Day 3: Part 4: Audience with the Jarl
Kalinar ran past Silvius and Czolg, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. As he turned the corner, he saw a frost giant standing tall, its icy blue skin glinting in the cave lights. But the cloud giant that had been there just moments before was nowhere to be found.
The frost giant looked down at Kalinar with a serious expression on its face. “The Jarl wishes to speak with you,” he said in a deep, gravelly voice. “Gather your party and come with me.”
Kalinar turned to Silvius and Czolg, who were standing behind him, looking just as confused as he was. “What do we do?” he asked them.
Silvius thought for a moment before speaking. “We can gather the others and speak with the Jarl, but we need some time to prepare to hold court with him. It’s not every day that we get an invitation to meet with the leader of the frost giants.”
The frost giant nodded. “You have one hour” he said.
Silvius nodded. “We’ll gather the rest of us and meet you here,” he said, turning to Kalinar and Czolg. “Come on, let’s get moving.”
The three of them returned to the center hall, where they found the rest of their party waiting for them. “What’s going on?” Oscorn asked as they approached.
Silvius explained the situation to the rest of the group, and after discussing whether to run or fight, they began preparing for their meeting with the Jarl. Oscorn retrieved his javelin of lightning, and Silvius searched the price of darkness while the rest of the team searched the slain giants and ogres. They found:
- 60 gold from the giants bags (Oscorn’s bag)
- 3 more sashes 500gp each (Silvius put in his backpack)
- Prince of darknesses glaive (gave to Czolg)
- A golden necklace with red gems (Silvius put in his bag)
- A scroll tube sealed in wax with a triangle pressed into it
Silvius opened the scroll and read it to the rest of the group, revealing that it was an agreement between the Jarl and the Oni, the people of the prince of darkness, to join the war against humankind. The Jarl had offered them 25,000 gold pieces and the right to loot whatever they wanted from the battlefield. The agreement was set to be confirmed over drinks the following day.
“This is the same symbol that was on the plans to attack we found hidden near Nosnra’s planning. The one signed Ecvaldra” Silvius said as he pointed to the symbol on the scroll tube.
The group nodded grimly, knowing that they had to do something to stop the Oni from joining the war. “At least we stopped the Oni from joining… for now,” Czolg said, trying to sound hopeful.
The discussion turned to what the team should do next. Should they rest and regroup, or should they run and try to escape the frost giants’ territory? Nobody was sure what the Jarl’s intentions were for them, and they were all feeling drained from their recent battles.
After a long debate and a short rest, they agreed to return to meet the Jarl and hear what he had to say. The team walked back to the frost giant who was waiting for them, their nerves on edge as they prepared for whatever was to come.
The team walked back to the frost giant who was waiting for them, their nerves on edge as they prepared for whatever was to come. As they approached, the frost giant looked at them curiously, his gaze drawn to something flying around behind them.
“What is that?” he asked, pointing to ADC’s fairy that was flitting about.
ADC quickly snatched the fairy from the air and stuffed it into his cloak pocket, trying to play it cool. “Oh him… nothing at all,” he said nervously.
The frost giant raised an eyebrow. “I see… None of that nonsense in front of the Jarl. Follow me.” he said, turning to lead the group through a frozen gate.
The frost giant raised a horn and blew two low notes causing the gate to open. Kalinar elbowed Silvius and gave a quick nod. Silvius winked and mouthed the same low notes. The team followed the frost giant through the gate, walking into a grand hall lined with frost giants as well as a fire giant, a cloud giant, and many bears.
The frost giant told the team to stand in the middle of the room, and they obeyed, looking around in awe of the giants and decorations that surrounded them. In front of them was a particularly large frost giant sitting on a throne covered with a polar bear pelt and a white dragon hide hanging behind him. This was Jarl, the leader of the frost giants and ruler of the black ice.
The team of heroes stood before Jarl, the leader of the frost giants, as he glared at them with a mixture of anger and frustration. “You’ve caused me and my people great trouble,” he said. “I’ve heard what you did to the steading. I can not let you go.”
