Well, it was inevitable. My partner has COVID. I’m somewhat surprised it took this long for someone in my immediate family to get it (at least to our knowledge), especially in my line of work. We’re fortunate to have some good friends who are currently out of town, and so she has been using their home to quarantine herself. While she’s on the mend, I’ve been taking care of the kids. Anyway, I’m chilling at the moment with my youngest who is engrossed in some cartoons. I’ll use the opportunity to get another game report posted. Below is a recap of our fourth session, a session in which a new player joined our game. See this post for an overview of session 3.

Day 3 of the Long Night Campaign (Session 4)

Date: 11 days since sighting the new moon in the Month of Three Milkings (Ðrimilce-monaþ). Morning, one day before the feast of Seaxwulf. Equivalent to May 20th, 536 AD.

Players Present for Sessions 4:

  • Wulfgar: Wolf-warrior class, farmer/herder background
  • Eardwulf: Wolf-warrior class, former slave, now free
  • Osbeorn: Bear-warrior class, wandering warrior
  • Wilfrið: Wolf-warrior class, hunter (new player)

Session 4

The session began with Wulfgar, Eardwulf, and Osbeorn discussing their next steps while they broke their fast. Outside, it was raining. The three of them debated a number of options, the primary ones being:

  • Approach Seaxwulf and notify him right away about the clan of Britons encountered near the old Roman ruins. Connected with this was a conversation about whether or not it would be in their best interests to inform Seaxwulf and others in the community about some of loot discovered, and whether they should gift Seaxwulf some of that wealth.
  • Convince Seaxwulf to conduct a raid, or simply recruit others in community to accompany them on a raid.
  • Return to the area around the old Roman villa to continue exploring the area. Perhaps there were more ruins…and more treasure?
  • Return to the sacred well where they recovered Eadgifu and conduct a more thorough search of the cavern.
  • Consider how do to any of the above and still contribute to the chores and duties of the homestead.

During that time they also sought the council of Ecgred (Wulfgar’s father) and old Burgwulf (Wulfgar’s grandfather). They decided it would benefit them more to gift a portion of the loot to Seaxwulf to gain prestige and position. The rest of the loot would be kept secret and for themselves. They also decided to tell the tale of their adventuring tomorrow at the feast since it would provide a better opportunity to boast of their deeds to everyone in the community.

They noted that Eadgifu and others in the family unit were undertaking tasks that could be completed inside protected from the poor weather (tool repair and making, basket weaving, etc.). Therefore, the three of them decided to head back to the wooded area around the old well. Once there, they could collect saplings for basket-weaving and branches to be used in the making of additional wattle-fencing around the homestead. Eardwulf also desired to harvest a yew tree so that he could begin making a bow. Before returning home with the resources, however, they planned to return to cavern of the old well to investigate further.

They headed out in the rain, but when they reached the fork in the path that would take them to the well, they saw a group of men working to get a wagon free from the mud. The wagon was pulled by an old horse and loaded with trade goods. The men appeared to be heading up from the south, in the direction of the village. Some of the men were armed with spears and appeared to be some sort of escort.

They approached cautiously, yet openly, and hailed the traveling party from a distance to make clear they had no ill intentions. In the exchange that followed, both sides became convinced that neither side intended harm. The players learned that the wagon and goods were owned by a trader named Leod, a seemingly good-natured man, if a little too loquacious. The men were paid warriors, a necessary precaution when traveling an untamed land.

Leod shared that he was traveling up from the lands ruled by Ætheling Cenwal with goods for his Ðegn, Seaxwulf. The goods were gifts in honor of Seaxwulf on his success in establishing the land awarded to him one year ago, and Leod was hoping to arrive in time for the planned feast. Leod also had his own goods, and he expressed his hope to engage in trade with the community.

The players decided to help Leod and his men dig out the wagon, for which he was grateful. As they worked, they were introduced to the other men in the party. Noteworthy among them was a traveling scop named Beagnoth who had learned that Seaxwulf in his remote community had no storyteller to chronicle his deeds and exploits. Also of note was a hunter named Wilfrið who had a heard of the Great Weald in the north, and how it was filled with strange and mighty beasts. [Note: This was my quick and no nonsense way of getting a new player into the game quickly and easily. Also note that during this time out in the “wild” random encounter checks were being made… and one occurred. See below on how I handled a “hunters in need” random encounter.]

Leod had inquired about the distance remaining to Seaxwulf’s hall, and the players provided that information. The players also revealed how they were up from the village to harvest some resources from the nearby woods, and these duties prevented them from accompanying Leod back to the village. During the course of conversation, Leod complained about the weather, and expressed eagerness to be on his way. However, he shared that just before the players’ arrival, two of his men (Godwine and Osric) spotted game in the nearby thickets. While most of the traveling party worked to get the wagon free, these two men decided to go hunting in hopes of bringing some fresh game to Seaxwulf’s feast. Leod asked if they would be so kind as to notify his men of his intention to move on directly to the village, and the players agreed. Beagnoth and Wilfrið decided to join the players for various reasons.

