[Eberron] Beneath the Ice!

[Krug]

"Pah what bring these creatures here..."says Mong. She goes over to inspect the sprite. "For such a small creature you have a large pet!"

 

[nonamazing]

Like Snow Falling growls softly at Mong as the ranger comes closer. Rast slithers out of Mong's sleeve and stares at the leopard. The two animal companions are both bewildered--neither has ever seen a creature quite like the other one.

A sudden shift in the wind brings you the sounds of a desperate battle--screams and clashes of weapons--from somewhere north of you. It seems that Norderil is right, once again. The battle surely cannot be too far from your position, for the sounds are distinct, albeit distorted somewhat by the wind. Unfortunately, none of you are able to make out exactly what is happening, due to the numerous snowdrifts that obscure your view. Even from his perch atop the sled, Norderil can't see the battle, although he does note that the noises come from the direction that the rest of the gargoyles flew.

It's hard to tell, but some of the shouting may be Dwarven.​

 

[Krug]

Mong moves towards the dogs. "Let us move quickly to aid the battle!" she says to the others. Rast slides around her, stilll observing Like Snow Falling.

 

[Ferrix]

Her mind leaping back to the scouts, she pauses no more and dashes, Like Snow Falling bounding beside her, towards the snowblind where she had left them.

 

[Barkey]

Barandurr peers off into the distance, unable to see anything, he relies on his more sure-sighted companion Mong, and leaps on the sled.
"Ta battle, I'll see ta it tha e'ry evil thing on this blasted island is destroyed if thas wha it takes to get to tha home uf ma fathers. Lead on lass, I'll gladly fight beside ye, jus ye be carefull not ta mistake me for an enemy, I wouldna want one of them arrows buried gnome deep in me backside"

 

[nonamazing]

The dogs, still somewhat nervous after the attack, tear off the second Barandurr grabs the reins and shouts. The rest of you have only seconds to grab the sled before it speeds away.

A few moments later, you cross the last ridge. Shattered ice golems lay all around, and in the middle of all the destruction lie three strange dwarven bodies. One, a female, has been completely disemboweled, and a young male nearby has had his flesh gouged away from his face, leaving his skull torn and exposed. The third dwarf, a stalwart, ice-bearded male, has been torn nearly in two but amazingly still fights on. As you approach, you see him send a massive blue hammer crashing through the body of the last gargoyle, before collapsing in a heap.

Barandurr jumps of the sled and rushes over to the fallen dwarves, already whispering the words of a healing prayer. The first two dwarves are clearly beyond help, but before Barandurr can use his magic on the third, the white-beard looks up at Barandurr and gasps with recognition.

"Krosklinn!", the ice dwarf whispers, his sky-blue eyes wide with surprise. "You...you have...returned!" The dwarf smiles weakly, then closes his eyes.

None of Barandurr's magic is able to bring him back.​

From what you can tell, all nine of the gargoyles that you saw fly in this direction have been defeated, but at a horrible cost. These mysterious Dwarves (who are they? what are they doing here?) were sadly overpowered. But this does prove one thing: there are Dwarves living in the Frostfell.

They look exactly like ordinary Dwarves, although somewhat paler of skin and hair tone. Only the one with the white beard is unusual--although the coloring may just be a result of his advanced age.

[Floe] -

Spoiler

The white-bearded Dwarf was named Ico Icesinger, and the female was his sister, Dawn. You never did learn the name of the younger male, although you do know he was also a member of the Icesinger clan.

 

[Barkey]

Barandurr looks down and the mysterious dwarf in his arms, utterly defeated Barandurr begins to weep softly over the corpse. Under his breath he whispers an old dwarven prayer, "Onatar take ye to his great halls, May his food and drink fill ye. "
He looks up somberly at his companions, " These people are the kin I have spoken uf, Onatar knows why they were taken, but it tells me we be on the rite track. I am honor bound to my kin.. " He looks down at the bodies," to bury them. None need help me, I'll think no less of ye. " He turns and takes a small travel shovel off his back, and begins tearing at the hard frozen ground.

 

[Krug]

Mong examines the bodies as she shifts back to natural form. Suppressing a hiss, she surveys the carnage. She will help to dig at the ground to bury those bodies. "To earth they will return..." she says.

 

[Sorrow The Man Bear]

"Gnome deep indeed!" Norderil scoffs in mock indignation. He presses his hand to his wounds, and readys his sling as the sled takes off at a high clip, but realizes that he need not. "My... my word..," is all he can manage in a soft tone when he is confronted with the carnage. He immediatly leaps off the pile of equipment he made a makeshift seat, pickaxe in hand. He places a consoling hand on Barrandur's shoulder. "You've proven yourself to me as a true companion, I would be remice to do any less." He begins swinging, assisting Barrandur in breaking up the hard ground.

 

[Ferrix]

Floe sinks to her knees, despite the squabbling and the annoyances, she had been with these dwarves, good people, that at the sight she simply sat quietly for a moment. Then in sylvan, "may their footfalls tread through their halls in remembrance." She then begins to help Barandurr without a further word.