5e WNW: The Shudder Mountains

5e WNW - Session 24 of the weird new world campaign was played on Friday 9/11.

The party consisted of the following:
Nessendra, Wood Elf Cleric 5 (Erindel)
Kethra, Human Fighter 5 (Nikki)
Bach, Dragonborn Warlock 5 (Erik)
Riia, Human Ranger 5 (Hanna)
Guy Noir, ½ Elf Rogue 5 (Nadia)
Anya Bowen, Tiefling Ranger 5 (Allison)
Egan Gorman "Bingles" Sharpless Rosenberg, Gnome Fighter 5 (Julia)
Zugun, Coffin-bound Human Priest (NPC)

The sky still fushia, with a blood red full moon that refuses to set, the party departs the "castle" and heads down the road. One of the guards points them toward the town of Bent Pines, also known as Brie.

Following the road, the party crests a hill after a ways, and sees a small collection of buildings. No more than a dozen or so rough log structures with sod roofs. Standing apart from them is a whitewashed clapboard building, a temple to the Sovereign (the local aspect of the god of civilization and justice). Tossing a blanket over Zugun, they walk into town, splitting up to investigate the temple, general store, tavern, and smithy.

Guy is disappointed with the general store, and annoyed that the blacksmith isn't willing to try to silver his rapier, and just fed up with the fact that no one is selling anything magical. Bingles and Riia sample the offerings in the tavern. Anya, Kethra, Nessendra and Zugun visit the temple. Anya quickly gets bored, and buys supplies from the general store. Bach wanders around town, attracting the attention of every child around.

The local priest shows up at the temple to lock up for the night, and is shocked to find anyone within. He invites them to join him at the tavern for dinner. By this point everyone else has already converged there, and many stories and tales are told. Rumors of a witch, sin eater, giants, devils, and the Bad Lick Beast are sprinkled though the tales. They also get a general lay of the land, though no one seems to have a map.

Nessendra and Kethra are offered space in the priest's home to rest. Bingles gets a hayloft. Bach finds himself snuggled in the home of the largest family, bedded down with all the kids who think the dragon-man is neat! Anya and Riia pay a silver each to crash in the tavern's common room. Guy ends up with one of the local logger's wife. The logger is out on a supply run.

Departing early they make for the witch's home, hoping she'll know of the mountaintop ritual site. After a day of travel they arrive at the spot where the river forms from the converging of 3 smaller rivers, and begin to make camp. Across the river a large hunched form. Guy and Bingles waved at it... Until Guy noticed that it wasn't attractive, and was barely humanoid. But it did talk, rather than just charging into the middle of their camp. Mostly he (she? it?) wanted something to drink. Bingles handed over a small cask of beer, which it promptly chugged, belched, and then asked for more. Since that was all the beer that Bingles had, and no one else was forthcoming, it then asked for shiny. Everyone handed over a coin, dropping them into the empty cask. Chatting with the big guy, he talked a bit about the mean speller down the river, and how he didn't like spellers. He then asked if anyone in the party was a speller. Bach cheerfully revealed that he was a spell caster. The big guy narrowed his eyes, and then pummeled Bach down hard, shrugging off the magic backlash of his Armor of Agathys. Rather then engage him, Guy created an illusion of a wild looking mage on the far side of the river, pointed at it, and yelled "Look, another one!" The creature looked, and then charged the illusion, crashing though it's insubstantial form.

Grabbing their belongings, they ran into the bushes, hiding there for over an hour as the thing stomped back and forth along the river bank. The next morning they pressed on toward the witches hut. As the day ended, they found a nice spot to camp, but just as they were setting their packs down, a pair of massive figures stepped from the tree line...