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<blockquote data-quote="Richards" data-source="post: 8422057" data-attributes="member: 508"><p><strong>ADVENTURE 44: THE CHILLING STORM</strong></p><p></p><p>PC Roster:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Cramer Appleknocker, gnome cleric 15</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Jhasspok, lizardman 3/barbarian 3/fighter 9</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Khari Hammerslammer, dwarf fighter 14/psychic warrior 1</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Marlo Pendragon, human sorcerer 15</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"> Utred "Buckets" Butterflinger, dwarf barbarian 15</p><p></p><p>Game Session Date: 6 October 2021</p><p></p><p> - - -</p><p></p><p>With a sound of displaced air, the five heroes suddenly appeared in the middle of a Greenvale park, the result of one of Cramer Appleknocker's <em>teleport</em> spells. Almost immediately, there was another pop as a sixth figure <em>teleported</em> into view with the others, almost as if he had been anticipating their arrival. This sixth figure towered over the others, for it was none other than C'thorlumbrox, the nine-foot-tall ulitharid who had been working on deciphering the illithid manuscripts the heroes had provided him.</p><p></p><p><I have made progress,> the ulitharid told them telepathically, pulling a rolled-up scroll from his sleeve and passing it over to Jhasspok, not because the lizardfolk could read it (he couldn't) but because he was the tallest of the heroes and thus the closest in size to the towering ulitharid. Jhasspok didn't even bother unrolling it, passing it over to Cramer. The gnome walked over to a nearby picnic table, crawled up onto the bench, and unrolled the piece of parchment. It was a list of the Writhing Gates as described in the illithid work, with parenthetical notes along the right-hand side:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong><u>List of Writhing Gates</u></strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Temple of Thephobak</strong>, the prison of the enslaved mind. (The first one destroyed)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Tresdazell</strong>, which waits south of the slumbering wyrm. (Beneath Riven)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Frozen Gate of Uozell</strong>, which watches over the world. (Somewhere in the Giant's Tundra)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Svusban</strong>, lying beneath the boreal forests of Luzumin. (Now a part of the Desolate Wastes)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Sardegon</strong>, waiting within the Isle of the Five Gods. (The main isle of Jakura)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Zepholekt</strong>, bearing the rift betwixt Corellon's exiled kin and Laduguer's champions. (The Writhing Gate used by House Jalamir)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Radravossk</strong>, which dreams of cerulean waves.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Rylethek</strong>, whose undulating currents call to the drowned.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Svulbiss</strong>, which floats adrift, unseen by those overshadowed. (Possible cloud island?)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>The Gate of Zarbugak</strong>, untamer of the wilds, lies untouched by civilized minds.</p><p></p><p><You have destroyed the first two,> C'thorlumbrox said. <I am confident of the general locations of the next three on the list, and you are well aware of the location of the Gate of Zepholekt. Which of those would you like to tackle next?> A brief discussion followed, with the final decision being the Frozen Gate of Uozell. "I don't want to go back into the Desolate Wastes until we know a little more about it," Cramer explained to the others. He had to remind Jhasspok that was the place whose desert sands had burned the bottoms of the lizardfolk's feet and then the reptile agreed he was in no hurry to return there, either.</p><p></p><p>"We'll want <em>endure elements</em> spells in place if we're going into the frozen lands," Marlo suggested. "So, shall we plan on heading out tomorrow morning?" That sounded good to everyone, as it left the rest of that day for unwinding and preparing for the next day's journey.</p><p></p><p>But fortunately, with two spellcasters in their group capable of casting the <em>teleport</em> spell, the next day's journey lasted all of a few seconds. Marlo focused her mind on recalling the general layout of the town of Rimesfjord and once she had a good mental image in place she cast the spell. Cramer immediately cast <em>endure elements</em> spells on the other members of the group, having decided to forego the spell himself - he had cold weather gear on he could use instead. He did, however, cast a <em>moment of prescience</em> spell on himself, knowing it would simmer there in the back of his mind until needed. And then the group headed to the large building they'd visited before, when seeking to obtain aid from the frost giant leader against the impending drow invasion.</p><p></p><p>Announcing themselves at the massive dwelling, the five were granted an audience with Queen Sigvor. "If anyone knows of the Gate you seek," she told them, "it will likely be <strong>Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk</strong>. Unfortunately, he's been rather busy plotting my assassination." This last bit of information was said with a smirk on her face, as if she found the whole thing rather funny.</p><p></p><p>"Your assassination, Majesty?" Marlo asked, wondering if she'd heard the frost giant queen correctly.</p><p></p><p>"Yes, quite - not that he has a chance of actually following through with his plans, of course. But it now occurs to me you can kill two birds with one stone: I will tell you where you can find the good Father, and then you can ask him about the location of this 'Gate of Uozell' you're looking for, as long as you kill him and his followers afterward."