Session 5

After vanquishing the Tritons, the Knot continued their voyage into the savage North.  The Captain, in his thick Ulfan accent announces the ship is running low on water & they'll be making a stop in a bay.  And that the bay just happens to be a rich seal hunting grounds.  So while they're stopping they should take advantage of the opportunity.  Some in the knot grow concerned about the delay, but they confer & opt to not confront the Captain about it.

Hunting groups are formed & Galen, seeing the greed in ol' Odenkirk's eyes & being aware of the final fate the captain, he agrees to help the Captain out and offers all seal pelts he catches be given to the Captain.  Odenkirk is quite pleased.  As is Galen.

Day one of the hunt works well, Emmerick & Mardus watch in one boat, Emmerick sure the Captain is lying about something doesn't try, but does stay near by.  Emmerick cares little about the hunt & Mardus struggles, their boat bringing in nothing.  However, Galen, assisting Odenkirk, hall in 4 seal pelts.

The second day of the hunt has a less positive outcome.  Emmerick, still on edge, insists on being on Odenkirk's boat, still with no plan to actually help.  Galen swaps spots with him, while Yvainne, Quell & Brother Summit continue to stay on the Frosthammer.

The attack of the Bunyips is unexpected, while Odenkirk & a sailor are trying to pull on a slain seal, and Emmerick stands by not lending a hand, the creatures emmerge & ram the small boat.  One letting out a screaching cry.  The fight that insues is hard.  Emmerick takes the brunt of the damage, at one point falling into the drink.  Fortunately Odenkirk & the sailor in his boat are able to throw a rope to the anti-paladin.  And after Galen & Mardus are able to bring their craft over to aid, the Bunyips are eventually defeated.

At the end of the day, Odenkirk & Emmerick's boat fails to hail in even one seal.  Galen & Mardus' boat however, get a major haul of 6 seals.  Galen hands the seals over to Odenkirk, as he caught them & he already promised all he caught would go to Odenkirk.  Odenkirk, greed clouding his vision, fails to realize the over willingness of Galen & the danger that represents & instead takes the pelts.

After the encounter with the Bunyips the Captain decides to leave the harbor & continue on.  It's not long after that when they encounter a group of the reclusive Yutak.  The odd northerners ask to trade.  Galen speaks through the Yutak translator "Joseph Calls-Fire-From-Water" to the young Chief, White Tusk.  They trade some spare weapons & armor they've collected & their little bit of remaining Mithril for White Tusk's name sake, a massive Norwall horn, easily taller than even Brother Summit.  Some Knot members discuss the possibility of simply assulting the Yutak & taking what they want.  However, Galen's knowledge of the strong fueds kept by Yutak stay their hands.  Also, aware of the coming war they're bringing to Talengarde, they might want to contact the Yutak in the future as allies.  They leave the yutak to peacefully go on their way.  And the Yutak Chief offers a warning, there's a cold ice storm ahead.

The next night White Tusk's warnings prove true.  Cold winds blow & ice quickly forms on the ship's riggings & along the surface of the rough seas.  Then a mad cackling comes from the darkened crow's nest & creatures made of ice appear, floating along the icy caps of the sea for the Frosthammer.  In the end, the ship proves it's name, all be it in a different way than originally intended.  For the Knot serving Hell, crushes all the Ice Elementals that board their vessel.  Hammering them into little chips of ice.  The mad cackling, magic wielding ice demon however is able to flee back into the dark, frigid sea from wince it came.

After recovering, the Frosthammer continues on.  Odenkirk's skill as a captain is shown as he guides his ship through choppy ice choked waters & into the river that will lead them to Lake Tarek.  And after traveling through un-told wilderness, the ship eventually breaks out into Lake Tarek & they spot their final destination, a camp that is more just an unorganized horde of Bugbear warriors.

The Frosthammer docks & there's a brief moment of tension when the handful of Bugbear warriors on the dock approach the ship menicingly.  But the presence of Grumblejack & Brother Summit & the cunning tongue of Galen stall the Bugbears for a time.  Long enough for Sakkarot Fire-Axe to arrive on the scene & bring order.  He quickly begins unloading the ship & thanking the crew & Knot.  He declares the Knot will stay with him, in his camp & there will be a great feast in their honor.  He has one of his Lieutenants, Night-Mane, see to the Knot's safty for their visit.

That night the group witnesses a truly savage feasting.  The butality of what they are to unlease on Talengarde is in full display.  They witness open & casual violance, & they even see two lesser officers fight to the death over the right to command men in the upcoming assult.

After the meal is over, Fire-Axe takes the group back to his personal tent to talk in private.  There, under the influence of strong grog, he speaks candidly to the Knot.  He reveals he's in fact the first knot ever.  And that Cardinal Thorn was not always known as Thorn, though, in a past life he was a Cardinal... to Mitra.  He also tells the Knot he will only be able to hold his Horde together for so long.  And that when they leave, they'll have only 30 days to throw open the gates of Balentyne.  He give them a signal rocket & says to use it at the time of the assault.  When his men see it, they'll know the time to strike is at hand & they'll charge the Watch Wall from their hiding spot in a valley near by.

With that the Ninth Knot makes to leave camp.  Grumblejack remains & says he'll look for them in the coming battle.  And Galen makes a point to mention to Night-Mane about Grumblejack's skill in battle.

That night, the Frosthammer sails south to the peaceful shores of Talengarde.  There the Knot betrays Odenkirk.  Quell asks the Captain if now that they have arrived on the shores, if his contract with Cardinal Thorn is concluded.  When Odenkirk responds saying it is, then Emmerick moves to thank the Captain with a handshake & when they shake, Emmerick discharges his Touch of Corruption, damaging the Captain & beginning combat.  Quel & Emmerick attack the Captain.  Yvainne & Yvainne support them & help deal with the other sailors.  Galen manages to blind two sailors, making the fight much easier.  And though Odenkirk gets a couple good hits in, he's eventually felled.

The knot takes anything of value but has an argument over how to destroy the Frosthammer.  Galen & others are in favor of simply sinking it.  But Quell, a "stickler" for rules points out, their orders from Cardinal Thorn were to BURN the ship.  Mardus, well versed in the ways of the flame suggests rigging the underside of the ship to burn first & hopefully a hole will form & it will sink without being too obvious.  With some work, they rig the ship & it works well enough.  At one point the mast & rigging do catch fire, but the illumination is quickly extinguished, as by that point, the ship was already rapidly floundering & the ship sinks below the surface.

Waiting until mid-morning the Knot arrive in the town of Aldencross, in disguise.  Four arrive together, an older merchant (Galen) & his wife (Yvainne) and their two hired guards (Quell & Brother SUmmit).  And two together as investigators from the Church looking into the disappearance of Sir Balen of Karfeld & his squire, Timeon.  The Knight of the Alerion Order (Emmerick) & his Mitrian Priest friend (Mardus).

Let the Burning of Balentyne begin...