Session 14: Old Faces and Old Places

General Summary

On the 13th day after Midsommer, with the dead boughs of Valdryssil swaying in the hazy blue skies of a rare, pleasant summer day, Ottar drew his blades and attacked. The attempt to talk to Signi and prevent bloodshed with the locals had failed, and now steel would continue the conversation. Only five of the assembled dozen or so locals had the grit and steel for a fight, and the Storm Eaters engaged them while trying to convince them that this was a fight they couldn't win. A couple of the local warriors believed them, and soon fled with the rest of the noncombatants. As this chaos was unfolding, Signi unexpectedly freed the Grey Ear captive from her bonds and attempted to flee with her to the north. One of the local warriors still in the fight cut the Grey Ear woman down before she could escape, much to Signi's displeasure. Without looking back Signi fled the fight she had instigated.
Meanwhile, a couple of the local warriors still in the fight proved to have some skill with a blade, landing terrible blows to Ottar and Halstein. The Storm Eaters focused their attacks on these two warriors, with Mabd dealing a tremendous amount of damage with her lightning breath! As a last-ditch effort, the locals released a small pack of mastiffs to attack the Storm Eaters. Janicka and Svagnir, with their magics and their animal handling skills were able to scare the dogs off without spilling a drop of their blood. This turned the tide of the battle for good, and the fight was soon over, with the Storm Eaters triumphant and two dead local men (and the dead Grey Ear captive) in the dirt.
The Storm Eaters quickly assured the other locals that were hiding in their homes that they meant no further harm. Svagnir conducted a druidic ritual that allowed him to speak to the dead Grey Ear woman. He learned that she was Hrega, and she had been captured by the locals while trying to meet up with Signi. Hrega also disclosed that Signi paid her to free elven thralls and then deliver them to her.
With this new information, the Storm Eaters decided they needed to find and talk to Signi. They quickly conducted some funeral rites for Hrega, gave some silver to the locals for their losses, and then Janicka began tracking Signi.

Signi, half-elf bastard of the Jarl of Arnsted

With the Vaettir's expert tracking skills, it didn't take long to find Signi holed up in a gully not far from the bridge where the fight occurred. With cautious words, the Storm Eaters gained Signi's trust. She told them that she freed and smuggled thralls to safe havens, like the Elvish Gardens. The Storm Eaters revealed they were headed to the Gardens to slay the dragon that now laired there. With the seeds of trust now planted, the Storm Eaters and Signi agreed to travel together to the Elvish Gardens for mutual protection and for information that Signi could provide about the area.
As the new fellowship proceeded northbound, skirting the roads and farms of men, they shared much information. Signi revealed that she was the bastard daughter of the Jarl of Arnsted and an elven thrall with some meddling magical skills. At best she was treated as a second-class citizen throughout her childhood as a bastard half-breed child of a Jarl. When her mother was sacrificed by her father, Signi took what remained of her mother's possessions (including the massive longbow she calls "Lady Easy") and ran away. She dedicated her life to freeing thralls and then smuggling them to safe havens like the Gardens. She was currently escorting two elves: the woman Hraana (whom the Storm Eaters freed north of Molde when they first encountered Signi) and a boy named Jottir (whom Signi freed from being sacrificed in the God Grove at Midsommar). Signi also revealed that she delivers the freed thralls to "friends" that have a safe haven in the first two southern towers of the Elvish Gardens. She also warned the Storm Eaters to be wary of her "friends", as even though they are all freedom fighters, some are very nasty, bloodthirsty rogues. Signi also told the Storm Eaters a secret password (reply with "winter" when you hear the word "bridge") to greet her friends, should she not survive the trek to the Gardens.
In return, the Storm Eaters were open with Signi, telling her that they were Eaters of Worms on a mission to find the dragon in the Elvish Gardens as part of a plan to stop the Wormborn plague.
Along the way the Storm Eaters stopped at the farmstead of Hroth, the drunkard that supposedly survived an attack by Scalding Rain. The stead showed signs of an attack, and several Ogn Troll heads were mounted on stakes around the edges of the property. The angry (and sober) Hroth challenged the Storm Eaters as they entered his property. With warm words and a bottle of booze, the companions soon earned his trust and were welcomed to his hearth for dinner. Ottar cooked a lovely meal and the mead was passed around (but mostly consumed by Hroth). The old drunk told his tale. Ogn Trolls attacked his stead, and his two sons died defending it. Hroth was ready to follow them to Valdryssil when the dragon suddenly swooped down to kill some Ogn Trolls and scatter the rest. Horth then claimed that the dragon looked at the corpses of his sons, looked to him, and then said one word: "sorry". Hroth then claimed that the dragon talked to one of his haystacks, calling it "Ol' Grey" and asking it if it knew where the surviving Ogn Trolls had fled. The dragon then flew off.
Hroth, now alone and mourning, had staked the dead Ogn Troll heads up as a challenge to any others in the vicinity, hoping they would attack again, and he could take what revenge he could before joining his sons in the boughs of Valdryssil.
With that strange information now in hand, the Storm Eaters left Hroth to his grisly task and continued the trek north to the Elvish Gardens with Signi and her two charges.
One night while camped, Halstein stood watch and noticed a campfire spark to life on a nearby hill. The fearless and impetuous Tomte decided to investigate on his own. Ottar saw him leave the camp and woke the others, who soon followed. Halstein discovered the other campfire belonged to a wood tomte girl named Marna. She was friendly and offered Halstein to join her at her camp and share her onion and mushroom stew. Marna then offered to play a game of riddles with Halstein. If he won, she would give him a map to a secret treasure she knew about. If she won, Halstein would give her his shortbow. Halstein agreed, and the game of riddles began. A few riddles in Marna and was getting the best of Halstein, but then Svagnir joined the two Tomte in the riddle game (offering up some pearls as his wager). As a pair, Halstein and Svagnir were barely able to best the crafty Marna, and she awarded them with a rough drawn treasure map that led to a nearby location in some woods. Gracious in their victory, Halstein and Svagnir gave Marna their wagers, making the wood tomte very, very happy. The Storm Eaters followed the map, which led to a patch of special Black Spotted Mushrooms that have very potent effects that could be helpful if consumed in battle.

