"That's not a good sign."
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"That adamantine, along with the mithral, will fetch a nice sum of gold.""we'd be better off forging something ourself out of it, but more importantly what are you idiots dooing out here"he says, picking up his fallen comrad
The party collects the treasure, fashion a make shift stretcher for Bracnos and journey back to the ship. During the travel, Yurik discusses his discontent working for Kargeld.
As the party gets closer to the ship they see a little smoke coming from the vessel.
"see that? that's why you idiots should have stayed on the boat."
"Wade, dear, Kargeld was chomping at the bit to leave you to your fate. The idiots might be the ones who went off chasing an otherwordly dog. You are right about the Adamantite, however. Fashion us some daggers. I've heard them called 'Adventurers' Lockpicks'."
As they near the smoking boat, Delilah hisses through her teeth.
"Oh, hells. What did that woman do now?"
"Perhaps you should watch your tone, we aren't the ones who disappeared with no notice." Razul says in response to Wade's unwarranted admonishment.
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"we were protecting the group by eliminating a threat he says carefully putting down the Orc before pointing at the fire "you were allowing that to happen, and it's far from the worst that could have happened, without you there to stop him, perhaps fatally, he could have just left us all there." he then sprints for the boat, aparently done with conversation.
"Not very bright is he?" Razul opines as he heads for the boat.
"I hope he has more sense when it comes to fighting the forces of Talingarde."
Wade and Razul run towards the boat while the others struggle with the wieght of Bracnos and the loot. Wade and Razul arrive first and see Lillith at the stern with her nodachi drawn, a sailor on the floor in front of her bleeding from the shoulder, another sailor covered in snow and ice, the other sailors with weapons in hand but holding off and Kargeld visibly angry.
Kargeld looks at the party approaching him after Wade speaks, scratches his chin and says "Good your back. Was wondering when you all would return. I will have my men get the boat ready to heave off if you please." and without waiting for an answer he stomps off.
"If you kids are done playing macho up there, can someone help us lift this dead weight up to the boat. He is heavier now. I swear, men!"
Yurik helps Annak, Delilah and Syldran haul Bracons body up into the ship as the confrontation between the two groups ends.
As Kargeld sees Yurik working with the 9th Knot, he casually mentions "Yurik, so you decided to leave me and work for them. I aughtta whip you for your betrayal after i took you in."
Delilah smirks.
"Funny that the man who was going to leave us to rot on this island should talk about betrayal."
Syldran grunts in approval, eyeing the captain with disgust.
Finally the Frosthamar arrives at the ice-choked entrance to the River Taiga. Kargeld proves himself a worthy captain nimbly sailing the heavily laden craft through fields of floating jagged ice. He barks orders in norspik and his sailors scramble to comply. Again and again he turns the boat at just the right moment to pass between the broken shards calved from ancient glaciers.
Finally, after nerve-wracking hours of this, the boat pushes through the dangerous headwaters of the Taiga into the clear water of this almost uncharted mighty river.Beyond the headwaters is a land of savage wonders. The Taiga winds through a great northern forest that to the best of anyone’s knowledge has no name.
After miles and miles of picturesque pine trees frosted with new fallen snow, the ship comes to a great mountain range. This river flows through a great rift in the mountains that looks as if some impossible huge primordial giant smashed a pass through the grey slate.
The party travels south now, though this appears to have no effect on lessening the intense cold. They are headed to the great interior sea of Talingarde – Lake Tarik as it is known. To the south of that lake sits the Watch Wall. And on the northern banks in a wide wooded valley is the final destination – the camp of Sakkarot Fire-Axe.
It appears as if thousands of bugbears are already assembled. These savage humanoids are not pleased to see outsiders, especially humans. Worse, there are more than just bugbears here. The occasional polar bear lumbers around the camp untended.Fur-clad goblins scamper here and there, laughing with frenetic glee. Even a few hill giants gather at the camp’s fringes.
Kargeld looks over at Wade and asks, "Still want me to dock for you? They look none to pleased with our presence. My men will not assist you in any way. We have no quarrel nor need to begin a quarrel with these goblinoids."
Lillith watches as they come aboard, she grins and waits to see if the sailors tried something else, a bit sad they don't she once again relinquish the helm to the proper charges
As Kargeld speaks, she gives him a stern eye
"Yes. That would be a good idea, for you, and your crew"
Kargeld shrugs his shoulders after Wades determination to land and orders his men to begin docking. There is only one place to dock the boat – a crudely made pier that juts into the river. On that pier are four hulking bugbears. They don’t seem pleased to see the Frosthamar.
Lillith glides down. Ninbly stepping up to the creatures on the dock
"Greetings. We are here to meet with FireAxe"
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Delilah looks the bugbears over.
"Thorne sent us. These weapons are for you. Start unloading them."
She looks over at Kargeld.
"You DID say that your crew wouldn't help us in any way. A girl's gotta get help where she can."
Razul hops lightly from the boat. He eyes the bugbears trying to determine whether they have any real authority or if they are just guards.
Not sure, he waits to see how they react.
