D&D post game 1-13-18 Part 2

Welcome to Bronislav

The party is greeted by a bear of a man in heavy furs. He introduces himself and Milosh and yells for his wife Rada someone else named Dimitri. He tells the party Svetlana will be along soon. He tells them to come inside the long house to get warm and to eat.

Inside the longhouse they meet Rada. A tall female with alabaster skin and adorned in robes of white trimmed with blue and wearing a snowflake pendant that matches the symbol on the bear statue. Another man, Dimitri, enters from what sounds and smells like the kitchen at the back of the house. He is easily as tall as Milosh, but half as wide. He is wiping his greasy hands on an apron and smells of heavy spices. They three of them welcome the party again and begin to pour them drinks and invite them to sit and relax. Minutes later another lumbering figure enters the long house. They are wrapped in furs with a large black bow slung over one shoulder and the rear legs of an elk or deer slung over the other. Milosh introduced the party to Svetlana, Dimitri’s wife. A woman almost as tall and thick as Milosh, but without the outgoing personality. She is very reserved and seems to keep a watchful eye on the party.

This is the entire population of the village of Bronislav, the lost village Lukas was looking to find. He never expected to find people living here though. It is both welcoming and strange.

Dinner is served and conversations and questions begin from both groups. The party learns that these people have been living here for decades, or longer. Yet they only look to be in their 30’s. They even knew the party was on their way up toward their village. They are told of the old crone lady Millicent who lives on the mountain. They are warned to stay away from her or to offer her sweets if they meet up with her. Rada is as priestess of Auril, the Frost Maiden. Milosh and Svetlana are avid followers of Malar (the bear part of the statue outside). They are not the happiest gods in the pantheon, but they are very suitable for these mountain folk. They know of a few other expeditions on the mountain that have failed over the last few years, but none of those were heading to find Thunderdelve Mountain. Oh yeah, they know of the citadel and the route to get there. Lady Millicent tends to deliver goods she recovers from travelers that run into her. She also has a knack for freezing people in blocks of ice. They are impressed with their handling of the yetis and learn that their “leader” is known as Old One Eye a large and terrible beast that Svetlana wounded years ago. It is brought up that there are white dragonborn on the mountain as they have made it to Bronislav before, but are nowhere near as friendly as the thief of this party. They attribute to the fact he is a bronze and they are chromatic in origin. They are told of a cave they can stay in on the way up the mountain, but to only keep to the front of the cave. It seems a bear they have named Nobu hibernates  far back in the cave. It would not be wise to stir him.

As conversation goes so does the night. There is more drinking ( a delicious and refreshing snowberry wine )and dining ( goat stew and fresh roast elk) . Rada talks of her goddess. Dimitri plays a few jaunty tunes on a small accordion for Rada and Milosh to dance. Svetlana sits ever watchful but does manage to do some singing during the dance numbers. It is a very cordial night, but it must end eventually.

Dimitri gives them the house for the night. He tells them to bar the door and to stay inside this night. They have left offerings for Lady Millicent ( goat entrails, a handful of licorice root and a live goat ) by their shrine ( bear statue ). She will be by to collect them this night. Dimitri cannot stress enough to keep clear of this crazy old woman. The four citizens of Bronislav take their leave, but say they will return in the morning to feed the party a heavy and hearty breakfast.

Minutes afterward the party begins to discuss what has just happened. They know that these four people are probably not normal people. No human naturally lives for a few hundred years. Their explanation of time passing slower this high into the mountains seems unbelievable. Still, they are friendly, make good food, gave them shelter and have not shown any creepiness or hostility toward the party.


There is the fact that some of their belongings look to be made from craftsmen in Stonekeep. The barbarian noticed this when he was given a flagon on snowberry wine. A flagon that is identical to the ones he drinks from back at the Slaughtered Hog. The same can be said for some of the lanterns they use. They say that Lady Millicent does deliver goods she has taken off explorers that run into her. Lukas is nervous, but excited that these people know of the citadel and can point them in the right direction. The party is a bit curious to peek out and get a look at Lady Millicent’s arrival, but they choose caution and instead turn in  for the night.

The next morning they are awoke by Dimitri pounding on the door. He is there to make sure they survived the night and to begin breakfast.

An hour and change later the party is prepping to leave. Dimitri warns them again to stay clear of Lady Millicent. Rada says a blessing to protect them. Milosh and Svetlana have fed, watered and loaded their mules. Lukas gets a clear set of directions and an update to his map. The barbarian makes for the statue of the bear at the front of the village. He notices  the goat, bowl of entrails and the licorice root are gone. He reaches into a belt pouch and removes a single silver coin and places in on the base of the statue. It is as much a tribute as it is a notification from him as to what he believes the people of this village are.

The group mounts up and the next stop will be the citadel of Thunderdelve Mountain!