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• Calliope Laurelleaf – Halfling Bard 
• Ellyjobell – Gnome Ranger/Rogue
• Phalen – High Elf Cleric
• Talerien – Wood Elf Ranger
• Trogdorr – Dragonborn Barbarian
• Twirpo – Hill Dwarf Wizard (Not Present)
• Alaric Lysane – Human Fighter/Paladin 

When the party last played (Session 16 – Note: Session 17 and 18, Anita had stepped in to DM), they had just left the town of Redstone, having rescued some children from the clutches of a coven of hags by siding with a demon to defeat the hags.

The party left with the rest of the caravan and learned that a human named Courtel Barrowspear hired his own personal guards – due to having heard what the party was responsible for (namely releasing a fallen angel into the world), which included:

• Half-Orc Barbarian (F)
  • Brakara Durastorm
• Aasimar Paladin (F)
  • Haylen Farstar
• Elf Druid (F)
  • Yellena Fallmoon
• Halfling Rogue (M)
  • Bren Barrelforge
• Monk Half-Elf (M)
  • Nourn Blackmane
• Ranger Half-Elf (M)
  • Dourn Blackmane
• Warlock Tiefling (M)
  • Lren Tornsoul

The caravan stops at the base of the Longstone Mountain Range, before making the dangerous trek up. The party then decides to rest around a campfire when they observe a larger sized (as in girth) human pulling a sleigh down the mountain pass. The sleigh seems to be pulled by reindeer. Strangely enough, no one else in the caravan seems to react to this unusual sight as the man, a human with frosty white hair and beard spots the party and smiles, as if he knows them and approaches them. He sits comfortably next to them, his sleigh behind him and his reindeer looking around, and asks the party for their help. He explains that brigands have robbed him of his Bag of Holding, which contains endless amounts of gifts for children, and his Rudy of Levitation. He said that he knows the main brigand, a man who used to be human named Ga’rich.  The mysterious figure asks the party to subdue – not kill – Ga’rich, then show him the magical mirror that they’re handed. This will keep him subdued by seeing the truth of what he’s become. The party had helped the man who introduces himself as Nikalos. (Nikalos would be seen again, the following Christmas in another adventure with another group)

Trogdorr gets the following followers in the mountains – a number of Kobolds –

• Kunta (Inventor) – Male
• Lefar (Inventor) – Male
• Bou’tin (Sorcerer) – Female
• Kella (Sorcerer) – Female
• Etor (Sorcerer) – Male
• Grissy (Sorcerer) – Female
• Lismar (Sorcerer) – Male

Calliope spends times with the Kobolds learning their tongue and some of their lore. The party then makes their way up the mountain pass, gaining further distrust among other caravan members, due to their association with the Kobolds (on top of the fact that, there were stories they released a fallen angel, and that they were willingly traveling with a Red Dragonborn). The party is forced to make camp along with the rest of the caravan inside of a large cave for shelter as a snow storm approaches.

(Caught up – today’s session begins with…)

Both food and warmth quickly become scarce as the snow storm relentlessly continues, dropping the temperature; and making game more and more scarce. Hunters are sent out to find and bring back food; some return – some simply disappear in the blanket of white falling snow. The Captain of the Caravan approaches the party and asks them to see if they can find out what’s happened to the hunters – and if possible – bring back some food, since it’s become scarce in these conditions. Twirpo offers to remain behind and use her Wizardry abilities (and her general love of simply burning things) to keep the fires going and provide warmth to the caravan members (and an easy reason to explain why she’s not with the party since she wasn’t present tonight).

Ellyjobell tells Talerien that he should go out and scout the area; the two talk and Elly agrees to go also, staying in the bushes the entire time, using her stealth she provides Talerien with the Help action (giving him Advantage) – and he manages to find some footprints that are quickly disappearing in the snow. He looks behind him, and already it’s getting nearly impossible to see the mouth of the cave from the constant falling snow. He asks Elly if they should press on and they do; with the cave’s mouth entrance vanishing now. They do however, discover large gash marks, about twelve feet up in some of the trees which looks like what would appear to be a giant cat using these trees as scratching posts.

They decide to head back and get the others; however, due to the heavy snow fall are not able to find their way back to where they were (failed Nature/Survival check). However, they do manage to attract the attention of a small pack of Winter Wolves.

