To Melt Winter's Heart

The session "To Melt Winter's Heart" took place on June 4th, 2020. Our heroes hold audience with the Winter Queen. Thanks to Clairen and Sorithyn's performance, they gain deeper knowledge of Dubhoisean and the founding of Nyl.

Synopsis
The party gathers outside the makeshift igloo, dressed in their formal attire. A quick rundown is given of everyone's looks:

Ally: Winter robes in a neutral color.

Clairen: Her favorite robe (as pictured on the front page).

Kalza: A high-neck black dress with cutout shoulders, black tights, and black boots.

Rylee: A summery ballroom-esque dress with puffy sleeves and plant-like details.

Saphir: A white pantsuit and gold shoes borrowed from Clairen. He uses Disguise Self to appear more petite, despite the party's prior encouragement.

Sorithyn: Her blue formal outfit, along with the Cloak of Mounteback. Prestidigitation turns the cloak blue to coordinate.

The Lady of Black Ice approves of the party's dress and leads them up the glacier to the Winter Queen's palace. Along the way, the group takes notice of the resplendent beauty of Winter's Walk. An aurora hangs in the sky overhead, the pathway is lined with white lilies. At the top, suspended snow captures the light of the aurora. Likewise, the castle stands as a monument to perfection, as if plucked from a cloud and frozen to shape. The temperature drops as the party approaches the palace.

Inside, the architecture is no less immaculate. Detailed, frozen patterns of berry branches span decorated pillars. Flawless blue ice forms the floor, and frozen, floating crystals dot the ceiling. The Lady of Black Ice informs the party that court will be called soon and leaves them to freeze in the foyer.

While waiting, a large shadow comes to loom over Clairen. It belongs to a 15-foot tall fey met when she played in the woods, who recognizes the group immediately. It gives its name, The Connoisseur, revealing itself to be a dignitary of the Autumn Court. He laments being away from home in such stressful times, with the Court of Nyl on the rise and the threat of the Blood Moon looming.

When pressed for details, it explains that the Blood Moon occurs about every other century, and it always heralds disaster. From her research, Kalza recalls that humans refer to the Blood Moon as "the night of shattered windows". Per Curranan lore, fey are at their most powerful and most malicious during this time.

The Connoisseur confirms that Nyl performs acts of dark revelry and often forces members of other courts to participate, but it shies away from any further details. Clairen kisses the Connoisseur's hand, much to its delight. It remarks how it would like to bring the party back to the Autumn Court and keep them forever. This earns some side eyeing from the party, but they part ways with the Connoisseur peacefully.

Soon after, doors open into a night sky. The Lady of Black Ice returns, dressed in a sexy snow-woven gown, and announces the party to the Winter Queen. The queen melts from her icy throne, forming into a ten-foot tall woman, and regards the party as coldly as her name would suggest.

Taking a knee, Clairen invokes the Rite of Guests and greets the queen humbly. The queen chides her for speaking out of turn, and a coldness sinks into Clairen. Curtly, the queen prompts the group to explain why they've come to her. Clairen introduces them as the Seekers and informs her that they're here on behalf of the governor of Altun, but they serve the queen of Elmstone. It's revealed that the Winter Queen has knowledge of her true identity and some animosity exists due to the Raven Queen's claim over the domain of winter.

Ally and Sorithyn push the conversation forward, informing the Winter Queen of the Trio's involvement with the Court of Nyl. She grows incredulous at this, asking if we intend to have the Winter Court wage war with Nyl. Clairen's remark of placid affirmation earns her a point of exhaustion.

Saphir finally finds the words to state that the party has heard man's side of the tale. Now, they wish to hear the fey's. Taking an interest in him, the Winter Queen beckons him forward, to which he complies. Nudging her scepter under his chin, she forces Saphir to make eye contact with her. She's perplexed by his lack of knowledge concerning fey politics. When he explains that he was brought up outside of fey territory, she allows him to ask one question, but not before severing his telepathic connection with the rest of the party.

After some hesitation, Saphir asks to hear her version of the story Mathilda and the White, in a gamble intending to demonstrate that they may not just be here for mortalkind. The Winter Queen's expression darkens, but she agrees to tell the tale. The queen describes Mathilda as a work of art, and there's strong implications that they were lovers. The story follows the same beats as the human telling, except for the ending. While Mathilda was supposed to have escaped her end of the bargain by remaining celibate, in truth firstborn referred to the first life she took: her husband's. Thus, their pact was completed.

The queen concludes that she isn't without mercy nor kindness, but if the party intends to ask her further questions, they must give her something that she deems to be perfect. At this point, Clairen and Sorithyn step forward. The forward retrieves her violin and offers to tell the queen a story. Once her bow touches the strings, a warm flame envelopes the instrument. The old violin is revived as pristine, black, and covered in infernal filigree. A mortal has never performed in this palace before, and so they have the queen's interest.

The song begins very quietly in deep minor keys, Sorithyn accompanying on the lyre. It conveys the intensity of the current situation. After a brief pause, it returns to the same wintery motifs, but modulates to a major key, becoming hopeful. Clairen and Sorithyn begin to dance, losing themselves in the music, as does Saphir while spectating. Clairen's song ends on a note that reverberates throughout the throne room, and Sorithyn picks up where she left off, using illusions to continue the story. She ends on the same tone, softly.

