Episode 1: "Its All About the Beer"
Campaign Date: Imperial Year 480
GM: Dave Nelson
Characters:
Erkenvald, son of Borvald, trollson berserker, level 1 (Mike Miller)
Bormund, son of Rathgar, human, fighter, level 1 (Andrew Smith)
Atli, halfling, rogue, level 1 (Chuck Tillinghast)
Othere, son of Rathgar, human, brewmaster, level 1 (Bob Laforge)
Grundi, son of Rathgar, human, skald, level 1 (Pete Zollers)
Dagmar, human, vola, level 1 (NPC)
Sven the Elf-Slayer, human, warrior, level 2 (NPC)

Log:
Wap 1st: Spring Festival, Axeburg
Characters enjoyed the market. Othere met his old friend Harkimar, the dwarf brewmaster, and they discussed they excellent quality of the mead and lager that Harkimar had delivered to Rathgar's hall that day. The halfling Atli sold off the Knar he inherited and soon met up with Bormund and Erkenvald, who invited him to join them at the hall.

Wap 4th, the Thing, Axeburg
Hersir Rathgar Bloodheels summoned together the Axeburg Folk for the Thing assembly. There were several minor court cases, before Rathgar began choosing troops for that year's raiding expedition. Then Hilda pressed her son Bormund, and Gerda pressed her son Othere to request that their father Rathgar allow them to join the raid this year. But it was all in vain. Rathgar didn't even recognize his younger sons and chose all the same men he always chooses. Erkenvald made pains to avoid his menacing father Borvald.

Vay 1st, Axeburg
Bormund returned to his mother's house one evening to find Hilda seething with rage. She demands that he find Alfward, one of Gerda's guards, and slay him immediately. Erkenvald, who was walking with Bormund, immediately sets out in chase, closely followed by Atli. After hemming and hawing a bit, Bormund also sets out. They find Alfward and three of his companions in the brew house, and after a brief exchange of insults, a fight breaks out. Bormund kills one of the guards, and Erkenvald kills Alfward and the other two. During the fight, however, Alfward activated a Burning Hands rune spell and caused Bormund and Erkenvald some injury. Several minutes later, the cry of "Fire" goes out and everyone rushes to see the brew house on fire. The fire is put out, but not before all of the high quality drink inside is destroyed. Othere the brewmaster, and various others are immediately put to work whipping up cheap ale and small beer, but the results are less than satisfactory. Rathgar is furious that his beer is destroyed. Gerda is outraged that her guardsmen are slain. Othere attempts to frame Bormund as an arsonist, by using a Change Self brew, to make himself appear to be his half brother, but the new fire he sets is quickly put out.

Vay 3rd, The Hangangar, Harrhof
A foul tempered Rathgar presides over the Hangangar. The folk hang several goblins, a treacherous gnome named Groucho McNasty and Frank the Poisoner, a local menace, all in honor of the great god Harr. At the subdued, nearly dry feast, Rathgar, Borvald and Wulf are discussing what to do about the lack of beer. Finally, Wulf hits on the idea of sending the "coal-chewers" (his younger brothers) to get some more. Hilda reminds her husband that Bormund has his own ship, and Gerda leaps up and volunteers to provide some sailors. So it is decided that the coal-chewers will raid the gray elf town of Smirkenburg and steal a supply of good drink. Atli tried to insert himself in the conversation of his betters, but was magically compelled by Froedimer, the court skald and fellow halfling, to sing a humiliating song, and then sit back down.

Vay 5th Axeburg
It is unclear, however, who will be raid leader. Othere, Bormund and Atli the halfling engage in a brawl of fisticuffs to decide. The halfling wins, but then Erkenvald steps in and claims leadership. No one disagrees. The trollson then appoints the 10 sailors and 6 warriors they have gathered.

Vay 6th Steiner's
Othere rides down to Steiner's to talk to Harkimar, who fills them in on how best to get to Smirkenburg.

