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Real Ice Cold

2025-Oct-03

  • 6 hour rest passes without interruption
  • The party heads to the final chamber of this floor. Eugene leads the way, able to walk at full speed because of an herb cigarette he took from Rulkorf’s pack
  • “Real” Room
    • Cold and snowy environment all around them, they see gently rolling hills of undisturbed snow
      • Getting a better vantage on his broom, Kleb spots a crater off in the distance but can’t confirm much beyond the fact that there is a real horizon (i.e. this is not an elemental plane of ice or some abstract extradimensional space)
    • Everyone besides Kleb heads towards a nearby collection of trees. Passing some stone ruins buried on snow drifts, the dwarf chips away at the layer of ice to examine the flagstone
      • The trio collect some wood from what they realize is a small grove of apple trees, during which Rulkorf thinks he sees something watching them from nearby
      • Rowan casts a Warding Bond on himself and the druid, and they lash the bundles of sticks with rope to keep their hands free
      • They make their way over to meet Kleb at the crevasse, passing by more dilapidated structures without an ambush. Rowan feels at one point that there is wood under his boot instead of snow or ice. Closer inspection reveals it to be a small barrel, which they begin to excavate
        • After popping the top, they find alcohol in the barrel but no rations. It is getting dark quickly so they decide to abandon it to join Kleb and make camp for the night
    • Huddled in the ice cave Kleb has fashioned, Rulkorf ignites a small campfire using the branches and his druidcraft. Immediately a howl rings out across the landscape…
      • Three humanoid figures are approaching from the hill where the party started. They look like burned corpses
      • Rowan tries to freeze them in fear but only stops one. Seeing the undead and hearing them scream, Kleb himself is frightened. He dumps one of his oil flasks on the fire to cast more light
      • Rowan and Kleb are both attacked by the zombies but neither of the undead is able to land a serious strike. Rulkorf illuminates three of them with Faerie Fire and stands shoulder to shoulder with the paladin
      • Kleb smashes his assailant into the ground, but it almost immediately begins moving again. Rowan experiences something similar where these zombies refuse to stay dead. The fighter pushes a corpse into the flames, which elicits haunting screams but even that does not slay it
        • Eugene recalls a tactic from dealing with undead spirits in his younger days, and tells everyone to use radiant damage if they can. Even “regular” magic weapons may not be enough
      • Rulkorf finally seizes an opporunity to use his Javelin of Lightning, which pierces two zombies before striking a third, all but exploding it from the impact. Rowan smashes a vial of holy water over the two nearest undead, and they crumble into ash
    • Kleb, Eugene, and the others clean up the remaining zombies with vicious blows from swords and fists. Kleb notices the garb of one zombie bears the sigil of the Lionshield Coster of Phandalin, revealing the real setting of this battle
      • Realizing that this crevasse is actually the one underneath Tresendar Manor, Kleb heads down into it on his broom to search for the escape key
      • Rulkorf tries to dig for the alternate entrance to the Crimson Tide hideout while Rowan keeps Eugene company by the fire
    • Unable to find the entrance, Rulkorf eventually joins Kleb and the duo find the Nothic’s scratched and worn treasure chest. There is no sign of the Nothic, but Kleb remembers that it liked to booby-trap its treasure, just in time to prevent a small vial of poison gas from shattering when the latch swung open
      • He finds 2 potions of healing, an old spellbook, component pouch, and a brass key, collecting it all
      • As the fighter touches the key, the cold fades from everyone’s limbs and they find themselves back in the manor once more