They Be Mighty Giants

This chapter starts with the party traveling north atop the aqueduct mainline structure that provides fresh water to Tyn from the Shearwall Mountains. During a two day journey, during which Gayle Powen provides the party with her research on what is known of the Ivory Cudgel:

The last known location was in the hands of the legendary shape-shifter Griniak, who held it when he was buried by an avalanche at the Battle of Rimesbane Valley. Hundreds of years later, a band of dwarven treasure hunters found the location of the battle, only to find that someone had already tunnelled in to the glacier and seemed to have removed the legendary Cudgel. The dwarven priest was able to consult his gods and led his group on a journey to the Nameless Peaks, in search of the one that ‘stole’ the cudgel first. There, they encountered an Ice Wizard that defeated most of the dwarves. One dwarf escaped and fled to Mount Starfell, where he inscribed his tale and the location of the cursed mountain of the Ice Wizard.

The engineer was somehow in position of a transcript of this story, stored in the Tyn Mint, but thought the story referenced a map to the peak of the Ice Wizard, it lacked a map, or even a map to Starfell mountain itself. The party would need to find a guide in the mountains that was familiar with the area.

Arriving at the source of the Aqueduct, terminated by Fort Testament, the party is greeted by Lord Swain, a pious and condescending but noble warden of the area. The party dines with Swain who informs the group of the two dwarven tribes in the mountains: the relatively friendly Ringari, who trade with the Tyrese, and the Ufetse, who are stand-offish and rarely leave there homes in the halls of the Nameless Peaks. Swain recounts the dwarven tale of Starfell Mountain, where long ago the dwarves recount a star slowly falling from the sky and crashing into it.

The next day the party proceeds up the Shearwall Mountains and makes it to Shelter Number One where they camp. In the morning, an AGITATED BADGER arrives. Clinton communicates with the badger and learns that the badger’s master, a dwarf named Orla, was part of a group of Ringari that were attacked by trolls.

The party agrees to help Orla and proceeds further into the mountains where they are accosted by ogres before reaching the camp where the dwarves were attacked. They are ambushed by Ice Trolls but defeat them and rescue a severly beaten Orla. Healing Orla, they learn that she was part of a party that was tracking enemies in the mountains but was attacked by trolls, and that other survivors from her group were captured to be brought as offerings to two FROST GIANTS that recently moved into the Rimesbane Valley: FlØsum and Jehsum.

The party agrees to help Orla (and her badger, Kip) rescue her friends in exchange for entrance and introduction to the Ufetse dwarves who can get them to Starfell mountain. The party plans an ambush on an ancient fortress where the giants have set up camp. After Clinton scouts the area as a bird, and summons an air elemental to deal with a GIANT WHITE EAGLE, the party approaches the back of the fortress. However, FLØSUM and a WINTER WOLF emerge from the ring of trees, the giant throwing large objects at the party, Meanwhile, JEHSUM uses a HORN OF BLASTING on the party which deafens Radcliff and breaks the ice under the party- as they are standing on a frozen lake. After a pitched battle, during which BROTHER DARKNESS deals the death blow to FLØHSUM, the pair of ice giants and their supplicants prove to be little match for the party’s power.

After rescuing the dwarven prisoners and counting the loot from the fortress, Orla opens a dwarven passage into the halls of the Ufetse. After several hours of travel through the runnels the party is greeted as interlopers from the reclusive dwarves, but Orla is able to obtain passage after describing how the parry rescued the Ringari and killed the Frost Giants. The dwarves trade with the party and provide them knowledge of the location of Starfell Mountain.

Some days later, the party travels the treacherous wastelands to Starfell Mountain, and find a smooth tunnel of ice leading into it. Sliding down the tunnel and landing into darkness, the party lights their way revealing the interior of a large crystal cave. Inside is not only the inscription of dwarven runes, but the remains of a saling ship, including a ship’s mast and a SHIP’S FIGUREHEAD in the shape of a dragon’s head.