Hellfrost Session #13

[This entry is from Cliff. As always, my GM comments in italics and brackets.

Spoiler Alert: Some portions of this session borrow from the adventure, Stolen Land, by Paizo. I’ve borrowed some locations, etc. and changed to protect the innocent.]

After spending the night with the Sisters of Mercy in Aslov, Wulfwynn, Skuli, Karaphos, and Andwik spoke with Sister Gróa and were able to enlist the aid of Sister Jenae in return for their help finding Sister Katla who had disappeared up to a week prior on her way to Hellfrost Keep with several potions and poultices. The group makes all haste back to Askvold’s Stead with the Sister in tow, accompanied by two Swords of Necessity. Wulfwynn and Skuli are looking a little worse for wear having not had a good night’s sleep in several days and nonetheless continuing to push themselves.

[Wulfwynn and Skuli had spent most of the last few days walking here and there with little sleep. A level of Fatigue seemed appropriate…and would go away with a good night’s sleep.]

Meanwhile, having accepted Jutta’s quest to retrieve a golden chest from the “nearby woods” the remainder of the party, Cuðbert, Lia, Nissa, and Taranis decide to wait on the group from Aslov so they can regroup and press on with their quest after they are reunited. At this point neither group is aware that the other has committed the group to a different quest. While the party is waiting the return of their compatriots, Nissa decides to make good use of the time and brew up an herbal remedy that aids in the healing of cuts. Lia, Cuðbert and Nissa scour the woods near the Stead and are fortunate to find two excellent batches of Rynnie’s Winter Bloom, a vine-like flower with pink blossoms that grows at the base of trees, after a half day’s searching. Nissa takes one of the doses and begins brewing her remedy in the main hall near the fire in a small cauldron she produces from her pack. Taranis offers his services in the brewing in hopes of a better outcome.

[I do believe that Jutta had said that the chest was in the Myrkr Holt and that those were the “nearby woods.”

Rynnie’s Winter Bloom is, of course, Kathryn’s creation. Two of the PCs, Nissa and Karaphos, have the Herbalism Edge. It is going to primarily their responsibility for coming up with the various plants that they’ll use in their creations and for keeping track of which are used for which remedies. This particularly remedy is Healing (Cuts).

Taranis is a Lorekeeper and so can, with consulting his scrolls, make Knowledge checks for skills that he does not have.]

After about an hour, however, Taranis begins to cough, slowly at first, but the coughs quickly build in intensity and frequency and it isn’t long before Taranis is coughing up blood. It doesn’t take Nissa long to realize that Taranis’s coughing is perfectly in sync with the old man who he’d chosen to die at the behest of Jutta. Taranis moves to a nearby bed and lies down, both he and the old man being tended by the townspeople in the hall. The doting tenderness and attention given the old man, causes the group a bit of curiosity and they quickly find out the old man is none other than Askvold himself. The illness in both men grows worse, each hacking up bright red blood, wheezing with labored breathing, delirious with fever with each making gurgling noises in their throat. Barely another hour passes when both men begin to spasm violently, wracked with obvious pain, and after five minutes, each spews about a gallon of blood from their mouth and falls back in their bed, silent and unmoving. Taranis has turned very pale with blue lips. Nissa gently nudges him with the point of her dagger to see if he reacts…he doesn’t. Lia throws cold water on Taranis trying to wake him, but its only outcome is to upset one of the ladies in the hall who demands Lia clean up his mess. The townsfolk begin cleaning up Askvold, preparing him for the funeral pyre and at somewhat of a loss for what else they can do, Cuðbert and Lia decide they should prepare Taranis for the pyre as well, despite Nissa’s pleas that, given the clearly unnatural means of “death”, they take him outside and pack him in ice and snow. However, both bodies are ultimately placed upon prepared funeral pyres, ready for their sacred burning after the two religious figures (Wulfwynn and Andwik) return to the Stead to do the honors.

[In the last session, Taranis had offended Jutta with his rudeness. She had made it part of the bargain that he would select one individual from Askvold’s Stead who would not be cured of the Ratcatcher’s Yellow. Taranis selected the eldest man but we had never really discussed who the man was. It wasn’t my idea to make the old man that Taranis had selected to be Askvold…the players came up with that and I just went with it.

When Taranis had initially selected the old man, Jutta gave both he and the man a kiss on the forehead. She indicated that it was so Taranis would never forget the choice he had made.]

