Session 326 - Desolation Hill
General Summary
1st to 25th of Navek (Winter) 726TR
The Story So Far
Cassius, the rugged bounty hunter, Salvador, a wandering priest of Ilvir, and Kara, a half-snow-elf escaped prisoner, are guests in the underground City of Kondasgel in the distant dwarven Kingdom of Kuzjera. They are accompanied by Tharac, their dwarven translator and guide.
The heroes are on a quest to find a priceless lost Dwarven artifact, the Orb of Midgard.
This is the continuation of Session 315 - Dwarven Bounty.
Location - Giant Fall Crossing on the border of the Kingdom of Kuzjera.
Part 1 – The Talking Corpse
At Giant Fall Crossing, Cassius and Kara have discovered the body of the dwarf Gryrik Dolman, the former steward of King Inknar of Kuzjera, embedded in ice. Gryrik has been convicted, in his absence, of stealing an Orb of Midgard. The heroes have been hired to recover this invaluable, powerful, magical treasure lost for over 60 years.
Gryrik's corpse is dug out of the ice and examined. He appears to have died from a fall, but his back has a patch of necrotized patch in the shape of a handprint. Nearby, in the ice, they spot a black object, a cracked stone orb. Suspiciously, this object does not radiate magic. Is it the Orb of Midgard or a fake?
Salvador requires more information, so he uses Speak with Dead. The angry, vengeance-seeking corpse of the thief Gryrik Dolman answers three questions in an eerily disturbing voice. "Yes, I stole the Orb of Midgard and planned to replace it with a duplicate. No one would ever have known," "I sold it to Stiggar Gilsen," and finally, "That fat bastard betrayed me, the copy was not convincing, and he struck me with black magic while my back was turned." The corpse goes silent.
The heroes decide to travel to the nearby human settlement of Aldeby, which Clan Gilsen, likely close kin to this Stiggar Gilsen, holds.Location - Aldeby Thran in the Kingdom of Govyna.
Part 2 - The Viking Clanhold
The characters arrive at the walled Thran of Aldeby. The settlement's guards are in a good mood and let the party in. After Cassius's bear companion amuses the bored locals with a dance, they are offered guest rights. In the main clan hall filled with displays of foreign treasures, mainly from the distant Azeryani Empire, they discretely ask after Stiggar Gilsen. It turns out that Stiggar Gilsen is a relatively common name in the clan. They are regaled with stories of the clan's epic and famous deeds, one of which piques their interest. Several generations ago, the clan involved itself in mercenary work, claiming to have joined the bodyguard of the Emperor of the Azeryani Empire. One of the bodyguards was named Stiggar Gilsen, also known as the Darkheart. He was a big man who had a reputation for gluttony and cruelty that was seduced by the Morgathic religion. When he returned from his mercenary contract, he built a tower on Desolation Hill and was rarely seen except to purchase slaves.
Desolation Hill is only a few day's travel away and generally avoided, believed to be cursed. Legends tell that Thoreir Agnarr, an Avalir, was the son of the god Sarajin and a local beauty, and lived with his family in the hills. Thoreir Agnarr was known to be a great warrior but also had a fiery temper. In a fit of berzerk rage, he is said to have murdered his wife and sons, then fell into grief and despair. He never eats anything again, but such was his divine nature he took a hundred years to die of starvation. The Darkheart built his tower on that cursed ground.
After thanking their generous hosts, the party travels to Desolation Hill after the winter weather improves.
Location - Desolation Hill in the Kingdom of Govyna.
Part 3 - Desolation Hill
The hills are bone chillily cold, and the party finds a rough-cut trial hacked into the rocks. It is guarded; two grey-skinned undead giants ambush them. Their mere touch causes the flesh to freeze uncontrollably, but they are destroyed. Then, the heroes see the ominous Darkheart's tower, four stories tall, shrouded in mist with a permanent hazy shadow.
As they approach a narrow walkway, more undead emerge from the snow, grey-skinned, frozen zombies that attack with ferocity but are soon destroyed. At the tower's ground level, the heroes are blasted by a wave of frost as two more frozen corpses attack. These are much more dangerous and terrifying, their mere glances almost paralyzing the heroes with fear. They are dismembered, becoming an assortment of twitching, frozen limbs.
The entry chamber has a table set with an inviting alcoholic beverage, a fine brandy from the mainland continent. Fortunately, Salvador determines that this is a potent poison. Then they hear a sound. Someone is walking down the steps from the floor above.
To be continued.NPC Interactions
Various Clan Gilsen members at the Thran of Aldeby.
Challenges Overcome
2 x Blackfrost Ogres.
6 x Blackfrost Zombies.
2 x Blackice-infused Zombies.
Rewards
Nothing this week.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Player Characters
Cassius - Human - L7 Ranger - Background Bounty Hunter - Archetype Fighter.
Kara - Half-snow elf - L7 Fighter (Change) - Background Prisoner - Archetype Magus.
Salvador - Human - L7 Cloistered Cleric of Ilvir (Change) - Background Artist - Archetype Eldritch Researcher.
NPC Character Status
Tharac - Dwarf - L7 Kineticist (Earth) - Background Magical Misfit - Archetype Wizard.
