Not seeing a way to back down, Belgwyn Bravefoot steps up to the task of 1-on-1 combat with the village’s champion. Hesitant about the potential loss of their metal weapons, including her coveted dragon slayer sword, Belgwyn’s thought trail to her last solo fight against Rhogar. Quickly squelching the rising doubt, she reminds herself that the fight with Rhogar was completely unmatched. If she could last that long against the likes of him this would be a piece of cake. Emblazened with this resolution and the swelling of her rage, Belgwyn muscles her way through the fight. Even with a little ‘cheating’ on the shaman’s part the villager’s champion falls to Belgwyn’s ferociousness while she walks away bruised and bleeding but standing strong on her feet.
Even though the villagers go through the motions of their deal with the unwanted guests, not all seem to want to play by the rules. Finding their delivered meals of ‘rotten meat’, a delicacy according to the one that delivered it to them, to be poisoned, the party does not go easy on the shaman when she finally arrives to tell all she knows. In the end she explains that the Old White Death is the white dragon Arauthator. His craving for magic has driven him to amass a trove of magical items, writing, and artifacts. The horned lady (presumed to be Mccath the Crimson) is helping him translate some of the items. The shaman also lets the party know that below in the caves are lizard folks, giant walking toads, and trolls. The villagers are afraid of the dragon and his servants and thus will not leave the iceberg except for fishing. The frozen bodies at the edge of the plateau are a reminder of what happens to those that anger the Old White Death.
She lets them know that she will allow them to use the passage down to the caves through her tent rather than the main entrance inside and under the main tent serving as the village hall. She hopes that the party can free them of their imprisonment. After a night’s rest the party makes their way into the ice caves through the shaman’s hut. The steps leading down are not frequently used and several party members slip and fall the last 60 feet or so before the rest are wise to the hazard. Beginning their exploration, the party finds the caves to be fairly quiet. Discovering a heap of junk in one small cavern before stumbling into a massive cavern full of frozen giant monsters and an oddly placed sailing ship.
Investigating the deck of the ship reveals an open chest of coins and jewels. Reldor, wondering how heavy the chest is, attempts to lift it. Unable to fully pick it up, he does jostle it enough to spill some coins out. Almost immediately there is a gust of wind like a breath that blows through the outer passageway into the room, bringing an unnatural mist with it. As the mist lifts, the party finds two blue trolls with frozen armour staring in at them with alarm and disgust. Maybe not with intent but effective none the less, the party clogs the entry way with their more robust members and quickly make due in vanquishing the two trolls.
Pushing on in the direction of their original travel the continue to find empty space. One cavern holds a large hole in the center of the floor with a rope and hook attached to the ice ceiling above it. Even colder air flows out from the black depths below. The next cavern is completely bare but a light flickers from the passage on the far side. Carefully investigating the light, the party discovers a very out of place tent, one more resembling that of a desert dweller, and warmth originating from the tent itself. Fionne, taking a look inside the tent flap, discovers a red skinned horned tiefling in crimson cloak over tailor furs. The figure is working on a scroll among the many scrolls and books scattered throughout. She is assisted by 2 kobolds that make immediate and nervous eye contact with Fionne the second she pokes her head in.
Quickly de-escalating the tension, Mccath invites the whole party in for some warmth and talk. She further explains the history of Arauthator and his quest for magic. She shows them a volume of spell books that he stole during the Rage of Dragons more than a century ago from the Hosttower in Luskan. She explains that she is a prisoner here but with a purpose more than translation or discovery. She tells them of Arauthator’s mate Arveiaturace, the “White Wym”, and the long deceased wizard Meltharond that she served. She knows that Arauthator is attempting to offer herself as a gift to Arveiaturace in hopes that she will finally show interest in the cult’s activities, of which she has been reluctant to join forces with.
Mccath discusses with the party the task at hand, knowing the White Death is below them in his lair. Whether he is aware of their presence or not, she convinces the party that stealth is their best weapon against the great beast. While the main access is the chute they discovered earlier, there is a second smaller one in the cavern where she keeps her ‘library’ just off the one they are in now. She hopes the party can free the villagers while she is adamant that she needs to stay and finish her work. What she has access to at this time is too great and needs to be finished, even if it means dying here alone. She grants the party’s request to sleep the night here in the warmth and take on the demon below once they have regained themselves.
Session Date – 26 December 2025
Roster
- Fionne ‘The Ankle Biter’
- Sariel
- Belgwyn
- Faris
- Dennis
- Divad
- EKIM
- Seebo
- Reldor