HPE D&D Session 5 (7/30/22): In search of the Fountain of Youth

 

Inarie negotiates with the local fauna for a ride.

The crew takes on the Guardian Bander Hobb.  Ornock is caught by the beast's tongue while Auric, Inarie and Humanknight chip away at it.

D&D Session 45 (7/13/22): The Trials

Text by Paul O'Connor, Dungeon Master

A barbarian wedding isn't like a regular wedding. There isn't a registry and there is no wedding party. Instead there is ...

... THE TEST OF STRENGTH! Blah rose to the challenge, contemptuously lifting a mighty stone over his head, and then for good measure flinging it at Isarr Kronenstrom, the cannibal Wolf Tribe Chief who persisted in taunting Blah for being half an orc. Even a second challenge to lift an even heavier stone -- this time frozen by Sha-Ga's magics, was passed easily by the future king of the Reghed Barbarians, though he left more than a little skin on the stone. Huzzah

... THE TEST OF SONG! Who better than Khostov and his ever-potent Pipes of Fear. Cannily shaping his enchantment so it affected only the sneering members of the Wolf Tribe, Khostov Cross-Eyed Mary'd the pack off the wedding stage. After some drinking, there followed a vocal performance ... but by this time the crowd was thoroughly won over to the heroes' side. Huzzah, Huzzah!

... THE TEST OF COURAGE! The crowd went wild when Arthur the halfling fearlessly strode forward to meet the Test of Courage. Cries of "Wee Man! Wee Man!" reverberated through the assembled barbarian host, even taken up by those few members of the Wolf Tribe who had not fled the sacred grounds. A moan went up from the Rider Sisters when they saw the test their lover was to face -- a tall, thin man with muscles like strips of beef jerky stretched over a bony frame. "The test is passed!" they cried. "Don't make him fight!" But Arthur was heedless, bearing in on the man and cutting him good, though the wound scarcely bled. "End the test!" the Rider Sisters again implored, and Queen Bjornhild agreed that the fight might end. She, like the rest of the tribe, had been won over, and they saw no sense in hurting the brave little man. But Arthur was having none of it, he would see the thing to the end ... even after the man tore off his outer skin, and emerged as a mighty werebear! Arthur scarcely paused, tumbling between the beast's legs and cutting at will. Like lightning the halfling enveloped the were in a tornado of steel, cutting and slashing and avoid the worst of the bear's mighty claw swipes. In less time than it takes to relate, the bear took a knee, signaling the contest's end, and the crowd rushed the stage, tossing their little champion into the sky in their joy.

Then followed the marriage of Blah and Bjornhild, beneath the driving snowflake blessings of the goddess Auril Frostmaiden. If Blah had second thoughts after hearing Bjornhild say that the united barbarian tribes would demand tribute of the Ten Towns, then ride south to sack Waterdeep ... well, that was a problem for another day. For now there was a bride to kiss and a wedding night to celebrate.

(Here followed much drinking and frolicking for all).

And in the morning, the party was crashed by an exhausted rider dispatched from Bryn Shander -- come quick, the giants have besieged the city!

D&D Session 44 (6/29/22): Savage Splendor!

 Text by Paul O'Connor, Dungeon Master

"He kneels before his queen, but he shall rise a king!"

Bjornhild Solvigsdottir

Avoiding the siren call of a ruined hill fort where they might have made a stand against the pursuing Wolf Barbarian tribe, our heroes set their spurs to their mounts and pressed on to Sommpher's Rest. Cresting up and down into the crater where Sommpher's Rest resides, they saw a sea of tents as seemingly every Reghed Barbarian in Icewind Dale had descended upon the sacred site for a great event.

The crowd parted for the returning heroes, opening a path for them to the island at the bottom of the bowl-like depression, where a visibly beaming Queen Bjornhild Solvigsdottir received the Axe of Axton from a kneeling Blah. "Rise, as my King!" the Queen commanded, to a general cheer from the crowd ... but then came hisses and cries of "Orc! Orc!" from the late-arriving Wolf Barbarians. Their king Isarr Kronenstrom claimed the right of truce at Sommpher's Rest and said Blah was not a Reghedman, so he could not be king. Orc!!

Perhaps because his britches fell down (and Arthur had something to do with that), the crowd didn't immediately rise at Isarr's challenge. Instead, they agreed with Bjornhild that the newcomers should be made part of the tribe by passing tests of Strength, Courage, and Song on the morrow.

Retiring to the Queen's massive tent, there was much canoodling. The Rider Sisters reclaimed Arthur. Some quick work by Sarkagan foiled a conspiracy to poison or drug Blah's drink, and while Arthur's reconnaissance linked the plotters to members of the Wolf, Elk, Bear, and Tiger tribes working with the shaman Sha-Ga, they lacked proof to do anything about it.

The fires burn low, the drunks stagger off to bed singing their savage songs, and the sun will rise on a day of trials for our intrepid heroes ...