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01) 11+ =13
02) 13+ =18
03) 18+ =20
04) 20+ =24
05) 24+ =31
06) 31+ =40
07) 40+ =48
08) 48+ =53
09) 53+ =59
10) 59+ =65
11) 65+ =73
12) 73+ =76
13) 76+ =78
14) 78+ =82
15) 82+ =87
16) 87+ =96
17) 96+ =101
18) 101+ =105
19) 105+ =113
01) 13+ =21
02) 21+ =26
03) 26+ =32
04) 32+ =34
05) 34+ =42
06) 42+ =47
07) 47+ =55
08) 55+ =61
09) 61+ =69
10) 69+ =78
42 nods as the healing washes over him.
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Upon being told about Efrixes and Talsune, Nevra and Bescaylie fall very silent. Nevra manages to retain her composure, but Baknarla sheds a few tears before yelling at Baknarla for leading you into this death-trap of a place. It takes awhile for Nevra to calm her down.
Baknarla looks very apologetic, but tells you that Rimekeening Crevasse has become a dangerous place since her people were driven from these lands because in their absence all sorts of wild creatures had been able to make their lairs in the area, and there is no guarantee that staying put will be any safer than pressing on. She also tells you that if her memory serves her correctly, you should be nearing the secret passage to Ivoryglass. She says that once you find the passage, resting will be much safer as it is too narrow for the larger wild creatures of Triaxus.
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Upon being told about Efrixes and Talsune, Nevra and Bescaylie fall very silent. Nevra manages to retain her composure, but Bescaylie sheds a few tears before yelling at Baknarla for leading you into this death-trap of a place. It takes awhile for Nevra to calm her down.
"If there's a safe spot to rest, please lead us to it. Until then, let's patch ourselves up as best we can and then move on before something else nasty jumps out at us..."
Seeing that 42 has a wand, Exiel feels a little more at ease about using his remaining healing power to patch himself and Lauriel up further. He also re-creates the haste spell-tattoo on Lauriel.
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Once the party is healed up, Alden walks solemnly over to Bescaylie and lays a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry for your loss, friend. Those creatures were much more deadly than I could have even imagined. You have every condolence, and we will not let his (her?) death be in vain. Let us continue on and finish this."
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Exiel will use the charges remaining on the dragonkins' wand and Alden's wand on Bescaylie and Nevra.
Exiel nods in agreement with Alden's words.
"They risked and gave their lives to see Yrax slain. We will honour their memory best by seeing that the deed is done. And we'll do that best by pressing on."
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With 42's consent, Exiel uses 10 charges on Bescaylie and Nevra each.
"This will have to do for now. I have no power to give any more healing today by my own power, but I might have something that will serve just as well."
Drawing on the power in his blood, Exiel channels some additional life-force into Nevra and Bescaylie.
"It's not true healing, but it will mitigate any further injuries you sustain in the next few hours."
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Nevra: 91/115 HP + 17 THP
Bescaylie: 99/109 + 13 THP
Baknarla: 98/127
After mourning the fallen, Baknarla helps you bury Talsune and Efrixes in the cavern, explaining that as this is the sacred ground of her tribe, it is a suitable place for burial, especially once her people reclaim it. She then leads you on deeper down the next tunnel.
The tunnel leads to another cavern that gradually widens at the other end, where it branches to two different passages. Baknarla explains that the Northern passage will lead to Ivoryglass, but the Southern passage leads to the last great cavern in the crevasse, and where you are most likely to find Sarnok's remains if they are still in the crevasse.
Looking down the Southern passage, you see a jagged, frozen grotto riddled with cracks and fissures. Sharp icicles hang fro the uneven ceiling and thick ice covers much of the walls. A vertical sheet of ice fills the Western end of the cavern like a wall, and even from where you are the frozen remains of several creatures are visible, sealed within the frozen wall.
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"Well, we said that we would help you find your tribe hero's body, so let's see this through. It looks like there are some bodies in that ice wall over at the far end of the cavern. Perhaps our search is not far from over."
