Traveling through perils in the air and on the earth, the Albatross Company arrives at last in the halls of the dwarven citadel of Gauntlgrym. The heroes gain an audience with King Bruenor Battlehammer to ask for his aid in the midst of the upheaval of giantkind. Their meeting is interrupted when drow intruders are reported in the citadel, trying to steal an elemental primordial from the forge.
Player Characters: Adrik, Allen, Kane, Namyr, Sister Mary, Strong Palm Ian
1.
Allen had never been on an airship before. He had spent all his life in his studies, and the past several months in the forge of Gauntlgrym were no different. When the opportunity for adventure presented itself, he seized it and set off to see the world.
Now, he began to wonder if he had made the right decision as an air elemental crashed against the Red Zeppelin. Behind it, a flight of aaracokras descended upon the airship, which tilted to its starboard side.
The heroes steadied themselves and saw through the vortex of wind that Allen’s three companions had been kidnapped by the aaracokras. They were Ghelryn Foehammer, the renowned dwarf blacksmith from Triboar; Darz Helgar, a retired rogue from Waterdeep who spent his waning years in Triboar trying to make a new life for himself; and Silvarren Loomshank, a drunken priest of Helm who had set out on a quest to settle his debt to the tavern in Triboar. These three were headed to Gauntlgrym to petition the king of the dwarven citadel to defend Triboar from the giants that were rampaging through the lands.
The heroes watched in horror as the winged assailants began to dropped their captives one after the other.
Allen knew the incantation to make a person as light as a feather. Conjuring his magic, he saved Ghelryn and Darz as they fell through the sky. But then Allen’s magic was spent, and he could not save Silvarren. The priest of Helm regretted not having one last pint before he plummeted to his doom.
As the heroes recovered from the initial impact of the whirlwind, they saw that the air elemental was drawn to the furnace of the airship in which the fire elemental that powered the vessel was magically bound. Fierce elemental winds began to pound upon the the furnace, threatening to break it asunder.
“Noooo!” shrieked Captain Mo. “Keep that thing away from the furnace or we are all doomed!”
The heroes retaliated in full force.
Namyr returned fire upon the attackers with his hand crossbow. Adrik conjured an illusion to distract the air elemental. Kane and Strong Palm Ian punched the winds with their fiendish and martial fists.
Sister Mary, seeing that her efforts at diplomacy had failed, was roused to anger. She summoned her magic and caused a thundrous blast that threw back the aaracokras on the port side of the airship. Two aaracokras exploded in a cloud of blood and feathers, then fell like a pair of birds shot out of the sky. In that moment, Sister Mary was truly a cleric of the Tempest.
A moment later, Namyr found the spark of the weakened air elemental and pierced it with a bolt from his expertly aimed his crossbow. The remaining aaracokras saw that they were outmatched and fled from the airship.
With the battle won, Kane flew upon his winged boots and rescued the two travelers from Triboar, Ghelryn and Darz, who were floating down gently. But Silvarren was lost. The Albatross Company grieved the death of the priest as the peaks of tall mountains loomed before them.
2.
As the Red Zeppelin approached the mountains wherein the great halls of Gauntlgrym were hidden, the furnace of the airship began to shudder. It had been damaged during the skirmish with the aarocokras, but now tendrils of flame began to writhe around the cracks and dents made by the air elemental. Captain Mo was forced to land the airship near the base of the mountain.
“Something is wrong,” said Captain Mo worriedly. “There is a powerful elemental presence in that mountain. It is calling out to the fire elemental powering this airship and sending it into a frenzy. I can’t get us any closer without the risk of our elemental breaking loose.”
“You are quite right,” said Allen the wizard. “Gauntlgrym houses a great forge wherein a mighty elemental primordial is bound. She is called Maegera, the Dawn Titan.”
“She?” Kane’s ears perked up. “I would very much like to meet her.”
