11 - 2/9/24 : Vox Sola

"If anyone was going to undertake the impossible task of ending this blasted winter, well... I'm glad it was all of you."
Dahlia Kaltro

As the fight against Úlfur continued, he and Ragna exchanged heated words with each other. Suddenly, the standoff was interrupted by a bolt of white crashing to the ground, as Sephek Kaltro made impact on the battlefield and greeted the party with a reminder of his earlier promise. Remembering their earlier encounter with the icy undead warrior, Ragna looked to Úlfur and proposed a temporary truce. Úlfur agreed and took up arms against Sephek. Alith's battle against Úlfur's duergar minions stopped as well, with the dwarves moving to attack Sephek as well. With his relentless, icy attacks, Sephek managed to disrupt Melfina's concentration on the haste spell, rendering Ragna briefly stunned. Realizing his opportunity, Úlfur decided to cut his losses and run while Ragna was incapacitated, leaving his allies to die. Alith and Blamo tried to stop him with long-distance attacks, but Úlfur was able to stay on his feet and disappeared from view as he fled the battlefield. Sephek was able to slay both duergar that had engaged him, leaving him free to focus on the party. Using gusts of snow and frigid air, he kept his distance from Ragna's furious melee offensive and assailed her with perfectly spaced strikes from his lance, while also hassling Melfina and Alith. Sephek then managed to close the distance between him and Dahlia and struck her with an ice knife. As he tried to move in and capitalize on this, however, he began to seize, as if struggling against his own movements. Sephek began to shout at an unknown force, scolding it for resisting him. The party took advantage of this momentary stay of execution and covered Dahlia, moving in to strike him at close range. Sephek managed to regain mobility long enough to mortally wound Ragna, but one final shot from Blamo struck Sephek down. As he melted into the ice around him, Sephek threatened them with the Frostmaiden's wrath, and then disappeared into snow and sleet. Acting fast despite her injuries and shaking hands, Dahlia managed to bandage and stabilize Ragna from bleeding out. She then collapsed near Ragna's unconscious form, exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed from her father's situation. Melfina took a moment to recover by laying on Ragna while Alith and Blamo investigated their surroundings. Alith discovered caged containing zombies clothed in tattered tribal wear and covered in fungal growths, a trapdoor to the east, and an array of rooms for them to sleep in after their difficult encounter. After all the entrances were blocked, Ragna awoke to Dahlia apologizing to her. Once again Dahlia despaired at being unprepared for their extraordinary situation. The party managed to calm her down, but she remained nonverbal for their rest. Alith took the time to take two suits of dwarven splint mail and combine them into a single suit that fit her frame, improving her defenses considerably. After awakening, the Lonesome Few slew the fungal zombies before investigating the fortress, and discovered Úlfur's journal in his quarters. Flipping through pages of him complaining about the duergar and contemplating how best to eliminate them, they eventually discovered notes on Úlfur's objectives. Úlfur had been bidden by King Siegmar and someone named 'Xardorok' to take up residence in the fortress and occasionally raid the nearby town of Caer Sella in search of artifacts and keepsakes made of Chardalyn. In addition, they were also to survey the land for the metal, should it be present in the hills. Úlfur had decided to take this one step forward, looting the villagers of valuables that tickled his fancy as well. The journal revealed the origin of the fungal zombies as well; they were apparently the work of duergar necromancers, as their kind valued unceasing and uncompromising labor and thus found it a waste to simply discard a body after death. The zombies had been provided to help build the fortress and to help guard it, though they were unable to be unleashed against the party during the earlier fight. The party found the missing lantern, pearls, and goats, as well as a few chunks of chardalyn ore that Úlfur and his minions had gathered. Once they took all they could find, they investigated the eastern trapdoor that Alith had blocked earlier with a heavy weapon rack. After passing through a small tunnel, they discovered the trapdoor was the route into the watchtower they had previously encountered. Within the watchtower they found a half-frozen duergar sentry named Rodok, who had been stuck in the watchtower overnight since Alith blocked the exit. He was easily talked down from attacking them, and upon realizing their operation was completely disrupted, he freely shared what little information he had with the party. Rodok explained that he was a subject of King Xardorok Sunblight, king of the duergar clan Sunblight and a notably frightening individual whose right arm was replaced entirely with chardalyn. Xardorok had allied his people with King Siegmar and the Broken Blade barbarians, which Ragna noted as a shocking alternative to Siegmar's usual modus of conquering first and demanding cooperation later. The alliance was seeking chardalyn for 'something big', but as a foot soldier not privy