As an added precaution, Exiel casts false life on himself, then walks towards the ice wall on the far corner carefully to see if there are any adlets in the ice.
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Exiel walks towards the ice wall, carefully looking out for signs of danger. He does not see any until a especially large stalactite detaches itself from the ceiling and falls towards his head!
Exiel is caught surprised and flat-footed by the stalactite that smashes into him. He is even more surprised by the fact that the stalactite has a large eye, an even larger mouth and 6 ropy tentacles whipping around it.
Initiative order:
Exiel
?????
42
Alden
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Fortunately for Exiel, the church of Torag had schooled him well in defensive strategies . His precautions allow him to narrowly avoid the surprise attack.
The creature's unique form brings Exiel back to a time he had fought a similar creature in the Hold of Belkzen...and how he had defeated it.
"Smite evil. Siphon might."
"Look out for the tentacles. Can't remember what this thing is called, but I do remember its tentacles are worse than its bite!"
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The stalactite realises that it had smashed into a reflection of Exiel in the ice. It fixes its gaze on the elusive paladin, just in time to see him cast yet another necromantic spell.
The creature braces itself for Exiel's spell, and manages to avoid some of the strength drain. It retaliates by trying to bite Exiel, then lashing out at him with no less than 6 ropey tentacles!
Unfortunately for the creature, Exiel has shielded himself his deity's power, and it is unable to even touch the paladin. It snarls in frustration and resolves to find a new target next turn.
42 charges in, and the creature seizes the opportunity to try to bite him.
It bites a stalagmite beside 42 and narrowly avoids impaling its own mouth. However, 42's scimitar is also unable to penetrate the creature's rocky hide.
Alden moves up, ready to defend his allies.
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Bescaylie charges in and plunges her lance into the stalactite. Despite it's stony appearance, the creature proves to have flesh and blood beneath its tough exterior.
Nevra also swoops in and scores a deadly strike with her glaive as she flies past.
Exiel casts one of his favourite spells and becomes (I'm guessing) a gargoyle once again.
The creature looks at the available targets, and decides to go for Nevra as recompense for the wound she dealt to it. It whips it tentacles around itself, then lashes out with frightening speed at Nevra, reaching her with its ropey tentacles despite the distance between them.
It also leans over to bite Bescaylie for the lesser wound that was dealt to it.
Unfortuntely, Alden is not close enough to guard her, and she takes a nasty bite.
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Bescaylie attacks twice more with her lance, her anger at losing her companion coming out in her attacks.
Alden and Naala take a quick step to the side, getting Bescaylie within range of Alden's aid. He spends his action actively helping her avoid attacks, and Naala spends hers doing the same for 42.
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Baknarla attacks the creature with her spear, wielding it in a two-handed grip.
She strikes swiftly, but her inability to roll higher than a 10 prevents her from causing a single wound on the creature, which snorts at her dismissively.
Initiative order:
Exiel + Nevra
?????
Baknarla
42
Alden + Bescaylie
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42 is blinking in and out of reality as he is facing the evil horde beast in front of him.
He casts defensively Greater Invisibility and attacks the foe.
Not worried about the monster now, 42 casts Ray of Exhaustion and attacks from his invisible perch.
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42 goes invisible and strikes at the creature, but finds that being invisible does nothing to help him cut through the creature's tough hide. Bescaylie does a little better with one of her lance strikes.
Nevra weakly breathes a line of lightning at the creature...but the bolt seems to splash off the creature's rocky exterior to absolutely no effect. Exiel on the other hand carves into the creature, with blade and claw. The creature seems oblivious to the icy cold of the blade, but it feels every physical cut.
But the creature is still standing, and it wants to have some prey. Having already weakened Nevra easily, it continues to attack her. Despite the distance, it simply takes a 5ft step, and then lashes out with its tentacles across the cave.
And it also tries to take a bite out of the crazy gargoyle cutting him to shreds.
It fails miserably.
Baknarla attempts a counter-attack.
She only gets 1 hit in.
