Party: Ship Dandies
Konguq-Human Wizard Captain
Ace-Human Rouge Quartermaster
Calix- Minotaur Marshal Night Watch and Battle Master
Oliver- Half-elf Bard and Navigation
The Dandies hunker down to wait out the blizzard. Oliver and Calix attempt to keep their morale up for the three days they're trapped. Martle and Vobble start to grate on each other while Calix smooths things over with a story. Oliver tries to keep things light with Violin music, but it gets on people's nerves after three days.
On the third day, the snow starts to let up, but they hear a noise outside the snow boats. Konguq steps outside to investigate and is met by a giant iceworm. It forces her to freeze in place. Oliver recognizes the beast and how it's trying to paralyze Konguq and starts banging on the ship's side to drown out the worm's sound. Unfortunately, it fails, causing Morris and Ace to spring into action. Calix, hearing the commotion, also leaps out with Fallen Oak.
They engage the worm, diverting its attention from Konguq and onto Calix. Oliver, thinking quickly, manages to free Calix from its maw, and the group launches a relentless assault. The worm, sensing its impending doom, attempts to flee, but Vobble and Martle, emerging from the ship with a makeshift trebuchet, intercept its escape. The projectile strikes the worm, causing it to explode, inflicting severe injuries on everyone and tragically claiming Martle's life.
Konguq, her heart heavy with grief, contemplates a way to bring Martle back to life using her magic. Faced with a heart-wrenching choice, she is presented with two options: the first, to sacrifice Vobble to revive Martle, or the second, to use the life growing within her. Ace, protective of the young ogre, vehemently refuses to allow the former. Oliver, his eyes filled with a morbid curiosity, watches as Konguq, with a heavy heart, ultimately accepts Martle's untimely death.
The Dandies lick their wounds while Oliver helps Konguq repair their boat. They collect the teeth from the worm and return to their journey to Konguq's home, wrapping up Martle.
Continuing their journey, Konguq's keen eyes spot the familiar flags of her father's fleet. The Dandies, excited by the prospect of a reunion, flag them down. The ships meet, and father and daughter are finally reunited. Konguq proudly introduces her party, including her boyfriend (to which Nattugalik, her father, doesn't seem overly impressed), and they set foot in the Ice Walker camp, a place filled with memories and stories.
They meet Taupek, Konguq's mother, and Isapoinhkyaki, Konguq's grandmother. They also meet with her cousin to prepare Martle's body. Once he is taken care of, the village celebrates Konguq's return. Oliver takes to the stage, and the party notices a Solamnic Knight among the crowd. He begins to make his way towards Ace, but Oliver helps move the crowd to help Ace slip away. Calix is brought away by a few of the tribe's warriors and is gifted an Ice Axe to help with their fight.
Konguq meets with her grandmother to perform a pregnancy test. The elderly wizard is ecstatic to see her grandchild again, and Konguq tells her she has met Ayder's nephew Ryai. She looks slightly confused, knowing he has a niece, but Konguq explains that he has changed his spirit. She prepares the test for her granddaughter and tells her to drink tea to prepare for it. While she returns to the party, the knight approaches her and tells her to convince Ace to talk to him and that he doesn’t mean the rouge any harm. She agrees and manages to convince Ace, and the two talk.
The knight introduces himself as Aron Strongbow.
Ace recalls the Strongbows as staunch bandit hunters, with Aron having spent most of his time in the wilds hunting them. Aron catches the group up to speed with what has been happening in the world and informs them of Qualinost’s corruption. Aron looks to enlist the thief to steal the dragon orb in Ice Wall Castle, a goal they already had. He also tells them that a meeting is happening in Sancrist between Humans, Elves, and Dwarves about the growing Dragon Armies. Ace tells him he must first talk to the group about allowing Aron to come with them.
The group reconvenes to discuss what they learned and what to do with Aron. They are upset and worried about what happened to Vodren, Ryai, and Broud. Oliver guesses that the ritual probably got hijacked by a higher power and assumes they’re dead since Skoragnit didn’t mention Ryai when asked. The others, however, decide to believe in their friends and trust they are alright. They decide to allow Aron to join them on their journey into Ice Wall, needing all the help they can get. As they wrap up their discussion an injured and high-strung Ice Walker comes in warning them of an attack. It tries to lunge at Calix but Oliver charms him into listening to reason. It tells the group that the camp is going to be raided. They immediately tell chief Nattugalik and he gets the camp prepared for siege. Calix helps with preparations, with Morris joining to prep trenches.
Isapoinhkyaki, informs Konguq that she is indeed pregnant and Konguq is ecstatic. She goes to immediately tell Morris. Morris who was at one point busy digging trenches was now overcome with emotion as he is told the news. Wanting to make Konguq an “honest woman” asks to marry her on the spot to which she excitedly agrees. Some preparations become diverted for a quick ceremony as before the battle. Morris asking Ace to be his best man and pride filling Konguq’s family as their little snow goose has finally taken off.
And Konguq enjoys her night before the siege.
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