Session 27

=January 3rd, 2019 - The Path to the Temple=

The Path to the Temple
The session began as the party attempted to interrogate the two drow captives they took alive during the attack on the Duke and Duchess of Khaz Thorum. The dwarves graciously offered to let their honored guests give it a try. They don’t like the elvish tongue. Lachlan led the interrogation, speaking in Elvish so the dark elf could understand him. He suggested there may be a way for him to return to his people with less shame, if he spoke up. For their dark god will look down very poorly on failure in ones mission.

Unfortunately, the dark elves either knew little or were not willing to speak any further than verifying the fire giant Duke Zalto was behind the operation. The captured drow warrior suggested the murdered mages among them may have known more, but nothing can be done for them now. The dwarves took over the prisoners at that point, with the party deciding to move on. The dwarves also agreed to hold on to the massive adamantine plate until the return of their heart of the forge. The party regrouped with Harshnag outside the entrance to the stronghold, and the giant looked puzzled.

Complaining how no one would tell him anything, and all the dwarves kept looking at him like he was guilty of something, the party explained about the drow attack. After the dwarves had secured the plate from their horses, and the party had recouped on supplies, they set off back south and east towards the base of the mountains. After a few days they retraced their steps back to where Harshnag said the trail would be found - a small valley at the base of the mountains due west of the northwestern tip of the Mistwood. It took the frost giant two more days of walking the valley to find the path, denoted by a marker above human height on a rock ledge.

The marker was a smooth column carved in the face of a rock wall with a giant symbol etched upon it, and was high on a ledge along the southwestern rim of the valley. The trick of perspective made it easy for a giant walking along to see it, but almost impossible for a smallfolk. A few party members copied the symbol, or rune, into their journals. The path led them back up into the mountains, and thanks to Thia’s mountaineering prowess the group was able to travel at a moderate pace. Even as their third day on the path took them into high snow, ice, and bitter cold storm winds.

Attack of the Yeti
Along the path they continued to find markers with giant runes upon them, and after finding the fifth such rune as the sun crept low on this third day of travel the group began to look for shelter. They were winding through a relatively narrow pass with high ice crusted rock walls. The howling had begun a little earlier, but was now clearly not wind nor wolves, and was from multiple creatures. Then, in a flash large white creatures with bright red eyes dropped from the ledges all around them. They stood taller than a man, covered in white fur with the body of a gorilla but with horns atop its head.

Then, in the front and rear of the group two very large yetis standing three times the size of a man, abominable yetis, dropped in and roared. The hungry monsters attacked in unison, and Harshnag wasted no time charging the abominable yeti to the front. Rachen immediately turned and ran to the rear of the group to engage the other giant yeti. The rest of the group huddled together between as they were charged on all sides by swinging clawed arms. The wizards and warlock flew spells, and quickly realized that fire hurt them dearly. Fireballs flew and exploded all around.

But it was the quick thinking of Rufus that saved the day, as he pulled out his new set of golden lion statuettes and threw them both into the fray. He commanded them into magical life and they each engaged a yeti. They harassed and kept two yetis occupied, and even though they eventually both fell and were returned to their miniature golden form, they allowed the group to thin the numbers of the yeti. Once the tide was turned, it was only a matter of time until victory. Once Harshnag completed his duel and slew the larger of the two abominables, the others raged, screaming and howling as they fought to their deaths shortly after.

Rufus was also able to pour a healing potion down the throat of Rhogar, saving him from bleeding out to death after he was mauled by one of the yeti. When the battle was over, many of the group were heavily injured, but none had died. Lachlan had also come close, but they had survived. Night had set in fully, and snow was blowing heavy on the wind. They were in a terrible place for a campground, especially given all the new yeti corpses.

And so, that is where the session ended, as the party surveyed the scene of their close victory and prepare to push on the path until they find a place to camp for the night. It was the evening of the one hundred and forty second day since the raid on Greenest.

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