Diary of Zaaz Bloodfortune
Standing after the fight I looked over at the creature we had defended. SO Fluffy was all that came to mind at first. Looking like a humanoid wolf, she introduced herself as Baknarla of the Adlet race and a shaman. I can barely keep my focus on her words as I want to go over and pet her so badly. Disguising the reason for my actions as a healing, I reach out to her and stroke her fur. It is even more fluffy and soft than I thought it would be. A fleeting thought of stuffing her and making her into a body pillow skims across the surface of my thoughts and again I need to bring my mind back to the matter at hand. Was that truly my thought or the voices I hear? For now, I will choose to believe it be the voices, for surely that was not a thought for the good. So soft…
Baknarla explains to us that her gift of foretelling has led her to us. Her people had been driven out of their normal home by the white dragon we go to seek. Desperate and exiled from their home, they life on the fringes, barely able to survive. A time before Baknarla had started to have visions of strangers from another place and world coming to save them and give her people the ability to go back home. An outcast within her tribe, she stuck to her beliefs and readied for the moment to come. A pull of premonition led her to where we found her today. The face may be alien in it’s wolfishness, but the satisfaction of vindication does shine strongly from within. She offers to guide us forward to our goal and tells us of her Uncle who had gone before and never come back from the crevasse.
After the obligatory attempt of Tauvum to force her to marry Sadobras we journeyed onward. Though we had lost mounts, the Adlet is able to use the Windwalk spell to keep up with us. After a quiet night we can see the massive crevasse ahead. So as not to advertise our arrival we land a good distance off and make our way down inside. Cold and slippery in places it was. At first we can still see the open sky and light, but as we make our way deeper the light fails us and we need o prepare torches or other means. As we find the a cave leading down into the heart of the glacier, we found a pictogram left by her Uncle, letting us know that we have hopefully found the right way. Thought he obviously didn’t finish his mission of killing the dragon, we are still hopeful that we can find him and his powerful gear. Baknarla has assured us that he was well armed with weapons that would bring pause to even a powerful wyrm.
The path led deeper within and seemed to circle it’s way down. More and more treacherous the footing became till we were beset by a part of strange Frostcrawler Behirs. Throwing lightning from their mouths I realize that I had certainly not prepared the correct spells for this attack. Still, a witch must do what she can. I move up and cast and evil eye on one as I shake off the electrical damage it had done me. Sadobras and Nevrah move up and attack one, but then the Behirs counter. In the blink of an eye the one I had hexed sweeps it’s neck over me and plunges it’s terrible mouth down. Swallowed in a gulp, terror blotted out the indignity of it. Luckily for me, good Yoska managed to call slumber down upon it and was able to set about freeing me. Between the group of us we resume trying to take down the two of them. Baknarla summoned the largest ice elemental I’ve yet seen which struck with great effect. Sadobras and Nevrah charged again and again striking at them. On of them also swallows up Yoska, but luckily it was one that I had cast a retribution hex on. As it does the damage to poor Yoska, she curse it brings about struck it down. Finally, Sadobras and Nevrah strike a killing blow on the other and all is quiet.
Soon thereafter we encountered one of the strangest, yet most terrifying creature we have yet fought. As we advanced forward, we noticed a strange humming coming from a side passage. Investigating, Sadobras found a crystalline thing set with various rocks that seemed to be making the hum. Moving to investigate, the humming surged in intensity and in a moment, he was rocked in his saddle, stunned. Nevrah moves to strike the thing, but it slides unexpectedly quickly out of the way. The hum growing again in intensity, Yoska is hit by a pulse o fit’s energy and stunned as well. Nevrah concerned for Sadobras grabs him up and tries to back away but is quickly hit by this strange carnivorous crystal. Within moments it starts to envelop her and we all recoil in terror as we see her skin begin to change and become glassy and transparent. After a few minutes of battle we finish it off, but at great cost. Nevrah has become a crystal herself and we are concerned that she will be done. Luckily Tauvum still has a remaining miracle scroll and manages to bring her back to life. In the room we found a large number of valuable crystals, but who knows if it will be enough to replace the cost of the scroll?
Retreating a bit we move back to a safe location and decide to make camp. While Tauvum leaves to pick up Snori from his training, I took the opportunity to get to know Baknarla a bit more. Difficult it is with no common language, but a tongues spell does come in handy. As for the return of Snori, while more hands would certainly be welcome, I’m just not sure if the flighty little fay has the hands we need. Still, one makes do with what one has and it’s not to say that Snori hasn’t gotten us out of a pinch or two. That he had put us into a pinch or two I suppose balanced it out.
Once Snori and Tauvum returned, we readied ourselves once more and advanced into the glacier. Dalomar using his invisibility to scout ahead and the rest of us following behind. Soon he did whisper back using the message spell I maintain on him that he had come to a large cavern with various mushrooms and a feeling of something off. As we moved forward to see in more detail suddenly a large Frost Worm burst from the floor. Though I had been friends with a Frost Worm in my youth, I knew that without time to get to know it, a frost worm could be little but an enemy to us. Sadobras, sensing the danger of the attack so frequent for these creatures, ripped a patch off of his useful cloak and suddenly was holding a large rowboat above his head. Some protection given, he urged Nevrah to the attack. As she was getting space to charge, the Worm let loose with a blast of frost. Sadobras pulled Nevrah sideways at the last moment and took the hit to himself instead of her. I tried to cast an evil eye on it and weaken it’s resistance, but to no effect. Snori moved up and tried to slip into hit it, but its superior reach let it hit him as well. Still, Snori managed to move close and do serious damage to it. Tauvum moved into position to support him with his bow as well and the creature let our a roar of indignation. Nevrah and Sadobras also moved into position to strike at it.
