice could be heard crashing against one another far below her.
As the white eagle loomed closer, Atalanta could make out a castle in which they landed upon. Involuntarily, she walked through the massive castle lined beautiful walls and sculptures of ice. As she exited the castle she walked into a garden where dozens upon dozens of ice statues we scattered throughout. An abominable yeti approached, which seemed to heed the call of this individual Atalanta found herself a passenger of. Together they walked though the garden to a number of newer statues including that of Beatrice Battlehammer and her large black bear companion who had saved the party several weeks ago...

The next morning, after a hardy breakfast, the party was met at the Northlook by none other than Speaker Devusa Shane. Discretely, she personally escorted the party through Bryn Shander to the town center where the ceremony was being held. As the party was transported through the streets they could hear the town in high spirits! Even in the frigid cold people made their way to the ceremony. When they arrived, it seemed that the Frostmaiden herself had blessed the day with somewhat clear skies and less lethal temperatures. The group (including Sergeant James) took the stage one by one they were all meet with cries joy and excitement. As the applause began to die down, suddenly there was a loud explosion that stemmed from the back of the crowd. To the town's relief, the explosion came from a firework that was shot off from a cart being pulled by a bewildered axe beak that was seated upon by a hysterical halfling.

Axe Beak

Reinaldo Goldbow had to make his entrance grand.
With the entire party now together on stage, Speaker Devusa Shane was proud to give them the official title as the Guardians of the Dale.
The party reveled in the audiences applause for several moments during which Bulwark caught the gaze of a particular figure in the crowd. Bulwark watched as the man, who would later be identified as Mad Jack Dawkins, flexed his jaw to an unnatural proportion. As he did so his eyes flashed yellow and hair rapidly grew on the sides of his face. After only a second, the man disappeared into the crowd.
After a motivating speech from Morthos, the ceremony came to a close. The group immediately met with the present Town Speakers once again. Captain Arlaggath tossed around the idea of running for Speaker of Easthaven and having Sergeant James as her Hand at the suggestion of Nix. Over the next 5 days, the party would continue to aid the town in rebuilding what was lost and enjoying a small amount of downtime.
One evening while they enjoyed a meal at the newly renovated Northlook, Nix noticed the silhouette of a man casing the tavern outside. When she walked out onto the front patio, she was met by Mad Jack. He had received the message from Sharlasta and was willing to hear what the changling had to offer. Nix informed Jack of her ability to handle desecrated Chardalyn and even expressed interest joining Lunar Enterprises. Jack, seeing potential in the rogue, offered her a deal. Recover a construct that was stolen by the goblins of Karkolohk and he would consider her employment.

Potential Storylines

The remainder of the evening was spent contemplating where the group would venture to next, as there was much more to explore in the Icewind Dale.

Report Date

04 Jun 2021