Trouble in Somerlisse is a Savage Worlds campaign using the Hellfrost setting. The Games Master is Mark Hamilton and play takes place every Friday night at Dragons Keep Roleplay Club.
Cast:
Thingol Chillblane - A Frostborne Paladin of Kenaz (Tony)
Sister Athura Magnusdottir - A healer and member of the Sisters of Mercy (Tony)
Vigo - An engro rogue of various talents (Martin)
Vissarel Nerinen - A Taiga Elf and mistress of Elemental magics (Kat)
Alvina - A Hearth Elf and Lorekeeper (Esme)
Our heroes make the short journey back to Somerlisse as the night draws in and arrive in darkness. The guards wave them through without question and they stable their horses at the Copper Kettle Inn.
Vigo dismounts amd immediately tells the group that he has made contact with some of his own kind a trader in aquired goods called Oddburt. He is meeting up with him later to make a trade. Does anyone want to buy anything with the loot they scored from the burial mounds?
Athura excuses herself telling them that she must speak with the Ridder and explain what occurred at Somerhlaw Valley and hand over the Thrymstone dagger. The remainder enter the inn.
The Heroes Return from Another Adventure
Opening the door they are greeted with cheers of adulation. Vigo stands blocking the doorway soaking in the atmosphere and basking in his new found fame, he likes it. Thingol unceremoniously pushes him aside and heads to the bar.
They notice a fresh face among the regulars, a young woman is sitting alone in a corner of the inn near the fireplace. She looks like she is a traveller but interestingly carries a large scroll case and she appears to be taking notes. Vissarel approaches her.
Thingol orders a round of drinks, pushing one to the thirsty Engro beside him. The barkeep can offer no information about the stranger only that she came into town this afternoon and is staying the night. He takes three frothing tankards over to Vissarel and the stranger.
Vigo tells Alfred the Innkeeper that he intends to put on a glorious show tonight. He will explain to all who want to hear about their adventures and what they found at the Quarry of Lier. He haggles for a cut of the increased beer sales. It is not long before the word spreads and the bar begins to fill with new thirsty customers eager to hear the tale of the Saviours of Somerlisse.
Vissarel engages the stranger in conversation asking
“What brings you to this Godforsaken town?”
Every question she asks is rebutted by another question, the stranger scratching notes in a small book. Annoyed, Vissarel waves a gust of elemental air to close the book but the stranger is not distracted and continues her note taking.
Thingol offers the stranger a pint and shoves one into Vissarel’s hand.
“Here you go Vissarel, killing undead is thirsty work and we’ve all earned this”
At the mention of undead the stranger introduces herself as Alvina, a travelling Hearth Elf and lorekeeper. She heard about the events in Somerlisse and came to record them for the sake of history. She is very interested in their story/
From across the bar Vigo jokingly asks “Why does the Lore need a keeper?” Alvina haughtily replies “Only an idiot would ask that question!”
The cheeky engro replies “I exist to serve” raising his pint to cheers from the crowd.
Alvina mentions that the group are somewhat famous around town and urges them to tell her about their adventures. Thingol beckons at Vigo, “if the little man has anything to do with it you are going to have a hard time keeping up”.
The Ridder's House
Athura is welcomed into the Ridder’s great hall by the huscarl Oswulf. She recants to the Ridder what they uncovered at Lier and the burial mounds of Somerhlaw. She presents the Thrymstone dagger and mentioned that this was found on the threshold of the Fryggth’s burial mound.
She explains that she fears there is a Thrympriest active in the area who is using the Orcs as a diversion to do the bidding of the Thrym and curse the population spreading death in his wake. The only way to rid the land of the curse is to find and kill the Thrympriest. Only this will save the Ridder’s daughter Aylsluf.
In their previous encounters Penfrick Scalsoona was always a serious and humourless man, at the mention of his second wife’s name his demeanor changes, becoming visibly shaken. Athura presses him to explain how Fryggth fits in to current events. Angrily he orders Athura that she must take the dagger to Runa at the infirmary and abruptly ends the meeting.
Oswulf escorts Athura to the infirmary and she quizzes him about the circumstances of Frygtth’s death. Oswulf is a loyal huscarl and tells Athura that she died suddenly on the journey from Hellsfrost Keep over 20 years ago. Only he and the Ridder know what happened and neither will tell of those events. Athura presses him explaining that lives are at stake. Oswulf replies
"The answers to your questions lie inside Fryggth’s tomb?"
A Glorious Tale
The Copper Kettle Inn is teeming with new customers when Vigo is hoisted onto the bar to a round of applause. Thingol tosses his helmet to Vigo who uses it as a drum to announce that the story is starting and that they better listen good.
Vigo is an excellent orator and tells the tale of the tragedy at Lier, a tale of suspense and horror, a story of brave and heroic deeds in which he a humble Engro played a small but vital part.
Thingol remembers the events were quite a bit less exciting than as Vigo tells it but is nonetheless carried away by the brave engro’s exploits.
When the story calls for it he casts smite on the little man’s dagger illuminating the inn with the bright flame of Kenaz. Vissarel joins in and hoists the still fresh giant snake head aloft for all to gushes and gasps of amazement and horror.
Vigo stabs at the snake head with the bright flaming knife and as the heroes of the story are plunged into darkness Vissarel uses her elemental magic plunging the inn into darkness. As the lights slowly rekindle Vigo expertly weaves the story to a climax and the crowd responds with cheers and much whooping and hollering.
The group reassembles Vissarel spots a familiar and stunningly handsome face across the bar. The Gods of fate have brought a friend to help the heroes in the shape of Roderick, a taiga elf blade dancer and former lover. She beckons for him to join her.
They share a deep conversation in Taiga Elf. She introduces Roderick to the group as a friend who might be able to help.
Roderick explains that he is currently in town waiting for a new blade to be made by a blacksmith. He and Vissarel met years ago when they were defending the town of Seaton from a dragon taming mage who was threatening to destroy it. He heard that the Saviours of Somerlisse were back from another adventure but didn’t for one minute think that Vissarel was one of them.
He is very impressed by her exploits since they last saw each other and whilst he expects to be on the road to Sillaby in the next few days, he promises to help try to track down the Thrympriest.
Someone in town is bound to know something and he will make discrete enquiries and find her in the morning.