Snow Drifters

The Snow Drifters are a group of adventurers within Icewind Dale. They began gaining fame around Ten Towns by performing deeds while under the employment of Hlin Trollbane. However, their fame grew exponentially when they saved Bryn Shander from the Chardalyn Dragon, the last remaining refuge for mortal kind after the dragon was released from Ten Towns.

## Members

### Members

* Gabar
* Big Smile
* V
* Quintus
* Sapphira
* Ilikan
* Sahnar

## Relations

### Allies

* Hlin Trollbane
* Vellynne Harpell
* Captain Imdra Arlaggath
* Speakers Numsy Huddle, Duvessa Shane, Trovus,

### Enemies

* Speakers Naerth Maxildanarr, Crannoc Seiver, Quinn Lupus, Shandar Froth
* Avarice
* Janth
* Knights of the Black Sword
* Children of Auril
* Auril

The Snow Drifters first met within Bryn Shander on the 1st of Flamerule. The original members, comprised of V, Quintus, Sapphira, Big Smile and Gabar all responded to a job posting by Hlin Trollbane for mercenaries to do some work. Prior to the job posting, V and Quintus had been working together, and Big Smile and Gabar lived together in Big Smile's house.

Eventually, the Snow Drifters would gain another member, Ilikan, while they were hunting a duergar incursion around Caer Dineval, who, by happenstance, also was tracking the location of a nearby duergar fortress.

## Chapter 1: Sephek Kaltro and the Children of Auril

The party began adventuring together when Hlin Trollbane offered them 25 gp to track down some dwarves who were attacked in the tundra, and 10 gp for every tenday after that in which they aided the citizens of Ten Towns. The party agreed. Their first job led them to finding where the dwarves were attacked, and shortly after, a group of goblins trekking through the tundra. The party defeated the goblins and returns to Bryn Shander.

Hlin, impressed with the party, provides another task. A string of murders has been occurring around Ten Towns and Hlin wants the party to investigate, offering 125 gp as a reward. It seems all the victims were found to have been murdered with an ice dagger. The party first investigates the most recent murder of Admina Hardpike. Speaking to her widower, Gulnar Hardpike, they learned he bribed the town clerk Tilma Mellow to remove her name from the lottery. Gulnar told a bodyguard to a traveling merchant, Torg's, of this prior to the murder.

The party headed to Targos to continue their investigation. Upon making it to the gate, a guard informs the party Speaker Naerth Maxildinarr wants to speak to sellswords. They meet with Naerth, who ask them to investigate the mines in Termalaine as they have been overrun by Kobolds, and to meet with his associate Drazavar in Termalaine. Prior to leaving, the party meets with Captain Skath, who is willing to accept bribes to remove their names from the lottery, as he did for Terran, the recently murdered man.

The party went to Termalaine to investigate the mines and to gain on Torg's, who was in town at the time of both murders. In a local inn, the party witnessed a town mob harassing Speaker Oarus Masthew about his inaction with the mines. Eventually the ruckus calms. Half of the party speaks with Oarus, who offers 50 gp to clear the mines as the militia, in which Drazavar holds sway as a Leitenant , refuses. The other half speaks with Drazavar, who offers 100 gp to clear the mines and admits to refusing Oarus' request to deal with it.

Within the mines, V begins to get a psychic feedback. Deep within the mines, the party meet the kobolds, led by one named Trex, who spoke elegantly for a kobold and wore a satchel with a pin of the Arcane Brotherhood on it. Claims they took refuge in the mine when their cave was attacked by a Red Yeti, and they never harmed the workers. The party get Trex to agree to parlay with Oarus. Prior to leaving, the party finds a side cave with a strange skull, and inside, a crystal radiating psionic energy. V takes the crystal.

Back in Termalaine, the party decides to aide Oarus, and arrange a meeting with Trex. In this meeting, Trex and Oarus agree the kobolds may stay within Termalaine as long as they work the mines. Drazavar is enraged at the party for choosing to help Oarus. Gabar learns that Trex was not always smart, and it was the bag that gave him this persona. Eventually, the party learns of a White Moose near Lonelywood that has killed several people.

