Ameera Giantstrike is a female human living in Ten-Towns, but her family culture is that of a Reghed nomad barbarian - specifically Tribe of the Tiger in her early life, later on it was of the Tribe of the Elk from her foster parents.
Secrets I am the offspring of Queen Bjornhild Solvigsdottir, leader of the Tiger Tribe. My mother cast me into the Sea of Moving Ice when I was a young child as a sacrifice to Auril the Frostmaiden, and - so I found out later - as a way to ward off the prophecy that the fate of the tribe would be decided by mother and daughter. A polar bear pulled me from the water and spared me a freezing death. This bear then transformed into a goliath who bore me safely to Ten-Towns. I remember the goliath’s name—Oyaminartok—but haven’t seen her since. I owe her my life, just as I owe my mother a merciless death.
This is Ameera's sidequest, to resolve her secret.
DM's Note: This was created because the player of Ameera is unable to attend our normal Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign for about three months due to work. This is a way to keep Ameera in the game, keep the player engaged in the campaign, and make sure she doesn't get too far behind in xp. Almost all of the other characters have resolved their secrets and backstory threads already. Note that this thread will necessarily contain spoilers of one part of the Rime of the Frostmaiden adventure.
Currently Ameera is in the company of Yselm Bloodfang. Their intention is to find the frost giant Harshnag, known to not attack humans on sight. Yselm believes Harshnag knows the location of Jarlmoot, where resides the Horn of the Great Tiger, stolen from the Tribe of the Tiger many years ago. With this in her possession, Ameera may rightfully claim to challenge for leadership of the Tribe of the Tiger.
They left the Heroes of Good Mead in the town of Lonelywood on Flamerule 16, and travelled through Termalaine, for which Ameera does not have good memories. Her adventuring companion, the tabaxi fighter Ffft Ffft was killed by a grell in the mines there, and the party brought... something... back with them in the body of a well-spoken kobold. That.. something.. waited until late at night and then dumped the body of the kobold and entered the body of the town speaker Oarus Masthew. The speaker has absconded from Termalaine, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. In his absence the Zhentarim aligned captain of the militia - Tomi Delbore - has taken charge of the office of Speaker until elections can be held.
Ameera ground her teeth as the two militia greeted her as she and Yselm approached Termalaine. They recognised her, how could they not, but said nothing about past events, just asked her intentions.
Ameera scowled at the guards. A brief flash of fury crossed her mind as these soft Ten-Towners dared challenge her. Memories of her adopted parents tempered her indignation however - the guards were merely doing their jobs, trying to survive as best they can.
Still, Ameera's displeasure was evident as she boomed her reply.
"My business is my own. We are merely passing through on our journey."
The guards look at each other nervously. They bluster a bit, to protect their egos.
"Well, carry on then. See that you keep going."
Ameera and Yselm move on and leave the picturesque town of Termalaine behind. It's a day's travel in the ever present gloomy twilight of Icewind Dale to get to Good Mead, passing through Bryn Shander on the way. They spend the night at the home they had been given by the mayor of Good Mead, and still looked after by the orphan teenager Cetree. She greets Ameera with a grin, and Ameera notes with surprise - and Yselm with astonishment - that her feathered dinosaur companion is now much bigger and follows her around. It seems the creature is no longer a secret.
"Oh, she's a good hunter," said Cetree, hugging the creature which makes a birdlike chirping sound but deeper in pitch. "She brings back a lot of game and I give it to whoever needs it. And she hasn't threatened anyone..... for a while. So she's tolerated and even seen as a feature of our town. And you lot are a bit behind on your payments. I clean your house every day, and there is wood stacked for you to use on your fire. There's no food though so you'll have to eat at the inn. There's about 5gp owing, assuming the same rate of 5sp per day. Please."
Ameera grinned as she slid a fistful of silver into Cetree's hands.
"Money well earnt!"
The dinosaur had indeed grown since Ameera had last seen it and she noted the proliferation of razor sharp incisors in its mouth. "Truly a mighty predator." Ameera cast a shrewd glance at Cetree, assessing her. Though small in stature, Cetree had clearly earnt the loyalty of this powerful beast. Perhaps she could be trained in the ways of the warrior...
Ameera led Yselm to the inn. "We can slept in the house tonight, but first, we feast!". Yselm grinned as Ameera continued. "Trust me, Good Mead is aptly named!"
The two warriors entered Mead Hall and took a table not far from the roaring fire. Ameera slammed her coin pouch on the table, gold spilling out for all to see, twinkling in the firelight. Within minutes their table was adorned with a platter of venison, roast vegetables and a bottle of Honey Mead. Yselm raised the bottle, looking at the thick treacle-like substance with disgust. Ameera grinned "Try it".
Yselm grimaced, but drank. A slow grin spread over her face as the mead's warmth spread through her body. Soon the warrior women were feasting, regaling each other with stories of their battles - particularly with the Frost Giants.
Abruptly Ameera took a serious tone.
"Tonight I must ask you some difficult questions Yselm". Her companion went quiet. "What of my mother and our tribe? How strong is Auril's grip upon them?"
"I wish to lead our people, not destroy them. Will they willingly accept my command once I have defeated my mother?"
Yselm regarded Ameera, and seemed to weigh up how she would put the next sentence.
"They all believe in the prophecy. At the moment I believe it is on the back of their minds. Times are hard right now. It's tough here in Ten-Towns, but twice as tough out on the tundra. Game is dwindling, and our aggressive stance with other tribes limits trade."
She took another swig of the honey mead. "I could get to like this as much as I like fermented reindeer milk, I suppose." She turned back to Ameera.
"Your mother Bjornhild is addicted to power, and at this point it means aligning herself with Auril. While most in the tribe will give lip service to Auril in preference to being outcast, like I was, I do believe most wish to return to the traditional worship of Tempos. She holds the tribe by threat of expulsion and her force of personality. Of course there are some who have aligned themselves totally with Bjornhild Solvigsdottir, and their standing in the tribe depends upon her retaining power. But Auril's grip on the tribe begins and ends with your mother. And everything you've told me about your adventures says that Auril is unstable, perhaps a little insane. This cannot last, she will either recover or some power - like Asmodeus or Levistus, will take advantage."
