User:Lhynard/Projects/De Exilio/Campaign outline/Summary 3

Dates
Uktar 6 – Uktar 8, 1372 DR

Summary
Continuing on, they enter a scree field and are attacked by animated boulders, before recognizing that the boulders are controlled by a lonely galeb duhr. Communicating with it by magic, they convince it that they mean no harm to its rocks. In the end, it tells them of what monsters it has seen in the area and builds them a staircase of stone for them to ascend higher. At the top, they sent Cassiera to scout ahead in her serpent form. In the morning, they try contacting Ilthian and receive no response. They contact Tosvin, who assures them that Ilthian still lives but that they would need his help to retrieve her. Ilthian is restored to them. She explains that she convinced her imp prison guard to betray Tosvin to the queen. The party return to Gharreil. There, Tosvin meets them one last time and warns them against the scrying of Iyraclea.
 * Hakam tries to pass through the portal a second time and ends up in Jhothûn, where he meets with the Last Prince of Jhothûn. The others soon pass through the portal from Gharreil and join him. The Prince offers them a way to break Leokas free of his geas. They must find the true heir of Ottar Annamsson.
 * The next day, they pass through the portal to Gharreil and send a message to Tosvin that they are coming to retrieve Ilthian. Tosvin responds that he is busy dealing with Iyraclea's concerns and that they should come to him at his tower, to which he provides directions. Thus, they find themselves climbing up to a split peak in the Lugsaas Chain. On the way, they meet two Iulutiun mountain climbers, but they soon recognize an ambush and a spell-heavy battle ensues.
 * They theorize that the two they fought were preserved undead akin to mummies.
 * They ascend the stairs and are careful dealing with two curious griffons.
 * Cassiera is spotted by two barbazu guards, one of which teleports and sees the others. The party claim to be there to see Tosvin. The guards claim that Tosvin has been removed from power and that they must leave. When they do not comply quickly enough, the devils attack but the party slay them both.
 * The group uses their magics to ascertain the fortress defenses, deciding to retreat back to the galeb duhr for another day, as their magic is running low, and the fortress seems guarded by such creatures as ogres, oni mages, elementals, and hell hounds.
 * They plan and enact an ambush on the four new barbazu guards outside of Tosvin's fortress. The ambush seems to be going well, until the barbazu summon reinforcements from the Nine Hells, and Cassiera is suddenly disemboweled and killed by one of the barbazus.
 * The group tries to ferry everyone, including Cassiera's corpse, 70 feet up to a ledge leading to the third floor of the fortress, where the hell hounds guard, which Tosvin promised would let them pass. The fortress gates open, however, and the party must defeat three ogres and three invisible oni before retreating successfully from a huge elemental and taking shelter within Tosvin's chamber with their summoned elephant blocking the door.
 * Tosvin is manacled by magical bonds of ice to the wall and tortured by slowly dripping holy water from a suspended cauldron. Iyraclea had discovered his treachery and was torturing him in punishment, but he refused to reveal the location of Gharreil. They arrange to free Tosvin, provided he keep the original deal to return Ilthian, (who had been taken by the Ice Queen,) and grant them safe passage back to Jhothûn. He also informs Solisar of the Ice Queen's plans to invade northern Faerûn.
 * Once freed, Tosvin teleports away and slays all the remaining servants of the Ice Queen within the fortress. Then he leads them to a magical map that shows Ilthian's current location. He teleports and departs to retrieve her. In the meantime, they loot the corpses of their enemies.