Expedition 58: Return to Sabbath Rock

### Summary

We travel to once again meet the frost giants, and to discuss the matter of Enkidar.

### Detailed Writeup

Marzipan, Uzmir, Tolyr, and Calliope set out through the swamp ferried by a few mousefolk working to make portions of the swamp arable. They easily find their way to Sabbath Rock where Calliope scales the rock—slowly—to lower a rope. The rest climb up where they come upon 3 giants cooking a giant bird over a fire. Marzipan casts Tongues and the meeting begins.

Uzmir introduces Marzipan as the baron of the swamp which surprises the giants, who had thought he was Uzmir’s lunch. Marzipan explains that the mousefolk and the giants have something in common: having been set back by the tyranny of Gilgamesh. He agrees with Urhamish, their leader, that in exchange for access to resources from the swamp, one of their number will come to the swamp every new moon to provide heavy lifting services. Urhamish looks at Libit and Suusandar and determines that Libit will bear this burden.

The group then discusses the question of Enkidar. Uzmir explains that the fiend has been running rampant through Vrall so there has been little capacity to think of anything else. Urhamish says he understands and offers help identifying the fiend in exchange for a promise to kidnap Enkidar. After the giants re-explain the Enkidar situation, Calliope weighs in that she sees a possible future-Gilgamesh as a nuke needing defusing. Even if the nuke she herself defused had been sapient, she would still have defused it. Marzipan insight checks the giants and determines that they are not trying to deceive him: they are convinced that Enkidar will be their death. Knowing that he knows little, Marzipan is willing to yield to their expertise on how the ordenings work and how dangerous Enkidar could be. Tolyr seems willing to follow Marzipan’s lead. Uzmir protests, but also grants that the other three are southerners who experienced Gilgamesh’s tyranny firsthand and that he feels their voices should have more weight. It is decided: after the fiend is dealt with, bringing Enkidar to frost stone is the next priority.

To hold up his end of the deal, Urhamish asks which of them will go to the Pool which will show them the fiend. Marzipan volunteers. Urhamish tells him to blindfold himself, which he does. Urhamish does not realize that the robe of eyes can still see and witnesses the path Urhamish takes to reach the Pool, displacing a huge boulder and carrying Marzipan into a cavern full of white crystals. At the pool, Urhamish asks for information on the fiend since that will make it easier to locate. Marzipan relates the information gathered by the compact. Urhamish meditates and the Pool shows a vision zooming in on the edge of the Nestle valley through a door marked with characters Marzipan does not recognize and into a maze of tunnels. At the end is a chamber filled with bats boasting a silver scrying bowl Marzipan recognizes from the expedition to the hags, many books, a chest, and a shadowy figure hidden by the successful save against the Pool’s effect. We did not learn who the fiend is but we learned where it lairs.

Meanwhile, Calliope has been discussing smithing with the other two giants. She explains that she’s in the middle of a big project but when she’s done she’s happy to come teach them. They say that’s fine since it’s not super time-sensitive. She thinks about logistics for giant-sized forging equipment.

Marzipan and Urhamish return and the compact members head off, trying to swing by Mae’ra’s shrine on the way back. They run into an avalanche triggered by Calliope’s shouting but Uzmir casts fly on himself and Tolyr and they carry their two smaller companions to safety. On reaching the shrine, Marzipan is suitably impressed though everyone rolls terribly to figure anything out about it. The upshot is that if Marzipan rolled Divine Intervention there the roll would have a -30 modifier (more likely). There also seems to be a looped river of cold water hiding behind the mural.

The four start to head back and are finding their way just fine when Calliope finds a crevice full of dragonsbane ore which she harvests. After continuing one they see the white dragon circling overhead so Calliope drags them back to the crevice and loads them all into her Rope Trick pocket while the dragon isn’t looking. Being stupid, the dragon thinks they’ve teleported away and so it leaves. After spending some time in the pocket dimension they head home safely.