The tall Tiger Tribe scout, former Great Warrior of Bjornhild's own sub-tribe, finished her mug. "And now, sleep. Early start tomorrow. We must pass through Dougan's Hole and then head to the North-South Pass. I have heard Harshnag is there, helping those few caravans that have the power to get through Auril's storms."
Yselm left for the house, and Ameera stayed a little longer, talking to some old, familiar faces - Nehbum Lua, the former Auril cultist who had left the Children of Auril. He told Ameera that there had been a civil war within the cult. He was not sure what it was about but the rumour was that one side of the cult had been taken over by another power that was not Auril. It was a bloody affair in the bigger towns, but not in Good Mead. Not knowing which side was which, Nehbum and his three other cultists had just decided to drop out.
"It's made life simpler," he said, his brown face breaking out into an agreeable smile. "And it's made not a lick of difference to the threats to the town which were getting worse even when we were still worshipping Auril, so all of those ceremonies we did counted for nothing in the end."
Ameera also spoke briefly to the scout Fef Moryn, who said conditions had been getting worse - colder, game was harder to find, predators like crag cats and dire wolves coming much closer to town.
Ameera took herself off to the house and bed, which was little more than a pile of furs and skins on the floor. Despite that she slept well.
On Flamerule 17 a freezing cold wind blew from the direction of the Reghed Glacier. The dark sky was studded with grey clouds, but enough starlight shone through the gaps to keep the land at twilight instead of darkness.
It was a two hour walk to Dougan's Hole, and when they arrived Ameera could see they had made even more progress. Dougan's Hole was the only town experiencing a boom rather than a contraction of population. When she remarked on this, Yselm laughed.
"Have you not noticed anything strange about the newcomers?" she asked.
Ameera said they had but were unsure what was going on.
"All the newcomers are doppelgangers," said Yselm. "They see opportunity in adversity, a chance to call this place their own. There are many doppelgangers in Icewind Dale, you would have met others and not known it. But this is their home now. They started arriving well before the North-South Pass was closed."
Ameera reached for her weapon, but stopped when Yselm put her hand on her arm.
"It's a functional arrangement," she said. "The doppelgangers breathe new life into the town, and as far as I know they have assumed the shape of only those original town folk who have died. At least that's what one told me."
Ameera remembered the two children they rescued who had said their parents had totally changed, had stopped abusing them but were also emotionally distant. And also when they had denied help from the party to help those guards who had been badly hurt or killed during the yeti attack. It made sense now.
The trip through Dougan's Hole was uneventful. The guards remembered Yselm and Ameera, and let them through.
There would be one sleep out in the wilderness before they arrived at the North-South Pass. It was going to be a cold, uncomfortable night and no help would be coming if they got into trouble. Ameera grinned to herself. Now THIS was living.
The day of 18 Flamerule was even colder than the day before. The freezing wind had picked up and stuck needles of ice into any exposed flesh. Yselm and Ameera had sheltered in the woods where Ten-Trail met the frozen Redrun river.
"We could have come straight down Ten-Trail from Bryn Shander," said Yselm. "But there has been a lot of goblin and orc activity on the trail in the last few tendays. They are suffering maybe more than Ten-Towners and are desperate for supplies. We could have dealt with them, of course, but we're not taking any chances of a lucky critical hit lopping off your head. We'll save all our luck for when it matters."
Like most Reghed Tribesfolk, Yselm Bloodfang believed luck was a saveable and spendable commodity, albeit an unreliable one. Getting a lucky break at one point meant you were most likely not going to get a lucky break later when you might need it more. The longer Ameera was an adventurer, the more she thought that it was less superstition and more fact.
"When we meet Harshnag, you must remember he is not like other giants", advised Yselm over a breakfast of spiced knucklehead trout. "He lived in Waterdeep for some time, as part of something called Grey Force - you might call them trouble shooters for really big problems. So he's understanding of humans and their ways. But the prophecy says that it is you that must be the cause of everything that is to happen, so you must do the talking."
It took some hours to track down Harshag. There was no snow luckily (Yselm cursed that as spent luck) so they came across as what they assumed were his footprints and followed them. They finally found him, helping a caravan of dwarves who had two yak-pulled carts stuck. Harshnag was holding the cart up after moving it back onto the correct path, while dwarves were underneath repairing the axel. The dwarves were wary seeing two Reghed looking warriors loom out of the twilight, but Harshnag grinned, unfazed.
It took several more hours with Yselm and Ameera's help to get the dwarf merchant caravan ready to move again. Even though the carts were fixed, yaks were uncooperative at the best of times and rarely used as mounts.
"No choice if we're t' git through th' storms o' th' pass," explained one of the dwarves. "Only yaks an' summa th' more exotic beasts kin do it."
The dwarf handlers were skilled, however, and after some time the yaks were harnessed up to the two repaired carts and the dwarves were on their way, happy they were moving again and now out of the worst of the weather. Harshnag, and so also Ameera and Yselm, were persuaded to provide escort along the Ten-Trail against Reghed tribesfolk, orcs, and goblins. Harshnag was not prepared to hear what Ameera had to say just yet.
A short time prior to settling at a merchant caravan shelter, the caravan was attacked by goblins on skis, zooming down hills with weapons in their hands and expertly (mostly) steering with their legs.
Harshnag went to the front of the caravan to protect the lead cart so it could keep moving. The dwarf caravan commander asked Yselm and Ameera to protect the rear cart, while the dwarf guards would be everywhere else.
Yselm had her spear and shield at the ready, and Ameera had her greataxe. As they arrived at the last cart they could see the way the goblins were positioned they would try to cut the last cart off from the rest.
