Category: Frosts of Alenostr

SESSION 33 – January 21, 2018

At our last session, we went up against the bugbear allies of the regional wizard, Mydius. We took out the first camp of bugbears, with minimal losses.

We began this session with a celebration at the Stonespear’s Hall in the town of Crossing, a man with a male and female attendant/guard approach, and all the warriors look concerned. The man is an obvious wizard. Otiben tosses his trident, but enchantments prevent it from causing harm.

Mydius asks if that is the way the Stonespear chief treats his guests. Urman spoke up and mentioned that the bugbears we fought claimed that he invited them here. Mydius dropped his pretensions of innocence, and the fight was on.

First to fall was the male guard, who broke like pottery and fell into dust. Then the same happened with Mydius, and lastly with the woman. (The man and woman had changed a bit into beastmen type creatures.) After the fight Urman examined the remains and determined that it had been made of some sort of magic infused clay.

It was decided to strike the other, main bugbear camp before they could get ready for us. Otiben attempted to scout ahead, but he was heard in a fight with a bugbear scout who shouted a warning. We heard a horn in the distance.

We moved towards the sound and found only tracks that lead to the base of trees with platforms in them.

After a bit of backtracking and change of direction, we walked towards the camp. We were not surprised and evaded the stink bombs they threw at us. We quickly engaged having success in the battle of blades. Urman lit up the night sky by casting fireball on one of the large platform with archers. The bugbear’s morale held, and they continued the fight.

Frike was laid low by an arrow, his horse ran off, and Thogi stabilized him. The chief of the Stonespears was affected by the shaman’s fear spell, and sat atop his horse, paralyzed with fear til the battle’s end.

Puk and his riding dog, Hades, and Rip attacked and felled a bugbear on the left flank of Urman. They did the same to another.

The Stonespear warriors, Zho Ni, and the dwarf held the flank on Urman’s right.

Urman used one of his scrolls to once again light up the night with a fireball cast upon the other platform with archers. Many more huts and tents were fired, and many more bugbears fell. Still their morale held. Zho ni lost his target of the shaman, as the shaman went invisible.

Urman was hit stopping him from casting magic missile at a bugbear he felt was too close.

Otiben and Gunner were working with some Stonespear warriors to get past a few bugbears barring their entry into the camp.

Zho Ni and his war horse and dwarf henchman were making progress.

The tide of battle outside the camp was turning in our favor as we were slowly overcoming the bugbears.Urman got off a sleep that helped clear the way for Otiben’s team to move in. The morale of the bugbears finally broke.

Just then, the shaman showed up with Mydius. Somehow he was able to contact Mydius and bring him here. Mydius cast fireball dropping Stonespear and Bugbear alike. Poor Frike was burnt up in his sleep, never knowing his final fate. Thogi died in the blast while standing over Frike. Both Thogi’s and Urman’s horses died. Urman managed to evade the worst of the blast, but was severly hurt, and ran for cover and an opportunity to use the healing salve.

Urman estimated that Mydius was half again as powerful as himself.

Batukahn charged and got a good hit on the wizard. Mydius had some sort of amulet he used to flee. That left the shaman, who was silenced by Zho Ni. Batukahn got a solid hit on the shaman. Otiben did not manage to connect, but Gunner took down the shaman by ripping out his throat.

The bugbears, and the surviving females and children fled into the night.

We found a glass orb on the shaman that had what looked like a forest in it.

Puk managed to round up Frike’s horse.

Urman set to making a travois to haul out what gear and treasure they manage to find.

SESSION 32 – March 5, 2017

There is a big feast and the old woman shaman gives a message to each of us.

The next day we return to the fishing village and decide to move right away against the closest and smallest bugbear camp.

We approach and Zho Ni, Batukhan and Embreck form a line to the north of the camp to stop any bugbears who flee. Urman is with Frike, thogi, Puk & the dogs and 15 of the Stonespear tribe.

Urman casts fireball into the camp and takes out the majority of the bugbears.

Zho ni fails with hold person, but manages silence 15′ radius behind the shaman.

Urman sleeps two of the 3 bugbears on patrol. One is slain and the other captured. The third along with two others flee in terror, one collapses in fear. Two along with the shaman elect to stand and fight.

One charges out and it cut down by the charging Stonespear. The bulk of the Stonespear force engages the chaman, but only three can get to him to attack.

The shaman throws a vile of acidic noxious stuff that kills the cowering bugbear and knocks down one of the stone spear.

The bugbear archer takes down two of the Stonespear, and Urman takes him down with Magic Missile.

ZhoNi manages to capture the shaman with another hold person.

Puk and the dogs take care of the patrolling bugbear that fled. Embrek and Batukahan each take out one of the other fleeing bugbears.

We loot the camp and bring back what food we recovered.

The next day, we question the captured bugbears. They resist, so Urman charmed them, first the regular bugbear. He tells us the shaman’s name, Junga, who is the brother of the chief, Thrakah. Junga angered Thraka as Junga did not like Mydius, and fears Mydius will kill them all once he takes over the area.