</p><p></p><p>"And these followers of his--" began Utred.</p><p></p><p>"Frost giants," Queen Sigvor interrupted. "You have my leave to slay them; they are traitors to their queen."</p><p></p><p>Cramer looked at the others, asking without saying a word if they were up for this (the gnome had very expressive eyebrows). Upon seeing nobody having a problem with being asked to slay evil would-be assassins, he spoke for the group: "We agree to your terms, Your Majesty."</p><p></p><p>"Very well then. They are holed up in a cathedral carved from the inside of a glacier." The frost giant queen summoned forth an image of the cathedral in question in a globe of polished ice, which served her as a <em>crystal ball</em>, allowing Marlo to see exactly where it was she'd be <em>teleporting</em> the group to next. "He quite often demands hefty donations to his temple when people seek him out for his accumulated knowledge, so be prepared to offer up a significant bribe to even get in to see him," Queen Sigvor advised. Marlo smiled at that bit of information, promising Cramer (who was querying her with his eyebrows) with a "shushing" motion of her hand that she'd explain later. Then, bowing before the frost giant queen, Marlo thanked her for her assistance and promised they'd take care of Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk and his minions for her.</p><p></p><p>"Okay, what's so funny?" Cramer demanded once they were back outside.</p><p></p><p>"It's just his demand for money makes such perfect sense," the sorceress explained. "'Yinxirzijir Kepesk' is Draconic for 'Chilling Storm.'"</p><p></p><p>"I don't get it," admitted Jhasspok.</p><p></p><p>"The guy we're being sent to kill is a dragon," Khari explained to the lizardfolk. "Dragons like to collect vast amounts of treasure."</p><p></p><p>"So do we," remarked Jhasspok.</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, well maybe we'll get to split up a dragon's treasure hoard between us after we've completed this mission!" exclaimed Utred, suddenly even more eager to find this Frozen Gate of Uozell.</p><p></p><p>"Okay, let's prepare before we head over there," Marlo suggested, casting a <em>Rary's telepathic bond</em> spell on the group. Cramer cast a <em>protection from cold</em> spell on himself, anticipating the dragon they'd be fighting in the arctic lands would be a white one. Then, voicing the arcane syllables to a <em>teleport</em> spell, Marlo sent the group of five heroes across the miles to stand just outside the entrance to the glacier she'd seen in Queen Sigvor's scrying sphere.</p><p></p><p><Are we going to try to sneak in and take them by surprise?> asked Utred over the mental link.</p><p></p><p><Not at all,> answered Marlo. <We need the location of the Frozen Gate first, remember? I'll go in, with Jhasspok as my bodyguard.> She knew gnomes and dwarves had a racial animosity with giants and feared the feeling might be mutual, so she was perfectly fine with Cramer, Khari, and Utred staying behind at first. After all, they could always rush in when combat started - or Cramer could <em>teleport</em> them all in, for that matter.</p><p></p><p>Marlo and Jhasspok walked boldly through the tunnel leading from the glacier's exterior to the interior of the "cathedral" - a vast cavern carved directly out of the glacier's ice. Inside was a ring of five frost giants talking amongst themselves, their conversation coming to an abrupt halt upon noticing their guests. However, with the enhanced magical vision granted her from her <em>robe of eyes</em>, Marlo could see the frost giant with the staff farthest back was a mere illusion - and that an invisible dragon stood at the back of the cathedral, in the northeastern corner. She could also see it was currently much larger than normal, the product of some sort of size-altering magic.</p><p></p><p>"Good day, gentlemen!" Marlo called to the others, careful not to look directly at the dragon with her own eyes as she walked directly into their midst. (The eyes on her robe aimed in the dragon's direction were doing that just fine for her in any case.) "I seek information and am willing to pay for it!"</p><p></p><p>The illusory frost giant looked down at her and spoke, which told Marlo the dragon was manipulating it somehow. "Why don't you ask the other members of your party to enter as well?" Mentally calling them forth over the link, Marlo heard them walk into the cathedral a few moments later. They stood beside Jhasspok, who had opted not to walk into a ring of frost giants; he trusted Marlo would be able to use her <em>boots of levitation</em> to escape them if it became necessary.</p><p></p><p>"What information do you seek?" asked the illusory frost giant elder.</p><p></p><p>"We seek the location of the Frozen Gate of Uozell," Marlo replied. "It's a ring of ten writhing tentacles rising up from the ground, with a seat - likely sized for a human, not a giant - before each tentacle. We were told you might know its location."</p><p></p><p>The illusory frost giant rubbed a hand across its chin, as if deep in thought. "I have not heard that name before," he admitted, "but I recall having seen something before that fits your description." He placed both hands upon his staff and leaned upon it, looking down upon his guests. "I will tell you where you may find this device - for a contribution of 80,000 golden coins."</p><p></p><p>Marlo didn't hesitate for a moment, but opened her <em>bag of holding</em> and dumped the coins held within its extradimensional interior onto the icy floor at her feet. It made a quite impressive pile, and one that caused Utred to flinch in visible pain. <Settle down!> Marlo commanded. <We'll get the money back after we've slain them all!