There were eight goblins zooming down the hills on skis towards the last cart, and a goblin spellcaster on a sleigh at the top of the hill pulled by a small and ragged polar bear.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As the Reghed barbarian charges her axe glows and a small fey appears and speeds towards one of the goblins. The goblin moves around it, just as it explodes but the goblin avoids the blast.
Ameera reaches the oncoming goblins. The first goblin's head is removed cleanly by Ameera's flashing axe. The body continues for a time before realising it is actually dead and falls to the ground, still moving forward and crashes into the card.
Ameera continues forward and swings her axe a second time in a downward diagonal slice which cuts down a following goblin skier, this one with a strange crossbow. This goblin goes cartwheeling off course, throwing off blood and snow as it does so before crashing lifeless into the snow. There are six goblins left, plus the goblin spellcaster.
Two goblins on skis and crossbows fire at Ameera, and one fires at Yselm:
Crossbow Goblin 1 9 - Damage (if a hit) 3
Crossbow Goblin 2 22 - Damage (if a hit) 6
Crossbow Goblin 3 (firing at Ameera) 11 - Damage (if a hit) 5
Three other goblins - including the one that dodged the exploding pixie - throw small objects at the cart. As they hit the cart they explode, damaging the wheels of the cart. Their plan is obviously to get the party to leave it behind.
Yselm jumps forward with her spear, throwing it at one of the goblins that threw the explosive device: 24 - Damage (if a hit) 12.
Then she does a shield bash on the closest goblin: 15 - Damage (if a hit) 7.
The goblin spellcaster casts magic missile at Ameera, doing 8 force damage.
DM's note, sorry Crossbow Goblin 3 was firing at Yselm, not Ameera. I can't edit the post because it will reroll all the dice again.
Ameera roars as two small crossbow bolts pierce her furs and armour and then is struck by three bolts of force from the goblin caster. Yselm curses as one bolt pierces her but kills one goblin crossbower with her thrown spear, and shield bashes another into unconsciousness before finishing it off.
The goblins use their momentum and pointed sticks to move up the opposite slope, where they turn around, ready for another run.
As they come towards Ameera on their skis they try to attack her from each side at the same time, but Ameera times her attack perfectly. Another flash of her axe and another goblin goes spinning into the snow, bloodied and broken. The barbarian takes two steps to her left and swings the haft of the axe to connect with the other goblin's oncoming body. There is a crunch of ribs and sternum and the goblin face ploughs into the snow, creating a bloody furrow. It cries out in pain for a short time before lying still forever.
The goblin spellcaster on the hill blows a horn, and all the goblins turn and ski as far as then can up the hill, and then step sideways the rest of the way. They disappear over the hill.
One guard is down and a couple of yaks injured but can still pull the carts. The rearmost cart is too badly damaged to move again.
(I'm aware I'm swapping between present tense of combat and past tense when telling the story.)
The dwarves moved as much gear from the cart as they could and spread it amongst the other carts, but had to leave some behind. The dwarves considered torching the cart and the remaining goods, but couldn't bring themselves to do it. Maybe the goblins will get it, or maybe some other travellers will.
Ameera felt the rage leave her and she breathed hard, shaking from the adrenaline. By the time she had helped unload the broken cart she felt normal again.
As they followed the cart Ameera turned to Yselm.
"I've not seen goblins use those tactics before. If it wasn't for us and Harshnag, they probably would have destroyed the entire caravan. And those bombs and skiis!"
"These goblins are from Karkolohk, that's the name of a goblin fortress near the Spine of the World," replied Yselm, inspecting her retrieved spear for cracks. "It's said their new leader is innovative and has a lot of knowledge of alchemy and artificing. I wonder if he or she is actually a goblin at all? Either way, they've been using new equipment and tactics, and usually very successful. Also I've heard the leader of the Karolohk goblins has asked for supplies from Ten-Towns so they don't have to keep raiding. So far the Speakers have chosen to ignore the request."
Within a couple of hours the caravan arrived within sight of Bryn Shander. Harshnag listened to the thanks of the dwarves and bade them farewell. The dwarf caravan master offered Yselm and Ameera permanent jobs as caravan guards, which they declined. Harshnag gestured for the Reghed tribesfolk to follow him. They walked in silence for a ways, leaving Ten-Trail and heading east. The going got tough as they made their way through deep snowdrifts.
"I would offer to carry you," said Harshnag in thickly accented common, "but you have the same pride as my race. We will be there soon nevertheless. I will forge a path through this loose snow and you follow".
This proved an effective tactic, as Harshnag deliberately shuffled as he walked, creating a channel through the light but deep snow. Within an hour they arrived at a large cave in the side of a hill, big enough for Harshnag.
"Still here," grunted the frost giant, seeing filled giant sacks at the back of the cave. "Sometimes beasts or folk rip my bags open and take my supplies."
While Yselm made a fire, Harshnag unpacked half a reindeer from a bag and set up a giant spit. He gave them some seal blubber to chew on while they waited.
"Now is the time for talking," said the giant. "You want something from me?"
Ameera stared up at the towering Harshnag, her grip tightening on her axe.
She hated giants. A constant threat not only to her tribe but the good folk of Ten-Towns, the jotun dominated the Icewind Dale. Still, as much as Ameera hated frost giants, she respected them. To defeat a frost giant was a mighty feat indeed. They are fierce warriors, and loyal to their own kind - much like the Reghed barbarians.
A commonality that Harshnag recognized.
Ameera swallowed her pride and turned her gaze towards Harshnag.
"Your kind stole an artifact from my people - the Tribe of the Tiger. I seek to reclaim it."
Harshnag's eyes widened. He paused, as if thinking. Then stood up without a word and went outside, closed his eyes and raised his hands outstretched, palm upwards. Ameera and Yselm looked at each other. Yselm shrugged.
After a short time Harshnag came back inside.
"I have had a vision of this moment, when someone would say this to me. It came while I was praying to the All-Father, and I believe it was to prepare me. In my vision you wanted to know the location of something. Speak it, and I will know the vision to be true."
