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Previously on Rime of the Frostmaiden
Starring:
Valravn, level 5 Eladrin Bard of Eloquence
Fray, level 5 Halfling Barbarian of the Beast
Celeste, level 5 Half-orc Sun Soul Monk
Edmond, Level 5 Human Alchemist Artificer
Thimbleweed, level 5 Gnome Swarmkeeper Ranger
The goblin chieftain of Karkolohk is really Spellix Romwod, a crafty gnome sorcerer. When his adventuring companions were captured by goblins, he donned a disguise in a rescue attempt. But upon seeing the goblins’ plight and squalor, he abandoned his companions in favor of helping the goblins through magic and technology.
While his former companions (whom he never really liked) were eaten, Spellix helped design tools, vehicles, and weapons for the goblins, culminating in an entire new home, a grand fortress in the mountains. When their old chieftain died, Spellix was quickly given the position by the impressed goblins, and he loved basking in their adoration.
But the everlasting winter has hit them hard. Food is becoming scarce, and the freezing weather isn’t letting up. Many goblins look to their chief for answers, or for blame.
Worried, he sent word out to ten towns looking for a “diplomatic envoy.” In truth he wanted them to send someone to help him escape from the goblins. Thankfully the Marshals answered the summons!
The Marshals are surprised by recovery quickly upon hearing Spellix’s backstory. When Thimbleweed goes to enter the room, Spellix quickly kills a goblin with a firebolt, proving that he’ll do anything to avoid alerting the entire goblin tribe and revealing his duplicity.
But what’s in it for the Marshals? Snubsuk, the goblin warden, has eyes on the top spot, and the party is keen on letting it happen. Spellix offers two rewards. The first is the location of the crashed pirate ship full of treasure that his own party had set off into Icewind Dale in search of, the Dark Duchess. He’ll only reveal the location once free of Karkolohk, however.
The second is an odd, egg-shaped container, about the size of a small person, that was recovered about a week ago from a goblin hunting party. It features a keypad panel with blinking lights, but Spellix has been unable to open it.
For Celeste this object immediately calls to mind her experience shortly before joining the party. She had crawled out of a similar object that had crashed in the middle of the tundra (see Session 1).
She reaches out and touches the object, using her telepathy to probe inside. Her mind links with another, a more bestial creature that’s clearly in a state of confusion and pain, and through it she jogs her own memories of tentacled humanoids operating devices, and her trapped in one of these containers while a purple gas invades her senses and causes her to blackout.
She pulls her hand away and the container opens from the top, like a flower. Prepare for face huggin’!
Actually, it’s a Quaggoth, a hairy, bestial elf with elongated limbs and sharp claws. It’s still very upset and confused, and lashes out with some strange psychic powers, and its not-so-strange claws.
The party aren’t eager to fight this poor creature. Instead, they sympathize with it. Celeste tries to communicate and uses the psi-crystal (which just upsets it more) and Edmond fails to grapple it. Valravn succeeds by casting Suggestion (+ an epic Unsettling Words roll), ordering it to return to its container and stay there.
The creature obeys, and the container closes. Now the party has a monster-in-the-box!
They agree to take the container, and Spellix, out of Karkolohk. But Spellix notes that any smuggling attempt will result in the goblins attacking. The party suggests to fake his death, and assume the goblins aren’t paying close attention to the Marshals’ own party makeup.
Edmond disguises himself as the slain goblin, Spellix removes his costume to look like a disheveled gnome, and Thimbleweed stays behind to use the slain goblin body with the Yarb-Gnock metal-head costume, acting like he has slain the Chief.
The trick works, but Snubsuk has a few modifications in mind. He and Thimbleweed had previously discussed the potential coup. Even if the party kills Yarb-Gnock, Snubsuk would need to kill at least one of them to avenge the chief and prove his own worth as a new goblin leader.
Thimbleweed thus agrees to a 1 on 1 duel with Snubsuk after emerging with the “Chief’s” head. To the Walk of Doom!
The Walk of Doom is a rickety bridge leading over the edge of a cliff, at least 150 feet above icy rocks. The bridge railings are adorned with goblin skulls of past victims, at least those that didn’t jump or fall.
Snubsuk and Thimbleweed are given shortswords while the goblins form a huge crowd. The rest of the party leaves with the egg while Valravn stays behind, just in case.
Unbeknownst to the goblins, Snubsuk and Thimbleweed have worked out a deal. Thimbleweed will fall, and Snubsuk will let the Marshals go when he assumes command.
Thimbleweed uses his turns to cast spells such as Entangle and Web, while Snubsuk simply attacks with his sword, scoring a few hits on the gnome ranger. Each round the bridge creaks and groans. Finally on the third round Thimbleweed fakes a death-shot, and the entire bridge gives way and collapses. The only thing saving them is a Web spell.
Snubsuk emerges victorious. Other goblins rush forward to burn the webbing and get rid of Thimbleweed’s “body.” Snubsuk doesn’t seem to mind, but Valravn shouts for him to let them go, as was the deal (critical success on the Persuasion roll!). Snubsuk agrees, and the final two party members leave to rejoin the others.
In a final complication, Fray has been dealing with brazen goblin thieves stealing from the wagon, fending them off while avoiding hails of arrows from the watchtowers and ramparts. Valravn uses Command to force a goblin to drop Thimbleweed’s stolen longbow, and the party, plus Spellix and Blista, finally make their way back down the mountain.
MVPC – Thimbleweed
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