> Then, stepping back and looking up at the illusion sitting in as the real Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk, she said, "We don't have quite that much - only around 56,000. Will that be sufficient?"</p><p></p><p>"It will suffice," the illusory frost giant elder replied (via a bit of <em>ventriloquism</em> from the invisible dragon in the back, who was cautiously creeping up to get a better look at the gold). "What you seek is inside Maugfjell, a mountain with a cave leading down below the permafrost." He didn't mention that he had originally intended for it to be his draconic lair, or that "Maugfjell" was Giant for "Evil Mountain." But Marlo, who spoke fluent Giant, was already aware of the meaning of the mountain's name.</p><p></p><p>"Do you have a means to <em>scry</em> upon it for us?" Marlo asked.</p><p></p><p>"Hmmm," mused the elder giant, back to rubbing his chin in thought. "Not immediately at hand - but I will once I have your entrails."</p><p></p><p><'Entrails' means 'guts' - they want to kill us!"> prompted Utred over the telepathic link, figuring Jhasspok wouldn't have understood the comment or its intended meaning otherwise. But the silent nudging over the link was all Jhasspok needed to realize it was time to charge into action.</p><p></p><p>And charge he did, straight at the closest frost giant in the circle, a massive brute with an equally impressive-looking axe in hand. Jhasspok's own battleaxe came slamming into the giant's side, releasing a flow of red blood from the wound. Not quite ready to reveal to his underlings his true form, the invisible white dragon slowly creeped forward, still completely oblivious that anyone knew he was even there. And not wanting to cause anyone to panic - or reveal their knowledge by looking for the dragon - Marlo kept mum about its existence for the moment. After all, she reasoned, it was still far enough back not to be much of a threat. But she did caution the others not to bother attacking the elder giant with the staff, pointing out he was just an illusion.</p><p></p><p>Khari charged up beside Jhasspok, adding his <em>earthglide warhammer</em> to the combat against that particular frost giant. Marlo chose the frost giant to the right of the illusion as her target and tried something she'd never attempted before: not only <em>empowering</em> but also <em>maximizing</em> a <em>scorching ray</em> spell. She was disappointed when one of the three gouts of flame pouring from her outstretched hand failed to hit its target, but the other two caused her foe quite enough grief, temporarily engulfing him in flames. Enraged, he brought his axe down upon Marlo - as did the frost giant on the other side of their illusory leader. The other two took on Jhasspok and Khari, their own weapons striking true.</p><p></p><p>Utred charged into the giant attacking Jhasspok and Khari who'd yet to be targeted in battle; the dwarven barbarian liked facing fresh foes all by himself now and again. His <em>greenflame greataxe</em> tore into the giant's body with the full force of the barbarian's strength. And then Cramer cast a <em>blade barrier</em> spell that chewed through Utred's foe and extended on through the giant Marlo had set ablaze with her spell.</p><p></p><p>Bleeding heavily between his scales, Jhasspok ignored the pain of his wound and continued swinging his battleaxe into the frost giant who had struck him, snapping his predator's teeth at him as well when the opportunity warranted. Unseen by all but Marlo, the dragon advanced even closer, amused at the battle before him and still unaware that his own life was in jeopardy. Khari struck at his own foe with his warhammer, irritated that the frozen ice beneath him prevented him from earth gliding around and taking his foes by surprise.</p><p></p><p>Marlo, hurting from the axe-blows she'd received, cast a <em>dimension door</em> spell to instantly move over to one corner of the ice cathedral, away from the worst of the ongoing fray. But already the enemy numbers were being reduced, for the closest frost giant to Cramer died from wounds received by the numerous flashing blades flying all about in a line from his spell. The giant crashed out of the area of the spell's effect, staining the ice below him red from the blood of his countless cuts.</p><p></p><p>But while that left three frost giants battling the three front-line combatants on the heroes' side, Jhasspok was quickly taken out of the fight when one giant's axe got past his shield and carved a deep gash through his torso, chopping through several ribs and skewering the lizardfolk's right lung. The reptile collapsed to the ground, spitting blood and no longer breathing normally.</p><p></p><p>Utred finished off another frost giant with a rapid series of strikes from his greataxe as Cramer cast first a <em>mass bear's endurance</em> spell upon all five of the heroes, boosting their endurance and ability to take damage, followed immediately with a <em>quickened cure moderate wounds</em> spell on Jhasspok that reknit his ribs together and sealed up the gaping hole in his lung, muscles, and scales. The lizardfolk awoke on the cold ice of the cavern floor wondering whose blood that was in his mouth. But then he got to his feet and rejoined the combat as if nothing had happened, swiftly bringing about the demise of another of the frost giants with a rapid series of blows from his battleaxe.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly realizing he was down to one lackey, the white dragon - still invisible and using <em>ventriloquism</em> to cast his voice at the illusory frost giant elder so as not to give away his actual location - called out in the Draconic tongue, "Do you care to renegotiate?" Khari ignored the dragon's words (he didn't speak Draconic in any case) and attacked the sole remaining frost giant with his warhammer. Marlo finished the giant off with another <em>empowered maximized scorching ray</em> spell and he burned practically to a crisp beneath the onslaught of the triple blazes of flame. Only then did she deign to respond to "Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk," being sure to look at the illusory avatar he'd been using so as to prevent him from guessing she knew his exact location. "Sure, we'd be willing to renegotiate," she said, dawdling for time so Cramer could cast a <em>mass cure serious wounds</em> on everyone in the meantime - a spell that was seriously needed by that point. "Let's start by renegotiating the price of your fee. I'm thinking a full refund - what do you think?"