A group sails the Dorbog river and finds that the cause of its pollution is a king risen from the bog, and his army of skeletons.
Party
- Þorkell Skaðison (Firbozz)
- Rónnat (Neal)
- Brânwen (Autumn)
- Gest (Matt)
- Artair (Wren)
- Refereed by Moose
Intention
Looking to travel to Dorbog, speak with jarl Donnagh, and try to get to the bottom of whatever is going on with all the animals dying in the Dorbog River. Also taking a small detour to see how Geirr (fka The Faceless Man) is doing and if we can learn any rumors about the lost bounty for a future adventure.
Summary
The Notorious Spear Eyebiter and Her Forgotten King
There are tales about the notorious spear Eyebiter in every tongue. How her serrated tip pierced 100 helmets. How she hungers for in the wet warmth of heads in the space just behind man’s eyes. How those who wield her are happy to comply, though their names will fade while her own lives on.
Many years ago a king of Ruislip, his people struggling, headed into the central swamp to sink under and confer with things greater than kings. This was the practice in the ancient days. Whatever solution he sought did not come to pass, the actions of today possibly being some form of punishment for his now long-forgotten failure. Now he and his skeleton retainer poison the Dorbog River with animal carcasses in attempts to raise a skeleton army. This is the price to pay to keep them safe, he says, this will help all of Ruislip.
Word quickly tears through the flotilla like Eyebiter through a helm. Rumors of skeletons on the river’s shore (03,11) clad in bronze armor wielding bronze swords, able to swim and damage hulls. 12 quickly turns to 20 turns to 40 as word travels, but those who saw remember the original number. Rumors of a figure in an ornate death mask, the associated name long forgotten, and armor even finer than bronze. Rumors of how he was able to shrug off all but the most power arrow strikes, and even those only seemed to stagger him. As word continues to spread details change as rumors do, but the details of that damned serrated spear wielded by the king remain the same. Eyebiter is no rumor.
Boasts
Gest
As the karvi sets off Gest shouts “I’ll be sure to return with word of Donenashoe!” his voice raised in hopes of finding Braga’s ear over the waves lapping on the boat and usual din of the flotilla - Successful
Artair
As it becomes apparent that the skeleton king wants to add the citizens of Dorbog to his skeleton army, Artair proclaims, “Eyebiter will bite no more eyes by his hand” - Carries to next session
Rónnat
Rónnat turns to her party, poleaxe in hand. “Who wants to wager I smash more of the bony bastards than any one of ye?” - Failed since the karvi sailed away, per Þorkell’s instruction, before there was enough time for proper smashing
Rumors
- The Forgotten King and his 12 undead warriors likely returned to their previous location (03,11) to resume floating dead animals down the river in an attempt to poison Dorbog and raise a skeleton army. The druid Mish has offered support in the form of 1 druid and 17 druid fanatics, and stopping this problem would likely put the flotilla in the good graces of the town.
- Donenashoe (03,10), a name mentioned on a map found in the ogre’s lair, has been located but the warnings to stay away are strong.
- Who were those that seemed to be rusting in their very skin? They were heading north from the river (02,10) and were certainly an eerie sight.
- Could that large construction in the distance (03, 12) be the rumored city-sized beast or something else?
Full Notes
Day 30 - The Flotilla - Rain
- Group sets out from the flotilla to sail west and then south to get to Dorbog
- Gest boasts to Braga back on the flotilla “I’ll be sure to return with word of Donenashoe!”
- Sailing is otherwise smooth
Day 31 - Dorbog - Raining even harder
- Sailing gets difficult, though the boat stays afloat everyone is tired and drenched by time they reach Dorbog
- Pop. 800, mix of Ruislip drystone buildings with wooden longhouses
- a port first and foremost, built to withstand the sea
- Group heads directly to the fort and requests an audience with jarl Donnagh
- The fortless is more a monolithic stone construction, party learns from person bringing them to jarl that the crushing of the fingers of captive kings between the stones during construction is a point of pride
- Party meets jarl Donnagh (older man with grey beard, youthful energy though sick like all the residents) and his druid advisor Mish (clean shaven, in large cloak, wearing small branches as antlers)
- Þorkell able to converse in Norse
- jarl Donnagh is pleased that the group wishes to help with the dead animals in the river water, which it turns out are dying elsewhere then floating down the river
- Mish says that the animals are coming from upriver, had advised jarl Donnah against following the river to the source (says all of central Ruislip is a dangerous place)
- explains that the flotilla has done a great wrong (likely referring to the previous trip to Cloyne) but this would be an opportunity to make it up
- Gest asks about Donenashoe
- “Donenashoe is lost and probably best to stay that way. Do not linger there.” “It was a city, if unlucky enough to find it you will know it by what you see.”