Nearing Lonelywood, the party is "attacked" by the Terrible Troll Killers of Ten Towns, a group of orphans aspiring to be adventurers. The party eventually meets with Speaker Nimsy Huddle, who offers to exchange information on Torg's for aide with the White Moose. Before heading out, the party witnesses a fight at a nearby tavern. The party intervenes, and one man named Spider reveals he is a member of the Zhentarim before leaving. After meeting with a local hunter, the party enters the Lonelywood in search of the White Moose.

Within the Lonelywood, the party encounters a banshee, and the party flees. On their escape, they meet a talking fox who claims a druid made him able to speak, and knows of the White Moose. He takes the party to the Druid's location at a magical grove. Inside, Gabar sticks his hand in a magical brazier. His hand withers away, and a tomb opens. An undead Balnorn named Sahnar emerges and declares fealty to Gabar, which Gabar accepts.

The party returns to the magical grove the next day and encounter the White Moose. The party defeats the beast. Shortly after, they once again encounter the banshee, but this time, Sahnar drives her off and claims her tomb must be disturbed. the party returns to the magical grove where they find a mirror that allows them to scry on people. Deeper in the tomb, the party finds the Druid, Ravisin, a Child of Auril, who attacks and is killed.

Back in Lonelywood, the party informs Nimsy of their success. Nimsy tells the party Ravisin came to Lonelywood and demanded they must sacrifice humans to Auril. Nimsy gives the party the keys to the Ramshackle and tells them of trouble in Bremen where a lake monster has been attacking locals. In Lonelywood, the party encounters Vellynne Harpell, who offers 50 gp for a living chwinga and provides the party with a magical lantern of revealing. The party bring the head of the White Moose to Auggen Thuunlakalaga, the local taxidermist, who tells him the tale of his people and his strife with the Akkanathi clan.

The party encounters a group of adventurers headed to Kelvin's Cairn to try to find the Winter Walker. In Bryn Shander, V meets with Mr. Budward Southton who V apparently uses as a sort of sugar daddy. Quintus hides a small chest in Big Smile's house. At the nearby Shrine of the Morninglord, the party encounters Copper Knobberknocker who asks the party to investigate the Black Cabin, where his friend has seemingly gone missing. On the way to Easthaven, the party encounters a Coldlight Walker.

In Easthaven, the party witnesses a Thayan named Dzaan being executed for killing the Winter's Cabinet. The party meets Captain Imdra Arlaggath, who asks the party to investigate missing fisherman on Lac Dinneshere. In return, she will reward the party with some of Dzaan's confiscated items. she informs the party a local named Elzie Dapperfoot was recently murdered and that Torg's is in town. At the local inn, the party meets Renaldo, a bard, who tells the tale of Ronnie Blue Eyes and the White Lady. Renaldo performs a seance, and the White Lady appears. One lady asks who stole her pigs, in which the White Lady replies "invisible dwarves." Big Smile asks who killed Elzie, in which she replies "Kaltro." The seance ends shortly after.

The party continues their investigation, meeting with Teegan, who claims Speaker Danneth Waylen is a collector of nautical items, and a local farmer, Irvin Horn, gave Danneth an old ship wheel in return for having his name removed from the lottery. The party hides in Irvin's barn until Sephek Kaltro shows up to murder Irvin Horn. Kaltro claims it is the will of Auril that these people die. The party fights and defeats Kaltro, who recognizes Sapphira in the fight. As Kaltro dies, his body is reanimated by the Children of Auril, who claim they will bring forth the end from the Isle of Solstice. After defeating Kaltro for good, Sapphira admits she was once a Child of Auril, but escaped long ago with a friend who is presumed dead.

## Chapter 2: The Duergar Incursion and Destruction's Light

The party meets with Arlaggath, who asks the party to investigate some missing fishermen in exchange for information on Dzaan and one of his confiscated items. The party collects a skiff from Arlong and head onto the lake, eventually finding the missing vessel near a cave mouth. Inside, the party encounters Old Maud, a hag, who is seemingly cooking the missing fishermen. Upon defeating her, the party decides to spare her in return for her magical cauldron of plenty and the missing treasure of Lac Dinneshere. The party collects their reward and returns to Arlaggath.

