Session 27: Thaneshall

General Summary

Prologue

As the Storm Eaters made their way from Hafrsted to Thaneshall aboard The Darkness, half a world away Isulf, Siverion, Winter, and Obi dealt with the wintry hag that vexed them. After, they traveled together to Siverion and Winter's enclave of Sed Hellen not far down river from the hag's lair, hoping to find rest and refuge. They were welcomed as heroes for putting an end to the hag's yeti-berthing ritual which leeched poison into the river the Sed Hellen drank from. But heroes' work is seldom done, and their rest often shortlived. The leader of this Sed Hellen enclave, an ancient elven druidess known as Nightfall, asked Siverion if he would be her champion once more.
Nightfall said that she had recently recieved news through the network of Sed Hellen spies and informants that her sister, Siofra, had been murdered. Siofra was a member of the Sed Hellen enclave in the Elvish Gardens south of Hafrsted, and also the leader of a small band of Daughters of Hervora. Siofra and her Daughters of Hervora were attempting to manipulate a dragon that laired in the Elvish Gardens to attack Hafrsted and force the humans that lived there to flee or die, in hopes that the Sed Hellen could reclaim the city as Aerlithir, the great Elvish city of the northlands it once was before the War of Iron and Water.
Siofra's plans were ruined when a goup of adventurers raided the dragon's lair, killing both the dragon, Siofra, and all ther Daughters of Hervora. These adventurers were rumored to be working with the Lodge Eldritch, one of the Sed Hellen's most hated foes. Through her spies, Nightfall learned that these Lodge-affiliated adventurers were now on their way to Thaneshall aboard a ship with a black hull known as The Darkness.
Nightfall asked if Siverion would go to Thaneshall and avenge Siofra and her Daughters, while also reclaiming any elven treasures these adventurers may have looted from the Elvish Gardens. Although the mission would be very dangerous, leading Siverion right into the heart of the Clans of the Throat's power where elves were kept as thralls and sacrificed like cattle, he agreed without hesitation. His oath and loyalties as a E'ren Nen demanded he take action for this crime against his people. Without expectations or judgement, Siverion asked his new companions if any of them wished to join him on this very dangerous quest. Winter, always up for adventure and new places, agreed with a smile and a drum roll! Isulf pondered his options for a long moment. His oath to the Crows of Valdryssil had taken him halfway across the world, embroiled him in the third Wormborn Plague, endeared him to a pirate queen (whom he later had to kill when she turned into an undead abomination), and gained him dread enemies in the Sleeping Queen and her eight...now seven daughters. With a snort of resignation he accepted that Thaneshall sounded no better or worse than any place else he could go, and the crows on his shoulder seemed to take no offense at it, so he accepted with a grim nod. Obi on the other hand had severe reservations. The tiny tomte ranger had nearly lost his dear companion Ori, multiple times. He felt like perhaps traveling with the dark warrior and his crows was getting him and Ori into trouble they weren't cut out for, plus the thought of going to the city of Thaneshall sounded horrible. The masses of people, crowded and filthy, without a tree in sight made Obi shiver with trepidation. So regretfully the little ranger said it was perhaps best that their paths diverged. He agreed to stay on with the Sed Hellen for a spell, and perhaps help Nightfall and her people against any dangers in the dark woods that surrounded their river hideout.
And so Siverion, Winter and Isulf set out imediately for Thaneshall aboard a small elvish dragonboat, a cunning little craft capable of weathering the deep waves of the Throat and also drafting far up shallow rivers, operated by a Sed Hellen captain named Dangil. They sped down the Sweet Death River and then the River White without incident. At night they sailed past the human town of White Run, like a shadow passing unseen into the open waters of the Throat. With good weather and even better winds they made their way across the breadth of the Throat of the World and landed south of Thaneshall in the dead of night. The trio left their captain and his daring vessel and struck off across land, sneaking into the capital city of the Clans of the Throat under the cover of darkness. Siverion and Winter hid their identities beneath hoods and disguises, while Isulf did any talking required of them. They took lodging in a meadhall that overlooked the docks of Thaneshall and waited. Waited for a ship with a black hull. Waited for The Darkness and the adventurers they would take revenge upon.

