Viking Adventure

The characters have landed on the small island of Trolhiem in the Western sea which is under attack by an organized army of humanoids. As the PCs arrive, the island and the area around is surrounded by a circular band of hurricane strength storms.

Braving the storms, the PCs come to an area of calm waters within sight of the island. At this time they have two encounters. Three survivors of a ship which went down attempting to clear the storm and a small three-headed dragon picking off the other survivors. The survivors consist of a village elder, Manen, his niece Elda and her son Sell. They and fourteens other attempted to leave the island and find help for their people. The ship, a large fishing trawler rigged for sea travel, foundered in the storm and was forced to return. Upon doing so they were attacked by the dragon which finished off the ship and killed most of the survivors. They relate the following tale:

Six months ago a giant was seen in the hills north of their village – Esterhow. Two farms were destroyed, looted and its owners disappeared and were assumed killed and possibly eaten. A group of villagers journeyed to the main town of Trynhow to request help from the lords of the Blue Halls– Urnmyster Gerdard and Baron/Captain Unsten Faberhagen. The town was abandoned and partially destroyed. On the return trip, the party encountered the giant and a group of gnolls carrying plunder from other villages to the northwest. The gnolls killed or captured most of the villagers, but two managed to escape and bring home the story.

Since then, the village of Esterhow has been visited by the giant at least once per week. Each time he has taken a good portion of their daily catch, one or two head of livestock and a villager or two to herd them. None of the villagers has ever returned. The gnolls, after looting the town and taking several men and women as hostages/slaves two weeks back, have not returned.

The PCs were guided into a secret grotto and there they set about repairing their ship and securing the area. They quickly became aware of a hermit living in an iron hut, studded with lightening rods atop a plateau near the grotto. After a failed attempt at communicating, they turned their attention toward the town.

Their they discovered a spy working for the giant. A legless sailor was caught eavesdropping on a conversation and, after a bit of prompting, revealed that he had been recruited to betray the villager’s escape attempt. He was captured to returned to the grotto to avoid his revealing the PCs presence. A day or two later, during an escape attempt by Haler, the sailor, a golden disk bearing a strange message was discovered. Shortly thereafter, the giant arrived in the village looking for Haler – somehow he knew the man was gone. The PCs were forced into a confrontation and the giant was defeated. However, he was accompanied by a fire giant and his hell hound guard dog. The battle was fierce, but the PCs overcame the giants.

Fearing reprecussions after the death of these giants, the Manen lead his people into the surrounding hills. Before leaving, he imparted a legend on the PCs of a waterfall spirit who may be of help, or at least explain what is going on. The PCs found the spirit, and convinced him of their desire to help. He, Forrigrim, told them of an ancient and powerful creature who controlled the waters and weather of this region. This Force of Nature had contacted him earlier in the year concerning an approaching menace. The golden disk was a message from The Force, instructing Forrigrim to await a gathering of the Companions; eight allies & protectors of this island. Due to the storm around the island, it is not known if the over seven disks ever made it out. The PCs agree to help out, if only to get off the island.

The first task is to gather items which the were hidden over the years to combat the rising danger. The first is giant mead; a concoction brewed by the elder giants when the world was young, and hidden away from mortal eyes. The secret of this mead is long forgotten, even to giants (which may explain their degeneration), but it is reputed to provide the fortitude of the giant race. A group of PCs manage to recover this mead – after traveling to the fire lake island it was hidden on and defeating the demonic guardian.

The second item was even more unlikely. The scales of a dragon must be mixed into the mead and then imbibed regularly for a period of time. The spirit learns of this via ancient runes carved into the underground streams of his pool ages ago by his father – one of the original Forces. Also using these underground streams, he discovered a network of natural caves dotting the island. Using these, the PCs journeyed to a valley on the far western end of the isle. Here, rumors had it, the gnolls had established a stockade and were tending to a wounded dragon. Assuming this to be the same dragon they had originally fought when arriving on the island, the PCs headed to the indicated valley.

Upon arriving, they came on a group of gnolls which had taken to exploring the caves and become lost. A sound defeat led to the capture of one and his information led to the dragon’s approx. location. The PCs fought a gnoll patrol enroute to the dragon’s den and were attacked by a wyvern also. The dragon was found and slain, its treasure looted, it teeth turned into swords, and its decapitated head used to scatter the gnoll band. It was not the three headed one they expected, but a blue drake.

The third goal was to journey to a reef on the edge of the storm line and locate the last component. The Companion / guardian of this item had long since disappeared, even to the point where no one could remember what or who it was. A visitor to the island took over the reef and was stranded due to the storm. Forrigrim gave the PCs the last item - an enchanted Rune and sent them off. The PCs took a fishing ship to the island, eluded two gnoll ships and slew a good portion of the band. The item was obtained, a salve of unknown origin, and in return for a modest favor. Healing of the gaurdian’s withered limb. The PC also managed a sacrifice to Odin – the slaying of a gnoll chieftain/shaman and the drowning of his body on the reef.

