B1E7 Good Mead

Easthaven: On a quest from the captain of the guards (Harlaga-half elf fighter), “I have a favor to ask: men are disappearing on the lake. Superstition is the Lady of the Lake is responsible. Perhaps you can confirm or find out what is really going on.” We already knew about the wealthy dwarf fishing on the lake who sank to the bottom along with his chest of gold when his boat tipped. Known caves in the area where the lady may have drug the chest ashore.

The Dwarf’s Boat: We rented 2 rowboats (Donobos+Knott) (Thokk, Mareshi, Fabian). We pulled the boats upon the ice-dam of the river outlet where we found the dwarf’s fishing boat. Donning ice crampons, Donobos climbed the 10ft frozen waterfall and tied off a rope for the others to climb.

But when Mareshi fell, her vibrations released a Water Weird frozen in the waterfall. At least everyone was able to climb out of its reach. Frustrated, the elemental thrashed and broke up the ice-dam allowing trapped water to flow from the river into the lake.

We came upon a cave entrance with fresh blood trail. Inside: a pile of human and animal bones stacked before a frozen Frost-Giant Skeleton. Could have bypassed it had Donobos not sensed its chaotic evil undead nature. We attacked which brought it to life. Numerous weapon hits (but mostly misses to earn our own wounds) finally returned it to death. Donobos oh so near death himself were it not for Mareshi’s efforts (sacrificed her Inspiration to stave off the final Death-Save failure). All that fighting brought forth Will-O-Wisps (more undead chaotic evil). Mareshi failed to turn them. More cast spells and attacks vanquished them.

Further inside we found an old woman stirring a pot (sweet smelling aroma of cooked meat). Enticing smell and welcomed greeting, “I couldn’t get past that Frost-Giant Skeleton.” Once again Donobos sensed evil: a Sea Hag! Thokk and Fabian listened to her offers to retrieve the dwarf’s gold. Fear kept Donobos at range (using his bow) while Knott closed into melee. Mareshi continued with “parley” trying to gain time for her allies to overcome their fears. Once slain, Fabian cursed that we could have let her bring the gold first. At least we found what happened to the men who’d gone missing on the lake: in the cauldron! Which Mareshi sensed as magical and thus reason to bring back to town: clean it out and the speaker can ease the town’s hunger with weekly hot meals (magically enhanced flavor and nourishment).

A long rest within her cave allowed us to explore the frozen lake behind the hag’s lair: 4 more frozen Frost-Giants the hag had been carving meat from to stock her cauldron.

We tied the empty cauldron in the dwarf’s boat as we climbed into our own boats for the long row back to town. But Harpies upon the cliffs mesmerized Donobos + Knott who rowed in their direction. The Tiefling fell deeper into their sing-song trance and was about to jump overboard (to his drowning death weighed down by armor) when Knott pulled him back into his seat. At least ranged weapons and spells drove off the Harpies.

Back in town: Harlaga paid the promised reward of a (Bag of Tricks) while the town speaker agreed to buy the cauldron in his desire to feed the poor. While we waited for the speaker to gather $500 in gold, we took the time to drag the demonic (Errtu) statue across the ice and sink it back into the lake. At least the ferry captain was now able to repair his boat to resume trade with Caer Dineval across the lake.

Good Mead: It was a 4.5 hour walk westward before arriving at the town flying a flag whose heraldry was a drinking horn. With a small population, they monthly sacrificed warmth to appease the Ice Goddess (Auril). No town speaker as he was killed a week ago. We stopped at the Mead Hall Tavern: entering consecutive entrapment rooms before gaining access to the tavern bar. The entrapment to keep out the cold as the warm interior swarmed with bees whose honey sweetened the local mead. Knott spoke to the bees (he couldn’t understand their buzzing language but interpreted their swarming around him meant delight).

Another quest: A shipment of Honey Mead bound for other towns had been stolen by a Verbeeg (a large creature with gangly long arms and long face).  Unusual for the creatures to come down from their mountain grounds. The speaker was killed in the robbery. Five militia sent to investigate haven’t returned. An offer of free lodging; pay for our own drinks.

We visited the Town Hall to inspect the dead speaker’s wounds: 3 large stab wounds from something larger than human but not as big as a Verbeeg. Reported goblins in the area didn’t fit the wound description. Thoughts of Duergar transformed into their larger shape also didn’t fit as there was no reported items stolen or mysteriously moved.

Next Day: Thokk lugged a cask of mead as possible barter with the suspect Verbeeg. Deep into the woods northwest of town where we found the 5-militia clubbed to death. Prints indicated a large creature which Knott discerned as Ogre. Brief interruption by a fox crossing our path relaxed Knott who was pelted by a snowball (a playful snowball fight with a Chwinga). Knott traded a ball from the (bag of tricks) for a magical charm (Traveler’s Haven…aka Liam’s Tiny Hut).

We followed the Ogre tracks to a stream then climbed thru the pine trees to find caves. One with a flickering light. Fabian snuck in to find the Ogre in conversation with a Verbeeg sitting around a campfire with the smell of cooked meat wafting thru the cave. Also inside the cave: a pen holding (goats and sheep), a broken cart, casks of mead. What was a neutral Verbeeg doing consorting with a chaotic evil Ogre?! Mareshi telepathically suggested to the Orge that the Verbeeg planned to kill him in his sleep. The Ogre attacked and soon a bear joined in to defend the Verbeeg.

As Duhg (Verbeeg) sat to continue eating, the bear feasted on the dead Ogre. We backed out of the cave to allow things to settle. A female Verbeeg appeared, carrying a basket. After a pause to let the mood settle, Thokk and Fabian entered the cave to barter with the beasts. Fabian explained us searching for an Ogre that killed humans, then thanked Duhg for killing the Ogre while extolling his bravery and cunning to heighten his image for his girlfriend. Duhg explained how he tried to barter for the mead from the speaker who refused to trade mead for his trinkets. So, Duhg forcefully took the mead because he promised such to his girlfriend. He had nothing to do with killing the speaker nor the militia. Thokk offered Duhg employment by the town: protect the town and its shipments in exchange for a continuing supply of mead.

Duhg explained how they came down from the mountains as other creatures seemed to appear and drove them off. Description of their invisibility conjured belief those Duergar. When the female opened her basket and revealed metal shards, Mareshi took interest as she explained something fell from the sky. When she pointed to the mountain as its crashlanding site, Mareshi seemed to equate that area as where she had felt a distress signal a week before. Surely the two related. Mareshi bought the shards with offer of more gold if she showed her where she found these shards. Deal!

HIGHLIGHTS:

• The White Lady of Lac Dinneshere was a Sea Hag, whiles Harpies along the shore probably lured men to their deaths at the hands of the hag while also mentally commanding the dwarf to jump overboard, dumping his treasure chest too.
• The Verbeeg were driven from their mountain home by Duergar.
• Something came from the sky and crashed in the mountains. What do Duergar want with it?

Next Episode: https://wjrrofm.blogspot.com/2024/05/b1e8-dougans-hole.html