Ironguard Keep: Session 9

This session kicks off with an encounter I've used a few times over the years, and it finally pays off!

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Adventure Log 6/22 - Klayton and Albrecht and Svetlo

NPCs Ulster, BlueJay, Avalon, Yelrah, and Fineach

The group continued north with little issue, until after lunch they heard the growing sound of buzzing - giant bees!  They bravely ran off into the woods to avoid the bees.  There they found a bear cub trapped below a fallen tree!  They rescued it, with Albrecht mightily heaving the tree off of the poor thing!

The bear cub waved and ran!

A bit later, the intrepid explorers encounter a large, bearded man at a lodge; he invites the party in and  they talk and drink mead and eat honeyed cakes.  Albrecht realizes it is strong mead as he passes out.  The group trades some iron pitons for beeswax candles, then they drag Albrecht to the barn to let him sleep it off in the hay!  The watch hears a terrible shrieking that is cut off suddenly, but are otherwise unmolested during the night.  

From one of the Tolkein calendars illustrated by the Brothers Hildebrandt

The next morning, the bearded man provides travel rations and firkins of mead for all - Wolf Sausage and Honeyed Mead!  No doubt the sausage came from the massive wolf whose head drips from a pike near the lodge door.

(DM Note - readers of the Fellowship of the Ring will recognize Beorn, whom I lifted in all but name for this encounter; he may yet prove a useful ally in the fight against Chaos).

Eventually, the Group decides to cut through the bee-fields, and solemnly swear to No Frolicking among the flowers.  The Black Lab-sized bees provide incentive to maintain the oath. 

Their journey northward is mostly uneventful, encountering only a Twk-Man and a pair of hunters.  The Twk-Man trades the following information for salt:

The Goblins are marching

The Lady of the Lake needs help

The statues have awakened

While the hunters merely exchange greetings.

Night falls, and Klayton bleeds on his rug, calling forth the cabin.  The strange portal to the Garden of Ynn has disappeared.  Near dawn, the Group awaken to the sound of someone - or something - trying the door.  As they ready themselves for a fight, Albrecht realizes his dagger is vibrating in his hand as he takes his place near the cold hearth and chimney.

Klayton opens the door using Mage Hand and CARNAGE ENSUES!

A Goblin charges in, screaming 'Bree-Yark!' and Yelrah slams it into the wall (natural 20), breaking several parts necessary for life, and the beastie dies.  As this is happening, footsteps are heard on the roof, nearing the chimney.

Albrecht learns that his Dagger (recovered several sessions prior) vibrates when goblins are afoot and begins glowing when they are closer.  A goblin slides down the chimney in time to see its companions cooked in a massive Burning Hands from Klayton!

The chimney-goblin is captured and hogtied.  It refuses to say anything useful beyond Bree-Yark! Albrecht uses Comprehend Languages and his own knowledge of Orcish to learn several creative insults and also that the PCs will die. 

At this point, Klayton runs it through, so that he can return to napping.

Yelrah claimed the goblin’s mighty blade (a crappy dagger).  

Just as the party calmed down and drifted back to sleep, they were awakened to slamming on the cabin door!

Again with the Mage Hand, but it wasn’t a goblin, it was a hulking Ogre Zombie!

(DM Note - Several players used their once-per-session D30s for massive damage - it was arguably more fun than exploding damage dice! We realized that an exploding D30 would be this side of hilarious!)

With the dawn came the inevitable butchering of the slain monsters to sate the Groups’ strange desire for bloodlust and more random encounters.

They were not disappointed when a little man (about a foot tall) wearing leaves as clothing and a large acorn cap on his head appeared.  After conversing, the little man offered to buy the house, but was politely rebuffed.   He says if interested in selling, simply find an oak tree and call his name.

His name being Jack-in-the-Green.

Jack-in-the-Green; character more inspired by the Jethro Tull song than this image, but they're related.

The Group bid farewell to Jack-in-the-Green and proceed north at a trot to avoid further wandering monsters.  It was past lunchtime when they sighted a keep on an island in the river. 

Proclaiming it their destination, they slowed their roll when they realized the poor repair that the keep was in. The drawbridge was down, though in ill-repair, and the portcullis was rusted in the ‘up’ position.  As they stepped into courtyard, a terrible shrieking was heard around and above them….

Throughout the session there is a strong belief that the bear cub, the bearded man (and perhaps his family), and the little man are druids.   Being a clever DM, I can take a hint...