Marna the Wood Tomte, keeper of riddles

The following day the Storm Eaters were crossing a foggy moor when they heard a very unnerving sound above them in the fog: wings...very large wings cutting through the air like a thousand knives. Suddenly from out of the fog came Scalding Rain! The massive black and red dragon circled around them, its wings stirring the fog in menacing loops as it studied them. The Storm Eaters scattered as best they could in the open ground, and then hailed the dragon by name with flattering remarks. The dragon's voice boomed back at them: Scalding Rain was the name the ignorant locals called it. It's true name was Cyuli of the River. The dragon claimed it was the legendary hero trapped in this terrible form, and it needed its magical axe, Grim, to remove the curse according to Skald. The Storm Eaters were shocked to hear the name of the person that had set them upon this quest! The dragon then asked if the companions knew where the Ogn Trolls had taken Grim. Svagnir responded that they didn't know, but were willing to help find Grim for the dragon. The dragon told him that if they found Grim to bring it to the Elvish Gardens where the ground and waters grew black and rotten, as this cursed draconic form polluted the ground where it laired. With that, the wyrm flew off into the fog to continue its hunt for Ogn Trolls and Grim.

Scalding Rain, or Cyuli of the Rivers?

Shaken (especially Mabd, who claimed being close to the dragon caused her teeth to hurt) but unharmed, the Storm Eaters took stock of the information they had learned from their peaceful encounter with Scalding Rain. They pondered if the dragon was really Cyuli or if it was just insane. They wondered what role Skald played in all of this. And they pondered if they should hunt Ogn Trolls in hopes of finding Grim or continue on to the Gardens as they had planned. They decided that they should continue to the Gardens, and if any Ogn Trolls were found along the way to investigate if they had Grim. That night as they camped, Mabd was still shaken by the encounter with Scalding Rain and sought comfort by sleeping in Svagnir's gentle arms.
The next day while the Storm Eaters skirted the village of Svol (the last human settlement before the Elvish Gardens) they discovered a remote farmstead where hundreds of crows circled overhead, singing a terrible song of hunger and woe. Curious they decided to investigate. They found an abandoned farmstead blanketed in crow feathers and excrement, with one of the feathers being nearly 4 feet long! This had to be a feather from one of the Crows of Valdryssil. They also discovered two corpses, long dead and picked clean by the crows that swarmed and sang overhead. Svagnir and Janicka recognized that the tattered remnants of the dress worn by one of the corpses matched the lining of Isulf's crow-feathered cloak. This was the home of Isulf Thedolfsson. It had to be. It was a place of death and tragedy, where the crows still celebrated even though there was no longer any carrion to eat.

The Mighty and Mysterious Crows of Valdryssil

With thoughts of their old companion fresh on their minds, wondering what glory or horrors he found with Aela at Lilladenau, the Storm Eaters somberly continued north. Only a day or two now separated them from the Elvish Gardens. What aid or danger awaited them in the most southern Gardens, where Signi's "friends" held dominion? And what of the dragon and its unusual behavior? Was it truly Cyuli cursed to live in the skin of a wyrm, or was it a creature of madness? And did they have to kill it to breathe in its last breath?

Report Date

09 Dec 2022