Suddenly, as Sori continued to harras the worm, it whipped it gaping maw around and bit him virtually in half. Before anyone could do anything, Snori fell to the ground, dead. Screaming in rage at the loss of a companion, the adlet finished summoning a massive ice elemental which pounded the enemy with a massive slam. Gazing on the battle and I knew not what to do. I knew we could summon back Snori’s spirit with a ritual my familiar had taught me, but I knew I had not the required components. Just as I was thinking this, Tauvum ran up with another scroll and read the terrible and mighty words within. The breath of life descended upon Snori and his chest began to rise and fall once again.
As I rejoiced on Snori’s return to life and we continued to restore Snori’s health, the room was shook by a massive explosion as the Frost Worm died. There was no time for rejoicing though as soon another worm burst from the floor. Again we fought for our lives. Moving forward I use my healing hex on Tauvum and with the split hex feat my patron had granted me, I also was able to give more healing to Snori. The extra health was certainly needed for soon the creature used it’s breath weapon to hit most of the party. Nevrah and Sadobras move over to ride by attack the worm as it lets out a shrill trill. Nevrah is fascinated by the strange sound and Sadobras tried to wake her. Unable to wake her, he reaches to his neck and throws a small crystal at the beast, which transforms in flight to a fireball. As the creature reels back in pain, Dalomar races in and finishes it. After the explosion of it’s end passes, all is quiet.
After taking the time to heal, we decided to move on again, deeper into the cavern. The next major room we came to we knew must have some hidden danger, for frozen and lined up like a trophy rack stood various warriors. An elf, a dragonkin, and adlet, and more stood, encased in clear ice. Baknarla beside me lets our a quiet yelp and I can tell from her reaction, within the ice is the relative she told us of. Sadobras moves in and goes invisible, moving across the room. Looking up, he an eye looking down at him. Whispering back to me, I let all know what he has found, a Roper. Tauvum immediately begins summoning a djin, while Snori move in and glitterdusts it. Before it can strike at him, he brings several thin stone walls up to try to surround it. Unfortunately, it isn’t successful and it manages to move free. Calling on my magic, I fly forward trying to get into a good position to help, but the Roper manages to hit me with two of it’s tentacles, draining much of my strength. I try to evil eye it, but it manages to resist the magic. Dalomar uses another fireball which manges to do some damage and Snori moves in, striking at it’s eye. Nevrah breathes lightning at it, but it doesn’t seem to do any damage. The ropes constricting me suck away more of my strength and I was paralyzed. Snori too is hit by several ropes and fights to stay in the battle. Tauvum manages to use Clense to wipe away my strength damage and once again I’m in the fight. Sadobras had moved free of Nevrah to get into position carefully and then used what he had been sneaking up to do. Throwing another patch off of his cloak, a massive 40’ tall tree appeared and slammed into the monster. It doesn’t kill it, but it does manage to greatly slow its movement. I cast enervate, but its innate resistance to magic is hard to overcome. Dalomar strikes at it doing damage as Tauvum lets loose another spell from his scrolls. Two massive earth elementals come into existence near the creature and in moments, they smash it to dust.
I fear for moving forward further into this glacier. We still only battle underlings and guards, yet they are more powerful than most of the things we have battled before. I cannot expect with guards of this strength that the Dragon will be any easier.
Such battles as these do drain one’s magic. We stood contemplating the next fight and decided to rest and restore ourselves. Moving back to where the Behir did lair, we set watches and prepared. My cauldron did bubble and soon a few potions did be ready.
The next day, Dalomar scouted ahead and we continued to move through the glacier. Soon, he found a massive cave and why it was called the Ivoryglass. A fortress lay under the ice, tall and proud. Massive and upon a strange cube. Carefully, carefully we scouted it out. Dalomar advancing far within, past the surrounding farms and fields, right to the gate.
Above flights of dragonkin and other dangers there were and we knew it would be no easy feat to journey within. Snori decided to scout as well and was discovered picking pockets. Tricky he was and told them he was the money fairy, there to give them reward. He left them some gold and scooted off. The alarm wasn’t totally raised, but the guards did be more on alert.
After a day of scouting and planning it was decided to teleport as close as we could, then force our way within through the gate. The next morning, we put the plan to action and immediately things began to go wrong. As we appeared by the gate, the invisibility we had raised fell away and we could see the guards had magic items to purge that stealthy magic. Past the first gate and at the door to the keep we were set upon by a pair of barbarians and a wizard we fought to clear the path within. Dalomar put his picks to work on the doors while the rest of us fought. Lightning flew back and forth between our group and the defenders. Another wizard soon appeared, entangling Yoska within an icy prison. One went down to my slumber and soon I was able to lightning another two. Tauvum called forth a Djin to help us in the fight as well. Time was not our friend as Hydras were rapidly approaching from without.
As we fought outside, Dalomar scouted within and found that death awaited there as well. Some sort of strange blind half-dragon stood guard and was anxious to come out.
Retreating back outside Dalomar used his spring attacks to great effect but the creature was formidable and shook off the attacks. More often than I would have believed possible the half dragon let loose with blast after blast of sonic energy. Soon the blast took me to the edge of death and only the quick help of Tauvum and a cleanse spell were able to wake me. After a time, the only enemy left outside was the dragon as the rest had been killed. The combined attacks of the rest of us did manage to strike it down.
The way clear we gathered ourselves and ran within the fortress, pulling shut the doors behind. What new horror does lay within I know not, but the approach of the patrols to the gate tell me it’s not likely much worse within than outside.
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