Back in Easthaven, Arlaggath brings the party to the Town Hall, where they pass through a collection of Danneth's marine items. In there is a masthead made entirely of a black metal called chardalyn, to which V sees a spectral woman tied to for a moment. Arlaggath tells the party Dzaan came to Easthaven to find adventurers. The Winter Cabinet escort him through the tundra in search of something Dzaan was looking for. When it was found, Dzaan murdered the winter Cabinet so they would never reveal it's location. Arlaggath gives the party his map, which is written in Thayan, and a fancy looking spell scroll. The party then prepares their departure by buying an axebeak which V names Ranger.

Upon preparing to leave, the party witness a murder in the tavern when a man stabs his friend in the eye. The party subdues the man, who had a shard of the black metal, chardalyn, which he was obsessed with. As Arlaggath takes him into custody, the party interrogate his friends, who claim he found the chardalyn some time ago and became obsessed with it.

Later, the party meets with Arlaggath and Scython about the chardalyn shard. Gabar casts identify and realizes the black metal has a magical property which makes those in contact, or close proximity to it, obsessive towards the metal. Scython informs the party items made from chardalyn all around Caer Dineval and Caer Konig have been stolen. Scython also tells the party that the speaker of Caer Dineval has been missing for some time, none have seen him, but knows someone is residing within the castle.

On their way to Bremen, the party stops at Bryn Shander to meet with Hlin. There, Gabar reads the map and realizes it contains directions to something called the Lost Spire. The party asks Hlin about invisible dwarves from the Dwarven Valley, which she informs t he party the only dwarves that can turn invisible at will are dark dwarves - called duergar - who come from the underdark. Hlin and Quintus speak in private. Hlin has a friend in Bremen named Cora Mulphoon whose son has been acting strange and wants Quintus to investigate.

The party arrives in Bremen to the Buried Treasure where Cora works. At the stables, V encounters Vellynne, and realizes her associate is actually 3 kobolds in a trenchcoat. Quintus offers Cora out help with Huarwar, her son, but she declines. The party heads to the Five Tavern Center to investigate rumors on the lake monster. V meets Carter, a loud, large man who owns several fishing vessels but refutes the idea of a lake monster. An argument breaks out about it, and Sapphira begins antagonizing Carter, resulting in Carter punching Sapphira. Shortly after, an entire bar brawl breaks loose and Sapphira avenges herself and beats Carter senseless.

Later, the party heads to a small island called Wet Rock that Nolan Greeves, Sapphira's mentor, lives at. Find him drunk. He demands gold from Sapphira to purchase more booze, which she obliges, and speaks of his first apprentice Karina. As the party heads out to the lake to find the sea monster, the party meets Tali, who asks the party to spare the beast and to study it, not to kill it, unless it truly is a threat.

Eventually, the party finds the lake monster. Realize it refuses to harm Sapphira when it could have killed her. The party returns to Tali, who matches the description to that of a Plesiosaurus, an animal not native to Icewind Dale. Tali offers 50 gp if the party can reason with the beast and get it to stop harassing the people of Bremen. Eventually, the party hears a commotion. The party sees a man, badly frozen, as a result of the lake monster attack. A man named Montolio is summoned to heal the man as another man, Bowmont Thorn, riles up the town to hunt the lake monster and organizes a hunt for the morning.

The party rushes back to the lake to find the monster before the hunt. Upon finding the beast, they learn it was a Child of Auril who taught it to speak, much like the White Moose and the fox, and told it to harass the townsfolk of Bremen or the druid would undo it's gift of sentience. The party realize the druid was Ravesine and inform the monster she is dead. The monster agrees to stop harassing the townsfolk and names itself "I," given the nature of it's sentience.

Upon finding Tali, the party collects their reward and informs Tali of the sentient beast. the party meets with Cora, who tells them of her son Huarwar, who found a piece of black metal in the tundra during a search for the missing speaker. Eventually, two tieflings came, with an amulet bearing a black sword and shield, and Huarwar left with them, leaving for one of the Caers. Before leaving, the party searching his room and finds a drawing with the black sword and shield on it.

The party departs for Termalaine but encounters a frantic dog near Targos. Quintus speaks with a scroll of speak with animals, and the dog tells him the party must meet with his master's partner. The party meets Keegan Velryn, who informs him his partner Garret took some adventurers to Kelvin's Cairn and must be in trouble. The party agrees to go searching for him. They purchase climbing gear from Jestin Hunrae, who wears a prosthetic arm but demands an unreasonable amount of gold for it.

