Auril is cast down, the Rime is broken. Blizzards subside, and caravans resume their trips to Ten Towns. Sunshine returns, the game begins to flourish.

Passing this shield to another warrior within the tribe

Scroll of Raise Dead

Kuma'tiki, third son of Unkalaki Goliath, did not fight the dragon. The barbarians, the monk, and the paladin on his mount, they outpaced Kuma and Dahr as we neared Dougan's Hole. The barbarians, the paladin, and the monk killed the Chardalyn worm. By the time Kuma or Dahr could see dragon close, this thing; it is destroyed but so are many halls and houses. The tribe at Dougan's Hole were fewer than three-score before the Dark; now a score still breathe after Auril's Dark and the Deurgar's dragon machine. Kuma spent every last spell treating and healing those still living. None are uninjured.

Only one of the two Inns was still standing, but the innkeeper offered those who fought the dragon free shelter for as long as the Dark lasted. The many heroes took much needed rest within. Having provisions looted from the berserkers in the mountains, the adventurers gifted Dougan's Hole with 50 pounds of meat and a few hides to help them survive. The half-orc barbarian, he is wanting to stay and help village repair and move foul dragon out of village so it does not corrupt their land and water.

At dawn, Kuma'tiki and Dahl of Elk Tribe began the 8 hour walk to return with the adventurers to Sunblight, the darkdwarf fortress-carved-in-mountains, to seek Tyr's Justice. Whatever reason these darkdwarfs had to create such a destructive thing, they must be held to account.

The monk Egan used his ways of shadow to slip through an arrow slit, silence a sentry, and lift the gate; the little machine man called Rampart used magic to knock on doors instead of break them down, yet our entrance was still detected. The paladin Torinn found many guards still arming themselves. Kuma called the mafaliki—the spirit guardians—and they brought justice to the guards before the darkdwarfs were prepared to make ambush on us. Is only fair when Tyr does his own work.

The party reached Sunblight the Deurgar fortress that sent the great Chardalyn wyrm to destroy Ten-Towns. Tyr's Justice, Torinn of Bahamut, (Egan) shadowy monk of curious philosophies, even (Rahm Pibb) the combat-shy bard and (Rampart) the distracted artificer, we have all shown usefulness in entering this cave of stone.

Dahr, the young berserker of the Uthgardt Elk Tribe, has shown himself to be a fine warrior. He has dispatched five deurgar just on second and third levels of this darkdwarf house. I have lost count of how many Tyr has brought to justice, but it is close to a score.

One of Xardorok's sons, called Nildar, is dead; his pet ogre zombie is destroyed too. Another Sunblight whelp, Durth, has pleaded to be allowed to return to the Underdark. The paladin saw fit to grant him this mercy, though I did not care for it.

A dark dwarf shaman named Grandolpha Muzgardt has also been destroyed. She was treacherous, attempting to turn on Xardorok and work to overthrow him. If you have no honor, how can you be trusted in this thing? She was kayana and met the same fate as the many dark dwarven soldiers who have sought to stop us from discovering the madman who built the Chardalyn wyrm.

Some darkdwarfs who were to be guarding fortress, we sneak onto roof and throw these guards over side. Pushing enemy is not cooking, but is not fighting, so will be okay with Unkalaki elders I think.

The frontal assault on Sunblight continues. In the throne room, we faced a more than a handful of wolf-like creatures with mushrooms on them, and still more without the plants. The bard, he calls them "Quaggoth." The mushrooms come from a spore creature that the bard treats as if we saved a Myconid king or tribe elder.

Mixed in with these Quaggoth are so many darkdwarf guards; they also bring other creatures to help. Things that eat metal we killed; Tyr with the mafah'liki spirit guardians plus the monk, Egan with his magic sword and feet. Dahr and Torinn killed an "Amber Hulk", some enormous bug from below the ground. Tyr sustains us, Bahamut and Uthgradt have granted Torinn and Dhar many sure strikes. The bard has been most helpful and accurate with his spells and the little machine man's healing cannon has protected us from many, many wounds.

We have been battling for some minutes (13 rounds tonight!) straight and still have two dozen dark dwarves we can see approaching us. We are sure there are still more within the forge that come to seek their deaths. I sit in a screened away cave they call "arrow turret" and watch Tyr's mafah'liki destroy those who charge the gate. The bells toll, the spiritual sword of Tyr flies, and the wicked pile themselves at the gate.

