Wrath of the River King was the first 4th Edition Open Design project from Kobold Press and is set mostly in the Summer Lands, Midgard’s version of the Feywild. I ran this adventure in 2009, starting it in the Feyshore Forest near Parsantium.
Here’s the fourth write up, featuring Lady Sorreminx who also appears in Courts of the Shadow Fey. You can read past episodes here.
Sharden and Krivinn fail to return from their pursuit of the two fleeing Black Fey runners. Unsure of what to do, Brave Ella, Margarita and Koh-Bar the God King head back down the creek. After a while, Ella spots a colourfully-painted wagon through the trees. She creeps up to investigate only to be attacked and mocked by a super speedy quickling. Near the wagon is a large bare tree, full of roosting dire crows, with another quickling whizzing round.
Koh-Bar tries (and fails) to impress the quicklings with a tiefling poem, but Margarita shows off her knowledge of fey history, and Ella demonstrates her affinity for nature. Finally, Koh-Bar does manage to spin an entertaining yarn about his favourite topic – himself. The quicklings reveal some important information about the Birch Queen’s Fair and the River King, but ultimately, the characters fail to win them over and all out battle ensues.
Koh-Bar gets rid of all but one crow with thunder leap, and Margarita manages to bull rush a quickling into the ravine. The tiefling falls unconscious to a quickling’s strike, then the bloodied fey dash inside the tree and don’t reappear. There is no sign of them in the trunk – just a ring of toadstools growing amongst dead leaves. Wounded after the fight, the characters decide to sleep in the wagon for the night.
When the adventurers wake up and go outside on the following morning, they find their surroundings have changed and they are clearly somewhere else entirely. Hearing running water, they head towards it to find themselves on the bank of a slow-moving river. Standing on lily pads are two giant frogs and their goblin riders. The characters try to negotiate but this doesn’t get them very far as the frogs jump across the lily pads to engage the party. Koh-Bar uses his thunder leap to get amongst them and the characters win the day. In one of the saddlebags they find a scroll containing an invite to the Birch Queen’s Fair.
Crossing the river, the PCs head along a trail, finding a folded up piece of parchment ahead of them on the ground. Koh-Bar’s “reversed earthquake surge” doesn’t manage to lift it up so he bends down and picks it up. “Leave!” is all it says (in Elvish).
Carrying on along the road, the party come out of the forest and into hilly countryside where they spot a gaily coloured tent. Here, they join three eladrin nobles at a picnic: Lady Sorreminx, Sir Yngress the Red and Lord Chelessfield, Master of the Alpine Marches.
The characters try to amuse the fey with their witty repartee and interesting anecdotes while deflecting some of Lord Chelessfield’s more tricky questions (such as where Margarita got her shield). They give a good account of themselves, but when Margarita talks of a challenge, Sir Yngress seizes on her words and invites her to take him on in a duel.
The fey don’t play fair – Margarita gets ready to face the eladrin but is surprised when he leaps onto his riding boar. Sir Yngress’ charge bloodies the genasi with his first strike, making him the winner of the challenge. The losing adventurers have to each give Lady Sorreminx a gift and swear fealty to her. Koh-Bar tries to resist but his refusal comes out as an oath of loyalty to the lady. The characters are given a badge with her symbol – a grasshopper – to wear.
Art by Florian Stitz
Richard Green | Game Designer 