Mainlogue

Meanwhile aboard The Darkness, the two remaining members of the Storm Eaters, Svagnir and Ottar, completed their voyage to Thaneshall in an awkward silence. The loss of Halstein and Janicka weighed heavy upon them, each in their own way. Skordal contacted them daily for updates on the Sending Stone, and Svagnir responded with their progress and their losses. Skordal instructed him that representatives from the Lodge Eldritch and their allies would meet them at the dock in Thaneshall when they arrived, to guide them to their meeting place.


Midafternoon on the 36th day after Midsommar, as a light autumn snowfall obscured the mighty boughs of Valdryssil overhead, The Darkness docked in Thaneshall, the largest city of men in all of Valkheim. Svagnir and Ottar got a farewell mixed with different emotions from Herja, captain of The Darkness, full of both loathing for the death that surrounds them and respect for their skill and bravery.
As Svagnir and Ottar disembarked and made their way onto the docks, the druid recognized a familiar figure approaching with a group of others: Isulf! Svagnir greeted his old companion with joy, but soon gathered that not all was well. Isulf and his two companions, both shrouded beneath hoods, were tense, ready for battle. A rapid exchange of words occurred. Isulf told his companions, Siverion and Winter, that he knew the adventurers they had been sent to kill, and that they had a noble purpose which was greater than petty revenge. He called for patience from both sides in order to sort out the truth of things.
There were many other interested onlookers that took in this tense exchange on the docks between the Storm Eaters and Isulf's band. One was Synsk, an apparent human warrior with a mighty greatsword. Quietly he observed the exchange on the docks, taking up a position of concealment so as to not draw any attention to himself. Two others emerged from the gates of Thaneshall and out into the docks area. First came Maebha, a dark and gaunt wizardess of the Lodge Eldritch, accompanied by a trio of cloaked figures and a black feathered owl upon her shoulder. Behind her came Bloodroot, a hulking druid of the Leaves of Blood circle, his human flesh almost completely covered by crimson bark and leaves. With the appearance of a Lodge mage, another figure suddenly strode into motion. A massive Ogn Elf known as Einar, bristling with weapons and armor, made a direct path toward Meabha with grim determination. As Einar got uncomfortably close to Maebha she pushed him back with a blast of magical energy, and then her trio of cloaked companions moved to protect her. Einar then used a bit of his own magic to teleport directly behind Maebha.

Ana of the Traitor's Three

As this tense moment played out a final group joined the encounter. Ana of the Traitor's Three emerged from hiding on a nearby docked ship. She said she had come to give the Storm Eaters one final chance to join the side that wishes to save people rather than sacrifice them, the side for peace and order over violence and chaos. She said if you won't take my word, perhaps you will listen to an old friend. Worhana Fang-Kissed emerged from hiding to stand beside Ana. Worhana pleaded to Svagnir and Isulf to believe Ana, and have faith in her statement that the Traitor's Three planned to stop the enslavement and sacrificing of elves once they were in power. Svagnir responded that he did not hold faith in the Traitor's Three and their Wormborn horde, and he also noticed something about Worhana. She no longer carried that black and white stone that marked her as a cleric of Shif.

Worhana, former companion of the Storm Eaters

Suddenly Maebha decided to join the conversation, impatiently stating that it isn't wise to keep a mage of the Lodge Eldritch waiting. At the sight of the Lodge mage, one of her sworn enemies, Ana instantly went on the offensive. The docks erupted into chaos. Four wormborn abominations burst from crates that had been hidden around the docks earlier this morning when Ana's ship arrived. The townsfolk of Thaneshall dashed for the safety of the gate or various nearby buildings. Several of the wormborn killed nearby townsfolk and horses, creating new wormborn to contend with. The Storm Eaters, Isulf's band, and the assortment of strangers put all differences aside momentarily and took the fight to Ana, Worhana, and the Wormborn. Spells and steel filled the snowy air. Bloodroot turned into a lumbering white tree-man. Maebha's owl and one of her cloaked minions (revealed to be skeletons) were roasted in a lightning bolt from Ana. Worhana was using a different form of magic that seethed with wormborn corruption instead of Shif's divine might. Synsk's greatsword blazed with a strange blue energy when he struck down foes. Winter played a sick beat on his drums to enbolden friends and befuddle foes. Svagnir summoned a pair of massive dire wolves to fight for him. Ottar dashed from one hiding spot to another, slinging deadly arrows at the least expecting. Siverion danced like water amongst foes, shredding them with steel and magic. Isulf did his best to confront Worhana without violence, hoping to win her back to their cause. But Einar had no such intent. He could sense the wormborn corruption within her, and he smashed her near to death with his gigantic war maul. Guards from the walls of Thaneshall began shooting arrows at the wormborn, and a familiar figure joined them: Signi of Arnsted, secret agent of the Sed Hellen.

