Logrivich's Tower - Part 1

Ringeirr led the party through the streets of Whitethrone. Martial law had recently been declared in the city, making it even more dangerous than usual for foreigners to venture outside of the relatively safe Merchants' Quarter. Patrols of Elvanna's mirror men and the Winter Guard were everywhere. Ringeirr insisted that they watch their step and take care not to attract attention to themselves.

 He led the group to the floes headed directly to the Water Palace. 

"This is where many of the Jadwiga live.  Be extra cautious here." Ringeirr said as they approached a small communal bathhouse just east of the Water Palace. 

After a knowing nod to the bathhouse attendant, Ringeirr led the party downstairs and into the subterranean service tunnels connecting many of the nearby bathhouses, then through a hidden door into the secret shrine of Milani.

A knock on the door elicited an answer and a quick entry into the small but comfortably warm interior. Ringeirr had a short exchange with the door guard and then the group was led into a dining/sleeping area where Ringeirr the introduced them to the leader of Whitethrone's cell of the Heralds of Summer's Return Solveig Ayrdahl.  Solveig was a tall, fit woman with honey blonde hair and fair skin. Her bright blue eyes and easy smile, made the party feel welcome and safe.

Ringeirr encouraged the party to tell Solveig their story, so they proceeded to give Solveig the tale of winter coming to their home town of Heldren in Taldor, thousands of miles away.  They then topple the Pale Tower with Nadya and now are on the search for Nazhena Vasilliovna.  They also indicated that they had found that the entirety of Golarion was under attack from Queen Elvanna and they wanted to stop the whole world disaster.  They had heard of the legendary Baba Yaga and were looking for her hut.

Hearing of the party's plan to at least eliminate Queen Elvanna's plan, which was new to her, Solveig explained that although Queen Elvanna put Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut on display in the city's Market Square, a thick forest teeming with strange creatures sprouted up around the hut almost overnight, and the market was now completely overgrown. The Winter Guard, under the command Nazhena Vasilliovna one of the queen's great-great-granddaughters, had cordoned off the entire Market Square. They have labored feverishly to cut down the forest, but so far they've only succeeded in halting the forest's spread through the entire Merchants' Quarter. Around the square itself, any trees cut down grow back the following morning. There's no way to get to the hut without going through a small army, no matter how good their forged papers might be.

Thinking while the party relaxed after eating, she later said that she had an idea.

"I need to discuss my plan with other members of the Heralds and some of our spies in the city." she began, "I will have a plan to discuss with you tomorrow."

"Are we free to stay here in the Shrine overnight?" Fanara asked.

"Certainly.  You may stay for the duration of you stay in Whitethrone.  You can rest and recover within our small hideout.  I could even provide some healing if you need it."

The party agreed and were led to a different sleeping chamber where they were left for the night.  In the morning after they completed their preparation a knock was heard and a voice said that breakfast was served.  Following the man they saw Ringeirr and Jorhan finishing their meal and preparing to leave for the Fishcamps.

"Good Luck on your mission," Ringeirr said, "If you need to come back to Fishcamps be sure to find me once again."

With that Ringeirr and Jorhan headed back out into the city.

Solveig greeted them and allowed them to eat before broaching her plan. She indicated that the Heralds had made careful and tentative contact with the remains of the Iron Guard, the former military order loyal to Baba Yaga that Elvanna replaced with her own Winter Guard. Several of the Iron Guard's commanders survived Elvanna's purges and were driven underground, but they hunger for the chance to reclaim the city (and all of Irrisen) for its true mistress. Unsurprisingly, the Iron Guard distrusts the Heralds, but the current situation has made the two groups allies of convenience. For their part, the Heralds are no supporters of Baba Yaga, but Queen Elvanna is by far the most powerful manifestation of the White Witches' rule, and removing from her from power would be a telling blow against Irrisen's oppressive government.

