Chapter 2 / Episode 43: "Blood Moon Passage: The Journey to Nulb"

 Players:

• Dog the Ranger of the Gnarley (Forest)
• Irving the Reluctant (Paladin of St. Cuthbert)
• TerryOr the Cleric of St. Cuthbert - absent
• Dixon the Dwarven fighter
• Oleg the half elf magic-user / thief
• Slash the Bard - absent

NPCs:

• Zert the Hero
• Spugnior the Theurgist

Description: Freezing

Temperature: 17.2°F to 36.3°F

Wind: Moderate breeze (SW)(13-18 MPH | 11-16 KN)

Precipitation: None

Clouds: Mostly cloudy

Coldeven 11, 576 CY – Morning

The Blood Moon Festival is celebrated on Coldeven 11, the night when Luna is full just before the Spring Equinox. On this night, curses are said to be twice as powerful and the forces of evil are at their strongest. Fiends roam the lands, and human sacrifice is common. This night is held especially sacred by cultists of Nerull, but worshipers of Kurell also mark this night as especially auspicious for acts of vengeance. Goodly folk superstitiously guard their homes with horseshoes, holy water, bottles of milk, and iron filings.

The morning was crisp, the ground frozen solid as the group mounted their horses and rode out. The journey was swift over the icy terrain of the Kron Hills. The gentle breeze carried an eerie stillness, as though the land itself held its breath on this fateful day.

Late in the afternoon, the party encountered danger—a pack of six Ice Trolls lunged from the shadows of a frosty copse. The battle was fierce. Dog the Ranger took a vicious blow but fought on valiantly. Fire proved their salvation, and with determination and skill, they vanquished the trolls. Afterward, Dog studied the tracks left by the trolls, following them back to their origin. The trail led to a crude lair hidden among the frozen hills. Inside, the party found only filth and scattered bones—a grim reminder of the trolls’ predations.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the adventurers pressed on, weary but determined. The darkened sky was tinged with crimson hues, a fitting herald for their destination. They arrived in Nulb under the pale light of the Blood Moon. The village matched its reputation—rundown, filthy, and sinister. Ramshackle buildings leaned precariously, and the air was thick with the stench of decay and lawlessness.

Nulb awaited, its secrets lurking in the shadows, and the adventurers prepared themselves for the challenges that lay ahead.

Treasure: None

Monsters:

Ice Trolls (6): AC 8; HD 2; hp 8 (x6); #AT 2; D 1-8/1-8; SA: Regeneration 2hp/round; XP 60 each

XP: 72 each

The below map was found here: https://littleodo.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-village-of-nulb.html