mikeawmids runs Rise of the Runelords (in Savage Worlds)

[mikeawmids]

[Savaged) Rise of the Runelords / Sins of the Saviours / Session 8 / Part 1 (30/11/2017)
Having forged four ithilliom weapons and defeated the stone avatar of Karzoug, the party abandon Runeforge and return to the teleportation circle on the far side of the frozen lake. The party return to Sandpoint via Thistletop and begin preparing for their imminent incursion into Xin-Shalast. Grogg struggles to find a buyer for the solid gold swan statuette he carted back from Runeforge. Karrack suggests that he pay a smith to melt it down and cast the molten metal into commemorative gold ‘Grogg the Smasher’ figurines.
“Are these for the contest?” asked the smith as he fired up his forge.
“What contest?” Grogg replied, a frown of befuddlement creasing his leathery brow.
“The Contest of Champions in Magnimar, of course!” the smith answered, “It starts tomorrow. I would have gone myself, but someone has to mind the store. I would have thought that would be right up your – Hey! Hey! You forgot your bird!”
Moments later, Grogg burst into the taproom of the Rusty Dragon, labouring to breathe after sprinting across town in a full suit of plate-mail.
“Contest!! Magnimar!! Go!! Now!! Please!?”
“We do kind-of have a ‘save the world’ situation here, Grogg,” Karrack answered, “I don’t really think we have time to go gallivanting off on some side quest. No, don’t you give me those big, sad puppy dog eyes! It doesn’t work with half-orcs, it just looks odd.”
“Come on Karrack,” Andor said, “Karzoug has slept for thousands of years, a few more days won’t make much difference.”
“You’re only saying that because all the taverns in Sandpoint have cancelled your tab,” Karrack snapped.
“All this adventuring is thirsty work!” Andor replied defensively, “Plus, I hear the women in Magnimar are beautiful.”
Ameiko gives Andor a dark look across the bar. Rast’s hand creeps towards the dagger at his belt.
“Not that Sandpoint women aren’t without their rustic charms!” Andor added quickly, “I like a cheap ale just as much as a fine wine on occasion!”
Silence descended on the tavern, broken by the screech of chairs being pushed back from tables as the men of Sandpoint rose.
“Ok! Let’s go to Magnimar right now!” Karrack said hastily, his lizard-sense tingling, “No time to finish your drinks! Let’s leave this instant!”
Karrack and Asha bundle Andor out of the tavern and down to the ‘Everstill’ before the locals can form a proper lynch mob. The refitted river boat slips its moorings and starts powering against the current, leaving a crowd of angry civilians glowering on the dock.
---
The ‘Everstill’ arrives in Magnimar the next morning. The bazaar of sails is abuzz with excitement for the contest and a crowd of cheering onlookers forms along the waterfront when Grogg’s vessel is recognised. Never one to shy from the limelight, Grogg stands on deck, performing feats of strength for the crowd, while his goblin lackeys toss handfuls of ‘Grogg the Smasher’ merchandise into the mob.
Grogg spots a large crate being lifted off an adjacent barge by a metal crane. The crate has conspicuous air holes bored into the side and a menacing growling emanates from within the box. Suddenly, the crane arm buckles and the crate falls, breaking open against the side of the boat! A ferocious beast bursts from the wreckage! It has both a dragon head and a goat head attached to the powerful torso of a lion. It’s not immediately clear which head is most angry, they both look pretty pissed. Then the dragon head breathes a cone of fire into the crowd and that clinches it.
“Monster!!” Grogg shouts gleefully, hopping up and down on the spot, “Ooh, Karrack, can I kill it, pleasepleasepleaseplease?”
“Did you finish your chores?”
“Yes!”
“Then off you go, you little scamp.”
Launching himself onto the feathery back of his pet roc, Grogg rose majestically into the air above the deck of the ‘Everstill’. At this point, it becomes apparent that Grogg has not invested any development points into the riding skill and his ascent become a whole lot less majestic as he barrel-rolls into a tree. Karrack leads Andor and Asha down the gangplank in pursuit of the rampaging chimera.
Asha and Andor get stuck behind a group of people queuing for fresh oysters. Karrack takes a different route through the labyrinthine bazaar and spots the monster up ahead. He snatches a tender bunyip steak from the nearest vendor’s stand and throws it at the chimera, hoping to distract it. Fortunately, the meat lands in front of the beast’s carnivorous head and it pauses to gobble it up. This gives Andor time to break free from the mob of oyster lovers and t%## it with a stick. The goat head bleats and it runs out of the market into a busy intersection thick with foot and horse traffic.
Andor chased after the retreating beasty, leaping over a wheelbarrow full of eels. Asha caught up just in time to be caught in the cone template as it spun around and blasted them both with fire from its dragon head. Fortunately, a passing carriage blocked the flames! The frightened driver leapt from his doomed conveyance and rolled in the gutter until his burning clothes were extinguished.
Turning away, the chimera launched itself through the window of a tavern on the opposite side of the street. Andor, Asha and Karrack followed it inside and discovered there was already a full scale tavern brawl in place! Andor punched a man in the face and seized a frothy tankard off the bar, waving Asha and Karrack to go on without him. The chimera headed up a flight of stairs at the back of the taproom and the two heroes gave chase. Suddenly, the window at the top of the stairs shattered inward as Grogg hurtled through the grimy glass!
“THIS – IS – STRENGTH!!!” he roared, swinging his twin axes and severing both heads!
“Where did you come from?!” Asha gasped.
“Fell!!” Grogg answered, pointing a bloody axe to the broken window, where his pet roc could be seen circling overhead.
“Fight!!” Grogg states, noticing the brawl raging in the tavern below. He raises his weapons, eyes wild with unsated bloodlust.
Karrack tries to explain that a tavern brawl is not traditionally a fight to the death. Meanwhile, Asha attempts to stop the fighting by performing a sexy dance on the bar, i.e: Coyote Ugly (I’ve not seen the film, but that’s the premise, right?). She is moderately successful, as her alluring gyrations distract the remaining participants sufficiently for Andor to pull off the coup-de-grace.
“The winner!!” Andor cries, standing atop a mound of unconscious brawlers.
Then Grogg punches him in the face! Andor goes down hard!
“The winner!!” Grogg cries, standing atop a mound of unconscious brawlers.
The bartender emerges from the back room and starts pouring drinks. He advises the party that it is a local tradition that whoever is still standing after a brawl gets a free pint. Asha suspects this tradition might explain the high number of brawls in the city.
“I can’t wait to tell all my bartender buddies that THE Grogg the Smasher won a brawl in MY tavern!” the bartender said, “Wait! Shouldn’t you be at the colosseum by now? The opening ceremony for the Contest started hours ago!”
To be continued….

