Epilogue-Prologue: The Withering Thaw

When last we saw our heroes, Teagan and Vir stood before the Codicil of White in the vaults of Grimskalle. As their voices intertwined on the final verse—“May she reign forevermore”—a surge of divine frost consumed them, and their bodies dissolved into drifting snow. They awoke days later beneath a thawing sky on the outskirts of Bryn Shander, half-buried in slush. The storm had broken. Professor Scant’s voice crackled to life in the still air:

“Remarkable. It appears we’ve crossed the planes—or perhaps Icewind Dale itself has shifted.”

The world had changed. The Frostmaiden’s dominion was melting away.

Return to Bryn Shander

The pair discovered a warmer, desperate Dale. Refugees crowded Bryn Shander’s streets, hunger rampant amid the thaw. Vir offered what she could—Goodberries to starving children—while Teagan sought quiet purpose, leaving the ever-chatty Professor Scant in her abandoned “polar bear fortress” as caretaker of her journals.

Their reunion with Elena at the Driftwood Scribe was bittersweet. The old scholar had aged years in weeks, her hands trembling as she poured tea.

“You didn’t heed my warning,” she whispered. “I told you to run and never look back.”

Yet relief softened her tone as she learned of their survival. The trio spoke of Vellyne Harpell, the Arcane Brotherhood, and the broken bonds left in the wake of Auril’s fall. Elena revealed that the Brotherhood was not an order but a war of egos—a gathering of mages seeking immortality through forbidden knowledge.

“They call themselves preservers of knowledge,” Elena said, “but they’re just treasure hunters of the mind.”

A Month’s Respite

In the thawing month that followed, Vir'Faren withdrew into the wilds—wandering forests, tracing melting trails, and learning to listen rather than hunt. She studied life rising from the snow and spoke with animals in shared impressions of thought and feeling. One day, a ptarmigan landed before her and spoke in a man’s voice:

“He walks beneath, child of fire and frost. When you seek, follow him.”The message lingered—a mystery tied to her destiny.

Meanwhile, Teagan remained near Bryn Shander, rebuilding the fortress and studying in solitude. Freed from the haunting whispers of her lost locket, she found her mind quieter, her magic shifting inward. Professor Scant, ever her companion, praised her intellect while quoting Netherese philosophy she only half tolerated. Her quiet was broken when Tali arrived with the polar bears Jack and Jill. The naturalist spoke of imbalance in the thaw—of flora withering mid-bloom and ley lines breathing wrong.

“Something’s feeding upward,” Tali warned. “The cycle’s broken. Nature doesn’t know what season it is.”

Together they traveled to the Spine of the World, where Teagan sought permission from the frost giant Hrungalir to remain nearby, studying his saurian companion and meditating on the changing leylines.

Echoes Beneath the Snow

During her solitude, Teagan uncovered a mammoth tusk buried beneath a shifting illusion. Etched in Netherese script, it read:

“In dreams, the storm remembers.”

Hrungalir’s face turned grave at her retelling.

“The Mad Prince of Rage,” he rumbled. “Something we locked away long ago. If he awakens, there will be no north—only ruin.”

At the same time, Vir discovered a frost giant cairn that hummed with strange heat. As snow melted, a sigil revealed itself and a voice whispered:

“The frost does not die—it remembers. The spire bleeds.”

Threads Rewoven

Weeks later, Vir joined a goliath clan at Wyrmdoom Crag, playing goatball and hearing tales of her long-lost friend Thiano, the Frostborn Druid. The chieftain warned her away from the Frostspire, calling it “a place to lose everything.” But Vir’s path was set.

Teagan, meanwhile, visited Merris Dazzlethorn’s forge, learning that Auril’s unraveling had freed other forces. “Something fed on her dying magic,” Merris said. “Whatever it is—it’s hungry.” Soon after, Teagan followed her ley-compass into a ravine and found a forgotten shrine—the mark of her ancient patron, The Traveler.

“You found me again, little wanderer,” the voice whispered. “All roads wish to be walked.” “If I keep moving,” Teagan asked, “will you take me home?” “Become the traveler, not the destination. All roads lead to home.”

The shrine vanished, leaving her with more questions than peace.

Reunion in the Spine

Weeks later, Vir and Teagan reunited at Hrungalir’s hall, sharing stories and laughter over giant-sized mugs. Teagan’s giantish was improving—enough to earn the giant’s respect (and one bruised shoulder). Amid laughter, apology, and shared warmth, the companions found closure.The auroras shimmered once more above the mountains as Professor Scant mused aloud:

“As Auril’s grip fades, the snow gives up its secrets. What lies beneath the frost now stirs—and it remembers.”

Next Time

Frostspire beckons. The thaw has come, but something ancient awakens beneath the ice.