That was revealed at this meeting and I've been sitting on that nugget for a year and a half in real time. It leads right to the larger and true campaign BBG that will dog the party on a going forward.
Write up follows:
It was Firemonth the 23rd and the group knew that today was the day they were going to face Siggurd. They needed to get him out of town from Slagbottom and discussed a few ways to do that, dispensing with boats and rafts since it was a bit outside their skill set. The decision was to head to the Sickly Cat on River Road and check the place over.
It was 20-25 minutes to walk there, River Road was the 7th block between Central Gate and Main Gate off of Main Street, and Hardslope Road was the 4th block from the docks and the Enderlyn River. The entirety of Slagbottom was at a 10 degree angle here, running towards the Enderlyn. An open sewer line ran through parts of the main street where sweepers kept the effluvium running along during operating hours (until 9 PM). The Sickly Cat was surrounded by low rent single and two story buildings for residents, a rat catchers, painters, liquor store, and other such locales. The Cat itself had two main doors but there was a third door that led to the alley, a maze of narrow passages just a bit over 2’ wide with garbage within.
We felt comfortable with the place, knowing that we’d most likely gird him in the alley and would arrange to have the material stacked and blocking key areas. But they didn’t want to hang around the too much now. They also saw no easy way to smuggle his body out of here. The thought was to get a wagon or cart and position it 6 blocks up on River Road and Main Street.
The group went back to House Illytch where they went to speak with 3rd Reeve Spearo. He was happy they had finished their training and they had 5 days to kill before the caravan could bring them back so the time was their own. They made noises about heading back to Thak and Spearo was thrilled to hear it. He had an order of 1,500 lbs. of timber to be sent there for a private buyer and the group would be getting 500 lbs. of metal stuff to bring back. Heck, we’d even get caravan rates of 2 nobles/day (3 for Darius who would be the driver). Basic food would be included (a hammered mess of dried nuts, dried meat, and some sort of course grain called “Meatloaf”) and two oxen would be made available.
We took the job, agreed to leave tonight or so and went to check out the wagon. It was a ton and a quarter Conestoga type heavy axle wagon and the timber load left some space by the buckboard. We grabbed extra tarps; made sure the barrels and supplies were tied down, and then left to look at places.
Darius’ problem was the trip from the Sickly Cat to House Illytch was long, even if he jogged it, a lone man jogging through the streets at night was going to attract attention and we didn’t want to do that – plus the group would be with Siggurd for almost an hour and whatever could go wrong would go wrong. Wanted to limit the time.
We then went to Central Quarter and looked around. A few wheelhouses and garages were just inside the gate – cutting the trip down to 11 minutes or so – much better for the party. At Southern Garage and cart house, Darius arranged for a spot, paid for it in advance, and also made sure that there would be guards on hand to watch it.
We then went back to House Illytch, made sure there was enough food for us, and took the wagon fully laden back to Central Quarter and Southern Garage, drove it in, and left it there. We also dropped off our own bags and backpacks. Avulstein was asked about his goat and chickens if he wanted them fed and was told not to worry. The two young teamsters shrugged and thought it was strange.
As the day passed into evening, we had gone back to the Sickly Cat and moved some boxes and barrels around the alleys, making it a choke point and difficult for someone to run their way free. We then ate and by 9:30, was headed back there to get a lay of the land.
The Crowcatcher was lit at mid-block, giving indistinct light at the end by the gaming house. The moon was waxing but still only about half way. Many of the residential homes had a few lights burning in the windows but as the night wore on, they one by one were snuffed out. Connal went to the liquor store and got a jack of cheapish beer and then took up residence in a corner near the front and had his head down drinking slowly. The rest of the group was in the alleys behind the gaming house – Negan and Barb filling up the larger spot for now while Avulstein and Darius were closer in.
Then it was almost half passed 11 when we heard the cries and yells inside. Complaints of “Cheat!” echoed from within followed by complaining and stumbling. The back door to the Cat burst open and Siggurd and two others (human and dwarf, both female) were thrown into the alley and the door slammed closed. They all got up and started hammering on the door when the party ran up to attack.
The dwarven woman was complaining, “Some dog is attacking me!” and Siggurd was shaking his head as Darius launched and attack, Connal joining a moment later with a flying leap. The party was looking to pull their blows, going more for knock out than kill shots.
