The endless lies, I've cast aside, locked them in ice,
Steeled is my soul, my blood grown cold, I've gained control.
Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper,
Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her.
With nothing left to say, the battle at the Mythallar of Ythryn began.
The Lonesome Few first fought an onslaught of La Saia's minions, including winter wolves, chardalyn mephits, frost giant skeletons, coldlight walkers and menacing coldlight giants, and even a scythe-wielding death giant.
As blows began to be exchanged, an arrow shot across the battlefield and struck one of the advancing wolves, surprising the Lonesome Few as they braced themselves. Dahlia Kaltro joined the battle, having tailed the party through the far north, and informed her friends that 'someone' she convinced to aid them in the fight was 'on her way', though she seemed distressed that this person hadn't arrived yet.
Seeing that the Mythallar was an impassable obstacle, Veszaltyrr used the layout of the battlefield to his advantage and cordoned off the entire left side of using wall of force, forcing La Saia's minions to funnel in and attack from the Mythallar's right side.
Ragna advanced to the right and served as the vanguard for the party, along with a ghostly fire giant summoned by the Gjallarhorn, while Melfina and Alith peppered La Saia's forces with a hail of fireballs. Iskra the roc soon flew onto the battlefield, engaging Ragna directly. However, the roc could not stand up to the repeated fiery blasts from the spellcasters of the party, and was soon slain.
To the western side of the field, the party heard the thunking of heavy metallic footsteps. To their surprise, the headless iron golem from the Bazaar of the Bizarre followed its patrol path to the now unshielded Mythallar, and began attacking the foes surrounding it.
As her minions began to fall one by one, La Saia finally made her appearance in her Cold Crone form and engaged the party, first targeting Ragna's summoned giant and destroying him utterly with a mere icy touch.
Seeking to clear up the field of more deadly threats, Ragna pushed the advancing death giant straight into the Mythallar, completely incinerating her. Alith then used the token of the faithful companion to create four duplicates of the Peanut-piloted Blamo, giving her an entire firing squad of artillery-capable hamsters.
As more minions fell, the Lonesome Few closed in on La Saia and defeated her Cold Crone form, causing her to transform into her legendary guise as the Frostmaiden. She brandished the demilich Iriolarthas's skull and summoned an illusory copy of Minerva, with whom she began a deadly dance across the battlefield, eluding her enemies and striking fear into their hearts.
It was then that Dahlia's invited 'friend' finally arrived, as the ancient dragon Arveiaturace crashed through the icy cavern containing Ythryn and joined the battle. Despite her cataracts and advancing senility, the dragon proved a powerful ally on the field against the deadly powers of the goddess of ice.
Seeking to inflict as much damage as possible, Alith called upon the favor of the Lich Queen to assail La Saia with dragonfire, while also summoning Kith'rak Gen'a'as to fulfill his promised obligation to her. The Kith'rak advanced bravely on the Frostmaiden, his silver greatsword held firmly as he joined the battle.
Even in the face of overwhelming opposition, La Saia contended with the full force of the party and their allies, holding her own and devastating them with her powerful cold magic. As the headless iron giant was completely frozen by her minions, the Frostmaiden began wearing down Arveiaturace with her vicious spear.
To protect himself and Melfina, Veszaltyrr wove a globe of invulnerability, from which he, his student, Dahlia, and the five Peanuts assailed the Frostmaiden with long range attacks. At the fore, Alith bravely mounted Arveiaturace and tried to guide the blind dragon in battle to mixed success, earning respect from the Kith'rak in the process.
Finally cornered and overwhelmed by the deadly offense brought against her by the Lonesome Few, La Saia collapsed and was reduced to her final form, the Queen of Frozen Tears, as she lamented how there is still too much left undone. Her crystalline form only appeared for a few moments, however, before a massive burst of icy magic tore open a portal to the Frostfell, through which she retreated.
The portal was initially too chaotic and unstable to traverse, completely freezing anything that approached, but Veszaltyrr channeled his axiomatic magic into it to stabilize the way forward. He bade the party to go forth and finish what they started, while he held the portal open to the best of his ability.
