Need help re: 'Ring of Winter' and Artus Cimber in Tomb of Annihilation

[Quickleaf]

I think i may have erred in getting the players to work for Artus capture instead of considering aiding and protecting him. Either way, the players may not have necessarily killed him outright, and wanted to hear his side of the story before any battle ensued. i guess that i just felt that Artus would probably just find anyone who approaches him as a threat since so many people are after him, and battle against the players would eventually break out.

Might be a good opportunity to subvert expectations. Everyone says Artus is possessed by the Ring, or an unreliable scoundrel, or whatever, and they're paying good money to see him captured. But when they meet Artus, he's a standup guy who is very concerned about the Death Curse and is willing to join them so long as their goals are aligned (his goal is always first and foremost to return to his love Alisanda in the living Mezro).

Another thing that bears pointing out – the Ring of Winter is indeed awesomely powerful. Do bear in mind that it will do virtually nothing against the death traps in the Tomb, that Acererak is resistant to cold damage, and that eventually anyone wielding it with impunity is going to run out of charges in Omu / the Fane / the Tomb. Also, it is quite likely to possess anyone using it regularly (see the DMG on Sentient Item Conflict, p.216).

 

[Rabbitbait]

If I was in your position I would have Artus as having been captured by the yuan-ti. All clues would lead to Omu and Mezro (Mezro being a dead end). The players wouldn't be able to find Artus but would find signs of him having been in Omu (permanently frozen zones). Eventually the players would find themselves at the slave pits (either willingly or not) where Artus is a 9 fingered slave. He is desperate to get the ring back and knows that Ras Nsi has it. Ras Nsi is not wearing the ring as he has recognised it's power and it's ability to possess the wielder, but he is looking at how he can use it's power to facilitate the release of Dendar.

By the time the players get the ring they should realise it is too powerful to use and that opens a new quest of getting rid of it while pursued by multiple factions. If they do choose to use the ring while knowing how powerful it is then they run the risk of a TPK if the wielder gets possessed.