Saberstrath Campaign, Session 4: Twenty Minute Defrost Setting

November 4-6, Caudex Annales, 70 AUP

While moving through the settlements around the fortress of Hemmelmark, the party began to attract unusual interest from the local peasants. Even without the dismissed skeletal army, the presence of two modestly sized dragons of a usually chaotic alignment was not a routine occurrence, and guards eyed the weary caravan warily. As the caravan pushed up the road toward the gates of Hemmelmark, guards detained the party members for more information, allowing the carts of hungry refugees to proceed on ahead.

As a moderately sized city with tens of thousands of inhabitants, the local markets were better equipped than the village to handle mundane requests like food, but still not well supplied with magical items beyond simple potions. Additional supplies beyond the stores of Hemmelmark were requested by dispatch to the mainland along with official notification of the "angry drow situation", and should arrive in the usual 3-4 weeks shipping time.

The leader of Hemmelmark, Duke Johann Zaiser (who seems to be either ZEYE-zer or Zeye-ZAIR

depending on my mood, though the former probably makes more sense for a place called Hemmelmark!) requested an audience. His keep was a well-fortified four-level structure, a "dungeon" in the classical sense of having rectangular construction. Upon their arrival in the receiving room on the third floor, the duke demanded a full account of all the recent adventures, complicated by the fact that many members of the party were recent additions and many of the older ones had recently departed. He then made his own petition for aid against invading giants who typically timed their arrival with the first snows of winter (frost giants, naturally).

The party spent the next day shopping, but it didn't take much longer before they were called into action as expected. A party of goblins led by two giants and an ettin were rampaging through the countryside, smashing buildings and looting granaries and stables. The party brought along the archers for some initial volleys, but the north wind had risen the point where archery was nearly impossible. The dragons unloaded frost attacks on the goblins, until a barrage of enormous stones from the giants grounded them. Fortunately, the giants fared horribly in melee, missing almost everyone while the goblins succumbed quickly to sweeping sword strikes.

After reporting back to the Duke, the party was authorized to track the giants back to their lair. The Duke had little money to offer, but promised them substantial land holdings and a patent of lesser nobility in exchange for success.

Roster

• Zelmar Krackiss, 5th level fright knight
• Viserion, 4th level white dragon
• The very young white dragon, Namazu
• Oin "Dirtface" Orinson, 5th level dwarven sapper
• Frigodria, 5th level paladin
• Sir Robin Silverblade Silverfall, 5th level spellsword

Off talking to the local trees or something like that:

• Tu'a'than, 5th level spriggan

And featuring a special guest appearance by Zach's mom, as a spy with a vorpal blade!

Casualties

None, aside from summoned dwarves. Namazu dropped with a direct hit from a giant boulder but walked away without a scratch.

Treasure

2 barrels of preserved fish, each worth 5 gp and weighing 8 stone.
8 ingots of common metal, each worth 1 gp and weighing 1/2 stone.
10 thousand copper pieces.
A piece of jewelry constructed from fine wood worth 500 GP.
A piece of jewelry constructed from bone worth 27 GP.

Total value: 645 gp

Total gold per member: 92 gp

Experience

Killed: 2 frost giants [2x 850 xp = 1700], ettin [850 xp], goblin sub-chief [15 xp], 10 goblin champions [10x10 = 100 xp], 50 goblins [50x5 = 250 xp], 15 dire wolves [15x140 = 2100 xp]
Total: 2915 xp

Total experience from treasure: 645 xp
Total experience from kills: 5015 xp
Total experience from exploration: 0 xp
Total experience: 5660 xp
Total experience per member: 808 xp