Saralas: Session 3

9 Elesias 1492

• Midnight on the 9th, we recovered consciousness but are now resting
• Karthos's night
  • Karthos is sitting by the door and sees the aurora again, but it doesn't appear in the sky naturally, it seems to be painted into the sky by a brush, back and forth, takes 20-30 minutes. Unnatural phenomenon, appears to be magical
  • Later in the night, the aurora is producing light, and there is dim light. When the light comes up Karthos begins to see outside, past the moon dial, a number of smaller forest creatures that were the same creatures that we found in the room. The creatures are all young, no adults, and cold, shivering outside. They run away we he approaches.
  • Later, Karthos notices a small shape moving in the shadows to the inside of the fire, he seems to see a small bush, huddled and shaking as if afraid. It has twelve large blue berries on its thin branches. The bush seems happy the frost druid is dead. "Thank god she's dead"
  • Bush was once an ordinary bush. Frost druid awakened it, it became conscious. Frost druid demanded that the bush follow her around at all times to be ready to feed her with its berries.
  • Karthos is offended
  • The bush offers a berry and Karthos takes one.
  • Bush explains that the frost druid was named Ravisin. She has been going around Lonelywood and animating all manner of animals and plants. She was doing this to avenge the death of her sister who was killed by hunters outside of Lonelywood.
  • Her spell didn't necessarily persuade. People have been hunting and logging for a long time. Some animals were peaceful, while some were evil, like the murder moose. Some animals chose a peaceful existence.
  • Only humanoid type the bush has seen in the area was Ravisin. This was apparently a sacred place, and protected by a powerful abjuration. Only reason we found it is because we followed an animal.
  • Small animals we saw were cubs etc of animals the bush and Ravisin had been caring for. Doesn't think the animals will survive the night in the cold.
  • Bush will prefer to travel with us, which Karthos is amenable to. Bush joins our party.
• We wake up refreshed, alive, and healed after a long rest.
• Early in the morning the aurora is still in effect, and the sun has not yet risen.
• I ask Karthos what happened. Apparently she cast an ice storm on us and we all went down. She then took Resda out and he barely survived. The frost druid was named Ravisin and was awakening plants and animals in an attempt to build an army to fight people. The white moose was one of her creatures.
• Apparently it was hunters that killed her sister and she was taking revenge.
• The mirror is very powerful, and allowed Ravisin and the White Moose to keep tabs on their enemies. It is only active at the full moon, but Ravisin would get around this by casting the moonlight spell to activate it. This is why the hunters and loggers could never catch the moose, because it always knew where everyone was. It was watching us too before we entered the barrow.
• The shrub doesn't know what lies beyond the other door, Ravisin never opened it. It doesn't really know anything about the sarcophagus or ritual outside. They would travel around Icewind Dale awakening animals and creatures.
• The White Moose was able to open the door but it doesn't know how.
• The bush seems happy. It offers us berries and would be happy to lead us back here if needed.
• Korag goes to search the room we found Ravisin in. It has an intricately carved dome and a light shining down from the ceiling. There is a bedroll, and contents of an herbalism kit are spread across the top of sarcophagus. It appears Ravisin was using the sarcophagus as a work table.
• Korag finds two potions, but not much else, just some local herbs
  • Resistance
  • Vitality
• I examine the statues but don't really see anything, they look like elves. I poke one and I feel some magic. Resda goes "They _are_ magical!"
• Korag walks over to look. He says the magic spell is being held by the statues themselves. If the statues are destroyed it will break the magic. The spell was favored by Moon Elves to guard their most sacred sites from intrusion.
• We discuss. Korag, Karthos, and Saralas agree with others that there is no reason to destroy the statues. The bush can lead us back to this place.
• Karthos looks over Ravisin's room and doesn't find much other than a message scrawled on the wall about how angry she is. He collects another herbalism kit and hands it to Resda.
• Closed door that Ravisin didn't enter is at the moon phase 2 weeks from the phase we are in now.
• I wonder if I ever heard any stories about places like this growing up. I think back and half-remember something about an old order of moon elves, and they had sites like this all over Faerun. They would use them to safeguard honored people and special items.
• Min hears this and decides she wants to check the sarcophagus after all. Korag follows to help and lifts the lid partway off. The light from the ceiling illuminates a frozen corpse. And it smells horrible. And it was the dead sister, maybe twin sister.
• She died about two months ago, hit by arrows. The arrows are no longer there but there are several puncture wounds in her chest.
• We put Ravisin in the sarcophagus with the dead sister. Karthos and Korag retrieve a hand from the dead druid. They seem to want to do the ritual outside.
• I settle back to watch, ready. Karthos looks to identify if the sarcophagus is protected by magic, after a few minutes he straightens up and tells us it is linked strongly to the nearby brazier. He thinks we need to do the ritual to open it and recommends Korag doesn't push on it.
• Karthos suggests we do the ritual at the brazier. I light a torch for Min.
• We all take position and Min lights the materials in the brazier. They burst into flame immediately, but it doesn't seem like a natural fire. The fire rises up and Min feels no heat and the frost and snow does not melt. Nothing else happens.
• Korag pushes the lid about halfway off. It's heavier than the one inside, and when it finally opens a great clap rushes into the trees before echoing back. When the lid is about halfway off it flies away on its own, nearly hits someone.
• There is a mummy inside, who turns to Korag and says "Hi".
• The mummy looks around, dazed, and says "you wouldn't believe how long I've been in there. What date is it?" Korag tells him.
• Mummy seems somewhat surprised to be dead. His name is Sahas. Resda and Karthos introduce themselves as well. The mummy starts to climb out of the sarcophagus. The last year he remembers 372. He's been buried for 1,120 years.
• Min notices that the sarcophagus and the mummy smell of pumpkin spice
• He was a moon elf priest. He can't remember his death. We confirm this is icewind dale. They must have carried his body quite far to entomb him here. At some point though he woke up within the sarcophagus. A long, long time ago. He agrees to join up with us if we'll have him.
• The mummy goes off to get Ravisin's cold weather gear
• He wants to know if he looks fabulous. We agree.
• We ask if he knows anything about Auril and why she might be angry? Winter has always been cruel.
• We start heading back to town towards the logger camp by the most direct route we know.
• About an hour into travel we encounter a brown bear, which appears to be foraging.
• It appears to be very interested in the bush, and us.
• Karthos yells something in bearish, it sounds angry. The bear runs. The rest of the walk back to town is in silence, as we all seem to contemplate the beauty of the forest.