Storm King’s Thunder. Session 27: The Oracle and the Dragon

21^st-22^nd Alturiak 1458DR

The Griffons head back to the main chamber with the statues and Harshnag lifted the steel hammer and touched it to the “Ise” rune. The mists on the portal cleared and a room became clear on the other side. Cautious about what was on the other side. Carlan sent her imp through the portal.

As the imp flew through the portal, it had the sensation of travelling a great distance. It reached a hexagonal room around 40 feet high. One wall was covered in ice and frost. As it looked down it saw that same runes decorating the portal archway were also carved into the floor here. Most disturbingly, it saw the body of a young giant in the centre of the floor. It was covered in a layer of frost and looked as it had been here for some time. As it looked closer it noticed that the back of the giant’s head appeared to have been crushed.

Carlan informed the others and they all followed the imp through the portal. As they approached the body, the enormous spectral form of a young cloud giant rose from the body. It called out: asking who they were. The ghost was not unfriendly: it claimed to be called Eigeron, the son of a Cloud giant King named Blagothkus. He had travelled here with his father to find out how his father might win the favour of the gods from the Oracle.

Blagothkus had not been pleased to hear that he would be unlikely to ever rise any higher in Annam’s favour. The Oracle then called out to Eigeron and told him that he was fated to achieve great things, but he must step out of his father’s shadow first. It was then that Eigeron’s world went dark as his father smashed the back of his head with his mace. He did not know how long he had been here. The Griffons asked him if he knew Zephyra and he said only distantly, as she had been a young child when he died. They asked him about the Oracle and he pointed to the frosted wall and said it was under the ice. It used powerful Divination magic but only held 6 charges that took many years to replenish. They asked if he could help them at all and said they were welcome to his belongings, as he had no use fot them. They asked if they could help him in return and he replied that possibly avenging his death by slaying his father might assist his soul in passing to the next plane, but he did not know where his father would be now. Searching his body, they found a +2 Breastplate that resized for the wearer and an Opal of the Ild Rune: a magic gem inscribed with the rune for Fire that gave the user control over fire.

Pondering over the frosted wall, Maganose settled on repeatedly using Firebolt to melt the frost. After a few minutes, a silvered mirror with a large giant rune in the centre emerged. This rune was also unknown to them. They debated on what to ask the Oracle, knowing that they had only a few chances to learn the truth of what was happening.

Speaking in Jotun, Fenris addressed the Oracle:

“Oh Mighty Oracle, we are the Gilded Griffons (sponsored by the Gilded Griffon in Waterdeep and Gunnar’s Winter Wares (also in Waterdeep)). We ask you: What do the Giant’s want?”

There were a few moments when they heard a booming disembodied voice: ”The Giant Lords all follow their own schemes. They are free to do this because the Ordning is broken.”

Fenris replied: “Oh Mighty Oracle, it is still us - the Gilded Griffons (sponsored by the Gilded Griffon in Waterdeep and Gunnar’s Winter Wares (also in Waterdeep)). Why is the Ordning Broken?”

The voice replied: “The Storm King Hekaton no longer sits on his throne. He is missing”

After a few minutes deliberating with the rest of the Griffons, Fenris addressed the Oracle again: “Oh Mighty Oracle, The Third question from us - the Gilded Griffons (sponsored by the Gilded Griffon in Waterdeep and Gunnar’s Winter Wares (also in Waterdeep)). Where is King Hekaton?”

There was an extremely long pause before the voice replied: “UNKNOWN”

The Griffons debated on what to do and were slightly frustrated that the Oracle could not answer the question. They settled on asking about Claugiyliamatar: “Oh Mighty Oracle, The Fourth question (or possibly the third question) from us - the Gilded Griffons (sponsored by the Gilded Griffon in Waterdeep and Gunnar’s Winter Wares (also in Waterdeep)). Why does Claugiyliamatar want us to plant a seed here at the temple?”

The voice replied “The dragon wishes to use the seed and her magic to scry on the temple from afar and learn it’s secrets, as she does with many other places”

Looking at Eigeron, Fenris asked “Oh Mighty Oracle, The Gilded Griffons (sponsored by the Gilded Griffon in Waterdeep and Gunnar’s Winter Wares (also in Waterdeep)) are still here. Our fifth question is where is the Cloud Giant King Blagothkus”

The Oracle replied: “His shadow falls on Parnast”.

Knowing they only had once more chance to find a lead, they decided to ask about King Hekaton again. Fenris called out “Oh Mighty Oracle, It is still The Gilded Griffons (sponsored by the Gilded Griffon in Waterdeep and Gunnar’s Winter Wares (also in Waterdeep)). Our sixth (but it should really be the fifth) is How can we find the Storm King Hekaton”.

The Oracle replied “You must travel to the Storm King’s Court, speak to his daughter Serissa and root out the evil within. To travel there you will need the Conch of the Storm King: currently in two pieces. One piece is held by the Jarl Helgard and the other by Duke Zalto”

The voice went quiet and the light in the mirror seemed to dull into inactivity.

They asked Eigeron who Helgard and Zalto were and he replied that Jarl Helgard was a noblewoman of the Frost Giants living somewhere to the west at Svargbord and Duke Zalto was lead of Fire Giants, living to the East. They tried to persuade him to come with them, possibly by bringing a part of his skeleton with them but he declined, saying that his soul was tied more to the room than his remains.

They head back through the portal to the Hall again, but something had changed. On the far side, they saw an enormous blue form, (dwarfing even Harshnag) blocking the way out. As it turned, they saw it was covered in scales. It unfurled massive wings and reared a huge toothed head towards them: it was a blue dragon and from it’s appearance and size it was ancient indeed. It roared, shaking the chamber and lightning crackled from it’s throat.

Harshnag turned to the Griffons and hefted his axe. He sadly told them “My friends, this foe is beyond all of us. If you’re going to save the Sword Coast, you must flee. Your fate lies elsewhere”. He charged forward and swung his axe - not at the dragon, but at the columns supporting the ceiling. The ceiling started to rumble and the Griffons realised that Harshnag fully intended to collapse the ceiling down on everyone.

They swiftly moved to the northern exit, knowing that they could possibly escape through the Ice spider tunnels. Harshnag was engulfed with lightning from the dragon’s breath (which also claimed the life of Carlan’s Imp) yet he continued collapsing the columns. They fled up the stairs and heard collapsing rock behind them and an enormous roar. As they head back to the dormitory corridor, they found themselves under attack by blue dragonborn and much larger draconic humanoid figures, who breathed lightning at them. They perservered and cut them down after a short but blood battle.

Fleeing for the Ice spider tunnels, they head out and climbed down onto the snow.

They remembered their promise to Claugiyliamatar and reasoned that she hadn’t asked them to plant the seed inside specifically and reasoned that outside would be better than nothing. However out here the ground was frozen hard. Maganose and Carlan blasted the ground repeatedly with Firebolt and Eldritch Blast until it was soft and pulverised. They planted the seed and decided to rest.

The next part of they journey would involve travelling great distances across the Sword Coast and they would need Zephyra’s tower again. They resolved to travel back to Mirabar and then on to Mithral Hall.