This session, the start of the campaign is once more postponed as our wizard cannot join us. On the other hand, the Dwarf and Bonepicker join us for the first time.
I have always found it difficult to come up with one-nighters but this one was a success.
Abel and Otfried have stayed awake after the gravin’s departure, the others have gone back to bed. The landlord offers his sincere apologies for the previous night and lets them stay another night free of charge. The companions happily agree.
Sometime during the morning Gotrak Mittnachson arrives with two other dwarfs, Rurin Silverbeard, a venerable rune-priest & his son Rorin Rurinsson, the beardless dwarf. Both are looking for an ancient heirloom of Gazul (the protector of the dead). They have encountered the dwarf pit fighter on the road and hired his services. The reunion with Gotraks former companions is merry and everyone catches up on past events. Rurin is an old dwarf with white hair, short arms and a facial tattoo around his right eye, Rorin is a pot-belly dwarf with no beard but a large moustache. He carries a long staff with a severed hand of some kind of creature affixed at its end, he uses it to find the location of the heirloom.
I have always found it difficult to come up with one-nighters but this one was a success.
Abel and Otfried have stayed awake after the gravin’s departure, the others have gone back to bed. The landlord offers his sincere apologies for the previous night and lets them stay another night free of charge. The companions happily agree.
Sometime during the morning Gotrak Mittnachson arrives with two other dwarfs, Rurin Silverbeard, a venerable rune-priest & his son Rorin Rurinsson, the beardless dwarf. Both are looking for an ancient heirloom of Gazul (the protector of the dead). They have encountered the dwarf pit fighter on the road and hired his services. The reunion with Gotraks former companions is merry and everyone catches up on past events. Rurin is an old dwarf with white hair, short arms and a facial tattoo around his right eye, Rorin is a pot-belly dwarf with no beard but a large moustache. He carries a long staff with a severed hand of some kind of creature affixed at its end, he uses it to find the location of the heirloom.
Shortly after, Felix Vogel arrives, plying his wares, Rurin & Rorin barter with the man for good luck charms and draw the others into conversation.
Sometime later, Lothar wakes up and joins the others. Drinks and conversation mark the rest of the day.
The following morning the adventurers discover that their wizard apprentice is missing. A dagger is planted in his bed, pinning down a ransom note: “If you want to see your friend again, come to the old ruins to the west and bring 100 gold Pieces. Signed, a wronged party.”
Sometime later, Lothar wakes up and joins the others. Drinks and conversation mark the rest of the day.
The following morning the adventurers discover that their wizard apprentice is missing. A dagger is planted in his bed, pinning down a ransom note: “If you want to see your friend again, come to the old ruins to the west and bring 100 gold Pieces. Signed, a wronged party.”
The crew gathers and discusses their options. They find out that there are old ruins in the forest just two days away. Coincidentally, Rorin’s staff points in the same direction. The adventurers depart, led by Hans Wechselhaft, the converted bandit, who is very much at home in the woods. The going is tough, the undergrowth of the forest is very lush and hard to pass trough. There is a break in the trees and the heroes walk out into a small clearing, its surface covered with dead, overgrown weeds. A ripe smell of decay rises from the ground. In the distance, stems of bright flowers rise from a mist that is rolling in from the other side of the clearing. Clouds gather and the wind stirs the dead foliage on the ground, making it hiss like a shaman’s rattle. The fog rolls over the yellow flowers and the clearing and surrounds the adventurers feet, gathering and breaking like ocean waves. Above them, an owl hoots several times. Suddenly the wind gathers force and the younger trees at the clearing’s edge begin to sway, their trunks creaking loudly. There is a sharp, snapping sound, and a dead limb comes crashing to the ground behind. A strange and eerie sound can be heard. Hans, Lothar & Gotrak scout ahead. It takes them several moments to recognise the sound as that made by a hungry baby.
After taking the child back to camp, they discover it is a boy with large, pointy black toenails. A discussion ensues whether or not to kill the infant but since no one is sure that it is a chaos mutation, they decide to bring the baby along.
After taking the child back to camp, they discover it is a boy with large, pointy black toenails. A discussion ensues whether or not to kill the infant but since no one is sure that it is a chaos mutation, they decide to bring the baby along.
The next day, the land changes drastically. Trees become more gnarled and twisted, some of them seem like leering faces. The ground is wet and muddy and the canopy overhead blocks out almost all of the warm summer sun. A host of swamp creatures & insects add to the discomfort of the journey. By evening the crew sets up camp in a dry place. That night, the heroes are attacked by haunted spirits but manage to drive them away. The crew decides to push on and they arrive at the ruins of Grimaz Azamaz sometime in the night. The area is crawling with hundreds of frogs & toads, whose cacophony of noise echoes throughout the forest.
The heroes discover a camp of mercenaries at the base of the ruins. While trying to take out the sentries however, they are discovered and retreat. Hans managed to capture one of the mercenaries and they heroes discover that they were hired by the powerful merchant Wolfram Bach, who is the nephew of the Regent Marshal who governs Altdorf. Many of the heroes had previous encounters with this merchant where they embezzled his money. Bach’s cronies are holding Madred for ransom inside the ruins.
The heroes move to the rescue and a vicious fight ensues. Meanwhile Rorin and Rurin are getting very excited. Rorin shouts to his father:”Da’ It’s here! We finally found it” and the runepriest starts chanting, working his powerful rune magic.
The heroes move to the rescue and a vicious fight ensues. Meanwhile Rorin and Rurin are getting very excited. Rorin shouts to his father:”Da’ It’s here! We finally found it” and the runepriest starts chanting, working his powerful rune magic.
When Rurin Silverbeard chant finishes, everyones body slumps to the swampy ground but their spirits remain standing. A gossamer membrane seems to fall over the valley and the ruins start trembling. Huge pieces of ground seem simply to fall away and a gargantuan, fat, monstrous being emerges from the ground. In its wake, an endless horde of tick-like monsters bursts forth.
Everyone stops what they are doing and concentrates on the new arrival, The adventurers and mercenaries stop fighting each other and try to stay alive. Many mercenaries fail at this attempt. The resulting conflict is dire & bloody but thanks to some excellent swordplay and powerful dwarf rune magic, the heroes prevail. The giant monster is defeated and the heroes return to the normal plane of existence. Rorin and Rurin have found the object of their desire but then a deep sonorous voice booms over the valley: “Drop your weapons and surrender!”
The valley is surrounded by a company of Dwarf Quarrelers, led by one Lofur Garnakson, agent of High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer. He has been tracking the two wayward dwarfs as they were expressly forbidden of seeking the Icon of Gazul. Lofur states that the heroes have been lucky in defeating the corrupt guardian. Should they have failed in doing so the results would have been disastrous.
After some words it becomes clear that the heroes were duped and misinformed into the mission by the duo. Lofur agrees to pay Gotrak his fee and thanks the heroes again for their valiant actions.
The valley is surrounded by a company of Dwarf Quarrelers, led by one Lofur Garnakson, agent of High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer. He has been tracking the two wayward dwarfs as they were expressly forbidden of seeking the Icon of Gazul. Lofur states that the heroes have been lucky in defeating the corrupt guardian. Should they have failed in doing so the results would have been disastrous.
After some words it becomes clear that the heroes were duped and misinformed into the mission by the duo. Lofur agrees to pay Gotrak his fee and thanks the heroes again for their valiant actions.