The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks

As the diamond shatters, Krom keeps a firm grip on his fiery hammer and shield, standing still for a long moment, almost expecting the goddess to reform once more.
“We did it, my friends. Auril has finally relinquished her icy grip on this land,”
the dwarf says with quiet pride, lowering his hammer as his gaze passes over each of his companions.

When the blast of icy shards blew over Chill he thought the end had come.  Death by a thousand paper cuts or something like that.  But energy filled him again as Krom revitalized him just in time for him to see the end of Auril.

He slowly got to his feet and looked around. He picked up his crossbow and slung it over his shoulder and moved towards the others.

"Really gone this time?" He asked. "Rhogar can do his thing with the Mythallar now?"

Both Rhogar and Gorrah reflexively turned away as the shards of ice went flying every which way imaginable. But when the former turned to see the aftermath, the dragonborn's smile of triumph fell as a look of horror took its place seeing his fallen comrades. And it was all because of him this time around...

For a moment, his body shook with regret and shame. Krom inadvertently breaks the spell in calling out in defiance of their fate, and rekindling the fury in Rhogar's heart. Yet before he can enact his own form of divine retribution, the dwarf beat him to the punch. There was no time to think. No time to hesitate. But try as he might to conjure a wall of protection as Auril's form shattered, such was her fading power that Rhogar's rushed attempt at conjuring a wall of force only led to the magic dispersing like leaves hit by a storm.

In the wake of it, he stood there gripping his staff almost as tightly as Krom did his hammer, still half-expecting some other final transformation. Nothing. There was no sudden eruption of screeching winds, or the distant clamor of ice cracking form her assuming a more terrible form. Just quiet at last.

Of the draconic blooded members of the party, it is Gorrah the first to snap into action by way of zipping over to Chill's side, chirruping as she excitedly performed aerial dances around him. Then in a burst of static and golden mist, Rhogar is at Kazri's side offering her a hand up (if still needed) with a mixture of relief, shame, and happiness all fighting for a place in his visage. "Looks like we've done it, Kazri. Actually did it!" He says to her, finally allowing himself to grin from proverbial ear to ear. After a beat, he seemed to eventually process Chill's question, and with a bit of an awkward clearing of a throat, answered with, "Y-Yes. I do believe indeed can. In fact, I'll get right to work, least she finds some other way to manifest herself again. Krom?" He turns to the dwarf. "See that everyone is treated while I focus on the artifact." He requests, before once again reaching out to the orb to begin undoing Auril's eternal winter.  

“Of course, Rhogar,” Krom says with a nod as the dragonborn reaches out to the Mythallar.
In the meantime, the dwarf chants a hymn of evocation, sending steady pulses of warm, restorative energy towards Chill and Kazri.

OOC: Krom casts Aura of Vitality - Healing Chill for 4 rounds (31), Kazri for 4 rounds (19) and himself for 2 rounds (19)

The last thing that Kazri remembers is the explosion of ice shrapnel hitting her and her colleagues. Next thing she knows, she sees Rhogar helping her get up and he is smiling ear to ear. "What happened?" The Paladin looks around. "So, it is finally done. The Frostmaiden is no more." Before she can finish her words, Rhogar goes back to the Mythallar to undo the eternal winter. Kazri remains vigilant in case they are interrupted again.

Rhogar concentrates on the Mythallar as he closes his eyes. There is no fanfare in it — no great gesture, no spoken word. Only will, pressed carefully against something vast and ancient and willing to listen.

He reaches outward. Fifty miles in every direction — across the Dale, across the frozen tundra, across the black peaks and the buried roads and the huddled towns that have nearly forgotten what warmth feels like. He can feel it all. The weight of it. The wrongness of it. Clouds stacked like walls of iron, deliberate and cruel, engineered by a goddess to keep the sun on the other side of the sky.

He begins to push. Not with force. With patience. The way a river doesn't break a stone so much as simply outlast it. A minute passes. Then five. Then ten.

Somewhere far above, something shifts. He knows a seam opens in the clouds — hairline thin at first, pale and tentative, as if the light itself is uncertain of its welcome. Then wider. The clouds that Auril had knotted together with cold malice begin to unknit themselves, slowly, the way ice releases its grip on a riverbank in late March — not all at once, but with a kind of exhausted surrender.