</p><p></p><p>The dragon didn't answer, but that was because he was too busy scooping the pile of coins into one foreleg, held tightly against his chest, hoping to transfer them over to the rest of his hoard before these heroes figured out what was going on. <Now, Cramer!> Marlo called over the telepathic link and Cramer obliged by casting an <em>invisibility purge</em> spell that suddenly revealed the white dragon's location. He stood over by Jhasspok, Khari, and Utred, where he'd been eagerly watching the battle with his frost giant dupes.</p><p></p><p>Utred charged the dragon, racing forward and bringing his <em>greenflame greataxe</em> slicing into a leg. Jhasspok did likewise, running between the dragon's front legs and using his battleaxe to cut a line of blood through the scales along the dragon's lower neck and chest. But Yinxirzijir Kepesk ignored the pathetic axe-wielders at his feet to go take care of the more dangerous spellcasters at the front of the ice cathedral. He exhaled a cone of frost, encompassing Khari as well as Cramer and Marlo.</p><p></p><p>Khari raced forward, slamming the dragon in the upper leg with his warhammer, which was now coated in a layer of frost - as, indeed, was the dwarven fighter. Marlo cast a third <em>empowered maximized scorching ray</em> spell, this one burning completely through the dragon's <em>protection from fire</em> spell and still managing to scorch him mightily. For the first time, Yinxirzijir Kepesk realized he'd underestimated these little foes.</p><p></p><p>Utred swung at the dragon again with his greataxe as Cramer launched a <em>destruction</em> spell at the white-scaled beast. Sadly, the effects of the gnome's spell weren't anywhere near as effective as they had been when fighting the neothelid days before. Still, he could see the spell had at least done <em>some</em> damage to the white dragon and the cleric well knew that every little bit helped.</p><p></p><p>Since Yinxirzijir Kepesk had moved forward to spew its icy breath at the others, Jhasspok now found himself behind his enemy. Leery of the creature's massive tail and the damage he suspected it could do, the lizardfolk looked at the two rows of raised plates along the dragon's back - and more specifically, at the space between them. Then without further conscious thought the lizardfolk was off, sprinting up the dragon's back like a staircase, climbing up to the back of the creature's neck and ready to bring his battleaxe crashing into the back of the dragon's skull. White dragons had relatively stumpy necks; Jhasspok was reasonably sure the beast wouldn't be able to stretch his head this far back and bite at him from his present location. Swinging for all he was worth, Jhasspok heard the satisfying crunch of his blade cutting through scales and bone.</p><p></p><p>Yinxirzijir Kepesk attacked the two dwarves below him, catching Khari with a claw and a wing and Utred with the two appendages on the other side, plus a bite on top of that. Khari responded with another swing of his dwarven warhammer, cracking one of the creature's claws that had scratched at him. But then Marlo finished it off with a fourth casting of her powerfully-enhanced <em>scorching ray</em> spell, a particularly deadly combination for a creature living in the cold arctic lands and who was especially vulnerable to fire-based spells. Yinxirzijir Kepesk's body collapsed lifelessly to the icy floor, forcing Utred and Khari to dive out of the way to avoid being crushed and sending Jhasspok flying off the back of the dragon's neck.</p><p></p><p>"We got him!" cried Jhasspok exuberantly, and Marlo only smiled and agreed with the lizardfolk's assessment, knowing just how much of the "we" she'd been personally responsible for.</p><p></p><p>"Okay, guys: dragon's lair!" Utred reminded everyone. "His hoard's got to be around here somewhere!" And sure enough, while Marlo scooped the group's coins back into the <em>bag of holding</em> she carried on their behalf, the two dwarves soon unearthed the hiding place of the dragon's extensive hoard of treasure, which consisted of coins, gemstones, and quite a wide variety of magical items, no doubt either taken from those who had earlier tried to slay it or provided as payment for knowledge in the white dragon's guise as a frost giant elder.</p><p></p><p>"We still don't know where this 'Maugfjell' is," pointed out Cramer.</p><p></p><p>"True enough," agreed Marlo. "But we have a name and we have a description. Queen Sigvor might be able to identify Maugfjell's location when we go back to report our success to her."</p><p></p><p>So, once they had assured themselves they hadn't left any of the dragon's treasure behind, the group gathered together again and Marlo <em>teleported</em> them back to Rimefjord, where they'd hopefully find the exact location of the Frozen Gate of Uozell and they'd be able to take down the third of the Writhing Gates.</p><p></p><p> - - -</p><p></p><p>So yeah, an <em>empowered maximized scorching ray</em> spell is particularly painful to creatures with a vulnerability to fire - which both frost giants and white dragons have. But we're talking 162 points of fire damage each round (assuming all three <em>scorching rays</em> hit and, in the case of the white dragon, Marlo overcomes its spell resistance). This was definitely Marlo's fight; the rest of us just helped as best we could. And the treasure was extra nice; not all adventures are particularly treasure heavy, but it all balances out when the occasional adventure like this more than makes up for it.