Post by hubertbartels on Feb 6, 2023 14:08:35 GMT -5
Opening the City
It has been three weeks since we unmasked Simon of Luskan when Inga had a dream. In the dream, she was visited by her sister. She still showed signs of the fight with the ghouls that killed her on the Dusk Rose. In the dream, Sighild repeated this warning to her:
Tigers with ice in their veins,
Come to spill your blood on the snow.
They will do all in their power
To keep you from finding out what the Frost Maiden
Has hidden beneath the ice.
When Inga wakes, she finds these words written in frozen blood on her mirror.
The next day, we set out for the hidden Netherese city – a two day journey with our Spelljammer. We’re headed for a frozen waterfall over a glacier. The winds coming off the mountain peaks were fierce and blinding. The storm meant that we were unable to spot the waterfall the first afternoon when we arrived at the glacier. Inga piloted the Spelljammer a few hours away and we settled down for the night. The next morning, the storm had abated and we found the waterfall. Inga left the Spelljammer well anchored and hovering near the base of the waterfall and we began to walk.
Beatrix spotted the ambush well before the rest of us. Tribesmen of the Ice Tiger tribe and their saber toothed tigers came running up at us. Melandrian wiped most of them up with a fireball – and we cleaned up the chief, druid and saber toothed tigers soon thereafter.
At the base of the waterfall, Melandrian spoke the words of opening and a passage through the ice appeared. The passage descended into the depths, ending in a chamber in which two headless skeletons lay near the scattered remains of a Netherese sky skiff. Then two flaming skulls flew into the room, firing fireballs. Melandrian drove for cover, Rinaldo destroyed one and we took out the other one. There was a iron safe in the wreckage of the sky skiff – Rinaldo opened it and we took what was inside.
Further down in our explorations, we killed a kobold with glowing red eyes and a ceiling’s worth of ice mephits disguised as stalactites. In a large chamber, there was a Netherese tower, upside down. Inside was nothing but a skeleton dressed in white robes. It turned out the tower had the power of renewing the spells of mages and priests.
Leaving the tower, we found three passages – the north passage led to a room with a stone slab in the floor. The markings on the slab indicated that it could be used to view the hidden Netherese city. Melandrian stepped up to use it. The vision showed something dampening the power of the mythral. Living spells wander the city along the deformed creatures known as Nothics. Then a flying skull – a demi-lich – appeared and invited Melandrian to join him in the city. Melandrian broke the connection.
The eastern passage ended in a chamber with an immense iron head. Its eyes were glowing and by blinking – it was trying to communicate with us. It was the remains of an iron golem. We left it and returned to the room with the tower.
The third passage was a crude stairway going down. This descended, ending in a room where the top of the tower remained. Passages out of the room led east and south as well as a hole melted into the ice. The eastern passage led to a dark room where shadows attacked. Beatrix blew them away with her radiant light. The other passage was guarded by more kobold vampire spawn. Inga got hit hard by the little beings but we able to overcome them. Our resources being wiped out, we decided to retreat to the tower chamber above and take a rest.
It has been three weeks since we unmasked Simon of Luskan when Inga had a dream. In the dream, she was visited by her sister. She still showed signs of the fight with the ghouls that killed her on the Dusk Rose. In the dream, Sighild repeated this warning to her:
Tigers with ice in their veins,
Come to spill your blood on the snow.
They will do all in their power
To keep you from finding out what the Frost Maiden
Has hidden beneath the ice.
When Inga wakes, she finds these words written in frozen blood on her mirror.
The next day, we set out for the hidden Netherese city – a two day journey with our Spelljammer. We’re headed for a frozen waterfall over a glacier. The winds coming off the mountain peaks were fierce and blinding. The storm meant that we were unable to spot the waterfall the first afternoon when we arrived at the glacier. Inga piloted the Spelljammer a few hours away and we settled down for the night. The next morning, the storm had abated and we found the waterfall. Inga left the Spelljammer well anchored and hovering near the base of the waterfall and we began to walk.
Beatrix spotted the ambush well before the rest of us. Tribesmen of the Ice Tiger tribe and their saber toothed tigers came running up at us. Melandrian wiped most of them up with a fireball – and we cleaned up the chief, druid and saber toothed tigers soon thereafter.
At the base of the waterfall, Melandrian spoke the words of opening and a passage through the ice appeared. The passage descended into the depths, ending in a chamber in which two headless skeletons lay near the scattered remains of a Netherese sky skiff. Then two flaming skulls flew into the room, firing fireballs. Melandrian drove for cover, Rinaldo destroyed one and we took out the other one. There was a iron safe in the wreckage of the sky skiff – Rinaldo opened it and we took what was inside.
Further down in our explorations, we killed a kobold with glowing red eyes and a ceiling’s worth of ice mephits disguised as stalactites. In a large chamber, there was a Netherese tower, upside down. Inside was nothing but a skeleton dressed in white robes. It turned out the tower had the power of renewing the spells of mages and priests.
Leaving the tower, we found three passages – the north passage led to a room with a stone slab in the floor. The markings on the slab indicated that it could be used to view the hidden Netherese city. Melandrian stepped up to use it. The vision showed something dampening the power of the mythral. Living spells wander the city along the deformed creatures known as Nothics. Then a flying skull – a demi-lich – appeared and invited Melandrian to join him in the city. Melandrian broke the connection.
The eastern passage ended in a chamber with an immense iron head. Its eyes were glowing and by blinking – it was trying to communicate with us. It was the remains of an iron golem. We left it and returned to the room with the tower.
The third passage was a crude stairway going down. This descended, ending in a room where the top of the tower remained. Passages out of the room led east and south as well as a hole melted into the ice. The eastern passage led to a dark room where shadows attacked. Beatrix blew them away with her radiant light. The other passage was guarded by more kobold vampire spawn. Inga got hit hard by the little beings but we able to overcome them. Our resources being wiped out, we decided to retreat to the tower chamber above and take a rest.