Recognizing a need to rest after the yeti attack, the party gathered under Vellynne’s conjured hut and recuperated lost spells and healed their wounds. Outside, the wind and snow abated and they remained unmolested for a time.
Toward the end of their rest, the party noticed a diminutive figure outside the shelter, seemingly investigating the magical construct though unable to enter. Discussing the situation, the party decided to dispel the hut and confront the stranger. As the party readied for any new terror, Vellynne lifted her spell.
They did not expect to find a garishly clad rock gnome who sat there seemingly unbothered by the extreme cold.
After a tense moment, the gnome introduced himself as lowercase bob (editor: that can’t be right…it is? okay then) and told the adventurers he had survived a shipwreck and had managed to find them through some luck.
Vellynne then spied a white weasel moving about the gnome’s booted feet, and rose from her seat angrily: “WHERE IS NASS LANTOMIR, GNOME?”
lowercase bob looked utterly confused. “Who? Oh, you mean that sorcerous. She died – couldn’t handle the cold, it seems, and I left her body a couple miles back that way,” and pointed northwest.
“IF SHE’S DEAD, WHY IS HER WEASEL FAMILIAR STILL ALIVE AND WITH YOU?”
This back and forth went on for quite some time, with Vellynne convinced the gnome was her nemesis Nass Lantomir (somehow) and lowercase bob telling anyone who would listen that it just wasn’t so. lowercase DID have the professor orb (Professor Skant) with him, and when pressed admitted he looted the body, since Nass no longer needed anything. When lowercase bob mentioned a spellbook, Ferus bought it off the gnome for 300 gold (truly, a steal).
To try to discover some semblance of truth, the party made their way back to Nass’s corpse, and upon some sharp questioning, lowercase did admit to being Nass (possession is a thing) wherein the party decided to side with Vellynne. A brief fight occurred, and in the end lowercase bob was freed of his possession and Nass’s spirit would remain within 200 feet of her corpse until her ghost was put to rest.
Whenever that might be.
On the return to the giant’s castle, the party encountered two more yeti and after dispatching them, saw Geluvicken, the frost giant druid, flying astride her giant roc toward Icewind Dale to reinforce the Everlasting Rime. They knew they had eight hours to find the Codicil of White before the priestess would return; if they were still in the castle at that point, they would face her freezing wrath.
Exploring the castle, the party encountered an aged, seemingly deaf giant who fought to the death. He was guarding a large amount of treasure, which the group scooped up before continuing. They moved upstairs first, where they were attacked by ice piercers. Hurt, they ventured to the top of the keep where they found the roc’s nest. In the middle of the nest lay a huge, silvery egg, which Ferus suggested was a silver dragon’s egg. Other smaller treasures were also found, along with a small chest, but the party now must decide if the egg can be saved, or pushed off the edge of the tower to see what happens. And they still needed to locate the Codicil of White. Perhaps in the dungeon?
Geluvicken will return in seven hours.
