The Fifth Eclipse: Session 7 - White as Snow

Party: Wenceslas, Claudia De La Quinne, The Captain, Vholanthus Sumquaes, Daisy Dandeigh Deveraux

As the party reaches the end of the second layer of the Delve of Dun Scaith, they face off against a force of skeletal foes, led by a pair of ice-wielding monstrosities and a human necromancer, that seem to have broken off an assault on some sort of fortification.
Upon the walls, the party spy the glint of flame on steel but little time is afforded to them as the skeletons sense the approach of easier prey and turn about to rush at the party.

Making use of the initiative, Vholanthus manages to penetrate deep into the enemy force, but finds the backline beset by exploding spheres of bone and ice.
The Captain, doing his best to follow Vholanthus into breaking the enemy formation and drawing the aggression away from his friends, hears a cry behind him as Wenceslas suffers a near-fatal blow, being impaled on a jagged spike of ice. Claudia, near to her elven companion, wills the power of Scorchwyn to undo the injury and rescues Wenceslas from a cold grave.
Fury and indignation now grasping the former Elfhame inhabitant tight, sorcery crackles from his hands and rips through the enemies. Seeking to not suffer a similar icy fate, Vholanthus retreats and begins a series of attacks that leave him more protected, while the Captain and Daisy lay waste to the remaining skeletal foes and capture their leader.

Thus having defeated their foes, the group hails the guards of the fortification and are met by Captain Bartuz, a dwarven veteran who leads about 30 fighting men and 50 assorted followers (smiths, cooks, a few surgeons and a medic as well as the families of those who need to stay for a longer period of time). The group gets permission to stay the night at the encampment, noting the far side is a lot better guarded and fortified in comparison to the side they approached from.

Taking the chance to interrogate their prisoner, they learn his name is "Tim" and he was ordered to take this fortification for the Queen of Shadows. As Claudia asks him if he has any last words for his mother, Tim's right eye turns black and he replies in an unnatural voice, threatening the halfling. The group puts more pressure, but that only serves to activate a mimic, hidden behind the man's darkened eye and eliminating him in a gory manner. It is likely this entity would have sought to harm the halfling, but Wenceslas is vigilant and lances it through with Emiel.

A little disturbed by the encounter, Bartuz asks the party to join him for ale and explains how the dwarves are involved in the defense of the Elfhames under Vertange. The group also learns the name of the dwarven adventuring party that sometimes travels 'top-side' in order to claim bounties: "the Coin of Skulls".