Session 72 18-19/1/1483 Meet the Deities, & Jarl Borgrim Attacks - Fall of Paelias

18/1/1483 DR
PCs settle down to sleep in the border tower. Lirael and Dunstan dream they are walking in spring sunshine by the Unicorn Run river; they are joined by Mielikki and Moradin the Soul-Forger. Mielikki tells them that Ashara and the wizards of the Fiery Spire are working to channel the power of the Green Regent through the Spire, protecting the central Gray Vale from Clenderi's unnatural cold. The gods tell them that the Gray Vale needs a leader - a King of Restored Ammarindar, per Moradin - but they need to choose who that leader should be. Moradin favours Dunstan, Mielikki favours Lirael, but neither will impose a choice. The heroes ask if there cannot be joint monarchs - Moradin says only if they get married!

They are wakened by Jorah & Paelias for the changing of the watch. Lirael hears a faint sound on the wind - the giants are coming! A strong force of giants is approaching from upriver, including five frost giant warriors led by their Jarl Borgrim, and a dozen hill and stone giant minions.
A fierce battle rages; Jarl Borgrim falls, but then Paelias falls too, and is dispatched by a brutal greataxe strike. Two stone giants retreat 'to get more rocks'. Eventually the last surviving frost giant warriors flee - one elderly giant succumbs to his arrow wounds from Lirael, one escapes back towards Llorkh. Paelias' body is put in the Bag of Holding.

19/1/1483 DR
PCs travel west through the night to Orlbar on Phantom Steeds, arriving around 3am. The priests of the Light of the Sun cast Gentle Repose on Paelias. Rest to 9am and consult with Mistress Emesha, leader of the Light of the Sun and now the de facto local ruler - on the situation at Orlbar, which is being picketed by Remorhaz and giant scouts. Emesha wants the armies of the Vale to gather and strike at the giants besieging Llorkh, catching them in a pincer movement.





XP
Meet with Mielikki & Moradin - 800 each

Battle with the Giants
8 hill giants 750x8=6000
4 stone giants (2 retreated) 4150
5 frost giant warriors (1 escaped) 2800x5=14000
Jarl Borgrim 5600
29750/6.5=5409 each

Total 6209+143714 XP=149,923

175,000 XP for Level 21 - need 25,077

Jarl Borgrim had some considerable loot on him - a pouch of 610 large platinum pieces v 100gp each, ie worth 61000gp!), an Ammarindar-crafted mithril tiara set with diamonds v 15000gp, and a Spider Potion (Adventurer's Vault). The other dead giants had 800gp on them.

Session 71 RL20 17-18/1/1483 The Remorhaz & the Tower

At Heartford the group are joined by Sir Jorah and then by Sir Harvarr Quortath and his retainers. Harvarr's sons were among the trainee paladins of Torm who fell at Erstlin. Arya Sends to Conn, leader of the Tigerclaw, who promises to raise his army and rendezvous at Heartford in two days (19/1).

18/1/1483: Learning that Llorkh is under assault by a giant army (Sending Esme > Lirael) and that the city may only have three hours, the group travel south-east towards Orlbar to recruit Clerics of the Light of the Sun, using Phantom Steeds summoned by Arya. On the snowy plain north-west of Orlbar the party are ambushed by a Remorhaz beneath the snow. The beast kills Harvarr's two men; then badly wounded it is possessed by the spirit of Clenderi the Frost Witch; she has it coup-de-gras Boulder as he lies wounded, slaying him before Jareth can finish it.
Harvarr returns north-west to Heartford to rendezvous with the Tigerclaws, while the others reach Orlbar, consulting with Mistress Emesha (leader of the Light of the Sun Amaunite order) and Toruvas the Eladrin, now the last of Valeris' old adventuring company. They head east along the river with two female Amaunite Clerics, human and half-elf.
Nearing the watch tower that guards Valeris' eastern frontier, they see a blue glow and find it transformed into a nexus to the feywild source of the enchanted cold. They defeat two frost giants - a warrior and an ice mistress. Arya investigates the nexus, determines that it is linked to others and to a central source. With great difficulty she manages to close it down, though not before attracting the attention of Clenderi:
"I'll get you and your little azer too!"
The group decide to rest in the now warming tower. That night they get another Sending from Esme - the giant assault has been repulsed, and somehow Kitana has survived yet again.


XP
Sendings, summon Konn etc: 600 each
Remorhaz (Lvl 21 elite): 6400
Frost giant warrior (Lvl 20): 2800
Frost giant ice mistress (Lvl 22): 4150
Total combat xp: 13350/3.5=3814 each
Shut down the ice tower vortex: 1600 each
Total: 6014+137,700=  143714 XP

143,000 XP for Level 20

LEVEL 20 REACHED

175,000 XP for Level 21

Session 70 16-17/1/1483: The Bridge at Heartford

Party bring Valeris' body to Treona at Castle deTrevani, but as Treona tries to Raise her she becomes sheened in icy frost. The group intervene to save her from the enchantment.

Next day the group head east to Heartford, where they hold the bridge against a giant force that has sacked Erstlin, destroyed the Seminary of Torm, and killed many priests and paladins including Orien Black.

XP
Investigations, helping Treona: 1600 XP each

Battle at the Bridge
8 hill giant smasher minions: 600x8=4800
4 stone giant minions: 1038x4=4152
4 frost giants: 1600x4=6400
frost giant ice master (sub-chief): 4150
Total: 19502/6=3250 each

Total: 4850+132850 = 137,700 XP

143,000 XP for Level 20