Session 328 - The Curse of Darkheart
General Summary
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 searching for a priceless lost Dwarven artifact, the Orb of Midgard. They believe Stiggar "Darkheart" Gilsen, a Morgath-worshiping scoundrel, has stolen it. The heroes have entered the Darkheart's tower on the cursed Desolation Hill
This is the continuation of Session 326 - Desolation Hill.
Location - Desolation Hill in the Kingdom of Govyna.
Part 1 – The Fat Man
The heroes have entered the grim tower, permanently cloaked in shadow. Suddenly, they hear a sound; a tall, fat, ugly man with a fine cape set with a blood-red gemmed brooch walks down the stairwell from the floor above. Stiggar Gilsen, the infamous Darkheart, introduces himself.
He tactlessly attempts to charm his guests and offers them some fine brandy (which Salvador has previously determined to be poisoned). The "friendly" conversation turns to the Orb of Midgard, and the Darkheart admits that he stole it sixty years ago and killed "That dwarven runt when he complained about the quality of the counterfeit orb." When asked what he was doing with the Orb, he mutters with dissatisfaction that he had "Tried to use it as a receptacle from my magics, but the darkness wouldn't stick."
Stiggar is an unpleasant, gross man but hides his age well. However, Kara notices something not right; his foot seems slightly clipped with the floor, and there is a slight sound of footsteps to his right. She is convinced the man standing before her is an illusion and the real villain is Invisible, looming nearby. He is using the Mislead spell. Kara calls him out, and he does not take it well. His illusion grasps his red gem brooch, and suddenly, the characters feel waves of hunger and thirst. This momentarily disorientates them. Fortunately, they narrowly resist the desire to drink the poisoned brandy. The invisible killer attacks Kara with his meaty hand, which rots flesh and is enhanced with frost and, surprisingly, fire magic. The Darkheart is a powerful sorcerer.
As the fight progresses, the party is frustrated, as what is thought to be flawless hits end up missing because of the villain's Invisibility. Nevertheless, the heroes eventually inflict some damage, and with the duration of his Invisibility about to expire, the evildoer disappears, Translocating away to a floor further up the tower.
Part 2 - The Orb of Midgard
The heroes race after him and encounter two more undead guards. These fiends gaze at the heroes with eyes of the darkest void, causing the heroes' hearts to slow and skip beats. Nevertheless, the Bodak's are soon destroyed. The party takes a moment to rest, then proceeds up to the tower's highest room to find the Darkheart waiting for them, having healed himself. Here, he makes his last stand and nearly slays Kara with his spells and Decaying Touch. Kara backs off while the rest of the party mob him. The brute fights on but takes many serious cuts to his huge, flabby body. He looks ready to run when a flaming arrow shot by Kara immolates him.
A thorough search of the tower uncovers a small fortune of minor treasures and coins and an ominous black orb. The heroes have found the Orb of Midgard. It radiates potent magic.
Part 3 - The Son of Sarajin
They find a disturbing sight at the top of the tower. A hazy, semi-transparent, impenetrable magical dome, and trapped within it is a moving, emaciated human, almost skeletal, writhing in pain. The heroes identify the captive is nonother than the legendary son of the god Sarajin, Thoreir Agnarr. Unable to communicate, Kara examines the gemmed brooch she recovered from the corpse of the Darkheart. Soon, she understands and can manipulate its magic. By force of will, she can project Thoreir's hunger onto nearby living creatures, cause Thoreir to scream in agony, or disable the magical dome and free him.
Kara chooses the last option and releases Thoreir from his captivity. After some discussion, the heroes learn that Thoreir is a rather sad character, grief-stricken for murdering his family so long ago, believing he must suffer for his sins but kept alive by his divine heritage. Feeling pity, Kara persuades Thoreir that he has endured enough. Thanking the heroes for freeing him from the evil sorcerer's magical trap and machinations, Thoreir decides to travel to Talagaad and join his father and maybe his family if they dwell there. Soon, the dark pall surrounding the tower and hill lifts, and the Curse of Desolation Hill evaporates.
Before the heroes leave, the Tharc, using his geomancer abilities, destroys some stone bricks at the tower's base. It wobbles in the air, develops a lean, and eventually collapses into rubble. The heroes make their way back to the Kingdom of Kuzjera and return the Orb of Midgard, and the grateful King Inknar rewards them well. Now Princess Berda of the Kingdom of Azadmere will attempt to use it to communicate with her kin back home.
To be continued.NPC Interactions
Stiggar "Darkheart" Gilsen.
Challenges Overcome
2 x Bodaks.
Stiggar "Darkheart" Gilsen.
Rewards
Nothing this week.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Player Characters
Cassius - Human - L8 Ranger - Background Bounty Hunter - Archetype Fighter.
Kara - Half-snow elf - L8 Fighter (Change) - Background Prisoner - Archetype Magus.
Salvador - Human - L8 Cloistered Cleric of Ilvir (Change) - Background Artist - Archetype Eldritch Researcher.
NPC Character Status
Tharac - Dwarf - L8 Kineticist (Earth) - Background Magical Misfit - Archetype Wizard.
Next Session
Kara
Cassius
Salvador
Desolation Hill
Desolation Hill is only a few days' travel away from the Thran of Aldeby, in the Kingdom of Govyna, which is normally avoided and 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.
NPC Companion
Tharac
The characters guide and translator in the dwarven kingdom. Tharac is a skilled Geomancer.
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