Ragna, Alithkav, Melfina, and Dahlia dove through the portal into La Saia's home in the Frostfell, where she had retreated to attempt to recover from her wounds. The Lonesome Few launched into an all-out attack against the Queen of Frozen Tears as the impossible cold of the Frostfell began to erode them, overcoming even Melfina's cold immunity to freeze her to the core. All the while, echoes of those that had died during the Endless Winter began to surround the platform, all of whom lamented the futility of struggling against La Saia and her bitter cold.
"I found such joy in the gentle touch of ice to skin. I died with a smile, heroes. Even shoud spring come, winter will claim what it is owed when the sun departs and the sky darkens once more."
Orizana
"I was the strongest of Siegmar's children, the second coming of the legend, the chant that echoed over the dunes. You feel the weight of my axe as you swing it, the legacy I left to you. I thought I was invincible too."
Ysmir Siegsson
"You wanted to be the one to kill me, didn't you? But instead you pretended to play hero, save the village, slay the dragon. Tell me how Lystheim and Whiteridge look, runt, covered in the snow you couldn't stop from falling. Don't you feel proud of yourself?"
Úlfur Siegsson
"I just wanted our family to be whole. I just wanted to prove that our people weren't lost. Words of wisdom, stories of the sages and tales of the elders... memorized, recited, and useless in that final moment..."
Hulda Siegsdóttir
"All our warriors, our blades and our strength... and still we fell to the ice. I was never afraid of anything... but I feared the cold in the end."
Gunnar Siegsson
"I had such hopes to stand above the rest. This damned winter turns all it covers into dust. It unmakes mountains. It shrivel's a man's heart as surely as it does his stomach. It makes walls crumble, it breaks armies, and it makes men kill their sons."
Fannar Siegsson
"To think I entrusted my fate in the hands of something as ephemeral as coin... to sign my soul away for profit and greed... when nothing will ever outlast the ice and snow. Nothing ever does..."
Ardyn Cinderswift
"I hope the Storm Lord enjoys his brief reign. I had great dreams for our people as well. Dreams are a poor defense against the cold. What good is a heart of stone when it stops beating?"
Hortog, Fist of the Orc-Father
"I had soared the skies, touched the very peak of the astral heavens, avoided the lich queen's gaze, and found peace in chaos. But even the ghaik turn to ice when winter comes. What good is a trained mind, when the muscles contract and the skin blackens to the cold's merciless touch?"
Captain Aslintial of Zerthimon's Arrow
"I did not know true cold until I stepped into the Frostmaiden's domain, watched as she cast her aurora and claimed the sky as her own. Levistus does not know the bite of winter. If he did, he would have begged for forgiveness with every last breath."
Avarice
"I promise you, my friends. I promise that I tried. I revel in the glory of the victory that my death brought. But I know not the warmth of Barator's great forge beyond the pale. I wander the dark, and I can feel my light growing dimmer."
Beren Blackhammer
"They put their hopes and dreams on our shoulders. We fought, and we fought, and we fought, until there was nothing left of us; and now our home falls to the cold all the same... We did everything right, everything that was asked of us, and still - still it came to this!"
Sephek Kaltro
Melfina used the scroll of the comet and brought a gigantic meteor down onto the Queen, causing catastrophic damage and destroying many of the crystalline spires in the distance in the process. Ragna sent their chardalyn heart into overdrive and consumed the potion of peerless striking, allowing them to strike several critical blows in quick succession. Alith led a charge wielding Ashenglow while Peanut & the illusory squadron of duplicates launched barrages of force on La Saia's crystalline form. Dahlia, enraged by La Saia wielding the memory of her father against her, fired her arrows with exacting accuracy and blinding speed.
As the cold wore down their bodies and the hour grew desperate, the Lonesome Few were finally able to land critical blows against the Queen of Frozen Tears. Dahlia fired an array of arrows that land true, Alith created an opening for Peanut and their duplicates to focus fire upon, Ragna entreated the spirits of their lost siblings and created a fracture in the crystal's form, and Melfina sent a final fireball directly into La Saia's core. This final barrage finally spelled the end of the Queen of Frozen Tears, who disintegrated before them.
