Icingdeath and Twinkle

“Icingdeath and Twinkle” is balanced for characters of 11th level.

Location Overview

Jarlaxle Baenre, a male drow of considerable wealth and power, is the secret lord of Luskan and the head of the Bregan D’aerthe, a faction of renegade drow. He owns two magnificent warships, Icingdeath and Twinkle, named after the swords of Jarlaxle’s sometimes friend, sometimes enemy, Drizzt Do’Urden.

Jarlaxle has much to gain if Leilon’s rebuilding is successful, and even more to lose if the followers of Myrkul or Talos control the High Road. He sends members of the Bregan D’aerthe disguised as human merchants to Leilon aboard Icingdeath and Twinkle. The disguised drow beg the Leilon town council to entreat Lord Dagult Neverember to secure the road with troops from Neverwinter. The town council agrees to send the characters with the disguised merchants to plead their case.

In Luskan, pirates belonging to a lowly faction called Ship Rethnor plan to improve their station by kidnapping the captains of Icingdeath and Twinkle, forcing Jarlaxle to bargain for their lives. Galas Windrage, a priest of Talos loyal to Ship Rethnor, proposed this plan, knowing that success will bring the cult more allies in the battle to conquer Leilon.

Quest Goals

To complete the Icingdeath and Twinkle Quest (see “area The Quest Board"), adventurers must convince Dagult Neverember to secure the High Road, then survive the journey back to Leilon.

Arrival

Icingdeath and Twinkle are anchored near the shore ten miles west of Leilon. The characters can travel overland or take barges. When they can see the ships, read the following boxed text aloud:

Two magnificent ships are anchored just beyond the marshy shore. Both have long strips of decorative cloth stretched from the tops of their masts down to the railings around their decks. The smaller of the ships is decorated with blue, pink, and purple fabric, and has a massive figurehead shaped like a charging unicorn with a prominent gold horn. A name on the side of this ship reads Twinkle.

The larger ship is adorned with white and gold fabric, and its figurehead looks like a lavender-eyed drow leaping forward to attack with twin scimitars. An enormous roaring panther head is attached the aft of this ship. The name on its side reads Icingdeath.

If the characters are traveling by barge, they can row to the side of the ship, where the ship’s captain welcomes them aboard. If the characters travel overland to the ships, both captains send Rowboat to collect them from the shore. The characters are free to travel on whichever ship they choose, though characters who can cast spells are encouraged to travel aboard Icingdeath and meet the ship’s mage captain!

Drow Crews

Icingdeath and Twinkle each have a crew of forty neutral drow sailors. Drow have a reputation as evil, subterranean slavers and are not generally trusted by humanoids living on the surface. While this is not true of the ships' crews, they fear persecution and suspicion, so they are disguised as humans thanks to the ship’s figureheads (see the “area Icingdeath and Twinkle Features” sidebar). The sailors are focused on the task of sailing the ship and engage with the characters as little as possible. While the characters are aboard, the drow spend most of their time working on the decks of the ships, but might retreat below deck to eat, rest, or get a break from the light of day.

Each ship has six officers: a captain, a first mate, a bosun, a quartermaster, a surgeon, and a cook. Each officer is disguised as a merchant going to Neverwinter to beg for Lord Neverember’s aid. The officers and Captain Deloz Montiv of Twinkle are neutral Drow Elite Warrior. Captain Xalti Tezzan of Icingdeath is a chaotic neutral drow mage. The officers can be wherever you choose on the ship and likely move about as they spend time with the characters.

Discovering the Drow

Any character who spends 1 hour observing a ship’s crew can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. On a success, the character notices that most crew members speak Common with an Elvish accent and exchange hand signals when they think no one is looking. A drow character recognizes the hand signals as Drow Sign Language.

The changes wrought by the magic of the ships' figureheads fail to hold up to physical inspection, meaning that characters who physically interact with crew members have a chance to notice the illusion. Additionally, any drow character who boards one of these ships instantly takes on the illusory form of a human.

Meeting the Ship Captains

Captain Deloz of Twinkle is disguised as a male Rashemi human weapon merchant. He is quiet, calculating, and observant. The captain often does random inspections of his crew, and checks in on his passengers to make sure they’re comfortable (and not getting into trouble).

Captain Xalti of Icingdeath is disguised as a male Calishite human iron merchant. He is impulsive, nosy, and confident. The captain enjoys showing off his magic and making a bet on the outcome of almost any event.

Each captain wears a hat of disguise so they can maintain their illusionary appearance while not on the ship. The drow keep their real identities secret from the characters, but do not deny it if they are accused or caught. They’re not willing to die to keep their identities secret.

Icingdeath and Twinkle Features

Both Icingdeath and Twinkle are more prepared for battle than they seem and share the following general features.

