DMDC 21 - Careless in the Caer

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Transcript

Tessa’s shoulders slumped as they trode uphill to the peak of Caer-Dineval by its lone street. They had been to Bremen, Bryn Shander, Easthaven – even Targos of all places - and all felt more welcoming than this sullen place. “Not a face in sight to welcome us to their lovely town,” she said. “Hope their inn is at least in need of some entertainment.” In her head, she was already donning her dancer’s garb but she couldn’t imagine any wealthy patrons in this locale.

Tivesk said, “I can’t imagine they get out much these days - even for drinking.” They looked down. “The snow has been untouched ever since the storm. No one’s leaving their homes for anything.” A window shutter snapped closed down the hill, from behind. “At least if they’re still around.”

“Not the worst welcome I’ve had,” Jorora said. Everyone turned to the drow. “Are you really that surprised?” She stopped and looked around at the buildings, quiet in the endless dark. “This may even be better than a good number of them.”

The Rimebreakers made their way to the top, and from the cliff could see the grand expanse of Lac Dinneshere, cool and still. Caer-Dineval seemed to tower above all but its neighbor Caer-Konig, and Kelvin’s Cairn peak jutting forth a day’s travel northward. All was wrapped in silence save the low noise from the tavern, the one place in town seeming to offer any greeting to the strangers.

The sign read: The Uphill Climb. “Let’s hope it was worth it,” John said. He smiled, and pushed the door open. A few vagrants from town. Lone, empty tables. “I don’t think there’s a need after all, Tessa.”

“Well perhaps the food will at least be good.” Tessa looked up, read the simple menu above the bar. Three items were listed: chowder, beer, and spirits. The last two were crossed out. “Is the chowder any good?”

The bartender turned. “S’hot.” He said. “Best y’can hope fer n’winter like thissun.”

The bard sighed. “Five bowels please.”

—

The party returned to East Haven triumphant in their search for the missing anglers. They had navigated the treacherous, frozen waters of Lac Dinneshire, braved the dangers of the foreboding caverns, and defeated the murderous hag Maud Chiselbone, with her ornate cauldron which could generate hearty soup for a group of enterprising individuals fond of travel to places yet unexplored. As new arrivals there were still, at this point, six of the esteemed Ten Towns for them to explore, each - given the structure of the module - with their own quest. They were eager to hit the trail again after returning to the nearby inn for a long rest.

There is a proposed divergence at this point in the adventure. This is a potential prospect for the conclusion of any adventure, and I would implore you to explore it as part of your home game as an alternative for reward use. If the party is, potentially, not interested in the magical items they have been supplied with following their hard fought battles, see if they are keen to unload these goods in exchange for different rewards. Not necessarily magical ones either. There is a short bit at the end of Easthavens quest that mentions the mayor would be greatly interested in the Cauldron of Plenty the party had secured, and if they wanted to be rid of it in exchange for something more flexible in its application - namely, gold - you could encourage them to speak with Easthavens mayor and see it done. Of course it is never a dull moment in Icewind Dale, so that comes with its own complications. If your players do want to swap rewards it is up to you how it is handled at your table, but I do love the idea of exchanging for a favor. Not to spoil anything, but I'll get into the why next episode.

Anyhow, the rest of the group cast their eyes northward along the path running parallel to Lac Dinneshire, towards the twin castles of Caer-Dineval and Caer-Konig, nestled on the lakeside as two silent and vigilant watchers. They had heard rumors in a previous adventure that regarded the missing son of an innkeeper in Bremen, and from that point had intent to make their way to this side of the residential collective. Now with their business in Easthaven finished, logic dictated to follow the lead up the slopes to the silent keeps that all but awaited their arrival. They were still not sure which of the two would lead them to the cult business they had stumbled upon in Bremen, and the subsequent rescue of the missing son turned neophyte, but they were headed in the right direction. Fortune would favor them, and the first along the path holding their quarry.

Caer-Dineval gave its solemn greeting before they ascended the hill to the keeps barred doors. Not a light in any window, nor a friendly villager to greet. Every step engulfed by snow in harrowed silence. All adventurers have, at some point in their career, come to a location that would seem ignore their presence - perhaps going so far as to rebuke them. In this place, they would find few willing to speak to them, and none they would call allies. It was a great difference from the tightknit community that had sustained itself in the nearby Easthaven that they had just traveled from.