Ameera spoke: "I want to know the location of Jarlmoot. A sacred place for your kind, but the location of what I need."
Harshnag closed his eyes and replied "So it is true. I do not know if I am supposed to tell you or not, but as my inclination would have been to NOT tell you, I can only surmise the vision was sent to change my mind. Auril is doing harm to Icewind Dale, and I do believe the All-Father opposes the Frostmaiden's current path. Therefore I will show you where Jarlmoot is, but I will not tell you anything else. Know that Jarlmoot has a test for the worthy, and you must show yourself to be worthy before you can access that which you desire - the Horn of the Great Tiger."
Ameera and Harshnag spoke further, but he would not budge on giving them more information. He was keen to hear of Ameera's exploits with the Heroes of Good Mead, and proved to be a good listener, asking questions to clarify points and otherwise keeping quiet. When it was time to sleep, he nodded and said that having heard what kind of a person Ameera was, he was more at peace with his decision. He marked the location of Jarlmoot on Yselm's map and noted landmarks that only Frost Giants and Reghed tribesfolk would notice.
They all slept, Harshnag closer to the cave entrance as he was not bothered by the cold.
19th of Flamerule
In the morning Yselm and Ameera ate their rations, while Harshnag ate great handfuls of blubber and walrus meat from his supplies in the cave.
"One more thing," Harshnag said, as they all made ready to leave. "For the trial to happen, you must be there when there is only starlight - no moon. This means also few clouds. The current moon is about to begin, so you must make all haste. I wish you a strong arm, and no bad luck." Then he turned and left, heading back to the North-South Pass.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Yselm and Ameera travelled fast, their long legs eating up the miles. It was bitterly cold, with a strong, biting wind blowing from the direction of the Reghed Glacier. There was no snow, however, and they made good time. There were times when they needed snowshoes to cross soft snow, and other times crampons to traverse icy canyons. They avoided creatures of the tundra, a lone yeti decided better of it when it came across them, seeing their axes and tall builds. A small herd of reindeer took flight, but not before Yselm's spear took down an old one. They skinned and butchered it quickly, leaving much for the prowling wolves.
Ameera anxiously looked at the sky, noting grey clouds hiding large sections of twilight. The moon was a thin crescent, not much past a new moon. They would be at Jarlmoot tomorrow, and she hoped the clouds would clear, or that the little starlight that came through the gaps would be enough to trigger whatever needed to happen. But for the first time in a long time, Ameera felt she was on her way to resolve an issue that she had not realised had been weighing on her for many years.
They slept in the lee of a bluff near a totally frozen stream. It was cold, the fire was difficult to light and keep lit, but sleep they did.
20th of Flamerule
The next day was better as far as cold went. It was a little warmer - or rather, less bitingly cold - the wind was now coming from the coast and had dropped in intensity. But it was overcast, there was no starlight at all, and they travelled in darkness until the sun's rays feebly tried to push up above the horizon, and failed as usual. Then they made better time in the dim light, coming across what could only be Jarlmoot by midday.
Seven empty, ice-glazed thrones formed a ring atop a snow-covered hillock. A raven perched on the back of one of the thrones, silently watching the newcomers. Ameera stepped into the circle of thrones, but nothing happened. She closed her eyes and used her magic sense that she had acquired when she got her Giantslayer greataxe. There, that oily sickly feeling that she had learned to associate with necromancy and undead. It was here. Then there must be spirits here, perhaps she must fight them.
Ameera turned back to Yselm. "We must wait for starlight, it seems," she pointed at the overcast sky. They made camp. The space between the thrones provided shelter.
The following day was 21st of Flamerule and was also overcast. Ameera swore and thundered, but the clouds refused to give into her curses and obstinately remained in place. Ameera had the thought that maybe this was part of the test, and decided she would wait patiently. They left to hunt but found nothing. There was a deep pond, and Ameera cut a hole in the ice and fished using reindeer meat as bait. Before long they had two large, silver fish longer than their forearms which made up their dinner along with dried fruit and vegetables. Ameera noticed more ravens had appeared, perhaps hoping for scraps.
The following day, 22nd of Flamerule, was warmer again, and the skies were clear, allowing the illumination of the stars through to rebound off the snow and provide better light all around. The thrones seemed to sparkle with the heavenly illumination. Yselm and Ameera quickly broke camp in case they had to move quickly. Yselm took up her observer's position outside of the circle while Ameera strode in quickly, knowing moonrise would be within a couple of hours and they had no idea how long the test would take.
As the Reghed barbarian entered the circle, huge translucent figures appeared on the thrones, their eyes glowing white in the darkness. Three of the giants had on fur vests and leather trousers; three others wore chainmail from head to toe. The seventh giant was slightly larger than the others and wore a coat of white dragon scales and a magnificent horned helm. Ameera assumed he was some great Frost Giant leader of the past. He sat on the throne that faced north, as was frost giant custom.
Yselm spun around, hearing the tread of heavy feet. She relaxed only slightly when she saw Harshnag looming out of the twilight.
"Your forgiveness," he said quietly. "The vision was in my head all day yesterday. I had to come see this." He stood next to the Reghed warrior.
"The big one," said Harshnag, pointing at the large frost giant ghost with the horned helm, is Reggaryarva who was once called the “jarl of jarls” and often had the final say—or axe blow—in any heated discussion."
Barely lifting one finger, the apparition of Reggaryarva summoned the skeleton of a frost giant, which appeared to climb out of the ground, although left the ground undisturbed. It advanced towards Ameera. The test had begun!
Frost Giant initiative 7
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Ameera Giantstrike is a female human living in Ten-Towns, but her family culture is that of a Reghed nomad barbarian - specifically Tribe of the Tiger in her early life, later on it was of the Tribe of the Elk from her foster parents.
