IDROTF C1E1: We all have meads. Report

General Summary

The party began their adventure where so many do, in a tap room over a jug of beer. The room was abuzz with discussion and rumours of a series of murders happening in Ten-Towns - it was the first thing to steal focus away from the Everlasting Rime (the perpetual twilight Icewind Dale had been subjected to for nearly 3 years now).   It quickly became obvious that a grizzled old she-dwarf was watching them from across the room. Zinlis Arosath took it upon himself to approach her and find out why. She introduced herself as Hlin Trollbane, a former bounty hunter, who had been investigating this string of murders. She explained that she had traced them back to one man, Sephek Kaltro, who lives and works in a traveling merchant caravan known as Torg's. "I'm too old and my bones have grown too weak to exact justice on me own. I've been watching ya, and listening to what others will say of ye, and I think ye've got what it takes," she said.   Zinlis Arosath discussed the proposal, and the 100 gp reward at stake, with Saryeras, Kadgrith and Andove Littlefoot. It was generally felt that until there was a proper supply of mead to spend the reward money on, there wasn't much sense in having it. Eventually, Zinlis Arosath at least won them over to the idea that they could travel along the path the verbeeg took with the mead on their way to Bryn Shander, which was the location of the most recent murder.   The next morning the party set out. Before they even left the town limits, a local trapper named Fef Moryn burst from the forest in a panic. Out of breath and fighting back waves of nausea from what he had witness, he eventually revealed that he had come across the remains of the five militiamen who had been sent after the verbeeg three days ago.   The party spent less than an hour following Fef Moryn's tracks and eventually camp upon the scene he described. These mean had had their skulls and chests bashed in, something Zinlis Arosath took note of considering the verbeeg had wielded a spear. Helping themselves to some of the weapons and rations carried by the fallen militiamen, the party continues by following the obvious tracks of a large giant. As they depart, Zinlis Arosath leaves a trail mark to mark the site of the bodies so they can be found and given a proper burial later on.   A few hours later while still following the trail, which now had met up with an icy stream, Zinlis Arosath was struck in the face with a tiny snowball. A tiny little creature hopped up on a snow drift and began to caper about and giggle. Kadgrith found the laughter infectious and joined in, mocking his friend incessantly and dancing along with the creature. At this, it scampered over and climbed on top of Kadgrith 's snowshoe, holding onto his pantleg to steady itself.   That's where it stayed until the party arrived at a series of cave mouths, out of one of which flowed the frozen stream. Here the tiny figure hopped off and saluted Kadgrith before disappearing into the forest.   The party decided to follow the tracks and stream into the westernmost cave mouth and stealthily entered the cave. It was only about 30 feet or so in that they could see the flickering light of a torch or fire escaping a side passage. Kadgrith moved forward, hugging the wall, and peered down the passage. He quickly drew back and indicated "1" with his fingers to his companions. Acknowledging this message, Andove Littlefoot and Saryeras doused their lights and the party readied itself for battle with the verbeeg.   Zinlis Arosath loosed an arrow to open the combat and it found a home in the verbeeg's chest. Saryeras launched a Fire Bolt at the creature and singed it's tough skin. Kadgrith went into a barbaric rage and charged the much larger adversary, biting into it with his greatsword. This was going well!   Then, recovered from the initial surprise, the verbeeg struggled to its feet, picking up its nearby spear in the process. It yelled into Kadgrith 's face, "OWWW! DUHG HURT! NOW HURT PUNY THING!" and thrust its spear into the Half-orc. It was a giant blow, but Kadgrith was able to shrug off much of the pain in his rage.   The fight continued as the combatants exchanged blows. Kadgrith was in mortal danger, he was far outmatched by the larger foe. Andove Littlefoot ran forward to heal and encourage Kadgrith while viciously mocking the verbeeg. Eventually, with a huge upwards stroke of his greatsword, Kadgrith decapitated the giant. "FOR GRUUUUUUUMMMMMSSSSHHHHHH!" he screamed.   Silence reigned for a moment or two, then his battlecry was met with a deep roar from somewhere up the stream's passage. The party prepared themselves to meet the next danger, which quickly arrived in the form of an angry (and hungry) cave bear. The bear was much less formidable an opponent than the verbeeg but the party was already well spent from their last battle. Kadgrith was rendered unconscious by a vicious claw attack, followed soon after by Andove Littlefoot who fell victim to the bear's jaws. Having secured a clear run to the exit, however, the injured bear ran south in hopes of escape. Zinlis Arosath followed and loosed an arrow that nestled itself into the creature's heart, killing it.   What next? Stay tuned for our next episode to find out!

Missions/Quests Completed

• Accepted the "Cold-hearted Killer" quest.
• Activated the "The Mead Must Flow" quest.

Character(s) interacted with

• Hlin Trollbane, shield dwarf bounty hunter in the Mead Hall
• Fef Moryn, human trapper running away from the woods near Good Mead