to details and unfamiliar with forgework, Rodok knew little else. Ragna was also surprised that the duergar knew how to work chardalyn as a material, as it was notoriously fickle and was only known to be workable by Broken Blade smiths; they theorized that this may have been a factor in the cooperation of the two forces. Rodok also noted that Úlfur's team traveled part of the way to the fortress in the company of another Broken Blade party, one led by a massive half-orc man. Satisfied with Rodok's answers and doubting his ability to cause further trouble, the party allowed the duergar to depart and returned to Caer Sella themselves. Although Speaker Trovus had departed for the council summit in Lystheim before their return, the party was able to meet with everyone who had items stolen from them. Atenas Swift gifted Melfina three of the stolen pearls, while Glen gave the party free drinks at the tavern for the return of his goats & the Shorard sisters promised free room & board for the return of their magic lantern. While resting at the tavern in the company of Tali, Dahlia addressed the party and informed them of her decision to leave and return home to Whiteridge. The ordeals of the past few weeks had become too much for her, and she wished to deliver the news of possible impending war to Speaker Oarus and help prepare her people for the worst. She thanked the party for everything and promised to see them again, saying that she was glad they of all people were fighting the eternal winter. As she departed, Ragna stopped Dahlia and gifted her one of the chunks of chardalyn. He also asked Dahlia her mother's name, to which Dahlia responded 'Alfrún'. Wishing Dahlia farewell, Ragna returned to the party and prepared for the trek to their next destination; Honeybrook, where Ragna had stayed for a majority of the past two years. Tali continued to accompany them, though they expressed their desire to remain far from any combat. Along the route, the party happened across the ruins of an old settlement on a frozen pond. There, they were attacked by a Coldlight Walker; a strange form of undead that arose from the body of a humanoid that died from the harsh cold, that took the form of a sickeningly bright light inhabiting a set of cold weather clothing. The walker attacked the party with deadly beams of ice and flashes of blinding light. Narrowly avoiding such an attack, Tali's sense of fight-or-flight seemed to kick in, and they turned invisible before attacking the walker with a hand shrouded in necrotic magic. Although this attack failed to damage the enemy, the rest of the party managed to drive the creature off, its form disintegrating as the light within it was expelled. When asked about their powers, Tali nervously blamed them on their innate half-elven powers, though Melfina got the sense that there was more to the story. After camping along the way, the Lonesome Few's trek soon came to an end as they reached Honeybrook. Although the previous speaker had been allegedly killed, Ragna decided it was best to stop in at the speaker's home to check up on the situation in town. When they arrived, they saw three figures within; town scout Fef Moryn, local logger Olivessa Untapoor, and a very unusual sight; a full-blooded orc man, who had a vicious black maul strapped to his back. Although the orcs from the west were one of the greatest threats to the town of Honeybrook, this orc had come to town in peace. He introduced himself as Thokgrim the Storm Lord, of the Stormcallers clan, and Fef stated that he had come from the orc settlement of Storm's Call. Thokgrim corrected Fef, stating that the settlement named after whichever clan was dominant in the orcish hierarchy. Since the current ruling clan was the warlike Bleeding Moon clan, the settlement was thus known as Bleeding Moon, and had not been known as Storm's Call for some time. Unlike the bloodthirsty Bleeding Moons, Thokgrim and his people favored industry and cooperation with non-orcish peoples. The Bleeding Moon orcs wished to march with the barbarians under the command of King Siegmar, who they knew as Groghmir - "Spear-God" in orcish. Thokgrim, in opposition, did not wish to bend knee to the barbarians. He did, however, proclaim that he had been inspired to challenge the Bleeding Moon's leader after witnessing the omen of two falling stars; the flaming spelljammer that Alith had crashed upon, as well as the illithid nautiloid that had pursued them. Thokgrim had heard of a warrior of prowess known as the Burning Blood in Honeybrook, and had ventured east to enlist this warrior in his bid to take control of Bleeding Moon. Ragna proudly proclaimed her title, and Thokgrim joyously asked for her cooperation and that of her companions in his bid for rulership. The party agreed, knowing it would be better if Siegmar did not have an additional force of warlike orcs at his beck and call. In response for their aid, Thokgrim swore to lend his maul to the quest of finding the giants that had slain the Honeybrook speaker and had also stolen all of the town's mead shipments. From a description from Olivessa, Ragna and Melfina deduced the 'giants' to be verbeegs; lanky but surprisingly industrious giantkin that likely laired nearby. With their new companion Thokgrim, the party prepared to confront the verbeegs in their lair, so that the mead could flow once again.