 

[mikeawmids]

[Savaged) Rise of the Runelords / Sins of the Saviours / Session 8 / Part 2 (30/11/2017)
The colosseum is packed with spectators baying for the bloodsport to commence! Merchants and lords rub shoulders with beggars and thieves as they all jostle for the best positions to witness the spectacle about to unfold on the arena sand. The event organizers are in a state of great anxiety however, not only has the reigning arena champion failed to arrive, but now the warm-up act has cancelled at the last moment!
“I don’t see any alternative,” one official said, “We’re just going to have to cancel and give everyone their money back.”
“Do you jest?” spat another, “That crowd won’t be satisfied until they’ve seen blood spilled. Do you want it to be ours?”
“Wait! What’s that in the sky?”
“Is it a bird?”
“Is it a dwarf with a glider made of harpy wings?”
“No! It’s Grogg the Smasher riding a baby roc and carrying a headless chimera!”
Grogg landed in the arena to tumultuous applause from the stands.
“Wow! What an entrance!” roared the announcer, his voice magically amplified to be audible over the din, “Grogg the Smasher! Reigning champion of the arena, returned - at the last possible moment - to defend his title against the brazen challenger; Gruggle the Demolisher! Let’s hope this fight ends better for Gruggle than it did for the last upstart to challenge Grogg on these sands!”
A single tear rolls down Grogg’s cheek as he is reminded of how he killed his oldest friend and rival Huggle in this very arena during a moment of mindless fury. He looked down to blink away the wetness and saw Huggle’s severed arm crawling towards him! A moment later, the guilty apparition was gone.
“But before we see those two titans clash, we have another event to whet your appetites!”
One of the organisers hurried over to Grogg and explained how the team of amateur heroes that were supposed to warm up the crowd had cancelled at the last minute and left everyone in the lurch. Grogg suggested that some of his adventuring sidekicks might be able to step in. Reluctantly, the rest of the party agree and sign the waivers releasing the organisers of all responsibility for loss of life or limb during the contest.
“Ladies and gentleman!!” bawled the announcer, “Without further ado, allow me to introduce the Heroes of Sandpoint!! Karrack Goblinhero!! Andor Drake the Well Endowed!! Asha the Fire Princess!! Today, you will witness these renowned heroes face a monstrous predator from the darkest depths of the Mwangi jungle! A beast so dangerous that the last group we hired to fight it chickened out and ran away! Here it comes! Let’s hear it for… REX!!!”
The massive gates at the other end of the arena burst open as a huge, armoured T-Rex enters the colosseum! It emits a deafening roar that silences the cheering crowd, then turns its hungry gaze upon the heroes!
Asha throws a blessed bolt at the beast, which bounces off its thick, black armour! The dinosaur responds by snatching the priestess up in its monstrous jaws, chewing her up and swallowing what’s left! The crows cheers!
(GM Note: I let Vic run the monster in this fight since Grogg was not supposed to be involved and his fighting/damage rolls were red hot. I should let him run all my monsters from now on!)
Andor realises that he and Karrack don’t stand a chance unless they can pierce the dino’s armour. He targets the thick, leather straps holding the metal plates together and exposes a section of the beast’s scaly belly. Karrack darts in to drive Teraktinus into the dino’s stomach.
“Careful not to hit Asha!” Andor said, only half-joking.
Rex howls and snaps at Karrack. Karrack drives his spear into the roof of the monster’s maw, but it gets stuck there! Rather than abandon his weapon, Karrack hangs on to the stone shaft, struggling to maintain his balance atop the dinosaur’s bloody tongue!
“Are you not entertained?” cries Andor.
“Eat him! Eat him! Eat him!” jeer the crowd.
“It’s not looking good for the Heroes of Sandpoint!” the announcer announces, “How much longer can they stand against the indomitable Rex?!”
Grogg hears this and decides he had best muck in. Ignoring the organiser’s protests, he enters the arena and goads the dinosaur into charging him! At the last moment, he rolls aside and cuts off one of Rex’s legs! Andor climbs up onto the downed beast’s back and continues working on the straps holding its armour in pace. The armour falls off with a mighty crash and Grogg ends the T-Rex!
“THIS - IS - STRENGTH!” Grogg roars, hacking off the T-Rex’s head.
Karrack and Andor draw straws to determine who has to climb inside the stump to fetch Asha out of the dead dino’s belly. Karrack loses, disrobes and clambers down the bloody neck.
“Wow! What a result!” the announcer cries, “Things were looking rough for the Heroes of Sandpoint, but Grogg the Smasher saved the day! Will he fare so well in his next battle? Hold on to your butts!”
To be continued…..

