The Stone of a Thousand Winters

SESSION 16 RECAP

PCs

Talos Redwand, 6th level Conjurer
Dubner Ogrebane, 4th/5th level dwarf Fighter / Cleric (Champion)
Eswin, 6th/5th level elven Thief/Fighter
Shaw Ashcroft 5th level Ranger (Justifier)
Kieren, 7th level Druid
Brendel, 6th level half-elf Fighter (Archer)

NPCs

Lady Tyra, a noble from Samarra with a mysterious past
Brundhilde, a Frost Giant Princess

 

From the Wars of Empire Chapter XXXVII: The Mad King's War

Having secured the release of the Frost Giant Princess Brunhilde and a new mysterious ally in Lady Tyra of Samarra, the companions made haste to the castle of Northax where King Leonis and his army were camped out. A Thulian elder informed them that the mad king and his army had taken control of the northern border fort of Caer Terma and that his armies were laying in wait for Leonis' troops. To make matters worse an unnatural blizzard had arisen making troop movement all but impossible for the time being.

Movement was slowed by the blizzard and the companions were forced to march at a snail's pace. On the way to Northax, they were accosted by a Grueshach savant and several snow wraiths, which they easily overcame. The next night, they were attacked by a force of Blood Knight scouts mounted on Basilisks. The battle with the Blood Knights was only slightly more difficult, as Eswin used his medallion to charm six of the basilisks and a well timed slow spell by Talos made the Blood Knights easy pickings for the other heavy hitters of the group.

After two and a half days of hard travel, the companions finally reached Northax. There, they apprised the king of the prophecy of his death and of the secret alliance between the Frost Giants and the mad king. From there, it was determined that the unnatural blizzard needed to end before any troop movement could be made. Leonis' scouts and wizards had picked up a magical flux to the east and guessed that the source of the blizzard was in that direction.

 

Leaving Bunhilde and Tyra at Northax, the companions set out to end the blizzard. A day's travel north and east brought them to an old crag, atop which stood a rune-carved obelisk pulsing with frigid magic. Around the obelisk, five Grueshach savants and a Grueshach elder savant were chanting magical spells. The base of the hillock was guarded by two winter wolves. The battle was met, and Dubner charged into the midst of the Grueshachs around the spire swinging his mighty hammer. Eswin, with his basilisks, managed to turn two of the Grueshachs, to stone, but the rest remained unharmed. While most of the companions dealt with the remaining Grueshach savants, Shaw managed to tame one of the winter wolves, as Dubner went toe-to-toe with the Grueshach elder, supported by the magical arrows from Brendel's mighty bow.

The Remorhaz Emerges from the Snow

Just when it seemed as though the battle would be a cakewalk, the Grueshach elder summoned a Remorhaz from below the frozen ground. It burst forth behind Brendel and immediately tried to swallow the half-elf whole. Eswin sent his basilisks in to turn it to stone, to no avail. The mighty Remorhaz continued pounding merciliessly on the back ranks of the companions, and the fear of defeat began to creep into their minds. Just then, Kieren summoned mighty bolts of lightning from the sky, severely wounding the Remorhaz, but in the process killing all of Eswin's new basilisks. As lightning bolts continued to rain down on the Remorhaz, it finally fell. Moments later, Dubner put his hammer upside the head of the Grueshach elder and the day was won. After defeating the Grueshachs, the companions easily destroyed the Stone of a Thousand Winters and the magical blizzard came to an end. With their quest complete, the companions headed back to Northax to discuss their next steps with the king.

The Tower of Kel-Arath

SESSION 13 RECAP

PCs

Talos Redwand, 6th level Conjurer
Dubner Ogrebane, 4th/4th level dwarf Fighter / Cleric (Champion)
Eswin, 6th/4th level elven Thief/Fighter
Shaw Ashcroft 5th level Ranger (Justifier)
NPCs
Sulla, Osmir, Hafren, and Rhovar, 2nd level Thulian Warriors

From The Wars of Empire Chapter XXXVII: The Mad King's War

The fate of the Battle of the Plains of Galibur rested not in the camps of the two monarchs who stood across from each other on that frozen plain in the winter of 606AT, but with a band of mercenaries in Perrinwall.

Having secured passage through a Godain Way Gate, these sellswords found themselves in a ruined village hundreds of miles from home. Their task: to rescue the daughter of the Frost Giant King Grungnir and break the alliance between the Giants and the mad king who had taken her hostage, in hopes that the Giants would quit the field of battle and tip the scales towards Beltigost. But freeing the Frost Giant Princess Brunhilde would be no easy task. The mad king's vizier Ragan Doon had secreted her away in the Tower of Kel-Arath and the heroes would have to storm the tower to free her.

After stepping through the Way Gate, the travelers found themselves in unfamiliar territory. The ruined village was home to a tribe of freemen who called themselves the Thulians. The travelers treated with the Thulian elders and secured guides who would take them to Steamcloud Vale, where the Tower of Kel-Arath stood. Four of the travelers, along with four Thulian warriors made the trek. The remaining two companions, the Druid Kieren and the Archer Brendel stayed behind to broker a further alliance with the Thulians, in the hopes that they would join the battle on the side of Beltigost.

Bitterwind the White Dragon

The trek across the frozen plains was uncomfortable, but within a day, the travelers found themselves in Steamcloud Vale, where the winds of winter never touched. A mile distant they could see the great stone tower rising 500 feet into the air, its summit carved into the likeness of a dragon's head. The made their way to a ruined chapel at the southern end of the vale under cover of darkness and were set upon by a creature of legend, they thought no longer existed. A white dragon crawled out of a underground cavern ready to devour them whole. Two of the Thulians immediately quit the field and fled, so great was the dragonfear, but the others stood their ground. The mighty ranger Shaw hit the dragon with a blow that wounded it sorely as the wizard Talos used his magics to slow the great beast. The dragon, caught by surprise at the resourcefulness of the companions took to the air and tried to escape, but was brought low by their arrows.

As the companions skinned the dragon for valuable resources, riders came out of the tower to see what the commotion was about. But darkness proved to help the companions as they ambushed six blood knights and made quick work of them.

They then set out for the tower itself, which proved more difficult than anticipated. As they closed in on it, they were beset by giant bolts shot from ballistae mounted on the tower. Two of the shots made quick work of Hafren and Sulla along with their mounts. Eight became Six as they entered the tower.

Azer Forgemaster

Inside the tower they surprised a blood knight guard and made quick work of him. They then descended to the forges in the bowels of the tower where they met with two blood knights, eight dwarves with flaming beards wielding fiery hammers, and a snivelling little dwarf - who they later learned was named Snot Gristlebeard.

The fighting was ferocious, with the blood knights cutting bloody swaths into Shaw and Dubner, bringing them close to death, and the flame-bearded dwarves (Azers) taking care of the final two Thulians and pressing Eswin and Talos to the limit. Talos magicked some fire beetles,  which distracted some of the Azers and Eswin darted in and out of their attacks, striking home when the opportunity presented itself. In the end, though badly wounded, the four companions proved victorious and rescued the snivelling dwarf slave Snot who informed them that the Giantess they sought was not in the tower, but kept in a fiery place beyond this world. The only way to get there was to ascend to the top of the tower and use a magical gate there. The problem was, the gate was guarded by a fire elementalist named Wyrlish and his pack of Hell Hounds. Believing themselves to be too sorely wounded to take the fight to the elementalist right away, the group decided to rest in the forges, regain their strength and pan their next move.