The Quest for Guantlegrim

When I listen to, watch, or read, fiction I start thinking about related stories. That’s what started the birthright campaign. (I’ve thought about that some more lately and I hope to have the drive to actually type some of it soon.) Lately I’ve been listening to R.A. Salvatore’s “Hunter’s Blade” trilogy on audio book. He’s really something of a hack when it comes to writing. I’ve lost count of how many times there’s been a 1st person monolog that boils down to: Drizt is a bad ass with low self esteem caused by insecurity at being a drow elf. He feels angst over not fitting in. But it’s entertaining anyway.
One of the plot lines he dropped (or postponed) was Gauntelgrim (sp?). It’s the ancestral homeland of the ‘delzune’ (sp?). They’re the original dwarf clan from which all current dwarves descended. I was thinking that a cool game could be set at the end of the trilogy. Orcs have trapped the dwarves inside mythril hall. Fighting is constant and every dwarf has taken their turn in the battle. The game starts with a pitched battle. The characters are part of a unit that is ambushed by the orcs, trapped, and all but annihilated. They’re the only survivors of the massacre.
Moral is low. To rally the dwarves king Bruenor announces that the survivors of epic ‘storyline’ massacre will be sent to find Gauntelgrim. The characters are given some clues, an old map, and equipment. They’re told to find Gauntelgrim, scout it out as much as possible and return with news. Hopefully they’ll find something to help defeat the orcs. If nothing else the news of the discover will boost moral.

Main NPC’s. The characters from the books will make cameo’s but won’t be central to the story. The main NPC is Cookie stronginthearm.

Cookie (ole butter tits by his friends) is one of the largest dwarves (by weight) under the mountain. He was the unit’s cook and immensely good natured about the endless fat jokes. He’s old for a dwarf and had a profitable tavern that he closed down to do his part in the war. Despite not being a warrior Cookie was instrumental in the characters surviving the massacre. He was jiggling death with frying pan and spatula. It’s been hinted that inside Cookie is a leaner, meaner dwarf (and of course lots of butter). Cookie is about 4 feet tall and weighs over 300lbs. He’s strong in proportion to his weight but tends to tire easily. The characters once witnessed a demonstration of Cookie’s strength. When a dwarf had taken an old joke too far cookie challenged him to a pushup contest. Vorgag loudly claimed that cookie was fatter than he was strong and would never be able to lift his own bulk.
Vorgag, cookie’s verbal assailant, was invited to sit on cookie’s back while cookie did 10 pushups. Cookie easily pressed the first 5 out quickly. The next four seemed sure to kill him. He gasped and complained the entire time about his left arm hurting him. So to give his off hand a rest he did the last pushup using only his right arm. Vorgag was unable to do any pushups with cookie mounted upon his back. And no one could say ol’ butter tits didn’t give him plenty of opportunity. He sat on the clever mouthed dwarf for most of the evening.
Cookie is an odd looking creature. His beard is gray and straight and fans out away from his face in a wide arc. He’s totally bald on the top of his head. Where hair should be is his personal coat of arms: A battle axe crossing a joint of beef over top of a foamy mug of beer all surrounded by a ring of butter sticks. He loves tattoos and has many. Some say that he likes being fat because it gives him more room for ‘art’. He often goes topless and isn’t what you’d call ‘shy’. When he does bother to wear more than pants (occasionally just a loin cloth.) He favors an apron, or brightly colored robes. He shuns armor as unnecessary but some of snicker that no one has ever found armor that fits him.

The other NPC is large axe attached to a dwarf named Nachek. The dwarf is short, squat, large nose, bushy beard gruff exterior, calls a spade a spade, wears armor. It’s almost like the gods decided to make the most dwarfish dwarf possible. But he loves his axe. He practices with it constantly. Before he goes to sleep he polishes the handle and rubs on a coat of special wax on to prevent rot. He sharpens the blade whenever he gets a chance and constantly examines it for signs of damage or nicks. When asked he’ll respond “a master craftsman always keeps his tools in order.” The axe itself is very impressive. A dwarven war axe it’s 3 feet long haft to tip with a heavy half moon blade and a wicked spike on the back. To say that he tries to solve every problem with violence would give him too much credit for creativity. If your only tool is a hammer the world looks like a nail. When your only tool is an axe… But to make up for his simple approach to problems Nachek attempts to be funny and help out with problems closely related to his beloved profession, like torture and intimidating people into to doing things.

Character Creation: Any race and any class in the forgotten realms setting are allowed at 1st level with 3rd Edition character creation rules. Unless you want to play a dwarf; in that case you can generate ability scores with 4d6 discard the lowest and start at 5th level with 2000 gp of equipment and/or magical items. Clerics will get an extra 750gp worth of gear because the dwarf gods have blessed this endeavor and one will come in really handy.

Obviously the story is dwarf focused and I’d rather that everyone play a dwarf. Cookie and Nacheck are both pretty decent melee fighters. Stealth would be useful, as would any from of magic. A party with a thief, Cleric and Necromancer could do very well.