 

[mikeawmids]

[savaged] Rise of the Runelords/ Sins of the Saviours / Session 8 [Part 3] / 30/11/2017
Karrack, Asha and Andor leave the arena and are treated for the injuries they sustained battling Rex. Grogg alone remains on the bloodied sand of the colosseum, readying himself for his duel against Gruggle the Demolisher. He is winded from his fight with the dinosaur, but determined to defend his title as champion of the arena. A lone figure approaches. Much like Grogg, he is tall and brawny and his greenish skin hints at no small amount of orcish blood. His face (in fact, his entire head) is covered by a metal bucket helm that appears to have been riveted to the armored plates protecting his neck. His right arm is thick with muscle, but the other arm has been replaced by a formidable metal limb.
“Grogg. Do you remember me, Grogg?” Gruggle asked, his deep voice oddly distorted by the metal bucket on his head.
“No.” Grogg answered, at length, “Who are you?”
“Neither enemy nor friend. I am back from a world where such words mean nothing. Only in a battle to the death with you will my soul find respite. Either I will kill you, or you will kill me. It makes no difference.”
Grogg readied his axes. Cryptic messages from bucket headed men made his brain hurt, but fighting was something he understood!
Grogg charged. He swung his axe at his opponent but Gruggle blocked the attack with his metal arm. Grogg felt a powerful electric charge pass from the artificial limb, along his axe and into his own body!
“What was that?” Karrack snapped.
“Ooh! It doesn’t look like Grogg was anticipating Gruggle’s shocking grasp!” the announcer cried, “Stronger and more versatile than the mortal limb that it replaced, Gruggle’s metal arm is a triumph of gnomish artifice!”
“Wait!” Karrack said, “Grogg killed his old friend Huggle by severing his arm and leaving him for dead! Now this ‘Gruggle’ turns up with an artificial limb and a hateful obsession with murdering Grogg?”
“Yes, thank-you for the recap, Captain Obvious.”
Karrack wrestled the announcer’s wand away from him.
“Grogg! Listen!” the lizardman yelled, his voice magnified by the announcer’s strange device, “Gruggle is Huggle! He survived and now he wants revenge! Be careful!”
Hearing this, Grogg stood dumbfounded and Gruggle/Huggle fell to his knees and started banging his bucket helm against the ground.
“Agghhhhhhhhh!” Gruggle/Huggle cried. He struggled to his feet, pointed his metal fist at Grogg’s head and fired an electrified rocket punch across the colosseum. Grogg took the blow on the chin and went down like a puppet with its strings cut! Gruggle stumbled over and stood over his incapacitated foe, mad eyes staring at Grogg’s unconscious form from the narrow slit in his rusty bucket helm.
Karrack dropped back into the arena and attacked Gruggle from the flank, inflicting a wound.
“How can you defend someone capable of doing this to me?!” Gruggle howled.
“Grogg has changed since you knew him!” Karrack said, “The man who left you for dead all those years ago is gone. A different man lies before you now. A better man, a man who I am proud to call my friend.”
“Agghhhhhhhhh!!” Gruggle cried, unable to reconcile Karrack’s words with own memories. Unable to finish Grogg off while he lies helpless on the bloody sand, he turns and flees the arena.
---
End of rotation: Following the revelation that Huggle is alive, Grogg goes looking for his old friend. Asha seeks healing for the permanent injuries sustained in the colosseum and discovers that she must atone for her sins [owing her life to the undead abomination Rast sent to her rescue in Runeforge] before she will be granted the goddess’ blessing. Karrack returns to Sandpoint to prepare for the final assault on Xin-Shalast. Andor finds his celebrity status has made him a babe magnet and spends the next few weeks rattling the headboards at various taverns around the City of Monuments. Rast remains in Sandpoint to support his wife through her pregnancy. Finally, Solaris disappears in a cloud of funky smelling smoke and nobody really knows if he is ever coming back.
To be continued… in a future rotation!

