'Neath a Crimson Throne, Session I

I am currently running a Lamentations of the Flame Princess campaign roughly every other Tuesday. This is how it is going.

September 14th, 2021/Raccoons 22nd, 749

Heroes present:

•Anathar the Craven, level 1 magic-user, played by T

•Joan, level 1 cleric, played by A

•Sigurd the Brave, level 1 dwarf, played by J

Their entourage:

•A donkey

The heroes were relaxing in the Gray Moth Inn in the village of Dunnage, in County Guthla in the Kingdom of Omnikar.

Suddenly, a young man stumbled in through the swinging saloon-styled doors. He wore tattered chain armor, but was unarmed in more ways than one. His right arm had been cut off at the elbow, and the wound had been crudely bandaged.

He uttered a few desperate words: “Castle Dreadmory! My sister! Send help....DREADMORY!” Then, he passed out.

His wounds were too severe for Joan's fledgling powers to heal. They called upon the local midwife to help them staunch the stranger's bleeding and sanitize his wound.

None of the heroes were familiar with the local area, but Anathar possessed a map of Omnikar which showed Castle Dreadmory as being in the nearby Black Mountains. At Padmé the Innkeeper's suggestion, the heroes went to consult Gorbo, a local furrier who often traveled the Black Mountains.

Gorbo gave the heroes detailed directions to Castle Dreadmory. It had been uninhabited since the days of the Old Empire, but on his last expedition, Gorbo had seen strangers walking its crumbling battlements. He had also heard the shrill cries of banshee-birds, dangerous predators which dwelt in the Black Mountains.

He described banshee-birds for them: They were large, flightless birds with long, red beaks. The creatures were blind, but could sense the movements of living things. Their cries sounded exactly like human women.

Banshee-bird pelts were warm and fashionable, but the creatures were difficult to kill. Gorbo offered the heroes a fair price for banshee-bird pelts, if they happened to kill any on their quest. Gorbo also gave them each a warm cloak as down payment. Although spring had come to Omnikar, snow still clung to the tops of the mountains.

Now armed with information, the heroes traveled up the foothills and into the Black Mountains.

Their journey to Castle Dreadmory went smoothly (which is to say, no random encounters occurred and they did not become lost). They found the castle in the afternoon, and found an area of its curtain walls which had partially collapsed. They scrambled up this scree and onto the wall, so they could survey the area.

Enclosed within Dreadmory's curtain walls were a chapel with a collapsed roof, a campfire with benches surrounding it, and a stable with horses attached to a small, squat keep. Also, there was a pen containing three captive banshee-birds.

At that moment, two men wearing leather armor and wielding spears came around from the other side of the chapel. Anathar and Joan hid behind a crenelation, but Sigurd loudly hailed them. They climbed a ladder up to where Sigurd was standing, and attacked him.

Anathar and Joan leaped from cover to assist, and the three of them slew the spearmen.

The heroes went to investigate the stable, and found a door leading into the keep. They entered into an area that was obviously a barracks, but no-one was inside at that time of day. They crossed the barracks to another door, which led into a narrow hallway. Here, two more spearmen shouted challenges at them, and another fight ensued. These spearmen carried out a fighting retreat, luring the heroes into the keep's large foyer, where two more warriors stood guard. The fight raged for a few rounds, and eventually led into a throne room, where a regal-looking warrior-woman with an ornate sword sat on a simple wooden throne. Anathar cast light on her eyes, blinding her. His companions killed all but one of the spearmen, who surrendered.

The noble woman identified herself as Lady Tryglia, but would offer to more information. The surviving spearman, however, was more cooperative. He told them that Tryglia was “the true ruler of County Oroko,” and that she and her followers (he among them) had taken refuge in Castle Dreadmory when she had been deposed. They also counted a mage named Talon among their number, and he had the power to command banshee-birds. Recently, they had been attacked by two warriors from Oroko; the twin children of Beornwine, the man who had stolen Tryglia's domain. They had driven away one of the twins; the other was locked up in the Dreadmory dungeon. Talon had ridden to Oroko to deliver a ransom demand for her release.

The heroes bound Tryglia's hands and feet. They brought her with them as the spearman showed them to the castle dungeon. There, another warrior and a dog stood guard. Seeing that Tryglia had been captured, the dungeon warden surrendered.

A young woman, sporting cuts and bruises but no major injuries, was in one of the dungeon cells. She bore a strong family resemblance to the one-armed man.

The heroes freed her, and she introduced herself as Lady Sheornraed of Oroko. She and her brother, Beornraed, had come to capture “the traitor, Tryglia.” They had planned to bring her before their father, Count Beornwine of Oroko, to face justice, but had failed.

The heroes gave Tryglia's sword to Sheornraed. The group then went around the castle, informing the few remaining warriors that Tryglia had been defeated. At this, each of them surrendered (five in all, including the one who had been so helpful).

When the party came onto the north watchtower, they noticed that a nearby mountain peak had been carved into the shape of a titantic skull. This skull had smoke billowing form its nostrils and a red light glowing in its eye sockets. They decided to worry about whatever that was, later.

The heroes locked thee surrendering warriors in the dungeon, to be dealt with later. Also, before they left Dreadmory, they slew and skinned the captive banshee-birds (an easy task, as they were locked in a pen). They kept Sheornraed and Tryglia with them as they took the horses from the stable and returned to Dunnage.

It was after dark when they arrived in Dunnage, and the one-armed man (who was indeed Beornraed, Sheornraed's brother) had regained consciousness. Beornraed was overjoyed to see his sister freed, and his enemy captured.

The next morning, the heroes turned in the banshee-bird cloaks to Gorbo for a fair sum. Then, with Tryglia and the warrior-twins in tow, they set out for Oroko.