The dead of Dougan's Hole will find their murders offset by the blood of many darkdwarfs and quaggoths.

More guards and quaggoth are gathering to defend the vault and southern passages. Rahm Pibb, tiefling bard, changes their minds with fireball.
But some darkdwarves are smart. They become invisible instead of very big. They try to ambush us when we engage with other defenders, yet they struggle with the mafah'liki spirits that guard the party.

Perhaps another dozen darkdwarfs guard the treasure vault hallway and 3 hammerer machines block the door. These Shield and Gold dwarves, they show no fear or concern for their wounds as they leap into the teeth of the enemy and break them with steel and courage. I am much impressed with results of this cayana tactic. They all fight well, but I am not sure how much more I can cast without rest.

With dwarves back in their equipment of good craftsmanship, we work together to surprise and strike down the darkdwarf leader Markoz and his subchiefs. Only opportunity for justice is for Markoz to face trial by combat. Almost a score of dwarves, goliath, and adventurers is maybe not fairest odds, but outcome was same.

We learn that darkdwarf priest of Deep Duerra is source of Markoz's insane plans and plans for chardalyn dragon. Pekoe uses his abilities as doppelganger to pose as Fake Markoz. Tells priest story about interrogation going bad and needing healing for guard captain he is torturing. Is good lie. Priest does not suspect anything as Pekoe strikes him in back of head. Should be lethal blows to critical place in head... but darkdwarf priest is not actually dwarf. Is Barbed devil in priest suit wearing disguise hat.

We set back out into Spine of the World to investigate rumors of crashed ship in mountains. In snowy trees, Torrin was surprised by strange undead that Rahm the bard calls Coldlight Walkers. they blinded many in the party and they resisted my attempts to Turn Undead, but we managed to destroy them.

Further into valley, I am hearing strange howl, but not natural like wolf. Was Rahm and Kuma who discovered sled. This thing she has two dogs who run away, giving up wimpers, but third dog sits and watches man who screams in pain. Man has been taken by some aberration. We must use much radiant and fire to destroy the man-thing. I am suspecting third dog is shapechanger, but it takes fast chase through woods before Torrin catches this thing with his Axebeak and I am placing a Moonbeam on it to burn aberration with light of Selune. We burn every part of this thing that we find. Is terrible.

Up mountain we climb and discover crashed ship. Rahm the Bard, his mindtalking lets him speak to the mind of the ship captain. Discovers that Rahm has found a mindtalker's crystal rock. This rock, he is needed to make little tentacle-brain eater's ship work again so he can be leaving our mountains and "Planet." Rampart explain to me later that the mountains sit on ball of rock and this thing, she is called Planet Toril.

Rahm makes trade deal for weapons, 6 that look like staffs that shoot radiant beams and 6 looking like handcrossbows that give out radiant beams, not crossbow bolts. Third box has three-score crystals to make these weapons work. I am not good with them, but we are hoping Rampart will begin to use this thing instead of his bonfires.

The group knocks, but no one answers door at Grimskalle. Kuma ritually cast Divination to help locate the Codicil of White. To gain entry to the vault where it is kept, the Frostmaiden has set it so four tests must be passed.

1. The test of Cruelty required Kuma and the others to turn their backs on a Tiger Uthgardt tribe where they had begun cannibalising the elderly during the famine created by the Rime of the Frostmaiden. Though we stood on edge of camp and witnessed this horror for almost an hour, only minutes had passed in the chambers back at Grimskalle.

2. The test of Endurance found the group assisting an Elk tribe of Uthgardt in a 14 hour journey, holding up in the worst of blizzards. Kuma endured and only became exhausted in 2 of the later hours, but many others of the party were frostbitten from 3 or 4 hours of overexposure.

3. The test of Isolation found Kuma and his group assigned to watch over a Rheghed Tiger tribe's women and children for just a day, but this duty stretched to seven. Sai and Torinn disappeared into the snows in foirst two nights, but returned days later. Sai has been driven into the IceMadness and is now a drunkard who will not trust us. We must find healing for him in TenTowns.

