Chapter Five: Gates of Ice

Session was held at the Penthouse of Pain 19th of October

Every now and then a ship full of adventurers arrive to Targos

The expedition had finally arrived to the Icewind Dale. Now within the relative safety of the  fortified town of Targos they had a moment to spare for further preparations in order to relocate themselves in Bryn Shander, the capital of the Ten Towns. Even though the journey through the Sea of Moving Ice had been perilous, none of the members had succumbed under the burden. But that was not the case with the crewmembers of Virgin Ingrid. Half-dozen men had died from Captain Saltskins crew, forcing the ship to Targosian dry-dock for length of the winter. Most of the surviving ones planned to return south along trade caravans, and the Captain himself visioned a future as a career-fisherman in the lake Maer Dualdon.

As the shipmates were clearly stranded, Enoch Crowgale was planning expeditions next move with furious pace. He had rented two wagons for the following day, as reaching Bryn Shander was a top priority. But he maneged to dine with Kemp, the mayor of Targos, as the rest of expedition were getting hammered at a tavern. Orgot, the depressed half-orc, was especially feeling the power of brews, as he proclaimed loudly how he had finally met his god, Talos, and how He had blessed him with His thunder.
As the rest listened for the green drunkards rant, a man, local pub patron, assaulted Thelon with a knife, dissing him as a murderer. The fool was quickly subdued, and as the innkeeper explained that the patron, Lorent Silkspindle had recently became a widow, the heroes understood his outburst. Nevertheless, it was clear that poor Lorent had mistaken Thelon as someone "elvish".

Vetrvaders Sign

Everything was set, and as a first thing in the morning the expeditions wagons departed Targos. Eleazar the Algarondian, the mingy merchant to rent the wagons, and his son Schmaiah joined for the travel, as they would drive the wagons back right after reaching Bryn Shander. The Dale beyond Targos was a rugged tundra, devoid of snow for now, but desolate nonetheless. After few hours of travelling, the road descended into a green vale with tall pines, pouring glass clear streams and beautiful birdsong. But that illusion was soon dispelled as Posco and Thyngall Pedersen halted the convoy. The trail was blocked by a giant and a goblin, both clad in crude armor. The giant in particular was an prominent obstacle to cross, but working as a close-knit group, such a threat was soon demolished. As they searched the corpses, two crude amulets with a matching sigils were found. Bolwyn remembered hearing about a increasing threat of a northern  ice giant kingdom, Kongrike ov Hvítrfjell and their notorious ice giant king Vetrvader, and he was convinced that the symbols were the kings mark. Thus they speculated if these two were just some deserters, with their "quality" equipment, how mighty could Vetrvader be?

Later on, just before dusk, the wagons came within range of vision with Bryn Shanders palisades. The gateguard was reluctant to let the expedition pass, as he declared the town to be under a guarantee. Such a delay was not part of Crowgales plans, and after insisting strongly, access was granted for part of the Cassius beckoned them. After leaving their backpacks to Geldenstag's Rest inn, they dashed to before-mentioned late-night council meeting.

expedition. While insisting, he even managed to invite the leading members of the party to meet Bryn Shanders council, as the councils spokesman

Something was indeed wrong with the town, as many of its inhabitants were showing acute signs of severe respiratory symptoms. And indeed, the council confirmed their observations. The members of the council that night were Cassius himself, councilman Azurr, townguards commander Jökull Engeset, priestress of Oghma Dasha Shimova and scientist/cleric of Mystra Arcangelo Izzi. During the meeting they revealed that the cause for this apparent plague was unknown, and the few clerics were struggling to heal people, that became sick again the day after. Crowgale offered the heroes to investigate the cause and possible cure, while he would do last-minute research in Temple of Oghma's library. There was also a evident juxtaposition among the council, as Arcangelo Izzi was offering his help, and the rest accused each other to be responsible for the epidemic.

But our mercenaries decided to follow Izzis way, as he was only one to even try to find a solution. He took them to his laboratory-apartment that was based in a old mill at the northern part of town. Full of strange apparatus and esoteric tomes, he gave a tour around his work, also downstairs laboratory. There they saw a one of the earliest victims of the plague, a local woman, in her death throes. Sight of the repellent nature of the latter phase of the disease, the heroes were ready to give their best to help to find a cure. Arcangelo explained that in order to run extensive tests he needed fifty vials of contaminated blood, small samples from 50 different persons. The mercenaries saw this as a rational task, as many locals could be reasoned to grant small dose of blood.

