Synopsis of Sessions Two to Five
If you haven’t been following the Sjøfjelltre campaign, you’ve been missing out on a lot of fun.
A lot of viking-themed, grown-up humour, totally-insensitive-to-everyone, total-jackass, role play intensive fun.
We stream audio live on twitch and then post to Youtube, so you can join us and listen in live, or catch up anytime.
Sjøfjelltre is basically a fantasy themed version of Scandanavia, set before the Vikings began raiding in the west (if it was the real world it would be around the 7th century.
I posted a synopsis of session one, here’s what’s happened since then (abridged version):
The morning after the wolf attack (session one), the group hired two guides and set out to find the missing townsfolk, or at least some sign of the wolves. However, after a day of searching, no sign of the wolves can be found.
The group encountered a pair of black bears, one of the guides was mauled, Ulfar got his sword stuck in a tree, and the group made camp for the night, waking in the morning to a dense and blinding fog.
They encountered Harald, an aged warrior wandering in the wilderness looking for signs of bandits that had been plaguing his village, Vårby, for a couple of weeks. The group soon discovered that Harald was the one who had plans to go see the völva. An agreement was reached: if the three would help Harald deal with the bandits, he would take them with him to see the völva.
They encountered an ogre and half ogre, Ulfar used his axes instead, the beasts were dispatched, and the group moved on, making it to Vårby and spending a night in the comfort of the mayor’s lodgings.
Brego entertained, Ulfar made plans to expand his family’s business, and Hogak picked the pockets of what he at least assumed was a wealthy woman.
The next day the four set out, heading north through the vast, rich valley that produces most of Vårby’s farming wealth, and begin to investigate some of the farms that claim to have been robbed.
It’s not long before the group finds some tracks that lead them further north, outside the valley and beginning up into the foothills, where, after some scouting, they find a couple small buildings with an enclosure built around and a handful of guards; clearly the bandits encampment.
Ulfar, Hogak, and Harald begin discussing the best strategy to take out the bandits, but things take an interesting turn when it’s discovered that Brego has climbed the hill and is talking to two men at the gate. As Brego disappears from sight, there’s nothing left to do but wait for nightfall and begin moving closer.
Brego, meanwhile, has taken an opportunity to be in his own element. Having bargained entertainment for food, drink, and a warm place to sleep, all while feigning ignorance of the fact that the inhabitants are anything other than honest people, Brego sings and plays his lute, pretending to drink more than he really is, and watches and listens. He discovers that the halfling slave, Ardë, was also taken from one of the farms in the valley and detests his new “masters”. He also learns that some of the bandits are recent recruits from the local farms and village.
As the bandits grow more and more intoxicated, he encourages Ardë to seek his freedom, only asking that he take word of the state of things inside to his friends outside, telling them to be ready.
Eventually, Ulfar, Hogak, and Harald make their way up the hill, managing to kill one guard and knock another unconscious. They meet Ardë, who passes Brego’s message along, and then returns to the house to keep an eye on things. Another guard, thoroughly intoxicated, is rendered unconscious and tied up, and as Brego’s drums begint o reach a fever pitch inside, the group bursts into action.
In the end, the bandits are defeated. Their leader is subdued and her followers are all either dead or knocked unconscious.
Ulfar offers her a deal to work for him and maintain control of her group (what remains of it), or be turned over fully to the local authorities and face the consequences of their actions. She agrees to his terms, the dead are burned and interred, the stolen goods are packed up and the group begins to return to Vårby, spotting a hunting frost giant higher in the mountains along the way.
Ulfar proposes to the mayor that the remaining bandits be allowed to remain in his service, to work in his new boatyard and help provide for the defense of Vårby. The mayor agrees, a thing is called for to straighten out the return of the stolen goods, and the group prepares to leave to find the völva.
Harald reveals a bit more about himself, and the group finds a cave, which turns out to contain a small family of rust monsters. The adult rust monsters are killed, a nest is found containing several gems and a baby rust monster. Harald captures the baby, holding it a safe distance away with a rope tied to a spear. The group prepares to continue their journey, with Ulfar’s hand axes reduced to little more than clubs.
And that’s where session five left off.
You can listen in live to all of the Sjøfjelltre sessions Monday nights at 7 pm EST on Twitch, or you can find them on Youtube.