Arriving at Kelvin's Cairn, the party finds the gear of the adventuring party. Ascending the mountain, the party encounters an avalanche and several crag cats before finding Garret, who claims a giant yeti attacked them. The party continues to ascend, eventually reaching a cave. Inside they find Mokingo's decapitated head. Further in the cave is Perilou, as well as a baby and mother yeti. The party scares back the yeti with fire, and Perilou joins the party, claiming Astrix fled further up the mountain. As the party leaves, they encounter the yeti and defeat it. Ascending to the peak, they find Astrix's frozen corpse. The party collects Perilou and Garret and descend to the base.

The party then leaves for Termalaine where they meet with Oarus where they witness a failed assassination attempt. The party informs him of Naerth's attempt to instill Drazavar as speaker and believe this was another attempt by Naerth. Oarus informs the party that Drazavar is missing and Trex is no longer an intelligent kobold. Upon visiting Trex, the party realizes his satchel is gone, taken by Drazavar. The party departs for Lonelywood, where they are challenged to a game by the Troll Killers, who the party wrecks.

In Lonelywood, a strange man named Talvaster approaches V. Talvaster claims he has not gotten any sleep, and that his dreams haunt him by some strange being who wants to find V. He directs the party to go south to the Spine of the World. As the party goes to the Ramshackle, the lantern of revealing lights up, and the party follows a trail into the woods to an old shack. In a nearby clearing, the party encounter a group of Chwingas. One befriends Big Smile for the time. The party investigates Spider's house, which seems abandoned. Inside the party finds two wanted posters, one for Gabar with a 2,000 gp bounty and one for Big Smile with a 50,000 gp bounty.

The party then head to the Black Cabin. In a side workshop are notes on Netherese Artifacts. In the main cabin, several party members investigate, and as Sapphira picks up a gyroscope, the room lights up and explodes, resulting in Big Smile's death.

Big Smile, now in the Border Ethereal, looks about the room. Eventually, he learns he can communicate with us by drawing in the snow. MacReaduss then maerializes and informs Big Smile he is dead, and can only move on if the Summer Star, a recreation of a Netherese Mythallar, if finished. Big Smile instructs the group to finish Macreaduss' work.

In the material plane, the party complete the Summer Star, resulting in the completion of Macreaduss' work and allowing him to enter the afterlife. Lathander greets Big Smile, and allows him to return to the Material Plane. Gabar uses the Summer Star to briefly bring sunlight to Icewind Dale for a few minutes before Auril intervenes, claiming this land is hers and sends minions to attack the party.

After several days, the party stops in Bryn Shander on their way to Easthaven after receiving a letter from Arlaggath. At Hlin's house, she informs the party that a drow assassin working for Bregan D'earth attacked her after learning of her association with Gabar and Big Smile and the bounties on their heads. The party departs after Hlin demands the duo remain in Ten Towns and do not flee.

In Easthaven, V performs a successful seance. V is brought to a memory of a ship bearing the chardalyn masthead, and witnesses a beam of light coming from a spire destroying the Ten Towns. The party meets with Speaker Danneth Waylen, who asks the party to investigate a recent robbery in which his chardalyn masthead was stolen, as well as the town blacksmith Reardon Battlehammer kidnapped. The party begins their investigation, learning from Rotuck the guards were killed by abnormally large weapons with both piercing and bludgeoning power. In the town hall, the party deduces the masthead was broken down with pickaxes and brought out through a small hole in the wall. There is no trace of Reardon.

The investigation yields little on Reardon, but the party does find out someone saw several hooded men headed towards the docks that night, and another claims they saw a massive humanoid beast pulling a sleigh north not too far from town. Eventually, the investigation leads the party to the docks. There they encounter a duergar for the first time, who they subdue. A search of the ferry's cabin yields a map showing the location of an outpost by Kelvin's Cairn, as well as a letter from someone named Nildar that Caer Konig is the next town to be targeted. The party question the duergar, who claims to be Durth, son of Xardorok Sunblight. The party leaves Durth with Arlaggath and head off to Caer Dineval.