Vay 7th Axeburg
Erkenvald throws a beer party for the raiders. He boasts that he will nail the penises of 5 gray elves to his door when he returns. Bormund boasts that he will personally kill 3 gray elves. A drinking contest ensues in which Erkenvald and Bormund fall to the drinking power of Othere, truly the brew master.

Vay 8th Axeburg
Tapped out by the party, Erkenvald realizes that he cannot afford to buy supplies for the raid. He therefore turns leadership over to Othere. Atli tries to challenge that, but Erkenvald stops him. Othere supplies the ship and they all go to Tovi the Vola for a prophecy. She indicates the sailing omens are slightly poor, but offers to let Dagmar, her apprentice, accompany them.

Vay 9th Axeburg
Dagmar sacrifices a bull to Bor, in hopes of improving their divine favor (which in truth did happen). Othere paid for the bull of course. At the last minute, Othere's brother, the black sheep Grundi, appears and Othere invites him onto the raid.

Vay 10th-20th The Outer Sea
The crew sail Bormund's Knar safely toward Smirkenburg.

Vay 21st Smirkenburg
The ship sailed into the peninsula where the Smirkenburg watchtower was. The crew saw 9 halfling militia guarding the tower, 5 human militia on the beach and 6 more human swordsmen guarding the narrow stair up tower-hill.
After the 5 swordsmen on the beach were swept away, Erkenvald, in a rage, stormed the stair case, burst through the swordsmen and hacked the halflings at the base of the tower into bloody chunks. Dagmar closely followed Erkenvald and healed some of his injuries. Grundi too followed Erkenvald and hacked away at his leavings. The six warrior followers spotted a party of 8 gray elf solders in the woods nearby; the warriors, Bormund, Othere defeated these elves, Bormund killing 3 of them himself. Atli hung back most of the battle, using his bow, but finally joined Othere near the end to finish off the elves. Of the 6 warriors followers, only 1 survived, Sven, now known as elf-slayer. Grundi and Erkenvald (well mostly Erkenvald) hacked in the door of the watch tower, the pair rushed to the top to fight the halflings up there. Erkenvald was stabbed several times by the halflings and finally collapsed from his wounds. Dagmar, however, revived him with the sacred runes. The last three halflings were slain by Erkenvald and Grundi and the tower secured.
The village was just beyond the woods. Atli scouted it and spotted 5 elf soldiers. Erkenvald then charged the town, followed by the rest of the raiders. All five elves were chopped neatly into piles of crusty gore. The raiders burst into the houses, killing 2 more elves and 2 more halflings, taking 4 halflings as thralls. They then made a good search of the buildings, carried off the beer and treasure, set fire to everything and sailed off.

Vay 22nd to Uni 3rd The Outer Ocean
The ship sails back to Axeburg. Bormund, Erkenvald, Sven and Grundi have a drinking contest on the sea, this time it is the trollson hero who wins the bout.

Uni 4th Axeburg
Othere, as raid leader, distributes the treasure. He gives a precious ruby necklace to his mother, and passes off a silver dagger and some gold for Bormund to do the same for his mother. He presents all the beer and several bags of gold for his father upon his return. He also passes out much of the arms and armor to the crew and the families of the slain warriors. Finally, he gives a captured thunderstone to Dagmar the Vola. This causes Atli, who was in the midst of serious argument with Erkenvald already, to go stark raving mad and steal it away from her. After he throws the thunderstone at Erkenvald, The crew tracks him down and throws him into irons, a prime candidate for the Hangangar.

Sau 25th Axeburg
Rathgar, Wulf and Borvald return from their raid. They are pleasantly surprised by the beer and Rathgar even mumbles a few words of praise for these new raiders, whoever they are.

Quoct 1st Axeburg
At the Harvest Festival, Grundi tries to sing a song of praise to Erkenvald, but no one much listens. Both Erkenvald and Bormund are praised for fulfilling their heroic boasts. Bormund had slain his 3 elves and had the ears to prove it. Erkenvald had only slain 3-4 elves, but had collected 5 "members" and with his overall total of slain elves, men and halflings, no one disparaged his achievement.