Arcangelo Izzi, and spectacular laboratory magic

Next morning the group split in order to collect the samples faster. Arcangelo had asked them to deliver the vials as they got them, so that he could run tests all day long. He had defined almost five dozen different mixtures and ingredients to combine with the samples in order to find one that acts as a remedy. No samples were asked from the council members as they seemed to shun Arcangelos research, especially priestress Shimova and spokesman Cassius. By the end of the day all the samples were delivered and the wizard shut himself into his laboratory to run rest of the tests.

With the arrival of dawn acme also the long-awaited solution. Arcangelo Izzi had found right ingredients to cure the disease but he had a problem. In order to refine the remedy to be potent enough to cure the whole town, the wizard needed a catalytic substance, one he called the most powerful conjuration-binder known to the Art, a fresh human heart. This unprecedented request was one that required careful consideration, but as Izzi showed a bounty-poster he had taken from a tavern wall earlier, the decision was easier to make. The four  mercenaries were ready to hunt down a poacher known as Hedeon Horn, wanted dead or alive, and bring him to Arcangelo who volunteered to butcher the poor wretch. For this was the only available option left to save rest of the townfolk.

Hedeon Horn was known to camp around Gloombog, south of Bryn Shander. Guards at the gate were easily bluffed to let the heroes pass as they believed a small white lie that mister Horn was behind the whole epidemic, and he should be brought to justice.

As the vigilantes reached the swamp, tracking the poacher was relatively easy job. It seemed that he had evaded justice because no one dared to enter the bog, which was strange as the heroes found it to be relatively cozy place. Hedeon Horn was found and subdued from a old hunting shack, and delivered tied up back to Bryn Shander. Arcangelo Izzi was more than relieved to find out that creating the cure was just a matter of few hours of work. He left the heroes upstairs to sip tea and take a breather for a while, as he would perform the heart removing operation downstairs in his laboratory.

Strange sounds were heard as the bounty hunters were waiting for Izzi to do his part, and everyone shared a peculiar feeling that something was not right. As they took a peek downstairs, Hedeon Hooks mutilated corpse was left on the table and Izzi was escaping through a secret door. As the heroes scolded themselves for being so naive, they plunged after the apparent impostor, fearing that this all had been some vague necromantic scheme. Passage following the secret door spiraled down into a great underground cave that was eerily illuminated by trail of torches burning alongside a pathway that cut through thornbush-like roots that infested the floor. Thelon who was the spearhead of the pursuit, witnessed Arcangelo flying through the cavern, and thus he received slight advantage as our heroes had to tread through the rooted path. On the other end of the cavern rose an ominous obstacle, cyclopean hexagon tower, apparently cut from one solid block of strange stone. Crude wooden stairs went to one opening on the side and continued upward from the other side.

Lord Pest

Once inside, they saw that same plague-ridden woman that Izzi had previously portrayed as the first disease victim. Actually she was Suppur, crazed woman who had turned herself into being a "cancer mage" (see; Book of Vile Darkness). She was in the middle of the room, nurturing a queer sack of pulsating flesh, that was seemingly pumping some kind of toxic up to the town through several pipes that was infused into it. Dazed by grotesque of both cancer mage and that disease-sack, the heroes stormed Suppur down, slaying her and continuing upwards where Arcangelo Izzi had escaped. But the whole stone tower trembled suddenly, and a evil-sounding laughter and speech was heard from upstairs. Little bit shocked from the trembles, they entered upper level with caution, finding Izzi standing besides a great undead being. The thing had fifty vials of blood hooked into it via small metal strings, and apparently Izzi the necromancer had inserted the poachers heart inside it's ribcage, thus awakening the monster. He shouted in mad bliss "Lord Pest! Lord Pest!" to which the mummy answered by casting him aside and attacking the heroes.
The battle against Lord Pests undead vigor was a grievous one. It's strength was beyond their abilities, and one after another they fell, maimed and hurt, to the floor. But one had the stamina and wits to outcome this encounter, and it was the halfling. Without Poscos effort, everyone would have died that day, but the small blades of the tiny rogue vanquished both the necromancer and his creation. After destroying the mummy, our heroes decimated the sack of disease, and transported the unconscious necromancer back to the surface to answer for his crimes.

Members of the council were relieved to learn that the imminent threat was now gone, and after Izzi confessed that the disease was actually harmless flu, they decided that the guarantee was no longer needed. Izzi in the other hand, managed to spin delicate web of lies and our heroes were enraged that the council put down the most serious accusations.

But never the less, he was going to face a long sentence in Bryn Shanders cold prison, although when considering where the heroes themselves would head next, Arcangelo Izzi had the more hospitable one of the two options.

To the North!