Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 14: Secrets and Surprises

Last session, the heroes had just entered the strange and mysterious keep at Caer-Dineval hoping to find shelter there. However, they would soon find that it was not a place of shelter for them, but instead a shelter for many mysteries and secrets.

Upon being invited into the Caer, they were instructed by Huarwar and Fel, the gatewardens who had on their face continuous smiles, to ascend into the Caer and await the summons of the mistress. Continuing regardless of their strange visage, they did just that. They needed a place to rest, after all. Upon entering they found it even stranger, as a young tiefling boy scuttled off away from their presence when they first entered the room. Furthermore, the whole Caer seemed to be... on edge, tense, perhaps was another word.

Regardless, they were quickly guided to their room. Once there, however, they decided it might be prudent to engage in a quick search of the Caer, after all, nearly the entire party was distrustful of their hosts. Upon entering one of the rooms across from them, they uncovered a rather strange sight: an old shield dwarf merely staring off into the distance blankly.

Hethyl Arkorran, Seer of the Knights of the Black Sword

She did not appear to respond when the players entered her room, only to instead spout off several cryptic phrases. She informed them that: "For all the darkness we wield, we are not the slayers of Icewind Dale, but it's liberators. Look south. Like a tumor, Xardorok's fortress hangs on the Spine of the World. He is the threat you must vanquish, for he forges doom." However, when asked, she would not elaborate further. Instead she continued: "Within his frigid fortress beats a ferocious heart—a forge of fury capable of untold devastation." At this point she commanded the heroes to: "Search Xardorok's fortress to answer the mysteries that yet haunt the dale." Finally, she concluded with a single statement: "The fortress lies far but his agents—the sons of Xardorok, are close at hand." Then she simply stared at the wall, expressionless as before.

It did not take long for the heroes to recognize that she had, in fact, expired. Toh-Toh noticed the amulet around Hethyl's neck and took it, feeling that she didn't need it anymore, and instead offered it up to Malaggar. Meanwhile, Thrax decided to investigate one of the other rooms on the other side of the Caer, finding it to contain a man dressed in elegant finery along with another Knight of the Black Sword with a cheery smile on his face. After asking what was going on, the knight informed them cheerily that "You are not allowed to be here. Please leave!" Thrax tried to say that the mistress wanted the prisoner, but the knight did not believe him one bit, instead challenging him, after all, they he was not a prisoner, asking if they even knew his name (among other things). Foiled, he left and returned to their room. 

After that experience, though, Huarwar and Fel arrived at their room to inform them that the mistress was waiting for them in the northwest tower, all with smiles on their faces. Wanting to figure out who exactly this "mistress" was. When they entered, they found the watchtower occupied by several other Knights of the Black Sword along with an albino tiefling wielding a staff of ice. She introduced herself as Avarice, although Malaggar seemed to know her as Vicarae. A discussion ensued where she informed the heroes that she was here for the betterment of the Ten Towns; the previous speaker of Caer-Dineval (the man Thrax found in the upper level) was someone who despised unity and believed solely in unilateral action. However, her new instruction, under the tutelage of "the master," Avarice proposed a new organization of the Ten Towns, one where everyone worked together. That's what the adventurers were after, no? Even willing to illegally interfere in the democratic process to do so. What was the difference between the two? If anything, Avarice was of a higher moral standing than these adventurers.

Avarice, another member of the Arcane Brotherhood and Leader of the Knights of the Black Sword 

Thrax had had enough, and departed from the Caer, willing, given his goliath resilience to the cold, to await out the night on the floor of the Uphill Climb. Malaggar and Toh-Toh returned to their quarters. Gildas arrived as well, but he seemed to eagerly be looking over several designs that had been given to him by Avarice. Shimo, however, asked Avarice if she could help him, and the two of them descended into the bottom of the Caer.

Time passed and inevitably Shimo returned, only saying that he had been "fixed." However, he missed Thrax, and thus left in order to meet back up with him. Thrax, for his part, had been trying to rouse the townsfolk in order to save the speaker, but it seemed like the majority of people either didn't believe him or (for most of them) just didn't care. The general animosity they felt towards him was quite evident.

Night passed once more, and with dawn the heroes considered their excursion over, departing from Caer-Dineval. Although Avarice did offer lodgings whenever they happened to be near the Caer.

Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 13: Winter Wizardry

After having successfully foiling the plot crafted by Naerth Maxildinarr of Targos to try and sow political discord among the residents of Termalaine, the heroes decided that they'd best be off to their next destination: Easthaven. They had heard reports of fisherman having vanished and thought it prudent to investigate one of the largest of the Ten Towns. However, given the length of the journey to Easthaven, it seemed like it would be a multi-day journey, stopping in Bryn Shander for a night, but the party had recently earned a reasonable amount of gold from their quest in Termalaine, and saw fit to equip themselves with new forms of travel: Axe Beaks.