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast – Week 1 / Part 1 (10/10/19)
The Heroes of Sandpoint have returned to the costal village where their fellowship was first forged. Where better to prepare for what will likely be their final adventure?
In the months since rescuing Ameiko from Jorgenfist, she has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Rast dotes over his daughter and names her Gara, after a legendary dwarven hero. He and Ameiko ask Karack and Asha to be Gara’s godparents.
After his brush with death in the coliseum, Andor Drake decides he would rather seek self destruction at the bottom of a bottle than at the hands of a mad wizard king. He leaves his runeforged bow with Karack, before riding for Magnimar and a pauper’s grave.
Shalelu Andosana approaches Karack and pleads with him to abandon this doomed quest and run away with her.
“Let Karzoug have Varisia”, she cried, “At least we will have each other.”
“I cannot leave Asha and Grogg to face this evil alone,” Karrack answered, cupping her tear-streaked cheeks within his scaly hands, “They will need me before the end – as much as I need you.”
“In my heart, I knew this would be your answer,” Shalelu said, gently pushing Karack away, “That’s why I love you, even if that love will tear us apart.”
The teleportation circle beneath Thistletop is the most direct route to Xin Shalast, but the heroes soon learn that it has been disabled, most likely by vandalising the glyphs on the other side. It looks like the party will be taking the scenic route after all, for which they’ll need a guide to lead them through the snow covered spires of the Kodar mountains. Brodert Quink (eccentric scholar of all things Thassilonian) recommends the Faresight twins; Aeleana and Forbin, a pair of elven treasure hunters known to brave those lonely peaks in search of frozen tombs lying undiscovered beneath the ice. The siblings agree to join the party in exchange for Karack’s grand promises of “unlimited wealth”.
Preparations complete, the party board the Everstill. Mayor Deverin announces a public holiday to see the Heroes of Sandpoint on their way. Cheering crowds jostle along the waterfront as the old paddle steamer chugs out into deep water and turns north, toward the mouth of Kazaron river. Over the next few days, trapped aboard the Everstill under the feet of the goblin crew, the old guard get to know the new blood. Karack and Asha entertain the two treasure hunters with stories of the attack on Sandpoint, the Skinsaw murders and the battle for Skull’s Crossing. The Faresight twins recount the particulars of their tragic backstory.
On the fifth day of their voyage, as the Everstill approaches the town of Wolf's Ear, Asha is on deck topping up her tan (surreptitiously oggled by both Faresight twins), when she notices a movement on the plains. A dozen desperate refugees are fleeing from a band of orc savages! Lumbering behind the orc pack are a pair of hill giants. A pair of Black Arrows are doing what they can to buy the refugees enough time to reach the town.
"Captain Grogg! Stop the boat!" Asha cried, "Ware giants to starboard!"
There is a splash as Captain Grogg abandons the helm, grabs his runeforged axe and leaps overboard. The rest of the party gather to watch the muddy half-orc clamber up the bank and charge across the plain.
"I did say starboard." Asha said, turning to glance at the giants rampaging on the other bank.
"Nevermind. He'll turn up when he's hungry." Karack said, "First Officer Snot, take the wheel. Bring the Everstill into Wolf's Ear. We are going ashore to help those people!"

