Session Recap - 25 August 2007

From Loranon

Session Recap
25 August 2007
Start Date	21 March 1332
End Date	12 April 1332
Adventure Locations	Melanora, Elvareen Woods, Dormantown Area, Dormantown, Ice Fortress
Previous Session	11 August 2007
Next Session	31 August 2007

Participating Characters

Bisquick, Daeron Elensar, Fagan von Feld, Alan Bree, Malic Citrate, Mazer Kitrye

Leaving Melanora

The session began with the player characters sitting over breakfast at The Disorderly Dwarf. Their discussion focused on next steps. While some members wanted to consider all the various options that were open to them, others were set in returning to the Dormantown Area. Fagan von Feld was deeply concerned for his family.

As the party was discussing their options, Edgrin Galesong timidly mentioned that he would not return to the Dormantown Area. He stated that he planned to stay in Melanora for awhile, making his living through song. He mentioned that he would stay at The Disorderly Dwarf and if any word came from Elanora Silverleaf, he would do his best to track the party down so that they would get the message.

The party set out, again skirting around the religious community of Arvandolan, home of The Temple of True Aim and the Starsingers of Sehanine. Both military arms have objectives concerning the drow of the Underdark and the party feared that Mazer's heritage could cause trouble there.

In Jaliveth

As the party neared the edge of the Elvareen Woods, the party came upon the town of Jaliveth.

Dozens of tents and other crude lean-tos can be seen surrounding the wooden palisade of Jaliveth. Hundreds of human and halfling refugees fill these camps. They huddle around cookfires and generally look dirty and under-fed. You would have to pass many of the refugees to get into Jaliveth proper.

The player characters decided against entering Jaliveth as a group, and instead send in Alan under the effects of Mazer's hat of disguise. Once inside, Alan spent a day gathering information on the current state of the region.

Some of the things he learned:

The von Feld family was not to be found in Jaliveth. Alan did find someone that knew the von Felds, but they had not heard from them since before the blizzard.
Jaliveth is having a hard time keeping the refugees fed. Supposedly, food relief is coming from Selatrath but there are fears the food may run out before then. There is fear that violence may erupt in the camps.
The Elvareen military is preventing the refugees from encroaching further into the country.
No one really knows what is causing the Winter of No End, but rumors abound mention evil wizards, Roriport cultists, the shaman of Scaun, and the Church of Erythnul.

Into the Winter

The player characters dove into the churning blizzard that enveloped the Dormantown Area. Travel was very slow going, but thanks to Mazer's survival skills, they were able to keep from getting lost most of the time.

During one of the short periods of time the party was lost, they were attacked by shambling mounds of snow, who turned out to be ogre zombies, much to the dismay of those that need to arm wrestle and/or kill ogres.

A pack of ogre zombies attack the party.

The rest of the trip to Dormantown went without event.

Back in Dormantown

As you enter Dormantown, you are greeted by the few people that are walking the streets. It is frightfully cold but less than half of the residences have smoke coming from the chimneys. Many of the roads have not been cleared of snow, and a number of buildings are completely surrounded by piled-up snow. As you walk through the town, a small gang of children wrapped in tattered blankets come up to you begging for food; they appear to be starving.

The party gave the children a little bit of food and set off to Aray's Potions. They found Araysa Tanglehair's shop boarded up and saw no sign of the alchemist. A trip to The Shining Light led to a conversation with Dremon Testeron, who informed the party that Rosa De'Elemon was working with the mayor on some issues. And so the player characters headed to town hall.

As you walk through the town hall, you notice that many of the rooms are sealed, to preserve the precious little heat that fills the bulding. Nearly everyone you see here is covered in garments, fur, blankets, or whatever they could find to stave off the chill. You are directed to a meeting room and as you sit at the conference table, the servant begins to work at the cold fireplace, after a time kindling a flame which slowly brings some warmth into the room. Moments later, Mayor Nicoli Aserteak enters the room, Rosa De'Elemon and Iladan Crestwillow with him. Iladan appears exhausted and is dressed in cold weather traveling gear.

The mayor says, "I have invited you here because of your past heroics. Word arrived from Shroudbase of the work you did there and I hope that you can help the Dormantown Area once again. You have no doubt determined that this blizzard is an unnatural evil that is quickly killing us. Our firewood runs low, our winter stores are nearly gone and many have already started starving. The ice beasts grow bolder each day and our weakening militia is having trouble keeping them away. Iladan has just returned after discovering a strange fortress made of snow and ice off to the north. I will let him speak of it."

Iladan warms his hands by the small fire and states, "Yes, five days ago I came upon the ice fortress, a mound of snow and ice reaching a staggering height. Ice beasts flocked about it and a large number of those blue-green ice pillars protected it. I'm determined that this is where whatever mad creature is behind this never-ending winter is holed up."