The players now headed back down the path that went through the wooded hills on the way to the well. Upon entering the woods, they did not experience the same sensation as they did the previous evening. However, the cairn was still there in the middle of the path. More conversation about this cairn ensued, a conversation that peeked Beagnoth’s interest due to loose remarks made about Otherworld creatures. However, the party left the cairn alone for the time being and continued. They eventually reached the well, and more conversation ensued. The party made the decision to continue along the path, deeper into the woods, with the intention of returning to the well once Leod’s men were found.

Eventually, the party picked up the trail of Leod’s men. This led them to a grisly scene. Not far off the path, they discovered a spear stuck in the ground, another shattered spear, a helmet, lots of blood, and signs of a struggle. There were no bodies, only signs of some kind of large creature leaving the area. No one could identify the creature based on its tracks. Signs of blood seemed to indicate that the creature might have the men. The blood trail and tracks headed deeper into the wooded hills, away from the direction of the well. The party decided to follow.

Whatever they were tracking eventually got on a small path that was sandwiched between hills on either side to form a type of ravine. The rain had created a temporary stream obscuring tracks, but occasional drops of blood on rocks and stones suggested that they were heading in the right direction. By this time, the players were soaked, but they pushed on. After a time, they came to a rocky area with an opening in the earth. The stream running through the ravine poured over the lip of this opening creating a mini-waterfall feeding the darkness below.

A number of actions took place at this time: they investigated the opening, listened for sounds of the missing hunters or the creature, considered ideas for light sources (like making torches in wet conditions) and discussed how to get down the vertical opening. All of this took more time.

With a mixture of some creative thinking (like making torches using tinderbox embers, tree sap, and some brush from areas more protected from the elements) and some not so creative thinking (like not really giving much thought on how to scale down the wet opening), the party descended into the earth. Osbeorn slipped and fell, but fortunately he fell into a pool of water. Unfortunately, it was not just water. The pool, that was getting deeper because of the rainwater spilling in, was a rancid offal pit filled with animal and human carcasses in various stages of decay and rot. Weak rays of light streamed in from the above opening.

Osbeorn was covered in sticky, bloody, sludge, some of which he swallowed when he went below the surface after his fall. This brought a wretched round of gagging and emptying his stomach.

All finally made it down into the large offal-filled cavern. They found one of the hunters on a heap of rotting carcasses partially submerged in the bloody sludge. This was Godwine, and he was badly injured with a broken leg that had been ripped open. Attempts were made to bandage the leg, and they questioned the moaning Godwine about what had happened. He shared that a monster had attacked them both in the woods, a large beast that had easily defeated them and then brought them back to this stank lair. He then gestured weakly to another passage indicating where the creature had taken Osric.

A quick discussion occurred over what to do next: try to get Godwine to safety and help or pursue the monster right away. They decided to pursue the monster since they could not think of any way to get Godwine out quickly.

The party also briefly explored the cavern and found among the human carcasses some of rusting equipment, armor, and weapons that obviously belonged to a different time and people. Some old coins were also found in a rotting pouch.

What followed was a cautious search through watery tunnels and caverns, and since this post is getting way too long I will spare the details. After a time, the party found the monster, a pale grayish-green thing with a mouth of dagger-like teeth and clawed hands. It was crunching away on the corpse of Osric. A fight ensued which ended with Wilfrið, the new player, impaling the monster with his spear.

The party harvested the monster’s teeth and claws for trophies, and they decapitated it in order to take the head back as proof of their mighty deed. They returned to the entrance to find that Godwine had died where they left him.

The party spent the rest of the day back in the vicinity of the sacred well (although no one actually went to the well). During that time, they harvested wood and other resources, hunted up some rabbits for lunch, prepared a fire to dry themselves, and engaged in other activities. They headed back to the village around mid-afternoon having decided that exploring the well again could wait for another time.

Once back at the village, Beagnoth departed in order rejoin Leod. Wilfrið was invited to remain with the Ecgred family. Over supper, the story of the day’s adventure was shared with the household. While eating, the family was visited by Æthelflæd, Seaxwulf’s wife. She was invited in and treated with respect; however, the party was curious and a bit suspicious as to why she would visit. She shared that she had heard of their fight with the creature from Beagnoth, the scop. She told them that she wanted to hear the truth of the matter herself before tomorrow’s feast.

After a long conversation, the party learned of her and Seaxwulf’s intention to honor Æsca’s family, particularly his eldest son Wilmund, at tomorrow’s feast. Given that news of their slaying of a monster would likely travel fast, Æthelflæd came across as a curious Peaceweaver, and she probed into how the party intended to bear themselves at the feast, implying that Æsca was a proud man and head of the most influential family beside Seaxwulf’s own family. She hinted that it would be dangerous to overshadow Æsca’s son. She also implied that her husband was a man that will support and honor men who are willing to honor and serve him in return. The party suspected that they were being drawn into some community power dynamics, but treated Æthelflæd with respect and indicated that they intended to serve Seaxwulf loyally while also respecting other members in the community. Æthelflæd then departed, and this concluded session.