Sessions 10-14: 17/12/23 - 25/2/24

Reunion

The PCs reunite in Ebaris after 8 weeks. They interview 3 potential recruits - Zallos the tracker, Tioh the honest thief, and Bia the more shady thief - and recruit the former 2.

The party then travels to the Frost Giant Keep. They drop their horses and cart at a cave halfway up the mountain, then continue on to the keep itself.

The keep

Tioh scales the rear wall alone, and drops a rope. The PCs and Zallos - now invisible - climb up, then descend into the keep and enter via a rear window. Underneath 2 grand doors they see a throne room guarded by 2 winter wolves.

The frost giant leader appears, wielding a glowing turquoise hammer. The leader enters his throne room, and a subordinate brings him a chained prisoner. The prisoner identifies the frost giant leader as Brutalix.

The PCs then see the prisoner do several bizarre things, apparently at Brutalix’s command. First, he does some sort of dance. Secondly, he does pushups until collapsing. And finally, he tries and fails to snatch a piece of treasure from right between the 2 fierce guard wolves.

First heist

The PCs and Zallos sneak into the throne room, and into the treasure room behind the throne. They witness Brutalix smash the prisoner with his hammer, which devours all traces of cold from the prisoner, killing him instantly.

The PCs fill their sacks with gold quickly, and take the shin guards of a magical, battle-worn set of frost giant platemail. While they wait to leave, Brutalix enters briefly and tosses his bloody piece of treasure back into the treasure room. He doesn’t notice anything missing.

The PCs escape covertly. They collect Tioh on the wall, drop off their treasure at the cave, then return to the keep for a second time.

Second heist

The PCs reenter the keep with both retainers, and with everyone invisible. Demi sneaks past the wolves alone, and secures 2 bags of treasure before Brutalix reappears, and starts addressing his frost giant followers.

As the PCs leave, they see a frost giant behind Brutalix consider stabbing Brutalix in the back. The PCs decide not to intervene, and return to the cave.

Strath

The PCs find Strath sitting atop their treasure cart. He says that someone “difficult to see” stole half a bag of their treasure. He then tells the PCs of 3 other recent developments:

1. Lifos & Tifa were found by the Dragon’s followers, and Tifa admitted that the PCs deceived Maravor back in Port Yulia. Now, Maravor is hunting the PCs.
2. Spider horrors have attacked Bordarahl, which suggests the Drow are further along in their plans.
3. The Great Teloorg has infected several water sources in North Iparra, and continues to subsume everything.

The PCs feel that in 12 days, something terrible will happen in North Iparra, unless they can stop it.

Maravor

After Strath leaves, the PCs follow the tracks of the treasure thief towards Ebaris, but the tracks stop mysteriously in the snow. The PCs then start traveling back to Ebaris in the night. But while Reginald tries to sleep, they hear a dragon scream overhead, and they see Maravor descending.

Through careful use of magic and their remaining Honeyside equipment, the PCs distract and escape from Maravor, despite her spell-casting abilities (including detect invisible and dispel). They preserve only 2 treasure bags, with the rest being melted by dragonfire.

Zallos leads the PCs to a dense forest, and they stop for rest.