Chasing a Blaze in the Northern Sky Session 34 Summary

With the party having gone through an absolute ordeal in their previous journey through the Palace of Arekasadra. They spend the week resting in the small campsite that was built by the palace as they wait out the blizzard and lick their wounds. All seems well as the party waits for the chance to head back to the village and divide the wonderful sum of treasure they had acquired, but something strange happens on the night that proceeded the morning they had planned on leaving. The party wake up in a forest, and a trio of winged women with fiery hair emerge, demanding their thunderbolt sword. On top of that, these were the SAME WOMEN they had killed last week.

"FUCK!" thought Halthor who had already aged over a decade due to their whips, "This sword is cursed isn't it?"

Nobody wanted to give up something with a value of at least 2000 silver however, so the Combative Companions weren't going to just give up the sword and hope the women let them leave. Randon pulls out their coveted sword, pointing it at the ladies.

"You want this sword so bad, COME AND GET IT!"

Randon has now been aged 34 years and his ribs have been crushed. On the upside, the women were killed once again, and the party managed to keep the sword with nobody dying. Realizing that sword may become a huge problem if they keep it around, the party head off to the village before morning  comes with the intent of selling the weapon and using the money acquired for something else in the future. As the party travels they manage to find five figures being harassed by a murder of giant birds. They were initially planning on just ignoring the group, but that plan had quickly changed when they realized that one of the men in the group was a priest of Athenapalada. Now, Halthor has not had a particularly good standing with the priests of Athenapalada since one of the priest believes him to be a two faced and untrustworthy bastard, buuut they may change their tune if the CeeCees save the life of one of their priest, so the party charge the birds, and they swarm quickly departs at the emerging numbers that approach them. The men are saved, but who cares about that?! The important question is, was the priest impressed? Thankfully, he was, and he had given the party a pendent that essentially shows that they have his blessings to attempt the shrine. Finally, the holy trinity would be able to continue their prayer, and Matthias could even get a replacement arm from the priests.

With a restored standing with the lawful men of Dolonia, the party sell the sword passing the curse onto someone else (hopefully), and return to Dolonia to pray and let their disheveled member Randon rest.

Session 34 Downtime Events

Upon returning to Dolonia, five of the Combative Companions journied to the Temple of Athenapalada. A prosthetic hand made from marble was attached to the remains of Matthias' left arm, allowing him to hold a shield once more. Stefanos, Halthor, Bodhi and Turni participated in the ancient rites of Athenapalada and received the blessings of the Goddess who holds the spear aloft. Each was marked with ochre upon their chest in the shape of an owl by the priests. Before they returned to The Eruption they were approached by a priest who offered them employment, saying: "Retrieve the sarcophagus of silver from within the woods of the Palace of Arekasadra. Do so without opening it. We shall reward you with two sacks of gold and five sacks of silver. If that is too difficult simply bring us a map to the location of the Silver Sarcophagus for four sacks of silver."

Joe the Agreeable sought to make friends with the inhabitants of Dolonia, but his lack of speech hindered his actions. A band of Geats toke pity on him and he and his companions were invited to a feast.

Randon inducted Eptun into the sorcerous arts teaching him the perpetration of the sorcery Sigil of Horus.

As snow continued to fall and icicles lengthened the Combative Companions journeyed to the feast hosted by the Geatish Merchant who dwelled in Dolonia. A score of northmen welcomed their fellows into their halls. They made merry as they sang songs of felling giants and the northern lights. Through the stupor they realized that one of their number, Morrigu, was absent. The dozens of drunk northmen exited from their homes, drinking horns still in hand, to search for the maiden. Though a good many of them fell into snowbanks, they were able to learn, that Morrigu was kidnapped by robed figures. Yet they did not fall into melancholy, they instead began pelting one another with snowballs before returning back to the feast hall for more drinking.

As The Eruption arrived in the village of Saliagos on Dawn of Day 30 of winter month 1, a blizzard began to blow.