</p><p></p><p>Incidentally, Logan gave us C'thorlumbrox's list of Writhing Gates (without the parenthetical notes, except for the first two which by that time we'd already destroyed) at the end of our previous session and promised us a 1,000 XP bonus for each one we could figure out. We came up with the one House Jalamir had been using, the Jakuran one, the cloud island one, and the Giant's Tundra one that we'll (hopefully) be taking down next adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Richards, post: 8422057, member: 508"] [B]ADVENTURE 44: THE CHILLING STORM[/B] PC Roster: [INDENT]Cramer Appleknocker, gnome cleric 15[/INDENT] [INDENT] Jhasspok, lizardman 3/barbarian 3/fighter 9[/INDENT] [INDENT] Khari Hammerslammer, dwarf fighter 14/psychic warrior 1[/INDENT] [INDENT] Marlo Pendragon, human sorcerer 15[/INDENT] [INDENT] Utred "Buckets" Butterflinger, dwarf barbarian 15[/INDENT] Game Session Date: 6 October 2021 - - - With a sound of displaced air, the five heroes suddenly appeared in the middle of a Greenvale park, the result of one of Cramer Appleknocker's [I]teleport[/I] spells. Almost immediately, there was another pop as a sixth figure [I]teleported[/I] into view with the others, almost as if he had been anticipating their arrival. This sixth figure towered over the others, for it was none other than C'thorlumbrox, the nine-foot-tall ulitharid who had been working on deciphering the illithid manuscripts the heroes had provided him. <I have made progress,> the ulitharid told them telepathically, pulling a rolled-up scroll from his sleeve and passing it over to Jhasspok, not because the lizardfolk could read it (he couldn't) but because he was the tallest of the heroes and thus the closest in size to the towering ulitharid. Jhasspok didn't even bother unrolling it, passing it over to Cramer. The gnome walked over to a nearby picnic table, crawled up onto the bench, and unrolled the piece of parchment. It was a list of the Writhing Gates as described in the illithid work, with parenthetical notes along the right-hand side: [INDENT][B][U]List of Writhing Gates[/U][/B][/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Temple of Thephobak[/B], the prison of the enslaved mind. (The first one destroyed)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Tresdazell[/B], which waits south of the slumbering wyrm. (Beneath Riven)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Frozen Gate of Uozell[/B], which watches over the world. (Somewhere in the Giant's Tundra)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Svusban[/B], lying beneath the boreal forests of Luzumin. (Now a part of the Desolate Wastes)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Sardegon[/B], waiting within the Isle of the Five Gods. (The main isle of Jakura)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Zepholekt[/B], bearing the rift betwixt Corellon's exiled kin and Laduguer's champions. (The Writhing Gate used by House Jalamir)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Radravossk[/B], which dreams of cerulean waves.[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Rylethek[/B], whose undulating currents call to the drowned.[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Svulbiss[/B], which floats adrift, unseen by those overshadowed. (Possible cloud island?)[/INDENT] [INDENT][B]The Gate of Zarbugak[/B], untamer of the wilds, lies untouched by civilized minds.[/INDENT] <You have destroyed the first two,> C'thorlumbrox said. <I am confident of the general locations of the next three on the list, and you are well aware of the location of the Gate of Zepholekt. Which of those would you like to tackle next?> A brief discussion followed, with the final decision being the Frozen Gate of Uozell. "I don't want to go back into the Desolate Wastes until we know a little more about it," Cramer explained to the others. He had to remind Jhasspok that was the place whose desert sands had burned the bottoms of the lizardfolk's feet and then the reptile agreed he was in no hurry to return there, either. "We'll want [I]endure elements[/I] spells in place if we're going into the frozen lands," Marlo suggested. "So, shall we plan on heading out tomorrow morning?" That sounded good to everyone, as it left the rest of that day for unwinding and preparing for the next day's journey. But fortunately, with two spellcasters in their group capable of casting the [I]teleport[/I] spell, the next day's journey lasted all of a few seconds. Marlo focused her mind on recalling the general layout of the town of Rimesfjord and once she had a good mental image in place she cast the spell. Cramer immediately cast [I]endure elements[/I] spells on the other members of the group, having decided to forego the spell himself - he had cold weather gear on he could use instead. He did, however, cast a [I]moment of prescience[/I] spell on himself, knowing it would simmer there in the back of his mind until needed. And then the group headed to the large building they'd visited before, when seeking to obtain aid from the frost giant leader against the impending drow invasion. Announcing themselves at the massive dwelling, the five were granted an audience with Queen Sigvor. "If anyone knows of the Gate you seek," she told them, "it will likely be [B]Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk[/B]. Unfortunately, he's been rather busy plotting my assassination." This last bit of information was said with a smirk on her face, as if she found the whole thing rather funny. "Your assassination, Majesty?" Marlo asked, wondering if she'd heard the frost giant queen correctly. "Yes, quite - not that he has a chance of actually following through with his plans, of course. But it now occurs to me you can kill two birds with