In our 17th session, we continued with Chapter 3: The Blood Marriage as the characters sailed across the Nieder Straits to Reaver’s Cave. Here’s the write up which contains spoilers for the campaign.
26th Last Leaf, 92 FY
The characters purchase cold weather clothing for their trip to the Northlands. Just before they board the Osprey, Bubbles buys some food from the stalls at the dockside, so she doesn’t need to live on ship’s biscuit for the whole voyage. Sigurd, the captain, allows Zygmunt to help cast off; the rest of the characters are told to keep out of the crew’s way. Penumbra and Bubbles take a while to find their sea legs.
28th Last Leaf
The Osprey is attacked by trollkin and hobgoblin reavers in a longship, the Grinning Kraken. The trollkin shaman casts ice storm as the longship approaches, freezing Herr Biegen solid and killing several sailors. Next, he casts sleet storm,making it impossible for the characters to see what is happening. The reavers leap on board, attacking the adventurers. Bubbles misty steps onto the enemy vessel to kill the shaman while the others battle the trollkin berserkers and hobgoblins. The Gears casts spirit guardians and a host of rat-like fey appear playing hideous bagpipes to bedevil the reavers. The reaver leader is the last trollkin standing – Louthin knocks him unconscious.
When the trollkin comes round Penumbra uses her fey presence to terrify him into talking. He tells the characters that Ragnarok is coming, and that the Creed of All Flesh have seized Reaver’s Cave. Sigurd sends a few of the crew to sail the Grinning Kraken. That night, The Gears begins repairing poor old Herr Biegen.
30th Last Leaf
The ships arrive at Reaver’s Cave. Waiting until nightfall, the characters climb into the rowboat and head slowly towards the light they can see on the shore. The Gears spots several dwarves roasting meat over a fire; a giant boar is sitting nearby on the beach. The party row quietly past without being spotted and round the corner. Here there is a knarr moored at a wooden jetty. The Gears realises there are strange runes carved into the side of the vessel; Penumbra thinks these summon a being of water to protect it. They ignore the ship and climb onto the jetty from the rowboat.
Bubbles and The Gears lead the way. When they hear dwarven voices ahead Penumbra sends Kalo into the cave to investigate. The pseudodragon sees three reavers and two giant boars inside. Bubbles casts spike growth in the middle of the cave and the characters spring into action. Louthin uses misty step to teleport to the exit on the other side of the spikes but unfortunately he’s spotted by Skjorr Skullsplitter in the adjoining cave. The leader of the cannibals charges the shadow fey on his ghost boar and Louthin is soon reduced to 2 hp. As Zygmunt moves into melee to fight the reavers, Penumbra casts hypnotic pattern to keep them occupied. This works well until Herr Biegen goes rogue and hits one of dwarves with his cocktail tray, snapping him out of his reverie. Bubbles dispels the spike growth, allowing the wounded Louthin to disengage after slaying Skullsplitter’s ghost boar, but this leaves Zygmunt in the front line and the cannibal leader takes him down with two critical hits. The Gears heals Zygmunt, then finishes off Skullsplitter with spiritual weapon, allowing the characters to take out the hypnotised survivors.
After some much-needed healing, the party cautiously investigate Skullsplitter’s cave. As well as valuable furs, coins and other treasure, they find a gruesome scroll bearing an invitation to a “Blood Wedding” at somewhere called the Midnight Temple. A magical sword and shield are found wrapped in a bearskin – the shield is carved with a message from their owner, Randgrid Ironeyes, asking for the arms to be returned to her shield sisters at Huldramose. The characters also find a secret door leading out onto the beach.
Richard Green | Game Designer 