With the coast clear but the cold still setting in, the party decided to make their escape. However, they soon realized that Melfina had finally, completely frozen just as La Saia had been destroyed. Ragna asked for a sign that Melfina was still lucid, and through great effort the dark elf managed to shed a single tear.
Ragna and Alith cooperated to take Melfina, and together with Dahlia the four exited the Frostfell through the stabilized portal. The journey back through the space between realms was agonizingly long, but when they returned, they discovered that Veszaltyrr stood before the drained Mythallar, the Heart of Cygnus now blazing with its power. The sorcerer turned to face the party, with a potent arcane aura emitting from him. Clearly looking down upon the party despite himself, Veszaltyrr revealed that he had already completed his task, and that the Endless Winter would soon be ending.
Veszaltyrr asked the Lonesome Few to honor Melfina's final wish and bring her to the Hall of Weightless Wonder. He felt that he did not deserve the honor of doing so, believing his actions two years ago to be the catalyst of Melfina's demise.
Alith, although wary of Veszaltyrr's demeanor in the wake of his new power, asked if there was any way he could help her get back to Realmspace. Veszaltyrr pondered this for a moment, before using the Heart of Cygnus to conjure a token that he levitated over to her. He explained that the token could be used to transport her to the Rock of Bral, a well-trafficked port in Realmspace, whenever she was ready.
Ragna approached Veszaltyrr and gave him a stern warning; much had been lost in order for him to gain the power of the Mythallar, including Melfina's life and the eternal souls of Minerva and Nevara. Ragna threatened the sorcerer, saying that if he became that which he hated in his pursuit of power, that Ragna would find him and end him. Veszaltyrr mostly shrugged this admonishment off, stating that he had pondered this very risk for a multitude of Ragna's lifetimes, and that he was well aware of what pitfalls awaited him in his quest to slay Lolth.
With their terse farewells concluded, Veszaltyrr prepared to leave, but stopped when he realized that the ground had begun to shake softly. As the Mythallar drained completely and fell dim, he realized that their clash with La Saia and the tapping of the Mythallar had destabilized Ythryn's foundations beyond repair, and that the city would soon truly fall.
Wasting no time, Veszaltyrr called upon his artifact and expelled rays of ordered energy, encasing the Hall of Weightless Wonder in a protective field. He urged the Lonesome Few to hurry and bring Melfina to its confines before they could be crushed under the weight of the city's collapse. He then thanked them one last time for accompanying his student and for helping him take another step in righting what he believed to be the greatest wrong in the universe, before teleporting away once and for all.
The party set off, riding Arveiaturace to the Hall of Weightless Wonder. They quickly brought Melfina inside, where she confirmed her remaining consciousness by using the project image effect of the Hall, allowing her to speak to everyone once again.
One-by-one, Alith, Ragna, and Dahlia said their farewells to Melfina. They asked her to stay in touch as best as she was able, and Melfina happily agreed. She intended to spend much of her time exploring what would be left of Ythryn, reading what she could find in its lost libraries and archives.
With their goodbyes taken care of, the remaining members of the Lonesome Few departed, having Arveiaturace fly them out of the crumbling city.. Although the flight was treacherous given Arveiaturace's blindness and senility, the party eventually was able to escape as the ancient dragon broke through the cavern and the glacier surrounding it. They finally set eyes on the outside world again, and realized that the sun was finally rising.
Against all odds, you break free through the glacier's fractured sides, tasting fresh air on the wind for the first time in days. You fall to your hands and knees, exhausted from your hurried flight, and grasp at handfuls of snow.
To your surprise, the snow feels… slush. Inconsistent. A far cry from the dense, packed flurries you have strode for the last two years. Your eyes adjust to the light of the outside world, and you realize that it is no longer dark. There is a light rising above the frozen plains, bathing the snow before you in a kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, pinks, and yellows. The colors of fire, of warmth, of life… they reach out as far as you can see, as the sun crests over the horizon and rises above the Taiga. The first sunrise since your journey began. The end of the Endless Winter, and the beginning of a new chapter.