“Surely you jest, sir tiefling,” laughed the dwarf Ghelryn, who nonetheless was grateful to Kane for saving him. “If the legends are true, freeing Maegera from the confines of the forge would release a power you cannot imagine. Giants would be the least of your worries. The Dawn Titan would lay waste to whole kingdoms. Such is the awesome power held within the legendary forge of Gauntlgrym.”
“If the forge is so powerful, crafting a mithral harpoon should be a piece of cake!”
“The dwarven smiths can craft whatever your heart desires, if their king allows it.”
3.
The heroes rested for a short time, while Ian and Namyr kept watch. But Ian was deep in meditation, pondering the significance of recent events. Namyr alone noticed the large castle floating in the clouds high above them. The heroes recognized it as a cloud giant castle. But this one was much larger than the tower of the cloud giant wizard Zephyros. It had five towers connected by walls and battlements.
Namyr alerted his companions. The adventurers kept their heads low and watched the castle pass overhead. Whoever was in that castle seemed not to heed them or care about the presence of small folk who must surely be as ants are to men. When the castle was gone from view, the heroes set out for Gauntlgrym.
Allen led the company toward the dwarven citadel. On the way, they encountered a large group of Uthgardt barbarian armed with bows and spears. Altogether, there were 17 barbarians led by a shaman who carried a sack slung on a long stick. Allen realized that the company had wandered into an Uthgardt tribe’s hunting grounds. The path to Gauntlgrym was blocked by the hunters, and Allen knew no other way to the citadel.
The heroes wished that Tarancha, who was an Uthgardt barbarian, was with them now. But Tarancha was headed for Bargewright Inn on a quest of her own.
4.
Before leaving Waterdeep, Tarancha had received a new mission from her faction leader, Vajra Blackstaff: find the frost giant named Harshnag.
Harshnag was a member of Force Grey, the elite squad within the Gray Hands that had saved Waterdeep on numerous occasions. Yet the people of the city feared his presence, for whenever Harshnag appeared in their neighborhood, it was a signal that the surrounding district would turn into a warzone. For his part, Harshnag thought of Waterdeep as his home and lived nearby on the outskirts of the city so as not to frighten the people with his presence unless necessary.
Not long ago, Harshnag had departed from the city. He often left on his own quests without bothering to tell anyone, not even the Blackstaff. But given recent events, the Blackstaff wondered what Harshnag’s purpose might be. Did it have something to do with the upheaval among the giants? Was Harshnag driven by the same madness that seemed to take hold of his mighty kindred?
Whatever the reason, the Blackstaff wanted to know where Harshnag was.
“Be warned, Harshnag is a dangerous adversary. He possesses Gurt’s greataxe, a powerful weapon once wielded by a frost giant king who was defeated by your ancestor, Uthgar the Barbarian. If you find Harshnag and have a means of contacting me, do so. But do not lose sight of him. If he poses a threat to others, bring him down.”
Tarancha couldn’t help but wonder if this was a suicide mission. Surely, the Blackstaff knew that Tarancha was no match for Harshnag. Perhaps she intended to use the orc barbarian as bait to confirm whether Harshnag was indeed a threat and, if so, scry upon her corpse to pick up the giant’s trail. Or maybe this was simply a quest meant to send Tarancha deep into the wilderness to keep her out of trouble. After recent events in Rassalantar and Amphail, the Blackstaff may have wanted to send Tarancha far away from civilized lands.
Whatever the Blackstaff’s true intentions were, the mention of Gurt’s greataxe troubled Tarancha. Ten days ago, shortly before visiting Nightstone, Tarancha had a vivid dream in which she saw Uthgar Gardolffson, the founder of the Uthgardt barbarian tribes. He was locked in a fierce battle with Gurt the frost giant king. After slaying the giant, Uthgar was buried with the weapon of his foe, but after ages had passed adventurers pillaged his sacred mound and stole the giant relic. Since then, it had traded hands many times. In the vision, Uthgar had warned Tarancha of the upheaval among giantkind and the coming storm. He had told her to seek out the one who possessed Gurt’s greataxe to understand her role in the events to come.
