The Black Cabin

The party makes their way to the town of Bryn Shander, chasing down a rumor about a gnome and a cabin. Upon arriving, they cross paths with Sheriff Southwell who thanks them for all of their help while expressing that he's not sure how much longer the Dale can sustain life under the Everlasting Rime. He asks the party to look into things, if they can, and heads on his way. He also mentions that they should spend an evening blowing off steam and check out the Lliira’s Night festivities at the Northlook Tavern.

Moving along, they make their way to the house of the Morninglord in search of a gnome named Copper. Shortly upon entering they find Copper Knobberknocker and chat with him about the rumors of a Black Cabin. Copper is worried about his friend, Macreadus, who’s trying to build a device that can end the Everlasting Rime and return summer to Icewind Dale. Copper asks the party to bring provisions to Macreadus at the Black Cabin and make sure he’s all right. Because the gnome has paid for the provisions, he can’t offer a reward; however, Mishann, the priest who runs the House of the Morninglord, offers free healing to those who complete Copper’s quest and return.

The party heads towards the North Gate and decides to spend an evening at the Northlook Tavern where they are tempted to engage in some shenanigans for the Lliira's Night celebration. Most of the party enters at least one of the contests with some impressive showings in both drinking and shoving. Dart throwing, however, is not their strong suit. The proprietor Scramsax is so pleased with the party that they are offered free lodging at the Tavern.

As the day begins the party collects Copper's provisions from the gate guard and makes their way north to the Black Cabin. Knowing that it will take more than one day the party spends a night in Termaline where they read an interesting article in the paper. Speaker Masthew has closed one of the town’s lucrative gem mines. Apparently, a gang of kobolds crept into the mine and endangered some miners. Anyone who clears out the mine can expect to be well compensated. The party decides to check that out after delivering their supplies to Macreadus.

Morning arrives and the party makes their way up to the Black Cabin. Checking around the outside, they find an outhouse, some wood, and a cabin that is heavily in disrepair. Splitting up, Jamie and Sircle examine the walkway and doors while the rest of the party circles the back and peers in the windows. Gazing through the windows shows an abandoned cabin with no sign of life on the inside. Sircle, in an attempt to jump across a gap, breaks through some rotten boards and falls into the snow below...where he has a great view of the weakened floorboards in the cabin. 

Peski, Gulkom, and Thorburn make their way into the cabin through a window as Jamie and Sircle do the same from the front side. On the inside they are greeted by lingering smells of burnt wood and flesh. The walls and furniture are scorched black, including a table with the charred remains of a book on it. Next to the table, on the floor amid several broken wine bottles, is a mostly incinerated skeleton and a round, frost-covered object about six inches in diameter.

After some cursory investigations, Gulkom decides to examine the object on the floor. As he picks it up, he is turned to ash along with Peski and Jamie. Interestingly, while they seem to be dead, they find themselves taking shape on the Ethereal Plane, where they encounter the spirit of Macreadus. After discussing what happened with the spirit they learn that this object is called the Summer Star and clearly has a design flaw. 

With the help of Macreadus, the spirits of the party members are slowly able to communicate with Sircle and Thorburn and walk them through the process of fixing the device. Once the metal is cast into the correct shapes, Sircle takes the device outside to activate it. As the spell takes effect the temperature slowly starts to warm, the snow turns into a light rain, and it appears that the weather has actually reversed. The device, however, is now inert.

Inside the cabin, Gulkom, Peski, and Jamie suddenly reappear! When the device was activated, the spirit of Macreadus was finally able to rest. As he disappeared the three spirits saw something which could only be described as an envoy of Lathander and were returned to the Material Plane in full health. 

As the party reunites outside an aurora makes its way across the winter sky - the party thinks they are able to make out a shape in the aurora, but it's too far away to be certain. Suddenly, from the east, they hear a shrieking sound, and see lights on the horizon heading their way...and they notice the temperature starting to drop...

Please Note: ALL party members have received the Blessing of the Morninglord. You gain 10 temporary hit points each day at dawn.

See everyone on the 23rd!