Session 298 - The Shrine of Usnarl
General Summary
10th of Larane (Second Month of Summer) 726TRThe Story So Far
The rugged bounty hunter Cassius and his sidekick Salvador, the wandering priest of Ilvir, have decided to help Berda, a young dwarven woman from a wealthy family, on a quest to find a husband in the faraway dwarven Kingdom of Kuzjera.
The travelers are close to their objective, currently lodging in the Kingdom of Ibanvaal at the thran of their friend Logi Dagen.
This is the continuation of Session 296 - The Deep Roads.
Location - The West of the Vatharn of Jegel in the Kingdom of Ibanvaal.
Part 1 – A New Bounty
The hero's companion Logi Dagen invites them to his family thran, a small rural farm and fortified homestead not far away, where they are welcomed as honored guests by Logi's father, Frogi Dagen.
On learning that Cassius is a bounty hunter, Frogi has an interesting contract. A traitorous former kinsman, Rognar Dagen, has been caught spying for the Kingdom of Menglana. He has been disowned and, on the run, believed to be hiding out on Usnarl Island, a small river island. This is holy ground, and it would be sacrilegious for any devoted worshiper of Sarajin to spill a kin's blood at such a place. This restriction would not apply to the heroes, as they are foreigners and worshipers of other gods. Frogi offers a generous bounty for Rognar's head and assistance in travel through the kingdom. Cassius agrees to help.
Part 2 - Usnarl Island
The party lands on the small island in the center of the Perel River. They note a rough-cut path leading up to a shrine at its peak. Salvador detects unusual magical properties everywhere on this island but cannot identify them. Suddenly, the undergrowth comes to life, whipping the party with sharp thorns. The Bloodlash Bushs cause shallow bleeding injuries but are hacked to pieces. Salvador notes that some of his magic is misfiring; whatever the magical properties of the island are, they appear inherently chaotic.
Part 3 - Dancing Blades
Further on, they find rusty weapons set in the earth, flanking the path. Then the strange chaotic magic flares again, and the weapons animate, rising from the ground and attacking. The party enters combat with Animated Spears, Swords, and Axes. They are quickly dealt with; however, this time, Savador's holy invocations spontaneously Heal him. Very strange, Salvador identifies this as a Wild Magic Zone.
Part 4 - The Shrine of Usnarl
At the ridge of the hill is a fog-covered shrine to one of the Viking god Sarajin's Demigod servants, Usnarl the Bear. Usnarl is a powerful Pradeyalkri, one of the creatures the Lord of the Icy Wind, either slain, imprisoned, banished, or made to serve. The stone platform has two large censors, a stone statue of a bear, and a dead body. The corpse of Rognar Dagen, the traitor, must have done something to insult Usnarl or Sarajin. He died of some horrible injury; his face is contorted, and bleeding is evident from his mouth. Salvador thinks he choked to death; then he notices the offerings in the censors begin to smolder. The smoke thickens into a bear-shaped form and starts to build. Thinking quickly, Salvador, a priest of Ilvir, attempts a quick prayer, but all it does is anger the spirit. The Bear Smoke Spirit attacks, entering the mouths of the heroes and tearing at their throats and lungs. Magic is chaotic and prone to misfire; Salvador inadvertently summoned a hostile Ivashu, a wolf-like creature with tentacles around its beak-like mouth. It is not friendly. Eventually, the party prevails, and the Ivashu and Bear Spirit are destroyed.
The heroes take the corpse's head and return to the Logi Dagan's family thran, as respectfully as possible so as not to anger the bear spirit again. Frogi Dagen rewards them as agreed and will organize an escort through the kingdom to a Yarili trading post on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Kuzjera.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Logi Dagen - Kingdom of Ibanvaal Hunter
Frogi Dagen - Logi's father.
Challenges Overcome
2 x Bloodlash Bush.
13 x Animated Blades.
1 x Smoke Spirit.
Rewards
Nothing this week.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Nothing this week.
Player Characters
Cassius - Human Bounty Hunter - L4 Ranger - Archer
Salvador - Human Artist - L4 Cloistered Cleric of Ilvir (Change) - Eldritch Researcher.
NPC Character Status
Berda - Dwarf Noble - L4 Fighter - Sentinel.
