B1E8 Dougan’s Hole

Dougan’s Hole: We followed the road southwest 3 hours out of Good Mead toward the small town of Dougan’s Hole (population 50) that sacrificed warmth as their offering. Intercepted by a large Winter Wolf (Koren) faking injury which made all cautious and wary of his plea for help. Knott called forth the other wolf (Kanan) in hiding. No one believed their story of enslavement by a Frost Giant (Garagi) forcing them to capture children from the small town. We agree to meet them tomorrow AFTER we confirm with Dougan villagers.

We pass a stone megalith (20 stone ring like Stonehenge, honoring a dead god) on outskirt of the town. Thrun’s Rest Tavern offers moss beer and confirmation 2 kids (Finn & Filhan) missing. In trying to rescue the children, the Town Speaker (Edgaroth) died of his wounds after slaying the FG yet the remaining team had to retreat in the face of the wolves who still demanded their ransom of food and gold.

The new speaker, Edgaroth’s wife Ezra Derwood, distrusts Mareshi who proudly claims her Wolf Clan heritage. She sends us to the veteran hunter (Fangorn) who agrees to lead us to the site. Hours trek to a towering dome ice structure with 3 cave entrances. Find tracks of the wolves but also a large woolly mammoth. The faint sounds of the kids draws us into one cave where we find them locked in a cage. We did not heed the clue the wolves locked the cage with a frosty blast. Thokk casts fire to melt the lock open. With Fangorn watching the kids, we approach another cave.

Mareshi projects beast-speech into the cave ending up talking to Narsu (the woolly mammoth grieving for his friend Garagi). Knott offers him an apple as we peacefully agree to help bury his friends in Lac Redwaters while suggesting, “We know of a Verbeeg couple to the northeast who might befriend you.” Before leaving the cave, Thokk picks up the dead speaker Edgaroth’s longsword while we also find a pit filled with whale oil (an estimated 5 barrels worth at 50 gold a barrel). Mareshi and Knott fight over a 1ft tall ice statue of a Chwinga.

Outside we encounter the Winter Wolves, not pleased we did not slay the woolly mammoth, hoping to eat like kings in their self-claimed ice-throne. Remember that cage lock frozen shut that we did not heed? We stupidly line up for the wolves to blast us with cones of frost! Thokk, Draggo, and Donobis are near death but manage to fight on. But all will admit Northo carried the battle, trampling the wolves under his enormous footpads.

After the lake ice burial of Garagi, Fangorn departs for Dougan with the children as Narsu follows our directions to the Verbeeg cave. While we focus on the mountains where the female Verbeeg found those metallic shards and the whispers that seem to occupy Mareshi’s thoughts.

HIGHLIGHTS:

New rumors as we level up.

Heading south to investigate rumors of a meteor falling.

Next Episode: https://wjrrofm.blogspot.com/2024/05/b1e9-nautilus.html

 

 

 

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