Episode 18: "Slay them my Spiny Brothers"
Campaign Date: Imperial Year 487, Vay 11th
GM: Dave Nelson
Characters:
Einar, priest of Gorm, level 5, human (Pete Zollers)
Hildrun, son of Frithman, human, rune master, level 7, (Mike Miller)
Gudwig, human, ranger/rogue, level 1/5 (Toby Miller)
   Borhil, human, runeweaver, level 4 (cohort)
Vilegar, sorcerer, level 5, human (Andrew Smith)
Skar, barbarian, level 5, human (Chuck Tillinghast)
Baldy, fighter, level 4, human (Justin Fernandez)
Othere, son of Rathgar, human, brewmaster/barbarian, level 1/4 (Bob Laforge)

Log:
Vay 11th, Crypt of Guthmund the Tall
The party sees a long hallway into the crypt of Guthmund proper. As they proceed they discover carvings and inscriptions telling how the god Harr married the Earth Mother to produce the gods Ing and Gorm, and a goddess named the Celestial Bride. A mortal descendant of the Celestial Bride married the god Bor to produce St. Guthlac, the founder of the Church of Bor. The Chain of Guthlac, for which the party quested, turns out to be the bloodline of the Saint.

While traversing the corridor, the party triggers several curses. They quickly slay some summoned Runic black bears, but have more trouble with Runic Dire Wolves. Baldy, Othere, Vilegar and Gudwig are all affected by a permanent curse of ill-luck in battle.

At the end of the corridor, they find the tomb of Guthmund, the last master of the Order of St. Guthlac. Hildrun uses runic magic to speak with his ghost and they discover the secrets of the Chain of Guthlac in great detail. Moreover, Einar proves to be a bearer of the Chain of Guthlac, since his mother was a current Celestial Bride. He therefore is able to enter the tower of Black Flame safely.

After resting awhile, the party exits the crypt, only to find members of the Brotherhood of the Crawling Death awaiting them. A fierce fight breaks out in which a host of trollish beings (a Ogre Magi, a Ogre Priest, several common trolls) are slain. Othere, however, was slain by the Ogre mage, and several other party members are gravely wounded by the Trollish Dire Porcupines that the Ogre Priest unleashed on the party, with the chilling command “Slay them my Spiny Brothers.”

After briefly mourning Othere, they move on to the caves of Larkin and his companions. But Einar decides not to linger overlong, and rushes with Skar to the valley where the Tower of Black Flame lies. In the valley, Skar is driven off by some undead apparitions, and Einar proceeds alone through the mist to the tower. There he finds the tower swathed in Black Fire and guarded by a great serpent. Although he takes several wounds from the serpent, Einar leaps through the flames safely and enters the tower.

At the top of the tower he finds a lovely sleeping maiden. He kisses her and she awakens. She calls herself Alfgard, the Celestial Bride. She will reward and test her champion. She offers a false weapon as a prize to Einar, but he will not take it, so she at last reveals the Rod of Might that can slay Elsenmu. She then asks that he claim her as his bride. He does so, and they consummate immediately. Thus the spells are broken and the tower free from fire, the valley free from mist. Einar’s companions rush to the valley and they all slay the evil serpent that guarded the tower.

The party rushes back to Axeburg to plan their next moves.