It hadn't been very long when the Glass Breakers had finally put an end to the Black Spider's plans, though things would quickly change for them. As it would turn out, Jameson – the party's rock gnome barbarian – had expressed a desire to return to Gnomengarde, having found something to live for, as he declared. Having said his farewells, Jameson and the rest of the Glass Breakers, along with an apparently-reformed Iarno, went their separate ways. Back in Phandalin, the townspeople had begun to decide on an official new townmaster and, according to Sildar, were looking to Halia Thornton to take up the position now that the situation in town has begun to calm down, somewhat.
After an evening of celebration for their victory and mourning their losses along the way, the remaining Glass Breakers set out for Neverwinter. A while into their travel along the High Road, Rare spots an unassuming bird making its way towards her. However, as it reaches the tiefling cleric, the bird is quickly revealed to be an Animal Messenger sent by none other than Jameson, who desperately cried out to them for help as Cryovain, the white dragon that had been roaming the Sword Coast, arrived at Gnomengarde not long ago.
Upon being informed by Rare, the party immediately shifts gears and begins making their way towards Gnomengarde when they are met by a trio of orcs, who had been planning to attack them but are more interested in dealing with the white dragon, who had apparently taken over their lair at Icespire Peak, and demand that they lead them to him. Coming to an agreement, the group makes their way to Gnomengarde as quickly as they possibly could.
Arriving at the home of the recluses, the Glass Breakers find a grievously-injured Jameson, who had barely survived his encounter with the dragon and was now being tended to by Facktore, the crazed inventor they met the last time they were there with whom the barbarian had apparently become romantically involved. The Glass Breakers learn that Cryovain had plans on returning to Gnomengarde to even the score before long, prompting them to begin making preparations, knowing that they were about to fight a dragon.
As preparations were complete and a plan was formulated by noon, the Glass Breakers steeled themselves for the white dragon's arrival. Sure enough, they began to hear the booming sounds of a dragon's wings flapping through the air and found Cryovain standing atop the large cave and, after speaking a few words of menace towards the party, began his attack!
Even with their plan giving them something of an edge, the battle quickly grew tense as Cryovain quickly retaliated with a deadly breath of frost, managing to knock out Rare, Bayesian – the party's gnome rogue/wizard who narrowly avoided death by casting Absorb Elements on reaction, and Nigel – the party's human battle master fighter, and utterly decimate some of the rock gnome recluses by their side, which sadly included Facktore, much to Jameson's despair.
In addition, Ghesh – the party's hexblade warlock – found out at the exact moment he tried to fire an Eldritch Blast that, for one reason or another, he had lost access to his pact magic and was essentially left only able to swing his bardiche around to fight. With only Jameson, Riku – the human samurai fighter, and the orcs that had accompanied them in prime condition to fight, they proceeded to fight the hardest they've ever fought thus far, the orcs taking their chance at revenge against the dragon for stealing their home, the samurai not willing to let any of his allies die on his watch, and the barbarian being overcome with rage and despair at Facktore's death.
Ultimately, Riku manages to barely land the final blow, cutting Cryovain down with his blade. Meanwhile, Rare and Bayesian were able to get back up on their feet. Sadly, Nigel was not as lucky, having rolled a Natural 1 on his last death save after having already failed once…
Having succumbed to the frostbite caused by Cryovain's cold breath, Nigel Heume Mann laid by the water and quietly passed on, remaining unnoticed until Ghesh had gotten a good look at the mercenary's frostbitten corpse. The Glass Breakers then mourn for the second of them to fall in battle, while the rest of the recluses and Jameson go on to mourn their fallen, with Ghesh accompanying them to pay his respects.
The party, once more accompanied by Jameson, take their leave and return to Phandalin to break the bad news to Sildar and Iarno, who were then left alone in the wagon to mourn for their friend. Meanwhile, Jameson breaks off from the party once more and visits Alston Garrick, the town's blacksmith and an old friend of the barbarian's, leaving a tall order – though one the blacksmith was more than willing to accomplish for his friend's sake – before moving onto parts unknown, having apparently given up on a peaceful life…
And with that, this is where Tales of the Broken Glass sees its end in the foreseeable future. I ran a few more sessions after the one wherein this story takes place, though nothing too substantial happened – apart from the introduction of a new party member, and I have long since taken an indefinite hiatus from DMing this campaign for several reasons.
For those who've stuck around since the first Tales from the Broken Glass entry, thank you so much for sticking for the ride, and I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed these stories I've been sharing with you!
But still, until I get back that spark of DMing that campaign with the same passion I had early into 2020, this is the end of the road for this series, and this is Crimson, signing off.
For now.
[zombify_post]
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