A party comprising the dwarf, Silden, Spjallbodi the giant Odin priest, the monk Rigon, Bremmin the gnome, Alberic the illusionist and a previously unknown elf called Eldamar explore the notoriously dangerous Dearth Wood.
There they encounter a two-headed Ettin and two large wolves encamped in a ruin. There is a Ranger trussed in one corner, about to become dinner. Alberic is savaged by the wolves. Spjallbodi takes on the Ettin as the others try to extricate Alberic from their jaws. The fight starts to go wrong for Spjallbodi, who invokes his god Odin. Odin sends Spjallbodi the gift of berserk rage. He cuts down the Ettin but is himself taken directly to Valhalla in a pillar of fire and is seen in Middle-Earth no more. The wolves are dispatched by the others. Rigon examines Alberic and finds him still alive. However, he is not the sort of monk that is given to tending the sick. His hands are deadly weapons and his efforts to restart the magician’s heart succeed only in caving in his chest and killing him instantly.
The diminished party, somewhat reinforced by the hapless Ranger rescued from the Ettin, load its treasure on the mule that they had had the foresight to bring with them and set off back to Chittagong. In the midst of the forest they stumble into a Fire Giant. It strikes Rigon in the head, crushing it to a pulp and then makes short work of the unlucky Ranger. Meanwhile with the stress of combat upon him, Silden (who was bitten by a lycanthrope in B21) suddenly transitions to the form of a huge bear. The hungry bear glances at the giant, but decides it represents too big a challenge. Then its eye falls upon Bremmin. He kills and eats the Gnome, carrying her remains off into the depths of the Dearthwood. The giant, slightly bemused by this turn of events finds himself master of the field. It notes that the dwarf (or was it a bear) has dropped a rather fine magic axe, which it scoops up. Seeing little else to interest it, the giant goes on its way.
After it has gone, there is slight rustle in the bushes and Eldamar the Elf steps forth from his hiding place. He tracks down the mule that had bolted but only as far as that nice patch of thistles. So Eldamar makes his way home with the mule and all the loot.
Some days later a caravan from Portown bound for Chittagong finds a naked dwarf sitting shivering – despite the summer warmth – by the trade road. They take him back to Chittagong, where they receive recompense, as promised by the dwarf, for delivering him to the town house of Grettir Strongarm.
Ref: B-22
OE Date: Summer 678
Characters: Silden, Spjallbodi, Rigon, Bremmin, Alberic, Eldamar. NPCs: The party mule
Real World: When – 1st Term 1981 ; Where – St. Andrews (Whitehill Terrace)