Our chilly troupe continues our descent along the mountains of madness’s steep cliffs, finally arriving at Rhymespire Canyon - with impressive vertical cliff walls and a precarious spire of ice. Our route required crossing an ancient rock bridge, covered in as much snow as it could hold.

Gerggwen’s skeletal kitty was light enough for the bridge to carry, and with the gift of fire breathing, cleared the worst of the snow to allow us to traverse it.

Can’t make a good wine without breaking a few children’s heads.

Hearing the incoming screeching of the Great Roc, Dwayne, Brave sir Orrrs ran away, diving into the snow and burying himself in fear. This cowardice left the rest of us to proceed across the spooky bridge much faster than we’d planned, dodging swipes from Dwayne’s massive claws. ‘Normal Hands’ Misha, taking a cue from his teacher, spider zoidberg’d his way under the bridge, where he just hung out and chilled. He switched to throwing boulders at us, which we parted with a perfectly timed Shape Stone and some Shatter for good measure. Our guide Van Richten moved far more dextrously than any of us expected from his grey hair. Dwayne landed closer and attempted to blow us away, ultimately crashing an ice spire upon us, requiring a combination act of Bran curling Fen like a curling stone across the canyon’s ice lake base. This made sense.

Finally making it to the cover of the temple, we licked out frosty wounds while watching a now more alone Orrrs poorly sneak his way along the obstacle course in our wake. Poor Misha got himself skewered through the chest by the Roc, and started being carried away before Eldritch might freed the Spiderman.

Reunited in safety, to took in the facade of the Temple, quite built into the mountain, guarded by six praying amber statues, which make us feel peculiar in our hippocampus when we spy where their faceholes ought to be. Shuddering, we follow some snowprints - of several humans and a set of large wolf paws - into a narrow crack in the side of the facade, with humans!

We entered in and saw a group of five folks equipped with their own pet winter wolf, growling. Their inventory included a 6th fellow, deceased, missing chunks from their stomach and with puncture wounds in their neck, a telltale sign of venom. The folks were wary of us, mentioning they were on a pilgrammage from the Zor’a village behind the waterfall, and that the princess’s prized weapon, Shatterspike, had been stolen from their camp last night, words which gave the room a fell aura.

– Recompiled by Darkwalker Fen von Stoker
Zombie Cleric of the Moon (and non-evil lycanthropes)

Previous Chapter: The Cave of Lying Shadows

Next Chapter: Into The Amber

Dramatis Personae

• B - Darkwalker Fen von Stoker, Zombie Cleric
• T - Bran von Stoker, Deathlock, Strahd’s Favoured
• N - Orrrs, Murderhobo, Sensei to Misha, Werewolf Alpha, Bearer of the Spear of Khevan
• N - Normal Hands Misha, spiderful sidekick
• M - Sarandiel, Shapeshifting culture vulture, Irena #3
• D - Dorvil the Blue, Artificer of Splendifourous Gadgets
• T - Gerggwen, Panic Fireballer and keeper of the cat Bonedaddy

With Guests

• Van Richten, aka Ricktavio, seasoned veteran of Monster Slaying, Loremaster