Kalinar stepped forward, his eyes flashing with defiance. “Hey, we were only returning the favor, you’ve invaded our lands and indiscriminately killed our people.”
Jarl scowled. “I take my orders from Snure, king of the fire giants,” he said.
Kalinar snorted. “Ahh, just following orders I see. We’ve been hearing that a lot lately,” he said.
Jarl sighed. “We have our families here. The black ice is our home, and all we wish is to roam here freely… yet, we must honor the ordering. We do not have an issue with you or your people. We are but a staging point for the army to pass.”
Kalinar nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds like maybe if you let us take care of Snure, you could get back to your own people and the black ice,” he said.
Jarl laughed. “You may have destroyed the steading, but that’s nothing like the mountain of Snure. And even if you did defeat him, you’d have to deal with the priestess,” he said.
The team of heroes looked at each other, confused. “Ah yes, Ecvaldra…” Silvius said.
Jarl narrowed his eyes. “See, don’t play games with me. You know the priestess, and you’d have to defeat her along with the rest of the Drow. So I can’t let you go. The chance is too great. I need to stop you here,” he said.
The word “Drow” struck Silvius, and all went silent except for that word ringing in his ears as his skin crawled and bristled.
“No, you won’t be stopping us here because…” Silvius said, pointing at Jarl. “You know we’ll take care of you first. Or at least you do now…,” his voice dripping with anger.
Oscorn, shocked, reached his arm across Silvius to stop him and calmly said to Jarl, “We are not here to end your people or cause you harm. We only intend to stop the war. There must be a way we can find some common ground for life and peace.”
Jarl looked at Oscorn with interest. “You… yes, you. Say more,” he said.
Oscorn took a deep breath. “Let us continue on to Snure. We have no reason to have this come back to you in victory or defeat. Plus, if we succeed, you are left to rule the black ice again in peace,” he said.
Jarl leaned forward and took a closer look at Oscorn, his eyes narrowing. “It is you! You were even smaller then, and it’s been some time. But I knew it was you,” he said.
Oscorn went quiet as his mouth dropped open in shock. Eventually, he muttered in a lifeless tone, “Where is it?”
Jarl chuckled. “I took it from you. The Drow took it from me. Now they keep it deep in the heart of the mountain where they seal all that they love. It’s in Snure’s mountain within the Ladher range. What’s it worth to you?” he asked.
“It’s… it’s worth everything to me,” Oscorn said, his voice shaking with emotion.
“Well, it’s far from here. Maybe several weeks’ journey…” Jarl said.
Silvius interrupted him. “You’re not taking orders and acting as a staging point from a place that can only be reached by a three-week journey. Where’s your magic chain to get there?” he asked.
Jarl chuckled again. “Ahh, so that’s how you found me. Very well. If you want to go to Snure and live through your time here, follow me,” he said, turning to lead the team down a long hallway past his throne.
As they walked, they could hear the sound of children playing in a cave to the north. Czolg turned to Oscorn and asked, “What did they take?”
Oscorn sighed. “My people’s connection to our god. Our holy relic. They stole it, and it’s my life’s work to bring it back,” he said.
Czolg nodded. “Well, then it’s my life’s work now too. Only seems fair I make sure you can talk to your god after all the times you’ve kept me from seeing mine too early,” he said, clapping Oscorn on the back.
Oscorn could only mutter a thank you through his misting eyes.
Jarl led the team past a hide hanging on the wall, uncovering a room which was empty except for a metal handle. “All of you get inside and pull the handle,” he said.
ADC waved his hands around frantically. “No, no, no. I will not be entering some room with all of us and pulling a handle. That could easily go down as the most ridiculous way a team of adventurers have ever all died together,” he said.
A frost giant walked up behind ADC with three of his friends. “Well, if you want to all die in battle, we can make it happen,” he said, tapping his axe in his hand.
ADC quickly changed his mind. “Nope, nope, prefer the magic lever. Let’s go,” he said, joining the others in the room.
Kalinar, impatient with the delay, pulled down the lever and they felt themselves transport away. They also again felt they had all grown stronger and maybe even wiser as they left the black ice.