Atrium and Hall of the Vanquished

The party entered the ice fortress through a short hallway. As they walked down the hall it opened into a larger chamber. Slender ice pillars support the tall roof of the sweeping gallery. Thick blocks of translucent crystal set in the roof allowed some outside light to illuminate the area. Ornamental rock gardens lined both sides of a wide flagstone path running through the center of the chamber. A dozen alabaster statues, all depicting the same draconic figure, flanked the pillars on either side of the path. The atrium was 90 feet high and the gardens contained a small variety of Triaxian plant life, most of it currently dormant in winter's chill. 

While looking at the chambers arrangement Fanara began to feel different as again her skin pallor became almost transparent, her hair shock white and a wart or two appeared on her nose.  She had again become the Winter Witch that the party had seen before.

"Oh, No," Fanara moaned softly.

 The party moved slowly forward, noting openings into the wide gallery between the pillars.  As they approached the halfway through the hall a hunched, reptilian beast with two clawed feet flew from between the pillars. Its eyeless head was dominated by a huge circular maw filled with jagged teeth. The white, almost dragon looking creature, flapped down to cling to a pillar 15 feet above the party and hissed defiantly at them.

 Jorgen continued forward, followed by the remainder of the party. Apparently sensing this the reptilian creature flew off the pillar and down to breathe on the party. The weapon was of cold damage and affected most of the party greatly. It then hovered in the air kicking up dust, pebbles and other detritus that partial or completely obscured the thing.

The party set out to fight back, Jorgen maneuvering around to try and achieve flanking, Amadeo was made large and the rest of the party started to loose arrows and bolts on the monster.

A sonic wave emanated from the monster and hit most of the party. The sound and waves applying damage to them. The creature seemed to take pleasure in the cries of pain.  The heroes hit back even with it being somewhat hidden, with Santrel flinging a fireball at the thing.  Fanara determined this was some sort of half-dragon destrachan. It's hovering kept obscuring its exact whereabouts.

Amadeo noted that when he got close he could actually see the creature and began whaling on it. Jorgen could not find a good angle and fired away into the air. Santrel was the best weapon the party had as the creature then let loose another wave of sound but this time it stunned half the party.  The single mirror image allowed the party from Fanara did not lessen this damage.  These mirror images were continuous, even when they were destroyed they would reappear the next time the hero acted.

Finally the party got the better of the destrachan but not before it let loose another wave of sonic damage. As it fell so did the rocks and debris.  Fanara nor Santrel noted any magic around the creature or in the large entry chamber.

"Wow. What a greeting and we even have a pass and everything." Casia sighed.

After healing the party continued out of the chamber to the west, the only opening apparent. This hall was 30 feet or so high and it felt about freezing inside the ice block.  Numerous sky-blue flames set in sconces carved to resemble draconic claws or jaws provided illumination in the palace's passage.

Fanara thought it would be a good idea for Santrel to create Phantom Steeds for the party.  They could only hop, not fly, but maybe they would be of use for exploring.

"We should leave them behind in a battle or they won't last long," she warned.

The hallway forked with passages heading northwest, west and southwest all lit by the same sconces. Jorgen continued west and found another chamber.  Massive stone plinths lined both sides of the long, arched hallway. Over half the plinths were in use, displaying the skeletal remnants of draconic creatures. Sheets of ice sheathed some of the skeletons, holding their ossified remains arranged as if in life, while others were merely jumbled piles of bones. Passageways led north, south and west from the chamber which was 30 feet high.

Jorgen again continued into the chamber, leaving his horse behind. The rest of the party only stepped slightly into the room as four of the skeletons or bone piles came to life. The first grabbed a few of its bones and thew them at Casia.  As they hit her the bones organized themselves as a cage surrounding and grappling Casia. Another moved to attack Fanara and was hexed with an evil eye. Jorgen and a third engaged in battle which led to Jorgen being caged.

Santrel summoned a demon and directed it to attack Jorgen's cage.  Another threw a cage at Amadeo but it fell in a pile of bones around his image. Later Amadeo was caged and Milos tried to help bash him out with his shield.

The Bone Golems, as identified by Fanara, continued to attack the uncaged heroes.  Santrel kept directing the demon to break Jorgen out of his cage. Casia was the first to emerge from a cage and between her and Fanara a Golem soon fell.  More fireballs were cast by Santrel and Jorgen emerged from his cage to flank the Golem with the demon.  Hexes were flying fast and furious and Fanara kept them alive with never-ending cackles. Casia's adamantine war hammer worked best against the enemy but Amadeo was still stuck in his cage. Jorgen and the demon downed a Golem followed by Casia dropping another.

As the battle was almost coming to an end, only one Golem remained, Amadeo emerged and rushed into fight it. With Amadeo's fury the last Golem fell to the floor in a pile of bones. Milos then set about healing the party once again.

The party then moved on again to the west after Fanara determined there was no magic detectable in any direction.

DM's Notes: The party earned an additional 5,333 XP and now have 152,595 on their way to level 13.