Session 24: The Way Home

  Erisna, curious to discover more about the surreal circumstances they found themselves in, investigated the contents of their room. They discovered that the room was remarkably unremarkable- seemingly made recently to meet their basic needs. Once they were satisfied that there was nothing more to learn in their room, Erisna then peeked into another room to discover Glittergem and Keth's liaison before retreating downstairs to join the others.   In the midst of the morning conversation, Rare let it slip that Ashe was expecting Tinker's baby. The goblin was visibly upset and became obsessed with returning to Sharn as soon as possible.   Mandodari entered the tower, accompanied by Rengar (one of the mastiffs from Gem's Robe of Useful Items) and spoke with the party about a few matters. From the rakshasa they learned:

Ren'tivik, an ancient giant, was supposed to return to Eberron and prevent others from summoning Dral Khatuur. He had seemingly abandoned his post- opting to take over the abandoned Fort Cul'oten instead. Regardless, the rakshasa saw the giant as an ally. She did admit that she hadn't spoken to him in a few thousand years. Ren'tivik was also expected to be in posession of a rod of Risian ice that held significance to the prakhutu, but Mandodari admitted that the rod would be better served in Rare's hands as long as she's on "official business".

Ren'tivik was supposedly in possession of an item that would enable the party to return to Eberron. Mandodari did not elaborate on what the item was, or how it was used.

Mandodari expressed that she was responsible for the "big picture" in preventing her patron from being disturbed. She became immediately upset when Rare recommended that she take a more active role in stopping the strange cultists known as "Storm Front" from summoning Dral Khatuur from Risia. She has sent others on similar errands, all to Ren'tivik for safe passage, and had not heard back from them. She assumed that "no news is good news" and had not looked into it any further.

Once the party expressed an interest in continuing onward, Mandodari became a giant snowy owl and left the tower to go find the sled/boat. Once she returned, Glittergem set to the task of returning the boat to its original configuration (with some additional modifications to make it a little hardier). Mandodari teleported the party to the mouth of the river that wound through Frostmantle and saw them off. Regnar decided to remain with the rakshasa, who in turn promised to remember to feed him.   Setting off in the boat, Tinker and Erisna took up oars while Glittergem and Rare were on the lookout for any creatures encroaching on them while they floated through the crystaline mountains of the realm. Rare and Glacias immediately saw a creature pursuing them under the ice and water of the river. After trailing the party for a while, the frost salamander made its move. Though it was able to freeze Keth with its breath attack, the rest of the party was too strong and fast for the salamander to pursue.   Continuing down the river, the party passed an enormous castle and fortifications cut into the ice of a prominent mountain (see "Bonus Lore" in sidebar). Rare saw a few giants standing in the ramparts of the castle but none of them paid any attention to the small creatures floating in the river below. Rare shared her secret with the party, that she was a queen in her native community of Tal Esk, and that she had slipped away from her village to restore her wife, Ea, back to the living. She has learned from her sister, Bliss that a hunter has been sent after her to bring her home, and that the surviving elders are in charge of her people until she returns to her home.   Gradually, the speed of the current in the river began to increase and the party no longer needed to paddle their rowboat to move down the river. The speed of the river continued to increase and the party remembered Mandodari mentioning the edge of Frostmantle and Glacias was able to confirm that a waterfall was coming soon and that he could see the dilapidated fort that Ren'tivik would likely be living in. The party scurried to get the boat moored on the correct side of the river, but their efforts actually snapped their boat in half. Glittergem's ingenious use of her Wind Fan saved her, Tinker and Erisna- but nearly doomed Rare and Keth. Rare creatively adapted her Lightning Lure spell to lash her side of the boat to a creature that would save them from drowning. In the spur of the moment, Rare used the dimunitive form of Glittergem to serve as her anchor. Erisna, seeing the gnome be immediately yanked into the air was able to grab her around the waist and haul the gnome, with the other half of the boat attached, back to shore.   Once on the shoreline, the party took an hour to rest and recover from their ordeal with the salamander and the waterfall. This time afforded them the opportunity to free Keth and Sprocket from their icy prison and return them to health. Keth expressed his frustration at not being useful, incorrectly assuming that Arauthator, the white dragon from the previous day, had frozen him. After the rest, the party set their sights on Fort Cul'oten and began to march across the snowy terrain to their destination.   As they approached the courtyard, the area appeared to be deserted. With minor exceptions (a thin metal spire and a strange carved stone) the courtyard appeared to be deserted. The party split up to investigate the courtyard when the newly- revived mastiff found a bone. It was at this point that Ren'tivik, the skeletal giant, surprised the party by exploding from the thick layer of ice and snow that imprisoned him. His giant hammer struck the party with a forceful blow, and he kicked the dog away with a shove.   The battle against Ren'tivik was a bloody one. Inspired to show his worth to the party, Keth rushed into the fray and made a few choice blows against the giant skeleton before being laid low by a combination of the giant's enormous hammer and its icy breath. The remaining members of the Sharn Dragons continued to fight, and Rare learned that Ren'tivik held a collection of skulls belonging to former kings and queens of Tal Esk, her home. Laid low by a mighty blow from the giant's hammer, Rare was forced back to life by Dral Khatuur, who deafened her warlock in the process. Tinker also saw evidence that the giant had been brutalized several times in the past, but had stitched himself together using materials he had available. Even though the goblin was able to deal a blow that destabilized the monster, it was still able to kill Erisna and begin to stand. Only Rare (using magic bestowed upon her by her patron) was able to deal the killing blow.   Glittergem and Rare set about digging up the remains of both Keth and Erisna before stablizing them and bringing them back to life. Meanwhile, Tinker took Ren'tivik's skull and drug it to the edge of the glacier to pitch it over the edge. Once Erisna was safe, Rare set about searching the remains of the giant. As the ice of Risia began to consume it, she was able to retreive the items found on the front of the creature before the ice took him (see sidebar).   Severely wounded, the party knew that it needed to seek shelter to recouperate. With the collapsed Fort Cul'oten serving as their only option, the party pushed their way into the crumbling walls to rest and seek out their way home.