Now, after receiving the Blackstaff’s mission, Tarancha knew that she was entangled in the web of fate, and she did not like it.
5.
In the high crags of the mountain, the Albatross company stealthily snuck past the band of Uthgardt hunters. The whole party was as silent as shadows gliding across the rocks. Ian alone nearly gave away their presence as the rocks slid from under his feet. But the barbarians must have thought it was one of the mountain beasts they were hunting. Though they came near, they did not see the company.
At last, the heroes arrived at the mighty gates of Gauntlgrym. With Allen as their guide, they gained entry and obtained an audience with the king of the stronghold.
King Bruenor Battlehammer looked like a strong, middle-aged dwarf, but his eyes gleamed with the weight and wisdom of several lifetimes. He spoke to each of the heroes in turn and heard what they had to say.
Ghelryn Foehammer needed no introduction, for he was a renowned and respected smith among the dwarves. He bade the king to aid Triboar in its hour of need. The town’s importance as a trade center could not be denied. If Triboar fell to the depredations of giants, it could affect even the fortunes of the dwarves of Gauntlgrym. Darz Helgar made a more personal appeal, for Triboar was the only home that he had left. It was a rare place where even those who were down on their luck could have a fresh start.
Strong Palm Ian told the king that giants were in turmoil across the lands, locked in a mortal combat for supremacy in a new order. The king was aware of these events, but he added that not all the giants were vying against each other with strength alone.
“Some giants are seeking treasures of great importance to their people, or perhaps relics of great power. But what they intend to do with the items they uncover has yet to be seen.”
Namyr claimed to simply want gold for his role in safeguarding the realm from giants. Of course, he did not mention his own mission to find the dark elf Draac Xorlarrin. King Bruenor simply scowled and lamented the lack of honor among men – for he was fooled by Namyr’s clever disguise – and admonished Namyr for his outward greed.
“I know a dark elf who has far more honor than the likes of you.”
Sister Mary implored the king to defend the towns and villages across the land. In Gauntlgrym, there was great strength of arms, for many dwarves had gathered here after it was liberated from the drow by Bruenor Battlehammer. Although Bruenor was a brave and noble king, he thought first of the protection of Gauntlgrym.
“If the giants are truly in a great upheaval, I must think of the defense of my own people before riding forth to fight for others.”
Allen urged the king to heed the words of the Albatross Company whose heroic deeds he witnessed first hand. The company had bravely fought off a flight of aaracokras and their air elemental who attacked their airship without cause and sent one of their companions from Triboar – the priest Silvarren Loomshank – plummeting to his doom. But at the mention of an airship and a battle with the normally peaceful aarocokras, King Bruenor grew concerned. He was curious about the nature of the airship and where the heroes had acquired such a fantastic vessel. When they could not provide a satisfying answer to his inquiry, the king’s concern grew.
“Master Allen, I do not question your earnest faith in your companions, but if they do not know the true purpose behind a gift, they should not give their trust so freely.”
Adrik was very nervous to speak to the king. But he had heard of Tarancha’s mission to find Harshnag the frost giant. Hoping to aid his companions in whatever small way he could, he asked the king if he knew anything about the whereabouts of Harshnag. King Bruenor knew not where Harshnag might be, but he did share news of other events pertaining to frost giants.
“Frost giants longships are raiding along the western coasts in greater frequency, and the fire giants are likewise pillaging the mainland. But their purpose seems to be more than simple looting. They are seeking something, and they will stop at nothing to acquire it.”
Kane was the last to speak. The company and everyone in the hall was startled when the tiefling invited the king to a pint of ale. While everyone was aghast at his lack of manners, he offhandedly asked to make use of the forge to craft a mithral harpoon with the giant relic found at Flint Rock.
After an uncomfortable silence, King Bruenor erupted into laughter.