4. The test of Preservation found us at a Rheghed Wolf Tribe's camp. It was a scene of slaughter. Kuma chased away giant vultures, but none could be saved except for one boy. Aerix Vokototh is 9-year old whelp of the tribe's chieftain. Some magic makes Aerix strong against snow like goliaths, so boy hides in snowbank during massacre.
   Raiding Uthgardt tribe returned for Aerix, but we killed them to preserve the boy's line. An awakened wolf named Old Silver comes to take the orphan to another wolf tribe.

Egan, Torrin, and Vellyne retrieve the Codicil of White from the Vault of the Frostmaiden in Grimskalle. Kuma spends this time befriending Ukuma, the awakened giant walrus.
A brief inspection leads the group to recover a silver dragon egg and some small amounts of treasure as well. We ignore the burial vaults of the frost giants so that we do not linger until the Frostmaiden returns.
As we exit, we find only one old, blind and lamed Frost Giant warrior in the complex. He welcomes us, obviously seeking a warrior's death and we give him this just end.

Sailing to the mainland, the expedition travels and rests in Bremond. Neither Kuma'tiki or Vellnye have the skill to restore Sai. We seek out a more powerful cleric, druid, or wizard to break Sai's madness and alcohol dependency that came from his ordeals in the Frostmaiden's endurance trial. The only nearby person known to posess this skill is a wizard named Macreadus, who is said to live and study in a residence called the Black Cabin.

The Black Cabin, she is a wreck with a hole in the roof. Inside, the wizard's skeletal form slumps in a corner. It looks very burned. Kuma casts detect magic, and discovers that an amulet around the neck of the body and a strange device on the table are all that give off auras.

Rahm moves forward to investigate this object and when he touches it, it explodes in a flash of radiant light. Kuma and Torinn are sorely injured, but Rahm drops to the floor unconcious. Between the paladin's lay on hands and Kuma's aura of vitality, the trio are put back into operating shape.

Rampart the artificer sleeps through blast, but wakes from her slumber in the dog sled when we call for her. She uses the magic of identify to discover the amulet Macreadus wore is an amulet of health, while the strange gyroscope made of coal is some sort of weather altering device. It does not take an artificer to understand this thing is not working right.

Rampart, quiet gnome artificer, she is able to read bluepapers for this device. Rampart, she melts down scraps to make a third ring and repair the Summer Star device. This magic thing, it casts control weather once. Allows Rampart to bring arctic cold and gale winds to cool day and light breeze over for 8 hours. The completion of the device and the reversal of the weather allows the spirit of the Lathanderan priest Macreadus to move on to the afterlife.

Also in Black Cabin, we find 4 barrels of Dessarin Valley Sweetberry Summer wine. Is 800 bottles, Sai tells me. Oh, I forget. I pray for Greater Restoration last night and fix Sai madness from Frostmaiden's trials.

These barrels, they are frozen and very heavy, but with a short rest worth of using arithmetics, we are able to find solution to bringing them out without much risk and using axebeaks, not dogs to haul these barrels back. Every tavern in Ten Towns has good wine for sale now.

The crew read the Rime of the FrostMaiden from the Codicil of White, cracking the glacier. We descended into the Caves of Hunger, destroying mephits, shadows, kobold & goblin Vampire spawn, and another creature whose nature we were unable to determine.

Facing off with zealots for the Knights of the Black Sword, we learn they are serving a wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood. We move with haste to one of the towers within Yrthrm, defeating the Demos Magen guarding it.

Group begins to walk to big Mythal tower. Ugly many teethed magic eater called Phaerim tries to eat Hunter and Xero. Takes a little work, but we kill this thing. Kuma keeps Blessings of Tyr on them and speeds Torrin's sword. Tyr and Bahamut always make for good team.
Having all the parts of magic words, Hunter and Egan retrieve branch from nether oak because they are very sneaky. Kuma does not know what was in that grove, but they tell me I do not want to. This is okay with me.

Destroying frost giant skeletons and coldlight walkers, the party works it's way through the tower. The Frostmaiden bellows her challenge from outside, and the party knows their time within the tower is limited.
Destroying living spell blades, galvan magen, golemns, and Living Demiplane, and more, we worked our way up the tower.