Entering Caer Dineval, the party encounter Ilikan, who is hunting duergar as well. The party enter the Caer to meet with Speaker Crannoc Seiver but are instead greeted by Kadroth, and the entire Caer is filled with Knights of the Black Sword. Quintus magically persuades Kadroth to bring us to the speaker. As the spell fails, the party gets a glimpse of Speaker Crannon Seiver who seems alive and well. Kadroth expels the party from the caer.

Back in the Uphill Climb, Quintus reveals the Knights of the Black Sword are cult worshipers of Levistus. In a dilapidated building, the party fight some duergar, but some escape. The party finds a small stash of chardalyn. Shortly after, the party decide to infiltrate the caer to rescue the Speaker. The party infiltrates the caer, but the plan goes awry. In the ensuing battle, Kadroth refers to Quintus as Cordova, claiming his parents sold his soul to Levistus before being slain.

A young member of the cult informs the party someone named Hethel must speak to them. Meeting her, Hethel claims Xardorok Sunblight, a guergar warlord, means to bring ruin to Icewind Dale. Claims the duergar came here under the orders of Deep Duera, their goddess, but it is actually Asmodeus disguised. Xardorok is building a great war machine in the spine of the world in Sunblight Fortress.

The party delves deeper within the caer, finding the lower cistern. There they find a shrine to Levistus and a nearby study. In a room further in, the party finds the speaker and several of his assistants, but are assaulted by a wizard named Avarice, who is accompanied by her two gargoyles, Drazavar, who now goes by the name Janth, and Huarwar. Avarice demands Dzaan's map. The party hands over the map and Avarice and her company depart. The party finish rescuing the speaker, who provides them with new equipment. Gabar and Quintus recreate Dzaan's map from memory and head off to Caer Konig.

On the way, the party is beset by a biomechanical creature that appears to be psionic in nature and drawn to V, who faints during the fight. After defeating the beast, Gabar casts identify on V's crystal, realizing it is cursed. Gabar takes the tail from the creature that seems to be drawn to the psionic crystals.

In Caer Konig, the party encounter Speaker Trovus and the barkeep sisters Allie and Cori Shorard, who claimed to have have their lantern made of magical black metal stolen. The party find duergar tracks heading towards Kelvin's Cairn. Upon reaching the mountain, they find the duergar outpost. The party infiltrates the outpost, defeating the duergar inhabitants, one of which is Nildar Sunblight. In his chambers they find a map leading to Sunblight Fortress and a letter from someone named Klondorn, advisor to Xardorok, who claims they have no use for the bear-woman. Ilikan reveals this bear-woman to be his friend he is looking for, revealing himself to be a werebear, and his friend Oyaminartok, the Winter Walker.

The party finds their sleds and gear stolen while they were away and track it to a Verbeeg's lair. They defeat the denizens of the cave and retrieve their gear as well as some new items. V touches a metal box and is brought into a vision in which she sees a ship in the sky crashing as it is attacked. Back in Caer Konig, the party warn Trovus of the impending duergar attack and head to Bryn Shander.

In Bryn Shander, the party meets with Hlin and Vellynne. Vellynne informs the party that Avarice is a rival wizard of hers, and is violent and unpredictable. The party meet with Speaker Duvessa Shane, who informs the party the militia dealt with some duergar already. Shane petitions the party to destroy the duergar weapon and defeat Xardorok to save Ten Towns. The party departs Bryn Shander to warn Termalaine and Lonelywood of the impending attack. Termalaine had already begun preparing their defenses.

In Lonelywood, the party suggests Nimsy evacuates the town. She refuses, but offers to take refuge on the lake if the town comes under attack. In the Ramshackle, Auggun Thuunlakalaga challenges Ilikan, which Ilikan wins a rock pushing competition. In the elven tomb, the party spy on Avarice, seeing her interrogating a man about the location of the Isle of Solstice.

The party heads to Bremen to warn them of the incoming attack. They find it overrun with zhentarim, and Nolan Greeves gone, leaving behind his broach for Sapphira as he has returned to the order's citadel for redemption. With no apparent leadership outside of the zhentirim under the orders of Naerth, the party decides to abandon the town for Lonelywood.

