Rise of the Runelords Recap # 55 [RPG]

[26 Kuthona 4707 continued]

Dire wolves looks scary, but experienced
adventurers know how to handle them.

Camped at the base of Hook Mountain, the adventurers ready themselves quickly when they hear howling nearby.  Kang unfolds his dragonfly wings and takes to the sky, spotting a pair of massive dire wolves on a ledge overlooking the camp.  Katzumi rushes to the ledge and draws her katana, ready to do battle.  The wolves jump towards her but land awkwardly in the snow drifts, providing an opportunity for the adventurers to pounce.  Katzumi kills one before it can even recover, while Artemis’ arrows and Kang’s explosives combine to kill the other.  The battle is over so quickly that Yap doesn’t even bother getting out of bed!

[27 Kuthona 4707]

The adventurers huddle in their tents to keep warm and survive until morning.  But the howling of the wind outside and the heavy snow that falls continuously brings warning of a dangerous, dismal day ahead.  A blizzard has hit the Hook Mountain region!  Rather than risking trying to climb the exposed mountain face in such dangerous weather, the group decide to wait out the storm.  Vier suggests building a makeshift igloo, and, with the others’ help, creates a crude but effective shelter.  Yap stays snuggled up tightly inside Katzumi’s backpack and the others squeeze themselves inside the dome for warmth.  In such close quarters, the others can’t help but notice an odd lump moving around underneath Kang’s clothes.  The master alchemist explains that it showed up after a failed experiment one day, and that they should be glad they can’t hear it talk!

[28 Kuthona 4707]

Although Vier’s idea has allowed the adventurers to survive the storm, they’re not surprised to discover that their mounts, left outside and exposed to the worst of the cold and wind, have perished overnight.  Katzumi says prayers to Shizuru, the Tian-Min goddess of the sun, honor, swordplay, and ancestors, for their spirits’ safe passage in the afterworld.  The mounts are stripped of much of the gear that had been stowed on them, with Kang taking the bulk of it in a magical haversack.  Yap offers to stay behind and “guard the campsite”, but Katzumi persuades him to come along on the day’s planned climb.

In their first foray, the adventurers agree to climb together and stay close to one another.  The mountain isn’t particular steep in most parts, but after an hour, Katzumi and Vier have hardly made any progress at all.  Kang says it’s an exercise in futility, but everyone tries again.  Vier does better this time, but Katzumi only scales a few dozen feet, and the adventurers know that the longer they’re out in the cold, the more likely frostbite or even hypothermia will set in.  Artemis, who is able to scale the side of the mountain easily thanks to his kobold ancestors, offers to scout ahead while the others wait below.

After about four hours of climbing, the watchman from Magnimar crests the last craggy outcrop about a half-mile from Hook Mountain’s 10,000-foot peak and sees a gaping cave belching forth foul black smoke.  He’s reached the entrance to the Kreeg’s clanhold, but two guards stand at the cave entrance, swathed in furs and leathers.  They give an immediate shout and advance!  Artemis, thinking quickly out of self-preservation, jumps off the cliff, trusting his ring of feather falling to save his life.  He lands on a slope about thirty feet below the outcrop and starts to run to safety, but a pair of javelins imbed themselves in his thigh and back.  The ogres don’t intend to let an intruder escape!  But Artemis has one last trick up his sleeve, and drinks an elixir given to him by Kang weeks ago: it turns him as invisible as the wind, and the ogres are forced to give up the search.  With the sun setting rapidly, Artemis climbs partially down the mountain, descending to an altitude where his lungs no longer burn from the lack of oxygen.  He sets up a tent on the side of the mountain and settles in for the night. 

Meanwhile, far down below, the others worry about their missing ally.  Kang spends the time with his bottles and powders, and his whispered discussions with Vier about furnishing the newcomer poison are easily overheard by Katzumi and Yap.  Yap tells Katzumi that Kang is evil, but the alchemist defends himself, saying that everyone’s done something bad in their lives.  Vier says Katzumi could use toughening up in a place like her hometown of Riddleport.

[29 Kuthona 4707]

Artemis climbs down to the base of the mountain.  Tired and shivering, he explains to the others what he saw.  This time, the heroes decide on a new plan.  They’ll each climb at their own pace, but those who reach certain landmarks will set up a temporary camp and wait for the others to catch up before everyone advances.  The plan is a good one, as it allows the group to make progress (even if intermittent) while lessening the time they’re separated from one another in case they’re attacked.  After several hours of climbing, with the sun setting again, the adventurers set up camp.  They’ve made it about halfway to where Artemis remembers stumbling upon the entrance to the clanhold. 

Flame drakes hate the cold, and these ones resent
leaving the warmth of the Kreeg Clanhold!

 The experienced adventurers keep watch, despite the cold, but this time their precautions aren’t enough to give them advance warning of attack.  Gliding silently down the mountain, a foursome of flame drakes allied with the Kreeg ogres have followed Artemis’ scent!  Once the drakes spot the adventurers’ tents, they breathe fire in unison!  Vier’s uncanny instincts protect him from the worst of the attack, but the others, especially Katzumi, are badly burned.  Even worse is a fact that won’t be realized this night: Yap has been killed instantly!

Kang takes to the air to duel one of the cowardly attackers, while another lands to menace Kat and a third turns its attention to Vier.  The last drake follows its original prey, chasing Artemis from the campsite and the sole source of light, Katzumi’s everburning torch.  Unfortunately, the flame drakes can see in the dark and Artemis can’t! 

Kang duels his opponent in the sky and unveils a new invention for the first time: bombs that explode with waves of concussive force!  His attacker is knocked to the ground and then crushed by the bombs’ force.  Katzumi dodges claws and tail sweeps to kill her foe with an impressive display of swordsmanship.  Vier takes the most surprisingly tack, bribing her greedy attacker to leave!  Meanwhile, dozens of feet away, Artemis scrambles to stay alive in a one-on-one battle against his unseen draconic enemy.  The archer suffers a terrible bite wound, but once Katzumi gets close enough with her torch to reveal the attacker, Artemis swings his enchanted pick desperately and connects, killing the drake instantly!

Unprepared for the extreme cold and treacherous ascent, the adventurers have found Hook Mountain more than they bargained for.  But their determination has kept them in good stead, and another day’s climb may just bring them all to the lair of the Kreeg ogres.  Will they vanquish the degenerate monsters who have destroyed Fort Rannick and Turtleback Ferry for unknown reasons, or will they realize, too late, that bearding the lion in his den could be a fatal mistake?
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Director's Commentary (16/9/18)

This scenario really tested the PCs' endurance.  Players often ignore things like being good at climbing or resisting the elements in favour of chasing yet another +1 on attacks, so I love it when the full spectrum of the game's hazards come into play.  Getting up that mountain was grueling work that wore down the PCs' hit points (and gave them the fatigued/exhausted conditions), and although they did great in the random encounters in this session, the cumulative toll will bite quite hard next session.

I felt bad for poor Yap, burned to death instantly, and even worse for the poor horses (who slowly froze to death).