1/14/12 – 6th Session – Module HM2 – Sjaelland (Act 4)
Game Date: 3/6/900 N.Y.
The Party:
Athelstan (Chris)
Caelrath (Josh)
Neferata-Belit (Jess)
Drake (Tony)
Aravar (John)
Thorsdagur, the 6th of Goa, 900 N.Y. (3/6/900 N.Y.)
The previous night, Gronk decided to head back to Hjartarholl for more mead. He never came back – the party suspected that he simply got so drunk that he forgot where to get back to them. Also, Aelfgifu (Effie) slipped off into the night. Nobody really had any speculation as to where the mysterious rogue went, but perhaps something from her criminal past was closing in on her, and forced her to disappear. The party may never know.
The next morning, however, two mercenary adventurers who had overheard King Hjorvardhur’s promise of great rewards came looking for the lake. They approached carefully and offered their services in return for a share in the rewards.
Drake examined the carved stone by the lake and cleared away some of the moss and vines. He found it covered in Yldra Runes, which he could not decipher. Athelstan read the runes aloud: “I, Bodhvarr of the Gautar, carved these runes. This stone marks the lake where I defeated the lake-monsters and swam the tunnel to the caverns of the trolls behind the waterfall. Beware the ancient evil in the caverns beneath the waves.” Caelrath was able to supply some background knowledge – that Bodhvarr was a mighty hero of the Gautar who crossed the Oresund about 400 years ago in order to liberate the kingdom of Sjaelland from menacing trolls. According to legend, he slew them all. The heroes grimly observed that maybe Bodhvarr missed a few, since there were some here now.
The heroes decided that the lair of the monsters most likely lay beyond the tunnel. “The first thing we have to do is deal with those fish,” said Athelstan. Athelstan and Neferata stripped down and plunged into the icy lake, and were soon attacked by the two “lake-monsters” (seemingly just very large fish, like gar). The fight was fierce, and Drake and Caelrath had to jump in to help. But soon the “lake-monsters” were defeated, and the heroes feasted on fish while planning their next move.
Later,
Drake agreed to go through the tunnel and explore. He found it was only about 15-20’ long before exiting in an cavern filled with breathable air. Once he reported back, the heroes decided to go in.
Having entered the cavern through the tunnel hidden under the lake. They moved through the tunnel, and set of a tripwire alarm of rusted bits of armor, making a jangling noise, alerting someone ahead. They found out whom they had alerted as the tunnel opened into a cavern with several branches radiating off of it. A troll was coming out of one of the other tunnels. A furious few seconds of fighting ensued, leaving the troll severely injured due to some lucky blows (but healing quickly) and Aravar bleeding unconscious on the cavern floor.
But Athelstan wanted to try to negotiate. He stepped between the troll and the other heroes, and tried to talk him down. He was having some limited success, not quite convincing the troll to let down its guard, but nor was it attacking any more. The rest of the party circled nervously, well aware that while Athelstan talked and offered fish and wine, the troll was healing the injuries it had sustained. Athelstan hoped to make the troll an ally, while the rest of the heroes assumed that the fight would probably soon resume.
In the meantime,
Neferata, who had circled behind the troll to backstab it, decided to investigate a side-cavern behind the troll that was closed off with a heavy leather curtain. Within she found a female troll who was sleeping.
Neferata crept up silently and administered a
coup-de-grace, removing the female troll’s head, finding it was wearing an iron collar engraved with elven runes.
Neferata also noticed a glittering hoard of treaure in a small chamber off the one in which the female troll had dwelt, and took for herself a longsword, a ring, a pair of boots, and some amber. She left the gold, intending to “discover” it and share it with the party later.
p. Just as
Athelstan was hoping to convince the other troll to cease hostilities,
Neferata emerged from the other chamber, bearing the female troll’s head. “Look what I found!” she shouted, swinging the head around and flinging it at the troll. The troll turned his attention towards
Neferata, growling with rage, shattering
Athelstan’s dream of a peaceful resolution. The fight resumed, with
Neferata drawing the sword she had found and discovering that it was a
flaming longsword, wreathing itself in magical flame. The heroes managed to slay the troll, and decapitated this one as well, finding an identical collar.
Caelrath translated the runes: “King Dulinn of the Dark Elves.”
Athelstan healed
Aravar.
The heroes examined the chamber where the female troll had lived, and Drake quickly realized that the female troll had been alseep when Neferata slew her. They found the gold and rejoiced at the fortune. But Athelstan was displeased. “You are not a good person!” he told Neferata. “But I have a flaming sword. That counts for something,” responded Neferata.
The heroes then began to plan their next move, there being more tunnels to explore yet, but many of their spells and resources having been depleted . . .
XP Earned: 1040
Total XP: 3665
XP to level 3: 5000