Rhogar opens his eyes. He knows. He has done enough. Rhogar exhales. It is done.

Chill stood and watched, guarding Rhogar as he preformed the magic that would free this part of the world from the icy grip of cold.

Apprehensive that something else might interfere and still hurting from the battle with Auril he waited for Rhogar to finish.

Even with the magic of the Mythallar magically guiding and reinforcing his efforts, Rhogar yet found himself falling back more on the lessons of Brother Vixin, and how the Kirin once described his own means of manipulating the weather. At one point an absentminded smile found its way to the dragonborn's maw as he thought back to smaller hands reaching up to the sky to push away a cloud miles away, only to startle himself when naught but a sudden surge of magical sparks in his finger tips gave him quite the start!

The memory concluded with him opening his eyes in reality, but hearing the echoes of a deep and resonating chuckle from Vixix. "It... Is done... It is done. /We've/ done it!" He called out to the others with a warm smile behind his voice. Gorrah, who had been keeping watch at Chill's side, immediately zipped over to start cheerily flying around her summoner while bombarding everyone with crude and random images of a thankful ten -- well, eight towns.

To which, Rhogar found himself heartily chuckling and eventually snatching Gorrah out of the air to holder her close to his chest. "We've actually did it. Heh... It's almost unbelieveable.... Though, I don't suppose it's entirely over." His face fell as he turned to look at the Mythallar with newfound worry.

(Spoiler for @Pal54 only)

It is as if a heavy weight was suddenly lifted off Kazri's shoulder. "It seems that we all indeed have done it!" For the first time in a long while Kazri is also able to fell hopeful. "Ms. Harpell! We should fetch her. She must be very interested in exploring this place." She looks at Rhogar. "Mr. Nimbatuul. You don't suppose that you are able to cure of her condition with this Mythallar?" If there is not much for Kazri to do, she will go fetch Vellynne with Oli.

As Rhogar completes the ritual with the Mythallar, Krom finally allows himself to relax. “Masterfully done, my friends. Defeating an avatar of a goddess and restoring the weather to its rightful state, these are feats worthy of a saga! When we return to Phandalin and Axeholm, I’ll have one of my clansmen set our deeds to writing,” the dwarf says with a toothy grin.

He pauses, his expression turning more thoughtful. “It may be a matter for another time, but the Mythallar itself could become a problem if it falls into the hands of ill-intentioned wizards or sorcerers.”

Krom nods as Kazri mentions Vellynne. “She has proven a valuable ally in our quest, no doubt. But the order she belongs to… it harbors ambitious minds. It may be wiser if knowledge of this ancient artifact remains hidden.”

Kazri was about to take a step towards Vellynne, and she stops. "It is true Master Krom. I still feel responsible for her condition and would like to atone for it." She turns to Rhogar. "However, Master Krom does bring a good point. I am sure her organization is not the only one that would be interested in the Mythallar. What can we do to safeguard it?"

"No one else but us know this is here.  Vellynne didn't come in here with us.  We don't need to tell her it is here.  Maybe we can figure out how to bury it under the mountain and let knowledge of it die with us." Chill says

Despite the entreaties, Rhogar had remained silent; listening still, if the occasional and slight canting of his head was any indication, but otherwise unable to turn away from the Mythallar. But then, his eyes suddenly widen at Chill's words. "Mountain... That could work." He murmured, a note of hope finally returning to his voice. However, just as soon as it came he found himself frowning and grumbling while seeming to search the ground for some answer.

When none is however forthcoming, Rhogar closed his eyes with a sigh and rubbed at his chin. "Would that I could further consult with Brother Vixix, mayhaps he might warn against what has to come to mind. Not for concern of any artifacts and the like being lost or destroyed forever, but more so out of concern for some unfathomable evil freeing itself in the wake of the city's complete destruction." After a moment's pause, he huffed out a sparking cloud of sparks, before looking to the others. "You have the right of it, Kazri. Were we to try to leave things as they are -- even with the intent of taking the knowledge to our grave, it would not stop her people and other like-minded individuals from eventually finding this place... even if we were to silence her just in case, AND that lich's former assistant we rescued. By the nine, even before our arrival several other planar entities found their way here, pluming the city's depths for knowledge both benign and what aught to best left buried in this day and age."