- Party stays the night in the fort and decides to head up the river by boat in the morning
Day 32 - Dorbog River - Rain now with thunder and lightening
- Area around Dorbog River becomes wetlands as the boat heads inland
- Looking north near the end of the river (03,11), all the trees are flattened down as it something massive has been pushed through (03,10)
- To the south something like a large construction looms (03,12)
- Animal bodies line the river here as well, seeming more thoughtfully arranged
- 12 figures armored in bronze (03,11) are throwing a fresh animal carcass in the water and are overseen by a figure in nicer armor holding a spear
- Boat gets closer and Þorkell calls out, figures turn towards the boat
- 12 in bronze are skeletons, the overseer wears a death mask fit for a king (a king that all have long forgot) and seems as if maybe he had floated up from the swamp, the crew recognizes his spear as the famous Eyebiter
- The Forgotten King (who speaks a little Norse and seems fluent in Ruis) has been purposely killing animals to float down to Dorbog, claims he does it for the betterment of Ruislip, once had an opportunity to change things but failed so now seems to be trying to make a skeleton army
- Will not give his name
- Fighting
- Þorkell starts to ready bow, others follow
- Brânwen, Gest, and Þorkell fire a volley of arrows at The Forgotten King while Artair throws a javelin
- Only the arrows that strike hardest and most true seem to do any damage, and even then only temporarily staggering him.
- Another volley is fired, all miss, as the skeletons wade into the water and start attacking the hull of the boat
- Rónnat attempts to stab down at a skeleton as Þorkell directs the rowers to move downstream away from the skeletons
- Forgotten King calls the skeletons back, then all follow the boat downriver keeping to the trees and cover. Brânwen and Gest fire arrows, the one that lands only hits The Forgotten King’s arm and is prompt ripped out and broken in half
- Boat has taken some damage but Rónnat is able to quickly repair it
- As the karvi heads back to Dorbog, having outpaced their adversaries, they see 22 figures lining both sides of the river (02,11)
- Look like humans but humans who are actively corroding, hard to tell if they are wearing armor or just have pieces of metal stuck in them
- Armed with swords and maces
- Are called out to but do not seem to understand, party continues on
Late Day 32 - Back at Dorbog
- Jarl Donnagh is asleep but party confronts Mish about whether or not he knew what they would find
- He claims to have not known for sure but is not surprised
- Disappointed that this is getting in the way of a push for peace, a “relic of deeds done in a worse time”
- Group asks for help, Mish offers up 1 druid and 17 druid fanatics, all refugees from Cloyne (caused to run by flotilla actions)
- Brânwen, who previously interacted with druids in Cloyne, is hesitant to accept and party knows they would need to venture back another time anyway so politely decline for now in the name of needing to restock, rest, and return with a group ready to fight
- Mish confirms that The Forgotten King was indeed once a king a long time ago but also cannot remember his name
- Before departing, Gest asks Mish again about Donenashoe, this time the location is given as where the path of broken trees (03,10) leads to, also a warning that once anyone enters they will not be able to escape
- Group goes to check on Geirr (formerly The Faceless Man)
- Artair talks to him, Ger seems surprised that the group would return and confirms again that his reward was stolen long ago, promises to bring it himself if ever recovered
- The karvi heads back to the flotilla, but not before Artair purchases a bow and Gest replaces his spent arrows
Days 33 and 34 - a foggy but uneventful journey back to the flotilla
- The storm fades, replaced by a thick fog, swirled by a gentle wind that blows lightly to the northwest.
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