Still invisible, 42 slashes again, and this time, he is able to penetrate the creature's hide, leaving a jagged gash.
But it resists some of 42's necromancy.
Initiative order:
Exiel + Nevra
?????
Baknarla
42
---------------------------------------------
Alden + Bescaylie
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Alden loses sight of 42 and is no longer able to aid him...but it does not matter for the creature falls beneath the combined assault of Exiel and Bescaylie.
A quick examination of Nevra shows that she is still alive, but has been paralyzed by the strength-sapping effects of the creature's touch. Without magical aid, it will take her several days of rest to recover her strength. If you can find the safe zone mentioned by Baknarla, you may be able to leave her there and come back for her on your way back to Spurhorn.
Eventually you turn your attention to the creatures entombed in the ice wall, and Bakanrla is excited to find that the body of the adlet hero Sarnok is indeed here. It takes some time to chip out the various bodies, but eventually you are able to recover the following items:
+1 dragonbane thawing longspear
Belt of fallen heroes
Prophet's pectoral
Hide of the Dragonrider
Various other miscellaneous jewelry worth 425gp
You also take the time to check what potions you had collected since coming to Triaxus, and note that you have the following healing potions at your disposal:
cure serious wounds x 2
cure moderate wounds x 4
Baknarla identifies the prophet's pectoral as the item she came for, and assuming none of you stops her, she will claim it as her own. However, the rest of the items she identifies for you and grants to you, asking that you use them well in defeating Yrax.
When you are ready to move on, Baknarla leads you down the other path. The going is a little slower as you need to carry Nevra along with you, and eventually the passage narrows such you can barely fit the large dragonkin through. After about half an hour of travel, Baknarla signals for you to stop. She tells you that end of the tunnel lies just a couple of minutes away, and that if you wish to rest, this would be the place to do so.
She further explains that the citadel of ivoryglass lies at the bottom of a moulin in a massive glacier, and that the passage you are now in leads to the southern wall of the moulin. Approaching through the crevasse has allowed you to avoid some of the aerial patrols and the need to climb down the vertical walls of ice down the moulin, but there is still some distance between the wall and the palace itself, and you are likely to encounter some resistance. Surrounding the palace are numerous outbuildings for the servants and subjects of Yrax, including guard posts, barracks for both dragonkin and Triaxians, drake ghettos, servant and slave quarters, smithies, storehouses, and wolliped pens. Many of these will be largely empty due to the troops that had been diverted to the siege at Spurhorn, but there will still be several patrols to contend with nonetheless.
Baknarla tells you that she should be able to draw off the patrols and enable you to get to the palace unimpeded. Alternatively, you can try to past the patrols with her, in which case you are likely to encounter more patrols, but she will fight alongside you against any patrols you encounter, and you will have her aid when raiding the palace itself. Either way she will aid you as best she can.
Nevra is too weakened to move and reluctantly tells you to proceed without her. Bescaylie says that although the passage you are in is hidden, she will not leave Nevra alone and undefended. She offers to loan you any of her equipment that you might find useful, but says that she herself will wait in the passage with Nevra for your return.
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42 looks at Nevra and asks, "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Thinking about the problem at hand, he knows that Baknarla might be sacrificing herself if she draws the guards off, but the over all success of the mission must take priority over one persons life. "I hate to say this," he says, "But, we might stand a better chance if you do draw off the guards."
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"It is not a problem," Baknarla replies. "These used to be my people's lands, and I know them well. Alone, I can blend into the scenery and evade capture alot easier than if we went as a group. And in the worst scenario, I can call allies out of the ice and conjure fog and sleet to cover my escape. If you think that is the best way to use my abilities, I will create enough of a diversion to draw the patrols away from the palace long enough for you to get to the palace gates. I do still need to return to my people, after all."
She looks to Exiel and Alden as well to see what their views of the matter are.
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Exiel considers Baknarla's words, then nods.