These avian creatures had webbed feet that expertly navigated the sloping and icy hills that adorn the otherwise barren landscape of the dale faster than any humanoid feet. With these creatures in tow, the heroes set off on their journey once more, now determined to make it; however, the weather was not on their side. Their journey began treacherously, it was snowing heavily, and they made very little progress as they could barely find their way. Once they did though, they were finally on their way, but it was then when they noticed a rather strange sight–an igloo.

An Axe Beak ready for travel across the tundra

Upon noticing this strange structure, they quickly investigated only to find the owner: an old tethyrian woman with an eye patch and white hair. She introduced herself as Vellynne and offered to let the adventurers use her hut, which she explained, was conjured by magic as a way of protecting herself from the cold. The interior of the igloo was incredibly warm, much more so than the outside area, and the adventurers took this opportunity to get warm while they could.

Talking to Vellynne, they learned that she was a wizard and a member of the Arcane Brotherhood – a group of wizards normally based in Luskan – but that she was searching for something to do with lost civilizations. Malaggar queried as to whether this had anything to do with the Ancient Empire of Netheril, and Vellynne nodded, looking surprised as to how Malaggar knew this. Malaggar than discussed how he had met with an albino tiefling – Vicarae – and how she, similarly, was searching for information regarding Netheril. However, Vellynne informed Malaggar that "Vicarae" was, in fact, a fake name, and the tiefling's real identity was that of "Avarice."

Apparently, Avarice, a red wizard named Dzaan and Vellynne had, at one point, been allies in this search, but friction grew between the three members of the Arcane Brotherhood and they inevitably parted ways. The heroes also quickly realized that perhaps Vellynne could help them, as several of them had been suffering terrible dreams that would not let them sleep. Vellynne agreed, as long as the heroes did something for her. She noted that she found it easier to help heroes and request their help in return than to end up on the wrong side of their blade. Vellynne subsequently informed them that an orb of hers, which she called "Professor Skant." Had been stolen by yet another member of the Arcane Brotherhood, Nass Lantomir. Vellynne has been searching the Ten Towns for it, but she has not found anything as of yet.

The heroes accepted Vellynne's request for help and, after she assisted them herself, removing them of the curse that prevented them from resting, set off to continue their journey, while she continued to wait out the storm. However, things only got worse, as a full-on blizzard set in, making them realize that they would practically have to wait things out in Targos. That was not all though, as when the heroes arrived at the Targosian gates, a sled dog bounded up to them. It quickly tackled Shimo and tried to drag him into the city. After dealing with the gate guards it didn't take long for the dog to guide them towards a small Targosian home.

The walled settlement of Targos, the second-largest of the Ten Towns

After arriving at the home, they were greeted by an Illuskan man, who initially seemed overjoyed to see the dog, but his mood considerably darkened when he saw the characters. Regardless, he invited them in and, after introducing himself as Keegan Velryn, explained the situation to them. This dog, Boy, was his husband, Garret's, dog; he raised him since he was a pup, and if Boy was present without Garret... needless to say, Keegan feared the worst. Recently, a group of adventurers had journeyed into Targos - a goliath, a tiefling, and a halfling. They were apparently on some kind of quest to find a creature named Oyamintak or something like that. Garret was from Neverwinter, but he was an excellent wilderness and survivalist. They apparently were planning to head to Kelvin's Cairn through Caer-Konig, meeting with some of Garret's survivalist buddies at Frozenfar Expeditions. He asked if the adventurers would be willing to help him by traveling to Caer-Konig and seeing what happened, they accepted, noting that it was a bit of a detour from Easthaven, but there was someone in danger!

After recovering themselves after the storm they continued their journey, now heading northward on the Eastway instead of Easthaven. However, by the time they arrived in Caer-Dineval (on the road to Caer-Konig), it was time to rest for the night. Alas! Upon investigating at the local tavern, the Uphill Climb, the tavernkeep, Roark, reported that the single inn that was once present in the small town has shut down and is boarded-up. Apparently much of the trade had slowed since the Rime started, especially regarding the Easthaven ferry system. Uncertain regarding the inn, they confirmed it abandoned, finding it... well, abandoned. Although, upon peeking past the boards they did notice some bedrolls – squatters perhaps?

Caer-Dineval, the small town overshadowed by the imposing Caer

Regardless, seeing as that was fruitless, they returned to the Uphill Climb, who recommended the caer, the Speaker's residence. Apparently he was quite sick, rarely coming out except to make important declarations, not that Roark or any of the few tavern patrons cared. It seems the speaker was not well-regarded in Caer-Dineval. This recommendation was followed subsequently by Thrax, who decided to attempt to raid the Caer, believing it to be the source of evil! This did not prove fruitful, as the Caer was... quite well-defended, having high and thick walls; however, when the rest of the party joined with Thrax, the guardkeeps, having rather... unsettling smiles on their faces, decided to let them in for some strange reason, so long as Thrax ended his attempts at destroying their Caer.