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Previously on Rime of the Frostmaiden
Starring:
Valravn, level 11 Eladrin Bard of Eloquence
Fray, level 11 Halfling Barbarian of the Beast
Celeste, level 11 Half-orc Sun Soul Monk (played by Chris/Valravn this episode)
Edmond, Level 11 Human Alchemist Artificer
Thimbleweed, level 11 Thri-Kreen Swarmkeeper Ranger (played by Heather/Fray this episode)
Two trials remained in the depths of Grimskalle, all that separated the Marshals from a powerful relic of the Frostmaiden, and a possible end to the everlasting night. But a snatch and grab is a little tricky when a goddess is involved.
Edmond tackles the Test of Cruelty. He’s transported to a Reghed Nomad camp, inhabiting the body of a member of the Wolf clan. The clan has suffered greatly under the everlasting night. Food has run out, and they’ve already butchered all their animals and pets.
Now they turn to extreme measures to stay alive: killing their own for food. The Chieftan marches the oldest among them into his tent, throws a knife at Edmond’s feet, and tells him to do what needs to be done.
Edmond doesn’t hesitate. He leaps to his feet and goes on a terrifying murder spree, even sprinkling in some one-liners during the butchery. The test is passed, and Edmond grudgingly earns a point of inspiration!
The final trial is the Test of Endurance. Fray is transported to the middle of the Sea of Ice, slamming into the freezing waters. She has to make a series of CON saves every hour while Celine Dion plays in the background. Her +8 CON modifier and cold resistance come in very handy, though she still suffers two levels of exhaustion before she’s transported back to Grimskalle.
Completing the trials rewards the winner with a crystal snowflake, and the nearby Vault of the Frostmaiden features four snowflake indentions.
Vaelish and Nass are anxious to get into the vault to the south, but the Marshals decide to explore the northern corridor. Inscriptions and giant statues indicated a place of importance for the frost giants who used to occupy the fortress.
Beyond the first door the party discovers another guard room, but instead of statues they face a pair of towering frost giant skeletons wielding anchors — chains and all!
The skeletons use their chained weapons to strike out like gigantic whips, wrapping around Valravn and Fray. But the party kicks into high gear. Highlights include Edmond charging with his bear, leaping off his flying boots, and unleashing his arm cannon into both of them, as well as Celeste dealing huge amounts of damage with her mop and unarmed strikes against the bludgeoning-weak skele-bones.
After a single round the undead guardians fall, and the party opens the final northern door.
The frost giant queen Vassavicken is entombed in a gigantic block of ice, while a large visage of a frost giant looms over her from the ceiling.
Frozen in ice with her is a magic-looking crown with glowing gems.
Valravn detects evocation magic on the ceiling statue. The party carefully backs out of the room, and Edmond casts Flaming Sphere to melt the icy sarcophagus.
As soon as the giant queen’s corpse hits the air, the statue activates, bathing the tomb and the room in icy freezing breath, and beginning to refreeze the corpse. The magic of the flaming sphere continues to work, but they’re going to need more firepower — literally!
Celeste uses Burning Hands to melt the body further, and Valravn, wearing the Frostfur Cloak, bravely dashes inside. He makes the CON save, taking only 30 damage instead of 60, and his cloak absorbs half of it still, triggering a minor heal.
He can’t waste any time, grabbing the exposed crown and teleporting out with Misty Step. Teamwork and bravery, I like it!
They’ll still need to identify the magical crown. For now they return to the ice rink and the vault. They place their snowflakes in the indentions, and the door melts away, revealing a small room with four tablets that explain the importance of the trials.
Valravn convinces Vaelish and Nass that only those who have completed the trials can continue on. The room beyond hold a single lectern, and resting on it is a fur-lined book: the Codicil of White. A holy artifact of the Frostmaiden.
Divine power radiates off of it, and the party gives it a wide berth.
Nass yells to quickly grab it, as she can feel the presence of the Frostmaiden looming heavily around them, her spell continuing to keep them hidden — for now.
But there’s one more door in the back. They open it, finding a small, freezing room filled with mist and chunks of ice on the floor. It also reeks of divine power.
Fray curiously enters the room and the ice door slams shut. Words appear on the wall:
The final test. Do you court death to receive my blessing?
Fray contemplates for some time — just kidding. She immediately accepts with a bring-it-on attitude. The room flash-freezes, plummeting temperatures into impossibly dangerous levels. Carbonite anyone?
The barbarian succeeds on the DC 21 CON save with a nat 20 — nice!
Her body is filled with divine power. Her eyes glow icy blue, she gains immunity cold damage, and can cast Cone of Cold (DC 15) once per day.
The door opens and she emerges, causing the rest of the party to gape in shock. She strides up and picks up the Codicil.
The temperature all around them begins to drop. Snow flurries whip up around the ice rink behind them, forming snow golems. The Frostmaiden cometh!
Nass casts Mass Suggestion on the entire party, commanding them to turn over the Codicil and leave this place quickly and quietly. But almost every single PC makes the WIS save!
The marshals are reasonably upset, but Vaelish and Nass didn’t attack them, and still don’t want a fight to break out, especially when there are bigger forces bearing down on them!
The party chastises the villainous pair, saying they’re all in this together now. They’re holding onto the Codicil, and want Nass to teleport them out with them!
Nass and Vaelish reluctantly agree, but they’ll need to defend them for a few seconds so she can finish the spell — not to mention get close to her!
Snow golems explode from the party’s ranged attacks and Vaelish’s spells, but more emerge, hurling deadly snowballs.
An ice elemental breaks off from the walls and claws at Edmond and Valravn, prompting them to hurriedly escape the lectern room.
As more creatures begin to spawn, the Frostmaiden herself finally makes a grand entrance, growing from a tiny snowflake into a towering ice sculpture.
Time seems to slow as Nass finishes the teleportation spell. Fray walks slowly toward the Frostmaiden, as their eyes lock. With her divine blessing, Fray has a special connection to the goddess.
The goddess speaks to her telepathically. She’s not happy about what they’ve done here, but she’s more concerned about what’s happening in the ancient city buried under the glacier. Through a series of brief flashes Fray glimpses the history of Ythryn, and a power that lurks within. That power has recently been restarted, but it’s malfunctioning, and even the goddess is concerned about what that means.
The Frostmaiden tells her new acolyte of her mission: to prevent this apocalyptic buildup of power.
The rest of the party is oblivious to this exchange, and the spell finishes, teleporting the the entire group (plus the unconscious Vellyne) out of Grimskalle, just as the Frostmaiden’s endless armies of snow and ice reach them.
Special programming note: We’re off next week! Rime of the Frostmaiden resumes in December.
MVPC – Fray
Live post-session discussion:
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