one stone: I will tell you where you can find the good Father, and then you can ask him about the location of this 'Gate of Uozell' you're looking for, as long as you kill him and his followers afterward." "And these followers of his--" began Utred. "Frost giants," Queen Sigvor interrupted. "You have my leave to slay them; they are traitors to their queen." Cramer looked at the others, asking without saying a word if they were up for this (the gnome had very expressive eyebrows). Upon seeing nobody having a problem with being asked to slay evil would-be assassins, he spoke for the group: "We agree to your terms, Your Majesty." "Very well then. They are holed up in a cathedral carved from the inside of a glacier." The frost giant queen summoned forth an image of the cathedral in question in a globe of polished ice, which served her as a [I]crystal ball[/I], allowing Marlo to see exactly where it was she'd be [I]teleporting[/I] the group to next. "He quite often demands hefty donations to his temple when people seek him out for his accumulated knowledge, so be prepared to offer up a significant bribe to even get in to see him," Queen Sigvor advised. Marlo smiled at that bit of information, promising Cramer (who was querying her with his eyebrows) with a "shushing" motion of her hand that she'd explain later. Then, bowing before the frost giant queen, Marlo thanked her for her assistance and promised they'd take care of Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk and his minions for her. "Okay, what's so funny?" Cramer demanded once they were back outside. "It's just his demand for money makes such perfect sense," the sorceress explained. "'Yinxirzijir Kepesk' is Draconic for 'Chilling Storm.'" "I don't get it," admitted Jhasspok. "The guy we're being sent to kill is a dragon," Khari explained to the lizardfolk. "Dragons like to collect vast amounts of treasure." "So do we," remarked Jhasspok. "Yeah, well maybe we'll get to split up a dragon's treasure hoard between us after we've completed this mission!" exclaimed Utred, suddenly even more eager to find this Frozen Gate of Uozell. "Okay, let's prepare before we head over there," Marlo suggested, casting a [I]Rary's telepathic bond[/I] spell on the group. Cramer cast a [I]protection from cold[/I] spell on himself, anticipating the dragon they'd be fighting in the arctic lands would be a white one. Then, voicing the arcane syllables to a [I]teleport[/I] spell, Marlo sent the group of five heroes across the miles to stand just outside the entrance to the glacier she'd seen in Queen Sigvor's scrying sphere. <Are we going to try to sneak in and take them by surprise?> asked Utred over the mental link. <Not at all,> answered Marlo. <We need the location of the Frozen Gate first, remember? I'll go in, with Jhasspok as my bodyguard.> She knew gnomes and dwarves had a racial animosity with giants and feared the feeling might be mutual, so she was perfectly fine with Cramer, Khari, and Utred staying behind at first. After all, they could always rush in when combat started - or Cramer could [I]teleport[/I] them all in, for that matter. Marlo and Jhasspok walked boldly through the tunnel leading from the glacier's exterior to the interior of the "cathedral" - a vast cavern carved directly out of the glacier's ice. Inside was a ring of five frost giants talking amongst themselves, their conversation coming to an abrupt halt upon noticing their guests. However, with the enhanced magical vision granted her from her [I]robe of eyes[/I], Marlo could see the frost giant with the staff farthest back was a mere illusion - and that an invisible dragon stood at the back of the cathedral, in the northeastern corner. She could also see it was currently much larger than normal, the product of some sort of size-altering magic. "Good day, gentlemen!" Marlo called to the others, careful not to look directly at the dragon with her own eyes as she walked directly into their midst. (The eyes on her robe aimed in the dragon's direction were doing that just fine for her in any case.) "I seek information and am willing to pay for it!" The illusory frost giant looked down at her and spoke, which told Marlo the dragon was manipulating it somehow. "Why don't you ask the other members of your party to enter as well?" Mentally calling them forth over the link, Marlo heard them walk into the cathedral a few moments later. They stood beside Jhasspok, who had opted not to walk into a ring of frost giants; he trusted Marlo would be able to use her [I]boots of levitation[/I] to escape them if it became necessary. "What information do you seek?" asked the illusory frost giant elder. "We seek the location of the Frozen Gate of Uozell," Marlo replied. "It's a ring of ten writhing tentacles rising up from the ground, with a seat - likely sized for a human, not a giant - before each tentacle. We were told you might know its location." The illusory frost giant rubbed a hand across its chin, as if deep in thought. "I have not heard that name before," he admitted, "but I recall having seen something before that fits your description." He placed both hands upon his staff and leaned upon it, looking down upon his guests. "I will tell you where you may find this device - for a contribution of 80,000 golden coins." Marlo didn't hesitate for a moment, but opened her [I]bag of holding[/I] and dumped the coins held within its extradimensional interior onto the icy floor at her feet. It made a quite impressive pile, and one that caused Utred to flinch in visible pain. <Settle down!> Marlo commanded. <We'll get the money back after we've slain them all!