Rosa looks at you and says, "No help is coming from Church of Pelor in Kandor. The dwarves of the Flamebullion Clan had set out to scout Scaun before the blizzard hit and have not returned. Roriport has shut its gates and the trip to Elvareen would kill too many refugees to try it. We have to stop this winter and there are answers to be found in this ice fortress. We've already assembled a group of volunteers to strike at the fortress, but would greatly appreciate your accompanying us."

The party listened intently to what the townsfolk were proposing, but decided that they needed some form of compensation to help the region out. Upon suggesting this, they were met with horrified looks of disgust. The mayor nearly rejected their assistance, wondering why their track record was full of so many selfless acts. Rosa De'Elemon admonished them for taking food out of starving children's mouths. Instead of denying aid to the town, the party was able to compromise, with the town providing the food and necessary equipment for the group to get to the ice fortress and back.

The six volunteers were:


Rosa De'Elemon	Iladan Crestwillow	Celiso Fogantos	Ciclya Derandin	Eli Laoajar	Grilia Landolin

The Ice Fortress

It took the party and volunteers five days to brave through the blizzard to reach the ice fortress.

Through the churning snow, you see a towering fortress of great height, wide at its base and narrowing as it goes up. In the sky above, the flying snow circles endlessly around the tower. Numerous 10-foot wide blue ice towers jet up from the ground surrounding the tower but no creatures can be seen.

Iladan Crestwillow explained that the blue ice towers were called lightning towers and that if you got to close to them, electrical energy would spring forth to attack you. The party scouted the outside of the fortress, finding four different entrances. The entered each one and backed out each time after encountering the first room. Numerous perils awaiting in these rooms, from lightning towers, to cold-burning lichen, to sharp ice-spear traps and arctic hazes full of razor sharp ice. Eventually, the party decided on the lightning pillar entrance. After enchanting Fagan with great electrical resistance, he went to work for over an hour chopping the blue ice towers down.

The party enters the ice fortress.

Walking through the halls, no defenders are found.

Wolves made of ice and snow materialize from the floors and attack the party.

The party is squeezed together as they are attacked on both flanks.

The party gains the upper hand.

The final wolf falls.

After an explosion of blood snow, hostile snow spiders attack. The party retreats, while a summoned rhino does all the fighting for them.

PC Info

Fagan's Thoughts

As I finished my struggle with the Shadow Fever I had developed on the Shadow Plane, I became anxious to return to Dormantown, news of the blizzard disturbing me greatly. After a brief discussion, I managed to convince the others with me that we needed to at least make an attempt to save my family. The only two that dissented where Malic and Mazer. Not terribly surprising. I know many of my companions wish to travel afar and gain new strength and power. I will gladly accompany them, if only the fates would leave my homeland be. I could not live knowing that lust for power caused me to fail in defending my friends and family.

Still, we made our way up through Elvareen, skirting past Arvandolan. We came to Jaliveth, where we found nearly a legion of refugees from Dormantown. I wanted to go in myself, but I abided by the parties wishes to send in Alan as scout. He had heard no news of my family. I grew even more concerned.

We struck out North, to Dormantown. The unnatural climate slowed our travel, and though through magic I was shielded, the harsh site hurt my soul. Our travel was safe, though we did fell a group of Ogre Zombies we came across.

Dormantown was a sad sight. We quickly were ushered to meet with Nicoli, Rosa, and Iladan. They brought word of a fortress of ice to the north. Unfortunately, they said they knew nothing of my family. I hope they are safe.

They also said that a messenger brought a letter to me. As I read it, I discovered it was a reply from Brother Barnaby himself. Word that Aenlyss was missing disturbed me greatly. I did not have the time to finish the letter there as Rosa's fury distracted me. Apparently my "companion" Mazer demanded compensation in order to save the lives of the Dormantown people. My stomach turned at the thought. I promised that I would serve the people of Dormantown without extracting what little they still had from them.

The arguement died off, but I fear there is a schism there that will only continue to manifest. Still, the next day our party along with Rosa, Iladan, Celiso, Grilia, Ciclya, and Eli, made our way to the Fortress of Ice.

We attempted to enter at all three entrances, but perils lay in every path. At the southern entrance, Rosa divined that she could use a spell on me to offer protection from the Towers lightning. All I would need to do then is Smash them down. It was a great way to blow off some pent up anger.

After destroying the towers, we made our way westward, only to encounter a large group of snow wolves. The battle was fierce, but our allies certainly proved their worth. Grilia and I especially worked together at defeating multiple wolves.

Still, we moved onward, only to face another challenge. Mazer managed to prove his worth, conjuring forth a large beast to crush our enemies. It proved most effective.

Now we press on, deeper into the cold darkness of this citadel. I hope that we will be able to stop this winter before more innocents must die.