"Fair enough points on both accounts, Master Krom." Rhogar chimed in. "Best we start with the speaker in that case, seeing as they are likely to be a bit easier to find. Not to mention the updates we can give them regarding our progress on other matters as well in fuller detail." He adds, though somewhat trailed in thought towards the end. After looking thoughtful for a moment however, the dragonborn simply shook his head in dismissal of whatever distraction might've come to mind.

“I wonder if Vellynne Harpell is still in town.” Wonders out loud Kazri. “Master Krom, did you hear back from her for your last message?”

“I wonder if Vellynne Harpell is still in town.” Wonders out loud Kazri. “Master Krom, did you hear back from her for your last message?”

"No, lass, she did not replied." replies Krom "Maybe being so close to the fortress of the Frost Maiden disrupted the spell. I'll try to contact her again as we walk towards the Town Hall."  

Krom chanting an hymn of evocation Sending attempts to contact Vellynne Harpell "We have now the means of opening the way to the Netheril city. We will soon travel to the caverns. Where are you ?"

The half orc looked as if he was about to wipe the runes away but pauses as the magic takes effect and he feels the paranoia leave him. He nods his thanks, moving to prep for the journey to Byrnshander. Once inside the larger city he smirks a bit. "Seems we have made a bigger name for ourselves.

Chill takes point as usual but stays close to the rest of the group as they make their way to Bryn Shander.  It was a familiar trip and only 2 hours that passes quickly and quietly.

Once reaching the city he agrees with the others, make contact with the sheriff and the speaker as well as the dwarf that sent them after Sephek.

Quote from DarthDrizzt >>

The half orc looked as if he was about to wipe the runes away but pauses as the magic takes effect and he feels the paranoia leave him. He nods his thanks, moving to prep for the journey to Byrnshander. Once inside the larger city he smirks a bit. "Seems we have made a bigger name for ourselves.

 "Bit of a surprise, isn't it? Oh how it warms the heart knowing that even in this troubled time, a good deed by goodly souls yet can kindle the flames of a beleaguered spirits! Such as so many within Ten Towns!" Rhogar comments, grinning from ear to ear. "And our journey is far from over, my friend. For though we have a key to hopefully put an end to the storm itself, there is yet more we can do for the people along the way. To inspire them in our wake even perhaps, and ensure... ensure that even if we falter at some point going forward, there will be others to chase back the darkness... Or at least that's how suspect Chip would've put it." 

As you pass through the Northgate you quickly come across the Northlook. You remember that this was the tavern that Hlin Trollbane was found and you wonder if you should stop there first to report the killing of Sephek or continue on to the town hall at the center of town to find the speaker.

Krom also receives a reply from Vellyne Harpell

Investigating report of dragon threat to ten-towns.  Duergar warlord named Xardorok Sunblight, fortress in Spine of World. Speaker Shane knows location.  Come quickly

"We should go see the Speaker first, then do whatever else we need to do in town." Suggest Kazri to the group.

"We could split up.   I'll swing into the Northlook and then catch up with you at the town hall."  Chill offers as they discuss their next move.

"Hn. If you are willing, Chill. We will be certain not to make any hasty departures before you can meet back with us. But do be swift and give them our most humble apologies on... well at this point several accounts I imagine." Rhogar chuckles and from his hood even Gorrah chitters in amusement. The psuedodragon than languidly stretches out before flying over to sit upon the Tabaxi's shoulder. "Ah! Good thinking Gorrah! If anything should hold you up or potential vice versa, she will be our middleman for communication again! Wonderful! Now! Let's double time it people. Time to see if we might be reprising our role as dragon slayers." With a chipper grin, Rhogar picked up the face for townhall with the trust most others of the party would be hot on heels! 

As the group walks and discusses their next move, Krom suddenly stops and says "Friends, Vellyne Harpell just informed me that she investigating a dragon threat to the Ten Towns, she asks us to travel as fast as possible to a Fortress in the Spine of World. Apparently there is a Duergar warlord there. It seems that Speaker Shane knows of this location."
He resumes walking "Let's accelerate our pace my friends, I do not like this at all."

"After updating the Speaker we could inform Copper about his friend Macreadus." Kazri relieves, for a brief moment, her experience at the cabin.

(Have we also updated the Speaker about Gant from Revel's End?)

"Ah Copper!  I forgot about him.  And I promised him I would deliver the backpack.   I will followup with him as well and then catch back up with you at the town hall.  Lots of loose ends to clean up in this town."

Chill gets the backpack back from Rhogar who had been carrying it in the Bag of Holding. 

"I'll return this as well."

Chill says as he gives Gorrah a quick pat and then breaks off from the group and heads into the Northlook inn.

Chill breaks off from the others and heads into the Northlook.  The tavern hasn't changed.  It's still early in the day and the common room is fairly empty.  Chill has little trouble finding Hlin Trollbane.  She sits in the same corner she occupied when you last met.  She has a concerned look on her face as you report the death of Sephek.