Both Calliope and Phalen suffer from the Winter Wolves’ ability to breath chilling damage; but the party is able to defeat the Winter Wolves. The smell of blood draws the attention of yet another creature – one known as a Pertyon.

However, after observing the party’s ability to fight the Winter Wolves, the Peryton flies on without causing any trouble with the party. Trogdorr commands – and Calliope corrects him and tells him to ask his Kobold followers to help drag the meat into a small depression they’d found. One of the Kobolds spots what appears to be a frozen – or almost frozen – humanoid about 30 feet away. Elly decides she will try to stealth and take a look – however, Critical Fails (Natural 1!) her Stealth check – which alerts the humanoid – which is actually an undead (Greater) Ghast! It rushes her – as she flees back to the party to inform them there’s an undead creature headed their way.

The Greater Ghast manages to successfully strike Alaric – who fails his savings throw – and becomes paralyzed! Trogdorr is so disgusted by the creature’s appearance, it takes him a moment to recover (Critical Fail on Initiative – loses first round)

The Greater Ghast is driven away by Phalen when she does turn undead; forcing it to flee, despite it’s ability to have Advantage against being turned. During this time; Elly – who’d been hiding behind a large rock – discovers the rock talks – and recognizes it as a Galeb Duhr (which they’d just encountered weeks ago). When it asks if she’s here about the Yeti and it’s master – she Insights the Galeb Duhr – but it’s stone face make it hard to read (Critical Fail on Insight). The Galeb Duhr explains to her that the Yeti and it’s Master who watches with four eyes and never sleeps – had come into the mountain several weeks ago, and have since then, decimated the balance of nature and hunted animals, for the sheer pleasure of killing (rather than hunting out of need), making food scarce.

Elle rejoins the party and shares what she’d learned from the Galeb Duhr as they continue to try and get the meat in the depression – the Greater Ghoul returns (after the Turn effect wore off) and this time is defeated. As Phalen is tending to Alaric who is still feeling the effects of the Greater Ghoul’s paralyzing touch, she is suddenly clawed from behind (Surprise Attack!) from the Yeti. Calliope however – is ready – and gets a Natural 20! on Initiative, giving her two attacks for the first round!

This (Greater) Yeti uses the storm to hide itself, creating Disadvantage to attack it, since it’s nearly invisible against the white blanket of snow falling.

This interrupts Phalen’s healing spell; and burns a spell slot since it wasn’t completed. It then uses it’s gaze; which damages, and send Phalen collapsing to the ground paralyzed. Alaric is able to stand and uses his Lay On Hands to remove the paralyzing effect from Phalen. Despite it’s ability to use the snow to create Disadvantage on attacks against it, the (Greater) Yeti is defeated – and as soon as it is – a booming voice shouts, “What have you done?” as a massive Ettin – larger than most – so clearly some closer relation to giant blood in its veins – bursts through the trees, holding two weapons and swinging wildly.

The Ettin lands back to back critical (Natural 20!) hits against Trogdorr – instantly bloodying him – and as the party fights him – most of them observe that he seems to be raging – and that normal weapons aren’t doing the full potential of damage – and need to resort to magic weapons – or just magic spells – so the party changes their tactics and begins using their magic weapons – even if that means getting close – but Phalen calls down a lightning storm that does almost enough damage to kill it – and eventually the party works together, bringing down the Ettin.

This will allow the animals in this mountain to repopulate and the balance of nature to be restored; in the meantime, the party has the carcasses of the three wolves and the yeti to bring back and sources of meat to eat for the caravan; assuming that the other hunters who were not eaten by the wolves, yeti, or Ettin; probably fell victim to the snow storm and starved – potentially becoming ghasts, like the one they’d encountered.

Dungeon Master Note: It’d been almost two years since we’d all played as a group together, because of the pandemic. So I wanted to create a combat heavy session with monsters whom I modified the Hit Points, but kept much of everything else the same. Most of these creatures had a low Armor Class – to allow them to be easily hit – but the party was admittedly rolling exceptionally well anyway, tonight! I wanted to make it heavy combat so the players who hadn’t been playing D&D more regularly – got used to remembering how to make attacks, skill checks, savings throws, Advantage/Disadvantage rolls, etc. The idea of the story to truly continue will be the next session! Still had an absolutely fun time and it was great seeing everyone again. <3