Many are the fallen that could not live to see this day. But in the rising light, your heart is lifted, your spirit lightened and freed. Their loss may be honored by the coming spring, the thaw that now takes place. Animals begin to stir, children are allowed to play outside, hearths blaze without resistance, as vigor and motion reverberate all throughout the cold north.
And as you look to the blinding horizon, you realize that there are no voices on the wind. The Rime of the Frostmaiden… has come to an end.
…but the tales of those who brought the sun back to the land do not end here; not on this horizon, nor in the dark chasm where Ythryn once stood.
Fourteen years passed in the blink of an eye for Melfina, who enjoyed her existence as an echo emanating from lost Ythryn. Her death came suddenly, shocking her as her consciousness faded; however, she soon found herself in a massive chamber that seemed to be left adrift in the stars. At the far end of the chamber sat a large, grey-skinned woman holding an hourglass filled with ruby-red sand. Melfina quickly recognized Pharasma, Lady of Graves and Shepherd of the Dead.
Melfina approached the goddess, who bade the wizard to speak the story of her life and death. Melfina complied, recounting the major events of her life, making sure to emphasize the profound effects that Veszaltyrr and her companions in the Lonesome Few had on her.
Considering her answers, Pharasma decided on one verdict, but did not deliver it immediately; instead, she summoned three other interested parties related to the proceedings. Soon, La Saia the Frostmaiden and Antecedent Minerva Iriolarthas were transported to the Pharasma's court. They were both reduced to their original, mortal forms as they had been seen in the echoes left behind in Ythryn.
The third party summoned was none other than a projection Levistus himself, who smugly greeted Pharasma. The Lady of Graves stated that there were three matters to settle; the destination of Melfina's soul, the destination of Minerva Iriolarthas' soul, and the fate of La Saia's divine spark. As the victor in the conflict, the former wielder of the Ring of Winter, and one transformed on a fundamental level by La Saia's blessing, Melfina was afforded a measure of input on the ultimate outcome of these three matters.
"The laws of the universe have existed for millennia. They are incontrovertible. But even they allow the decider of fates some degree of influence over the verdict.
Pharasma, Lady of Graves
Melfina first inquired about her own soul. Pharasma initially spoke of Melfina's fated attraction to the lawful plane of Mechanus. However, given her association with and knowing assistance rendered to Veszaltyrr, whom Pharasma named the "Thief of Fates" for his crimes against the very cosmos, Melfina was given a far more punishing sentence. Pharasma deemed that Melfina's fated afterlife would be in Agathys, the deepest and coldest layer of the prison plane Carceri. There was another option, however…
"There remains the matter of the divine spark of the Frostmaiden. La Saia, Goddess of the Winter, you were felled within the confines of your domain in the Frostfell. Your divine essence has been divested, the spark at the center of your being taken, and left to be shaped. What remains of the mortal Nevara shall be decided upon once this matter is seen to."
"By the laws of fate, as the vanquisher, Melfina Eres of the material world of Lloegyr has been bestowed a claim of ownership over the divine spark of La Saia. The demise of this deity leaves a void that must be filled, and you are presented the opportunity here in my court. But be warned; such power shall not absolve you of your aforementioned crimes. Yours shall be a divinity rife with foes and judgement on your sins and those of your master. Your ability to interfere with the mortal world shall be severely limited."
A clearing of the throat echoes, and Levistus speaks through his gritted teeth.
"I do not dispute this mortal's claim over the spark. But I know that this place honors proceedings and exchanges of worth. I submit my request to bargain for the divine spark of La Saia, for I possess something that the mortal desires."
Pharasma quirks an eye at the archdevil, and turns her hourglass upside down. "You overstep your bounds, Prince of Betrayal. But your claim has validity. What offer you, in exchange for the spark, if given by agreement? Speak your offer of worth, that it may resonate with the court."
"It is simple." Levistus says, as Nevara's eyes tremble. "I offer the freedom of Minerva Iriolarthas' soul. The complete and utter nullification of my contract struck with her dynastic bloodline. To allow her the reunion that these Lonesome Few so badly desired, but could not bring themselves to manifest. I propose that these two souls, intertwined by destiny and their pathetic mortal affection, be allowed to move on, joined and inseparable."