Ballistas: Both ships have are equipped with ballistae. For more information, see “Siege Equipment” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Ceilings: The ceilings in the lower deck, holds, and cabins of the ships are 8 feet high with 6-foot-high doorways.

Doors: The ships' doors are made of wood and have AC 15, 18 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. A lock can be picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check made using thieves' tools, or the door can be forced open with a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check.

Figureheads: A detect magic spell or similar magic reveals an aura of illusion magic around either ship’s figurehead—the effect that makes every drow aboard the ship appear as a human. A drow’s gender, height, and weight are unchanged; the illusion affects only appearance, not voice or mannerisms. Casting dispel magic on a disguised drow causes the illusion around it to wink out, but only for a moment. An antimagic field (including the one generated by the crystal on Twinkle in area area T5) suppresses the figurehead’s magic within the field’s area. Destroying the figurehead ends the effect throughout the ship. A figurehead has AC 15, 50 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

Light: Hanging lanterns cast bright light throughout the ships.

Rigging: Rigging on the ships can be climbed without an ability check.

Sails: The ships each have three 80-foot-tall masts with sails to catch the wind and oars on the lower deck for rowing.

Statistics: Each ship has the statistics of a warship (see “Unusual Environments” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Sunshield: The decorative cloth hanging from the masts of each ship can be unfurled to create a sunshield, shading the deck of the ship in dim light and allowing the drow to avoid the penalties from their Sunlight Sensitivity feature. It takes one creature 1 minute to unfurl all the cloths on a ship. Multiple creatures working together can reduce the time proportionately.

Icingdeath Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Icingdeath.

I1. Icingdeath Main Deck

A rowboat on this deck of the ship covers a hatch used for loading and unloading large cargo into the main hold (area area I7).

A 3-foot-high capstan near the middle of the deck is locked in place. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds that one of the capstan’s spokes has a hidden button. Pressing the button unlocks and locks the capstan. While unlocked, a creature can use their action to turn the capstan clockwise, raising the six ballistae and the ammunition in the cargo hold through the six trap doors (three on the port side and three on the starboard side) onto the main deck. While the ballistae are raised, turning the capstan counterclockwise as an action lowers the weapons back into the cargo hold.

Magic Statue

An 8-foot-tall, 4,000-pound stone statue of Drizzt Do’Urden, a famous drow ranger, stands near the front of the main deck, posed with hands on the pommels of his famous, sheathed scimitars. The statue’s mouth is open in a goofy grin. A detect magic spell reveals that the statue radiates an aura of transmutation magic. Whenever a creature on the main deck speaks the statue’s command word (“Artemis”), the statue animates and obeys the creature who animated it. As a bonus action, the creature can direct the statue to move up to 30 feet or shoot a stream of water out of its mouth at a target within 30 feet of the statue. The stream of water has the same effect as the geyser option of a decanter of endless water. If the command word is spoken by that creature again, the statue returns to its original position on the ship and is no longer animate. The statue has AC 17, 27 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Captain Xalti Tezzan (see “area Drow Crews") knows the statue’s command word.

I2. Icingdeath Forecastle

This deck contains a ballista and ten bolts for the siege weapon, secured with rope.

I3. Icingdeath Aftercastle

This deck holds the ship’s wheel. A character who makes a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a hidden button on center of the wheel. As an action, a creature can press the button, causing the panther head attached to the aft of the ship to release a 20-foot-square patch of oil onto the surface of the sea, which the head then ignites by releasing a jet of flame from its mouth. The oil burns on the surface of the water for 1 minute. Creatures and objects that enter or start their turn in the burning oil take 18 (4d8) fire damage.

I4. Icingdeath Captain’s Cabin

The door to this cabin is locked (see the “area Icingdeath and Twinkle Features” sidebar). Captain Xalti Tezzan (see “area Drow Crews") holds the key. If the characters enter this room, read the following boxed text aloud:

Silk pillows and discarded robes surround a central two-foot-high table attached to the floor. At the back of the room, a small wooden chest is built into the wall.

The inside lid of the chest is covered by a Swarm of Spiders), which attack any creature who opens the chest, expect Xalti. The chest contains Xalti’s spellbook, which includes all the spells he has prepared, as well as detect magic, find familiar, and fireball. The inside cover of the spellbook also contains the phrase “Artemis animates” in Elvish (a clue to animating the statue in area area I1).

I5. Chart Room.

This cabin contains a 3-foot-high table set with navigator’s tools, as well as two easels and two frames on the walls holding nautical maps of the Sword Coast.

Secret Door

A character who succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the outline of a secret door in the wall that leads to area I6.

