B1E3 to Caer Dineval

B1E3 to Caer Dineval

Donobis (Tiefling paladin, Bill), Mareshi (human Cleric, Tony), Draggo (Dragonborn Barbarian, Brian), Thokk (half-Orc Warlock, Duane), Knott (Firbolg Druid, Matt)

We leave at midnight for the 11-hour trek from Bryn Shander along the eastway. 5 hours till we reach the intersection that branches east toward Easthaven or southwest to Good Mead. Wind whipped from the frozen lake chills our bones. We go northeast to Caer Dineval.

Caer-Dineval (100 townfolks, speaker Crannoc Siever)- Speaker Crannoc is bedridden in his castle on top of the hill overlooking the frozen harbor.

  • The town sacrifices food (too few citizens to offer up).
  • The speaker fell bedridden a month ago. Strange folks (dwarf and a tiefling from Easthaven) arrived over a year ago and have taken residency with him.
  • Citizens are frustrated at the lack of action from their speaker.
  • No mead has been delivered (from Good Mead) since the lake froze: ferry service halted by the ice. Populace frustrated as there are icebreakers. OK, but why no deliveries overland?
  • The local inn (Dineval’s Rest) closed a year ago: no room in town for us.

Castle visit: scares on walls tell history of prior assaults.

  • Guards on ramparts turn us away, “Go away! You’re not supposed to be here.”
  • Crannoc doesn’t take appointments.

Dineval’s Rest: kids heard voices from inside even though it is supposed to be deserted.

  • We break in with intent to stoke a fire in the hearth to comfort sleep.
  • Find dwarven footprints: attacked by 6 invisible Duergar who double in size. What were they doing here?!
  • Search the bodies and find a map that implies a Duergar campaign against ten-town.

Revisit Castle: surprisingly welcomed inside.

  • Kadroth (Tiefling) seems to be speaker Crannoc’s right-hand-man.
  • Hethyl (peg-legged female dwarf soothsayer) foretold our coming, “I’ve been dreading this moment.” Before she dies, she reveals:

    1. She sold her soul to the devil (Levistus) to gain her powers and fame. “Your arrival means my doom and thus my soul’s eternity in the Nine Hells. I can accept that fate.” Levistus despises Duergars: wants them destroyed. “Perhaps you could do his bidding and thus earn his support.”
    2. Xardorok (Duergar warlord) plans to conquer Icewind Dale.
    3. He has a fortress (powered by a red dragon) hidden on the Spine-of-the-World.
    4. He is too powerful: we must bide our time gaining strength and skill if we hope to defeat him in the future.

Highlights:

  • Duergar were secretly hiding in the abandoned inn. They (a sleeper-cell?) to carry out their leader’s (Xardorok) plan to conquer all of Ten-Town.
  • Xardorok’s fortress somewhere in the Spine-of-the-World. Just where the wizard Nass Lantomir was last seen.
  • Why did Hethyl take up residency in the castle? Why did our arrival mean her doom? She died without us raising a finger or weapon.
  • What is Kadroth’s purpose in the castle and town?

Next up: Plan to address speaker Crannoc’s problems before continuing to Caer Konig, enroute to Kelvin Cairn.

 Next Episode: https://wjrrofm.blogspot.com/2024/02/b1e4-caer-dineval-basement-dwellers.html

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