"But, I think I have an idea. It'll require us to leave the city -- nay, even the connecting caves and beyond at that, to be safe. So, if there's no other business left for us here, I'd suggest we take but only the briefest of respites(short rest), before making our way back to the others. More than that I dare not say, least something yet is listening in on us. But know that when we depart, there will be no returning to this place."

Kazri looks to the group. "I swear that the knowledge of this place goes with me to my grave." She then faces Rhogar. "I have no more business here, and I am ready to leave at any time. However, what are your plans in regard to Ms. Harpell and the Dryad Hathowyn?" Kazri asks Rhogar.

Rhogar grimaces. "I am not wont to lie even in the direst of circumstances, as you all well know." He admitted with a slight chuckle behind his voice towards the end. "But for her sake, I will give her the choice. The whole truth, or enough of it to tell her superiors without undue reprimand. And if she feels that is not enough-" Rhogar looks to Krom. "I would also ask that the professor be released into her custody, as there are yet things about the city it may yet pass along to her... as grating as it can be at times." At that, the dragonborn sighed, but his psuedodragon companion let out a noise that sounded almost like snickering.

"I will also relinquish this staff as way of compensation. And it's not as if she does not have a living, breathing netherese citizen to question and learn from... But as for Hatowyn, I... That is a considerably more difficult question to answer. To my limited understanding, without the ability to uproot her tree and take it with us, it'll be impossible to ensure her safety. So, while it would be cold comfort, our choices would be limited to asking for a branch or seed of her tree that we might replant elsewhere. Or, I can use the staff at least one last time and perhaps shield her for a time... But, I will not pretend to be certain of if it'll be enough... *sigh*... Only accept that whatever consequences come of what must be done, I shall I bear them." 

Chill considers for a moment.  He had forgottn the dryad.  "There were dark elves in the tunnels as well.  So there must be an entry to the underdark.  They cannot be given access to this area."

He pauses.

"What about the spell book?  Can we release the tarrasque to guard the Mythallar, though it would be a poor guard as it wouldn't know what it was guarding.  Anything else in that spell book you took from Iriolarthas?  Anything in there that might help?"

Though Rhogar nodded faintly in agreement to Chill's initial concern, a small smirk arose as he spoke up in assurance during the pause: "Had we not considered dealing with the Mythallar before our departure, they certainly would've been quite the loose thread to forget, no matter what their ultimate goal for exploring the city! But as it stands, if they have not by now found and left with whatever it is they were after, then as cruel as this may sound, they... they too will share the fate of the city upon our departure. As we can hardly afford their interference should they become even remotely aware of our plan and let their worser side get the better of them."

At Chill's follow-up suggestion, both Gorrah and Rhogar's eyes went wide, before the pair immediately shook their heads in rejection of the idea. "A poor guard would be the understatement of the year, my friend!" Rhogar said with a note of hysteria behind his chuckle. "At best, it might act as the catalyst for the city's, and /hopefully/ by extension, the Mythallar's destruction in the end. But even then, it remains far too dangerous a being to test whether or not its legendary endurance was overexaggerated! As for the book, well... It would take considerable amount of time to study it at length. In that time, Iriolarthas will not only likely have revived, but might yet gain the motivation and/or means to pursue us. And despite having defeated goddess minutes ago, even I would prefer not to take a needless gamble."

“I’m ready to leave as well. I don’t know about the rest of you, but this dwarf has seen enough frozen landscapes and Netherese ruins to last a couple of decades,” Krom says with a chuckle. His expression grows more serious as he continues. “I trust your judgment, Rhogar. No one can be allowed access to it. As for the tarrasque, I doubt such a creature would willingly serve as a guardian, and it might attract even more attention to this place.”
Krom then pats the bag containing the Professor Orb and flashes a toothy grin. “Vellynne can have her orb back. I certainly won’t miss its constant remarks.”

"I agree with giving the orb to Ms. Harpell. Perhaps, it can be her eyes to the world going forward. And I suppose we try our best to help the Dryad." Kazri says ready to leave this place.

With your work complete you make your way back to the ice causeway that leads away from the dead city and back to the Caves of Hunger.