The PCs returned to the grotto, only to find it surrounded by several giants. These creatures forced the PCs to land at the deserted village. Here the spirit of the waterfall told them to rub the salve on their bodies and equipment and recite the proper magic rune – Ragnorok. When this took place, the PCs grew to giant height (Rune), as did their equipment (salve), gained giant strength (mead ), and giant hit points (dragon scales). They defeated the giants and their hell hounds and recaptured a huge amount of loot – including that plundered from island villages, towns and any visiting ships that were docked when they arrived. The PCs then headed into the hills to meet with the resistance led by the village elder and Urnmyster Gerdard. There they were treated like heros and thanked profusely.

Part II

To get off the island, the PC realiized they would have to destory the source of the storms. Before they can attempt to find out that and where this is, the war on the island is renewed in force.

Having realized that the something of someone was forming a unified defense against them, the gnolls and their leaders decided to take the remaining towns quickly. By taking over several ships in the captured ports, they lauch seaborne raids to cut off the major valleys and their accompanying defensive positions. The PCs decide to use the underground tunnels and passage ways deiscovered by Frossigrim to conduct raids and scouting expeditions into these areas.

The closest entrance or any size is reported to be near an abandoned monastery in a box canyon near the center of the island. The PCs manage to clear out the ruins and most of the underground chambers. They had been used as a foward base by the humanoid amry. During this scenerio, a group of humanoids discovered the tunnel complex. Most were killed, but word eventually leaked back to the main force.

The PCs scouted the tunnels and found exits to most parts of the island, including a mountain exit to the wodland platuea normally avoided by the islanders. A quick trip into this woodlands found a ready force of allies; woodmen archers and hunters shunded by the islanders as wildmen, but a formidable strike force non-the-less. The PCs convinced them to get involved in the battle and explained about their vulnerability via the tunnels as a sign of good faith. Meanwhile, others of the PCs group had gathered the remnants of the various soldiers from both the captured and secure towns. These soldiers, militia, spear levies and town watch were reinforced by dozens of volunteers trained by the PCs. Later, the Lord of the Isle, Baron Captain Unsten Faberhagen, feared dead arrived with the surviving nobles, knights and yoemandry. Together an army to retake the island was formed.

During this time the PCs’ main source of info, Frossigrim, was assassinated. With no where else to turn, some of the PCs searched the olf Monastery while another group scouted the front lines. The scouting party discovered that the enemy had captured a key keep located in the only overland pass from the north of the isle to the south. Also, the humanoids were aided or lead by some humans, at least one of whom was an assassn. Also, released prisoners from Trolheim jails and some turn coats had formed a unit to aid the humanoids. The PCs scouted the place, release an important hostage and came back with a force strong enough to retain the keep. They succeeded and manged to close off access to a major tunnel artery near the keep.

At the same time, another group of PCs located mention of a ruined tower where that was the last possible location of one of the Companions- a sorcer known as the Lunar Mage. Using the tunnels, they arrive at the buried tower, and after a fierce battle with a superior enemy force, locate and bring out the Lunar Mage.

Later, a cloud island forces its way through the storm ring and crashes onto the island. The pcs investigate and are ambushed by an enemy force. They join with the survivors of the cloud island and manage to force the enemy to retreat. A Companion, Dakmel, a cloud giant who managed to receive the gold disk message joins the fight to save Trolheim.

Part III

After months of skirtmishes, raids and reconicense in force, the Islanders are ready to retake their fatherland. From various bits of information gathered from the Monastery, the buried tower, the 2 Companions and divine oracles, the PCs learn that in the northwest of the isle, in the first fortress captured a pillar has been setup by the leaders of the humanoid army. This enchanted beacon is the focal point for the storms. Since this fortified town is also the source of troop ships and reinforcements for the invaders, the islanders agree it must be taken out.

The PCs learn from the Companions the location of the Vastness, a fortress built by the original Companions and the Force of Nature hundreds of years ago. It position in the mountains southeast of this town may allow for a forward base or at least an observation post. Also, it laberinth of dungeons are rumored to link to another network of tunnels. Sensing an oppurtinuty to move troops into of close to the city unseen, the PCs head out to find the Vastness.

Several attempts are made to find the ruin and search its remaining structures. The PCs find a natural tunnel leading to a cave system occupied by Orcs. Communication is acheived and the Orcs, natural inhabitants of the island’s underground, relate that they have been forced into working for the invaders. They are unarmed and their shamans have been held hostage in an encampment to the north. If the PCs can rescue them and provide arms, the Orcs are willing to join the islanders and lead them into the city via their tunnels.

The PCs agree and manage to rescue the shamans, plus a few important islander nobles and arm the orcs. The troops are assembled; aboard ship, in the mountains around the Vastness, in the orc tunnels under the city and a diversionary force in the plains to the east. The assualt is successful, the PCs make into the keep and with the aid of the Companions - including the hermit and a dragon of unknown origin - they destroy the pillar. The humanoid army is routed and either sails off in captured ships or scatters into the surrounding hills. The orcs suffer a coupe and the new leadership leads them back underground closing the caverns behind them.

The gratefull islanders built the PCs a ship and they head for home, via Ithica the greek city state and trade center. Here they hope to find some Viking traders who can fill them in on the events back home. ?