Session 20 - Last Chance to Save Winter

Roster

Harry Blackstone,Lyra Everlight,Marionette Moonbeam,Vigilius Palamas

Session Overview

Session Status: Occurred

In Game Date: 25th Hammer 1509

Group Cup Points

NPC's

Vormor,Melwythorn,Shuvadri Glintmantle

Summary

Warmth and comfort give way once more to cold stone and ancient magic as the students follow Vormor into the ancestral hills in pursuit of the wintergeist. Their search leads them to a sealed burial mound older than Neverwood itself, where sacred runes, fallen students, and the raging elemental await. In a desperate, collapsing chamber beneath the weight of ages, the party finally confronts the wintergeist, rescues the missing students, and recovers the Star of Remembrance — escaping only moments before the tomb seals itself forever.

Morning in the Oak

• The students awaken inside Vormor’s oak tree to the smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins.
• Heading downstairs, they find Vormor has prepared a warm breakfast for everyone.
• After eating, Vormor and the party set out together into the cold and snow to track down the wintergeist.

The Hills of the Ancestors

• Vormor leads the group up into the snow-covered hills, following the direction of his last sighting of the creature.
• He explains that these hills contain the graves of the Ancestors — beings who lived in the forest thousands of years ago, long before Vormor’s people and long before Neverwood existed.
• The party discovers a trail of blood leading uphill and follows it.

The Sealed Door

• Embedded into one of the hills, the party uncovers a massive stone door buried beneath snow.
• Clearing it reveals:
  • A circular stone door with three gemstones set into its centre.
  • Ancient runes carved deeply into the stone.
• Vormor translates the runes as:
  • “Those who wish to speak with the Old Ones must imbue them with power.”
• The party casts spells into each of the three gemstones.
  • The gems flare with light.
  • The massive stone door grinds open and rolls aside.

Inside the Frozen Mound

• The party steps into a vast, frigid chamber within the Frozen Mound.
• Towering stone columns rise like monoliths, supporting the immense weight of earth and ice above.
• Every surface is etched with runes and consecration markings honouring the dead.
• Frost and snow coat the floor despite the sealed interior.
• At the far end of the chamber:
  • The Wintergeist churns in a swirling mass of ice and wind, a blue glow shining from within.
  • Just beyond it lie the limp bodies of two students: Melwythorn and Shuvadri Glintmantle.

Battle Beneath the Ice

• The party attacks the wintergeist.
  • Harry attempts to draw the creature’s attention to himself.
  • Lyra and Marionette skirt the edges of the chamber, racing toward the fallen students.
  • Shroom panics and runs wildly through the chamber, with Vormor chasing after him to keep him safe.
  • Vigilius engages the wintergeist head-on, combining his breath weapon with disciplined monk strikes.
• Lyra works desperately to wake and warm the barely conscious students.
• Harry attempts to melt the ice lining the ceiling — causing cracks to spread as the chamber begins to cave in.
• Seeing the escalating danger, Vormor draws his axe and strikes the wintergeist, narrowly avoiding its retaliatory blast of ice.
• Lyra rushes the rescued students out of the chamber before the roof collapses.
• With everyone momentarily safe, Lyra returns and unleashes a bolt of radiant magic.
  • The radiant energy tears the wintergeist apart.
  • The Star of Remembrance drops to the floor where the creature once stood.
• The party seizes the Star and flees the mound just as the ceiling collapses.
  • The entrance caves in completely, sealing the Frozen Mound behind them.

Flight From the Forest

• Vormor leads everyone back to the safety of his oak tree.
• He tends to the injured students, healing them as best he can.
• Vormor then calls in a favour to arrange transport back to the Academy.
• His “friend” arrives:
  • Another half-giant, with white hair and beard, bundled in heavy winter clothing.
  • He rides a magical, oversized sleigh pulled by reindeer.
• Quiet and reserved, the half-giant welcomes them aboard.
• The reindeer surge forward, racing through the forest until Vormor’s oak is lost among the trees.

Return to Neverwood

• As the sleigh nears the Academy, the students leap off early.
• Hoping to avoid the wrath of the staff for once again breaking every conceivable rule, they scatter back toward campus — the Star of Remembrance finally recovered.

Ongoing Threads

• The Star of Remembrance Recovered – The ancient relic is back in the party’s hands, but what consequences will follow its removal from the wintergeist?
• The Frozen Mound Sealed – The ancestral tomb has collapsed. What knowledge or spirits were entombed forever?
• The Rescued Students – Melwythorn and Shuvadri Glintmantle survived — but how has their time with the wintergeist affected them?
• Vormor’s Aid – The guardian of the forest has proven a powerful ally. What price might such help eventually demand?
• Staff Retribution – The party once again disobeyed direct authority. How long before Neverwood responds?