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast – Week 1 / Part 2
While the goblin crew dock/crash Everstill into Wolf's Ear, the party disembark and race to intercept the marauding orcs. Asha calls down a pillar of radiant flame, scattering the horde. The Faresight twins hunker down behind a low stone wall and pick off any raiders straying from the herd. One of the two giants peels off to deal with the heroes. Karack climbs a tree and leaps at the brute, driving Teraktinus - the giant slaying spear - through the giants head. The first wave of foes are decimated, but the main body of the orc host have reached the town.
The party head into Wolf's Ear, hot on the heels off the pillaging orcs. The townsfolk have barricaded themselves inside the temple of Erastil. The orc warchief hacks at the temple doors with a massive axe. The second hill giant spots the heroes and hurls a wagon in their general direction. The Faresight twins roll clear and return fire. Asha waves her hand and a flaming blade scythes across the street, severing the giant's legs. The top half crawls away to die.
Karack hears a scream and interrupts a trio of orcs in the middle of widowing a young woman. Karack slays the raiders and gives a healing potion to her wounded husband, saving his life.
The orcs break through the temple doors and swarm over the barricade. The Faresight twins rush to aid the helpless villagers. The orc warchief guards the threshold. He swings at Aeleana, the axe cuts deep and injures grievously. Aeleana screams. Forbin frowns and fires two arrows into the warchief's skull, killing him dead. The warchief collapses against the barricade, twitching spasmodically. Asha heals Aeleana's wounds.
Meanwhile, Karack runs through the graveyard adjacent to the temple. A few more orcs pop up from behind the headstones. Karack makes short work of them and crashes into the temple via a side door. A group of human villagers cower behind the altar, beneath the bow-like holy symbol of Erastil. Clad in the distinctive dyed leather of the Black Arrows, two old friends cross blades with a half dozen howling orcs.
"Ben?!" Karack exclaimed.
"Karack!?" Ben Kotek cried.
"Karack?!" shrieked Shalelu, "Look out!!"
Too slow, Karack twists aside as an arrow scrapes across his leathery hide. A second Shalelu - the one who has been with the party since leaving Sandpoint - stands behind him. She tosses her bow aside and sighs.
"How unlucky can a girl be?" the imposter pouts, "What are the odds of bumping into you here?"
"Who are you?!" Karack demanded.
"Catch me and maybe I'll tell you."
Not-Shalelu turns to dash away through the graveyard. What promises to be an educational foray into the new chase rules is cut short as Asha casts Sloth on the imposter. Aeleana decides that exposition is for chumps and slashes Not-Shalelu's throat. As the imposter dies, she reverts to her true form, that of the succubus Delphine, who the party last saw leaving Runeforge to hook up with Runelord Karzoug.
"I'm sorry Master," the succubus whispers, as her body crumbles into smouldering ash, "I have failed...."
Despite their victory over the orcs, Karack is despondent. He had believed Shaelu wanted to be with him, now he realises it was all a ruse to get him alone and drain his vitality through kinky demon sex. At least there's still the chance of rekindling his relationship with the real Shalelu....
"I'm sorry, Karack," Shalelu says, reaching to take Ben's hand, "I've found someone else. You were always off dungeon crawling with your adventuring bros and I had needs that weren't being met. They call you Goblinhero, but I needed a hero too."
A single tear rolls down Karack's scaly cheek. Maybe he should just accept his destiny and marry a nice goblin girl. Snot does have a sister....
It's too dangerous to stay in Wolf's Ear with orcs and giants roaming unchecked. The townsfolk are herded onto Everstill and shipped to Sandpoint, where they will be safe. The heroes will continue into the Kodar mountains on foot.
TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast, Week 2 / Part 1
With its people fled, the town of Wolf's Ear is ominously, oppressively quiet, save for the buzzing of the flies that crawl across the bodies of the slain orcs. The Heroes of Sandpoint scavenge enough provisions to last a week, after that, they'll be singing a song of arrows for their supper.
The party shoulder their packs and head into the mountains, the Faresight twins taking the lead. They are soon on the trail of the Vekker brothers. The first day passes uneventfully. On the second day, Aeleana rises with a nagging sense of impending peril that a hearty breakfast does little to quell. Forbin has grown to trust his sister's instincts and scouts the area for trouble. He spots an orcish hunting party following them up the mountain, a pack of direwolves snuffling greedily at their scent.
Forbin raises the alarm! Moments later, orcish arrows are falling into the camp and a half dozen snarling direwolves are among the party! One wolf lunges for Asha's throat, but Karack tackles it in the air and breaks its neck before they hit the ground. Nodding her thanks to the scaly monk, Asha raises her holy symbol and summons Sarenrae's wrath down upon the orc snipers hiding in the trees. A trio of orc fighters make the mistake of thinking 3-1 are good odds against Grogg the Smasher. Grogg swings and Monica sings and three orcs heads go rolling down the mountain.
Amidst the carnage, the Faresight twins find themselves surrounded by three bloodthirsty direwolves. Aleana drops her bow and readies a pair of elvish daggers. She buries a blade into one wolf's flank, but the injured beast twists and bites her savagely, jaws locked around her bloodied wrist. Forbin cannot help, he is hard pressed keeping the other two beasts at bay. Suddenly, a cry from the trees, as as a young, beardless dwarf in an oversized chainmail vest springs to the rescue! He brains the wolf menacing Aeleana with what appears to be a saucepan! No time for introductions, there are more orcs to kill! No, wait, they're all dead. The dwarf introduces himself.
"Hi! Er... I'm Silas. That's my name. Well, part of it. Vekker. That's... er, the other bit. Yeah. It's nice to meet you. I've been watching you for a while. No, that sounds creepy. I mean, I was, er... watching, but in a normal, curious way. Yeah."
"Did you just say your name is Vekker?" Karack asked.
By happy chance, it seems this awkward teenager is one of the two dwarven prospectors that the party are looking for.
"I mean, Karivek was the one into gold and stuff," Silas explains, "I just came with him because dwarven girls get a wide-on for miners."
"Where is your brother now?" enquires Forbin.
"... Dead."

