Text by Paul O'Connor, Dungeon Master
A sense of doom hangs over the party. Sommpher is not himself, spending extra hours in prayer. Something troubles him.
The Barbarians were as patient as they were silent, forming a quiet ring and observing our heroes as they counted their foes, and counted again, and concluded they best not try to cut their way out of this one.
Cummings knew this tribe -- The Tiger Tribe, a warlike group, but one that could be reasoned with. Sometimes. They rode broad, squat, powerful, shaggy ponies and draped themselves in snow tiger furs. Their leader -- a giant of a man named Mal-Do -- was so tall that even astride his tallest of the horses his feet nearly touched the ground.
And it's not just any horse. It's Horse! A shock of recognition runs between Blah and his old animal friend.
Mal-Do bargained with the heroes, in the manner of his people, which mostly meant threats and bullying. Give us the furs, and the girl, and the owlbear, and we will offer you tiger teeth, and let you keep your lives. And we can heal the half-man.
Mal-Do knew more than he was letting on, though. He admired that our heroes had slain the orcs the night before, and seemed satisfied to confirm our gang were the Heroes of Blue Mountain. He'd heard something of them. But he knew he had a stronger hand and intended to play it. The Tiger Tribe withdrew to let our heroes consider his "offer."
Sommpher was willing to buy out Cummings' load of furs but giving up Jenny and Dee Dah was obviously a non-starter. The group decided to saddle up and head for Bryn Shander, and take their chances when Mal-Do returned.
But then a strange fate intervened, in the form of the Blue Mountain Reindeer, who had been tracking Blah across the tundra. A joyous reunion! And also one freighted with portent, as Mal-Do's opinion to the heroes softened.
He admitted that he'd been sent to look for the group, that he'd had word of their heroics, and offered to bring the group to a place sacred to his tribe, where he said the "half-man" would be cured of drinking from "dark waters beneath the mountains."
A parting of the ways! Cummings and the Blue Mountain Brothers headed for Bryn Shander, and Jenny with them, but not before she begged Sommpher not to go into Icewind Dale. She'd had a vision that he'd die there. Sommpher told her to stay with Cummings and go on to the city. Jenny left Sommpher with her locket, then stood atop a wagon to watch her lover and the others ride off into the mist.
Mal-Do did some boasting on the ride that followed, lying that he'd tamed his wild Horse, chiding the "village-soft" heroes that they could not keep up with his horsemen, but his tone was less threatening. There was even some respect for Blah, a half orc he might otherwise hate, especially when Blah showed off the vorpal sword he'd taken from King Gud. Mal-Dao said the orcs the heroes had slain were one of several warbands raiding the plains now that Blue Mountain Castle had fallen. Trappers joined the group at campfire that night, and shared news of giants on the march across Icewind Dale, including a small Frost Giant army of a dozen or so, headed east.
Horse met Blah in the night, said how he'd searched for the party but lost their trail, and fell in with the Tiger Tribe. He loved the mares in the herd -- "They all had long manes, and brains!" But he was also growing tired of the herd and recognized his pledge to the heroes. If they needed to get away in a hurry, just whistle, and he'd be there with some fleet friends to bear them to safety.
The next day everyone was blindfolded and rode out to Giants Rest, a sacred site to the Reghed Barbarians. A strange mound, where Spring seemed perpetual, at the bottom of a bowl formed from a massive crater. Thirteen standing stones ringed the mound, and clear spring bubbled atop it. The Tiger Tribe would go no further -- they said the place was cursed, and they'd die if any one Reghed Tribe touched the mound without the many others in attendance.
Nearing the mound the heroes could read Giant runes on the rocks. It was the Rune of Death!
Which they'd find out soon enough! Skeletons erupted from the earth, praise St. Harryhausen!
Arthur dashed for the spring, dove in, and was restored!
Sommpher turns many of the skeletons; Khostov blew others away with his pipes; Blah decapitated a few for good measure.
But that was just the opening act. Then the MOUND stood up -- a colossal, undead giant, dripping grave mould, mud, and stone. He hefted a mighty axe and threw boulders with casual ease. Arthur carved at his ankles but was knocked aside; Blah deflected a mighty boulder. The giant exuded an aura of icy cold which slowed our heroes and made them wonder if the sense of doom that hung over them all was about to play out.
Sommpher rises up, holds aloft his holy symbol, rebukes the giant with holy words that split the sky like thunder!
The giant was checked, lurched ... and then fell in sections, a titanic avalanche of bone and ice. Right atop Sommpher, who fearlessly held his ground, an avatar of the Silver Flame, to the final moment and beyond. A blinding flash of silver light ... and then silence.
The undead -- destroyed. The curse of Giants Rest -- broken. The Barbarians gathered around in respectful silence. And no sign found of Sommpher, aside from the locket Jenny had given him (and many miles away, Jenny rose from her bed in Bryn Shander, went to the window, and looked to the west).
Giants Rest is now Sommpher's Rest.
(Happy trails, Frank, who leaves the campaign, for a week or forever as he wishes!)
