The great double doors of Icewall Castle groaned open, the iron hinges shrieking beneath centuries of frost. A howling wind surged through the crack, throwing snow into the hall like a crashing wave. The torches on the wall flicker and die in an instant—snuffed by the bite of unnatural cold.
The grand hall unfolded before Krynn's Vanguard like a tomb of ancient royalty. Pillars of blue-white ice stretch to the vaulted ceiling, supporting arches strung with icicles the size of spears. Light filtered dimly through frozen stained glass, painting fractured halos across the permafrost-slick floor. Every breath hurts. Lungs sting. Armor chills. And weapons groan with creeping frost.
At the far end of the hall, a throne carved from a single slab of jagged ice towers like a claw. Seated upon it is a figure swathed in white and silver—Feal-Thas, his eyes as pale and piercing as the blizzard outside. His presence stills the air itself. The snow does not dare touch him.
And bhind the throne, half-shadowed in a plethora of ice and poweder snow, Akis rises and unfurling his wings as the temperature drops even lower. With each breath, the expected steam immediately crystalizes in a thin sheet of ice that drops to the floor shattering on impact.
Feal-Thas rose slowly.
Feal-Thas (his voice low, echoing through the frost):
“So… the child returns. And not alone. How quaint.”
His gaze fell upon Orla—his child. There is no kindness in his face. Only cold judgment.
Feal-Thas:
“I thought you would be wiser than to trespass here. But then… wisdom was never your strength. You chose heat over heritage. Fire over frost. You chose them.”
The air tightens. Snow drifts along the seams in the floor. And then—
Akis (chuckling, voice like iron dragged across stone):
“I rather like them, Feal-Thas. They’ve come dressed for war, but they wear grief in their eyes. Will it be yours… or theirs?”
Feal-Thas lifts a hand. Snowflakes rise unnaturally around it—hovering like tiny blades.
Feal-Thas:
“You stand in Icewall, where the air bends to my will. Where the snow obeys. You cannot hide your heartbeat from me… I feel its panic.”
He begins to descend the dais. Each step creaks with a sound like cracking glass. The temperature plunges further. Even your thoughts begin to slow.
Feal-Thas:
“You seek the crest? A shard of Paladine’s favor? I hold more than that. I hold your truth. Your beginning. And perhaps…”
He pauses—then snaps his fingers.
Suddenly, shards of ice spiral from the ground, forming a half-cage around you. The walls moan with the strain of ancient magic.
Feal-Thas:
“…your end.”
Akis (grinning wide):
“I say we skip the sentiment, old elf. Let the cold test their convictions. Let them earn their gods.”
Feal-Thas turns slowly back to his child. The snow around him falls dead still.
Feal-Thas:
“Speak. Beg. Fight. It matters little. But know this: if you take one step closer…”
His voice hardens like the ice beneath your feet.
“…you are no longer my child. You are my enemy.”
The cold deepens. The wind screams through cracks in the walls. The floor trembles with rising power.
And with a deafening crack—the battle begins.
Feal-Thas was mainly dealt with by Orla and Orion. He was much weaker without Akis giving him a massive assist. Unclear why Akis let the Dragon Highlord go down so easily, it was likely he'd outlived his usefulness. Orla finished him off by slicing Friekugel across his abdomen, before torquing her hips back around with another swing cleaving through his neck, snapping the spinal cord and sending his head rolling. In his final words he almost begged
“Protect her…”
The battle raged on, all of the party members now focused on the White Son of Takhisis, revived and more powerful than ever. Arcadius with his Blessed Dragonlance contributed massively to the fight even if he did end up loosing his life a couple times due to being directly targeted by the greatwyrm. Big Bob and Kyan Covverre were right there able to revive him and keep him kicking as it was vital to have him with them. A turning point in the fight was when Akis had all of them on the ropes, one more Cold Breath attack likely downed most, if not all of the party marking their defeat. Kyan pulled out a Mass Heal basically giving everyone a second life.
Akis fell and as the party gathered their breath, Orla was suddenly batted against the far wall as Akis' tail whipped around and he rose once more. In a blinding gale of ice and wind, Akis merges with Takhisis’s polar wrath. Its body crackles with frozen power, radiating a lethal chill that can freeze enemies solid. His Blizzard Apotheosis activating bringing him second life. The fight was on again and the attacks he unleashed were even more brutal. The effects of being in his lair caused an extra layer of hindrance. What transpired in just under 10 minutes felt like hours, but Krynn's Vanguard defeated the ancient greatwyrm, Orion dealing the final blow. He brought his warhammer down on the dragon's skull, causing it to splinter. The shockwave from the impact as Akis's Cold Breath billowed in his throat caused the neck of the dragon to crack and split, slattering blood all over the snow and ice of the room as he fell...for the second, and final time. No resurgence, no sneaky tail attacks...just quiet.
Resting and gathering their bearings, they searched the room after the ice and snow powered by Akis' magic faded and melted, giving the room warmth and protection from the frigid wasteland outside the walls. Remembering her father's last words, Orla and Orion searched the walls trying to find the 'her'. Using Speak With Animals, Orla was able to communicate with Athena. Meanwhile, Valphire Roseblood and Kyan opened the chest that was burried beneath the ice. They found 5,000 gold pieces, the Piece of Querrasian, the Copper piece to the Crest of the Daughters of Paladine. Four down, three to go.
Offering assistance, Bob and Kyan moved away some stone to find Athena. A ladder led down to a storage unit where they found a fairly scared, but well-cared for Tibetan Mastiff. Taking them up, they made sure to give her food and water and Athena seemed to immediately get attached to Orla.
Gathering what they could see outside, the blizzard had somewhat cleared but all they could see was a number of white dragons laying in the snow, unmoving. It was unlcear if they were resting or not. Bob worked on trying to get the magic out from the Fundementum. It was quite the struggle as the beach-ball sized mass was almost pure, raw, untamed, natural magic, but with his skill, Bob was able to pull out some of it, storing what he could in vials. It could probably be used to create some sort of potion, but exactly what needed time and research to be determined.
The group debated for a long time on whether to leave or to rest as, to their knowledge, there was an army waiting for them outside. They barred the doors and windows taking a rest. It was fairly uneventful as Bob continued to work with the fundementum during his watch, and the others didn't really do too much. It was close, but Krynn's Vanguard was lucky to survive the past few days with their lives, and all their allies.