Pharasma glares at Levistus. "You meddle in the destinies of those departed, archdevil. Mind yourself and your assertions. The value of your offer is not commensurate with that which you ask for."
"Ah, but the soul of Iriolarthas is my property. For 14 years she has decorated my throne room in Stygia. I am well within my rights to offer it as a bargaining chip. And the soul has great value to this mortal, Lady of Graves, and it is the receiving party that must dictate the value of what is being traded. The despair instilled in Eres and her traveling companions as they witnessed the lost echoes of these two lovers, doomed to my pit… it was palpable. I feel it still. I can only wonder, however… is this promised reunion worth the power that manifests before her?"
Pharasma then turns to Melfina. "The archdevil is well-read in his imprisonment, it seems, for he speaks the truth. Melfina Eres, what say you to this offer? In exchange for the gifting of La Saia's divine spark, that of a lesser deity, to the archdevil Levistus, I shall comply with the request to reunite these two souls in their afterlives. The decision, and the consequences with it, are yours."
Melfina was torn by the choice that she faced in the light of Levistus' proposed bargain. However, she ultimately could not in good conscience let Levistus gain such power when she had the power to stop it, and thus decided to claim the spark for herself and become the new La Saia.
Nevara desperately pleaded for Pharasma to send her to Stygia as well, so that she could at least be with Minerva, even in the torturous grasp of Levistus. Pharsma agreed to this, and Levistus delighted in a soul willingly offering herself to him. Before departing the court with his two subjugated prisoners, Levistus warned Melfina that she may have acquired the power of a lesser deity, but she would not be the only power over ice and cold. He cautioned her to watch her back, for he would never forget her taking away his chance at divinity.
With Levistus and the two star-crossed archmages gone, Melfina was left with Pharsma and a tiny spark floating in the air. She reached out and embraced it, and in a mere moment, Melfina ceased to exist... as the Queen of Ice and Snow was reborn.
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. Ragna's heart was replaced with an orb of fire-infused chardalyn shortly after birth, which has resulted in Ragna's ability to control his own blood as a boiling weapon. 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 became estranged from their people after their father, King Siegmar, tried to sacrfiice Ragna to La Saia to avert a prophecy. Still, Ragna has sworn to rebuild the Broken Blade from the ashes of King Siegmar's failures, and to honor the memory of her fallen siblings. Their conviction has impressed the departed spirits of the Taiga's frost giants, who have bestowed the barbarian a blessing that made Ragna grow to an impressive twenty-three feet in height.
The final battle is finished, and now Ragna turns their eyes to the sunlit horizon. The Eternal Winter has passed, but the work of the Tempered Blade tribe has only just begun.
Alithkav - A githyanki artificer and 'daughter' of the githyanki god-queen, the lich Vlaakith. 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 test her might and mind in surviving the winter; all while looking over her shoulder for enemies seeking her demise.
Having slain her ceremorphosized captain, she is now truly the last survivor of Zerthimon's Arrow. After a brief time away from the party tracking the arrival of a githyanki spelljammer, she has rejoined the Lonesome Few, and intends to fight for her freedom from both her people and from La Saia's frozen gaze. Having unlocked all eight of the Unbroken Circles of Zerthimon, Alith has unified her mind and body in the pursuit of the Frostmaiden's demise.
Her well-trained mind has survived even the wrath of a furious goddess, and now Alith turns her gaze back to the stars. She has the means to return to Realmspace, where her entire life once took place... but will she have the courage to take that leap?
Melfina Eres - A mysterious drow wizard who drew magic from the air like paint across a canvas. Melfina had been stranded in Frostgale Taiga ever since the Everlasting Rime has begun, as she was left behind by her mentor who disappeared soon before it began. Inquisitive and well-read, her arcane knowledge was key in ending the winter. Having once wielded the powerful artifact known as the Ring of Winter, Melfina was perhaps closer to La Saia the Frostmaiden than any mortal in the Taiga.