The Rimebreakers discover the reasons for this silent welcome at the local tavern, The Uphill Climb. The proprietor of the establishment, a human named Roark, himself blames the cursed winter for the current woes. The ferry to Easthaven has stopped the flow of drinks from the southern town of Good Mead. Their own troubles aside, something is preventing Roark and the locals from being so willing to help the adventurers. Rather, it is hoped that if the party is simply pointed towards the cliff top fortress itself, that they will take care of the problem the townsfolk are having - namely, a cult. The town speaker, Crannoc Siever, although unliked due to his bully’s nature, has reportedly been ill for months since opening his doors to the Knights of the Black Sword. Since then, Speaker Siever has become their prisoner and these so-called knights have used his castle as a base of operations.

So who are these Knights of the Black Sword? Mysterious, sure, but nefarious? Absolutely, in this case - the cult itself swears fealty to Levistus, the archdevil of Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells. It is perhaps a fitting deity to worship - Levistus himself is imprisoned in ice, from which he cannot escape, despite being reigning lord of an entire layer of hell. It is in dire moments that he reaches across the planes to prospective members of the cult. All the stories are the same, the archdevil intervened in the wilderness as they were close to freezing to death. In exchange for their absolute devotion, they get a second chance at life.

Whatever it is they’re up to here, the party has one goal in mind - retrieving the son of Cora Mulphoon, the innkeeper at Buried Treasures in Bremen. Even without help from the locals, they decide to stick around and come up with a plan to infiltrate the keep. They had to the bottom of the main street to an abandoned inn - Dinev’s Rest. (Side note: the naming of the town, Caer-Dineval, Dinev’s Rest, etc., has a lot to do with the Cormyrean history of the place, same as the other towns having their own heritage. It doesn’t add to anything for our heroes as none of them hail from the Forest Country, but I really dig this small detail.) The inn is a drafty old building with boarded up windows and a crooked weathervane shaped like a rearing dragon. While the ramshackle building has been out of business for a year, no one has seen fit to either use it for their own residence or take over the place. Who could blame them, given the other troubles.

There are some individuals lurking here, however - six duergar, awaiting later events in the story prior to acting orders given to them from their leader, Xardorok. There are numerous duergar across Ten Towns, to provide numerous opportunities for the party to run into them and start to unravel the great threats at work here in Icewind Dale. They wouldn’t be able to get the whole story out from the duergar, in the same way they could possibly get more detail if they found the duergar in, say, Easthaven. There, at least, the duergar leader is the son of Xardorok. These nobodies in Caer-Dineval are just waiting for the sign to act. Regardless, the party does away with them, disposes of the bodies, and secures themselves a place to rest after their daylong travel north. They’ll need to be in peak form to infiltrate the keep.

—

They could size up the two guards waiting at the front gate to the caer proper. They wore dark, fur cloaks, faces etched in a permanent scowl. When John suggested they looked friendly enough to chat with, the group knew better than to discuss it as an option for ingress. The four guard towers were all connected by a walkway, forming a long stone wall surrounding the courtyard. On the far end of the gate entrance, the great hall where the curiously quiet Speaker spent numerous days in some undetermined state of illness.

Jorah said, “Should we check on the Speaker as well? Perhaps it is his condition that lends to the foul mood of the townsfolk.”

Tivesk shook their head. “Doubtful. All I ever heard of Crannoc was him and all the deeds and virtues he had to say about himself. Not the kind of person to go missed when missing.”

“Surely it would benefit them in some manner?” The priest could not take her mind off the cutthroats posted at the entrance to the caer. “There is something unusual about the circumstances, enough to be worth investigating.”

Jorora clasped Jorah on the shoulder. “Tell you what softie, let’s get this innkeeper kid of yours out first, get him home to Bremen. Then we can see about playing heroes.” She did not have to turn to see the brazen smile on John’s face at this suggestion.

“And maybe a quick stop in Bryn Shander?” Tessa had come to miss what passed for more lively civilization this far north, even in the short time spent on this side of the Lac. “Or maybe even a few nights, by a warm hearth, hearty meals, and a lovely sui-”

“This’ll do,” Tivesk said. They stopped the group and pointed at the southeastern wall. “Now all of you quiet down and let’s get to work.”

—

I can count the number of times an adventuring party has used rope in one of my campaigns on a single hand. Perhaps that speaks more to the type of things that happen at my table, certainly, but it doesn’t change that I always assume player characters have it somewhere on their persons. Much in the same way that, say, a rogue is never without their thieves tools! Some things just come standard, and in this case that includes rope, which on this day provides aid needed to infiltrate Caer-Dineval over the fortress perimeter.

