====== The Heart of Criostalun ======

**Session Date**: 09/20/2025 \\
**Game Master**: Declan

===== Player Characters =====
  * **Beatrix**, Harengon Ranger/Monk (Colin B)
  * **Keeka Yaxgash**, Orc Bard (Sheila)
  * **Griffin Lee Atwood**, Half-elf Horizon Walker Ranger (Hal)
  * **Lith Oakenheart**, Shadar-Kai Circle of the Moon Druid (Bridget)
  * **[[:rotheon|Rotheon "Roe" Gearbit]]**, Assimar Clockwork Sorcerer (Ace)
  * **[[:valorion|Valorion]]**, Red Dragonborn Fighter (Tim)

===== Named People and Places =====
  * [[:nemedobur|The Province of Nemedobur]] - Declan's adventuring province; a group of dangerously unstable and widely unexplored shards
  * Criostalun - A smaller shard located in [[:nemedobur|The Province of Nemedobur]] that has a shallow sea on the surface, and an endless maze of constantly shifting crystal caves below
  * [[Isaiah]] - An anxious human man & one of the Founding [[:the_voyagers|Voyagers]]
  * Jack - A reserved eladrin swordswoman & [[:the_voyagers|Voyager]]

===== Major Plot Points =====
  * On the way to Crannathragh, the team gets a message that a passage on Criostalun has opened up, leading deeper than any seen before
  * The group arrives at Criostalun and starts spelunking. Roe and Lith's chatting reveal them and swarms of crystal infected rats attack. The heroes beat them back, but not without Roe critting on a chromatic orb attack on a swarm that also nearly kills Lith. Oops. 
  * As the team delves deeper, the crystals change, becoming bigger, eerier, and changing color to the warmer tones of brown and crimson.
  * Many of the heroes get a bad feeling as the caves change, sensing blood, death, decay, and something primally predatory. Lee stabs the floor, the blade coming up bloody. Val smashes a crystal, which grows back larger and tries to heal. The adventurers realize...the crystals only grow on living things. The caves, the entire shard, may be part of a living entity!
  * On arriving at the threshold to a larger chamber, the heroes consider going back. But Isaiah vows to push foward; alone if needed, unable to leave if there's any chance of a discovery that could lead to a cure for the crystal infection.
  * The enter the final cavern, the massive chest cavity of the creature which stretches for miles. They see two massive lungs and an enormous heart. They are infected by crystals that grow and break off, as the damage is constantly healed only to be torn again. The three humanoid-like organs attack. At times throwing crystals which, if left for more than a round, become an uncurable crystal infection.
  * In the fight, the heart siezes Isaiah, teleports with him across the room, then visciously tears into him. The heroes rush to his side and finish off the heart. But it is too late. Isaiah has a terrible crystal infection across his midsection. One that no amount of crystal removal or healing can fix. 
  * Samples are collected for research, and a much more sombre group returns home to arrange the evacuation of Criostalun.