After years of searching, Melfina was finally reunited with her master, Veszaltyrr Oussndar, and her confidence has soared as a result. However, after daring to pursue La Saia's blessing in the heart of Grimskalle, the Ring of Winter was destroyed and Melfina was permanently transformed as a result, with her body slowly turning to ice. Her time quickly ran out, and she soon froze entirely in the Heart of Winter, La Saia's home in the Frostfell, just as the final blow was struck.
Melfina's final wish was honored, and her frozen form was placed in Ythryn's Hall of Weightless Wonder. For fourteen years, she maintained a presence in the Taiga through the hall's ability to project images. However, as death took her and forced her beyond the pale, Melfina was faced with a choice that would surely shake the very cosmos depending on her answer.
Dahlia Kaltro - A huntress from the town of Whiteridge. She had taken it upon herself to solve a series of murders that targeted people who 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.
Having traveled with the party previously, she returned to her hometown to help lead its defenses against the barbarians. Her marksmanship was critical in the survival of many Ten Towners at the battle of Whiteridge, and also led to the death of Úlfur Siegsson. It was also discovered that she is Ragna's maternal half-sister.
Dahlia surprised her comrades by arriving in Ythryn just as the final battle commenced, and surprised them even further by bringing with her the ancient dragon Arveiaturace. She stood alongside the rest of the Lonesome Few to the very end of the final battle, helping them slay La Saia the Frostmaiden and avenging her lost father Sephek.
Peanut & Blamo - Discovered in the downed nautiloid the Id Ascendant, Peanut is a miniature giant space hamster who has taken a liking to Alith and her inventions; in particular the mobile cannon Blamo. Despite all common knowledge leading most to believe that hamsters cannot handle complicated machinery, Peanut has settled into her role as the 'pilot' of Blamo, operating the powerful mini-cannon from a sealed cockpit within. Blamo, already a deadly armament when guided by Alith, is now more precise and mobile with Peanut at the helm.
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
Veszaltyrr Oussndar - A dark elven sorcerer who wields powerful magics from the lawful plane of Mechanus. Veszaltyrr is a wandering philosopher and scholar who seeks powerful magical artifacts and lost spells in pursuit of his ultimate goal; the complete and utter destruction of the drow goddess Lolth. Having long been Melfina's mentor and master in the arcane arts, Veszaltyrr led Melfina to the Frostgale Taiga shortly before the onset of the Eternal Winter.
Two years ago, Veszaltyrr attempted to breach the defenses of the lost city of Hollowfaust, resulting in his traumatic and sudden death, and it took the same amount of time for him to find and rejoin Melfina in his weakened cloned body. Having reunited with his student, Veszaltyrr has joined the party to seek Hollowfaust's secrets and the Winter's end. His true priority, however, remains the restoration of the Heart of Cygnus, a powerful artifact he believes will help him finally challenge and slay Lolth.
Having finally achieved his goal of siphoning the Mythallar of Ythryn's power into the Heart of Cygnus, Veszaltyrr's power has increased exponentially; as has his detachment from the mortal world. He bade the party a final goodbye and teleported to places unknown; all that is known is that his plans have the potential to shake the very planes.
La Saia, the Cold Crone - The first of the three forms of La Saia, goddess of winter. The Cold Crone was a large, bipedal horne owl bearing deadly talons and a touch that could deal death through unspeakable cold.
La Saia, the Frostmaiden - The second and most powerful of La Saia's three forms. The Frostmaiden bore a stark resemblance to High Evoker Nevara, the mortal that became one with La Saia. She wielded a godly spear of ice, and possessed frozen magics capable of destruction on a catastrophic scale.
La Saia, Queen of Frozen Tears - The third and final form of La Saia. The Queen of Frozen Tears was a monolithic, crystalline block of ice from which an unspeakable cold radiated. Nigh indestructible, the Queen of Frozen Tears was nonetheless broken by the might of the Lonesome Few.
Arveiaturace - An ancient white dragon that has long prowled the Frostgale Taiga as her chosen hunting grounds. Dahlia Kaltro was somehow able to find and convince her to bring her to Ythryn, where the two joined the final battle. Arveiaturace was also crucial in helping the party escape the crumbling city after the battle was won.