The caer itself has four main towers, surrounding a snowy courtyard that leads to the main building of the keep. Tivesk, the hobgoblin wizard, cast Mage Hand to get an anchor on the eastern wall to allow the less nimble party members a way to access the keep. The Black Sword cultists had a couple unfriendly faces at the gate, and none of the party were keen on using diplomacy to get in. They were, after all, essentially here to take someone - whether that would wind up a kidnapping or rescue was yet to be determined. So they opted for stealth, came over the side of the fortress, and found three directions they wanted to start heading in: the nearby courtyard, one guard tower that would lead to the gatehouse, and a second guard tower getting them closer to the keep itself.

Tivesk first broke off from the rest of the party and headed down into the courtyard. Rather than head into the double doors, they headed to a building adjacent to the entrance: the kennel and sled storage. Inside they find a half dozen sled dogs, a dogsled, harness and reins, and a Calishite youth by the name of Alassar Sulmander. The wizard gets them to talk about what’s going on with the keep, and Alassar informs them about the Knights of the Black Sword and what has transpired here in the time since their arrival. Alassar himself had stowed away in a crate of supplies, and now does menial chores for the cultists. Tivesk, ever the cautious one, gets Alassar to help the party should the need arise - something that will come sooner than expected.

Tivesk doubles back to regroup with the party, and they head to the first of the guard towers connecting to the gatehouse. The towers are much the same between all four: a few guards on the lower level, huddled around a copper brazier with hot coals. The upper levels connect the walls together. Rather than risk a fight with the guards, the party moves onward to the connected gatehouse. Through a small crack in the door, they’re able to see inside: a system of wheels to raise the portcullises and outer set of doors. Arrowslits and murder holes. A couple cots are here too, but they notice one person matching the description of their quarry: Huarwar Mulphoon, the brooding and pessimistic child of Cora from Bremen. The party doesn’t know this yet either, but Huarwar has been turned loyal to Levistus, so it’ll be more difficult than asking him politely to come home with them.

It’s on the first round of combat that this comes apparent. The party swoops in, John Veryable at the fore, to confront what they think to be the only cultist they must deal with: a tiefling, Fel Suparra. When Huarwar lands a blow on Tessa, they realize things weren’t exactly going as they intended. A couple of rounds pass, trading blows, but the ruckus is enough to attract the notice of the guards from both the near guardtower they came from, as well as the one on the other side of the gatehouse. Never count out pulling in enemies from nearby rooms. I think that, unless the party is going full stealth, trying their hardest to attract absolutely no attention whatsoever, the sounds of conflict will carry through the halls - especially, right to any folk willing to investigate what should be a quiet day in their keep.

The fight goes on after the party finds themselves in a vise: cultists behind, cultists ahead, their very reason for coming here joined with them as well. The cultists play it smart too, holding the ways out of the gatehouse to prevent the party from an easy exit. They’re able to drop the tiefling Suparra, and knock Huarwar unconscious. They prove victorious, eventually taking care of the other cultists from the guard towers. This comes at a heavy cost though: amidst the chaos in the gatehouse, Tessa has fallen. By the whims of fate, the first player character death of the campaign has occurred along the quiet, lakeside clifftop.

It definitely was not at all how players expected things to turn out. They’re quick to come up with a plan to cut their losses, and head out of the keep. With one party member down, and the “rescued” Huarwar knocked out, they found the odds far from in their favor: and I thought, this was great. As much as players want to forge ahead, see what’s behind the next corner, retreat can always be an option for them. Not that it needs to be, if you want the stakes hire then you’re certainly free to push the party ahead, likely at pivotal moments in the campaign leading to what would be the summation of years-long storytelling. For this instance, it was, like, the sixth or seventh session of the campaign. There would be time to push their luck in the future.

While John and Micah raised the gate, Tivesk headed back across the courtyard to the kennel. They readied the sled, headed into the courtyard, and rode out of the freshly opened gates with the bodies of Huarwar and Tessa across the slab, even bringing along Alassar. Whatever life they were living beyond the keep walls, Alassar wanted a part of it. Any dreams he had of becoming an adventurer himself gave him thoughts of a better life than cleaning up after boorish cultists.

Even though they didn’t eradicate the cult in Caer-Dineval, the party had some success: they got what they came for, and made it out with most of them alive. They remounted their axebeaks, and took the dogsled back towards Bryn Shander. If there was anyone who would be able to help them resurrect Tessa, surely it would be there.

Thanks for tuning into the DM Discourse as we continue towards the early end of our Rime of the Frostmaiden. If you liked the show, drop a review on wherever it is that you’re getting your podcasts from, or hit me up on Twitter @dmdcpodcast. Tell folks you think would be interested about this show - I want to know what y’all want to hear. In the meantime, love y’all, have a great week.