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Feast of the Moon
In the aftermath of the Chardalyn Dragon's destruction, the party heads to Bryn Shander as Ten Towns gathers for mourning during the Feast of the Moon. Speakers recount the weal and woe of the duergar offensive, lauding heroes and lamenting the dead. A chilling poem is sung by Frostmaiden worshippers, who later gather around a familiar face. Vurnis, once dead sister of frost druid Ravisin, is alive. It grows clear that she is a Chosen of Auril, though her intentions remain shrouded. As the heroes gather in their new base, the Hooked Knucklehead, they reunite with T-Rex and are approached by refugees who wish to journey to Kuldahar for salvation. Before departing, they speak with a perturbed Vellynne Harpell. The wizard feels a disturbance in the Weave. The cold of winter is too cold and creatures from the Plane of Frost seem to have found their way to Icewind Dale. Dawn itself seems to falter. Vellynne wishes to head to Solstice Isle with the party after they return from Kuldahar with, hopefully, answers. After preparations, our heroes and a hundred desperate Dalefolk journey to the druidic haven.

Aftermath of the Chardalyn Dragon

#FeastOfTheMoon In the aftermath of the Chardalyn Dragon's destruction, the party accompanied a caravan of survivors from Easthaven to Bryn Shander as Ten Towns gathered for mourning during the Feast of the Moon, the holy day bridging the 11th and 12th month. In their company, Danneth Waylen relayed all the information he could. Bremen and Caer Dineval had fallen, though the caer itself was surprisingly unscathed. Easthaven, while standing, was a wreck. Duergar attacks were put down in the remaining of the cities with minimal casualties.
#FeastOfTheMoon Outside the gates of Bryn Shander, the corpse of Morin Sunblight was strung up as an offering to the cold. Vellynne Harpell looked upon it and paused, while the party moved towards the markets, now bustling with refugee tents. The cauldron of plenty had been moved from Easthaven into town for the gathering, many a table quickly set up for the feast. Dalefolk were taking to a stage, reciting lineages and recounting history. Crank caught Naerth Maxildannar's eye. The Targos speaker quickly abandoned his conversation with Duvessa Shane to rally the crowd behind our esteemed heroes. Speakers, or representatives members from the towns, addressed the masses on each of their homes.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for Bryn Shander, Duvessa Shane remarked at her town's fortitude. Now a center for several hundred refugees, she committed her city to the survival of all Dalefolk in this everlasting winter. She applauded the efforts of Termalaine, where a large duergar vanguard was combated by the mining guilds, leading to the capture and death of Morin Sunblight.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for Termalaine, Oarus Masthew could not hold back tears. In his stead, Marta Pekryk spoke of the miners guild's victory as well as the sacking of the Blue Clam. Chef Vernon Braig was noted among the dead.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for Easthaven, Danneth Waylen recounted the grim happenings of the dragon scourge, as well as the heroics of the Heroes of the Cairn. His captain, Imdra Arlaggath was counted amongst many other dead.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for both Caer Dineval and Caer Konig, Danneth Waylen continued, relaying reports from their scouts. The people of Caer Dineval stood no chance. Among the dead were tavernkeeper Roark, the deposed speaker Crannoc Siever, and his contentious hand Kadroth. Caer Konig, it seems, was not a target of attack. Trovus had been sobered up somewhat, and the veteran was currently entrusted with the town's security. What worried the scouts, though, were sightings of coldlight walkers - standing as if in wait - amongst the outer ruins of the towns.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for Targos and Bremen, Naerth Maxildannar lamented the suffering of Ten Towns. The destruction of Bremen was total. Targos was standing strong and was taking in Bremen and Easthaven refugees, as well as providing resources to Speaker Waylen for reconstruction efforts. The dead included Torg, Grynsk Berylbore, Tali, Dannika Graysteel, Cora Mulphoon, and the missing but presumed dead Huarwar Mulphoon. The aged speaker, Dorbulgruf Shalescar, lived, and could be heard muttering Ol Bitey's song.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for Lonelywood, Iriskree Harrowhill had been sent by Nimsy Huddle. Iriskee was lauded as a hero. The scrimshaw shop owner was once a famed assassin. She had protected the town from a small contingent of duergar single-handedly. In good news, a missing woman had been found. Vurnis, the granddaughter of Old Huntsman Clive, was alive and well.
#FeastOfTheMoon Speaking for Good Mead was actually Speaker Edgra Durmoot of Dougan's Hole. Nobody ever went to Dougan's Hole, so when they saw the sky-written warnings, they went north to the fight themselves. Good Mead owes them ten times over, she boasted! Olivessa Untapoor sent her thanks along with a cask of ale for the feast.

