Treasure, Ghosts, and Marriage

 

GM Interlude: The first thing done was a retcon rules clarification. Today, I printed out Dolmenwood Calendars, both for me and for the players. Upon looking at the calendar for Lillipythe, I realized that on our first session I'd somehow accidentally transposed us back a week. Meaning, we started on the 13th, Eggfast, the Feast of St. Torphia, only the Feast of St. Torphia doean't actually happen until Eggfast, the 20th.

So, we quickly moved out dates forward. It was the 23rd, NOT the 16th, that the party passed through the candle-barrier in the lower crypt of Sir Chyde's tomb.

Back to the game!

The players, led by the hulking troll, Grimmlegridge with his goblin overlord, Griddlegrim on his back, entered the tower of Princess Snowfall-at-Dusk. The room they entered was roughly half a circle, with enclosed stairs winding upward to their left, a tall dark-oak paneled wall before them with a small wooden door, a fireplace (with burning icicle 'logs', with blue flickering flames), and fur coats and ha
ts and boots and ice-skates on hooks all hung up or places upon racks on the curving walls around them.

The room smelled of freshly baked bread, meats, mince, and spices.

Meowianne struggling with her long fur, Sherbet Ice-cream laughing maniacally, Sir Glad still invisible in his armor, and Ddane six-inches tall (the effects of Griddlegrim's mushrooms), the party rose to the second story, where a somber Elfen feast was laid out on a large, white-clothed table.

Six frost elf guards stood in respectful watch around the table, while seven elf lords and ladies sat in haughty silence, sipping icy-colored wines. Fruit platters glistened in syrup on the table, a roast swan sat on a large fairy-silver platter, all manner of good things to eat were on display. Sir Glad was able to discretely ascertain that this was the wedding party of Princess Snowfall-at-Dusk---they'd all been patiently waiting for nearly 900 years for the groom.

At about this time Sherbet's laughing/weeping stopped, and Ddane---who had been perched on Meowianne's shoulders---zoomed back up to normal size, toppling the grimalkin and slamming down onto the table, spilling all sorts of things.

While portly frost-elf cooks and servants rushed to clear the mess, the party rose to the third story, and was met by the elfin beauty of the princess herself, matching exactly the ghost Meowianne and Ddane had seen in the tomb of Sir Chyde.

Without much ado, Sir Glad proffered the ring. The princess, nearly fainting in excitement, put the ring on and fell into the incorporeal arms of the ghost of Sir Chyde.

The couple were exhilarated, offering their benefactors whatever treasures they desired. When Meowianne mentioned she wanted her leg healed, in a grousey sort of way, the princess solemnly offered to her an amulet, the Amulet of Ruvanaith---a spectacularly valuable Elfen gem, holding the power to grant a single Wish.

The party, after some expected horsing around, eventually suggested using the wish to bring the Princess back to Dolmenwood, breaking the wards her father had set upon her. It was even suggested they might be able to bring Sir Chyde back to life... Once this was mentioned, the princess offered all the gems in her possession, as well as the proliferation of valuable Elfen robes and gowns in her wardrobe.

One thing of note that was mentioned was the "Triple Compact." Princess Snowfall-at-Dusk mentioned it as being "the coordinated efforts of all the greatest mortal powers, at the time, which drove my father from the Dolmenwood", but couldn't give much more information as she hadn't been paying great attention at the time. Sir Glad was curious, because he had never heard anything about this.

The wedding was done quickly, the party acting as guests of honor. Then the wedding feast was had... and everyone ate. Saving rolls were made, and everyone passed except Sherbet and Meowianne, who now will forever yearn to return to Faerie...

After the ceremonies, Grimmlegridge and Griddlegrim loaded a small cart with the princess's possessions, and a wish was made, asking for Sir Chyde to be brought back to life with full health and vigor by such power that the wards holding Princess Snowfall-at-Dusk in Frigia would also be broken.

In a blinding flurry of snow, Sir Chyde materialized as a strapping, vigorous if still elderly, knight. The party made to leave Frigia, but not before realizing the troll and goblin servants would have to stay behind. As a parting shot, Meowianne took one more mushroom, shrinking to six inches just as Ddane had before.

Up above, in the tomb complex, they made brief plans. Sir Chyde and Snowfall-at-Dusk would locate themselves somewhere remote (maybe Fort Vulgar, maybe outside Dreg, maybe near the Woodcutters' Encampment...), and would then send the players word via House Harrowmoor.

A quick accounting of treasure: The players lugged out 30 fairy ice gems, worth 200gp each, 12 necklaces worth 150gp each, the amulet of Ruvanaith, still worth 5000gp as an art object even without the magic wish spell captive within the gem, and a sapphire set in a platinum brooch wrought like spiky hoarfrost for 1000gp. They also finagled 20 coats and 20 gowns from the princess's wardrobe, worth 100gp each. This is in addition to a very few survival items, their precious container of salt, and a few objects of value from their raiding the tombs above.

Upon leaving the tomb, they were met by an unexpected sight. The owls were now re-hung above the glade, which was littered with strange needles, and within the circle of stones the green haze was gone. Clearly, the body of Crump had been laid out on the altar, hands across his chest, dried blood covering his mangy face.

PSAD and Sir Chyde left, leaving the players to find their own way back. Meowianne briefly followed some tracks in the forest, realizing that Crump had been positioned up a tree until he hastily lowered himself and fled into the woods... What happened then was still a mystery, as the players decided to hastily leave out of fear for meeting the same fate.

Heavily laden, the party barely made the edge of the Dolmenwood before the sun set. Exhausted, tired, and very heavily laden with treasure, they encamped stealthily just within the edge of the trees.

Briefly, it was discussed that, now, they actually have the funds to purchase the haunted Inn of the Tankards... Everybody laughed before bedding down for the night, but who knows what might actually happen when next out party enters civilization...

In the morning, Sir Glad on the final watch as the sun broke the far horizon across the rolling plains of the High Wold, observed the hulking form of a yegril---a purple-furred, yellow antlered moss eating moose---as it grazed through the darkened trees. Thus began the day.