About six hours after Nissa began brewing her potion, and Taranis and Askvold began their pain, blood, and cough wracked descent into death, the group from Aslov returns. While Nissa announces her herbal remedy ready, now a thick, gooey consistency, Cuðbert catches the returning group up on events at the Stead in their absence. Wulfwynn introduces the Sister and the Swords while explaining their own series of events. The Sister sets to work on the handful of people still in the village that are sick while Karaphos goes to check the condition of Taranis and confirm that he is dead. Gaining a closer perspective by climbing on top of Taranis on top of his pyre, the old man can determine that Taranis does indeed seem very dead and that rigor has set in. Climbing down Karaphos attempts to detect the remnants or traces of any magical aura that may indicate the nature of Taranis’s death, but he is unsuccessful in his attempt. Andwik prepares the pyres to burn more hotly and brightly to give the two dead men a true hero’s send-off. Wulfwynn says a prayer over both, Karaphos speaks an appropriate Tuomi prayer for Taranis, and Andwik lights first Askvold’s and then Taranis’s pyre. The flames burn brightly and hotly for some time but as the flames begin to wane, the townsfolk begin filing away.

[Sister Jenae also confirmed that Taranis was, in fact, dead. At this point, Todd started work on his third character for the campaign.]

The group heads into the main hall where Cuðbert fills them in on the remaining details of events that transpired that morning at the Stead and explains both the quest for the chest and the key that is supposed to lead to it. Wulfwynn describes the quest they promised to fulfill for the Sisters in greater detail, and Nissa reminds everyone that the group also promised to help Sian and Ölfun with their bandit problem at the trading post. Some discussion ensues about the next course of action and the priorities for the party, and it is finally decided that the party will head out after the chest following a night’s rest.

Wulfwynn speaks with Sister Jenae about Sister Katla to get what information she can about the missing sister, and the group also finds out from Jenae that the fever gripping the remaining men (Munólfr, Fenric, and two Huscarls) is of an unnatural origin and she is powerless to help them. When Karaphos asks, the Sister says that the healthiest among them may have only as long as a couple of days to live. As for her Sister, Jenae knows only that Sister Katla would have followed the road out of Aslov but knew that rumors generally held the Travel Towers in that part of the land were no longer stocked. Skuli offers to check with his Iron Mercenary contacts at the next opportunity to see if they have any information that could help find Sister Katla. Cuðbert meanwhile speaks to Munólfr, inquiring about the secretive hermit in the Myrkyr Holt that Sian had mentioned. Munólfr claims to have no knowledge of the hermit and wonders aloud that Sian and Olfun did not ever mention him, or introduce him, as was their typical custom. Munólfr is, however, well aware of the bandit leader, The Stag Lord, believing he has a base in the Ulfr Hills. Munólfr says he knows he is dying and plans to leave in the morning heading back to the woods where he can die in peace in comfortable surroundings. All members of the party finally get a complete night’s sleep, Karaphos unfortunately without the aid of “Guava” (Gaupa) sleeping on his feet to keep them warm.

[Sister Jenae said that she had attempted a few different things that should have lowered the fever some but had not. Given the unnatural origin of the illness, she did not think that her skills would be sufficient to heal the remaining sick. She would, however, remain and at least offer care that might comfort the passing of those still sick (Munólfr and his men).

The Huscarls are not at Askvold’s Stead and so Sister Jenae has not examined them or offered them any treatment.

The party also remembers that both Sebbi and Hervara had been infected as well.]

Just as the first rays of dawn peek over the horizon, the party, and everyone in the main hall is awakened by the main door being slammed open. A pale, grey-white figure shambles in, coughing and stumbling through the doorway. Cuðbert, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, tries to peer through the still gloomy main hall and see who the figure might be, to no avail, while the Swords of Necessity immediately draw their weapons, intent on eliminating the approaching threat. However, as the figure stumbles into the glow cast from the fire, everyone can see that it is Taranis, covered head-to-toe in ash, except for a bare spot on his forehead shaped like the lips of the kiss he received from Jutta. As he stumbles to his knees, Jutta appears behind him, gracefully approaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder and bending down to whisper something in his ear. She offers him her hand, helping him to his feet, kisses him on the forehead again, then turns and leaves the hall. Taranis stumbles toward the warmth of the hearth, the covering of thick grey-white ash falling from him as he does so.

Taranis recounts a horrifying tale of pain and misery from the events of the night before. He awoke in a bed of ash, but remembers every second of the gnawing cold from the previous hours before dawn. He also remembers the intense pain of his skin melting from his body, of his bones charring, and the agonizing throes of death. Taranis says that Jutta whispered to him, “Be well…and remember to mind your manners.” Once warmed by the fire, Taranis remarks that he is actually feeling quite well (painful memories aside) and the group decides to waste no further time, heading as directly as possible toward Ullr’s ruined temple and the chest, following the key. Along the way, Wulfwynn recounts her limited knowledge of Ullr’s temples, stating they are usually open-air places of worship, often just open clearings in the forest, most commonly with a stag’s head on a pillar or some kind of altar.