Urman manages to also charm the shaman and learn more of the wolves, actually werewolves in the service of Mydius, there are two or three of them and they live in the forest.

Urman has Junga show him how to make the stinking potion, and Urman makes 4 vials. Urman also makes two more jars of healing salve.

We wait for Otiben to wait for him to finish training. Bori, the Stonespear chief arrives.

We plan to finish off the rest of the bugbears before we turn our attention to Mydius.

Session 31 February 5, 2017

Three souls down on their luck answer Urman’s summon. He hires all three, Gamli Bronso the peg legged and the twins Matia and Kaeso Vademor as guards for the Djoside Keep. Urman balks at hiring the twins since they are petty thieves that fled Vademor the original home of Vorigan the vampire. After charming Matia, he believes the two are no more than what they admit to. He also learns Matia has the skills of a cutpurse and Vademor is a spiritual acolyte. Needed more as security than henchmen, the two stay with Gamli in Djoside.

The Thane sends a chest with a matching pair of dwarven wrought battle axe and hand axe inlaid with mithril. The two are a embassy gift for the Stone Spear chieftain. Urman places the weapons in another chest which he wizard locks, leaving the original publicly exposed as a decoy. Both Urman and Zho ni place Continual Light enchantments on items for the newly hired guards to use in Djoside. Bryn addresses the party after he is presented as a Swordsman. Upon our return to Djoside, he wants to leave our company to stay at home with his Mother and to to assume responsibility as Balenwode Ranger. Otiben insists he include the Keep in his duties, which Bryn acquiesces. Then the Thane’s embassy heads north to Djoside on horseback.

We are greeted first by Orel Mostana the elderly caretaker. In sparkling Apolsede manner, Urman promises to support the caretaker in his dotage, in exchange for a few more weeks supervision of the Keep’s preliminary renovations. Eventually, Urman hires Bryn’s mother to attend to his daily needs. Of course, Bryn peeled off to his mother’s as soon as we arrived. Orel has a copy of the Thane’s writ bestowing the Keep to the party and mentions there is a visitor staying at the Inn who had left word he wanted to meet us. We settle our hirelings and gear in the keep before visiting the inn. There we are greeted as heroes of the community. Shortly the mysterious stranger is summoned, as expected he is Randolph the Thane’s dark hand.

Retiring to a private room, we discuss Randolph’s plans for the embassy. He grew impatient waiting for us so had relocated to Djoside and hired a barge to ship us to Crossing. When we arrive in Crossing, he will make some arrangements then we will deliver the gift to the Stone Spears. After his briefing, he agrees to raise Otiben from Rutterkin to Waghalter over the next week. During this week, we settle arrangement in Djoside so that we leave the day after we had arrived. Urman gives the hirelings their assignments and rooms in the keep are assigned. Zho ni proselytizes to the village and his plans of a new temple are accepted eagerly.

The trip to crossing is without incident and our arrival with no fanfare. Randolp excuses himself leaving the party to explore the town. After a settling in two rooms at an inn, we explore the town perfunctorily and finish with a visit to the a Druid grove north of the town proper. There we speak with Druid Geirnot briefly. He isn’t interested in joining our adventures, even after we reference our partnership with Kymil and the Grand Druid circle in Finnesheim.

Later Randolph introduces us to Dietrich, his field scout. Dietrich briefs us on the bugbear bands threatening Crossing. There is a major settlement in the woods blocking the western Mountain road and a smaller outpost directly west of Crossing. He has investigated several battlefields where the Bugbears confronted Elosha’s minions. Those encounters were inconclusive and don’t seem to have improved either side’s position. Dietrich has very old intelligence concerning Mydius the Hedge Mage. His newest information is that there have been reports of Mydius aiding the Bugbears but never seen travelling from his tower in the east to the areas of engagements in the western woods.

Our embassy to Bori Stonespear is an appearant success. He accepts the Thane’s gifts, confirming the clan’s commitment to the Vale. He pledges up to 50 warriors to confront the Bugbears since their presence also challenges his suzerainty in the region and eminence among the other clans. If pressed, the women can join the men for a force of 75 fighters. We spend most of the time trying to determine the most effective way to defeat the Bugbears and Mydius. Three options seem obvious: a combined assault on the western Bugbear outpost to lure the settlement and Mydius into a confrontation, a clandestine infiltration into Mydius’ tower to lope off the head as it were or a two pronged plan with the Stonespear’s facing the Bugbear outpost and an infiltration team to Mydius’ tower.

We realize our lack of hard current intelligence leaves too many factors in question. Elosha’s commitment to the fray is wholly unknown. What threat she will pose to our newly allied Stonespears during and after confronting Mydius and the Bugbears is unknown. Mydius’ specific behavior and capability since secluding himself is also unknown. Urman is concerned Mydius’s skill outstrips his own. We decide Bugbear hostage(s) will answer some of the open questions. A plan is outlined to procure hostages while Otiben and Randall continue training.