The icicles above melt into drops of luminescent multicolored water that drip down like cold rain. The Winter Queen's scepter clatters to the floor, her eyes wide and streaming tears. Moved by the performance, she asks Clairen's forgiveness for doubting her intentions and allows each party member to ask a question without further offerings.

Rylee is first to speak, flustered. She wants to know if recent ills have been committed by Nyl upon the Winter Court. The queen explains that the King of Nyl's presence turns fey monstrous. While he invokes fear in mortals, he provokes fey to vengeance. Thus, the separation of Nyl and the other Courts was necessary.

After shaking off the feelings Clairen's performance left in him, Saphir asks for the fey telling of Dubhoisean's transformation. Though difficult for the queen to recall, she responds. Before humans arrived, the entire island was occupied by the fey and they were ruled by only Dubhoisean. Peace ended when the humans sought to claim the land, and their king mistook Dubhoisean for a common stag and murdered him. The fey king was revived, but changed. His kindness was twisted into bitterness, spite, and anger. Thus, he transformed into the King of Fear.

Sorithyn wants to know about Dubhoisean's connection to the moon. The night sky above grows moonless, the stars forming an image of a stag. The rulers of the four courts are Dubhoisean's children. Their mother's identity is unknown. The queen conjures images of all four rulers: herself, a huge bestial figure in a suit, a warrior with his face half-concealed by armor, and an androgynous figure in a flowing gown. When it became clear that Dubhoisean's march could not be quelled by man nor fey, his children entered the heart of his lands and offered one last plea for him to stop. Dubhoisean refused, calling them insolent and attempting to cast them out. With heavy hearts, his children sealed him within a great heart tree and raised this half of his kingdom into the sky, creating the moon seen every night.

Prompted by Kiyani, who can speak through the telepathic bond without taking control of Ally's body, Ally asks how the Blood Moon and the second moon relate to current events. The queen knows nothing about a second moon, but offers more information about the Blood Moon. When it appears in the sky is the time that Dubhoisean will exact his vengeance. It is his right to manifest on the earth. He can appear every night at the witching hour, but during the Blood Moon, he is free to walk as long as it remains in the sky and will destroy everything he sees fit.

Kalza questions where Dubhoisean will descend. According to the Winter Queen, he is currently pursuing something to the southern coast.

Finally, Clairen inquires into a future audience to discuss a warlock pact with the Winter Queen. She agrees to this on the condition that Clairen first visit the other courts and inform them of her plight. There is a price to a pact, but she must be readily informed in order to pay it. Clairen also asks if the queen knows of a pillar within Currana. To the southeast, within the Eternal Tempest across the sea, lies an ancient power that is forgotten even to the fey. Dubhoisean has his sights on this location.

As the audience concludes, the Winter Queen bids Clairen to carry her song in her heart and perform it for as many people as possible. The party is given unhindered passage in her lands, provided they take only what they need. Everyone congratulates Clairen upon exiting the throne room, Sorithyn pulling her into a hug.

Taking a short rest at the foot of the glacier, Saphir asks Rylee to scry on the Trio. Using the dust recovered from the spider lair, she successfully enacts the scry. It shows Iris shrouded in pitch darkness, along with the amber eyes of Raxx'Ashak and the red luminescence of Ban Shal. Ban Shal expresses impatience with Iris, desiring to crush "those mortal fools", to which she reminds him that his master wants the party alive. Raxx'Ashak interjects to chide them for bickering and Iris presses him for inquiring more about her motivations recently. Tempers flare until Iris reminds them that success means all of them will achieve their goals.

Not much longer into the conversation, Iris spots the scrying censer and grabs it with her reformed hand. She mocks Rylee and the party for continuing to interfere, and "repays" them by sending a spell through the censer. Feeling pressure behind her eyes, Rylee ends the spell. Blood pours from her eyes like tears. Shocked, the party seeks to comfort her.

Thanks to her keen mind, Kalza notices that in a couple of weeks, the moon will eclipse the sun totally for a week and two days. The Blood Moon is coming. Fast.

Player Characters

 * Clairen Longridge
 * Alavara
 * Kalza Palod
 * Rylee Puddlefoot
 * Saphir
 * Sorithyn Tolkuthol

New

 * The Connoisseur
 * The Winter Queen

Returning

 * Lady of Black Ice
 * Kiyani
 * Ban Shal
 * Iris
 * Raxx'Ashak

Mentioned

 * Dubhoisean
 * Lord Tinneman
 * The Raven Queen

Quotations
Rylee: "It's somewhat like home, right?" Sorithyn: "It's nothing like home."
 * Sorithyn: "[The castle is]...magnificent."
 * Clairen: "Resplendent queen... I would like to share something with you that is very dear to me. Though I cannot promise that I am the most technically proficient, I have put all my heart, soul, and time into this art. A wise wanderer in these lands once told me that song allowed you to speak without words, so allow me to tell you a story."
 * The Winter Queen: "Little human...I ask that you forgive me for doubting your genuine intention. You have moved me in a way I have not felt moved since my father was whole."
 * Iris: "So.  I expect you think you're clever.  Now that you've gained a bit of experience in the breadth of the world[...]I recall I offered you mercy.  All of you.  I spared you and how do you repay me?  Continued meddling and taking my hand. Well, I think it's fair I repay you.  I'll see you soon, mortals."