The chronicle record
Session recap
The dense Forest loomed around us as we chose to skirt the open ground on our way to Fort Nunder. Wren’s keen eyes caught tracks of foxes and wolves leading toward Gristledown, hinting at scavengers feeding on shallowly buried bodies, but we found nothing more alarming in our initial search. Venturing deeper, we stumbled upon an overturned cart, where a cave bear was rummaging through crates. It hadn’t noticed us yet, and Wren observed it feasting on provisions rather than a corpse. After a brief discussion, we decided to attack the bear. It charged at Bruneg, biting him fiercely, but we retaliated. Wren marked the beast and shot it, causing a bleeding wound that stunned it. Despite our efforts, the bear managed to escape into the forest.
After the bear fled, Wren tracked a mule or donkey and a single person moving westward. We searched the cart, recovering provisions, two elixirs of life, and salvaged magical runes. We redistributed the supplies, with Wren and Finnetharyn Fimbleshanks each taking an elixir and transferring a striking rune onto Arsène’s dagger. As we continued, a thunderstorm rolled in, heightening the tension in the air. In the next area, Wren and Finnetharyn noticed a lack of small animals, suggesting overhunting. We entered a misty Lowland where the Six Yores River drained into the forest, and suddenly, the heavy wingbeats of a large creature broke the silence. Wren spotted a three-headed Chimera descending toward us. As it unleashed a cone of cold, striking most of us, Vendel Coldblade responded with magic to hinder its movements, and Finnetharyn followed with spells that left the chimera sickened. Gundugar Herdtender added fire to the fray, and Wren identified the beast, demoralizing it as she continued to fire arrows. Cornered, the chimera bit Vendel but was ultimately defeated by Finnetharyn's magic.
As we pressed on, we noted signs of overhunting, though birds began to return now that the chimera was dead. Wren discovered large humanoid tracks, identifying them as trolls moving between hunting grounds and Fort Nunder. We soon found more troll tracks alongside older hobgoblin tracks, indicating a history of conflict in the area. Following Halvin’s directions, we reached Fort Nunder, now reduced to rubble. As we approached, Finnetharyn heard growling from within, and Bruneg and Gundugar, understanding Jotun, overheard creatures arguing about a game. Upon being spotted, several trollhounds attacked us. Gundugar opened the fight with acid and fire, realizing fire was particularly effective against them. Wren warned us about their regeneration and the potential for them to lash out wildly if burned. The battle was fierce, with Bruneg holding the front line while the others supported with magic and ranged attacks. As the trollhounds fell, the argument inside the fort continued, creating an eerie backdrop to our fight.
After defeating the trollhounds, Arsène and Finnetharyn searched the rubble and discovered a broken statue with a secret compartment containing valuable items. With the fort's interior choked with rubble, they spotted another statue before the portcullis. When Bruneg stepped into view, the creatures inside noticed him and shouted in Jotun about eating him. Several trolls rushed the entrance, and Arsène demoralized two of them. The battle intensified, with the trolls using their long reach to attack, but we coordinated our efforts, utilizing fire and magic to counter their regeneration. Amidst the chaos, a troll woman emerged, cursing the fallen trolls and using a wand on herself. Wren called for parley, and the troll woman, seeing the futility of further conflict, offered to leave the fort in exchange for time to gather her belongings. We agreed, and she explained that Her Father had ruined the fort while attempting to fulfill a hobgoblin contract. She revealed that a dragon allied with Ironfang Legion had come to the fort, killed Her Father, and claimed it as payment. The troll woman also mentioned rumors of a hidden vault within the ruins, which her group had never found. Before departing, she gifted Arsène a pair of magical gloves and invited him to dinner if we met again. As she left, Finnetharyn and Bruneg searched the second statue, uncovering another secret compartment with silver arrows and a disguise kit. With the trolls gone and the compartments found, we prepared to continue our search for the rumored vault within Fort Nunder.