Auril is cast down, the Rime is broken. Blizzards subside, and caravans resume their trips to Ten Towns. Sunshine returns, the game begins to flourish.

Passing this shield to another warrior within the tribe

Scroll of Raise Dead

Kuma'tiki, third son of Unkalaki Goliath, did not fight the dragon. The barbarians, the monk, and the paladin on his mount, they outpaced Kuma and Dahr as we neared Dougan's Hole. The barbarians, the paladin, and the monk killed the Chardalyn worm. By the time Kuma or Dahr could see dragon close, this thing; it is destroyed but so are many halls and houses. The tribe at Dougan's Hole were fewer than three-score before the Dark; now a score still breathe after Auril's Dark and the Deurgar's dragon machine. Kuma spent every last spell treating and healing those still living. None are uninjured.

Only one of the two Inns was still standing, but the innkeeper offered those who fought the dragon free shelter for as long as the Dark lasted. The many heroes took much needed rest within. Having provisions looted from the berserkers in the mountains, the adventurers gifted Dougan's Hole with 50 pounds of meat and a few hides to help them survive. The half-orc barbarian, he is wanting to stay and help village repair and move foul dragon out of village so it does not corrupt their land and water.

At dawn, Kuma'tiki and Dahl of Elk Tribe began the 8 hour walk to return with the adventurers to Sunblight, the darkdwarf fortress-carved-in-mountains, to seek Tyr's Justice. Whatever reason these darkdwarfs had to create such a destructive thing, they must be held to account.

The monk Egan used his ways of shadow to slip through an arrow slit, silence a sentry, and lift the gate; the little machine man called Rampart used magic to knock on doors instead of break them down, yet our entrance was still detected. The paladin Torinn found many guards still arming themselves. Kuma called the mafaliki—the spirit guardians—and they brought justice to the guards before the darkdwarfs were prepared to make ambush on us. Is only fair when Tyr does his own work.

The party reached Sunblight the Deurgar fortress that sent the great Chardalyn wyrm to destroy Ten-Towns. Tyr's Justice, Torinn of Bahamut, (Egan) shadowy monk of curious philosophies, even (Rahm Pibb) the combat-shy bard and (Rampart) the distracted artificer, we have all shown usefulness in entering this cave of stone.

Dahr, the young berserker of the Uthgardt Elk Tribe, has shown himself to be a fine warrior. He has dispatched five deurgar just on second and third levels of this darkdwarf house. I have lost count of how many Tyr has brought to justice, but it is close to a score.

One of Xardorok's sons, called Nildar, is dead; his pet ogre zombie is destroyed too. Another Sunblight whelp, Durth, has pleaded to be allowed to return to the Underdark. The paladin saw fit to grant him this mercy, though I did not care for it.

A dark dwarf shaman named Grandolpha Muzgardt has also been destroyed. She was treacherous, attempting to turn on Xardorok and work to overthrow him. If you have no honor, how can you be trusted in this thing? She was kayana and met the same fate as the many dark dwarven soldiers who have sought to stop us from discovering the madman who built the Chardalyn wyrm.

Some darkdwarfs who were to be guarding fortress, we sneak onto roof and throw these guards over side. Pushing enemy is not cooking, but is not fighting, so will be okay with Unkalaki elders I think.

The frontal assault on Sunblight continues. In the throne room, we faced a more than a handful of wolf-like creatures with mushrooms on them, and still more without the plants. The bard, he calls them "Quaggoth." The mushrooms come from a spore creature that the bard treats as if we saved a Myconid king or tribe elder.

Mixed in with these Quaggoth are so many darkdwarf guards; they also bring other creatures to help. Things that eat metal we killed; Tyr with the mafah'liki spirit guardians plus the monk, Egan with his magic sword and feet. Dahr and Torinn killed an "Amber Hulk", some enormous bug from below the ground. Tyr sustains us, Bahamut and Uthgradt have granted Torinn and Dhar many sure strikes. The bard has been most helpful and accurate with his spells and the little machine man's healing cannon has protected us from many, many wounds.

