====== The Venom of Stormroost ======

===== Party =====

  * [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:fireetta-fjordmist|Fireetta Fjordmist]]
  * [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:shadow-animus|Shadow Animus]]
  * [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:lumen-animus|Lumen Animus]]
  * [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:kris-stormblade|Kris Stormblade]]
  * [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:frost-stormscales|Frost Stormscales]]

Ásgeirr's death by poison shook [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:nidaross|Niðaróss]] more deeply than any open raid. The poison did not behave like an ordinary venom or plant toxin, and [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:hulda-harsdottir|Hulda Harsdottir]] preserved the clues while the town threatened to come apart. Sanura's Sending messages called active parties back from the river road, the worg hunt, and [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:hearthforge|Hearthforge]]. The question became urgent: who had made the poison, and where had it come from?

The trail led toward [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:stormroost|Stormroost]], the occupied dragonborn village, and the goblin-controlled kennels below it. Strange animal sickness, worg blood, fungus, and goblin experimentation all pointed in the same direction. The first mission was investigation, not conquest. Hulda needed proof before [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:nidaross|Niðaróss]] could understand the threat.

[[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:fireetta-fjordmist|Fireetta Fjordmist]], [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:shadow-animus|Shadow Animus]], [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:lumen-animus|Lumen Animus]], [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:kris-stormblade|Kris Stormblade]], and later [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:frost-stormscales|Frost Stormscales]] became central to the [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:stormroost|Stormroost]] story. The investigation went badly. Fireetta, Shadow, and Lumen were captured. [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:grishnak|Grishnak]], the goblin artificer and poison-maker, used Fireetta as a test subject for a new corrupted worg-poison variant, killing her before rescue could reach her.

Hope came from the hidden dragonborn refugees in the [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:fang-mouth-cave|Fang-Mouth Cave]]. Frost watched from concealment and joined an ambush against a search party. Kris hesitated at first, then entered the fight and cut down foes with psychic blades, including a decisive final strike. The refugees welcomed Kris and Frost into the cave, where [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:ragna-scaleheart|Ragna Scaleheart]] recognized Kris as the Stormblade of old prophecy and Frost as a returning daughter of [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:stormroost|Stormroost]].

With dragonborn support, Kris, Frost, and their allies counterattacked. Shadow and Lumen were rescued. [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:grishnak|Grishnak]] was killed during the retaking. [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:stormroost|Stormroost]] was reclaimed, though not restored overnight. Ragna became [[culture:jarl|Jarl]], some survivors remained at [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:kris-stormblade|Kris Stormblade]]'s bastion in [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:fang-mouth-cave|Fang-Mouth Cave]], and others slowly returned to the village.

The party spent about a week at [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:fang-mouth-cave|Fang-Mouth Cave]] before returning to [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:nidaross|Niðaróss]] with their report. The investigation had found Ásgeirr's killer's source, ended [[campaigns:latitude_history:characters:grishnak|Grishnak]]'s poison work, and won back [[campaigns:latitude_history:places:stormroost|Stormroost]]. It also left a grave cost behind: Fireetta had died before help could reach her.