According to Solveig, the Iron Guard was just waiting for an opportunity to launch a counterstrike against the Winter Guard, but one thing stands in their way-one of the Winter Guard's commanders, the white dragon Logrivich. Solveig's cell of resistance fighters is small, and they are guerillas, not trained soldiers. They survive by keeping their heads down and quietly helping the oppressed people of Whitethrone, not by engaging Elvanna's minions in open combat. If the heroes were to remove the threat of the dragon, however, Solveig believed she could convince the Iron Guard to strike back at the Winter Guard. Such an uprising would be sure to draw troops away from the Market Square, enabling the heroes to reach the Dancing Hut with much less opposition.

The party put their heads together and with no other plan to get to Nazhena nor the Dancing Hut they agreed to the plan.

"We need at least two days to get ready," Santrel offered.  "We would like to do some shopping first and we have items to sell also."

"That would be fine, just let me know when you are ready to face the dragon." Solveig said.

Two days were spent selling and buying items while Santrel also tried to memorize a scroll of Resist Energy.  After their spending spree the group reported to Solveig that they were ready to eliminate the dragon. Solveig gave them directions to the clock tower that Logrivich had claimed as his lair and warned them to prepare to fight ice trolls, many of whom occupy the tower. She offered the group three potions of cure light wounds and two skyrocket fireworks to use on their mission. Once the dragon was dead, the heroes should launch one of the skyrockets from the clock tower to signal the Heralds and the Iron Guard to attack. Lastly, Solveig had a personal request for the group. She confessed feeling guilty that her plan also served a personal ulterior motive and asks their forgiveness, but she begged them to consider her proposal anyway.

"Anything we can do to help you personally we will certainly undertake," Casia said.

"My former lover Bella Belvorica a talented opera singer arrived unannounced in the city for a series of performances at the Frosthall Theater just as martial law was imposed.  Before I could make contact with here Logrivich took her to his tower.  I believe that Bella's remarkable talent shouldn't be collateral damage in a world so thirsty for beauty.  I ask you to rescue her and bring her to the Shrine of the Everbloom."

"We will do our best to find you dear friend," Casia responded. 

With that the party headed out to Logrivich's tower.  As they approached they could see the building towering over the low houses and shops. The east side of the top floor was missing its clock and a platform of gleaming ice extended out into the open air.  The tower was about 70 feet tall and contained numerous windows, but all were shut and barred to block out daylight. A background noise of grinding and rumbling metal or gears filled the air.

 A small courtyard stood outside the clock tower behind a delicate-looking white picket fence made of bones. A single step lead to a landing and a recessed set of large double doors to the north, while to the east and west stood two stone statues depicting two women in identical poses, reaching skyward as if to catch snowflakes. Neatly trimmed evergreen bushes surrounded the statues.

Jorgen found that the bone fence had simple latch which he flipped and advanced toward the doors to the tower while Santrel tried to determine the magic qualities of the statues. There was a magical aura from one of the statues.  The doors were unlocked and not trapped so Jorgen flung them open revealing a room featuring hardwood floors free of dust and debris. Double doors stood to the east and west, and a single door led north. The low rumble of the great mechanism was even louder, accompanied by a ratcheting sound at regular intervals. Fanara tried to gather psychic significance from the statues and was rewarded with the knowledge that the statues represented a previous Irriseni queen, Betyrina, and her oldest daughter Zivia.

The party moved cautiously up to the door some going around the statues other right in front of them. Inside Jorgen moved the the right hand double doors, found no traps or lock but listening was difficult given the grinding and rumbling was a distraction.  As the party started to join Jorgen he opened the door and found a large troll and and kind of hound standing in a room where weapon racks lined the north and south walls while two armor dummies stood in the north and southwest corners. A round table sat near the middle of the room, covered with weapons of various sizes. Double doors were in the north, east and south walls.

The troll yelled and moved forward to attack as did his Trollhound. Using his reach the troll attacked the party as they stood away.  Amadeo was busy with the hound.  As this occurred the two statues came to life and moved to attack the rear of the party, Casia and Fanara with Milos just ahead. Fanara cast enlarge person on herself to increase her damage against this monsters. When attacking the statues the party found that they reduced the damage but also the hardness of the statue damaged the weapon hitting it.  Eventually Milos club shattered into pieces. Santrel cast Burning Arc on the Troll as it reached back and opened one of the north doors.

