Fleeing the ‘unprovoked’ slaying of one of the group, out party finds themselves near Mirabar, in the Spine of the World. The tough descendant of some of the original mining families that helped settle the frozen northern reaches populates this hash region sparely. The group arrives in one such small village and meets with a half-orc fighter. This tongue less individual bears a scrap of parchment identifying himself as Korghn Yellaw. The cleric Belial immediately casts a charm person upon him and presses him into service, which the dim-witted fighter gleefully accepts.
Inquiries about town lead the characters to the home of a wizened individual with apparent knowledge of the location of the tomb of lady gasping. He warns the group that fierce monsters guard it and that they must use a magical amulet of his devising in order to overcome the magic of the innermost guardian. In return, he requires a wooden wand and about 1000 coins from the mounds of treasure said to lie within. The group agrees and follows his directions to a small crater lake. In the middle, surrounded by mists and accessible by a stone bridge lies a snow-capped hill.
Traveling around the lake, the group encounters a strange doorman guarding the bridge. When the initial exchange proves inconclusive, the group slays the creature and presses out onto the bridge. As they near the mists, a strong wind sweeps the fighters into the water. Thud uses his gauntlets of swimming to avoid death, but Korghn is not so lucky. Only the swift actions of the rest of the party allows him to temporarily avoid his fate.
The group reconvenes and sets off across the bridge again, this time roped together for additional safety. Reaching the mists brings them into contact with the band of air elementals that guar the island and they begin to land telling blows on the front rank fighters, forcing a retreat.
The group camps near the gate to the bridge and plot a strategy. Using water breathing spells, they traverse the bottom of the lake and emerge onto the island. Immediately on arrival, Greenleaf summons a huge fire elemental to help protect the party. Not a moment too soon, it seems for the pack of air elementals is upon the group. The resulting melee sees the Helm of Brilliance used several times until finally all the guardians are dead or driven away.
Emboldened, the group explores the hill, eventually uncovering a concealed cave entrance. Further investigation yields a water-filled passageway, which is traversed and emerges into a room with a door. The door is removed and reveals a sloping, water-filled passageway that ends in a door. Opening the door shoots the party into a large cavern and after a 50’ fall, into a pool of slimy water. The pool is also visited by a pack of demons. In the ensuing battle Korghn is eviscerated and impaled, Thud is struck senseless, Skilver has a deadly encounter with hailstones and it is only the repeated usage of the big magic of the water-treading mages that saves the day. This appears to have been an elaborate trap, so the group decides to double back, rest and see if they can locate a real entrance to the tomb.
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