Near Lonelywood, the party encounter the Troll Killers, who claim they were attacked by a white werewolf. Tracking the beast, the party encounters a Quaggoth, an underdark creature, and defeat it near a cabin. Inside the cabin, the party find some duergar. One turns on his allies and introduces himself to as Grengus Gobmuncher, and he is loyal to Lady Grandolpha Muzgardt, who leads a resistance against Xardorok, and that Ten Towns is out of time. The party accepts his aide to find Sunblight Fortress. Grengus informs the party the war machine is a mechanical dragon made entirely of chardalyn.

The party departs Lonelywood and heads to the Spine of the World, eventually finding Sunblight Fortress. Upon entering, Grengus is killed as the party's cover is blown. Defeating the guards and entering, the party finds the war room and see the attack plans for the dragon's path. The party is brought to Lady Grandolpha by a duergar loyal to her. Grandolpha informs the party Durth is under house arrest here, and that we must defeat him to create a power vacuum for her to fill. The party finds and kills Durth in his room before delving deep within the fortress.

At the bottom of an elevator, the party encounters Klondorn, who reveals he knew Deep Duera was really Asmodeus all along before revealing himself to be a barbed devil. Before killing Klondorn, he refers to Quintus as Kailon, and that one of his allies furthered the plot of Levistus. In a side chamber, the party find a dissected illithid that appears to be foreign to Toril. In another room, the party find a lobotomized illithid. Before killing it, it speaks to V in her head, claiming Svedderaks was right and that she would be the one to activate the spire.

The party assault Xardorok in the forge, and Xardorok activates the chardalyn dragon, which flies through a door in the ceiling towards Ten Towns. As the fighting begins, some duergar turn on others as the place breaks out in civil war between Xardorok loyalists and Grandolpha loyalists. Eventually, the party defeats Xardorok and rescue Reardon, Oyaminartok, and Kapanuk Thuunlakalaga, who recognizes Ilikan as an Akkanathi outcast and nephew to the warlord chieftain who killed many Thuunlakalaga. The party and the released prisoners flee the fortress.

In the distance, the party can see Ten Towns on being destroyed by the dragon. Vellynne approaches with several dogsleds manned by undead dogs to bring the party back to Ten Towns. Reardon, Oyaminartok, and Kapanuk depart on another dogsled and the party departs to Easthaven. Upon arriving, they find it destroyed already. They learn from a militiaman the dragon attacked from the sky before landing and methodically destroying building by building. Nearby townsfolk also were overcome with madness from the chardalyn and attacked each other.

The party departs for Bryn Shander, finding many groups of refugees seeking shelter within the town. The party decides to ride out to meet the dragon as it approaches from Targos. the party leaves Bryn Shander, and in the midst of a blizzard, see the chardalyn dragon. Ilikan binds it to the ground and the party fight and defeat the chardalyn dragon. The party rushes back to Bryn Shander to find the militiamen fighting off duergar. News of the victory of the dragon spreads and the duergar are defeated, saving Bryn Shander and ending the duergar incursion.

## Chapter 3: The Lost Spire and the Race to Ythrin

After the duergar incursion, the party sit in on a town speaker's meeting. They learn of the massive casualties and the changes in speakerships, including the death of Oarus Masthews, the result of an assassination by Quinn Lupus, who now holds his seat, and Carter assuming the role of Speaker of Bremen. In this meeting, the party offers to deal with goblin raiders from Karkolohk. Prior to departing for Karkolohk, the party encounters Olivessa Untapoor, a harper who is trying to unseat Speaker Shandar Froth, who asks the party to collect a magical fishhook for her. The party also speaks with Hlin, who tells the party to visit Jarlmoot for clues on the endless winter, as well as a derelict pirate ship to the north called the Dark Duchess that may hold treasure. Vellynne recounts her arrival to Ten Towns with Dzaan, Naas Lantomir, Janth, and Avarice before they all broke up and went their separate ways to be the first to find Ythrin.

On the way to Karkolohk, the party encounters Oyaminartok, who tells Ilikan he must return to his home and unite the clans. The party eventually reaches Karkolohk, where V picks up on psionic feedback. The party approach the gates, where they meet Trizik, Warden of Karkolohk, who is to bring us to their leader Yarb-Knock. On the way to the chieftain's quarters, the party meets with Mama Booyahg, who tells the party Yarb-Knock is actually a gnome in disguise, and that if we rid Karkolohk of Yarb-Knock and Trizik, she will assume leadership and halt attacks on Ten Towns. Within the fortress, the party also sees a massive golem of netherese origin.

