Hello, everyone! We had a player reach out to us because they'd unfortunately had an issue over the weekend and couldn't make it for a run of Raven's Eye. They weren't worried about treasure as much as they were about getting the story from the module so they felt prepared for our in-person adventures. I typed up a brief summary for them, and then thought that it might be something everyone could enjoy. So, after sending it over to the player I thought I'd hop on here and post the summary for the rest of you.
Is this something y'all would find interesting? Should we post up story summaries after an event finishes its run (and won't be run again) so everyone can follow along with the tale? I'd love to know what y'all think!
Runeheim: Raven's Eye
In our VTD Raven's Eye adventure, Olia appeared to the players in a dream. She informed them that they weren't quite ready to set out on the journey to close the Helheim Gate. They first needed to acquire a Raven's Eye crystal--a magical gift from the god, Njord, that allows a ship to sail through even the most treacherous of waters. Olia did not know the exact location of such a crystal, but she was aware of someone who might be able to point them in the right direction. The party proceeded to the village of Stonehearth to meet this contact at the Ymir's Mug Tavern.
Unfortunately, before they could reach the tavern the party was set upon by a horrible Shadow Soldier! The creature was eerily similar to the shadow monsters summoned by Gunhild Helsdottir in Ymir's Icy Maw. Once they defeated the monster, they got their second surprise of the adventure: the contact Olia sent them to meet was none other than the Thief they'd ousted from the cave at Blacksteel Spire! After formally introducing himself, Feski the Thief offered the party a deal: if they'd help him open a chest he'd recently "acquired" he would give them the map to a Temple of Njord he was sure was inside. The party opened the chest, retrieved the map, and immediately set sail for Runeheim's mainland.
The journey by sea was nearly completed when a Giant Shock Eel attacked, and the party had to defeat it before making landfall. During the fight, they heard a familiar woman's laughter on the wind as the eel was infused with Darkrift energies for a time. Once the body of the eel sank beneath the waves the party dragged their longboat ashore. Then, they climbed up the winding trail in the side of a cliff to the Temple of Njord. Outside the temple they battled Njord's Lookout, a dangerous construct set to protect the temple. Then, when they approached the door, they found themselves speaking to the spirit of a cleric who had bound his soul to the temple grounds. He challenged them to solve the door's riddle, and once they opened it informed them that they would speak further if they survived the encounter waiting for them inside.
The encounter the priest spoke of turned out to be Gunhild Helsdottir, who was bent on revenge after the party nearly killed her in the collapse of Ymir's Icy Maw. She confessed to having sent the Shadow Soldier and given the Giant Shock Eel an infusion of Darkrift magic. Gunhild posed a hefty challenge by casting a myriad of spells and summoning new creatures through portals to assist her in battle. Thankfully, the party was able to put her in her place once more and she ran off. The spirit of the priest appeared once more and urged the party to choose how they would petition Njord for the Raven's Eye crystal: through the Way of Might or the Way of Wit.
With the final challenge overcome, the party mounted the Raven's Eye crystal to the prow of their longship. Olia's voice carried to them on the wind blowing over the Talon Sea. She urged them to return to her on the islands their people had made into a home so she could explain the journey they were about to undertake to close the Helheim Gate.
Caitlin, shortened to CPN
Minion of the Lorigorgon
