Black Eyes

 

The party decided to investigate a lead left to them by Jarl Steinolfsson left them as the group idled waiting for captain Solvadore to hire crew for the Sea Star. Recalling the mention of the fragrance of Hyacinthe a Sweet Alyssum near his place of detention, the party sought direction from Azuzin the alchemist, who referred them to to a market flower-monger, who pointed them towards a warehouse near the norther docks situated beside a well reputed flower merchant. After hatching a plan to check out the warehouse surreptitiously, Tormund barged in and started a brawl which uncovered a White Hand presence in the unmarked edifice. During the fight the party encountered a trio of strange warriors with formidable anti-magic properties. The heroes managed to see them off, but jut barely...

To the Rescue

Stalking between decks of the ship, the party searches for the Jarl while fending off Prewdact's attacks. On the lowest deck, Trestin opens a cabin to reveal the Jarl held captive by a large pack of vampire spawns and Tegorim of Hasbergen, a mercenary abjurer working in the employ of Prewdact. All hell breaks loose aboard the ship and a great melee ensues. A mighty spell of daylight from the druid Sora turns the tide of battle in the hero's favour and eventually, Prewdact is defeated. The party recovers the Jarl and interrogates Teogrim, learning more about Prewdact's association with the white hand, the Ice Queen, and the, Sea Star. In exchange for his cooperation, the party lets Teogrim go on the condition that he never crosses their path again. 

After claiming the ship as their own, some of the party splits up. Half the party returns the Jarl to the safety of Myrr, while the other half makes arrangements with captain Salvadore to captain the Sea Star for the party as part of a burgeoning trade route bringing goods from the coast to Appelane. The party later reunited in Appelane, waiting for the captain to hire enough sailors to lift anchor in a few days.

All Aboard

Once Sora returned from scouting the Sea Star the party drew up plans to board the vessel and rescue the Jarl. In the crowded dockside market the party noticed they had acquired a tail. The party split up to see who the brigands followed. Sora, Galanda, and Marlo ventured to the Scholar's District to seek out goods and supplies for the attack. Upon returning to Tormund and Trestin the others confirmed that the party was being watched. After drawing their attackers out into the back passages of the labyrinthine docks, the party sprung an ambush on their attacker, defeating them deftly. Questioning one of the survivors the party determined that the ship seemed lightly crewed and so the party decided to storm the ship. After fighting their way through the crew, the party discovered their old nemesis Alban Prewdact was laying in wait for them onboard. 

To Hasbergen

Upon discovering that the dead were bandits the party's attitude toward the survivor soured quickly. Sensing the mood the bandit started to please and bargain for his life, telling the party he has some information about Jarl Steinolfsson. After telling the party that he and his boys tried to ambush the White Hand henchmen fleeing with a captive, the bandit Kari Swiftshield led the party to Hasbergen. In the city the heroes leveraged their unsavoury new companion to make contact with some crooked city guards and enquire after the White Hand. Following a near dust-up the party learned that the White Hand had a VIP captive onboard a cargo ship anchored in the harbour. The ship is set to depart soon and is said to be hiring deck hands in three days. That night the party went snooping around the docks and found the white hand's ship. Sora changed forms and snuck aboard to do some recon for an impending rescue. 

Almost to the Top

The morning after the Jarl's kidnapping the party decided that ending the cold was more important than rescuing Steinolfsson and set out up the mountain. After exploring for some time and fighting through the extreme cold the party discovered the passage up to the high places and decided to rest and recover their strength before proceeding. While exploring the area around their encampment they came across an ancient ruin of some unknown arcane purpose. After investigating for some time the heroes discovered a secret door that led to an ancient tomb. In the tomb the party discovered some ancient artifacts and was set upon by some undead dwarves from the long past. Following a decisive victory the party went back to their encampment and rested. The next day the party pressed on up the mountain and encountered some hostile spirits of the mountain guarding the passage to the high places. Before battling the spirits the party learned that the Ice Queen was not in fact up the mountain as they presumed from hearing the previous spirit's message, but rather a mountain to the north of their present location. Faced with the great power of the spirits the party decided to retreat and pursue the Ice Queen.

On the way back down the maintain the party came across the scene of a slaughter in an encampment tucked inside a hidden alcove in the mountain. The heroes managed to revive one of the fallen and investigated the scene, only to learn that the casualties were a group of bandits that was set upon by a mysterious lone warrior. 

The Jarl is Betrayed

As the feast died down some of the party left with Sadine to commune with the spirit of one of the frost giants felled in the battle, hoping to learn about the origin of the attack. Humber and Sora stayed behind at the keep, getting deeper into their cups until the Jarl retired for the night. The party was ambushed by a force led Sigbrand Eilifsson, Herstien's henchman, convinced that the party has unduly influenced the Jarl to bend the knee for some insidious purpose. The party fought off the attackers and then split up, with  half continuing on with Sadine, while the others rushed back to the keep to check on the Jarl. Predictably, the party arrived at the Jarl's chambers to find his room tossed, Dalla near-dead, and a large white hand painted on the wall. After interrogating the captives and following the tracks of the abductors the party determined that the White Hand had carried the Jarl off towards Hasbergen. Meanwhile, the rest of the party gathered around the corpse of a fallen frost giant that they had stashed in a burnt out house the previous day. With dark necromancy Sadine contacted the giant's spirit, who recounted to the party how an entity known as the Ice Queen had put them up to the attack. When pressed about her whereabouts he said only that she can be found where the wind blows coldest. The next morning Sora communed with the spirits of the mountain asking where to find the Ice Queen, which pointed the heroes north. 

The Aftermath

In the aftermath of the battle Jarl Steinolfsson thanks the heroes for saving the town and invites them to stay in the keep and recover. The following night there would be a great feast to celebrate victory and honour the party. In the morning the heroes immediately set to work assisting the townsfolk in rebuilding. Throughout the day the party enquired with different townsfolk about the nature of the attack and the unnatural cold, eventually ended up in the company of Dalla Arndottir, the high priestess of Heironeous at the temple. She receives the party coldly, but helps them learn more about the city, the mountain, the surrounding ruins, and the White Hand. That evening the feast took place with the party as the guests of honour at the Jarl's table. During the dinner the Jarl bends the knee to Humbert Humbert in front of all the great and the good of the town. Some of the Jarl's men are not pleased, and are observed quietly leaving the feast.