Secrets
I am the offspring of Queen Bjornhild Solvigsdottir, leader of the Tiger Tribe. My mother cast me into the Sea of Moving Ice when I was a young child as a sacrifice to Auril the Frostmaiden, and - so I found out later - as a way to ward off the prophecy that the fate of the tribe would be decided by mother and daughter. A polar bear pulled me from the water and spared me a freezing death. This bear then transformed into a goliath who bore me safely to Ten-Towns. I remember the goliath’s name—Oyaminartok—but haven’t seen her since. I owe her my life, just as I owe my mother a merciless death.
This is Ameera's sidequest, to resolve her secret.
DM's Note: This was created because the player of Ameera is unable to attend our normal Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign for about three months due to work. This is a way to keep Ameera in the game, keep the player engaged in the campaign, and make sure she doesn't get too far behind in xp. Almost all of the other characters have resolved their secrets and backstory threads already. Note that this thread will necessarily contain spoilers of one part of the Rime of the Frostmaiden adventure.
Currently Ameera is in the company of Yselm Bloodfang. Their intention is to find the frost giant Harshnag, known to not attack humans on sight. Yselm believes Harshnag knows the location of Jarlmoot, where resides the Horn of the Great Tiger, stolen from the Tribe of the Tiger many years ago. With this in her possession, Ameera may rightfully claim to challenge for leadership of the Tribe of the Tiger.
They left the Heroes of Good Mead in the town of Lonelywood on Flamerule 16, and travelled through Termalaine, for which Ameera does not have good memories. Her adventuring companion, the tabaxi fighter Ffft Ffft was killed by a grell in the mines there, and the party brought... something... back with them in the body of a well-spoken kobold. That.. something.. waited until late at night and then dumped the body of the kobold and entered the body of the town speaker Oarus Masthew. The speaker has absconded from Termalaine, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. In his absence the Zhentarim aligned captain of the militia - Tomi Delbore - has taken charge of the office of Speaker until elections can be held.
Ameera ground her teeth as the two militia greeted her as she and Yselm approached Termalaine. They recognised her, how could they not, but said nothing about past events, just asked her intentions.
Ameera scowled at the guards. A brief flash of fury crossed her mind as these soft Ten-Towners dared challenge her. Memories of her adopted parents tempered her indignation however - the guards were merely doing their jobs, trying to survive as best they can.
Still, Ameera's displeasure was evident as she boomed her reply.
"My business is my own. We are merely passing through on our journey."
The guards look at each other nervously. They bluster a bit, to protect their egos.
"Well, carry on then. See that you keep going."
Ameera and Yselm move on and leave the picturesque town of Termalaine behind. It's a day's travel in the ever present gloomy twilight of Icewind Dale to get to Good Mead, passing through Bryn Shander on the way. They spend the night at the home they had been given by the mayor of Good Mead, and still looked after by the orphan teenager Cetree. She greets Ameera with a grin, and Ameera notes with surprise - and Yselm with astonishment - that her feathered dinosaur companion is now much bigger and follows her around. It seems the creature is no longer a secret.
"Oh, she's a good hunter," said Cetree, hugging the creature which makes a birdlike chirping sound but deeper in pitch. "She brings back a lot of game and I give it to whoever needs it. And she hasn't threatened anyone..... for a while. So she's tolerated and even seen as a feature of our town. And you lot are a bit behind on your payments. I clean your house every day, and there is wood stacked for you to use on your fire. There's no food though so you'll have to eat at the inn. There's about 5gp owing, assuming the same rate of 5sp per day. Please."
Ameera grinned as she slid a fistful of silver into Cetree's hands.
"Money well earnt!"
The dinosaur had indeed grown since Ameera had last seen it and she noted the proliferation of razor sharp incisors in its mouth. "Truly a mighty predator." Ameera cast a shrewd glance at Cetree, assessing her. Though small in stature, Cetree had clearly earnt the loyalty of this powerful beast. Perhaps she could be trained in the ways of the warrior...
Ameera led Yselm to the inn. "We can slept in the house tonight, but first, we feast!". Yselm grinned as Ameera continued. "Trust me, Good Mead is aptly named!"
The two warriors entered Mead Hall and took a table not far from the roaring fire. Ameera slammed her coin pouch on the table, gold spilling out for all to see, twinkling in the firelight. Within minutes their table was adorned with a platter of venison, roast vegetables and a bottle of Honey Mead. Yselm raised the bottle, looking at the thick treacle-like substance with disgust. Ameera grinned "Try it".
Yselm grimaced, but drank. A slow grin spread over her face as the mead's warmth spread through her body. Soon the warrior women were feasting, regaling each other with stories of their battles - particularly with the Frost Giants.
Abruptly Ameera took a serious tone.
"Tonight I must ask you some difficult questions Yselm". Her companion went quiet. "What of my mother and our tribe? How strong is Auril's grip upon them?"
"I wish to lead our people, not destroy them. Will they willingly accept my command once I have defeated my mother?"
Yselm regarded Ameera, and seemed to weigh up how she would put the next sentence.
"They all believe in the prophecy. At the moment I believe it is on the back of their minds. Times are hard right now. It's tough here in Ten-Towns, but twice as tough out on the tundra. Game is dwindling, and our aggressive stance with other tribes limits trade."
She took another swig of the honey mead. "I could get to like this as much as I like fermented reindeer milk, I suppose." She turned back to Ameera.
"Your mother Bjornhild is addicted to power, and at this point it means aligning herself with Auril. While most in the tribe will give lip service to Auril in preference to being outcast, like I was, I do believe most wish to return to the traditional worship of Tempos. She holds the tribe by threat of expulsion and her force of personality. Of course there are some who have aligned themselves totally with Bjornhild Solvigsdottir, and their standing in the tribe depends upon her retaining power. But Auril's grip on the tribe begins and ends with your mother. And everything you've told me about your adventures says that Auril is unstable, perhaps a little insane. This cannot last, she will either recover or some power - like Asmodeus or Levistus, will take advantage."