Signi of the Sed Hellen

Within a matter of seconds the fight was done. The Wormborn had been defeated without spreading out of control amongst the townsfolk. Ana had been killed by an arrow to the throat, shot from the mighty magical bow of Signi. Ana's body melted away into black muck and then seeped into the earth, vanishing, leaving only her earthly belongings behind. Isulf quickly used his healing magics to revive Worhana, much to Einar's displeasure. As a new fight threatened to kick off over that, Skordal Skullbearer of the Lodge Eldritch appeared at the gates. He called for everyone to follow him into the city, away from the vulnerable docks, in case there should be another attack. Svagnir quickly told Worhana to seek refuge in the Elven Gardens, where Mabd was, as coming into the city would most likely result in her death. The elven woman heeded his advice and quietly made her way out of the docks and north. Isulf escorted her to make sure she escaped the docks without further incident. The remainder of this collection of strangers followed Skordal inside the safety of the gates, but not before Maebha looted Ana's remains, finding her spellbook, a ruby ring, and an encrypted message on a small bit of parchment.
Inside the protective walls of Thaneshall the group briefly met with Signi. She demanded her share of loot from Ana, as she had made the fatal shot. Meabha surrendered the ruby ring, and Signi was satisfied. Siverion and Winter discovered that Signi was a secret agent of the Sed Hellen, and accepted her invitation to share some drinks at the nearby Blushing Giant meadhall, as they had no interest in going to the Hall of Thunder and possibly being discovered as members of the Sed Hellen. Before the group split between the Blushing Giant and following Skordal, Svagnir decrypted the note that had been found on Ana's body, which read "Ana, Last chance. The Eaters must join or die. Then go to the Gardens. My sister needs help with a dragon. --Velana"
Many in the group knew Velana to be one of the Traitor's Three, a powerful elven wizardess. Apparently she has some relation to either Siofra or Maeldun, as she referred to a "sister" in her instructions to Ana. This effort by the Traitor's Three to deal with a dragon in the Elvish Gardens could have an impact on Mabd, and potentially had something to do with the daughters of the Sleeping Queen, which drew interest from several of the members of the group.
Leaving Siverion and Winter with Signi, the group followed Skordal to the Hall of Thunder, where the Thane held court They talked amongst themselves, trying to learn about the strangers they all found themselves mixed up with. Einar revealed he was an Eater of Worms, and was immediately invested in helping the group in any effort to destroy Wormborn. Bloodroot also revealed that he was an Eater of Worms, and one of the original ones according to his tales, making him over 200 years old. Synsk revealed that he was actually a Raate (with the ability to magically disguise himself), and the Lady of the Azure Cave sent him to help the party. Before much more could be learned about anyone, Isulf caught up with the group after ensuring Worhana escaped the docks safely, and the group reached their destination: the Hall of Thunder.
The Hall of Thunder is a massive, open-air hall, with the dragon skull throne of the Thane positioned directly below where Valdryssil loomed in the northern sky above. A gentle snow drifted down through the open roof to slowly melt on the stone floor of the hall. The Thane's throne sat empty, as Thane Iskarl was away fighting Wormborn in an effort to aid the Lodge Eldritch, staunch allies of the Clans. On a humble bench next to the throne, covered in the pelt of a mighty owlbear, sat the acting leader of Thaneshall: Juvyk, eldest son of the Thane. Beside him stood his top advisor, a druid of the Leaves of Blood called Iona. Also nearby stood Vlka, his half sister and eldest daughter of the Thane, who apparently served as another trusted advisor. The group of strangers were all introduced to the court.

