Session 207 - The Weaponsmith
General Summary
22nd to 23rd of Larane (Second Month of Summer) 724TR
The story so far
The heroes have voyaged to the Earl of Sarkum's Colony on the Island of Anfla and run afoul of a mysterious entity, the Earth Witch. This evil minor goddess has followers who are causing chaos.
Odin is looking for a master weaponsmith Cearbhall Ciernack who is questing after a fallen star. Cearbhall could be investigating the remains of an ancient meteorite impact. A crater which is now waterlogged moor.
This is the continuation of Session 206 - The Earth Witch.
Location - Heiryl Moor on Anfla Island.
Part 1 - Scarecrows, in a Moor?
The characters spot smoke through the misty haze of the Heiryl Moor. As they approach its source, they notice a Scarecrow holding a sign. "Danger, Turn Back," written in Jarinese, Hârnic, a runic script (possibly Dwarven) and a pictogram of a skull.
The party ignores the warning and proceeds forward. Suddenly Odin is flung back. His metal belongings are violently are repulsed by some force originating from the Scarecrow. Whatever the trap was, it does not repeat. However, Remy spots another Scarecrow and destroys it with his Exploding Card spell.
Nearby the party finds the source of the smoke, a hut on dry ground, surrounded by huge stones, some engraved with elaborate patterns. There is a crude palisade, a fire pit, workbenches, a water tank, a crude anvil, and a smelter. Out of the hut emerges a strong-looking man matching the description of the Cearbhall Ciernack. Odin has at last found his weaponsmith.
Part 2 - The Weaponsmith
However, things soon turn serious as they discuss the current plague of supernatural events overtaking the island. When he arrived, he found a star metal spearhead embedded in one of the rocks with very strong magical proprieties. Well versed with the Adaenum tribal myths, he believed this could have been part of the legendary Spear of Manaclir. This is a moot point because he thought he saw a giant owl fly away with it three months ago. When the characters mention seeing a similar giant owl and its association with the Earth Witch, he is not surprised.
Cearbhall knows much of her lore. He believes he has uncovered her legendary prison, under the ruins near Fort Xuaka. The party speculates that she is still trapped but still may affect the world in somehow.Part 3 - Sparing Practice
Cearbhall will happily consider forging weapons and equipment for the heroes; however, he needs to first deal with a serious threat. He intends to ask the heroes for help but wants to evaluate their fighting skills. He would like to spar with each of the characters to test their mettle. The heroes agree.
Odin
Odin plans to use his superb mobility to his advantage. Striking first, he scores a couple of good hits onto the smith, then cunning moves out of range of a counter-attack. He is in for a surprise, for a big man Cearbhall moves astounding fast, quickly closing the distance hitting Odin with his sword and Stunning him. Odin is then promptly finished off with a series of punches. Interestingly Cearbhall's fists take on the appearance of metal as they strike.
Remy
Remy acts first, Blurs, but then Cearbhall uses magic himself, Burning Hands, onto the surprised wizard. Cearbhall easily swats aside Remy's staff and magic attacks, quickly finishing him off with more flames.Abaddon
The canny martial artist carefully watches the previous two fights and comes to an assessment of Cearbhall's combat prowess. Cearbhall fights using the dwarven Mánalfenír martial arts fighting style. Through control of body tissues, boosted by Ki, the practitioner allows his skin and muscle to take on the properties of his metal armor or equipment, improving his overall protection and offensive abilities.
Comparing himself with Cearbhall, Abaddon believes the weaponsmith hits much harder and can supplement his defenses and offenses with magic. However, Abaddon believes that he has greater stamina and superior technical skills. If he can survive the initial onslaught, he might be able to win.
The match starts as expected. Cearbhall launches a devastating series of sword attacks and iron-skinned punches, nearly knocking the defensive Abaddon out of the fight. As the Cearbhall starts showing a hint of tiring, Abaddon strikes, sweeping his legs and knocking him to the ground. After delivering a series of well-timed attacks. Cearbhall says, "Enough." Abaddon has narrowly won and gained Cearbhall's respect.
Pleased that the heroes appear strong enough to deal with most threats, he goes into more detail regarding his troubles. In his view, the worst possible threat to the treasures of the Moor has emerged. A rare type of Ivashu has appeared, a metal-eating creature called Welfynn, a.k.a the Eaters of Swords. Most metals they touch corrode and are devoured, although some metallic components are recycled to form a hard protective hide. As a metalworker, most of his equipment, including his prized enchanted sword, are vulnerable to these loathsome scavengers. He will positively consider manufacturing weapons for them if this threat could be dealt with.
The scarecrow traps around his hut use a specialized magnetic blast to ward them off if they approach too close. Remy feels a little guilty having unnecessarily destroyed a couple of them.
Part 4 - Daughter of the Earth Witch
The Welfynn nest in a nearby cavern, but there is a further complication. The entrance to the cavern is guarded by Hityarta the Heartless. Legends say she is one of the daughters of the mysterious Earth Witch. Cearbhall has faced Hityarta and slain her. However, the Swamp Naga appears immortal, disintegrating into the Moor then returning to life only a few days later.
Regardless the heroes stealthfully make their way to the cavern opening but find it sealed with a huge rock. They spot something large lurking underwater; it notices Remy. A snake-like woman is cloaked in a cloud of biting insects rises out of the water and attacks. Odin strikes first with surprise delivering devastating series of well-timed hits. This staggers the Hityarta, who invokes dark magic and draws much of the vital essence from Odin. Her Blight spell almost kills him.
Nevertheless, the trio surrounds her, attacking furiously eventually severing the Naga's head. In moments, her body dissolves into the Moor, and the rock blocking the cave entrance disappears. It was an illusion.
Part 5 - The Caverns of Sword Eaters
The party enters the caverns. These tight twisting passages contain occasional pools of what appears to be an acidic liquid. Suddenly the explorers are ambushed by two armadillo-like Ivashu, eyeless, with a thick, rusty armored hide. They strike with their long tail that extrudes potent acids; however, the heroes agilely evade most of their attacks. The two Welfynn are carefully dispatched using magic, arrows, and wooden weapons.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Cearbhall Ciernack, Weaponsmith.
Challenges Overcome
Magical Magnetic Pulse trap.
Abaddon defeated Cearbhall Ciernack while sparing.
Hityarta the Heartless, a Swamp Naga.
2 x Welfynn, the Eaters of Swords.
Rewards
Abaddon gains Cearbhall respect, he has a permanent advantage on any Persuasion checks.
Created Content
Cearbhall Ciernack, Weaponsmith.
Related Reports
Mánalfenír Martial Arts style.
Player Character Status
Odin - Human - Level 5 Gloom Stalker and Level 1 Fighter.
Abaddon - Elf - Level 6 Open-hand Monk.
Remy - Half-Elf - Level 6 Bladesinger.
Encounters and Events
Comments