In which our heroes forge a giant sword, continue to ruin their relationship with Peacekeeper Mathelas, investigate the mystery of Bruiser and set out on a journey to rescue the Kundarak heir.
Session Recount
Returning to Ghalt with their components and leathers, Donnerjack takes a detour to the local leatherworker, who just so happens to be a pretty young thing dressed in a leather apron and hair tied back. With not so much as a how do you do, Donnerjack is in full flirt-mode, doing his best at making small talk and mixing in certain favours to make something special out of the crocodile hide. Leaving the leather to be cured and crafted, and with promises of “Hey baby, don’t worry, I’ll be back – you can count on it”, Donnerjack leaves Frenine to her skills, never to return, and joins his compatriots at the inn for a long rest.
Waking from their pleasant slumber, the party realises that Vim is missing from his room at the Unyielding Shield. The party, with concern, set to tracking Vim down and discover his footprints leading towards the nearby Eldritch Groves. Donnerjack, with his keen mind, recalls the path they made when they were dealing with the Dryads a few days ago and the party make tracks to head towards that area of the Groves. After taking most of the day by making their way deeper into the forest, they happen upon a familiar looking stream. As our heroes catch their breath, they spot a pale, white, naked body floating towards them on the current.
Worried, they fish the body out of the shallow water and realise that it is their new friend by the satchel that floats down to them shortly after. With sorrow in their hearts, they lift Vim onto Ifrid’s invisible floating disk and make the journey back to Ghalt. Emerging from the forest on the outskirts of town at around midnight, the party spot Peacekeeper Mathelas waiting for them. To protect Vim’s identity as a changeling, they cover his body with a blanket and inform the Peacekeeper of their tragedy. They plan to go to Temple of the Nine at the centre of town to see if they could discover more about the untimely demise of their friend.
In the moonlight outside the Temple of the Nine, the party bangs on the door repeatedly until a light glows through an upstairs window and a shuffling and grumbling is heard within. The door creaks open and the weary face of Father Tristan, custodian of the temple, peaks his head out and grumpily enquires what they want at such an hour. Our heroes explain to the elderly priest how their friend has perished in a strange manner and only he can help them now. Appealing to his religious ego, they are granted entry to the temple and leave the Peacekeeper to his patrols.
The old priest agrees to keep what happens this night to himself at the behest of the party before they reveal to him the naked changeling body. Tristan weaves some sigils in the air and discovers that there is something within his body that is going through a transformation. He recommends that they burn the body to prevent whatever it is from escaping. Our heroes refuse the old priests offer, but are informed that whatever it is that will happen, it is likely to happen at dawn – only a few hours from now. The party agrees that the best course of action is to bring Vim’s body back to the dryads with a favor of a rare flower to try and bribe them to resurrect him. They bother the old lady that runs the local botany shop with a totally sensible ‘urgent’ flower ’emergency’. Luckily, as it is nearing dawn, the old lady is already up having breakfast and with Nedne’s interest in rare flowers spots a somewhat rarer than average flower – although not too special.
They take Vim back to the forest, despite once again spotted and consequently harassed by Mathelas, which they do not take kindly. However, before they can reach the dryads, dawn breaks and vines start to sprout out of Vim. As the vines envelop the body they form a cocoon around him and in fear Theren casts his own set of entangling vines that mix with those creeping out of the changling to form a substantial pod. For minutes as the party stare in awe at this alien-like coffin, nothing but the morning song of the birds breaks the silence. Until, that is, one of the giant tendrils with large flower pods extends out as the morning daylight hits it. The vibrantly coloured pod rests peacefully in its new location briefly before it splits into a beautifully vivid flower – and resting in the middle is the body of Vim – that begins to stir and subsequently awaken. Rejoicing, our heroes, enquire as to where he has been, what happened, why has he now been born from a flower and whats with the super pale skin and ‘ken-doll’ smooth crotch area. Vim, expectedly, has no recollection of the past several hours and covers up with his gear that has been carried along with him. With no new answers, they once again return to Ghalt for some rest.
The next day, and with components salvaged from within the ghoul cave, Ifrid and Kaster announce that they have everything they need to begin crafting the sword for the Giantess Yrda. Yrda has been drinking heavily since our heroes left her with the promise to bring her a weapon to win back her lover and they must present her with a massive sword before she gets any more drunk. So they set off to an empty blacksmiths near the center of town in Ghalt.