"Bonepick, you idiot, get out here! We're under attack!" the troll yelled in Giant.

The continued attack of the party quickly killed the hound and the troll fell soon after.  Amadeo moved into the room past the doors where he saw a white furred humanoid wearing bearskin and carrying an axe made of bone and ice.  Inside the room he spied some cages.  Jorgen opened the north door and found a staircase leading up.

Fanara, Milos and Casia were busy with the two statues. Santrel used his ice spire on one statue knocking it prone.  The creature in the newly opened room yelled,

"I am not afraid of fire," and moved out into the weapons chamber.  A child's voice from inside the north chamber called out,

"Then be afraid of this!"

The sound of stones or metal hitting the floor was heard and several marbles rolled out of the door under the bear's feet. The bear flailed his feet slightly but was able to keep its balance as it moved to attack Jorgen.  At length the party finished off both statues and the new bear creature.  Casia entered the room where children's voices were heard. Three prison cells lined the north wall of this chamber, while a fourth cell was set in an alcove to the east. Toward the northeast corner stood a large butcher's block covered with old bloodstains. A cleaver too large for human hands was embedded in it. A bare table rested along the west wall. The cages were locked.

"See if there is a key on one of those bodies," Casia yelled out. 

Santrel searched the bear and Amadeo the troll.  Amadeo found a key and flung it to Casia.  Inside the cages were six children probably around 6 to 12 years old.  They clamored to be released.

"Let us out before Granny Nan gets us!" was the repeated cry.  "She comes and takes one of us every other day."

Casia found the oldest looking child and said she would release him if he would release the others and keep them quiet and safely organized in this room.  He agreed so she let him out and gave him the key.  This was necessary as Fanara had opened the door to the west finding large room that contained little in the way of furniture other than five beds sized for giants and two large chests. A heavy, pervasive musky smell filled the entire room. On two beds were trolls with their eyes closed.  As the door opened one growled in Giant to be quiet.  Fanara shut the door.

 The party gathered outside the double doors and Fanara opened them again and strode into the chamber as the troll again called for quiet.  The trolls rest was rudely interrupted by the party moving into the chamber and attacking before they had a moment to react.  When they did react it was with bite and claw only, their weapons lay on the floor.  One called repeatedly for "Granny Nan" while the other shouted in Giant,

"Unplug yer ears, ya worthless pair o' goblins!"

The battle did not take long as the party had the upper hand.  Meanwhile Jorgen had opened the eastern door of the weapons room finding little more than a bed and a footlocker. The bed, such as it was, was sized for a giant-soiled sheets and a flattened, lice-ridden pillow heaped atop a lumpy straw-filled sack. The footlocker was unlocked and contained many toys, most of which were broken along with a pouch and a mummified elf hand with a golden chain. Jorgen pocketed the loot.

Just as the party finished up the two trolls and were moving to the doors on the south wall of the barracks, Jorgen entered and headed for the chests.  The party opened the doors and found two additional trolls waiting on opposite side of the doorway.  Santrel began to burn the two dead troll bodies as Casia used Alchemist's Fire on the new trolls.  Fanara and Amadeo supported her though Fanara needed healing from Milos.  Jorgen found the chests contained the trolls' smelly and worthless personal effects. At the side of one of the chests, however, was an artist's sketchbook filled with provocative illustrations of several members of the Jadwiga Elvanna in various states of undress. The artist was extremely talented, and the potential scandal it could cause made it both dangerous and valuable to the right collector.

The party entered this last room and found three giant chairs arrayed around an enormous wooden table that was shoved into the southeast corner. Piles of discarded bones and partially cooked meat heaped upon oversized platters covered the surface of the table. The sickly sweet smell of blood and death was everywhere. As the battle seemed over Jorgen headed for the last shut doors in the weapons room.  As he opened the door a large battle axe came down on his head from another troll.

DM's Notes: The party is closing in on 6th level.