The Return: Session #24

General Summary

The heroes looked over the ladybug infestation, and began to cement their final plans for the invasion coming the following day. Knowing the Shung giants working for Mokmurian and Karzoug were looking for something in Barrowmista, they attempted to deduce what and where that might be.
Using his contact with the divine, Bartuk called out asking about what Karzoug sought, and he received a cryptic response that it could be found in an ancient flume. The heroes explored the local lumbermill, but found nothing. Even the local hedge wizard, Vulnademus, couldn't provide any further clues.
That night, Kurdan attempted to contact the Aunts. It was a painful experience that brought Kurdan to a barren flat land very unlike the lush lands he previously visited.
While Kurdan sought help or information on the next day's invasion, the aunts were more concerned with his current woes. Aunt Ingur and Aunt Unger explained that they had connected his soul to the souls of his ancestors, and the Axe of Justice and Revenge was a manifestation of his soul. The breaking of the axe has left his soul damaged, and beyond their ability to heal.
They warned that there were those that could repair the damage, but warned that "there are those who will work you into their own fantastic stories or others that will ask a foul price".
Aunt Elara continued her bemused ways... singing little poems during the conversation:
"In screaming woods and empty flumes
of gloomy vaults and sunken tombs
Where the once mighty in dust decay
Find the traitor to once again betray"
and
"Where raging storms of midnight howl
and distant rolls of thunder growl
Where swords of ancient battles clashed
Find the lost secrets and treasures stashed"
The heroes woke the next morning before dawn. Kurdan climbed the cathedral to give a overlook the area while Bartuk and Tiny Tymm stayed close to the wall. Bartuk knew the giants had arrived when a boulder shattered on the wall next to his head.
As three giants unleashed boulders upon the wall, Kurdan saw movement among the trees near the closest bridge. Kurdan made his way down to the bridge while Sabyl did her best to hold off two giants and a pair of dire badgers. Burtak and Tiny Tymm worked with the Sheriff and his guards to shoot at their three giants.
The battle raged and the wall began to crumble, Bartuk joined Kurdan... and all three of the heroes witnessed a dragon roar into town unleashing blasts of fire. It bellowed: "Behold Longtooth, bringer of ash, lord of cinder, terror of Kaduna".
With one of the giants at the wall dead and the other two wounded, Tiny Tymm joined the other heroes in time to watch Sabyl struck down by a critical strike. Bartuk did his best to protect her body and preserve her life as Kurdan traded blows with the twenty foot tall servants of the runelord.
They witnessed four more giants and more badgers crossing the stream into Barrowmista and they watched Longtooth's frustration as he attempted to attack the cathderal. Hundreds screamed from within, but the magic of the lute being played by Ameiko protected the building from any harm. With a huff, Longtooth flew off to more vulnerable targets in the town.
The heroes felt pulled across multiple fronts. Leaving Kurdan with the final giant at the bridge, Bartuk and Tiny Tymm followed the other giant invaders... finding two of them kidnapping locals and putting them into sacks on their belts. Bartuk unleashed some of his more powerful spells, and gave Kurdan time to subdue his enemy and join them to take on these giants. The heroes proved to be too much for the giants, and as one fell and the other attempted to flee... the dragon joined the fight and unleashed fire upon the heroic trio.
The fight went to the roof tops, and the heroes engaged the wyrm that had set most of Barrowmista aflame. The dragon was dangerous, but the heroes were causing it much harm.
The battle got cut short when a loud call from a conch shell sounded across the city and the dragon began to fly away.
Bartuk used his cloak to teleport above the dragon. Turning into a giant crocodile, he attempted to bit into the wyrm from above. The dragon was able to barely escape the plummeting crocodile, and Tiny Tymm used his magic to ease Bartuk's fall onto the city below.
With the invaders retreating, the heroes joined with their neighbors and friends in doing what they could for Barrowmista. Bartuk helped heal the wounded, Kurdan look for survivors needing help, and Tiny Tymm used his magic to help fight the still burning fires.
Suddenly, the bright blue skies changed to a storm as heavy rain dropped on the city. With the fires put out, Tiny Tymm muttered Vulnademus's name in anger.
It was during Tiny Tymm's firefighting travels, that he found what the giants may have been seeking. A large hole had been dug out in the ruins of the old lighthouse. He tried to detect magic on the hole, but only caught the disappearing aura of what magic had been buried there.
The heroes were alerted that the guards had a giant prisoner. Kurdan arrived first, but beheaded the invader before he could learn much from his prisoner. Bartuk used his magic to interrogate the fallen foe, and the heroes learned:

• The invaders were from a place called Jorgefist. An ancient fortress from the time of the Runelords.
• It is located in the Dimland mountains, near a river and could be accessed by some ancient passageway into the mountains called the Storval Stairs.
• The Storval Stairs were guarded.
• The heroes keenly asked if there was a secret way into the fortress, and the giant admitted it was rumored the dragon's lair beneath the fortress had tunnels beyond the walls.

As the sun set on a long day, they found final damage of the invasion began to be known. Almost all buildings had suffered damage, and many burned down, including the infamous Hagfish bar. The dragon killed more than the giants who were more interested in kidnapping. Among the missing and presumed kidnapped were:

• Sheriff Hemlock
• Das Korvut
• Savah Bevan

Created Content

Belor Hemlock 

Vulnademus 

Sabyl Sorn 

Report Date

24 Jul 2021

Primary Location

Barrowmista