Hammer 22, 1489
Dre'zel my love,
As we peered into the tomb revealed under Jarl Reggaryarva’s throne, Talyth cast Cure Wounds on JoJo and me before we all descended the giant steps, except for Taimen, who stayed above with Princess Skullcrusher.
At the bottom of the giant steps, lit torches lined the walls, revealing giant stone double doors to our left. To the right, a giant portcullis blocked passage to a tunnel that curved out of sight. At the far end of the chamber were six large braziers atop a high pedestal. Carved into each was a rune. Behind them was a high relief of Jarl Reggaryarva blowing a horn and slaying his foes. Ancient Giant writing etched the wall, which JoJo translated for us:
Snatch a scale from a sleeping worm;
Against the blowing wind, stand firm.
Climb a mountain, find a scone in your choux;
On little feet, death comes for you.
Light the arrow that starts the war;
Let life's blued fall till it falls no more.
JoJo was unable to lift the portcullis and was still struggling with it as Rowan easily pushed open the giant double doors.
In the chamber beyond were four giant wooden chests fitted with iron locks. A giant ring of five keys hung from a hook in the middle of the ceiling, four of iron and one of silver. Climbing the walls to the ceiling, I hoisted the keys off their ring and dropped them down to Rowan.
Catching the keys, Rowan cast Detect Magic, detecting abjuration magic from the braziers, the silver key, and the portcullis, and alteration magic coming from the throne above.
Talyth commanded her Shield Guardian to open the chests, withdrawing an elven arrow, a dead snowy owl, a reptilian scale, and a small rock.
As Taimen finally descended the stairs, the throne crashed down behind her, locking us in, and the torches on the walls went out. Taimen cast Light, and JoJo lit his lantern.
After some discussion, Taimen cast Mage Hand and dropped the scale into a brazier, and it flared with light, as did the others when Ambrose breathed into one, Talyth dropped the stone into one, Taimen dropped the dead owl into one, and I dropped the arrow into one.
But when JoJo cut his hand and let the blood drip down into the last brazier, nothing happened. Then Rowan did the same, and still nothing. Finally, Rowan let the blood flow until it stopped, and the brazier lit up. Instantly, the portcullis opened.
Beyond a curved corridor, Rowan and JoJo opened a second set of giant stone double doors.
At the far side of the chamber beyond was a single giant chest fitted with a silver lock, a gold key sticking out of it. Rowan detected conjuration magic emanating from the key.
Removing the rune-covered gold key, JoJo inserted the silver key. Everyone else waited in the corridor as Ambrose helped him open the chest.
As soon as the lid was opened, the giant stone doors slammed shut!
In a panic, Taimen shoved the doors open, revealing six giant axes swirling around JoJo and Ambrose!
At Talyth’s command, the Shield Guardian entered and smashed an axe. After swirling around, the axes rose to the ceiling, where we dropped them with a spear, arrows, javelins, a whip, and the last axe with Oronea.
Inside the chest was a giant horn emanating evocation magic. JoJo strapped it to his back.
Talyth put the gold key in the chest’s lock and turned it. A portal to the ring of thrones opened on the rear wall.
With a satisfied grin, Talyth jumped through the portal…and was assaulted by a murder of ravens. JoJo quickly followed, swinging his sword. Jumping through, I skewered the remaining ravens on my arrows.
Talyth cast Tiny Hut on a nearby hill, where we took a short rest. Lighting a quick fire, I cooked up some ravens, which were quite bland.
It was still afternoon when we continued north and were enveloped in a blizzard until we reached the Shaegarne River an hour later.
As I was examining the river for the best way to cross, a screaming frost giant charged toward us on her mammoth steed.
JoJo tried to parley with the Giant, but it did not slow her charge, and the mammoth trampled the barbarian into the snow, snagging everyone attached to our rope except for Talyth and Taimen.
Casting Dominate Beast, Ambrose turned it against its rider as I swung from the rope’s momentum onto the beast’s rear and sank an arrow deep into the giant’s back. Then Talyth was flying and struck the giant hard with a Guiding Bolt. Withdrawing, Taimen hit the giant with a Fire Bolt. Rowan transformed into a giant elk as the mammoth bucked its rider off.
Rising, the frost giant smashed the bucking mammoth’s leg with a long chain and scooped me up from the ground in her giant fist! I sank an arrow into the giant’s mouth as it threatened to bite me. Then Talyth hit her with another Guiding Bolt, and Rowan kicked the giant's head clean off its body.
While Ambrose healed the injured mammoth, I looted the giant, pocketing a fancy scrimshaw seasoning kit with an engraved W. I also found 91 Osteria marked gold coins, which I shared with my companions. Meanwhile, the healed mammoth took its rider and left.
I determined the Shaegarne River was safe to cross one at a time and was twenty feet deep. Talyth cast Aura of Vitality, healing JoJo while we waited for the Shield Guardian to catch up. After the rest of us crossed one at a time, Rowan transformed into a giant elk and ferried it across.
With the blizzard abated, we traveled three more hours until Talyth and Taimen were exhausted. We could see the Sea of Moving Ice on the horizon as we made camp in Talyth’s Tiny Hut; Princess Skullcrusher and the Shield Guardian stood guard from outside.
In the morning, Ambrose told us of some evil he had envisioned traveling toward our destination.
After an hour, we reached the Sea of Moving Ice. Nearby was a small cabin mounted with a sign that read: Anga’s Place. Beyond, a rowboat was frozen in the ice of a small pier. Forty feet from the shore, a natural stone arched a hole in the ice. Nearby, a bell hung, and gathered around the hole were five whalers, preparing to dump casks of poison into the water.
Rowan froze the water, stopping the poison from seeping into the sea. As Taimen charged and cut down the leader, I dropped two more with my arrows. The last two tried to surrender, but one fell to Taimen’s lance and Ambrose’s Chill Touch. Talyth hit the last whaler in the shoulder with her mace, and it mocked the blow until I tore its shoulder off with an arrow, and it fell.
After Rowan examined the cabin, they rang the bell. Nothing happened. While we waited, we stashed the casks of poison. The Shield Guardian caught up with us, and Talyth commanded it to guard the cabin.
After three hours, Angajuk the whale emerged with a spray. After surveilling the area, Angajuk spoke with us, recognizing that we had helped them. The humpback shared that they had recently ferried Nass Lantomir to Snowflake Island, but Angajuk was attacked by Auril’s roc while waiting and was reluctant to return. Nevertheless, they agreed, explaining that their former master, Anga, had fitted them with a magical air bubble that would keep us safe for days.
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