[Jutta was true to her word that her kiss would ensure that Taranis would never forget his choice. He felt every moment of Askvold’s death as well as what followed as their bodies were cremated. I do not believe that Taranis has shared what Jutta whispered with anyone else. When she left, she told him such that others could hear, “Be well and remember to mind your manners.” Her whisper was something else.]

The first day passes uneventfully and the group makes it to the edge of the Myrkyr Holt, heading slightly into the cover of the forest before setting up camp. Seriously concerned for his Tuomi “brother” Karaphos decides he must examine Taranis to “check his vitals.” Taranis reluctantly relents and as Karaphos goes about doing so, he mistakenly raps Taranis soundly on the knee while checking reflexes, bringing the examination to a quick conclusion, and leaving Taranis with a sore knee. The remainder of the night passes uneventfully, as does breaking camp and travel the following day. Toward the end of the second day of travel, Cuðbert realizes their path is only slightly divergent from a direct path to Hulda’s Hut.

[I figured that if a 1 or less on a Healing check to heal wounds causes another wound, then something similar should happen on a 1 on a Healing check in general. Thomas had described that Karaphos was checking the vitals and reflexes of Taranis so rapping his knee “soundly” seemed like an appropriate failure. It has also made Taranis somewhat wary of the old man.]

A lengthy discussion ensues as to whether the party should visit and explore the hut, possibly spend the night, or bypass the hut altogether, staying on task. Karaphos is convinced that since the group has already stolen from the hut, they have everything to gain by returning and checking out what other goodies the hag might have stored there. Nissa is just as strongly opposed to going anywhere near the hut, though she will not explain her reasons. She does say, however, that the old trees of the Myrkyr will not be quiet and are constantly berating her and her companions for tramping through their home. Ultimately, the group decides to stay on task and continue after the chest, moving away about another half hour’s walk to set up camp. Karaphos is placated with the promise that the group will visit the hut at some point (the old man convinced that it will be on the return trip after retrieving the chest). The night is again uneventful and the group breaks camp once more presumably heading toward a rendezvous with the chest and Ullr’s temple.

[I hadn’t really thought about the Temple and Hulda’s Hut being in relatively close proximity. I was just putting the Temple in the closest “hex” to Askvold’s Stead that was also in the Myrkr Holt and bordering the Ulfr Hills. It turns out that was either the hex with Hulda’s Hut or one next to it. When Jamie made a comment that they were near Hulda’s Hut, my choice was made easy.]

They do not have long to travel as just an hour into their journey on the third day, they come upon a clearing in the woods. Surrounded by thick woods on all sides, the clearing is a large, open expanse with a fairly regular-shaped pool at one end (an oddly unfrozen pool despite the temperatures that are below freezing), and a smattering of columns at the other, in various states of disrepair, surrounding a raised rock that has a stag’s head resting on it…the altar in what is clear to all is Ullr’s ruined temple. The snow on the ground is undisturbed by any footprints, including those of any animals. In fact, the area is completely quiet and apparently devoid of any animal life at all. The columns and altar sit in front of a rough, rock outcropping that has a large cave mouth clearly evident. Led by Cuðbert, who is moving stealthily out ahead of the group, the party gives the unfrozen pool a very wide berth, circling around the outside of the clearing to the base of the rocks. As Cuðbert carefully picks his way into the clearing, he is momentarily overwhelmed by the sense of being watched…and he picks up the scent of a bear or other predator. Pausing briefly while he swallows his fear, he continues to tread gingerly toward the cave mouth.

[The fear felt was described as if you were the prey and a predator had just focused upon you…something of a fight/flee response with the emphasis on the latter. Cuðbert, being a priest of predatory spirit/minor god himself, was the least affected by this.

The pool was, indeed, unnaturally unfrozen. Just as I was about to ask for a Notice check or two, Cliff asked if the pool was frozen. That was worth a Benny…at least in my opinion.

Everyone follows Cuðbert into the clearing, each also feeling a momentary rush of fear. Lia begins to move in for a closer look while Andwik pulls a torch from his pack, intent on lighting it to give Lia a better view of the interior of the cave. However, before the torch can be lit, a deep growl rumbles from the cave only seconds before an enormous bear (12 feet tall on all fours!) bursts from the opening. Maintaining his calm, Lia swings at the charging animal but scores only a glancing blow. As his first blow lands, however, an eerie wind rips through the clearing swirling around the party…the surface of the pool ripples ominously. The rest of the group, variously affected by fear from the giant beast, move into position to attack, some maneuvering for better position, others going straight to the attack. Nissa and Karaphos remain at the edge of the clearing, readying their bow and a spell respectively.