Juvyk, eldest son of Thane Iskarl

To all present Skordal Skullbearer explained the Lodge's plan. In order to destroy the Traitor's Three and their Wormborn horde, they sought an invention of the infamous dwarven crafter Wrothgar called the God Trap, supposedly capable of trapping the soul and life essence of any creature, including a god. With the device and a god trapped in it, the Lodge planned to feed all that life essence to the dying Valdryssil, which would empower the great Tree to fight the Wormborn Plague and end it. In order to power the god trap the last breath of a dragon was needed, which currently was within Svagnir's body.
To acquire the god trap from Wrothgar, the Lodge has been in magical communication with the elusive and eccentric dwarven crafter. Wrothgar has promised to give the god trap to those who can prove worthy of it. To prove worthy he said six champions (one for each element of creation: earth, water, air, fire, life, and death) must complete the Barak Tor (dwarven for either Blood Tower or Blood Path, depending on the dialect), they must swear that no dwarf or their god Hjelik will be harmed in the process of gaining and using the god trap, and they deliver a horde of wealth and magical items provided by the Lodge to him without using them.
Skordal produced a palm-sized ship carved from bone and said it was a magical vessel that could grow to the full size of a ship and shrink back to pocket sized upon command. He said it was already filled with the treasure and magical items Wrothgar had demanded, and was to be delivered to him unused and unsullied. He then said the six champions to undertake the Barak Tor must be chosen. The old wizard said one must be Svagnir, as he carries the last breath of the dragon needed to power the god trap. He then said that the Lodge Eldritch initially planned to send five of their best mages with Svagnir, but Wrothgar had decreed that only one Lodge mage could undergo the Barak Tor, and he named Maebha as that mage. Skordal claimed he did not know why Maebha was selected by Wrothgar personally, but wasn't surprised as the dwarf was known to be strange and eccentric. And so, Meabha would be the second of six champions on the quest. Next Skordal said the Leaves of Blood were due a representative on the quest, as they had been trusted allies to the Lodge since the birth of both organizations. Bloodroot was the representative the arch druid of the Leaves of Blood had chosen, making him the third of six champions for the Barak Tor. Skordal then asked Svagnir, as the breath keeper, who he wished to be the final three champions.
Svagnir looked to his trusted friends, Ottar and Isulf. Both men worked through their nebulous motivations, and ultimately Ottar decided to stay by Svagnir's side, while Isulf felt he had unfinished business with the daughters of the Sleeping Queen and would quest to the Elvish Gardens to undo whatever their plans were there, as well as potentially protect his former companion Mabd. And so the fourth of six champions had been chosen for the Barak Tor. Einar then demanded that he was going, not asking for anyone's permission. Knowing that he was an Eater of Worms and death on two legs with a maul, no one offered a different opinion. And so the fifth of six champions was chosen. Finally, Synsk said he must take the final spot, as the Lady of the Azure Cave had ordered him to aid this party, and returning without doing so would shame him to execution. But before he could be declared as the sixth and final champion, Iona whispered in Juvyk's ear, and the acting Thane made an announcement.

Iona of the Leaves of Blood

Juvyk stated the Clans of the Throat were staunch allies of the Lodge, and like the Leaves of Blood, deserved a represenative on the Barak Tor. A muscular and deadly looking Huscarl stepped forward. Juvyk said this was Orym Trollbreaker, and he would be the sixth. Synsk instantly demanded trial by combat to decide who was the most worthy to be the sixth. Juvyk approved and started to outline the rules of the combat to take place, when suddenly his sister, Vlka, whispered in his ear. With a nod, the acting Thane made a new pronouncement. He stated that if one of the adventurers proclaimed their loyalty to him and the Clans of the Throat, he would be satisfied with that person acting as his representative. None among the group seemed eager to swear loyalty to the Clans, but then Ottar stepped forward. The rogue said he would swear his loyalty to the Thane if he would be given a place in the Thane's library upon the quest's completion. Juvyk agreed, and in a ceremony in the Hall of Thunder, as the great tree Valdyrssil looked on as witness, Ottar swore upon the earth, the sea, and the Tree to serve the Thane of the Clans of the Throat and no other. After taking this oath he was given a torc as a symbol of his oath, and was kissed by Vlka as a symbol of the rewards that come from being loyal.

Vlka, eldest daughter of Thane Iskarl

And so six champions were chosen for the Barak Tor, to prove their worth and acquire the god trap of Wrothgar. They are: Svagnir Deadeye, druid of Ghostfalls, Eater of Worms, and keeper of the dragon's last breath. Ottar Balkisson, chef, surgeon, scribe, and sworn man to the Thane. Maebha Helrik of the seventh circle of the Lodge Eldritch. Bloodroot of the Leaves of Blood and an Eater of Worms. Einar, the Ogn Elf Eater of Worms. And Synsk Tankenklo, envoy of the Lady of the Azure Cave.

Report Date

15 Sep 2023