“You have some courage, tiefling. I am impressed. If what you claim to have found is truly a relic of giantkind, I would surely like to see what might be forged with it. But one must wonder if it is wise to arm an airship of unknown origin with such a mighty weapon.”
After hearing what the adventurers had to say, the king was deep in thought when a messenger arrived with an urgent report. What he whispered in the king’s ear caused Bruenor Battlehammer to roar in rage and take up his battleaxe.
“Those filthy drow dare to defile these halls once more! They are trying to steal Maegera the Dawn Titan from our forge! To arms, dwarves of Gauntlgrym! Find the dark elves!”
King Bruenor bade the adventurers to prove themselves as true heroes and root out the drow that had invaded Gauntlgrym.
6.
The Albatross Company headed toward the forge where the drow intruders had been sighted. They had entered a long hallway with the statues of dwarven kings of old when they saw a band of ten drow coming around the corner. Their leaders were a pair of drow mages, and one of them held an iron flask, carrying it protectively as if it was an item of great importance.
In truth, the iron flask was a powerful artifact that contained the elemental primordial, Maegera the Dawn Titan! The drow had used the magic of the flask to wrest Maegera from the forge of Gauntlgrym.
Namyr immediately recognized the drow with the iron flask as his nemesis, Draac Xorlarrin. Casting aside his disguise, Namyr stood before the dark elves with his crossbow pointed at his rival.
“Draac! You will not evade me this time. I will exact just revenge for your betrayal against my master.”
“Namyr! You hound me to the ends of the world! Yet who are you to call me treacherous? You have allied yourself with surface dwellers and become a traitor to your own people. Lolth will devour your soul for your blasphemy!”
A fierce battle ensued between the Albatross Company and the drow warriors. These were no ordinary soldiers but elite commandos, and their leaders were powerful mages who had summoned shadow mages to aid them in their cause. Several times, Namyr and the others fell, and only by Sister Mary’s prayers and Adrik’s songs were they pulled back from the edge of death. But without the strength of Tarancha, the heroes were sorely pressed. Even the powerful warlock Kane was outmatched by the sheer number of enemies, and their venemous blades and darts laid him low.
When all hope seemed lost, Adrik appeared to succumb to his fear. Or perhaps his fear inspired him to courage, for who among us can truly be brave unless we are afraid? In that moment, Adrik sang a song of terror and desperation that rang through the halls of Gauntlgrym. The drow mages warded themselves against the bard’s magic, but their minions succumbed to its terrifying effects. The warriors fled through a secret tunnel that was hidden behind a stone statue, leaving the mages behind.
Then even the shadow demons could not save Draac and his lone compatriot from the combined might of the heroes. Namyr dealt the final blow to his hated nemesis, whispering in Draac’s ear.
“My master sends his regards.”
“Damn you, Namyr… I die for House Xorlarrin… I will see you in the abyss!”
The day was won, and Maegera had been recovered. Kane wrenched the iron flask from Draac’s stiff fingers. But as he looked upon the artifact that held flaming heart of Gauntlgrym’s forge, a burning desire came over him, and he made the fateful decision to keep the flask for his own.
When the dwarven guards arrived and asked about Maegera, Kane hid the iron flask. His companions looked on in horror as Kane lied to the guards, telling them that some of the drow had escaped with the elemental primordial in their possession.
When the report came to the throne room, King Bruenor thanked the adventurers for their efforts, but he was beset by a cold fury.
“Before almighty Moradin and my ancestors as witness, I swear upon my name and my beard that I will find out who is behind this treachery. I will track down whomever has stolen the elemental primordial from our forge, even if they flee to the ends of the world. And I will reclaim what is ours from their cold, dead hands.”
Adventure Name
Storm King’s Thunder
Chapter 3. The Savage Frontier
Session #5
Rewards
4 Achievement Points
4 Treasure Points
10 Downtime Days
1 Renown
Level-Up Gold
Level gained: 2nd-4th – 75 gp
Level gained: 5th-10th – 150 gp