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Now that Bracnos has gotten better acquainted with the change that accrued to him he dose not bother to change his appearance
Bracnos jumps off and lands with a hard thud onto the make shift dock testing the new mussel he has gained and he give the bugbears a menacing look
"We have come to arm the one known as Fireaxe we will only give the shipment to him once he has come"
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Syldran lithely disembarks and joins the rest of the crew, skulking behind them all.
I did ask since i was curious as to what the hell happened. Since Annak has some knowledge in arcana, nature and planes the GM told me the prison could be lifted with the sacrifice of human blood from a person of nature training. Bracnos was half human and half skilled in nature (ranger) so when he touched the shard, it took those aspects from him. If a pure human of nature training had touched the shard it would have killed him outright. Like Syldran. I guess those bones mentioned at the entrance of the cave were a clue as to why the Yeth hound was capturing people and dragging them to the cave.
Eying the situation, Annak tells the others, "Either kill them quickly to show dominance or intimidate them into submission. Dilly Dally with them and the bugbears will swarm us regardless of cardinal Thorne. I've had dealing with goblinoids before."
Bracnos jumps down on the shaky wooden dock and loudly challenges the bugbears. His new size and demeanor makes the four bugbears initially shaken for a small bit. Unsure as to who the group is, one of them stammers...
"This is no place for your kind. No goblins among you, you not welcome. Sakkarot busy, no not Thorne. Leave weapons and go." the braver bugbear says. It is apparent the bugbears are taken back by the boldness of the party, but the commotion has started to draw the attention of other goblins in the area.
Kargeld orders his men to stay on the vessel.
"I don't think so. Either you take us to see Fireaxe, or we MAKE you take us to see Fireaxe. Either way, we are not leaving before we meet with him. Now. You want to do this the easy or thehard way?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Branos takes a step forward fire and smoke emits from his eyes the smell of brim stone fills the air around him looking the bugbear that talked dead in the eye he growls
"Don't make me repeat my self again I will not be as kind the second time around..."
His new monstrous frame flexes as cracks appear starting from his fingers and climbing up his forearms then smoke and small spurts of fire emit from the cracks
edit
The bugbears seem intimidated by the burly orc and lithe female standing before them challenging them on the docks. They seem to stammer as a crowd continues to form. A wave of pushing appears through the crowd and a great black-furred bugbear wielding an axe of flame pushes through the crowd. He hefts the axe with one hand and points it at the orc and female asking, “Who sent you?” in unaccented
common.
She gives a small, but formal, bow
"Mighty Fireaxe I presume. We come baring gifts. Very warlike gifts. I am Lillith Frostmourne. It is an honour to meet you"
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As the one known as fire axe makes it clear why that is his name and steps forward, bracnos skin heals in a instant and the flame stops
"fire axe, we have been sent here by the throne the arm you so you may take the city and burn it to the ground."
Bracnos lowers his voice and says to him
"and we bring you a gift of the flesh of the men who own that ship for you and your clan to enjoy,...they don't know it of course but I would be happy to help you get your meal"
"We still need them to get to the drop off point..." she groans
Razul watches in bemused silence. However, he keeps a watchful eye out for any sort of trickery. He also keeps a hand on the hilt of his sword in an implied threat of immediate violence if someone should cross him.
The bugbear war chief does not lower his axe. "many have come to infiltrate our camp; evil humans, goblins, devilkin, and orcs. So i ask you one more time before I send my warriors to bring me your skulls... Who sent you to me?"
"Cardinal Thorne"
At the answer given by the female, he smiles a toothy grin. “Then you are welcome here.” He turns to the somewhat stunned throng of bugbears who were getting ready to storm the boat and eat the occupants. “These humans are my guests. I will deal with anyone who harms them. They are our allies!”
He walks on to the boat, causing most of the crew minus Yurik to step back, and rips open one of the crates revealing finely made axes within. He tosses one to a nearby bugbear warrior who until this time only had a crude club to wield. “Behold, they bring us steel!” This causes a terrifying chorus of growls and cheers from the monstrous assembly.
The boat is unloaded. Sakkarot’s lieutenants see that each case is distributed and soon our villains can see a visible transformation in the camp. Where once there were a thousand bugbear savages, now there are a thousand bugbear soldiers each with new weapons and shields adorned with the emblem of the fire axe.
Sakkarot holds a feast in honor of the weapons shipment and their allies. The feast is a brutal, savage affair with bugbears fighting each other and all manner of monsters in attendance. The highlight of the party is when a great shaggy dire boar recently captured from the northern woods is brought in shackles. One ton of angry pig is led in by a dozen bugbears who drag the beast before Sakkarot. Sakkarot beheads the already wounded animal in one mighty stroke with his fire axe. The beast is then spitted and roasted in a great open pit. The PCs sit at the Fire-Axe’s table – a front row seat at this spectacle of savagery.
What an interesting evening. Annak asks the others if some of the precious metals they acquired can be made into arrow heads, perhaps 20 of them.
Syldran slip away during the festivities, heading into the nearby woods to practice his new shape shifting abilities.