We have been battling for some minutes (13 rounds tonight!) straight and still have two dozen dark dwarves we can see approaching us. We are sure there are still more within the forge that come to seek their deaths. I sit in a screened away cave they call "arrow turret" and watch Tyr's mafah'liki destroy those who charge the gate. The bells toll, the spiritual sword of Tyr flies, and the wicked pile themselves at the gate.

The dead of Dougan's Hole will find their murders offset by the blood of many darkdwarfs and quaggoths.

More guards and quaggoth are gathering to defend the vault and southern passages. Rahm Pibb, tiefling bard, changes their minds with fireball.
But some darkdwarves are smart. They become invisible instead of very big. They try to ambush us when we engage with other defenders, yet they struggle with the mafah'liki spirits that guard the party.

Perhaps another dozen darkdwarfs guard the treasure vault hallway and 3 hammerer machines block the door. These Shield and Gold dwarves, they show no fear or concern for their wounds as they leap into the teeth of the enemy and break them with steel and courage. I am much impressed with results of this cayana tactic. They all fight well, but I am not sure how much more I can cast without rest.

With dwarves back in their equipment of good craftsmanship, we work together to surprise and strike down the darkdwarf leader Markoz and his subchiefs. Only opportunity for justice is for Markoz to face trial by combat. Almost a score of dwarves, goliath, and adventurers is maybe not fairest odds, but outcome was same.

We learn that darkdwarf priest of Deep Duerra is source of Markoz's insane plans and plans for chardalyn dragon. Pekoe uses his abilities as doppelganger to pose as Fake Markoz. Tells priest story about interrogation going bad and needing healing for guard captain he is torturing. Is good lie. Priest does not suspect anything as Pekoe strikes him in back of head. Should be lethal blows to critical place in head... but darkdwarf priest is not actually dwarf. Is Barbed devil in priest suit wearing disguise hat.

We set back out into Spine of the World to investigate rumors of crashed ship in mountains. In snowy trees, Torrin was surprised by strange undead that Rahm the bard calls Coldlight Walkers. they blinded many in the party and they resisted my attempts to Turn Undead, but we managed to destroy them.

Further into valley, I am hearing strange howl, but not natural like wolf. Was Rahm and Kuma who discovered sled. This thing she has two dogs who run away, giving up wimpers, but third dog sits and watches man who screams in pain. Man has been taken by some aberration. We must use much radiant and fire to destroy the man-thing. I am suspecting third dog is shapechanger, but it takes fast chase through woods before Torrin catches this thing with his Axebeak and I am placing a Moonbeam on it to burn aberration with light of Selune. We burn every part of this thing that we find. Is terrible.

Up mountain we climb and discover crashed ship. Rahm the Bard, his mindtalking lets him speak to the mind of the ship captain. Discovers that Rahm has found a mindtalker's crystal rock. This rock, he is needed to make little tentacle-brain eater's ship work again so he can be leaving our mountains and "Planet." Rampart explain to me later that the mountains sit on ball of rock and this thing, she is called Planet Toril.

Rahm makes trade deal for weapons, 6 that look like staffs that shoot radiant beams and 6 looking like handcrossbows that give out radiant beams, not crossbow bolts. Third box has three-score crystals to make these weapons work. I am not good with them, but we are hoping Rampart will begin to use this thing instead of his bonfires.

The group knocks, but no one answers door at Grimskalle. Kuma ritually cast Divination to help locate the Codicil of White. To gain entry to the vault where it is kept, the Frostmaiden has set it so four tests must be passed.

1. The test of Cruelty required Kuma and the others to turn their backs on a Tiger Uthgardt tribe where they had begun cannibalising the elderly during the famine created by the Rime of the Frostmaiden. Though we stood on edge of camp and witnessed this horror for almost an hour, only minutes had passed in the chambers back at Grimskalle.

2. The test of Endurance found the group assisting an Elk tribe of Uthgardt in a 14 hour journey, holding up in the worst of blizzards. Kuma endured and only became exhausted in 2 of the later hours, but many others of the party were frostbitten from 3 or 4 hours of overexposure.

3. The test of Isolation found Kuma and his group assigned to watch over a Rheghed Tiger tribe's women and children for just a day, but this duty stretched to seven. Sai and Torinn disappeared into the snows in foirst two nights, but returned days later. Sai has been driven into the IceMadness and is now a drunkard who will not trust us. We must find healing for him in TenTowns.