But that fell apart quickly as Siggurd and his group had no compunctions, convinced they were being mugged. The dwarven female had wickedly heady hand axe in her hand and slammed it down on Avulstein a few times and then took a bullet to the head and the shoulder from Darius. Seeing the wolverine on the floor, she stalked towards Darius who was backing up swiftly. The other female had two knives and held her own as Connal tried to engage her and Siggurd. But Siggurd had short sword and dagger and he wove a shield of glittering blades around him as the group struggled to keep the momentum going.
Barb took shot after shot, Darius tried to sling again but the axe wielder smashed him good and hard, tearing tons of hit points away. Our necromancer was down to single digits when Barb risked her own neck and dragged the wolverine out of the fight and down the alley behind her, spear back to the front as she fought Siggurd barely in place. Avulstein ran around to the front of the building and wove his arcanic power – animating one of the big rats from the back before he smashed through the front window of the rat catcher’s shop.
Negan stood with Darius, short handled battle axe swinging left and right with the intent to drive the dwarven woman back. The party was just hanging on but losing hit points when finally, the dwarf dropped. With now 5 on 2, Siggurd realized who he was fighting and wanted to escape. He charged Barb, engaging her directly with a mass of cuts and scrapes, twisting and wrestling the half-orc until he managed to appear behind her and in the alley.
Negan threw his AC to the wind and charged AROUND the lone shanty, slipping in the filth to come about the opposite of the long alley and before Siggurd could run, he cocked his arm back and HURLED the 12# battle axe through the air where it slammed Siggurd in the back and sent him smashing into a nearby building.
The lone fighter with the daggers was losing ground at two on one and Avulstein was in the Rat Catcher’s shop…but did not open the back door, was instead scooping up dead rats and tossing them into his bag. As the fight continued and Siggurd was running out of options, he was struck AGAIN…and instead of Siggurd, the drunk that had been chased away by Barb was hit! From the next block over, we heard a smash of a body falling and Siggurd’s confused voice.
The last fighter was dropped as Connal hit the streets hard, running to Siggurd who was struggling to get to his feet. The group gave chase and the monk hit Siggurd, once in the chest, and then again…but his 2nd blow hit the Rat Catcher instead and we heard ANOTHER smashing sound from Siggurd from another block over! The group all hit the block together (Avulstein finally coming out of the shop and was robbing the two women on the floor).
The watch was being called and the group all surrounded Siggurd and knocked him out at long last. Negan hoisted the unconscious Siggurd on his shoulders and Darius RAN for the Main Street and eventually South Garage, telling the group to head UP River Road and wait for him in the alley just before Main Street.
The group abandoned the area and made their way north two blocks before they were stopped by some watch running to the area. They questioned Negan and Barb both wearing stars, telling them to patrol the Randari Quarter instead and to leave Slagbottom to them. We thanked them and kept going.
Meanwhile Darius, bleeding badly, drank a healing draught and stopped at a local bar where he asked for a mug of beer. He was watched strangely as he took the beer, and washed his face and shirt with it, blood and dirt running off. The proprietor asked him if he was ok, and Darius replied, “No! And thanks for the beer, it was good.” Before leaving.
At the gate he was let through after some questioning and then went to Southern Garage. The guards there let him in, helped him get ready to go, and informed him that they fed the goats and chickens because they felt bad for the animals’ obvious neglect. He drove the heavy wagon towards Main Street, through the gate, and towards the exit to Sorton. He stopped at River Road and the group brought the unconscious Siggurd to the wagon and shoved him under the buckboard, stacking barrels and tarps around him. We then all got on board and drove to the main gate where a group of 6 guards checked us out, insulted Barb, and let us pass.
We drove away for two hours, hitting Siggurd again and again in the head to keep him out until after 1:30 and far enough away, pulled over and made to rest. Siggurd was roused and we tried to get the Ravenstone off his neck – unable to even see it except out of the corner of our eye. It refused every option to come off even hanging him upside down.
We then felt we were far enough away from the city to talk to Siggurd. The conversation did NOT go in the direction we expected. Once he learned he was being brought back to Tropor Darbeard in Thak he got quiet and said little except staring at the sky.
