Session VI: The Road To Brakken and the Tomb of the Iron God

SPOILER NOTE: This portion of the campaign deals with the adventure module The Tomb of the Iron God and will contain spoilers. If you are planning on being a player of this module, avoid reading at all costs. Your DM will know if you are cheating and will not hesitate to deal out the most harsh and painful circumstances for your characters. Ahead lies doom. You have been warned. My players and all others, please read on.

Our party headed back to the city of Caladan with the body of Arvin Ardmore, acolyte of Mithra, along with their prisoners Sgt. Morak, a city watch-guard and a pirate. Escorting the mourning Lady Lemunda, they also carried back the body of Capt. Conik . Upon entering the city they were escorted to the Merchant Guild quarter and Lord Osric.

As the news traveled through the Merchant Guild, a servant was found murdered and one of the guild members, Uthari, could not be found. Osric believed that Uthari may have been behind the overall kidnapping plot and is believed to be allied with Kushanna, the Stygian Witch of the Southern Empire who's ambitions are to gain influence in Caladan.

Father Halford of Mithra is called to tend to the body of the fallen cleric. He is accompanied by a good friend of Arvin's, Gnarly Blunderbrush. They will bury Arvin Ardmore within the Crypt of St. Vergan beneath the temple of Mithra.

Morak and the conspirators were imprisoned in the dungeon. A grateful Lord Osric rewarded our heroes and asked if they would accompany him and Lemunda to the town of Brakken to lay to rest the body of Captain Conik within the Tomb of the Iron God.

The party returned to the Cloven Hoof Tavern and spent the next two days recovering. Joined by Gnarly, they all toast Arvin's bravery. Gedleesmote is approached by a number of rough looking characters who were seeking repayment of the Dwarf's gambling debt. The confrontation is taken outside where the largest thug, Moar who is sporting a tattoo of a black hand on his shoulder, and Gedleesmote prepare to duke it out. Slick Vinny, down from studying his magic books, enchanted the gang leader who then proceeded to buy the party a round of drinks. Needless to say, after the evening of drinking, both parties broke into a brawl after Tibag tried to pick the pocket of one of the thugs.

The next morning the party sets out with Lord Osric, Lemunda, and Tero and escorts Capt. Conik's body south along the Great Coast Road towards the city of Brakken. Along the way they meet a couple of travelers, Barnabas and his mother Anna. They are bearing the body of Artemas, Barnabas' uncle who fell in battle while exploring the Endless Tunnels of Enlandan near the town of Nibblet, to the Tomb of the Iron God as well.

They all decided to travel together and, at dusk, arrived before the gates of Brakken. There they learned that the Tomb of the Iron God, which has stood for thousands of years, is no more. It was destroyed by a violent storm, with some thinking it was the wrath of the Iron God himself.

After checking into the Chalice and Bucket, Geedlessmote and Tibag head over to the Shrine of the Iron God and find that it has been abandoned. They opened the sacred doors that lead through a tunnel and to the steps that switchback up the mountainside towards the temple itself.

Meanwhile, Slick Vinny, Gnarly and Wolfheir sought out the old Gypsy woman hoping to buy some magic items. They didn't find any items for sale but the Gypsy read Slick Vinny's fortune. She reveals that he will speak directly to the Iron God himself and she gave them a warning about a fountain that can protect oneself if they are pure and good and to not harm the Guardian in the Darkness.

They all met back at the Inn and discussed their findings. They were interrupted by Father Harris, a follower of St. Mellon. He says that some of the priests may have been corrupt and that the temple was obliterated, but the priest's chambers, where they embalmed the bodies, and the catacombs themselves were below ground and possibly intact.

The party decided to head up to the Tomb the next morning. Father Harris asked to accompany them as well.

They wound their way up the ancient steps to the top of the steep hillside and into the Iron Hills. By midday they approached the ruins of the Temple of the Iron God. There was nothing left but blasted stone and ruin. The party discovered a shuffle of tiny booted footprints leading down to an opening below the ruins. Descending the stairs they enter the Tomb of the Iron God.

SPOILER ALERT: You have been warned

Upon entering the large dim hall, they observed an object in the center of the room that rose up off the floor and warned the party that they enter their doom. Ignoring the warning, like a good party of adventurers would, they crossed the chamber and stood before the statue of the Iron God who was depicted holding an axe and a large bowl. Placing various objects into the large bowl in the hopes of triggering something, it is the dwarf Geedleesmote that placed himself into the bowl. The bottom of the bowl opened and dropped the startled dwarf below. Calling down to him, the party discovered that he was alright and proceeded to follow him down.

In the chamber below, they find what appears to be an embalming room. After going through a couple of storerooms they came across a library where they found a book which talks about animating the dead. The party began to figure out that the Priests of the Iron God were selling the offerings of the dead for silver and gold as well as other dark happenings.