4. The test of Preservation found us at a Rheghed Wolf Tribe's camp. It was a scene of slaughter. Kuma chased away giant vultures, but none could be saved except for one boy. Aerix Vokototh is 9-year old whelp of the tribe's chieftain. Some magic makes Aerix strong against snow like goliaths, so boy hides in snowbank during massacre.
   Raiding Uthgardt tribe returned for Aerix, but we killed them to preserve the boy's line. An awakened wolf named Old Silver comes to take the orphan to another wolf tribe.

Egan, Torrin, and Vellyne retrieve the Codicil of White from the Vault of the Frostmaiden in Grimskalle. Kuma spends this time befriending Ukuma, the awakened giant walrus.
A brief inspection leads the group to recover a silver dragon egg and some small amounts of treasure as well. We ignore the burial vaults of the frost giants so that we do not linger until the Frostmaiden returns.
As we exit, we find only one old, blind and lamed Frost Giant warrior in the complex. He welcomes us, obviously seeking a warrior's death and we give him this just end.

Sailing to the mainland, the expedition travels and rests in Bremond. Neither Kuma'tiki or Vellnye have the skill to restore Sai. We seek out a more powerful cleric, druid, or wizard to break Sai's madness and alcohol dependency that came from his ordeals in the Frostmaiden's endurance trial. The only nearby person known to posess this skill is a wizard named Macreadus, who is said to live and study in a residence called the Black Cabin.

The Black Cabin, she is a wreck with a hole in the roof. Inside, the wizard's skeletal form slumps in a corner. It looks very burned. Kuma casts detect magic, and discovers that an amulet around the neck of the body and a strange device on the table are all that give off auras.

Rahm moves forward to investigate this object and when he touches it, it explodes in a flash of radiant light. Kuma and Torinn are sorely injured, but Rahm drops to the floor unconcious. Between the paladin's lay on hands and Kuma's aura of vitality, the trio are put back into operating shape.

Rampart the artificer sleeps through blast, but wakes from her slumber in the dog sled when we call for her. She uses the magic of identify to discover the amulet Macreadus wore is an amulet of health, while the strange gyroscope made of coal is some sort of weather altering device. It does not take an artificer to understand this thing is not working right.

Rampart, quiet gnome artificer, she is able to read bluepapers for this device. Rampart, she melts down scraps to make a third ring and repair the Summer Star device. This magic thing, it casts control weather once. Allows Rampart to bring arctic cold and gale winds to cool day and light breeze over for 8 hours. The completion of the device and the reversal of the weather allows the spirit of the Lathanderan priest Macreadus to move on to the afterlife.

Also in Black Cabin, we find 4 barrels of Dessarin Valley Sweetberry Summer wine. Is 800 bottles, Sai tells me. Oh, I forget. I pray for Greater Restoration last night and fix Sai madness from Frostmaiden's trials.

These barrels, they are frozen and very heavy, but with a short rest worth of using arithmetics, we are able to find solution to bringing them out without much risk and using axebeaks, not dogs to haul these barrels back. Every tavern in Ten Towns has good wine for sale now.

The crew read the Rime of the FrostMaiden from the Codicil of White, cracking the glacier. We descended into the Caves of Hunger, destroying mephits, shadows, kobold & goblin Vampire spawn, and another creature whose nature we were unable to determine.

Facing off with zealots for the Knights of the Black Sword, we learn they are serving a wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood. We move with haste to one of the towers within Yrthrm, defeating the Demos Magen guarding it.

Group begins to walk to big Mythal tower. Ugly many teethed magic eater called Phaerim tries to eat Hunter and Xero. Takes a little work, but we kill this thing. Kuma keeps Blessings of Tyr on them and speeds Torrin's sword. Tyr and Bahamut always make for good team.
Having all the parts of magic words, Hunter and Egan retrieve branch from nether oak because they are very sneaky. Kuma does not know what was in that grove, but they tell me I do not want to. This is okay with me.

Destroying frost giant skeletons and coldlight walkers, the party works it's way through the tower. The Frostmaiden bellows her challenge from outside, and the party knows their time within the tower is limited.
Destroying living spell blades, galvan magen, golemns, and Living Demiplane, and more, we worked our way up the tower.