[The bear had been asleep in the cave but the voices of the party woke it and enraged it. The beast roared as it charged from the cave and that is what sent a shiver of fear down the spines of each member of the party. Some succumbed to the fear more than others (i.e., failed their Guts check and were Shaken).

Lia taking the point was Robert finally playing Lia’s Overconfident Hindrance…thirteen sessions in and it finally happens!]

As the melee group closes on the bear, Cuðbert and Skuli become mired in the rocks on the ledge in front of the cave temporarily blunting their attacks. The bear is able to wound Lia but it becomes quickly apparent that the vast superiority in numbers are working quite favorably to the party’s advantage. Skuli is able to land a wounding blow to the bear’s haunches, and Andwik is also able to land a telling blow. Others are able to hit the bear almost at will but are unable to penetrate is thick hide. At the last second Karaphos and Nissa hear a rustling in the branches above them as a giant spider drops almost silently into the snow behind them, striking ineffectively at Nissa. Andwik sinks his sword deep into the bear’s chest, finishing off the huge beast and everyone turns toward the new threat (Nissa having shouted at seeing the spider), just in time to watch Nissa smoothly and skillfully launch a single arrow directly and deeply into the spider’s vitals, dropping it instantly.

[The rocky ground around the cave where the fight with the bear was occurring reached out and attempted to grab those fighting the bear. However, only Cuðbert and Skuli were grasped; Lia and Andwick avoided the stony “fingers” reaching out for them.

When Kathryn rolls well, she really rolls well. Nissa’s shot did tons of damage and the arrow shot clean through the spider’s body, dropping it instantly.]

As the huge bear is dropped by Andwik, the rippling pool erupts in a geyser that appears to be a bear’s head with antlers roaring to match the roar of the exploding fountain of water. At almost the same instant, Andwik cries out, “BY THE GODS, I’M BLIND!” While everyone is momentarily stunned by the appearance of the new water-apparition, Cuðbert, fighting off an almost overwhelming appeal to his feral side and a desire to hunt, attempts to grab the unlit torch still laying in the snow and make a dash for the cave. He is unable to move as deftly as he hoped, though, and is able to grab up the torch, but is unable to immediately light it.

[One clarification…there was no actually roaring sound from the watery bear’s head, just the sound of the water exploding up.

This is where we ended the session…Andwik apparently blinded somehow, Cuðbert barely fighting off his desire to hunt (and fumbling the torch as a result), and a clearly angry and watery something focusing its attention upon the party.

Also, ever since the party approached this clearing/temple, no one has seen Gaupa. Sure, sure, it’s normal for pretty much everyone to never see her but even Cuðbert hasn’t seen Gaupa.

Some pictures from the battle are below since I just got some new trees from the Battlefield in a Box series (though I haven’t painted their bases…or the pillars…or the altar…or…]

The initial overhead view as the party approaches.

The party approaches…via the Hand of Todd.

The party skirts the edges and decides to approach the cave…again via the Hand of Todd.

A closeup of the makeshift cave (by stacking one of the smaller Battlefield in a Box hills atop the larger). Is that a Combat Survival Guide that I see hiding beneath some other papers?

The mighty Cuðbert approaches…the cave that is. Why is everyone else hanging back so far?

Lia takes the point and Yikes! Where did that lion come from? I thought I had a big bear figure but I couldn’t find it so I went with the next best thing. I think that also explains why everyone else was hanging back. (Note: Hiding behind the Cherry Coke Zero can are the diligent hands of Cliff taking notes for the session recap above).

Lia wins initiative and goes first! (Man, what’s with all the caffiene products on the table…is everyone that bored? :D)

The poor bear is nearly surrounded…stupid four of clubs for initiative.

Lia has been wounded at this point but the poor bear has suffered two wounds. We use the Alea Tools magnetic markers for tracking Wounds, Shaken, etc. The yellow one (meaning one wound) and the orange one (under the yellow one and meaning two wounds) are for the bear. I marked each with an “x” so I would always know which side to put “up” so the magnets stick right without having to fiddle. Oh, the green ones are just to mark the PCs…it makes it easier for everyone to pick out their characters when there is a big fight going on with lots of combatants.

Hey, why are you two hanging back so far? You’re missing out on all of the fun!

Oh wait, I guess you’re going to have your own fun!

The end of the session as Cuðbert prepares to enter the cave and the blind Andwick heads in some direction