I6. Oil Pump Room

When the characters enter this room, read the following boxed text aloud:

Three brass cylindrical canisters, one at the middle of the cabin and two at either end, stand upright, connected to each other by long pipes which converge and exit to the aft of the ship.

Each 1-foot-diameter, 2-foot-high, 50-pound canister is filled with oil used by the panther head attached to the aft of the ship (see area area I3). A character can detach a canister of oil from the pipes with a successful DC 15 Intelligence check using tinker’s tools. If more than one oil canister is disconnected, the panther head does not function.

If a canister takes 5 or more points of fire damage from a single spell or attack, it explodes in a 10-foot-radius sphere. Creatures in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This also catches the ship on fire, and will require immediate attention to keep it from spreading any further.

I7. Icingdeath Main Hold

The sailors rest in shifts using the sixteen hammocks strung up in cabin around many stacked crates. The crates hold rations, supplies needed to maintain and repair the ship, and small barrels of fresh water and ale.

There are also six ballistae below deck, each with ten bolts of ammunition secured by ropes beneath. When the capstan on the main deck (area area I1) is turned, a gear wrapped around a pillar connected to the capstan also turns, raising the ballistae and ammunition to the main deck via rising pillars.

I8. Icingdeath Galley.

Crew members converse, play games, and share meals around the table and eight chairs attached to the floor of this cabin.

I9. Icingdeath Cargo Cabin

Several large crates are secured in this cabin. A peek inside the crates reveals what appear to be iron ingots, bars of gold and silver, and other trade goods. Interacting with these objects reveals they are made of painted wood.

Twinkle Locations

The following locations are keyed to the map of Twinkle.

T1. Twinkle Main Deck

A rowboat on this deck of the ship covers a hatch used for loading and unloading large cargo into the main hold (area area T6).

T2. Twinkle Forecastle.

This deck contains a ballista and ten bolts for the siege weapon, secured with rope.

T3. Twinkle Aftercastle

This deck holds the ship’s wheel, which is always operated by at least one member of the crew. A trap door in the floor opens when the crank in area area T5 is pulled, raising the antimagic crystal onto this deck.

T4. Twinkle Captain’s Cabin

The door to this cabin is locked (see the “area Icingdeath and Twinkle Features” sidebar). Captain Deloz Montiv (see “area Drow Crews") holds the key. If the characters enter this room, read the following boxed text aloud:

This simple, spotless cabin has a bare desk and chair built into the floor at the center of the room. A twin bed at the back of the room is covered in plain white sheets.

A character who searches the drawers of the desk finds several maps of the waters around the Sword Coast, quite a few romance novels, and a diary written in Elvish tracking the tides around Luskan.

Treasure

A character who searches the bed finds a concealed drawer in the bed frame, beneath the sheets. Inside the drawer are Deloz’s neatly folded clothing and a potion of water breathing

T5. Crystal Chamber

The door to this cabin is locked (see the “area Icingdeath and Twinkle Features” sidebar). Captain Deloz Montiv (see “area Drow Crews") holds the key. If the characters enter this room, read the following boxed text aloud:

A six-foot tall glowing blue crystal stands in the middle of the chamber. A three-foot-long lever sticks up from the floor on the starboard side of the cabin.

As an action, a character can pull the lever, causing the floor beneath the antimagic crystal to rise on a pillar and the trap door in area area T3 to open, placing the crystal in area area T3. Pulling the lever again causes the crystal to drop back into this cabin.

Antimagic Crystal

The antimagic crystal creates a 200-foot-radius sphere of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, centered on the crystal. While inside the cabin, the crystal’s effect is contained in the room. The crystal has AC 13, 27 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.

T6. Twinkle Main Hold

The sailors rest in shifts using the floor and the four hammocks strung up in this cabin. Several stacked crates near in the fore of the hold contain rations, supplies needed to maintain and repair the ship, and small barrels of fresh water and ale.

T7. Twinkle Galley

Crew members converse, play games, and share meals around the table and eight chairs attached to the floor of this cabin..

T8. Twinkle Cargo Cabin

Several large crates are secured in this cabin. A peek inside the crates reveals what appear to be iron ingots, bars of gold and silver, and other trade goods. Interacting with these objects reveals they are made of painted wood.

Events

The following events occur during this quest.

Journey to Neverwinter

It takes the ships almost an entire day to travel to Neverwinter. Give the characters a chance to explore the ship, chat with the captains, and plan what they want to say to sway Dagult Neverember to action.

Audience with Neverember

After the ships arrive in Neverwinter, the ship captains waste no time leading the characters to an audience with Lord Dagult Neverember in Castle Never. Read the following boxed text aloud to set the scene:

You stand in the great marble hall of Castle Never, on a red carpet that leads up to a throne. Atop the chair sits a serious man in shining plate armor and blue cloak with gold trim. Lord Dagult Neverember strokes his short, gray beard as he listens to the pleas of the captains to secure the High Road and send troops to Leilon. When they finish, the lord turns toward you.

