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Dunmari Frontier - Riswynn Solo Session 1

Chalice of Redemption: in which debts to the gods are repaid

Featuring: Riswynn, Rothfis, Merash, Thror
In Taelgar: Aug 24, 1748 DR to Aug 25, 1748 DR
On Earth: Monday Sep 12, 2022
Heart of the Mountain and Morkalan

Riswynn meets three other Dwarves in the Heart of the Mountain, all indebted to the Bahrazel, and they embark on a quest to redeem an evil dwarf in the Shadowfolds realm of Morkalan.

Session Info

Summary

Timeline

Narrative

We begin in a vast cavern with a still pool in the center, a place in Heart of the Mountain, the realm of the Bahrazel, the dwarven gods. Riswynn, Rothfis, Merash, and Thror find themselves transported here. In Riswynn’s case, by the Chalice of the Runepriest; in everyone else’s, by divine magic, and not necessarily by choice.

As the sound of hammers banging against anvils and the smell of iron permeates the chamber, the party feels they are in the presence of the gods. All, but Riswynn, owing a debt, which the Bahrazel now claim, a physical token of this debt appearing out of the water in the pool. To redeem their debts to the Bahrazel, the party is to travel to the Shadowfolds domain of Morkalan, where they will find the dwarf Hagrim, whose evil deeds created the place, and either send him to damnation or atonement with the power of the Chalice of the Runepriest.

As the party rests before preparing to depart, they see scenes of the history of the Chalice of the Runepriest:

  • The chalice started as a mark of safety, a place of refuge from war in the new kingdom of Nardith. It was taken north, later, by a group of soldiers, traveling to find refugees, gathering lists of names of those who were lost in the Great War, with the hope the chalice can help lead them to safety.

  • In the north, these warriors found success, finding hundreds upon hundreds of refugees, hiding in the dark. On the way back, the long march across the plains, they are sustained by the chalice.

  • Until a fire giant, Odim Mavdyrson, attacked the refugees, screaming about vengeance for his father, trolls with him.

  • The refugees flee with the chalice, to a massive Stoneborn statue on the plains. They build hasty fortifications, a grim warrior bearing a large two-handed axe and an iron helm leading the way. Carrying the chalice.

  • Then flames flickering at the end of the fight. The grim warrior turning on his companions, dwarf fighting dwarf, the warrior screaming that death is all that is left. The chalice, lying forgotten. The smoke gradually growing thicker and thicker as the grim warrior, the refugees, the trolls, all flicker out one by one and vanish. The chalice left, abandoned.

The party steps through the waters of the pool, with the chalice, and arrives in Morkalan, a land of dim light, constantly cloudy skies, a slow muddy river, and a pervasive grayness, seemingly a distorted echo of the land around the Stoneborn statue from the vision of the chalice’ history. The party heads for lights that seem to mark a settlement at the base of a series of cliffs along the left bank of the river.

Rmorkalan Muddy River

Approaching the village, Riswynn and Merash approach the dull-looking Dwarves on patrol. One leaves, apparently to alert Morkalan of newcomers, and the other carries out halting conversation. He seems almost robotic, patrolling because it is what soldiers do, and Morkalan insists, but he does not stop the party from proceeding to the small village nestled in the base of the cliffs.

The village of Bleakhold is unnaturally quiet, despite smalls signs of life, and there is little sign of people. The party fails to convince an older woman dwarf to speak with them, but does find a smith who opens his door to them. His name is Dworic, and he is surprised by newcomers, but tells the party that Morkalan is always watching, testing their loyalty; that the people on the top of the cliffs are human; that somewhere out in the wastes with the trolls, where the disloyal are sent, is the Mad Priest, who talks of other Dwarves as if Morkalan is not all there is in the universe. Dworic also tells them of a boy, Tak, who also believes there are other Dwarves out there, but who is missing. He lives next door with his father.

The party goes to speak with Tak’s father, Rurik, and after come convincing and bribery with Rothfis’ bread, cheese, and ale from his tavern, they learn that Tak wanders off, looking for the ghosts to talk to (especially his mother), and speaking of other Dwarves. He usually comes back, but this time he has been gone for too long. Taking some crude, homemade clay soldiers that Tak liked to play with as a young boy to remind him of his father, the party leaves to search for Tak.

After traveling along the muddy river, and climbing the cliff, they find him, hiding in a cave and being attacked wight-like Dwarves. The party moves quickly to deal with the undead, and while some of them turn out to have magic, the lightning bolts of Thror, the quick fists of Rothfis, Merash exploding maul, and Riswynn’s hammer Shatterstorm defeat the undead.

With the undead defeated, the party rescues Tak, who leads them to the ghost of Nora Silverspark, where we end the session.