Storm King’s Thunder. Session 34: The Feast of the Cloven Hoof

16^th-23^rd Ches 1458DR

As Zephyra’s tower travelled east, the Griffons debated where to go next. They decided that the other half of the conch was the next immediate priority and so directed Zephyra to fly to the east towards Ironslag. On the way they knew that they would be passing Mithral Hall and saw this as an opportunity to speak to Queen Dagnabbet and give her the Jarl’s helmet.

After a few days travel they saw the familiar mountains and gates of Mithral Hall. Amadeous and Korrak asked Zephyra to teleport them down. After speaking to the surprised guards, Amadeous and Korrak managed to arrange an audience with Queen Dagnabbet, with Korrak carrying the gigantic helmet through the corridors and into the audience chamber of the queen.

Dagnabbet’s first question was about Hewen: she was sad to hear about his death but commented that it is what he would have wanted. She accepted the helmet and agreed to print Amadeous’ book: 100 copies of a manuscript he had written about Lilith. As they were about to leave Korrak demanded his own reward: some sausages. Dagnabbet replied that she does not keep sausages on her person but one of her retainers gave a Korrak a chitty to collect some sausages from a stall in the markethall. With Korrak chewing on a gigantic smoked dwarven sausage, they teleported back to Zephyra’s tower and made the journey east.

Over the next 5 days, they travelled 500 miles east. Over the Moonwood, the Redrun river and the Druarwood. Eventually a vast mountain range came into view, with one peak standing taller than all the rest. Zephyra pointed out the largest mountain and identified it as “Mount Hamarhaast”, meaning the Hammer of Ashes in dwarvish. This was the location of Ironslag, which lay deep within the mountain’s roots. She had no idea how they entered or exited. As they grew closer they saw something strange: a small plateau on the side of the mountain. On the plateau they spied a village with large huts and stone walls. A stream trickled through it and large horned humanoid creatures strode about the village, with a path leading out a main gate and down the mountainside.

They asked Zephyra to teleport them down and approached the village. Closer up, they could see that the villagers were minotaurs. A large minotaur noticed them and greeted them effusively: he introduced himself as Garrokh and said they had not had visitors in some time. This was the village of Kharakh-Tor. They introduced themselves as the Gilded Griffons adventuring party and they had come to deal with the Fire giants. Garrokh said that they needed to speak to the village chief, who could surely tell them more. He lead them to the largest hut in the centre of the village.

Inside they met Kartha-Kaya, who enthusiastically greeted them. He said that they did not have dealings with the Fire giants: they were dangerous and brutal creatures who were not to be treated with lightly. When asked if he needed help at all, he replied that he was glad they were here. A week ago there had been rumblings nearer the mountain’s peak, leading to a rockslide. Since then the river supplying their village had slowed to a trickle and they were deeply worried about their dwindling water supply. With the rock being very unstable, the minotaurs could not venture up there themselves due to their great size and weight.

The Griffons agreed to help and followed Kartha-Kaya’s directions out of the village to the path of the stream. The rock was indeed unstable and they carefully picked their way up the mountainside. Eventually they found a cave on the mountainside: the stream trickled from it’s entrance and they supposed that this must be it’s origin. A strange, deep droning noise emerged from the cave: seemingly prayer in Jotun. It spoke of dreams, storms and death.

Amadeous and Fenris snuck inside and saw that it opened into a vast cavern. In the centre a large grey stone giant sat, legs crossed with his eyes rolled back inside his head. This was apparently the source of the chanting. Around him in a pentagon stood 5 plinths with elaborate carvings of different scenes with a small waterfall trickling at cavern’s rear. Channels for water had been carved through the rock around the giant and under the plinths but appeared unfinished. Though one small channel was patent and water flowed through (leading to the stream down the mountain they had followed) two others had not been fully carved and the water diverted off and away, their final destination unknown. Korrak approached and called out: the giant did not react. He poked him with his finger but the giant appeared in a trance.

They reasoned that maybe finishing the water channels would restore the stream’s flow and hopefully wake the giant from his trance. Korrak hacked a path clear with his axe and the stream once again flowed freely. The chanting abruptly stopped. The giant stood up and blinked: he asked Korrak if he “was real, or part of the dreaming?”.

They found out that the giant’s name was Rune and the last thing he remembered was being home in Deadstone Cleft. He was upset with his leader Kayalithica (thane of the Stone giants) who was waging war against the small folk and had just attacked the town of Loudwater. He had gone to sleep and dreamed: a fitful dream full of images of strange women and death. He strode among the plinths, surprised at the carvings and explained he must have carved them in his trance. He explained the images:

Firstly a mother waited by the sea. She was surrounded by small people who loved her. The second image is of two daughters. They are angry with their mother but their anger is missplaced as they place blame wrongly. Thirdly, a strange woman approached: smiling but with a strange blue misshapen shadow. Then the mother falls into the sea: dead and washed away by the tide. Finally the father grieves and howls in grief. Storms crackle in the background and strange symbols swirl in the sea.

He did not understand the meaning, but his deity Skoraeus taught that great meaning can be found in dreams: things that have happened, things that happen now and things that may come to pass. Stone giants considered much of the surface world and dream and it was occasionally known for them to fall into a dreamlike trance and travel great distances.They asked him of his plans now and he replied that he must find his way home: he supposed that he must have travelled north as he felt cold. They managed to persuade him to travel with them, at least until they found the path down the mountain. He agreed.

On the way back down to Kharakh-Tor they heard a terrible screeching sound and saw Wyverns approaching them, ridden by men. Amadeous and Fenris managed to fire off some arrows and bolts, knocking one of them off their mount only to have him seemingly teleport before he hit the ground. The men called out “For the Hidden Thunder!” and they engaged in battle. After a few bloody moments, the Griffons had driven off their attackers but the question remained: who were these people?

As they entered Kharakh-Tor again, Garrokh greeted them and thanked them effusively for saving the village. He was surprised to see Rune but was friendly. He took them back to the Chief’s Hut. Rune had to wait outside, being too large to fit through the door.

He took them to Kartha-Kaya, who also thanked them and said they came at a fortuitous time as this was the day of the “Feast of the Cloven Hoof”. Tables had been arranged in his hut laden with food: roasted meat, fruits and delicious breads and stews. Vast pitchers of ale and wine were set out to drink and several of the villagers gathered to enjoy the food. He invited them to feast with them and celebrate their good fortune at their coming. As some of the Griffons nibbled at the food and drank the wine, Kartha-Kaya gave a speech and said as a reward they could keep some of the relics of the tribe (including a Ring of Fire Resistance) and invited them to collect it from his chest at the front of the hall. They then noticed that the food seemed to feel a little off: Darius seemed to feel quite queasy. They noticed that some of the villagers seemed to be moving to block the exit. Kartha-Kaya then declared that in honour of their savage hunting god Malar, the Griffons would be the prey of the minotaurs tonight.

They drew their weapons and defended themselves against the huge minotaurs. They called out to Rune, who smashed through the wall with a club and crushed several of them with his club. After a few moments of brutal violence the minotaurs lay dead. They thanked Rune for coming and investigated the rest of the village. They found an ornate door in the side of the mountain, which appeared to be a door to the shrine of Malar. Breaking it down they found cages filled with slaves and a huge elevator, seemingly designed to travel down into the depths of the mountain.

Appalled that the minotaurs appeared to be in league with Duke Zalto, the Griffons gritted their teeth and prepared to travel down into the depths of the mountain: a place of steel, fire and death.