“Each of you make your case. Why should I send my troops to Leilon? By all accounts it should be able to defend itself now. I’ve already poured many resources into the town and it has yet to pay anything back.”

Encourage each character to make a case to Dagult. After making their statement, the character should make a DC 13 ability check. In cases of simple argument, this is a Charisma (Persuasion) check, but allow the characters to get creative. For instance, characters who try to scare Dagult with stories of their enemies could make a Charisma (Intimidation or Performance) check, and characters who try to use a historical example or allegory could make an Intelligence (History) check. Grant advantage on the check to characters who make a well-reasoned or passionate argument.

• If the all the characters succeed on the check, Neverember agrees to secure the High Road and Leilon at no cost to the town.
• If more than half the characters succeed, Neverember agrees to Leilon’s demands provided that the Leilon town council pays 250 gp to help cover costs.
• If half or fewer (but at least one) of the characters succeed, Neverember agrees to Leilon’s demands provided that the Leilon town council pays 500 gp to help cover costs.
• If none of the characters succeed, Neverember agrees to Leilon’s demands provided that the Leilon town council pays 1,000 gp to help cover costs.

Journey Back to Leilon

After the meeting with Dagult Neverember, the captains are eager to return the characters to Leilon with news of the lord’s decision. During the return journey, the characters experience the following encounters.

Invisible Assassins

The Talos priest Galas Windrage sends Invisible Stalker to the ship the characters are traveling on, to kill the captains and officers before the coming battle. There is one invisible stalker per two members of the party, including sidekicks. The encounter begins when the characters hear the captain yell from his cabin as he is attacked. The stalkers fight to the death.

Storm

Galas Windrage creates a storm to distract the characters and their allies before the coming battle. When the storm begins, read the following boxed text aloud:

Lightning and thunder suddenly crack a dark sky as heavy rain pours from above. Cries of, “Hurricane! All hands on deck!” can be heard throughout the vessel. The sailors need all the help they can get.

The characters can help the sailors fight the storm by making any of the following ability checks:

• Characters who help the sailors push through the storm by securing ropes and tying down cargo and equipment must make a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check.
• Character who attempt to steer the ship’s wheel must make a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using water vehicles.
• Characters who help the sailors navigate through the storm must make a successful DC 15 Intelligence check using navigator’s tools.
• Allow the characters to attempt other DC 15 ability checks that make sense. For instance, a character trying to inspire others to work harder without fear of the storm could make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

After each character has had a chance to make an ability check, the storm ends. Determine the results of their actions:

• If all the characters succeeded on their checks, the ships make it through the storm unscathed.
• If half or more of the characters succeeded, their ship takes 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage from the storm.
• If fewer than half of the characters succeeded, their ship takes 44 (8d10) bludgeoning damage from the storm.

Battle on the Sword Sea

When the storm ends, Icingdeath and Twinkle are within 400 feet of Throatcutter, a warship, and Thunderstrike, a longship (see “Unusual Environments” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for statistics). Read the following boxed text aloud to set the scene:

The sky becomes clear and sunny as the rain begins to clear, revealing two nearby ships. The smaller vessel, a longship, rows quickly toward you, its crew chanting in prayer. The larger vessel, a warship armed with ballista and catapults, has a large crow painted on its sails. The officers of your vessels cry, “Ship Rethnor! Battle stations!” The ship captain looks at you and says, “Direct the siege weapons!”

Throatcutter has the following crew and weapons:

• Six officers: a captain, a first mate, a bosun, a quartermaster, a surgeon, and a cook (chaotic evil Bandit Captain).
• Forty sailors (chaotic evil Bandit).
• Two ballista and two mangonels (see “Siege Weapons” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Thunderstrike has the following crew:

• A captain, Galas Windrage, a female chaotic evil war priest of Talos (see appendix A).
• Forty sailors (chaotic evil Cultist).
• Ten chaotic evil Berserker who attempt to board enemy vessels and kill the crew.

Instead of having each sailor act individually, on each turn assume that they move the ship its speed and aim, load, and fire its siege weapons. Allow the characters to decide how allied ships move and which vessels allied siege weapons attack.

Ending the Battle

If the characters sink Throatcutter and_ Thunderstrike_, or kill all the enemy officers, any remaining enemies try to retreat by any means necessary. Characters who interrogate a captured pirate or cultist learn who is behind the attack with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check.

Reward

When the characters return to Leilon with word of Dagult Neverember’s decision, they are given a reward of 1,500 gp minus the money that must be paid to Neverwinter (see “area Audience with Neverember").