16

The Coven and the Cauldron
The party tracks missing fishermen through an icy river running through ancient caves and giant ruins. Battling a water weird at a frozen waterfall and disturbing a skeletal giant, they discover the remnants of a lost burial ground for giant kind. Negotiations with a coven of hags over the location of a treasure turn sour, leading to a fierce battle where the party defeats two hags, while one escapes. They recover the Cauldron of Plenty, after dumping out the fisherman stew the hags were simmering.

Cauldron Caves of Lac Dinneshere

#battle #ToilAndTrouble The party followed the tracks of the four fisherman along a frozen river into one of four entrances into Lac Dinneshere's cliffside. They soon they came across a frozen waterfall about 10 feet in height. Hazel nimbly climbed up, peering into the darkness to see the frozen waters continuing but also a large stonecarved entrance to her right. She had the party follow, but the ice crumbled under Fern, leading to a battle with a dual headed water weird that broke free and attempted to drag members under.
#ToilAndTrouble The stonecarved walls were glowing blue. Tetro couldn't identify any fungus or mineral making the effect, curiously enough, but the height and width of the passages suggested giant origin. Coming to a wider chamber, Fern snuck ahead. The walls were adorned with ancient flatware and goblets of giant make.
#battle #ToilAndTrouble A frost giant skeleton had lain dormant until the remaining party entered the chamber. As it chipped out of the ice to tower over even Crank, Hazel began to flee northward while Azgul went south. The lugubrious giant smashed out of the ice and landed heavy blows on Oona before its bones were pulverized.
#ToilAndTrouble Hearing the battle, Azgul decided to wrap around the frozen river, hoping to find another entrance. After scaling up an icy overpass, he hit a dead end. However, he found an old dwarven explorer's pack along with notes about a madness in these halls and shrill cackles. It seemed the explorer was interested in a burial ground for giants in a hot spring. It seems the explorer never left.
#ToilAndTrouble The hot springs seemed to be no more. Instead, the cavernous source of the frozen river lay iced over. Down into the glacial blue depths a hundred frost giant corpses remained suspended and lost to time.
#ToilAndTrouble The party met three women, quickly identified as a coven of hags, cooking four swine in a cauldron. The tallest one, Maud Chiselbone, addressed the party through cackling laughter. She invited to know what her guests wanted and what they would exchange. The other two, Alice and Anise cackled along. When asked about the White Lady's treasure, Maud grimaced. What would they give in return for knowledge of the hundreds of gold buried in Lac Dinneshere? Perhaps years off their life? Oona offered a massage. Azgul insisted his crowbar was magic. The hag was amused but soon the patience waned. The party had killed their doorman, the skeletal frost giant. The hags felt they must be compensated!
#battle #ToilAndTrouble When talk devolved into a blood price - either Easthaven's children or one of the party's own - battle ensued. The hags dropped their glamour, unveiling their true, horrid forms. The blue, crafted walls too were replaced by the filth of a cave home to monsters. And the feast of four swine turned out to be the four fishermen. Too bad Crank had a bowl earlier... perhaps worse that it tasted half-decent. As spells flew and metal clanged, Alice fell, followed by Maud who burst into a hundred severed hands. While cleaving through the crawling horde, the third hag, Anise, fled while invisible. She whispered her grudges in Azgul's ear before running past. In the end, the party successfully recovered the Cauldron of Plenty.

XP

600 ~ #ToilAndTrouble COMPLETE

Total XP: 5300

Loot

Frost Giant's Greataxe ~ Crank
Cauldron of Plenty ~ Rare magic item

❮ 15 · Chronicles · 17 ❯

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