Skip to content

Chronicles of the Quest to Defeat the Cursed Cold

Fresh off their victory over the hag Morgana Stoneclaw, the party, now calling themselves the Silver Tempests, finds themselves facing some of the more terrible monsters of the land. While returning to Voltara, they learn a black dragon is disrupting the Northern Provinces, causing conflict between the ~Voltara East Border Fort~ and a local bullywug population. Proving their growing power, the Silver Tempests kill the dragon, Nymthrax, and loot the riches of its lair. Returning to Voltara, they leave to explore the ruins far beneath Goldpeak Mountain, (re)uniting with some Chardonian explorers and finding the lair of a beholder, Vilaxes. Defeating the beholder, the Silver Tempests return to Voltara, extremely wealthy and in need a long break, during which Brelith opens a restaurant and retires. Their break is interrupted, however, by the arrival of Mabist with the news that Dinia has been captured by the Havoc Host. The Silver Tempests ride forth in anger, freeing Dinia from the control of an aboleth, Ithu’rax, near the village of Suwi.

Adventure 17: What do you mean, we have to kill a dragon?!?

Session 51, part 2

After a few weeks, the party leaves to return to Voltara. On the way, Adrik turns to a werebear and must be knocked unconscious. Brelith cures him the next morning.

After defeating were-Adrik, the party arrives at a Chardonian fort on the border of the Chardonian Empire. Samso convinces Soria Caronius, the commander of the fort, that the party are amazing heroes who can turn into dragons and kill deadly enemies with a glance, so she insists they try to find out who is stealing all their cattle. Their first scouting attempt fails miserably.

Session 52

After regrouping, the party heads upriver and discovers a small bullywug village, that appears to have been stealing the Chardonian cattle. The party attacks and nearly wipes out the entire village before realizing that perhaps they should have talked first. After some limited communication with drawings and diagrams – and the threat of a giant froghemoth potentially attacking them – they realize the Bullywugs were driven from their home by a dragon. The bullywugs communicate that if the dragon is killed, all will be forgiven.

Session 53

The party returns to the Chardonian fort and leaves the problem of the nearly-exterminated bullwugs in the commander’s hands, and heads north to track the dragon. Along the way, after about a week’s journey upriver, they meet some Deno’qai, who are gathered at a council to discuss what to do about the very same dragon. 

After some discussion with the Deno’qai council, the party decides to travel with Izkir, a priest of Bita, a bear spirit, who will lead them to the lair. After almost 10 days, they come to the edge of the Blackwater Fens, where the dragon lair is.

Session 54

The party sets off into the Blackwater Fens, with Adrik leading the way and Samso keeping an eye out for danger. They pass an ancient stone marker, about 60’ high, marking friendship between the elves and the humans, but it has fallen on its side. Continuing into the swamp, they make camp for the night.

In the middle of the night, the dragon, scouting its territory, finds them, and surprises the camp with a blast of its acid breath. While perched on a tree and taunting them, demanding they join its service or die, Adrik and Aelar manage to get on top of it, and are hasted by Izkir’s magic. As they beat on the dragon from above – and an attempted polymorph of Aelar into a T-rex is less successful than hoped – the dragon takes to the air, watching the spellcasters and attempting to disruption their concentration. Still, Adrik and Aelar do considerable damage before Samso’s conjured air elemental turns against the party as he falls unconscious, and Nymthrax flees, wounded.

Rather than attempt to rest here, where the dragon is alerted to their presence, the party hikes overnight to the stone monument, and spends the day repairing it using the plan suggested by the Bahrâzel, at Brelith’s questioning with the Divination spell. With the monument restored, the party finally rests safely. 

The next day is spent scrying and scouting, trying to assess the situation before heading for the lair to attack and kill the dragon. 

Session 55

The party makes a plan and finally confronts Nymthrax in his lair. The battle is fiercely fought, and the party is nearly killed by the searing acid of his breath. However, in the dragon’s moment of triumph, with everyone but Brelith unconscious on the battlefield, Brelith summons lightning to strike down the dragon. 

The party then loots his hoard, finding a vast collection of art, gems, coin, and treasure from throughout history. 

