The Old God’s Return (Part I) 2013-12-17

My second road crew game! I ran the 2013 Goodman Games’ Holiday module The Old God’s Return by Michael Curtis; it was perfectly themed for the season and I had a rather excellent time. The attendees included eight players: four returning from my first road crew session and four new players. I ran the module as a combined funnel/level one session as two of the returnees had survivors from Frozen in Time that were now level one characters. The players were also delighted with the various DCC branded pencils, bookmarks and buttons that I was fortunate enough to have received from Goodman Games just the day before.

The game started off immediately after the events of the last session with a feast to celebrate the fall of the ice demons from Frozen in Time and to honor the returning survivors Anahk Goldenhand and Bubba Two-step, now a warrior and thief respectively, along with suitable requiems for the many, many dead. As it also happened to be the night of the winter solstice, a priest of Loptir, Lord of Flames, led ceremonies celebrating the coming return of the sun. Suddenly a loud scream pierced the frozen air! A terrified woman ran from a nearby hut clutching a child to her breast, followed by a short gnarled creature, a malicious grin showing through its long white beard and carrying a wicked-looking knife. More of the creatures emerged from the shadows, their gleaming knives reflecting the flickering firelight, and moved to attack the crowd.

Several low-level and clearly not important villagers were killed in the ensuing melee, including Petey the gatherer. Both Anahk and Bubba Two Step showed their mettle as new heros and slew a creature each, Anahk cutting down the one pursuing the woman and child, and Bubba Two-step quietly slitting the throat of another. As the rest of the creatures were either slain or chased away, everyone looked up in amazement: an enormous mountain of ice hung suspended above the village, blotting out the moon and stars and drifting swiftly towards the south!

The priest of Loptir approached the survivors of the battle to thank them for their deeds. He said that the creatures had come for the children of the village as several now lay enscrolled by evil magic - comatose, blue-skinned and cold to the touch. He asked if there were any among them who would follow the mountain of ice and discover a means to break the spell that they had fallen victim to. Eight champions were selected to receive Loptir’s blessing of fire and several more companions chose to accompany them on the chase after the floating iceberg.

Riding horses provided by the village, the group quickly caught up to the frozen mountain, though it hung at least a hundred feet in the air with no means of reaching it. Anahk Goldenhand and the brave, yet inexperienced Gorlick the gatherer, used the power granted by Loptir’s blessing to turn into living flames and flew to an ice platform at the bottom of the mountain, landing just before the enhancement ended. There they discovered a coiled rope ladder and carved steps leading steeply upwards, upon which another one of the horrid small creatures was quickly scrambling up, seemingly alerted by their bright entrance. Anahk rushed to follow but had to proceed slowly on the icy surface and was not able to gain any ground. Gorlick used the last of the power granted to him by Loptir to transform again and ascend to the steps above the fleeing figure, trapping it between him and Anahk.

The creature rushed at Gorlick and grabbed his ankle, sending an icy chill through his body. Frantically, Gorlick tried to stab at it, but missed. Anahk had nearly reached the embattled pair, but with a savage twist of its gnarled hand and a sneer, the creature threw Gorlick off the side of the mountain. Anahk’s revenging spear pierced through the beast and pinned it to the wall of ice where it hung dead.

Anahk returned to the platform and lowered the rope ladder. After a long climb, the party finally reached the top of the iceberg where a strange sight awaited - a hundred feet away in the center of a smooth plateau, there was a stone building half-buried in the ice. The building had a single opening and was surrounded by a number of broken pillars that formed a roughly rectangular courtyard. A few small footprints led from the top of the stairs towards the building. Deciding to split up and scout, Bubba Two-step led a group left along the plateau, another group followed Anahk right, and Dovow the elven scout when directly towards the building. 

As they approached, Dovow’s sharp elven eyes caught the glint of steel in the shadow of a large opening in the building. He saw three more of the creatures half-hidden, and apparently unaware of the party’s approach. Using his handy piece of signaling quartz he always carried with him, he flashed a sign to the other groups letting them know of the danger. They decided on a plan to lure the creatures out into the courtyard and surround them. Dovow emerged from behind one of the broken pillars to taunt them, and they fell into the trap nicely. All three were quickly slain, though Dovow and another companion were killed as well.

Inside the building they found a small room dusted with snow, young evergreen trees growing from the stone floor beneath. Herb the herbalist decided to set one of the trees alight, an act which disturbed the elves of the party. Afterwards it seemed as if they could almost hear a faint sigh as the wind rustled through the branches. Descending a set of cracked stairs, they found a chamber beneath filled with larger trees and two doors along the eastern wall, strange hieroglyphs etched in the stone. The trees had an eerie, almost man-like shape to them and the air was filled with a heady scent of pine. Something tickled just on the edge of their senses and Slogmog the gatherer leaned in close to one of the trees trying to listen. He heard a faint, child-like voice whispering about horns and old beings and almost followed Herb’s example of burning the tree, but decided not to at the last moment.

Splitting into two groups, they opened both doors to the next room at the same time. A chamber filled with broken stones and ice lay on the other side. Closest to the northern doors, a huge man-shaped creature with the head of ram emerged from the rubble. It snorted a challenge, hot breath smoking on the frigid air. One of its great hands clutched a long metal chain which it swung in a slow circle above its head, the other beckoned the group to fight. Anahk and Boris, another elven scout, charged in. Noticing a weak patch of ice just in front of the beast and sensing a trap, Boris skidded to a stop a few paces from it. Oblivious to the danger, Anahk’s spear bit deeply into the creature’s side causing it to howl in pain and fury. Instead of striking back, it slammed its chain onto the floor beside her, cracking the ice and tumbling her into the pit beneath. She fell with a crack onto the stone floor of the chamber below, dazed but still alive.

The rest of the party charged in, but were surprised by the five small bearded creatures that were waiting hidden in the rubble. A pitched fight ensued. Boris, who had been fighting the ram-beast after Anahk’s fall, was nearly killed when it wrapped its great chain around his neck, but struggled free and struck a mighty blow in return. Anahk called on the last of the of Loptir’s blessing to change into a living flame and soared to rejoin her companions. All of the small creatures were finally slain, but not before four more of the party were killed as well, including Vox the hunter, T. Cib the butcher and Joxy the gatherer. Poor brave Boris was gored and tossed against the wall, his killer put down by the rest of the party. Another set of descending stairs lay before them leading deeper into the heart of the mountain of ice and part II of the adventure.

Thanks to the players, +Andrew Trent, +paul shelton, +John Dawson, Cliff, Jarred, Norman, Tony, and Brandon, for coming out!

An accounting of the dead (9):
Petey the gatherer
Gorlick the hunter and champion of Loptir
Dovow the elven scout
Joxy the gatherer
Vox the hunter and champion of Loptir
Boris the elven scout
Two more unknown villagers, their names lost to history

Rolls of the living (18):
Stanwick the tanner and champion of Loptir
Rat the gatherer
Lou Reed the tanner and champion of Loptir
Tuk the gatherer
Slog the hunter
Bog the hunter
Milf the Onion Keeper and halfling animal trainer
Artemis Vadelry the dwarven herder
Slogmog the gatherer
Frank the fisherman and champion of Loptir
Sami the hunter
Dob the lore-keepers assistant
Vin the gatherer
Herb the herbalist and champion of Loptir
Slink the Slippery the weaver
Spam of the Wild halfling animal trainer
Anahk Goldenhand, warrior and champion of Loptir
Bubba Two-step, thief and champion of Loptir