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast, Week 2 / Part 2
Although it pains him to talk about it, Silas recounts the events leading up to his brother's demise.
"We came out here, just Karivek and I, to stake a claim and make our fortune from this ore-rich earth. We started digging, but we didn't strike gold, or silver or even copper. What we found was much older, and much more dangerous. We broke into a cavern and found a huge, golden door. We were dizzy with excitement, imagining what treasures might lie beyond. We never found out. As we approached, we were attacked by a massive blue demon with breath as cold as a widow's bed! Karivek held it off just long enough for me to escape, but I heard his screams as I fled. I still hear them now, every time the wind blows from the north...."
"Will you lead us to the mine?" Forbin asked gently, "We need to find that golden door and slay the creatures that guard it. You can come along too, it might be therapeutic!"
Silas Vekker (reluctantly) joins the party and takes them to his camp.
An unnaturally cold wind howls from the entrance to the dwarven mine. Drifts of powdery snow have accumulated around the brother's camp. Silas warns that he and Karivek set traps to defend their claim against thieves. The Faresight twins take point and proceed with caution, until Grogg gets tired of their dithering and charges ahead. He triggers every trap in his path but passes unscathed thanks to sheer, dumb luck.
The party reach a shaft descending 60ft into the dark. Silas repairs the broken winch and lowers Karack and Aeleana into the pit. Karack pauses to light a lantern, but Aeleana rushes ahead and slips on a patch of treacherous ice. She bounces down a flight of giant-sized steps and sprains her ankle at the bottom. Looking around, Aeleana realises she is in a cavern, facing a huge golden door.
'Ooh, shiny!' she thinks, completely forgetting everything Silas said about monstrous guardians.
Aeleana hobbles over to the glittering portal and caresses it hungrily. She is still trying to calculate the street value of all that lovely gold when a massive blue demon (straight outta the Hellfrost bestiary) looms from the shadows and claws her back to bloody shreds!
"Arrrggghhhh!!" she screams, then "Arrggggghhhhhh!!!" as two more ice demons pop up.
Hearing his sister's shriek gets Forbin moving. It'll take too long for Silas to crank the lift back up, he abseils down the shaft and rushes to her aid.
Silas panics! Those high pitched, girly screams!! It's just like last time!!! He can't do this! What was he thinking, coming back here?! Mewling like a newborn babe, Silas flees out of the mine, leaving the heroes to their fate.
Noticing that the intruders have bunched up near the entrance to the cavern, one of the demons exhales a cone of icy breath in their direction. Karack's fingers go numb and he struggles to hold onto his giant-killing spear. Gritting his teeth against that life-draining chill, Karack presses forward until he is close enough to drive the spear through the guardian's chest! He whips the weapon free as the dying demon freezes in place.
It's all Aeleana can do to defend against the first ice demon. Asha casts Protection to enclose the beleaguered half elf within Sarenrae's flaming bosom. The demon reels back from that hateful, holy fire. Seizing his moment, Forbin opens fire and the second guardian is turned into an ice sculpture, with an arrow sticking out of its eye.
Grogg exchanges blows with the final demon. Suddenly, a cry from the darkness, as as a young, beardless dwarf in an oversized chainmail vest springs to the rescue! Leaping over Grogg's head, Silas swings his brother's pickaxe with all his might, burying the pointy end into the final guardian's skull! The demon falls backwards as its body turns to ice, exploding into a million frozen crystals as it hits the cavern floor.
"You fought bravely!" Forbin congratulated the young dwarf, "Karivek would be proud."
Karack approaches the golden portal and spies a sideheron-shaped depression in the otherwise flawless surface. He produces one of the many Thasillonian medallions the party have accumulated over the campaign and slots it into the hole. Sorcerous glyphs inscribed into the door light up for the first time in millennia and the gateway to Xin Shalast swings open.
Light floods into the mine, blinding the heroes. As their eyes adjust, they see the face of their hated enemy - Karzoug - carved into the side of a smoking mountain in the distance. The Runelord's stony likeness looks out over a sprawling ruin of giantish proportions - but between the heroes and the city lies a rime encrusted marshland, shrouded in glittering clouds of ice crystals.
Before the party face Karzoug, they must first survive the Icemist Fen.
TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast, Week 3 / Part 1
Sore from their battle with the ice demons, the heroes opt to rest before heading into the fen. While the rest of the party gather fuel for the campfire, Silas collects stones to raise a cairn atop his brother's body. His voice cracks as he sings an old dwarven mining shanty, whilst splashing a bottle of Sternhammer Special across the makeshift grave.
As the dirge ends, a ghostly figure coalesces from the icy mist.
"I'm sorry, brother." Silas says, tears falling down his smooth, beardless cheek, "I was scared. If I had stayed... If I had fought... Maybe...."
"Hear me, Silas." intones the spectre, "I bear you no ill will. Though the beating of a prideful heart stilled my living tongue, know that I loved you. You found your courage, in the end. My death is avenged.
"My story ends here, but you have yet to forge your own legend. Travel with these friends of yours. They will have need of your newfound strength before the end.
"Take a stone from my cairn and carry it with you, to remember me and to find yourself."
The ghost fades back into the fog. Reverently, Silas kneels beside his brother's grave and slips a smooth, round stone into his pocket.
"Hey! Was that your dead brother?" Aeleana cries, crashing into Silas' grief like a car full of clowns ram-raiding a funeral home, "How can I also benefit from your personal tragedy? What was that he gave you? A magic rock? I want one too! Gimme!!"
"Get your thieving paws of my brother's grave!!"
---
A red sun rises over the Kodar mountains, imbuing the icy mist with a baleful, bloody hue. The heroes break camp and head into the swamp. They need no compass, the golden spires of Xin Shalast are their beacon, yet the way ahead is still perilous. Geothermal vents beneath the mire cause the fen's icy crust to thaw and re-freeze almost instantaneously. Asha leads the party, confident her fire magic will melt through the thick ice, should anyone get stuck on the wrong side. Unfortunately, her survival skills are not as strong as her faith in Sarenrae and she leads the expedition into the hunting grounds of a giant rimewyrm.
The heroes scatter as the gargantuan serpent smashes up through the ice. Over one hundred feet long from teeth to tale, the beast towers above the party. Scaly armour - as thick as a bank vault - covers its body, impenetrable to all but the heaviest of weapons.
The situation looks grim! The heroes face a foe they cannot best and the treacherous ice prevents escape! Suddenly, figures appear from the mist; a half-dozen pale, beautiful women, stark naked despite the cold. In voices clear and cold as fresh snowmelt, the ice dryads weave a song to distract the monstrous wyrm.
"Quickly! We can only be holding it for a little time!" cries one of the dryads, "You will be coming with us, ja? We are knowing a safe place!"
The party must decide whether to trust these odd, wintry women - and soon. Already, the rimewyrm is shaking off the hypnotic effect of their song.
"Alright. Lead the way!" Karack says.

