The Tears of Thenglas Part 3 - Fudwick's Tale Concluded

Session 1 Part 2

Player Characters

Eswin - 4th level Tuathan Elf Thief

Kieran - 3rd level Human Druid

Talos Redwand - 3rd level Human Wizard (Conjurer)

NPCs

Sir Edgar Salisbury - 3rd level Human Fighter

Thurin - man-at-arms and innkeeper's son

Ungash - man-at-arms and local gravedigger

Whitherbranch the Grueshach

After passing through Barrick’s personal chamber and finding a magical dagger, they finally arrived at Barrick’s laboratory. The floor was covered in ice, making movement difficult. On a throne carved o’ ice sat a terrible monster. It was half again as tall as the tallest human I’ve ever since, with coarse black fur and the head o’ a bison. Now its like hasn’t been seen in Inolba in centuries, but we Gnomes know them well, for they come from Tir-Na-Nog, that Faerylunde beyond the Veil. This was a Grueshach, one o’ the harbringers o’ winter. What it was doing near Brysgod was anyone’s guess, but sure as me aunt Sally is blind, this thing was evil. In one hand it held a scepter carved o’ bone and in the other it held a hunk o’ human flesh, which it casually munched on. Now I been across all o’ Inolba and tried some exotic fare, but I can’t think o’ much that would taste worse than raw human flesh. Surrounding the great beast was a cadre o’ ugly little goblins with yellow flesh, beady red eyes and rusty cleavers.

The heroes tried communicating with the beast, but it spoke a strange alien language that they did not understand, and immediately moved to attack them along with its goblin servants. The battle was joined. The goblins moved to block the heroes from their master, but Talos magicked all but one o’ them to sleep. The lone goblin, seeing its companions felled so easily tried to beat a hasty retreat, but Talos tossed a dagger at him and buried it in the base o’ its skull.

Undeterred, the Grueshach flew into a rage. He charged at Kieren, butting him with its thick skull, and sending him skidding across the ice. Salisbury moved to challenge the beast and they traded a few blows, each coming away bloodier as a result. Talos craftily used his magic to make Eswin invisible and the clever Elf moved in behind the Grueshach and tried to bury his weapons in its back. As he reappeared though, the Grueshach caught sight o’ him and he was unable to finish the beast off. For his efforts, Eswin was struck on the shoulder with the mighty bone scepter and though he felt icy chills shoot through his bones, he managed to stay in the fight. With the beast surrounded, it was only a matter o’ time before our heroes landed the killing blow, and sure enough Eswin drove his sword through the beast’s black heart and it slumped to the ground dead.

With the battle ended, the party searched the laboratory. For though they had killed the beast, they had not yet found the cause for the curse o’ winter. When they inspected the icy throne, the spied a small Faery frozen within. The Emerald Leaf Pendant they found in Barrick’s Library began to hum and when they placed it against the throne, the structure cracked open and out tumbled the shivering Faery. She introduced herself as Thenglas, Barrick’s lover, and the Faery o’ Spring. She had been trapped in the icy throne for over a year and had been prevented from bringing spring back to the lands around Brysgod. Now that she was free, the curse o’ the eternal winter was over. Noticing the Eswin look pale and sickly, she kissed his forehead and the poison coursing through his veins disappeared.

In the next room they came across the frozen remains o’ three humans and an Elf. Thenglas explained that they were not dead, but merely frozen. The White Widow Spider had bitten them and frozen them solid. With her warming touch, Thenglas thawed the men and they breathed the free air again. The leader o’ the company introduced himself as Brand Kratys, son o’ the Lord o’ the Westmarch and thanked the heroes profusely for their aid. The two other men were his men-at-arms. The Elf was one Luramin K’Naan, a spellficher from Cin-Da-Bor. He was a bit rude to the heroes and demanded that they hand over the bone scepter wielded by the Grueshach, as he claimed it was o’ Elven origin and needed to be returned to his realm. The heroes, though they did not trust the Elf, relented in the end.

Thenglas took her leave and began flying throughout the lands around Brysgod breathing spring back into the earth. By the time the heroes had returned to the village o’ Brysgod, the snow was melting and a warm westerly wind was blowing at their backs. The villagers greeted the adventurers with all the pomp and circumstance expected for heroes o’ the realm. Much feasting and drinking ensued, for it was a time to rejoice. After two years o’ unending winter, spring had finally returned to Brysgod.

And that me friends, is how the long winter o’ Brysgod was broken. Now if you’ll forgive an old Gnome, he must make his way to bed. Mayhaps we’ll cross paths again one day and I can share another tale o’ high adventure with ye.