'Neath a Crimson Throne, Session XIII

 May 24th, 2022/Worms 10th, 749 - Worms 13th, 750

Adventurers present:

•Azaria, level 2 magic-user, played by B

•Beowulf, level 4 fighter, played by J

•Veriax, level 1 elf, played by M

•Lady Joan, level 4 cleric, played by A

•Lord Pendor, level 4 fighter, played by R

Eager for strong-armed allies, Count Fenheah granted noble titles to Joan and Pendor. He also appointed the newly-minted Lord Pendor as governor of Mossbridge Fief.

A year passed. Count Fenheah used the last of his wealth to rebuild Castle Fenn while Lord Pendor carried out the administrative tasks necessary to help Mossbridge recover from the orcish incursion.

Lady Joan spent a great deal of that time among the common people working as a healer. Azaria lent her floating disc spell to aid in construction efforts, making a decent amount of money. She spent her earnings on a library of arcane texts and a building in which to house them. Beowulf manifested new powers gained by consuming the flesh of Big Mouth. He gained the ability to swim twice as fast as a normal man and to breathe underwater, but he was also cursed with poor eyesight. He could only see twenty feet ahead of him before his vision became clouded as though by pond scum.

Beowulf, Lord Deckard, and Lord Pendor also spent a great deal of time and money on training, gaining a level each.

On the anniversary of their victory over Mucous Membrane, the heroes gathered at the Mossbridge Tavern. Veriax, a new friend of theirs, was also there. Azaria announced that she had discovered, in a journal in Castle Fenn's basement, the location of a hidden tower built by the great wizard Uravulon Calcidius. She tried to persuade the rest of the group to join her in an expedition there, which would surely lead to magical treasures. The other heroes were willing to go, but only if Azaria provided a small up-front payment, as a sort of security deposit in case they found nothing of value. Azaria refused to pay such a fee, and so the quest was aborted.

A messenger came in bearing a letter from Count Beornwine. It said that the denizens of Mount Skullfyre were finally making a move against his people, and requested the heroes' aid. So, they all set out. The heroes followed the Midder River to Oroko, which took more than a day. When they arrived on the night of Worms 11th, they were ushered into a meeting with Count Beornwine, Lady Sheornraed his daughter, and all his knights (including Sir Pennywise and Sir Punsalot). Count Beornwine explained the situation:

An army of brass men had emerged from Mount Skullfyre. They were setting fire to the forest which stood between Oroko and their lair. The army was moving slowly, seemingly more interested in environmental destruction than on military strategy. Many country folk had fled the mountains and forest. These refugees reported that the brass man army was divided into small companies, each led by a fire giant.

Those assembled discussed possible strategies to deal with this threat. They could not allow the brass men to reach Oroko, as the town was mostly made of wood. But, they also did not want to have to start a battle in the middle of a raging forest fire. So, they decided to clear-cut a long and thick line through the forest. Also, knowing that the brass men were vulnerable to water, they would also build earthworks to redirect the Midder River so that it would flow through that line. Lord Pendor had no warriors back home to help, but would summon laborers from his fief to aid in the clear-cutting and earthwork projects. In exchange for the aid of the Mossbridgers, Count Beornwine promised to build a trade-road connecting his town to Mossbridge.

The next day was spent making arrangements and beginning the preparation of what would be the battlefield. On the next day after that, the heroes decided to go do some reconnaissance of their own. They headed through the forest and up the foothills of the Black Mountains. There, they did indeed encounter a team of eight brass men setting fire to trees.

A clash ensued which ended with half the brass men destroyed. The rest called for a parlay and offered to introduce the heroes to their commander.