The tall Tiger Tribe scout, former Great Warrior of Bjornhild's own sub-tribe, finished her mug. "And now, sleep. Early start tomorrow. We must pass through Dougan's Hole and then head to the North-South Pass. I have heard Harshnag is there, helping those few caravans that have the power to get through Auril's storms."
Yselm left for the house, and Ameera stayed a little longer, talking to some old, familiar faces - Nehbum Lua, the former Auril cultist who had left the Children of Auril. He told Ameera that there had been a civil war within the cult. He was not sure what it was about but the rumour was that one side of the cult had been taken over by another power that was not Auril. It was a bloody affair in the bigger towns, but not in Good Mead. Not knowing which side was which, Nehbum and his three other cultists had just decided to drop out.
"It's made life simpler," he said, his brown face breaking out into an agreeable smile. "And it's made not a lick of difference to the threats to the town which were getting worse even when we were still worshipping Auril, so all of those ceremonies we did counted for nothing in the end."
Ameera also spoke briefly to the scout Fef Moryn, who said conditions had been getting worse - colder, game was harder to find, predators like crag cats and dire wolves coming much closer to town.
Ameera took herself off to the house and bed, which was little more than a pile of furs and skins on the floor. Despite that she slept well.
On Flamerule 17 a freezing cold wind blew from the direction of the Reghed Glacier. The dark sky was studded with grey clouds, but enough starlight shone through the gaps to keep the land at twilight instead of darkness.
It was a two hour walk to Dougan's Hole, and when they arrived Ameera could see they had made even more progress. Dougan's Hole was the only town experiencing a boom rather than a contraction of population. When she remarked on this, Yselm laughed.
"Have you not noticed anything strange about the newcomers?" she asked.
Ameera said they had but were unsure what was going on.
"All the newcomers are doppelgangers," said Yselm. "They see opportunity in adversity, a chance to call this place their own. There are many doppelgangers in Icewind Dale, you would have met others and not known it. But this is their home now. They started arriving well before the North-South Pass was closed."
Ameera reached for her weapon, but stopped when Yselm put her hand on her arm.
"It's a functional arrangement," she said. "The doppelgangers breathe new life into the town, and as far as I know they have assumed the shape of only those original town folk who have died. At least that's what one told me."
Ameera remembered the two children they rescued who had said their parents had totally changed, had stopped abusing them but were also emotionally distant. And also when they had denied help from the party to help those guards who had been badly hurt or killed during the yeti attack. It made sense now.
The trip through Dougan's Hole was uneventful. The guards remembered Yselm and Ameera, and let them through.
There would be one sleep out in the wilderness before they arrived at the North-South Pass. It was going to be a cold, uncomfortable night and no help would be coming if they got into trouble. Ameera grinned to herself. Now THIS was living.
The day of 18 Flamerule was even colder than the day before. The freezing wind had picked up and stuck needles of ice into any exposed flesh. Yselm and Ameera had sheltered in the woods where Ten-Trail met the frozen Redrun river.
"We could have come straight down Ten-Trail from Bryn Shander," said Yselm. "But there has been a lot of goblin and orc activity on the trail in the last few tendays. They are suffering maybe more than Ten-Towners and are desperate for supplies. We could have dealt with them, of course, but we're not taking any chances of a lucky critical hit lopping off your head. We'll save all our luck for when it matters."
Like most Reghed Tribesfolk, Yselm Bloodfang believed luck was a saveable and spendable commodity, albeit an unreliable one. Getting a lucky break at one point meant you were most likely not going to get a lucky break later when you might need it more. The longer Ameera was an adventurer, the more she thought that it was less superstition and more fact.
"When we meet Harshnag, you must remember he is not like other giants", advised Yselm over a breakfast of spiced knucklehead trout. "He lived in Waterdeep for some time, as part of something called Grey Force - you might call them trouble shooters for really big problems. So he's understanding of humans and their ways. But the prophecy says that it is you that must be the cause of everything that is to happen, so you must do the talking."
It took some hours to track down Harshag. There was no snow luckily (Yselm cursed that as spent luck) so they came across as what they assumed were his footprints and followed them. They finally found him, helping a caravan of dwarves who had two yak-pulled carts stuck. Harshnag was holding the cart up after moving it back onto the correct path, while dwarves were underneath repairing the axel. The dwarves were wary seeing two Reghed looking warriors loom out of the twilight, but Harshnag grinned, unfazed.
It took several more hours with Yselm and Ameera's help to get the dwarf merchant caravan ready to move again. Even though the carts were fixed, yaks were uncooperative at the best of times and rarely used as mounts.
"No choice if we're t' git through th' storms o' th' pass," explained one of the dwarves. "Only yaks an' summa th' more exotic beasts kin do it."
The dwarf handlers were skilled, however, and after some time the yaks were harnessed up to the two repaired carts and the dwarves were on their way, happy they were moving again and now out of the worst of the weather. Harshnag, and so also Ameera and Yselm, were persuaded to provide escort along the Ten-Trail against Reghed tribesfolk, orcs, and goblins. Harshnag was not prepared to hear what Ameera had to say just yet.
A short time prior to settling at a merchant caravan shelter, the caravan was attacked by goblins on skis, zooming down hills with weapons in their hands and expertly (mostly) steering with their legs.
Harshnag went to the front of the caravan to protect the lead cart so it could keep moving. The dwarf caravan commander asked Yselm and Ameera to protect the rear cart, while the dwarf guards would be everywhere else.
Yselm had her spear and shield at the ready, and Ameera had her greataxe. As they arrived at the last cart they could see the way the goblins were positioned they would try to cut the last cart off from the rest.
There were eight goblins zooming down the hills on skis towards the last cart, and a goblin spellcaster on a sleigh at the top of the hill pulled by a small and ragged polar bear.
Roll for intiative!
21
Goblins Initiative 16
Yselm's Initiative 12
Ameera gets to go first. At this moment the goblins are too far away to melee unless Ameera charges at one.
