D&D Session 38 (3/15/22): The Pleasure Tents Of Bjornhild Solvigsdottir

 Text by Paul O'Connor, Dungeon Master

Barbarians show their grief through celebration, and they really tied one on to mark Sommpher's death. Sommpher's Rest was magically transformed to a hidden crater of eternal spring in the windy Icewind Dale. As a sacred place, Blah's reindeer friends can live here safely. A magic lake fills the bottom of the bowl.

Bjornhild Solvigsdottir arrives -- she is Queen of the Tiger Tribe, a fierce follower of Auril Frostmaiden. They say ice flows in her veins, but her blood beat hot for Blah.

Gifting, dancing, drinking, boasting. Dagger-throwing games, thanks to Arthur. All conducted beneath the tents of Bjornhild, overflowing with savage splendor. Tiger hides! Mammoth tusks! Fermented horse milk! You can practically hear the Basil Poledouris score!

Rumor in the court -- King Hekaton, wise old master of the Frost Giants, has gone missing, and in his place the hotheaded Jarl Storvald leads the Frost Giants of Icewind Dale. He's also the master of the Kringvind raiding ship, which sank our heroes outside Fireshear. Definitely owe that guy some payback.

Arthur finds himself the leader of a little carnal cult (!) -- The Sister Riders made a jockey of him, and enjoyed their game of "lock and key." (Arthur later pilfered the Chime of Opening central to the game).  

In his own tent, Khostov was stirred from his studies by what he swore was the voice of Sommpher, warning him of an Invisible Stalker about to strike. There was an exchange of spells before the tent was carried away by swirling winds and the monster disappeared, but not before Khostov was clouted in the head by a chamberpot. Could the fiend have been sent by the Tiger Tribe's shaman, the sinister Shag-Ga (also called the ... ahem ... Wind Father)? That old fart was definitely giving Khostov the evil eye.

But most of the action was in Bjornhild's tent, where she and Blah wrestled the night away. Between bouts of wild lovemaking, Bjornhild shared a dream she'd had since she was a little girl -- that she and her husband would unite the Reghed Barbarians and return them to the glory of Axton's day. Her husband died a year ago, battling the two-headed frost giant, Gud ... but in Blah she saw her dream alive again. With Axton's Axe, and the four tribes of the Reghed gathered at Sommpher's Rest; with the curse of the Giants' Rest broken -- surely this is a sign. Bjornhild pledged her love to Blah, said she would bring him strong sons, that they would unite the Reghed tribes to drive the giants back to their glacier holdfasts, and Icewind Dale would be their's -- hunting for all, tribute from the Ten Towns, and peace above all. But bring us the AXE!

Come morning there is gift-giving -- resplendent tiger fur clothing and potions of healing. Together with Iago (remember him -- the captured bard who claims to know the location of Axton's tomb?) and Mal-Do, the heroes begin their quest for the Axe of Axton.

At the end of the first day's march, a grim discovery -- the remains of the fur trappers the heroes had met some days before. Slain and half-eaten, Mal-Do says it is the work of the Wolf Tribe of the Reghed Barbarians -- insane cousins that no one trusts. A bad sign that they are in this part of Icewind Dale.

The next day saw our heroes headed into the foothills of the Reghed Glacier in the northwest of Icewind Dale. They surprised a loutish Hill Giant and his Ogre pals on the trail; Khostov's Acid Sphere struck home, and Arthur put his dagger-throwing skills to good effect. Down went the hapless brutes, but not before Mal-Do claimed victory. (Lots of bark, not so much bite with that guy). They made him stay outside and keep watch while everyone else bunkered up in Khostov's Tiny Hut for the night.