Temple of ice - ep 29

​After dispatching the first encounter with ghosts, the group investigates this first room. The four statues are determined to be frozen people, beyond saving, the central tables are bare, and the basins are filled with snow. Digging for any other answers, the snow is removed revealing no other symbols, however, after a minute, the snow begins to fill once more. At this, the group decides to begin exploring the temple. Moving into the east wing first, they discover another large gathering room, much like the entry, with another frozen pool in its center and a statue of another frozen man at the southern end. This room had two braziers containing blue flames which lit the room rather effectively. On the northern wall were two exits. One led back to the entry room, the other led to several smaller rooms. Upon investigation, these appear to be small, private worship rooms. Each contained a table of ice with two candlesticks and a basin. Wanting to experiment, Fix lit a couple candles and watched as the snow within the basin melted into a crystal clear liquid. Taking a chance, he focused on the liquid to discover a vision of the past. Each room followed a different person: a mother and her children, a city guard or councilman, a young man, an elderly woman, and an adult couple. All showed them leaving the city, being welcomed to the temple by an older dwarven man, and eventually bedding down to sleep in the respective room that had the basin. However, the guard had the closest encounter with the city’s decimation. He watched as the city shattered into the air in several pieces before running south with another group from the city. For further investigation, a few members attempted to break the ice table only to cause minor damage, also hearing cries coming from deeper within the temple. Continuing to investigate, the next room also had a brazier with a blue flame. Looking at it a bit closer, Evangeline felt herself being entranced and drawn nearer so she pulled back quickly. Seeker reached out with his own armor, extending small probes to identify the magic contained within the brazier. He discovered that it was enchanted to be ever-burning, but also to charm onlookers and bring them in to banish. Seeker warns the others not to look closely at these flames. Moving onward, they find the main hall. It appears to be once a throne room, however, in the center of it’s platform now stands another alter. As they move closer, Kadath sees the magic build on the back center pillar and soon an elven woman, with blue skin and white hair, materializes. After Seeker announced himself as being from Kelemvor, she returns the introduction as Joxina of Auril, then sends out a cold burst. This issues a fight during which Evangeline was possessed for a time by one of the ghostly spirits that appeared out of a brazier. Once Joxina and the ghosts were killed, the group began to regather, heal, and mend. A broken numenera device was discovered among the melting remains of Joxina that was determined to be a Winter Torque. During this time, Kadath began to notice an unusual magical presence from Seeker. Seeker, too, began to hear unintelligible whispers and a hum coming from his bag. Both realize it became stronger as he approached the altar, and weaker as he moved away. With this, Evangeline and Seeker head out of the temple and into the quiet cold while the others finished looking around. Fix, gathering a couple of candles, looked into this basin as well. He discovered this vision followed the dwarven man. It ended in Joxina, wearing a snowflake pendant, strangling him as a shadow overcame his dying form.

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