The party enters Yarb-Knock's quarters, who disguises himself with a goblin costume. In private, Yarb-Knock reveals himself to be a gnome named Spellix, who came to be chieftain after he disguised himself in a failed attempt to save his former adventuring party. In return for delivering him from the goblins, he will give the party a massive egg radiating psionic energy. The party agrees and charm Trizik to accompany us to Bryn Shander. During the escape, the goblins believe the party is trying to kidnap their chief and attack. During the attack, it is revealed that Yarb-Knock is a gnome and they start trying to kill him. Eventually, the party escapes with Spellix and Trizik, and execute Trizik before fleeing.

Eventually, the party expel Spellix from the party after a failed attempt to steal a dogsled and head north to Jarlmoot. Reaching the hill, the party communes with the spirits of ancient Giants, who put them through several trials before acknowledging the party's strength and answering their questions on Auril and the Long Winter. Their leader, Rheagor, claims Auril has placed a curse on the land, and the aurora is a spell maintaining the long night. He claims that Auril resides on an island called the Isle of Solstice, far to the north in the Seas of Moving Ice, on which is a mountain called Grimskall. He also claims t he Cortisol of White is Auril's book into which she poured a fraction of her power. Beneath Jarlmoot, a passage opens, and the party finds several magical items inside.

The party encounters Arveiaturace, a large white dragon, on their return to Bryn Shander but flee before it notices them. Back In Bryn Shander, the party finds several reanimated corpses, the early stages of becoming Coldlight Walkers, attacking the town gates. The party meets with Duvessa Shane before departing for the elven tomb near Lonelywood to hide the psionic egg. There, Gabar opens the egg to find hundreds, if not thousands, of the psionic crystals. In the tomb, Sapphira tries to scry on Auril, but the mirror explodes and encases her in a frozen crystal. The party frees her and departs from the tomb, leaving the egg behind.

The party returns to Bryn Shander to meet with Hlin. They inform her of their findings at Jarlmoot, and Hlin tells the party to be weary of Vellynne and gives Quintus her old blinkback boots. The party meets with Vellynne and departs for the Lost Spire. upon their arrival at the Lost Spire, the party is attacked by, but defeat, Avarice's gargoyles.

Inside the Lost Spire, the party finds all manner of books. They realize the spire is an inverted tower stabbed into the earth. Descending down several levels, they meet with a simulacrom of Dzaan, who claims there is a magical room on the bottom level that allows illusions to become real. The party encounters a basilisk before finding the quarters of the tower's constructor, Devlim Eagleless, as well as the magical room. An argument breaks out on how to use the room and after several test uses, creating nothing of real value, decide to leave the room unused for the time being.

The party departs from the Lost Spire, heading towards Ilikan's home in Skytower Shelter. Arriving, they find the landscape barren of vegetation and animals. They encoutner a skirmish between the two goliath clans, and after diffusing the situation, meet Nora Riverjumper Akkanathi, Ilikan's cousin, who offers to escort us to Skytower. On the way, she speaks of the warring nature the clans have devolved into after her father, Arn rockfist Akkanath, became chief and exiled Ilikan. Upon reaching Skytower, Arn tries to have the party killed, but ilikan challenges him to a fight to the death. Arn eventually accepts after Rahi skydreamer Akkanathi demands he obey tradition, and declares the fight to be the next morning.

Within Skytower Shelter, the party find the place to be dilapidated and a strange psionic energy to fill the fortress as Ilikan meets with former clansfolk. The party learns Arn draws power from some psionic energy source within the chieftain's chambers. The next morning, Ilikan goes to fight Arn as the rest of the party infiltrate the chieftain's quarters, defeating Arn's son Koramak Stronghauler Akkanathi and a Quori, the source of Arn's abilities, just in time to allow Ilikan to kill Arn in single combat and take the title of Chief. However, as the Quori is about to die, it teleports itself and Big Smile out of the room somewhere, where Big Smile finds himself trapped in a glass container.