> Then, stepping back and looking up at the illusion sitting in as the real Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk, she said, "We don't have quite that much - only around 56,000. Will that be sufficient?" "It will suffice," the illusory frost giant elder replied (via a bit of [I]ventriloquism[/I] from the invisible dragon in the back, who was cautiously creeping up to get a better look at the gold). "What you seek is inside Maugfjell, a mountain with a cave leading down below the permafrost." He didn't mention that he had originally intended for it to be his draconic lair, or that "Maugfjell" was Giant for "Evil Mountain." But Marlo, who spoke fluent Giant, was already aware of the meaning of the mountain's name. "Do you have a means to [I]scry[/I] upon it for us?" Marlo asked. "Hmmm," mused the elder giant, back to rubbing his chin in thought. "Not immediately at hand - but I will once I have your entrails." <'Entrails' means 'guts' - they want to kill us!"> prompted Utred over the telepathic link, figuring Jhasspok wouldn't have understood the comment or its intended meaning otherwise. But the silent nudging over the link was all Jhasspok needed to realize it was time to charge into action. And charge he did, straight at the closest frost giant in the circle, a massive brute with an equally impressive-looking axe in hand. Jhasspok's own battleaxe came slamming into the giant's side, releasing a flow of red blood from the wound. Not quite ready to reveal to his underlings his true form, the invisible white dragon slowly creeped forward, still completely oblivious that anyone knew he was even there. And not wanting to cause anyone to panic - or reveal their knowledge by looking for the dragon - Marlo kept mum about its existence for the moment. After all, she reasoned, it was still far enough back not to be much of a threat. But she did caution the others not to bother attacking the elder giant with the staff, pointing out he was just an illusion. Khari charged up beside Jhasspok, adding his [I]earthglide warhammer[/I] to the combat against that particular frost giant. Marlo chose the frost giant to the right of the illusion as her target and tried something she'd never attempted before: not only [I]empowering[/I] but also [I]maximizing[/I] a [I]scorching ray[/I] spell. She was disappointed when one of the three gouts of flame pouring from her outstretched hand failed to hit its target, but the other two caused her foe quite enough grief, temporarily engulfing him in flames. Enraged, he brought his axe down upon Marlo - as did the frost giant on the other side of their illusory leader. The other two took on Jhasspok and Khari, their own weapons striking true. Utred charged into the giant attacking Jhasspok and Khari who'd yet to be targeted in battle; the dwarven barbarian liked facing fresh foes all by himself now and again. His [I]greenflame greataxe[/I] tore into the giant's body with the full force of the barbarian's strength. And then Cramer cast a [I]blade barrier[/I] spell that chewed through Utred's foe and extended on through the giant Marlo had set ablaze with her spell. Bleeding heavily between his scales, Jhasspok ignored the pain of his wound and continued swinging his battleaxe into the frost giant who had struck him, snapping his predator's teeth at him as well when the opportunity warranted. Unseen by all but Marlo, the dragon advanced even closer, amused at the battle before him and still unaware that his own life was in jeopardy. Khari struck at his own foe with his warhammer, irritated that the frozen ice beneath him prevented him from earth gliding around and taking his foes by surprise. Marlo, hurting from the axe-blows she'd received, cast a [I]dimension door[/I] spell to instantly move over to one corner of the ice cathedral, away from the worst of the ongoing fray. But already the enemy numbers were being reduced, for the closest frost giant to Cramer died from wounds received by the numerous flashing blades flying all about in a line from his spell. The giant crashed out of the area of the spell's effect, staining the ice below him red from the blood of his countless cuts. But while that left three frost giants battling the three front-line combatants on the heroes' side, Jhasspok was quickly taken out of the fight when one giant's axe got past his shield and carved a deep gash through his torso, chopping through several ribs and skewering the lizardfolk's right lung. The reptile collapsed to the ground, spitting blood and no longer breathing normally. Utred finished off another frost giant with a rapid series of strikes from his greataxe as Cramer cast first a [I]mass bear's endurance[/I] spell upon all five of the heroes, boosting their endurance and ability to take damage, followed immediately with a [I]quickened cure moderate wounds[/I] spell on Jhasspok that reknit his ribs together and sealed up the gaping hole in his lung, muscles, and scales. The lizardfolk awoke on the cold ice of the cavern floor wondering whose blood that was in his mouth. But then he got to his feet and rejoined the combat as if nothing had happened, swiftly bringing about the demise of another of the frost giants with a rapid series of blows from his battleaxe. Suddenly realizing he was down to one lackey, the white dragon - still invisible and using [I]ventriloquism[/I] to cast his voice at the illusory frost giant elder so as not to give away his actual location - called out in the Draconic tongue, "Do you care to renegotiate?" Khari ignored the dragon's words (he didn't speak Draconic in any case) and attacked the sole remaining frost giant with his warhammer. Marlo finished the giant off with another [I]empowered maximized scorching ray[/I] spell and he burned practically to a crisp beneath the onslaught of the triple blazes of flame. Only then did she deign to respond to "Father Yinxirzijir Kepesk," being sure to look at the illusory avatar he'd been using so as to prevent him from guessing she knew his exact location. "Sure, we'd be willing to renegotiate," she said, dawdling for time so Cramer could cast a [I]mass cure serious wounds[/I] on everyone in the meantime - a spell that was seriously needed by that point. "Let's start by renegotiating the price of your fee. I'm thinking a full refund - what do you think?" The dragon didn't answer, but that was because he was too busy scooping the pile of coins into one foreleg, held tightly against his chest, hoping to transfer them over to the rest of his hoard before these heroes figured out what was going on. <Now, Cramer!