May as well rage :)
Bonus action: rage
Wild magic effect: 3
Then charge
Even as she rages, Ameera thinks this is unusual tactics and equipment for goblins. Then a cloud of red takes control..
The goblin skier makes a dex save: 20
1st Attack
Attack: 19 Damage: 19
2nd Attack
Attack: 27 Damage: 18
As the Reghed barbarian charges her axe glows and a small fey appears and speeds towards one of the goblins. The goblin moves around it, just as it explodes but the goblin avoids the blast.
Ameera reaches the oncoming goblins. The first goblin's head is removed cleanly by Ameera's flashing axe. The body continues for a time before realising it is actually dead and falls to the ground, still moving forward and crashes into the card.
Ameera continues forward and swings her axe a second time in a downward diagonal slice which cuts down a following goblin skier, this one with a strange crossbow. This goblin goes cartwheeling off course, throwing off blood and snow as it does so before crashing lifeless into the snow. There are six goblins left, plus the goblin spellcaster.
Two goblins on skis and crossbows fire at Ameera, and one fires at Yselm:
Crossbow Goblin 1 9 - Damage (if a hit) 3
Crossbow Goblin 2 22 - Damage (if a hit) 6
Crossbow Goblin 3 (firing at Ameera) 11 - Damage (if a hit) 5
Three other goblins - including the one that dodged the exploding pixie - throw small objects at the cart. As they hit the cart they explode, damaging the wheels of the cart. Their plan is obviously to get the party to leave it behind.
Yselm jumps forward with her spear, throwing it at one of the goblins that threw the explosive device: 24 - Damage (if a hit) 12.
Then she does a shield bash on the closest goblin: 15 - Damage (if a hit) 7.
The goblin spellcaster casts magic missile at Ameera, doing 8 force damage.
DM's note, sorry Crossbow Goblin 3 was firing at Yselm, not Ameera. I can't edit the post because it will reroll all the dice again.
Ameera roars as two small crossbow bolts pierce her furs and armour and then is struck by three bolts of force from the goblin caster. Yselm curses as one bolt pierces her but kills one goblin crossbower with her thrown spear, and shield bashes another into unconsciousness before finishing it off.
The goblins use their momentum and pointed sticks to move up the opposite slope, where they turn around, ready for another run.
Actions?
// Noted dmg on char sheet
Charge the closest goblins, 2 attacks
Attack: 17 Damage: 19
Attack: 12 Damage: 13
As they come towards Ameera on their skis they try to attack her from each side at the same time, but Ameera times her attack perfectly. Another flash of her axe and another goblin goes spinning into the snow, bloodied and broken. The barbarian takes two steps to her left and swings the haft of the axe to connect with the other goblin's oncoming body. There is a crunch of ribs and sternum and the goblin face ploughs into the snow, creating a bloody furrow. It cries out in pain for a short time before lying still forever.
The goblin spellcaster on the hill blows a horn, and all the goblins turn and ski as far as then can up the hill, and then step sideways the rest of the way. They disappear over the hill.
One guard is down and a couple of yaks injured but can still pull the carts. The rearmost cart is too badly damaged to move again.
(I'm aware I'm swapping between present tense of combat and past tense when telling the story.)
The dwarves moved as much gear from the cart as they could and spread it amongst the other carts, but had to leave some behind. The dwarves considered torching the cart and the remaining goods, but couldn't bring themselves to do it. Maybe the goblins will get it, or maybe some other travellers will.
Ameera felt the rage leave her and she breathed hard, shaking from the adrenaline. By the time she had helped unload the broken cart she felt normal again.
As they followed the cart Ameera turned to Yselm.
"I've not seen goblins use those tactics before. If it wasn't for us and Harshnag, they probably would have destroyed the entire caravan. And those bombs and skiis!"
"These goblins are from Karkolohk, that's the name of a goblin fortress near the Spine of the World," replied Yselm, inspecting her retrieved spear for cracks. "It's said their new leader is innovative and has a lot of knowledge of alchemy and artificing. I wonder if he or she is actually a goblin at all? Either way, they've been using new equipment and tactics, and usually very successful. Also I've heard the leader of the Karolohk goblins has asked for supplies from Ten-Towns so they don't have to keep raiding. So far the Speakers have chosen to ignore the request."
Within a couple of hours the caravan arrived within sight of Bryn Shander. Harshnag listened to the thanks of the dwarves and bade them farewell. The dwarf caravan master offered Yselm and Ameera permanent jobs as caravan guards, which they declined. Harshnag gestured for the Reghed tribesfolk to follow him. They walked in silence for a ways, leaving Ten-Trail and heading east. The going got tough as they made their way through deep snowdrifts.
"I would offer to carry you," said Harshnag in thickly accented common, "but you have the same pride as my race. We will be there soon nevertheless. I will forge a path through this loose snow and you follow".
This proved an effective tactic, as Harshnag deliberately shuffled as he walked, creating a channel through the light but deep snow. Within an hour they arrived at a large cave in the side of a hill, big enough for Harshnag.
"Still here," grunted the frost giant, seeing filled giant sacks at the back of the cave. "Sometimes beasts or folk rip my bags open and take my supplies."
While Yselm made a fire, Harshnag unpacked half a reindeer from a bag and set up a giant spit. He gave them some seal blubber to chew on while they waited.
"Now is the time for talking," said the giant. "You want something from me?"
Yselm indicated Ameera to lead the discussion.
Ameera stared up at the towering Harshnag, her grip tightening on her axe.
She hated giants. A constant threat not only to her tribe but the good folk of Ten-Towns, the jotun dominated the Icewind Dale. Still, as much as Ameera hated frost giants, she respected them. To defeat a frost giant was a mighty feat indeed. They are fierce warriors, and loyal to their own kind - much like the Reghed barbarians.
A commonality that Harshnag recognized.
Ameera swallowed her pride and turned her gaze towards Harshnag.
"Your kind stole an artifact from my people - the Tribe of the Tiger. I seek to reclaim it."
