Mission 001: The Frozen Sick
In the northern fishing village of Palebank, a mysterious malady has been causing citizens to transform into statues of pure ice. The party has been engaged to seek out the cause of the affliction so that it can be corrected. Dress warm!
MISSION LOG
The party found themselves in the snow-covered fishing village of Palebank Village, where a mysterious affliction was turning citizens into statues of pure ice. They met with the local constabulary to learn that the current victims were one Urgon Wenth, a reclusive treasure hunter, and Verla Pelc, owner of the local trading post. They inspected both statues, finding them transformed thoroughly – and marveling at the artistry. The followed word of a suspected third victim to the cabin of a hermit named Tulgi Dutan, a dwarven criminal who lived just outside of town. Words were exchanged through a locked door, some mistranslated in Dwarvish and some in thieves cant, before the group were invited in at crossbow point and found Tulgi in the early signs of the freezing sickness. After some persuasive arguments, they learned that Tulgi was a member of a criminal enterprise and had been dispatched to Palebank along with her sister Hulil and a small gang, with the goal of stealing any treasure of value found in the nearby ruins. When Urgon had recently returned with a haul and sold it to the trading post, Tulgi broke in to steal the lot and sent it to her sister’s hideout in a cave north of the city. Lark managed to talk Tulgi into sharing her signet ring before they left, but a parting reproach from Jace on her life of crime nearly earned him a crossbow bolt to the neck.
They next trudged to Urgon’s cabin but found little of use, beyond a receipt of sale to the trading post detailing his spoils. They made the trading post their next stop, pushing into the darkened interior – and finding themselves attacked by a waiting opponent. The hooded elf within was quickly overcome and bound, but not before an errant fire bolt from Rarity scorched Jace good. They found the bandit to be from the Dutan Sisters’ gang, sent to find a cure for Hulil, who was also beset by the sickness. With intimidation and persuasion they learned that Hulil’s second in command Raegrin had dispatched the bandit to find a red vial, of the same colour as the one he was keeping hidden for himself if needed. The party handed the bandit over to law enforcement and set off for the cave, though some poor map reading took them on an errant route, leaving Rarity exhausted from the cold. On arrival they used the signet ring to bypass the guard stationed outside and gain access to the cold cave hideout, which was filled with icy pools and populated by translucent ice frogs that the bandits were training as guards. They waited under observation while word was taken to Hulil and their credentials checked, with Wendelin taking an active interest in frog-training and learning some basic signals. Unfortunately their credentials did not pass muster, and they were beset by the rogues and frogs in a quick scuffle. Wendelin managed to take control of one of the frogs and sic it on its master, while Jace cleared the adjoining camp cave of any extra bandits. Rarity and Lark both took some frog bites, with the latter’s wings making him a particularly delicious target for the amphibians.
With the scuffle settled they prodded an adjoining tunnel, being swarmed by bats before finding themselves on the edge of a much larger flooded pool. Wendelin’s signal drew forth a massive ice toad, and some offered food allowed them to cross upon its back. On the other side they crept up to the mouth of a final cave, in which a frenetic and blue-veined Hulil was chanting in a strange language, while an obsequious Raegrim reassured her. The party resolved to set the two against each other, but a fumbled entrance from Lark found her magically paralyzed. Still, the party’s arguments revealed Raegrin’s guilt, and Hulil struck him down in an instant, taking his hidden cure from his robes. The criminal resolved to drink the cure herself, only for Wendelin to step in with a charm person spell at the last moment. With Hulil calmed they were able to retrieve her treasures from a locked and trapped chest, each taking an item for themselves before marching Hulil back to the village with both poison and cure on hand to present to the alchemist for study.
SUMMARY
DM Ryan
PLAYERS Cairo (Rarity), Emily (Wendelin), Luke (Jace), Rae (Lark)
RESULT Mission Complete
TOTAL XP 675 xp each
TOTAL GP N/A
ITEMS ACQUIRED
Wendelin: Silver ring inset with a jasper stone (50 gp)Lark: 6 +1 arrows, Star chart in an ornate scroll case (15 gp)
Jace: Jade statuette of a storm giant (25 gp), Canvas painting of a five-headed dragon (50 gp)