Portraits

THE LONESOME FEW

Ragna Íssbur - A brusque, uncompromising human barbarian who is quick to anger and who is always eager to put an axe in the face of any problems. Capable of transforming parts of their body to ice, Ragna is unaffected by the excruciating cold that holds all of Frostgale Taiga in its grasp, and is thus the perfect warrior to stand against the horrors that thrive in the ice and snow. Ragna was once of the Broken Blade tribe, but after being made a botched sacrifice to La Saia, Ragna has become estranged from their people. As their father Siegmar leads a death march south, their siblings pursue mysterious goals throughout the region, and Ragna is finding it more difficult than ever to escape their past.

Alithkav - A githyanki artificer and 'daughter' of the githyanki god-queen, the lich Vlaakiith. Alith was an engineer aboard the pirate spelljammer, Zerthimon's Arrow, before it crashed after being trapped in La Saia's domain. Stranded in the Snowdrift Flatlands in what might be the worst time to be so in Lloegyr's history, Alith now must put her might and mind to surviving the winter; all while looking over her shoulder for enemies seeking her demise.

Melfina Eres - A mysterious drow wizard who draws magic from the air like paint across a canvas. Melfina has been stranded in Frostgale Taiga ever since the Everlasting Rime has begun, and seeks any trace of her missing mentor who disappeared soon before it began. Inquisitive and well-read, her arcane knowledge may be key in ending the winter.

Dahlia Kaltro - A huntress from the town of Whiteridge. She has taken it upon herself to solve a series of murders that have targeted people who have fled the fate of being sacrificed to La Saia, the Frostmaiden. She is a follower of Silvanath the Oak Father, and is an expert tracker and survivalist. She seeks her father, Sephek Kaltro, who has somehow come to serve La Saia the Frostmaiden.

Tali von Corthala - A half-elven researcher from the southern city of Revelmoore, who traveled to Frostgale Taiga to investigate the local fauna just before the onset of the Eternal Winter. They seem to conceal an mysterious, dark power within, and often tries to stay out of combat while accompanying the party on their adventures. They have established a firm bond with Melfina, finding her to be a fellow intellectual.

Blamo - An automaton of Alith's creation, which fires powerful force bolts from a front-mounted cannon. Although rather fragile, Blammo is capable of inflicting great amounts of damage if unchallenged.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

Chwingas - Tiny elemental spirits that flock to places strongly tied to nature. They are somewhat populous in the Taiga, though still quite elusive and nervous around strangers. Melfina was able to earn one's trust, and the little spirit now travels with her.

Úlfur Siegsson - One of Ragna's elder siblings. Úlfur is a wolf in sheep's clothing, a brutal and cunning warrior whose litheness and thin frame mask a disturbing proficiency at killing and maiming. Úlfur is outwardly confident and mocking of his enemies, but he falls silent when fury and rage begin to overtake him. He was found in a duergar fortress near Caer Sella, occupying the area for unknown purposes.

