FROST GIANT RIFT
We find a secret exit from the Jarl’s chambers, winding path that contains a teleportation circle. A nearby lever activates a magical teleportation that will take us to the Fire Giant caves.
There’s also a beautiful large chest that was turned invisible. When dispelled is it revealed to be a gorgeous chest made by Dwarves. When picked, it disgorges a Cloudkill, which we avoid. Within the chest are some powerful looking magic items.
The secret exit leads out to the mountainside.
We return to the Frost Giant caves and head deeper in, to what we think is the kitchen. It isn’t, beyond a boulder blocked hallway, we find a kennel that has 4 huge polar bears in it. We defeat them.
We continue past the kennel into an armory, filled with weapons and armor, then to a common room, which has been hastily looted by fleeing Frost giants.
We then enter into the kitchen, also abandoned, except for a group of 4 humans, all initially Kingdom of the Tiger, but they have different dress and some ritual scars, which after staring a bit, Codex identifies them as members of Kingdom of the Sun.
As Beryden is attempting to unlock, the group get aggressive when Beryden shows his sword, the gift from the Khan. They have no love of the Kai and the Kingdom of the Tiger. After a tense confrontation where they hold Beryden at knifepoint, we manage to de-escalate. They identify themselves as “The Quartet”.
We find out that they have a contract not just with the Master, but with someone else. Because they were captured and were about to be eaten by the Frost Giants, they consider the contracts null and void.
We negotiate with them for these contracts, and they want the Frost Giant Jarl’s crown. We don’t know where the crown is, but Codex enters into one of the Quartet’s mind and discovers the crown is actually sitting atop the throne, there’s a mount where it rests. We go away and grab the shrunk throne and remove the crown, which becomes full size.
We exchange the crown for the Contract, both the Master’s and the other Contract. Codex asks them if there are Shader-Kai among the mercenaries, and the answer is yes. Then we give them the key to the cage that we found, and back away to another room, covering up the cavern with a boulder.
We read the contract, and it’s bad news. The contract was made by Crown Duke Antony and Duchess Isabel Elynbrigge, to assassinate all contenders to the throne, including Antony’s parents. The contract was witnessed by Sabre Khaludz. Codex performs a Sending to Collette, asking her to bring the carriage to the Boccob teleportation circle.
We return to Kingston via teleportation circle. The carriage is there and we head back to the Alegan Estate.
Emma and Gilbert are entertaining guests, Collette tells us they are entertaining the Cornwallis and Jendryng family.
We wait for them to leave and then speak to the family. Emma, Gilbert, Niclas, Pyrrhos, and Thalanil. We show the assassination contract to Gilbert, who is silently enraged.
We discuss the situation, which is grave. Niclas wants to speak to his parents, and they discuss whether or not to speak to the Queen or the Crown Prince and Princess. It is unlikely they will believe it.
The agreement is to lock down and protect themselves from assassins.
Niclas, Thalanil and Gilbert head to speak to Morys and Cecily, Bale spends time with Emma his mother. Emma presses him about perhaps marrying Lydia, and he tells her he wants to marry Katla. Emma is visibly disappointed, and argues some practicalities about Katla’s place in Noble society.