"This is not a task I would ask of anyone unless they volunteered, and unless I was certain they could pull it off without it being suicide. We are not here to fight an entire army on our own. More to the point, it is beyond us. We need to choose the option that gets as many of us as certainly to Yrax as we can, take him down, find the artifact we're looking for, then escape. A diversion will lessen the odds of bringing the entire garrison down on our heads, all the better."
"Just make sure you get yourself out safely. We will meet you back where Nevra and Bescaylie are waiting."
Then he considers the equipment that is on offer.
"That spear is just about the perfect weapon with which to fight Yrax. I would propose either 42 or myself take it, since Alden uses a very specialised toolset. Perhaps if I took the spear and 42 takes the rimeblade? From what I can tell, the rimeblade should be a straight upgrade to your own scimitar."
"Bescaylie, since you have offered, I will borrow your ring and belt. Once we go in, we will likely not be able to rest until we complete our objective and get out. I will need to be judicious in my use of spells, and those items will help with that. Thank you."
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You take the time to rest in the safety of the hidden passage before setting off once more. Nevra regains some mobility but is still weak to move, and Bescaylie stays by her side, unwilling to leave the only other soldier left from Spurhorn.
A few minutes of walking leads you to the end of the passage, hidden behind a ice-covered outcrop of rock which you need to climb over. What you see is more or less as Baknarla described - you find yourselves in a large moulin sheathed in ice. Several structures of stone and ice litter the moulin surrounding a towering fortress carved from a solid block of
glacial ice, compacted with pressure and age to the hardness and strength of stone. Several sky-blue continual flames set in sconces carved to resemble draconic claws or jaws provide illumination around the palace.
Baknarla bids you good luck before setting off. Several minutes later, you hear a commotion in the distance and see several shapes moving towards it. You spy among the shapes hydras, dragonkin, triaxians and other more exotic beasts, and find yourselves rather relieved that you do not need to battle the whole lot of them. A few patrols still linger about, but with the bulk of them drawn away, you have little trouble making your way to the entrance of the palace undetected.
The sole entrance to Ivoryglass stands in the palace's eastern wall, flanked by two stone guardhouses. Barred iron gates 20 feet wide and 6 inches thick remain firmly closed. A squad of four heavily armored triaxians stand guard at the gate Ivoryglass's gate, supervised by a
robed figure. Unlike the other wandering patrols, these 5 have not budged from their station.
How do you wish to approach?
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rimeblade (+1 frost scimitar that Malesinder was using, resizes to user, see description)
silver-chased scabbard (worth 250 gp, non-magical. Fits the scimitar)
javelin of lightning
page of spell knowledge (draconic reservoir)
restless lockpicks
lesser strand of prayer beads
four truefrost elixirs
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"That scroll of dimension door could get us past the guards and the gates. If we want to infiltrate a fortress, the best way to do it would be by leaving the front door intact. Baknarla can't keep the patrols away forever, and if the front door is breached, we're going to draw them in. On the other hand, if we use that scroll to transport ourselves, say, 5ft behind that door, we should be able to take our time exploring the place. Well, until we do something else that raises the alarm, anyway."
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You gather around the corner from the gatehouse, and then use the scroll to travel behind the gate.
You arrive in a short passageway leading to a large atrium. Slender ice pillars support the tall roof of this sweeping gallery, and thick blocks of translucent crystal set in the roof allow some outside light to illuminate the area. Ornamental rock gardens line both sides of a wide flagstone path running through the center of the chamber. A dozen alabaster statues, all depicting the same draconic figure, flank either side of the path.
This atrium is 90 feet high. The gardens contain a small variety of Triaxian plant life, most of it currently dormant in winter's chill. Also in the atrium is a vaguely draconian but also somewhat misshapen creature. It is not the creature depicted by the statues. Where the statues depict what might be described as a majestic draconic figure, the creature before you is rather squat, and more importantly seems to lack any eyes at all. Its maw and claws are a sickly yellow, and upon your appearance, it cocks its head, then turns to face your general direction as it rises to its feet.
Initiative order:
Exiel
Alden
???
42