Session 56

The party spends a considerable amount of time organizing treasure and figuring out how to transport the entire hoard. With that accomplished, they head south, saying goodbye to Izkir, and then meeting again with the Bullywugs to tell them their home is safe and return some treasure the dragon stole from them. 

A few weeks later, they arrive back in Voltara, greeting by Julius, their steward. 

Events

  • Jan 06, 1748 DR: Party leaves Zarkandur to return to Voltara.
  • Jan 07, 1748 DR: Adrik turns to a polar werebear at camp and must be subdued.
  • Jan 08, 1748 DR: Adrik cured of lycanthropy by Brelith.
  • Jan 17, 1748 DR: Adrik, Brelith, Samso, and Aelar arrive back in the Chardonian Empire, stopped at the border fort. Learn it is in dire straights, its winter food supplies being raided by something on the river. Attempt to scout unsuccessfully.
  • Jan 18, 1748 DR: Head north to find out what is stealing food.
  • Jan 19, 1748 DR: Find and attack a bullywug village. Kill many before making peace and learning the bullywugs were driven from their home by a dragon. Agree to kill the dragon.
  • Jan 21, 1748 DR: Return to ~Voltara East Border Fort~ with news. Head north to find the dragon.
  • Jan 29, 1748 DR: Party encounters Deno’qaiscouts at a portage on the river. Go to council, learn the Deno’qai want to kill the dragon too.
  • Feb 01, 1748 DR: Party leaves Deno’qai council with Izkir, a guide and sorcerer blessed by the tanshi, heading for the Blackwater Fens, where the dragon lives.
  • Feb 09, 1748 DR: Party arrives at Blackwater Fens, camps outside to plan.
  • Feb 10, 1748 DR: Head into Blackwater Fens. Pass a ruined stone monument marking a treaty between elves and humans. Camp. Dragon attacks during the night.
  • Feb 11, 1748 DR: Wounded and needing a place to rest, return to treaty stone and repair it during the day. Sleep.
  • Feb 12, 1748 DR: Spend the day scrying and scouting, sleep at the treaty stone.
  • Feb 13, 1748 DR: Travel through Blackwater Fens to approach dragon lair.
  • Feb 15, 1748 DR: Fight bugbear minions of Nymthrax, and then fight and kill Nymthrax himself.
  • Feb 18, 1748 DR: Depart Nymthrax lair, heading back to river.
  • Feb 19, 1748 DR: Arrive at the Barzhen, summon portable boat from Staff of the Swamplands, begin to travel downriver
  • Feb 22, 1748 DR: Arrive at ~Bullywug Village~; return treasure, tell stories with the Pipe of Remembrance
  • Feb 24, 1748 DR: Arrive ~Voltara East Border Fort~. Spend the night
  • Feb 25, 1748 DR: Depart fort for Voltara.
  • Mar 07, 1748 DR: Arrive back in Voltara

Adventure 18: What’s at the Bottom of that Vast, Dark Chasm?

Session 57

The party spends some time in Voltara. They sell treasure, decorate their manor, and purchase an extradimensional vault from an eccentric dwarven artificer. They also receive letters: 
- from Dinia, saying that Airion’s Tower is gone; 
- from Iara, the lizardfolk, saying her people are heading south to Lake Valandros; 
- from Archivist Lyra, saying that the elemental scrolls were well-received, that should they find any more of Arion’s treasure they should come to Chardon to sell it, and also asking if they would look into the disappearance of another group of adventurers in the Goldpeak Mines.

With their treasure protected by magic and with Julius paid and the manor restocked, the party heads out to Goldpeak Mines, where they find a mysterious abandoned camp with dead bodies.

Session 58

Hearing noises from the tent at the abandoned camp, Samso lights the fabric on fire, which is encouraged to spread by Adrik’s ability to control flames. As the fire burns, a dwarf emerges but quickly dissolves into a pair of gibbering mouthers. The party fights them, and the tentacled rats that emerge from the dead bodies of a pair of horses. Despite Adrik’s mind being frequently overcome by the gibbering whispers calling out to Vilaxes, the party defeats these creatures and heads into the mines. Easily descending the cliff walls, the party finds a ruined ladder of massive, thick braided rope at the bottom. Charging ahead into a rough-hewn passage, Adrik is attacked and ambushed by a cloaker, which summons two carrion crawlers to aid it. Despite its annoying grapple, the cloaker is driven off, and the carrion crawlers are killed by Aelar as they try to flee. 