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast, Week 3 / Part 2
The dryads lead the party to a sheltered grotto in the heart of the fen. Slightly eggy smelling steam rises from a bubbling hot spring, in which several more dryads are splashing playfully.
"You are being safe now, ja?" says a beautiful fey lady, beckoning the heroes to join her in the steaming pool, "My name is Svevlanka and these are my sisters. We are not getting many visitors. Please, be telling us what is bringing you to our home?"
The heroes shed their suspicions, then their clothes and slip into the water with the nubile dryads. Immersion in the healing water soothes their aching bones and eases their troubled minds. The dryads are having some difficulty with giants, who are building a golden road through the fen. If construction continues, the road will pass through the grotto and their home will be destroyed.
"We also oppose the giants," Karack admits, "If what you say is true, Karzoug will be able to march his army into Varisia, once that road is finished. We have to destroy it."
"Then we are being allies, ja?" Svevlanka says, "If you are destroying the golden road, the giants will be going nowhere fast and our home will be being safe. If you are doing this thing for us, we will be giving you two magical daggers, ja?"
"Yes!" Aeleana cries, being the only party member without a +1 weapon.
---
The party leave the dryad's grotto the next day and continue north, toward the towering walls of Xin Shalast. The new road emerges from the giant city, straight and true as a golden spear. Frost giants oversee a workforce of enslaved yeti. There are too many giants to challenge in a frontal assault and the disposition of the yeti slaves is unclear.
Karack formulates a plan. He shares his plan with the rest of the party. Asha and the Faresight twins blanche, but Grogg grins from ear to ear. This is definitely his kind of plan! Grogg mounts his pet roc and flies back south. The rest of the party hunker down to wait, wondering if they will ever see the deranged half-orc again.
Hours later, Grogg returns, circling low over the golden road. The yetis down tools and gawp skyward as the frost giants hurl rocks (with a k) at the roc (with a c). Suddenly, there is a deafening roar as a furious rimewyrm breaks through the ice and lunges for Grogg, smashing into the road and reducing weeks of hard yeti labour to a field of debris.
"It worked!" Karack cries, "I can't believe it worked!"
The yeti flee! The frost giants stand their ground! Grogg swoops down on the back of his baby roc and beheads a giant with his runeforged axe! The rest of the party rise from the snow and charge into the fray! The enraged rimewyrm continues to pursue Grogg, snaking across the battlefield and destroying anything in its path!
The heroes make short work of the giants and scramble up the flank of the ancient wyrm as it thunders toward the gates of Xin Shalast. The beast smashes through the city wall as though it were made of paper and continues on through the streets, leaving a trail of ruin in its wake. The heroes cling to its icy scales for dear life.
The rimewyrm approaches a tall, golden pagoda in the shadow of the mountain. A 40ft tall rune giant, enclosed in a suit of obsidian armour, guards the entrance. With one swing of its massive sword, the rune giant severs the head of the mighty rimewyrm! The ride is over, now the heroes must fight!
TBC