Chosen of Auril

#FeastOfTheMoon #TheChosen Singers, clad in snow-white fur gowns, took to the stage. Their harmonies were difficult to discern, but several verses were picked up. Ice kissed flowers caught mid-bloom/Beauty kept in all its grace/Summer's gone to its silent tomb/Stilling in her cold embrace. These were worshipers of Auril. While many Dalefolk looked on in common interest, several were seen reaching into snow banks and anointing their faces. Sovereign of summers lost/General of winter's war/Long live the queen of cold and frost/May she reign forevermore. Praising the Frostmaiden, especially on a winter holiday, very well falls in line with the traditions and religiosity of the region. But the party was unnerved. After the carols ended, the singers were seen speaking excitedly to a hooded woman. Turning to the side, they saw the fair skinned face of Vurnis, once thought dead.
#TheChosen The singers moved up the northern streets of Bryn Shander, away from the main crowds of the market. Fern and Crank quickly and quietly worked through the crowd, the rest of the party in tow, to catch up with Vurnis. They found her brushing snow off a child's face, near a small family's shrine to Auril. At first they beat around the bush, but then Oona had enough. "Aren't you dead!?" It seemed that Vurnis believes that some things are miracles. "Those of us who believe, persevere. I hear there are many stranded here in the cold of winter, some wishing to journey to the mountains for Kuldahar. Indeed, they are suffering as they are. It is a cruel world. Remember to endure." Gadget remembered stories the parties told of their first encounter with the dead Vurnis: how she was laid nude and surrounded by runestones on a dais by her sister Ravisin, how her throat had been slit in what was believed to be suicide, and how in their encounter with Sephek Kaltro the possessed sailor also slit his throat yelling in a mixed voice "Witness me!" before turning into slush. Vurnis was a midwinter child, but here she was swaddled in scarf and robe. Whatever this woman before them was, she was certainly alive in service of Auril. Still, in the busy street of a wounded city, without a good idea of her plans, the party had little choice but to let her walk away. Vurnis assured them they would meet again.
#FeastOfTheMoon Back in Bryn Shander's town center, Duvessa Shane thanked the party and handed them a key. The Hooked Knucklehead tavern was theirs. She noted that a, uh, ugly friend of theirs was waiting for them. Their friend, of course, was T-Rex. Meeting them with a stupid grin, he had been busy cleaning the inn and chasing away miscreants, like a teddy bear man. The party settled in, and over the next few days Fern went shopping for supplies, Oona called in favors to get their dogs brought from Termalaine, and Crank reunited with Sparks. Tetro, experiencing his first home outside his shell, recalled rather entrepreneurially that Nimsy Huddle may have promised them the dilapidated Ramshackle Inn as well.

A Mission to Kuldahar

#Kulduhar Several refugees came by the Hooked Knucklehead with a proposal. Many fed-up, homeless, or otherwise desperate Dalefolk were considering a pilgrimage to Kuldahar, a druidic settlement in the Spine of the World whose massive tree, the Great Oak, spreads warmth to the small village. Around a hundred people were looking to make the journey and wished the heroes to serve as guides and protection. They had little to offer, but perhaps the druids or Great Oak itself may provide resources to the heroes.
#TheRimeoftheFrostmaiden #Kulduhar Azgul, accompanied by Oona and Fern, sought out Vellynne Harpell. The necromancer was seen packing her sled with the help of a zombie Bartaban. She was heading to the tundra to investigate a nagging thought. Something felt wrong with the Weave, she admitted. The cold was colder and the Dawn did not stir in her magical equipment as it should. The party recognized a similar passing, as their Boon of Lathander had diminished with time. In a previous travel, she and Azgul II, who had since turned into black ooze, encountered a frost salamander. Such a creature was native to the Plane of Ice, not of the Prime Material Plane. The party too had fought one of these, back in the Lost Spire. They had also been thrown briefly into the Plane of Ice itself, when Varrin Axebreaker attempted to use a Cubic Gate. When asked about Kuldahar, Vellynne encouraged them to go. The Great Oak was known to be a wellspring of divination magic. Perhaps its druids could see what was wrong with the Weave in Icewind Dale. Sharing now between them that the Reghed Glacier held the entrance to Ythryn, she revealed that the key to crack the rimed waterfall, whatever that key exactly was, was likely held on Solstice Isle. Vellynne would like to band together to head to retrieve this key.
#TheChosen Asking Vellynne about the once thought dead Vurnis, the wizard did not know. Necromantic powers of that level in Icewind Dale were unknown to her. Vurnis was alive either due to the divine or out of pure vengeance. And if her resurrection was through the divine, there was a good chance she was a Chosen of Auril. In other words, she was a direct representative of the Frostmaiden instilled with a fragment of her power.
#battle #Kulduhar The party left with a caravan of a hundred refugees to Kuldahar. On the fourth day, guiding people through the ravines and foothills of the Spine of the World, they realized they were literally on thin ice. Moving carefully to prevent cracking and soaking in icy waters, they took their time. Problems arose when two coldlight walkers and a pair of crag cats attacked from the cliffs on either flank. The treacherous terrain made for a difficult fight, several Dalefolk not making it. Still they pushed on. The valley of Kuldahar was not much further ahead.

XP

Total XP: 24001

200 ~ #FeastOfTheMoon COMPLETE

Loot

2 healing potions, one normal one greater ~ Merchant ~ Fern
Key to the Hooked Knucklehead ~ Duvessa Shane ~ Crank
Decanter of Endless Water ~ "had it all along" ~ Tetro