Needle in a Haystack

"**Needle in a Haystack**" (2x26) is the twenty-sixth episode of the second campaign (part 2) of *Plan B*.

## **Synopsis**

### **Previously in the *Forgotten Realms***

* Plan B returns to Phandalin to meet with Halia Thornton and Sildar Hallwinter.
* After their short visit, the heroes head to Waterdeep and participate in the first session of the Council of Waterdeep. The council bestows upon the party special permissions to aid them in their fight against the Cult of the Dragon.
* With new leads and assignments to fulfill, Plan B prepares for its next task: a journey to the Sea of Moving Ice to locate the missing tiefling sorcerer Maccath the Crimson.

### **Episode Recap**

The heroes depart from Waterdeep aboard Captain Lerustah Half-face's longship, *Frostskimmr*. After five days of travel to the Sea of Moving Ice, and an additional five days searching amidst the floes, the heroes finally spot the large iceberg mentioned in Maccath's messages to the Arcane Brotherhood before she disappeared. Bones and debris litter the landing pad as they disembark. In case of miscommunication, Lerustah sends the boat chaplain, Grindan Yellowlance, with the party to help translate.

After climbing the crude stairs to the top of the plateau, Plan B is almost immediately surrounded by tribal ice hunters and their pack dogs. The village chieftain, Barking Seal, and the village druid, Bonecarver interrogate the group, calling their village and the iceberg it sits on "Oyaviggaton". If the heroes wish to stay the night, they must defeat the village champion Orcaheart in one-on-one combat. Krisella volunteers to face him and just barely wins the bout, even though they suspect Bonecarver cheated.

Once the crowd departs and the party is taken to a hut to spend the night, Bonecarver approaches them. She explains that the entire village are slaves to the white dragon that resides in the caves within the iceberg, and that she has been praying for heroes to come and rescue them. Leading them to her tent, she shows them a secret door that descends into the ice caves below.

Once inside the caves, Patka performs some reconnaissance before they venture further. They encounter a pair of ice trolls, but swiftly defeat one of them, leading the second to propose a deal: if they spare him — and pay him a handsome sum — he will not only take them to the tiefling, but will aid them if they take their fight to the dragon. Plan B agrees.

The troll leads them to a large makeshift tent. Stepping inside, they find Maccath sitting at a desk, two wary kobolds standing by.

### **Notes**

* While on their way out of Waterdeep's harbor, Kaladin spots a young girl standing on the bluffs outside of the city, dressed in tattered clothes and appearing to stare straight at him. He looks away for a moment, and by the time he looks back she is gone.
* One night in the Sea of Moving Ice, while on watch duty, Kaladin hears what sounds like a young girl screaming. No one else hears it, and when he asks Patka to investigate she finds nothing.

## **Featured Characters**

### **Plan B**

* Dhunnus
* Kaladin
* Krisella
* Patrick / Patka
* Skaus

### **New**

* Barking Seal
* Bonecarver
* Grindan Yellowlance
* Maccath the Crimson
* Orcaheart
* Unnamed young girl

### **Returning**

* Captain Lerustah Half-face
* Wave
* Whelm

### **Mentioned**

* Arauthator
* Clever Oomio
* Dala Silmerhelve
* Grandfather Walrus
* Great White Bear
* Persana
* Pindalpaupau the Reindeer Mother
* Taern "Thunderspells" Hornblade