Sephek Kaltro - The father of Dahlia Kaltro, Sephek worked as a caravan guard based out of Whiteridge and spent many years out on the roads between the Ten Towns. As one of the most martially gifted residents of the area, he was tasked with accompanying the wizard Dzaan on a journey to seek an end to the Eternal Rime. Sephek and two of his companions, the halfling Marik Nimblemane and the dwarf Beren Blackhammer, did not return from this journey. While seeking answers about the murders targeting escaped sacrifices throughout the Taiga, the party encountered an icy apparition bearing Sephek's voice and face. This apparition claimed to serve La Saia, the Frostmaiden, and sought the party's deaths for their crimes against the frozen goddess. He has attacked the party twice, fighting them to their limits before being defeated, only to promise vengeance at a later date.

Atenas Swift - A seasoned ranger and musher who runs Frozenfar Expeditions out of Caer Sella. A prolific adventurer and scout, age has caught up to Atenas, who now feels the cold in his joints and can no longer venture out for prolonged journies like he used to. He remains a dependable and respected figure in Caer Sella, where some would prefer him as town speaker over Trovus.

Jartha Farzassh - Jartha is a wilderness guide employed at Frozenfar Expeditions, who performs many of the businesses' services in light of his partner's age. The dwarf has an excellent rapport with Atenas, and is the explorer's partner both in the professional and romantic sense, though the difference in their species' lifespans is beginning to loom over their relationship.

Eglendar "Glen" Korr - The half-elven proprietor of the Hook, Line & Sinker tavern in Caer Sella. Glen is business savvy and charismatic, and makes a strong first impresison on many of his patrons. He presses a half-pint into the hand of every person who stops by (the hook), which compels most of them to stay to order seconds and thirds (the line). The "sinker" part of the tavern's name refers both to the last drink call of the night and—when locals challenge visitors to a drinking contest—to the last drink that sends a losing contestant under the table.

Allie Shorard - The younger Shorard sister, who runs the Northern Light Inn in Caer Sella with her elder sister Cori. Lithe, graceful, and quite fetching, Allie is one of the more popular residents of the town; a fact that is a sore subject for her elder sister. Despite their differences, they have successfully ran their inn for over a decade.

Cori Shorard - The eldest of the two Shorard sisters who run The Northern Light Inn together. Cori is stout and constantly scowling, as if upset at life itself. Although the sisters constantly bicker and cast sharp glances at each other, they have ran the inn together successfully for over a decade.

Speaker Kendrick Rielsbarrow - The former speaker of Honeybrook, this giant of a man earned respect and admiration among his peers for defending the remote settlement from marauding orcs and goblins throughout the decades. Kendrick hailed from one of the barbarian tribes conquered by the Broken Blade clan, his family having moved far south after refusing to bend knee to King Siegmar. He was slain by verbeegs that raided Honeybrook, leaving the town without a speaker.

Fef Moryn - The local scout of Honeybrook, responsible for feeding many of the villagers. This half-elf is usually the first to detect approaching orcish raiding parties from the tribal encampments to the west. She is a bit flighty and nervous, and rarely confronts threats found outside the village without seeking help first.

Olivessa Untapoor - A half-elven logger with deep roots in Honeybrook. Her mostly half-elven family has lived in the town since its founding. She's quite reserved and doesn't have any family of her own. She lives alone in the house closest to the Shrine of the Flaming Sword.

Thokgrim the Stormlord - Thokgrim is a towering orc who wields a large, black-iron maul carved in the image of his god: Gromm the Thunderer, he who commands the bolts from on high. Thokgrim is unusually friendly and diplomatic for his kind, and leads his fellow Stormcaller orcs in championing a philosophy known as The Code of Our Fathers. He hopes to lead the tribe after besting Hortog of the Bleeding Moon Clan, and wants to bring the Code to all of his brethren to assure their unity in the wake of the Eternal Rime and the Broken Blade invasion.

11 - 2/9/24 : Vox Sola

Portraits

THE LONESOME FEW

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

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