Eventually he shrugged his shoulders and sighed. Tells the group that they are right and he is sorry. Sorry for lots of things. “Made some real fucked up choices in my life and abused a gift that he should have been honored to receive and treated properly.”
He then dropped onto us that we, everyone, was mistaken about the Darbeards. When it comes to the Nuggle thing (selling him out and to the kobolds) he grimaces and apologizes. “My beef wasn’t with you, just the fucking Darbeards. You were just in the way and witnesses.” If he could have done it without putting anyone else in danger, he would have but all he was thinking was getting out of fucking Thak as fast as possible with as much of a grubstake as he could get. House Brinster had the money, House Darbeard was delving into some fucked up stuff, and Tropor isn’t as much of a fucking saint as he pretends to be.
He fingers the Ravenstone and says that his father gave it to his about 5 years ago, and that his father managed to get it 15 years before that. The Darbeards are working with some draconic that had it before Siggurd and have been looking for it for all this time. They got close but Siggurd’s father threw off the scent by passing it on to his son. The holder of the Ravenstone cannot be augured, divined, or scried to see if he has it – and even past scrying is muddied up to 24 hours. But, the only way to give it up is to either take it off his corpse or for him to relinquish it to another. Since you’re going to Thak, he does NOT want any of the Darbeard’s to get it – no matter what.
He accepts that he wasted and squandered his gift, but he won’t let the Darbeards get the stone now, not after keeping it from them for the last 20 years. He is willing to give it to someone in the party if they swear 2 things – don’t tell the Darbeards they have it, and keep it safe from whatever forces are looking for it.
We talked about it and decided that as we get closer to Thak, we’ll make that decision. Connal used his headband of discerning and assured that that Siggurd was telling the absolute truth. We rested and then rode on the 24th and arrived just outside of Thak in the early morning of the 25th. The call was to give the Ravenstone to Barb – it has to go to someone not tainted by the Weave and who is not a person of nobility.
Making sure that she knows not to give it to the Darbeards, he told her “There is no way I want the fucking Darbeards to get their hands on this, I’d rather give it up to you. He then grabbed the plaque it was on and with some difficulty, lifted it free of his chest and intoned: “I hereby pass on this oculus of my own free as it was passed on to me. May the Thoughts and Memories that guide the All Father do the same for its new holder through the tangled roots of Yggdrasil.”
The Ravenstone lifted free and was pulsing a black and brown color before Barb lifted he hand as if drawn to the gem…and it snapped to her grip along with a faint inrushing of air. She blinked rapidly as she saw a ghostly image wavering in front of her as if from the stone’s point of view, looking at Siggurd as he says, “There’s no way I want the fucking Darbeards to get their hands on this, I’d rather give it up to you.”
Then the image faded and another ghost glimpse from the stone looking at another man, older, similar looking to Siggurd and says, “There’s not a chance they won’t come after me now that they’ve found me, son. It’s safer in your hands from this point on.”
Then another flash and a ghost glimpse of a black dragon screaming in agony as a younger version of the last man has a sword in the dragon’s heart and is twisting the blade as the dragon hisses out, “A pox on you and yours! You fucking hairless Ape! My father will avenge my death!”
Then a fainter ghostly glimpse of a dwarven female flayed with her guts strewn all over, acid scoring on her face and hands, feebly holding up the Ravenstone and sobbing, “Alright! Alright! For the love of Odin I’ll do it just please spare my family.”
And then even fainter an orcish fighter with a pair of dwarven crossbow bolts in his chest hunched over a young frightened orc, blood everywhere looking up at a dwarven female flatbower sobbing, “Alright! It’s yours, but in the All Father’s Name, please don’t hurt my son.”
And finally even older and fainter, an old tusked matronly orc handing the stone over and saying, “This has helped guide our Famyr and Clannar for centuries, my son. May its wisdom guide you as it has done me.”
There are some residual orcish ghostly shapes but no more words to be heard.
Siggurd let Barb know that she can’t ever not have the stone, it will always appear upon her person. It also cannot be scried for, just not showing up. The longer she has it, the more skills and powers that opens up for her. However, in the beginning the stone gives everyone who possess it to understand just about any spoken language and speak the same language back in return.
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