Summary

Two years ago, as hostilities were growing between Glantri and Darokin, the minor Glantrian noble Desmond Blackhill had hired the dwarven smith Brakr to craft magical arms and armor for Desmond's eldest son. But though he paid the dwarf a princely sum, the promised gear never arrived. With the war at a close and the former Occupied Territories returning to a semblance of normality, Desmond hired the Company of Crossed Swords to retrieve the goods from Brakhill, Brakr's mountain hall.

Accompanied by the hirelings Mircea and Trebbelos, three doughty warriors of the Company traveled into the mountains southwest of Glantri to reach Brakhill. They found the hall in ruins. A cave bear had made the entryway its den, while bats swarmed and giant spiders crept through the place's chambers and passages. Brakr himself lingered as an undead spirit, bemoaning the fall of his hall to backstabbing rat-folk and his inability to uphold his bargain with Desmond.

After a failed effort to persuade Brakr to rise from his seat and eject the interlopers himself, the party proceeded to root out the various monsters inhabiting the place, including a variety of giant spiders — at whose venomous fangs Ajax perished — the shambling undead remains of Brakr's apprentices and the intruding rat-folk. Finding a heap of coins beneath a rodent idol, Pog casually swept the coins into his pack with no regard for whatever curse the rat-god might levy for such a profane act.

But while the party obtained the purchased magic sword, they could not find the armor. Rather than risk camping in the wilds while they recovered from their wounds, they traveled back to civilization to rest and to hire more swords to replace the deceased Ajax and the acolyte Mircea, who needed to return to her temple to resume her tasks there.

Days later, the party — reinforced by a pair of hired men-at-arms — returned to Brakhill to have another go. But the place was not entirely empty. Faced by a pair of scavenging gnolls, Pog retreated, leaving Blackjack and the men-at-arms to be battered and left insensate. Sighing, Pog returned to the fray, slaying one but himself knocked unconscious by the other. Had Brakr not bestirred himself for a moment at Trebbelos's whining plea, sending the last gnoll running in fear, the party would surely have found their ends in gnollish bellies.

Even so, Pog and the man-at-arms Moss met their own ends not long after, bitten by a handful of poisonous spiders that had lingered on after the deaths of their arachnid kin. Blackjack and the hirelings buried Pog outside the mountain hall beside Ajax's grave.

When Blackjack returned to Desmond Blackhill with the arms and armor, he was met with a feast, prompt delivery of his reward in gold, and a promise to pay minstrels to sing the tale of his heroic deeds. But he did not stay long. Instead, he made his way back to Brakhill to assure the undead smith that his transaction was finally complete. With that knowledge, Brakr passed on peacefully into the final death, giving Blackjack his blessing.

Losses and Loot

The party slew one cave bear, eleven huge spiders, one gigantic spider, four dwarven zombies, three rat-folk, one rat-folk leader and two gnolls. They also granted eternal peace to the wight of Brakr. In addition to the sword, mail and helm promised to Desmond Blackhill — which netted an impressive 6,000gp reward — they retrieved 700cp, 300sp, 250gp, a fine chest, a knife and a flute.

For monsters defeated, treasure acquired and rewards issued, Blackjack Dusseldorf — the sole surviving player character — received 6,287gp and 1,055xp.