Harshnag's eyes widened. He paused, as if thinking. Then stood up without a word and went outside, closed his eyes and raised his hands outstretched, palm upwards. Ameera and Yselm looked at each other. Yselm shrugged.
After a short time Harshnag came back inside.
"I have had a vision of this moment, when someone would say this to me. It came while I was praying to the All-Father, and I believe it was to prepare me. In my vision you wanted to know the location of something. Speak it, and I will know the vision to be true."
Ameera spoke: "I want to know the location of Jarlmoot. A sacred place for your kind, but the location of what I need."
Harshnag closed his eyes and replied "So it is true. I do not know if I am supposed to tell you or not, but as my inclination would have been to NOT tell you, I can only surmise the vision was sent to change my mind. Auril is doing harm to Icewind Dale, and I do believe the All-Father opposes the Frostmaiden's current path. Therefore I will show you where Jarlmoot is, but I will not tell you anything else. Know that Jarlmoot has a test for the worthy, and you must show yourself to be worthy before you can access that which you desire - the Horn of the Great Tiger."
Ameera and Harshnag spoke further, but he would not budge on giving them more information. He was keen to hear of Ameera's exploits with the Heroes of Good Mead, and proved to be a good listener, asking questions to clarify points and otherwise keeping quiet. When it was time to sleep, he nodded and said that having heard what kind of a person Ameera was, he was more at peace with his decision. He marked the location of Jarlmoot on Yselm's map and noted landmarks that only Frost Giants and Reghed tribesfolk would notice.
They all slept, Harshnag closer to the cave entrance as he was not bothered by the cold.
19th of Flamerule
In the morning Yselm and Ameera ate their rations, while Harshnag ate great handfuls of blubber and walrus meat from his supplies in the cave.
"One more thing," Harshnag said, as they all made ready to leave. "For the trial to happen, you must be there when there is only starlight - no moon. This means also few clouds. The current moon is about to begin, so you must make all haste. I wish you a strong arm, and no bad luck." Then he turned and left, heading back to the North-South Pass.
Yselm and Ameera travelled fast, their long legs eating up the miles. It was bitterly cold, with a strong, biting wind blowing from the direction of the Reghed Glacier. There was no snow, however, and they made good time. There were times when they needed snowshoes to cross soft snow, and other times crampons to traverse icy canyons. They avoided creatures of the tundra, a lone yeti decided better of it when it came across them, seeing their axes and tall builds. A small herd of reindeer took flight, but not before Yselm's spear took down an old one. They skinned and butchered it quickly, leaving much for the prowling wolves.
Ameera anxiously looked at the sky, noting grey clouds hiding large sections of twilight. The moon was a thin crescent, not much past a new moon. They would be at Jarlmoot tomorrow, and she hoped the clouds would clear, or that the little starlight that came through the gaps would be enough to trigger whatever needed to happen. But for the first time in a long time, Ameera felt she was on her way to resolve an issue that she had not realised had been weighing on her for many years.
They slept in the lee of a bluff near a totally frozen stream. It was cold, the fire was difficult to light and keep lit, but sleep they did.
20th of Flamerule
The next day was better as far as cold went. It was a little warmer - or rather, less bitingly cold - the wind was now coming from the coast and had dropped in intensity. But it was overcast, there was no starlight at all, and they travelled in darkness until the sun's rays feebly tried to push up above the horizon, and failed as usual. Then they made better time in the dim light, coming across what could only be Jarlmoot by midday.
Seven empty, ice-glazed thrones formed a ring atop a snow-covered hillock. A raven perched on the back of one of the thrones, silently watching the newcomers. Ameera stepped into the circle of thrones, but nothing happened. She closed her eyes and used her magic sense that she had acquired when she got her Giantslayer greataxe. There, that oily sickly feeling that she had learned to associate with necromancy and undead. It was here. Then there must be spirits here, perhaps she must fight them.
Ameera turned back to Yselm. "We must wait for starlight, it seems," she pointed at the overcast sky. They made camp. The space between the thrones provided shelter.
The following day was 21st of Flamerule and was also overcast. Ameera swore and thundered, but the clouds refused to give into her curses and obstinately remained in place. Ameera had the thought that maybe this was part of the test, and decided she would wait patiently. They left to hunt but found nothing. There was a deep pond, and Ameera cut a hole in the ice and fished using reindeer meat as bait. Before long they had two large, silver fish longer than their forearms which made up their dinner along with dried fruit and vegetables. Ameera noticed more ravens had appeared, perhaps hoping for scraps.
The following day, 22nd of Flamerule, was warmer again, and the skies were clear, allowing the illumination of the stars through to rebound off the snow and provide better light all around. The thrones seemed to sparkle with the heavenly illumination. Yselm and Ameera quickly broke camp in case they had to move quickly. Yselm took up her observer's position outside of the circle while Ameera strode in quickly, knowing moonrise would be within a couple of hours and they had no idea how long the test would take.
As the Reghed barbarian entered the circle, huge translucent figures appeared on the thrones, their eyes glowing white in the darkness. Three of the giants had on fur vests and leather trousers; three others wore chainmail from head to toe. The seventh giant was slightly larger than the others and wore a coat of white dragon scales and a magnificent horned helm. Ameera assumed he was some great Frost Giant leader of the past. He sat on the throne that faced north, as was frost giant custom.
Yselm spun around, hearing the tread of heavy feet. She relaxed only slightly when she saw Harshnag looming out of the twilight.
"Your forgiveness," he said quietly. "The vision was in my head all day yesterday. I had to come see this." He stood next to the Reghed warrior.
"The big one," said Harshnag, pointing at the large frost giant ghost with the horned helm, is Reggaryarva who was once called the “jarl of jarls” and often had the final say—or axe blow—in any heated discussion."
Barely lifting one finger, the apparition of Reggaryarva summoned the skeleton of a frost giant, which appeared to climb out of the ground, although left the ground undisturbed. It advanced towards Ameera. The test had begun!
Frost Giant initiative 7