Session 25: Think of the Children! Report

General Summary

A week had passed since Mi'tsuru'gi and Brimble Knackles had returned from Gregor's tomb. The past seven days had been spent in rest and study, eating and drinking, listening to the folk of Steigs Stand and humouring, to a degree, Whastle Fletcher.
During the week, the penultimate of Readying, the Barony forces billeting in Steigs had left, as had the Barbarians of the Horsehills. Events seemed to quiet down, but as the week turned, a groaning, reverberating sound, a deep sound, a sound that makes on question their place on this Oerth interupted an otherwise pleasant lunch. Outside a bard from the north blew upon his carnyx and began a new ballad. Brynnwythlinmardcaladog had arrived!
As the bard's ballad blew across the village an accompanying scream from behind piereced the air. The black dragon from Durgeddin's hall had come to seek revenge (Session 23: Acid Trip Report). The roar of the dragon and cries of the villagers brought Brimble and Mitsu from the Inn and, with Brynn and Knights of the Watch soldiers, they brought the battle to the dragon. Mitsu's arrows, Brimble's illusions and Brynn's polearm eventually destroyed the drake and the villagers rejoiced throughout the night, buying round after round for the heroes.
Recurperating the next day, Jeston Breastglove, a women from Steigs, approached Brynn in the Inn. Several children had gone missing over the last few days and she begged for help in finding them. Brynn was emphatic that he must "save the children" and convinced Brimble and Mitsu to join him. But first they went to Kisset Alwin's apothecary to see if she had any information on the missing children. Kisset was still away (?), but her cousin was minding the shop. The cousin had no information, but the neighbor, a lady-gnome named Abel Mooncaster, suggested the kids often went to play at the ruins of an old Ulaa temple near Goldpeak moutain, a few hours from the village.
By the next day the party (Mitsu, Brimble, Brynn, and Whastle) left on their horses to the ruins. The journey was only about three hours and was pleasant enough, Brynn telling tales of nomadic life in the north (he being of the Wolf Nomads). Within a few moments of arriving at the ruins the party was set upon by a horde of small blue creatures Xvarts! The attacked en masse, swarming with their swords and dealing mighty damage to both Brimble and Whastle (death saves!). These despicable creatures were eventually defeated and soon thereafter a secret tunnel was discovered beneath the Ulaa temple ruins.
The tunnel opened immediately into a cavern system and after a shufty the party descended to a large cavern with a small pool. Suddently Kisset came towards Mitsu. She was bruised and bloodied, as if she had been crawling through the bush, but she was scared of these acquaintences and ran off through a nearby door in the cavern. The party followed, but Kisset was nowhere to be seen. In another large cavern, Brynn in the lead, three hags (a coven!) attacked with spells, charms and claws. Brynn resisted valiantely and wtih his robust defence, the spells of Brimble, and Mitsu's bow, the hags were destroyed. Accept for one who escaped and all three had screamed to the companions that "they knew what hunted them." A reference to the agents of Iuz, pehaps?
The hag caves were filled with grotesqueries; humanoid body parts in states of decay some with candles jammed in orifices, some with carved symbols, all seemingly an evil and fell art, scrawled incisions on cave walls, "paintings" in offal and excrement, smears of blood and other nether fluids. In one chamber Brynn found an unidentifiable humanoid "part", half digested, but then he saw the child's shoe. For a moment horror clouded his eyes. The hags were feasting on Steigs children. Mitsu carved the word coward on the inside door of this wretched chamber.
They had seen enough and our heroes returned to the village, but they could not relay the sad news until the next morning.

Rewards Granted

Young Black Dragon (injured): 1,300 xp
Xvart x 10: 250 xp
Green Hag (coven) x 2: 3600 xp

Total per PC (note Whastle as NPC gets share of non-dragon xp): 1390

Notes

Treasure
Xvarts: 2cp; small bone box with tiger eye gem
Hags: crystal flask with greyish liquid and tiny suspended 'boulders' within

Battling hags in their cave lair

Campaign

The March of Bissel Dungeons & Dragons 5e Campaign

Protagonists

Report Date

02 May 2023

Primary Location

Steigs Stand

Secondary Location

The Barrier Peaks

Related Characters

• Brimble Knackles
• Kisset Alwin
• Mi'tsuru'gi
• Whastle Fletcher