Ifrid and Kaster, being the expert crafters they are, assign tasks for each of the adventurers to make sure the manufacture of the sword goes as well as it can go. Artillery, assigned to working the bellows to stoke the fire, scoffs at the task as if it was next to nothing since his mechanical form never tires. Kaster will work the metal, Ifrid will project manage, Theren offers to head to the next town over to pick up a tool to assist the forging, Nedne stands guard at the door with Bruiser, Vim is set to gather duck fat and other reagents from around town and the team get to work.
The crafting begins smoothly and Theren and Vim set out on their assigned tasks. Theren chooses to approach the local stables to find a swift mount to take him to the next town (let’s ignore the fact he is a druid that can turn into animals, shall we?), and through a discovery by talking with the horses he hires a breathtakingly impressive black stallion. Upon being warned that this horse is temperamental, yet clearly the fastest, Theren pays the rental fee and speedily sets off to pick up the tools. Half way down the road, a bear is feasting on another horse and carriage in the middle of the road. Jumping off the black horse to avoid being mauled, he throws an ice-blade at the warring beasts which shatters on impact – spooking the muscular horse to run the opposite direction. Theren, quickly runs after it through the forest and attempts to calm it down. His plan to calm this horse down, is to wild shape into a dazzling white mare and flirt with the horse. Claiming that he is really a female horse that was cursed and needs the stallion’s help to break the spell. Charmed, the black horse introduces himself as Duskmane, which Theren then affectionately chooses to nickname Gustavo. Turning back into an elf, they ride to the next town, pick up the tool and return. Upon handing in Gustavo to the stable hand, Theren attempts to purchase him but fails to convince them. Theren promises he will return and set him free some day…
With all components retrieved the sword crafting is heavily underway. Approximately half way through the manufacture, Nedne at the door is met by a wealthy looking businessman, by name of Jurian Kale, who has a unhealthy attachment to fine craftsmanship and begs her to let him watch. Bribing the halfling, he gets to stand in the corner watching our heroes hard at work under the tutelage of Ifrid the Hobgoblin. Puffing his pipe filled with a foreign, herbal substance, the extra smoke mingles with the fumes from the forge and the heroes begin to hallucinate smokey wraiths. Vim, with his lower constitution immediately believes he is under attack and stops assisting the crafting and attempts to battle imaginary creatures. Clearing the air through gusts of wind and stopping Vim from hitting himself, they shoo Jurian away but not before he extends to them an invitation to join him in the city of Passage with a promise of helping them set up their own blacksmith – especially after witnessing such intricate crafting.
With the sword now complete, a 12 foot long giant sword with a heart shaped guard and runes expressing love in the blade, Kaster dubs the sword “Romance”. Ifrid nods his head in satisfaction and they set off with the sword to present to the inebriated Yrda. The giant is still wallowing in her depression somewhere off in the forest, but her eyes slightly glisten at the site of our heroes as they approach her with the glinting behemoth of a weapon trailing behind them. Pulling herself to her feet she grabs ‘Romance’ with ease and looks upset that it isn’t more of a massive club. The group tells her to get used to it and swing it around. Kaster suggests she takes a swing at a tree and in doing so her second swing slices through the 100ft tree in a single chop. Grunting in approval she mounts it on her back and suggests the party start on their way to her camp to challenge Druja and take back her boo!
Venturing further into the Eldritch Groves under the direction of Yrda, the heroes come across a serene glade where a magnificent, white, wild pegasus is grazing. Yrda becomes excited at the though of the rare opportunity to eat a delicious pegasus and Theren and Kaster hastily convince her that they need this particular pegasus in their fight against Druja – and there will be other delicious meats to be had in celebration. Yrda, upset that this delicacy will not be consumed, threatens the group that if everything goes wrong and Druja is not beaten, that they will be what is on the menu. Kaster and Donnerjack approach the pegasus and try to convince it they mean her no harm – yet it is Theren who approaches the celestial beast and with respect and dignity speaks to her directly with his inane ability to speak to animals. Introductions are made and the winged horse greets him as Allrianne, a wild pegasus from a herd that is concerned about the giants in the forest eating them all. Theren informs her that they, too, are on a quest to end the lives of some giants in this very forest and invites her to join them. Still unsure of their genuine intentions, she lets Theren know that she will be watching and if they live up to their word they may see her again. And with that, the brave adventures edge further into the forest and set camp a few miles outside the giants domicile and prepare for battle.
Session glossary
- Father Tristan – a superstitious priest from Ghalt
- Duskmane – a temperamental black horse at the Ghalt stables
- Jurian Kael – a rich dilettante from Passage; offered to sponsor Kaster and Ifrid’s craft
- Frenine – a leatherworker from Ghalt
- “Romance” – a 12-foot-long greatsword made for the giantess Yrda
Turn of the Age 