> Marlo called over the telepathic link and Cramer obliged by casting an [I]invisibility purge[/I] spell that suddenly revealed the white dragon's location. He stood over by Jhasspok, Khari, and Utred, where he'd been eagerly watching the battle with his frost giant dupes. Utred charged the dragon, racing forward and bringing his [I]greenflame greataxe[/I] slicing into a leg. Jhasspok did likewise, running between the dragon's front legs and using his battleaxe to cut a line of blood through the scales along the dragon's lower neck and chest. But Yinxirzijir Kepesk ignored the pathetic axe-wielders at his feet to go take care of the more dangerous spellcasters at the front of the ice cathedral. He exhaled a cone of frost, encompassing Khari as well as Cramer and Marlo. Khari raced forward, slamming the dragon in the upper leg with his warhammer, which was now coated in a layer of frost - as, indeed, was the dwarven fighter. Marlo cast a third [I]empowered maximized scorching ray[/I] spell, this one burning completely through the dragon's [I]protection from fire[/I] spell and still managing to scorch him mightily. For the first time, Yinxirzijir Kepesk realized he'd underestimated these little foes. Utred swung at the dragon again with his greataxe as Cramer launched a [I]destruction[/I] spell at the white-scaled beast. Sadly, the effects of the gnome's spell weren't anywhere near as effective as they had been when fighting the neothelid days before. Still, he could see the spell had at least done [I]some[/I] damage to the white dragon and the cleric well knew that every little bit helped. Since Yinxirzijir Kepesk had moved forward to spew its icy breath at the others, Jhasspok now found himself behind his enemy. Leery of the creature's massive tail and the damage he suspected it could do, the lizardfolk looked at the two rows of raised plates along the dragon's back - and more specifically, at the space between them. Then without further conscious thought the lizardfolk was off, sprinting up the dragon's back like a staircase, climbing up to the back of the creature's neck and ready to bring his battleaxe crashing into the back of the dragon's skull. White dragons had relatively stumpy necks; Jhasspok was reasonably sure the beast wouldn't be able to stretch his head this far back and bite at him from his present location. Swinging for all he was worth, Jhasspok heard the satisfying crunch of his blade cutting through scales and bone. Yinxirzijir Kepesk attacked the two dwarves below him, catching Khari with a claw and a wing and Utred with the two appendages on the other side, plus a bite on top of that. Khari responded with another swing of his dwarven warhammer, cracking one of the creature's claws that had scratched at him. But then Marlo finished it off with a fourth casting of her powerfully-enhanced [I]scorching ray[/I] spell, a particularly deadly combination for a creature living in the cold arctic lands and who was especially vulnerable to fire-based spells. Yinxirzijir Kepesk's body collapsed lifelessly to the icy floor, forcing Utred and Khari to dive out of the way to avoid being crushed and sending Jhasspok flying off the back of the dragon's neck. "We got him!" cried Jhasspok exuberantly, and Marlo only smiled and agreed with the lizardfolk's assessment, knowing just how much of the "we" she'd been personally responsible for. "Okay, guys: dragon's lair!" Utred reminded everyone. "His hoard's got to be around here somewhere!" And sure enough, while Marlo scooped the group's coins back into the [I]bag of holding[/I] she carried on their behalf, the two dwarves soon unearthed the hiding place of the dragon's extensive hoard of treasure, which consisted of coins, gemstones, and quite a wide variety of magical items, no doubt either taken from those who had earlier tried to slay it or provided as payment for knowledge in the white dragon's guise as a frost giant elder. "We still don't know where this 'Maugfjell' is," pointed out Cramer. "True enough," agreed Marlo. "But we have a name and we have a description. Queen Sigvor might be able to identify Maugfjell's location when we go back to report our success to her." So, once they had assured themselves they hadn't left any of the dragon's treasure behind, the group gathered together again and Marlo [I]teleported[/I] them back to Rimefjord, where they'd hopefully find the exact location of the Frozen Gate of Uozell and they'd be able to take down the third of the Writhing Gates. - - - So yeah, an [I]empowered maximized scorching ray[/I] spell is particularly painful to creatures with a vulnerability to fire - which both frost giants and white dragons have. But we're talking 162 points of fire damage each round (assuming all three [I]scorching rays[/I] hit and, in the case of the white dragon, Marlo overcomes its spell resistance). This was definitely Marlo's fight; the rest of us just helped as best we could. And the treasure was extra nice; not all adventures are particularly treasure heavy, but it all balances out when the occasional adventure like this more than makes up for it. Incidentally, Logan gave us C'thorlumbrox's list of Writhing Gates (without the parenthetical notes, except for the first two which by that time we'd already destroyed) at the end of our previous session and promised us a 1,000 XP bonus for each one we could figure out. We came up with the one House Jalamir had been using, the Jakuran one, the cloud island one, and the Giant's Tundra one that we'll (hopefully) be taking down next adventure. [/QUOTE]
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