"Your friends aren't dead are they?  You alone are left?" You are able to quickly quell her fears.  "Well, I believe you.  I've heard the rumors he is no longer with Torg.  And the murders stopped.  Torg has been in town and moved on and Sephek wasn't with her then and no one was murdered.  You've done the area a service.  Thank you."

She pays you the 100 gold (you can each add 20 gp to your sheet, I'll assume it gets dispersed at some point)

Heading back out Chill makes his way to the House of the Morninglord. Mishann greets you at the door and calls for Copper to come out. Chill makes his second report, this one bad news instead of good.  Copper is saddened by the loss of his friend and is very disturbed as you tell how he was trapped in the ethereal plane.  Very relieved that you were able to set him free he thanks you and takes the backpack back.  His love for his friend is evident in that his concern is over the death of Macreadus and not the failure to end the undying winter that plagues the region.

((Feel free to RP anything else))

Meanwhile the rest of the group heads for the Town Hall.  There they find both Speaker Duvessa Shane and Sheriff Markham Southwell.  They look concerned.  Duvessa Shane is the first to speak.  "Thank you for your report earlier regarding Revel's End.  Your reputation in the area has increased.  There is a spark of hope and yet many things to fear still.  I had hoped you would return to Bryn Shander at some point. We have other concerns as well.  I didn't tell you about them earlier as we didn't trust you yet.  

Invisible enemies walk among us. We have seen their boot prints in the snow, and now we know what they are: duergar. These malevolent dwarves of the Underdark have infiltrated Ten-Towns in search of a rare crystal known as chardalyn. With it, they’re building a mighty construct that will lay waste to Ten-Towns if nothing is done to stop it. 

Our militia captured one of the duergar and forced it to divulge the location of their mountain stronghold. Therein you will find a duergar warlord named Xardorok Sunblight. He aims to conquer Icewind Dale and destroy us all. For the good of Ten-Towns, will you penetrate the duergar fortress, slay this evil warlord, and destroy his terrible weapon?  There is another wizard, named Vellyne who also seems to know something. She left me a message to send you towards the stronghold if you were to pass through here"

Krom listens with concern as Speaker Shane informs the group of the duergars and their goals. "Duergars are vicious and cruel foes, we can not let them do as they please in the Ten-Towns. I'll smash their construct with my hammer!" says the dwarf as the Speaker finishes to speak. "We are in contact with this wizard, Speaker, she also spoke of a dragon menace linked to those duergars. She urged us to reach the duergar fortress as soon as possible. "
Krom pauses a moment "I'm not familiar with this chardalyn crystal you mention, is it some kind of catalyst for arcane magic?" 

Chill realized he made a big mistake when he went to talk to Copper about the death of Macreadus.  Sephek may have been a serious issue but reporting his death from weeks ago wasn't.  But telling Copper about the death of his friend and how he was now reacting was serious.  Chill tried his very best to not start laughing but he couldn't, the curse was too strong.  He quickly covered his mouth and tried to make his laughs sound like cries of despair as best he could.  But it wasn't working and the more serious the situation the worse it got. 

Chill does the only thing he can think of in the moment. He turned and fled the House of the Morninglord.   

"We are aware of this Wizard, as Master Krom mentioned, and we do plan to go to her aid as soon as we are able." Kazri addresses the Speaker. "Are you able to provide us a faster means of transport to this fortress?"

Whereas Gorrah preened and was all good vibes at the thanks from Hiln (even though little to no praise might've been directed her way), the matter with Copper not long after leaves her solemn if not sullen. However, she would recover fairly quickly, and in the wake of Chill's growing instability, she would with effort cobble together the imagery of the party's use of the inventors device for Copper. So that he yet may have a memory of his late friends final work being put to use to bring warmth and light back to the dale, even if only for a moment. 

After which, she takes off after Chill... 

Meanwhile...

"I'm afraid I somewhat unfamiliar with both these Duergars and... Chardalyn, you called it? At least from what little I can recall in the moment. But of course, trust in your assessment is a given, and as Master Krom mentioned, we would see this threat removed least all our work up here come to naught." He grins faintly. "But uhm... color me intrigued. Is this crystal a native substance of the dale, or something brought up in the past by other underdark residents?" He asked, only to gasp and then chuckle inwardly. 

(OOC: Didn't see Chill's above post, so some slight editting done to reflect it)

Chill, give me a deception check, at disadvantage

To the others

Sheriff Southwell shakes his head.  "As the history tells it more than a hundred years ago a wizard found an artifact suffused with demonic magic called the Crystal Shard and used it to erect a great black tower in Icewind Dale. When this tower was destroyed, the magic used to create it fused with the surrounding ice to form what is now known as chardalyn: a nonmagical, crystalline substance as strong as metal, though considerably easier to work with than steel. In the years since, more deposits of chardalyn have been found across Icewind Dale. Rumors have it that prolonged contact with chardalyn can warp a creature’s mind, causing madness that usually fades away once the contact is broken.  Little else is known but it has its value."

"As for transport, we can offer dogsleds or Axebeaks as mounts.  Nothing faster I'm afraid."