53

Deep in the Ice
Further into the caves of hunger Tekeli-li continues to strike at the party, cackling with madness and vanishing into mist when threatened. As the heroes descend into the forgotten frost, they're met with psychic visions and lonely figures. In the glacial depths, a phaerimm within the ice drags all but two heroes into an endless vision. Gadget, Fern, Oona, and Vellynne watch their lives flash before their eyes. Crank and Tetro struggle to snap their comrades from their fugue state as mists curl around their feet. Auril's chosen of isolation is grimacing within the fog of war.

Caves of Hunger

#TheCavesOfHunger #TheChosen Tekeli-li had changed into a mist and crept into the fissures of the glacial ice, now a deeper blue that the opaque whites near the frozen waterfall. Skant marveled at the ferociousness of the vampire -- surely an ancient being -- and prattled on about their typical weaknesses. Perfumes. The Celestial tongue. And, of course, sunlight. Tetro had caught up to the party by this point.
#TheCavesOfHunger Descending further into the caves, the party members began seeing, smelling, or just feeling things. Oona could not seem to shake off a scent. It reminded her of a difficult day in her past, but which day she could not put her finger on. Soon the party entered a hall of ice sculptures. Fern froze and clutched a dagger. Were they alive, wondered Gadget. But these were crude things. It took a second of staring, but they sort of looked like kobolds. Very poorly carved kobolds. Crank sent the arcane eye he picked up from the Ythryn tourist board to scout. While appearing empty at first glance, the next chamber held a party of kobolds, all clinging to the walls like spiders. Vampire spawn. The party decided to blitz them. A few blows in and Tetro unleashed a daylight spell, engulfing the kobolds in flame. The heroes made short work of two more, but several scattered. A quick chase led to a larger brawl in a chamber filled with snow golems. When the dust settled, all but one of the kobolds was dead. The survivor had scuttled away. The eerie quiet of the cave set in.
#TheCavesOfHunger #TheChosen Still deeper, the party found the lair of kobold gang. In the center stood a crystalline column of ice. It was cracked open, revealing a void inside. Surrounding it appeared to be offerings. Bones and such. An altar of sorts. Upon examination, several shards of ice hovered in the air. Vellynne couldn't help but wonder whether the Rime Poem shattered more than the frozen waterfall. It may have opened this vessel. The party gazed at the icy coffin and knew then that it once held Tekeli-li, the isolated.
#TheCavesOfHunger The remains of a frost giant -- well preserved -- law underneath the floor of a cloistered cave on the edge of the cavern. Several claw marks, likely from the kobolds, showed a futile effort to exhume the corpse. Curious but wary, the party chose to speak to the dead through Vellynne's necromancy. Tetro shaped just enough water away to reveal its head only. They learned of Vlagomir, the dragon hunter. He and his mammoth were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were traversing the heights of Reghed Glacier when Ythryn fell. He was crushed by the city and buried within the ice. Contemplating his story, someone asked "Was that five questions yet?" when the giant replied "Yes" and returned to the world of death.
#TheCavesOfHunger A dark, hissing wraith awaited in a terminating branch of the caves. Behind him were, through frozen walls of ice, were some objects embedded in glacial cysts. Professor Skant took on the mantle of translator, bringing the restless Netherese spirit in communication with the party. "Cursed be those who gaze upon the horror that Drakareth has become. Such promise wasted, lost in this cold sepulcher! Where were you centuries ago when he was in his prime of life? Where were you when the frigid darkness consumed him? You are no good to Drakareth now. Nothing remains of him but frozen bones, ancient treasure, and me." It appeared that this wraith was once a survivor ofYthryn's fall. He attempted to flee the ruins with his treasure and failed. The party snuffed the undead menace and raided his belongings. A mantle of spell resist went to Oona, while Tetro began attuning to a staff of charming. The tortle felt bolder. Bossy, even!
#TheCavesOfHunger Traversing further into the ice, the band eyed another remorhaz tunnel dropping precipitously into the deep. They suppressed their itching curiosity and made it through a tight passage within which a different horror awaited. Something large and dark writhed behind a towering, frosted wall of ice. The presence grew stronger as they tried to sidle past through a narrowing passage, visually and mentally looming. Suddenly, the searching they felt in their minds whirled and seized hold of their memories. [Gadget winced and lilted. Fern's eyes shut. Oona was in a standing stupor. And Vellynne Harpell jaw went slack. Crank and Tetro grimaced through the mental barrage and quickly dragged and heaved the others away from the thing in the ice. They knew what the monster was now and roughly what was transpiring. Like the ossified creature under the Sussur Tree, this was a phaerimm. Their minds were dominated.
#TheCavesOfHunger Gadget's childhood was a warm one, standing beside her sister in her father's workshop. Learning to tinker. Hoping to event. WALK. Tetro used the command spell to hopefully break through the phaerimm's grip. Oona's adolescence in Ten Towns was happy. Though she was hardened by the snow, she was ready for a new life. She used her strength and candor to begin her work in massage. WALK, Tetro boomed, while Crank sat his companions down gingerly. Fern cracked her knuckles. She was older, more accomplished. This job was routine. Maybe it was time to retire. She wondered how her son was at academy. WALK. The three adventurers returned from their dreams into the glacial blue world of the caves. Vellynne eyes fluttered through her life. WALK. She did not open them then. As the minutes passed, the room began to fill with mist. The gnoll vampire was nearby.

XP

Total XP: 39000

Loot

Mantle of Spell Resist ~ Caves of Hunger Wraith's Horde ~ Oona
Staff of Charming ~ Caves of Hunger Wraith's Horde ~ Tetro