Session 06: Dance to the Depths

General Summary

As the companions (accompanied by Aela, Arik, Mabd, and Bjekmir) plunged deeper into the sea caves, seeking to discover signs of the Wormborn's possible return deep beneath the earth, Arik told Aela that the old and damaged book they had found in the giant lizard's nest should be destroyed. The brute said the book may have something to do with his nightmares, as the Sleeping Queen of Lilladenau was depicted in its pages. Aela argued that the book may have useful information about ending Arik's nightmares, and they should not destroy it. Arik resentfully obeyed his captain, and Aela kept the old tome.
Meanwhile Mabd plucked several teeth from the corpse of the giant lizard as the party descended deeper into the sea caves. The young sorceress then enchanted one with a temporary protective spell and gave it to Svagnir in an awkward gesture of affection, which the druid tentatively, yet graciously accepted.
Rounding a corner in the sea caves, the lead members of the party discovered a shriveled and desiccated woman's head hanging from an outcropping on the side of the tunnel. The eyes and mouth of the head began to glow with a turquoise fire and a voice boomed from its withered lips. "Begone Fools!" it screamed, "Or dance to your deaths!" The music of a fiddle could then be heard from ahead in the darkness. The enchanting music took hold of Kradar, and the brooding barbarian began to dance against his will, draining him of his energy in the process. The party rushed ahead to discover where the fiddle music was coming from, entering a half flooded chamber within the winding sea caves. Within the chamber was a handsome and utterly nude man, with skin made of water, playing a fiddle with a mischievous grin (the party would later discover this fey creature to be a Fossegrim). The party rushed the Fossegrim to stop the musical enchantment he had placed on Kradar (with Arik grabbing the severed magical head on his way by), only to be ambushed by a massive fish-like beast that was hiding beneath the pooling water of the chamber. This scaly monster was the dreaded Nacken the raiders had been attacked by at the sea cave's entrance just before the companion's arrival.

Fossegrim are watery fey tricksters that can enchant and kill with music

As the companions launched into battle against the Fossegrim and the Nacken, two more Fossegrim emerged from a whirlpool in the far corner of the chamber, adding reinforcements to the foe's numbers. A rapid blow was landed on the first Fossegrim, which caused him to explode in a burst of water that gave birth to another Nacken! Shocked, the companions discovered that the Fossegrim and Nacken were the same creatures in two different forms, each capable of causing harm in their own ways. The music of the generally weak Fossegrim could enchant and kill, but when wounded, the Fossegrim transformed into hulking Nacken capable of dealing death by wicked claws and fangs.
The enchantment on Kradar was dropped when the Fossegrim transformed, and the now fatigued barbarian lurched into battle with his companions. A quick but bloody skirmish ensued. Another of the Fossegrim was wounded and turned into a Nacken. As the trio of fishy beasts did battle, the last remaining Fossegrim made his escape down the whirlpool, most likely to get reinforcements or warn others. After shedding blood and spells (to include a very potent emotion calming enchantment from Worhana that made many of the companions immune to the Fossegrim's lethal music), the companions finally sent the three Nacken to whatever hell beckons their souls beyond death. However, as the last Nacken fell, Kradar could not break free of the rage that often consumes him. He turned on the nearest target: Arik! The two savage men traded blows before Kradar was calmed by a combination of Svagnir and Mabd. Arik, barely containing his own rage, swore that he would end Kradar if he ever raised a blade at him again.

Nacken are the Fossegrim's reaction to threat and harm

During the fight Bjekmir once again slid into a state of confusion, and repeatedly called out for Helka in fear. Fortunately Svagnir was able to calm him, but not before Bjekmir mistakenly called him "Robilar".

After the brief battle, the weary and wounded companions considered resting in this chamber of the sea caves. Aela strongly suggested they do not, as one Fossegrim escaped to possibly get reinforcements, not to mention there might be other dangers lurking in the deep waters of the sea caves. The companions couldn't fault her thinking, and decided to take only a quick 10 minute rest to catch their breath and prepare for what threats may lie ahead.

Arik immediately threw the magical head he had grabbed during the fight onto the ground, and raised his mighty axe to destroy it. "No more will you haunt my nightmares, mother!" the barbarian screamed. Aela quickly intervened, pleading with her first mate. She warned that destroying the head may not end his nightmares, and more information was required before acting rashly. Arik did not heed her, and seemed determined to destroy his mother's head. Aela then turned to the companions for help. Isulf offered sound words in support of Aela, and Svagnir offered to speak to Arik's mother's head to discover what could be done. Once again, Arik resentfully relented.

Svagnir wove the magic of Ghostfalls and drew answers from Arik's mother's head. The druid learned that Arik's mother had been a servant of the Sleeping Queen of Lilladenau in life, and had used the Queen's magic to save her son Arik when he was young. Somehow this cursed Arik with nightmares of the Sleeping Queen, and Arik's mother believes the only way to end them is to slay the Sleeping Queen. This new information gave Arik pause, and instead of destroying his mother's head, he pissed on it then stormed off. Disgusted, Aela took the head for safe keeping (cleaning as best she could in the process), tying its long black hair around a loop on her belt.