Session 59

The Silver Tempestscontinue down the passage, finding a campfire with the surviving Chardonians: Alton, the halfling rogue from long ago, and Cassia, a human paladin. They claim that some weird aberrations are living in the depths; their companion, a dwarf, was corrupted and went mad. After a rest, the party joins Cassia and Alton to explore further. 

After traveling some distance into the depths, the party finds some guards, twisted tentacled horrors watching the passageway. Between Samso’s wall of thorns and Brelith’s shatter spell, combined with the usual strength of the melee fighters, the guards die quickly. But it does not matter that the guards do not sound the alarm, as shatter alerts the base anyway. 

Entering the lair, Brelith falls into a quicksand trap and needs most of the rest of the party to rescue him; Aelar is left free to run up the wall and chase down some kobolds who are watching. One of the kobolds is pretending to be an acolyte of the fire god, and speaks freely to the party when he realizes they were the instigators of that con. From him, they learn that a beholder has taken over the kobold den, driving them to make a massive statue to his glory. 

Sneaking through the lair, the party encounters a few guards, attempting to trick them into believing they are here to worship Vilaxes, the beholder. This fails, and Adrik, Brelith, Cassia, and Samso are quickly chained and tossed into pits. Aelar and Alton, hidden, follow, and then launch an attack on the guards. A fight ensues, during which everyone escapes from their pits. 

The party confronts the beholder Vilaxes in a massive cavern dominated by a huge statue of a beholder walking on two legs, made of precious metals, random dungeon detritus, and broken weapons and armor. The fight seems to be going badly, with Aelar and Alton charmed, and Adrik and Cassia about to succumb to petrification, when Adrik uses a wish to remove all status effects from the party. Hoping to keep the beholder’s attention in his earth elemental form, Samso begins attacking the statue, cracking it in half, and drawing the beholder’s rage. While Samso is the focus of every blast of magic, and eventually succumbs to the death ray, Adrik strikes down Vilaxes with Thunderbrand. Brelith is then able to quickly cast revivify, bringing Samso back from the dead, and later restore Cassia as well. 

Session 60

Back in Voltara, the Silver Tempests enjoys the rewards of their status and reputation. Brelith apprentices himself to the chef at Finoc Small’s tavern, The Wandering Toad, learning to cook, and opening a restaurant, Cleric Cooks. Adrik goes on a binge of pit fighting and gambling, managing to end up with a small profit. Samso travels to visit with Iara at the Lizardfolk community near Lake Valandros, and learns more about the mysterious attacks. Alton opens a boisterous tavern and dive bar outside the city walls, called the Rogue’s Range, with axe throwing for patrons. 

Four months later, the Silver Tempests host a party, a grand opening for Cleric Cooks. Many old friends are there, thanks to Samso’s new magic ability to teleport via plants: Dinia, from the north; Brelith’s parents and some other dwarves of Zarkandur; and Aris and some other centaurs, who are leaving on the next stop in their migration and have come to say goodbye. It is a big success.

Events

  • Mar 08, 1748 DR - Mar 13, 1748 DR: In Voltara, the party sells treasure to Quintus Percomia and Inectos Tintio, purchases an extradimensional vault for their treasure, and employs Brelith’s and Galius Filuso’ magic to protect their home base.
  • Mar 14, 1748 DR: The party leaves Voltara for Goldpeak Mines
  • Mar 15, 1748 DR: Travel
  • Mar 16, 1748 DR: The party arrives at Goldpeak Mines, fights a dwarven abberation at the camp outside, descends into the chasm, and fights a cloaker and carrion crawlers. Meet Cassia and Alton. Rest.
  • Mar 17, 1748 DR: Travel into the depths. Fight guards, and learn that the beholder Vilaxes has taken over a kobold den. Briefly imprisoned. Fight beholder, and win after Samso draws the beholder’s attacks by attempting to destroy a massive statue of Vilaxes. Samso and Cassia die, and are revived by Brelith. Rest.
  • Mar 18, 1748 DR: Return to the surface. Rest.
  • Mar 19, 1748 DR: Travel back to Voltara.
  • Mar 20, 1748 DR: Arrive back in Voltara, victorious.
  • Mar 21, 1748 DR - Aug 06, 1748 DR: Downtime in Voltara
  • Aug 07, 1748 DR: Brelith’s restaurant opens as the Silver Tempests host a party.