 

[mikeawmids]

Spires of Xin Shalast, Week 4 / Part 1
The headless body of the rimewyrm thrashes, destroying several giant-sized buildings in its final death throes. Dark blue blood pulses from the severed stump, drenching the terrace in inky gore. Thrown from their monstrous mount in the moment of its death, the heroes rise from the rubble, dusting themselves off and reaching for their weapons. The rune giant towers over them, almost as tall as the golden pagoda it defends.
Asha casts Armour on the whole party, surrounding each of her allies in a nimbus of radiant fire. Grogg and Silas charge! The rune giant raises a foot to squish the plucky fighters. Silas spots a glowing rune etched into the sole of the giant's sabaton as it eclipses the sky. Silas cant read ancient Thasillonian, but he knows a conspicuous glowing weak spot when he sees one.
Grogg leaps clear of the rune giant's crushing boot and realises he can now fly. Asha gives him the thumbs up from across the battlefield. A half dozen golden gargoyles perched atop the pagoda take note and swoop to intercept the flying half-orc. Grogg spins through the gargoyles like a cyclone of steel and dizzily observes a second rune on the giant's helm. He smashes it! There is a blinding flash and the rune giant roars in rage (and is Shaken)!
Forbin takes aim and shoots the foot rune with his rune-forged bow. The giant swings his sword - longer than the Sandpoint cathedral was tall - demolishing another building and wounding Aeleana. Karack notices a third rune on the back of the giant's hand. He runs up the length of the giant's sword and drives his spear through the giant's palm! the rune giant reels away! Karack backflips, landing on the hilt of the giant's sword, still embedded in the debris of the collapsed building.
The heroes cannot see the final rune! The giant roars and stomps around like a bear with a sore head. Eventually, Forbin spots the fourth rune in the small of the giant's back. But how to reach it?! Asha casts Smite (with 6 points of AP!!) on Silas' trademark pickaxe and the delusional dwarven miner starts to climb. Karack sees his chance! Leaping from his vantage point atop the giant's sword, he lands on the pickaxe handle (crushing Silas' fingers beneath his scaly toes) and springs up towards the final rune. The tip of his runeforged, giant-killing spear barely scratches the edge of the rune - but it is enough! The ancient Thasillonian spells animating the rune giant fail with the destruction of the four runes and the final guardian falls, slumped over its own sword.