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Dunmari Frontier - Riswynn Solo Session 2

Redemption of Hagrim: in which a ghostly past is confronted

Featuring: Riswynn, Rothfis, Merash, Thror
In Taelgar: Aug 25, 1748 DR to Nov 15, 1748 DR
On Earth: Monday Sep 26, 2022
Morkalan

Riswynn and her companions uncover the story of Morkalan and redeem the ghost of Hagrim.

Session Info

Summary

Timeline

Narrative

We begin as the party speaks with the ghost of Nora Silverspark. Although Nora is reluctant to trust the party, and not sure what, if anything they can do for her or to help this place, some persuasion and the sight of the Chalice of the Runepriest convinces her to tell her story and help the party understand Hagrim, who is now calling himself Morkalan. Nora tells the story of the history of the chalice, adding some detail. She says Hagrim broke in battle against Odim Mavdyrson, perhaps because of some old mind-wounds from the Great War, and when he ordered his troops to attack her, she would not fight back, and was slaughtered. In Hagrim’s death, this place grew from his evil acts, and has gotten darker since. None can leave and those who wander into the battlefield from the mortal realm are, in many cases, drawn into Morkalan against their will. Hagrim, Morkalan now, she says, does not even remember the past.

From her, they learn that the Mad Priest is actually Hagrim’s cousin, Delig Firebrand, and if anyone could speak of Hagrim’s childhood it would be him. As far as she knows, he is still alive in the ashy wastelands, which Tak says is home to trolls you eat your soul.

After some debate, the party decides to go look for Delig Firebrand, in the wastes, hoping to get a sense of Hagrim.

Ash Plains

On the way, through the wastes, they fight off a shadowy, necrotic troll, that saps the strength of whomever attacks it. But managing to defeat it, they find Delig Firebrand. He has lost most of his memories, constantly forgetting who he is talking to, and thinking everyone in the party to be named Riswynn. But he does talk occasionally about his past, and Hagrim, and how after the Great War he was a changed man, damaged, with eyes that looked strange. Sometimes he would talk about the evil tentacled creatures that would devour your brain, and shudder. After a pint from Rothfis and some conversation, Delig Firebrand seems exhausted, so the party leaves him to rest and heads to find Morkalan/Hagrim, at the mirror version of the Stoneborn statue.

Approaching the Stoneborn statue, and Hagrim’s lair, the party makes their way through ghosts of his memories, aided by Thror’s fly spell and Riswynn’s holy aura driving undead away.

Giant Statue Legs Morkalan

Morkalan Hagrim Fort

Passing into the dungeon, the party makes their way through a chamber of bones that begin to animate, breaks open the door to Hagrim’s final resting place, and confronts his ghost. Hagrim is angry, accusing the party of reminding him of his horrible past, saying he had free himself of his cursed memories until they arrived. And battle is joined, as he insists there is nothing for the party here, and they should leave him to his domain. As he takes damage from the party, and is worn down, he becomes fainter and fainter, but insists he cannot be defeated, and he will be back to finish the job.

As the ghost of Hagrim fades, Riswynn pours the water of the Chalice on his spirit, and tells the Bahrazel that he deserves redemption, that his evil was at least in part a result of compulsion, or damage from mind flayers in the Great War, and that she believes he yearns for his home. As the water pours from the chalice, the shadows begin to dissolve, and we end the session as the party emerges into the sunlight, surrounded by the bewildered Dwarves of Bleakhold now delivered to the plains of Dunmar in late August.

Merash and Rothfis return to their homes, but Thror stays with Riswynn to help the refugees. As the ghost of Nora fades, she tells Riswynn where to find her body, and gifts her the Silverspark Gauntlets she bore.

Over the next 6 weeks, until mid-October, Riswynn and Thror guide the refugees south to a joyous and somber reunion in Tharn Todor. It takes time and care and patience to help them reintegrate into normal society.

Riswynn, during this time, sends messages to her companions, learning that Wellby, Seeker, Delwath, andKenzo faced a green dragon, and then were scattered across the world by strange magic. But they are meeting again near Stormcaller Tower, so Riswynn sets out again to meet them in mid October.

During this time, she passes through Tokra, collecting a few letters for the party and checking in with Dag Hardstone and his family, as well as Vistra Fireforge. Tokra is tense, with tensions between Sura and the army of Nayan Karnas high; Vistra reports that Sura holds the hearts of the people here, but without the blessing of the Lakan monks few are willing to risk open war.

Gathering letters to deliver, Riswynn heads east, connecting with Delwath at his camp near the Feywild crossing where the rest of the party should arrive.