Adventure 19: Saving Grandma Yoda (This Shit’s Kinda’ Fishy)

Session 61

Mabist comes knocking on the door of the Tempest Towers. Both Samso and Adrik are a bit suspicious of this armored visitor before we learn Dinia was captured. We retrieve Alton from his violent dive bar. In misty forms the party flies to Suwi, a distant village near the coast, where they meet the village priest, and ask about rumors of the Havoc Host, a mercenary group that was involved in kidnapping Dinia. The priest introduces the party to Clara, a teenaged girl whose brother was kidnapped a few days ago by the Havoc Host, just upriver near a small lake.

The next morning the party travels upriver to the lake. Finding the logging camp where Clara’s brother was taken, they follow a trail along the lakeshore, coming to a rocky clearing where the ruins of a castle overlook the lake. The party manages to ambush a group of slimy minions, and quickly dispatch them, knocking them out and binding them. 

Searching the ruins, Samso finds a concealed tunnel leading underground. Following the tunnel, the party emerges into the barracks of the Havoc Host. Mabist is disguised as a slimy minion; Samso turns into an earth elemental; and Adrik busts down the door. A battle ensues, in which the Havoc Host are soundly beaten. Convinced that Mabist is one of the Ithu’rax’s servants, the mercenaries are reluctant to surrender, until Mabist attempts to surrender himself, convincing them that something strange is going on. At this point, the mercenaries surrender, and are disarmed and convinced to make a better life for themselves opening a franchise of Brelith’s restaurant by Adrik and Mabist. 

The party learns the layout of the tunnels from the mercenaries, and begins to explore, carefully navigating around cracking parts of the tunnels that drop rocks on their heads with a misstep. After navigating through the tunnels for some time, Samso hears sobbing from a room to the south. Here, the party discovers the dead body of an adventurer, and the ghost of Milo Kentbrush, who was sure he could kill the aboleth, but was ambushed by the annoying slime servants. The party finds his arrow of aberration slaying, and takes it with them. Milo follows, tied to the arrow.

The party manages to quietly navigate the flooded caverns, emerging into the aboleth’s lair, where they see a psychically controlled Dinia waiting for them. She attacks, and Ithu’rax the aboleth emerges from a central pool, joining the battle. The battle is a challenge. Ithu’raxmanipulates his foes physical form, turning ligaments to jelly and lungs to gills, all of which make it difficult for the party to land a blow. Alton, although set up with the arrow of aboleth slaying, misses his shot; Mabist manages to grapple the aboleth with a giant force hand, but is targeted by the aboleth’s anger and eventually knocked unconscious and dropped into the cursed waters at the center of the cave. Samso spends the combat as an earth elemental; while he does not sustain much damage, he is also repeatedly driven back and unable to land a solid blow. It is only Samso’s conjured dragon, and Adrik’s seemingly endless ability to absorb the strikes of the aboleth’s tentacles, that save the party and lead to victory. 

With the aboleth killed, Dinia returns to herself, and appoints herself the caretaker of the now slowly recovering slime servants.

Events

  • Aug 22, 1748 DR: Mabist arrives at the Tempest Towers with news of Dinia’s capture.
  • Aug 23, 1748 DR: Arrive at Suwi, meet village priest, speak with Clara about the Havoc Host.
  • Aug 24, 1748 DR: Travel upriver to a small lake. Fight slimy minions, find a secret passage, enter flooded caverns. In the caverns, defeat more slime minions and meet the ghost ofMilo Kentbrush. Confront Ithu’rax the aboleth, and defeat it, rescuing Dinia.
  • Aug 25, 1748 DR: Return to Voltara.