Headless Iron Golem - The body belonging to the iron golem head encountered by the Lonesome Few in the Caves of Hunger. The golem followed a patrol path that brought it to the unshielded Mythallar, where it joined the party in battle before being defeated by La Saia's coldlight walkers.
Kith'rak Gen'a'as - A mighty githyanki kith'rak that serves Vlaakith the lich queen. Owing the party a debt for helping him to slay an elder brain in the Caves of Hunger, Gen'a'as answered Alith's call to battle and joined the fight against the Frostmaiden.
Echo of Orizana - A faded image of Orizana, leader of the Cult of the Frostmaiden, summoned by the Queen of Frozen Tears to instill doubt in her enemies.
Echo of Ysmir - A faded image of Ysmir Siegsson, eldest son of King Siegmar of the Broken Blade.
Echo of Úlfur - A faded image of Úlfur Siegsson, most brutal and cunning of King Siegmar's children.
Echo of Hulda - A faded image of Hulda Siegsdóttir, the wisest of the children of King Siegmar.
Echo of Gunnar - A faded image of Gunnar Siegsson, by far the most physically imposing of Siegmar's sons.
Echo of Fannar - A faded image of Fannar Siegsson, a tactician and rare arcanist among Siegmar's warrior-progeny.
Echo of Ardyn Cinderswift - A faded image of Captain Cinderswift, whose greed and traitorous nature saw to his demise.
Echo of Hortog - A faded image of Hortog, Fist of the Orc-Father, who once ruled the orcs of the Snowdrift Flatlands with an iron fist.
Echo of Aslintial - A faded image of Captain Aslintial, master of the spelljammer Zerthimon's Arrow and victim of ceremorphosis.
Echo of Avarice - A faded image of Avarice, a powerful wizard who served the Traitor Prince of Stygia to her final, frozen breath.
Echo of Beren - A faded image of Beren Blackhammer, heir to the Traitor Prince of Clan Duhnbeyl.
Echo of Sephek - A faded image of Sephek Kaltro, a man that paid the ultimate price for trying to save his homeland.
Pharasma, Lady of Graves - The shepherd of the dead, who decides on the fates of the departed from her court in the Boneyard. Pharasma is a cold and impartial judge of the deceased, but allows a degree of influence on the fates who arrive before her if warranted. She rendered judgement on Melfina after her passing, and adjudicated the passage of La Saia's divine spark.
Levistus, Archduke of Stygia - The Frozen Prince , most hated of the archdevils, who resides in the frozen fifth hell of Stygia. He made an appearance in Pharasma's Boneyard, where he bargained for La Saia's divine spark in exchange for the freedom of Minerva Iriolarthas' soul. With his offer rejected, Levistus has lost on two of his greatest opportunities for freedom from his prison that he has seen in decades - and he is unlikely to forgive those who robbed him of these crucial chances.
High Evoker Nevara - The former high evoker of Ythryn, who lost everything when she and her beloved Minerva failed to sabotage its Mythallar. In her desperate pursuit of stillness to preserve her love, she merged with the goddess La Saia long ago. With La Saia's final defeat in her home domain, Nevara has returned to the base form of her soul. She surrendered herself to Levistus in order to endure a torturous eternity, as long as she may do so alongside the one she treasures most.
Antecedent Minerva Iriolarthas - The last antecedent of Ythryn and final scion of the Iriolarthas dynasty of Hyperborea. Her soul was offered as a bargaining chip for the divine spark of La Saia, and when Melfina refused Levistus' offer, she was imprisoned once more in Stygia. Her only comfort is that she shares this imprisonment alongside her beloved Nevara, for whom she once forsook everything for.
La Saia, Goddess of Winter - The lesser goddess of winter, ice, and the cold. After fourteen years of silence, she made a quiet return to the pantheon, although her demeanor and appearance have both changed rather dramatically. Surrounded by enemies, the new La Saia faces a difficult divinity, but endures these challenges with austere serenity and chilling grace.
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