Aela then made small talk with Isulf, commenting on the paladin's many gifts from swordplay to enchanting beasts. She said she could use a versatile man such as Isulf on her crew, and briefly reminisced about another man she had once met as a young girl that reminded her of Isulf. She said he was a famous raider captain among the Wolves of the Tide named Haftan the Hungry.

Meanwhile Svagnir sensed the type of magic that was ensorcelled into Arik's mother's head, and learned that it was evocation magic. He warned Aela and others that the head could be dangerous, as that type of magic could produce very destructive effects.

With their brief rest complete, the companions decided to pursue the Fossegrim that had escaped down the whirpool. Kradar bravely led the way, with Isulf on his heels. The submerged tunnel beneath the whirlpool was trapped with a primitive snare made of water-logged ropes. Kradar was briefly caught in it, but quickly cut himself free as more and more of the companions jumped into the whirlpool behind him. Kradar tumbled headfirst into a massive underground chamber half submerged in an subterranean pool. The chamber descended across a series of small cliffs and waterfalls, making the terrain difficult to traverse. On the very far side of the chamber a young, half-naked woman lounged unalarmed, as if she were incapacitated in some way, on a bed of lilies and reeds, surrounded by wine and goblets. Between her and the companions, four Fossegrim took cover behind stalagmites and began playing their enchanted fiddle music. Kradar was the first to succumb to their magic, and the barbarian began dancing toward his death once again. Arik soon followed, as he fell prey to another Fossegrim's song. The remainder of the companion's attacked the Fossegrim to break up the songs of enchantment. First one then another Fossegrim was wounded, turning into Nacken and ending their songs. Kradar and Arik were released from their dancing, and although weak and exhausted from the ordeal, pressed the attack.

The remaining Fossegrim now decided to enchant the women of the party instead of the men, and the companions learned that Fossegrim music has a different effect on women. Worhana and Janicka became charmed by the Fossegrim song, and in a conflicted state of watching their companions attack their "new best friends", cast various spells to hinder and slow their companions.

Aela resisted the songs of the remaining Fossegrim multiple times and led the charge to attack the Nacken, using her spear to summon a strange and dark magic that seemed to aid her in battle. Regardless, she paid for her courage and was grievously wounded by one of the Nacken, sending her to death's door. Isulf quickly came to her side, and revived her with his black healing powers. The undaunted Aela gave Isulf a thankful smile and then resumed the charge at his side.

Trying to keep up with the party, and wielding new sorcerous powers to her surprise, Mabd took a bad fall off one of the cliffs and nearly died. Nearby, Bjekmir once again slid into confusion and fear, calling out for Helka.

Torn as she watched her companions continue to attack her new Fossegrim friend, Janicka placed herself between them, using her own body to shield the Fossegrim. Undeterred Kradar took a flying leap off a ten foot cliff and hurled a javelin (putting all he had into the throw and landing on his face in the process), which whizzed through the tiny gap between Janicka and the stalagmite that shielded the last Fossegrim, striking it and turning it into a Nacken. As Janicka was released from the charm, the Nacken which now stood directly behind her tore at her with claw and fang, dropping her to the ground in an unconscious mass of blood and pain. Svagnir, nearing the end of his druidic powers, sent healing whispers to Janicka to pull her back into the land of the living.

As the companions pressed the attack against the remaining Nacken, one of the beasts lifted Aela off the ground, bit into her throat, and then tossed her to the ground, where once again the flame haired raider teetered on the edge of life and death. Worhana, nearly out of divine power, rushed forward to stabilize Aela with the simplest of healing magic.

The long and bloody battle ended in a poetic moment of retribution, when Janicka landed the killing blow to the last Nacken (the one that had first charmed her as a Fossegrim, and then nearly killed her as a Nacken).

The companions now stand victorious, but exhausted, spent, and wounded to their limits. Kradar, Janicka, and Arik bear the worst of the exhaustion. Nearly all the magical powers the group possesses have been spent. Aela is currently unconscious, her wounds barely stable. Mabd came the closest to death that she has ever been in her sixteen years, but learned a great deal about herself and her budding powers in the fight. Bjekmir again rants and raves in the corner of the chamber, lost in his own mind and the old fears that lurk there. What dangers do the sea caves still hold? Do they descend deeper, or have the companions reached a depth where they can sense the Wormborn which Bjekmir swears are rising once again to the surface of Valkheim? Who is the strange half-naked woman who watched the entire fight as if in a daze? And what mysteries still swirl around Aela and Arik, who are clearly at odds over what to do with Arik's mother's head?

Report Date

13 May 2022