The Saga of Hurkaz the Mighty (Part I)

This is the tale of a mighty hero of the Northlands. Hurkaz the Mighty, born in Thursrike. A powerful hunter from his youth. This tale is of his journey to save the trollkin village of Jarastril from the dragon Nymatarothimlothtor, laired high on the mountain Jorofjell, in the land of Trollheim.

While journeying in the wilderness, Hurkaz came upon a trollkin village suffering the predations of a young white dragon. He saw the destruction wrought by the monster, of collapsed longhouses and building wreathed in ice from its cold breath. A youth implored him to visit the village elder.

He approached the elder’s humble longhouse, crowded with family and villagers close to the fire. An ancient trollkin woman she was. She asked his name and his land. She told how the fighters of her village had perished fighting the dragon and how cold winter approached. Would Hurkaz slay the dragon and free the village from this doom that encroached upon them?

“Yes,” he said. “I will venture out to kill the creature and gain the glory of its fall.”

Hurkaz set off into the hills, trekking through the snow and ice until he reached the thick pine trees, standing tall over the snow. He walked with care to not slip into the hollows around their skirts, least he die ignobly trapped in the cold snow.

At last he drew upon a large clearing, with trees scorched and burned by a great heat. The snow was churned like the face of the waters. A strange stream emerged from a steaming hole in the snowpack at the lowermost portion of the clearing, running down the hill. This was not the dragon’s lair, but something else it must be. He studied the clearing, then hefted a large boulder that protruded from the snow, hurling it through the air like the great balls of iron the reavers and jotuns throw in their games. 

It landed in the snow with a thud. Then a long thin creature burst from the snow in a gout of steam. It was like a centipede of fire and ice, sharp spines outlining its face full of teeth. It was a remorhaz! That most strange of creatures that lurk under the snow and ice of the North.

With mighty blows he hacked at the creature, swinging his great axe with the strength of Thor. Finally he parted its head from the foul, long body, leaving it fallen and still burning in the clearing. 

And Hurkaz marched still on. In the woods he heard a sinister laughter, and turned searching for the source in vain. A creature or creatures at the edge of vision, flitting back and forth between the trees. 

“Who is it?” He called.

“Who is it!” Mimicked a voice that was cold and sharp like the frost. “Silly trollkin lost in the snow,” the voice chanted.

“Come out and face me! I mean no harm if you are friend.”

“Ah, but we mean harm! You walk in the realm of snow and ice where the fey rule! And we shall kill you when the time is right.”

Hurkaz continued and came upon a frozen stream, several feet wide. The ice looked thin, but a fallen tree spanned the gap. He began to cross when a small figure with blue skin and sharp features like ice appeared and bounded in front of him on the log.

“We will freeze you and eat you for the Queen now!”

Hurkaz slew it with a single axe swing, knocking the body into a tree on the far side of the log with the force. The body exploded in a shower of ice crystals and snow as it struck the tree. Four more creatures appeared, surrounding him on the log, biting and stabbing at him with their cold knives of ice. He spun in a circle like a whirlwind, and all four fell to his great axe.

Then he sat down to rest, but not long after a fell breeze blew over him, and a creature of ice and wind wrapped itself around him, holding him in place. Its swirling ice shards bit into him, sapping his strength as he swung ineffectually at the air. Finally he fell unconscious, not knowing if he would ever awake.

When Hurkaz came to he was in a dark cavern with his arms and legs bound. He looked into the eyes of four creatures with elven features, purple skin, and white hair.

“Who are you troll creature?”

“I am Hurkaz. Who are you and how did I come here.”

“We snatched you away from the frostveil before it killed you. We have need of a strong warrior. We have been driven into these holes in the far North by the flesh eaters that drive us from our cities. A knight of bone follows us and is in a nearby cavern. Destroy it and we will aid you and set you free.”

“I accept your quest. I am a hunter and a slayer. I will put these bones to rest.”

Hurkaz managed to slay the strange monster, trading mighty blows with it in the dark cavern. How will the Drow reward him? Will he survive his journey to the cave of the dragon at the mountain’s peak?

We tested out the Heroic Champions heroic warrior class from MCDM’s Arcadia 22 with this one-on-one game. It’s been a very long time since I’ve tried one-on-one D&D, but the heroic class made it much easier. Cinematic abilities that help keep the character alive made it interesting. I wasn’t exactly sure how to balance the encounters either and since it was pretty relaxed I threw some really strong monsters (none of which I’ve used previously) at Hurkaz. 

Hurkaz started at level 3 to make things interesting. His first fight was the CR 5 Young Remorhaz. He rolled really well and the AC 14 remorhaz was also just not much of a challenge. I did like the fire damage whenever a melee attack hit it though. I think I’ll try the Monsterous Menagerie Remorhaz Spawn next time I use one though. It has a constrict ability that is interesting and adds more combat options. 

The Fraughashar were an easy fight as I expected, but let Hurkaz test out the area attack given to the heroic warrior. I like the Fraughashar, and will definitely use them in the future in a Northlands campaign.

The CR 4 frostveil from Tome of Beasts was a very powerful creature, probably acting above its CR. Perhaps multiple characters would have an easier time, but it’s reoccurring damage once it restrains a target is very strong. I’d use it again with caution.

Finally, Hurkaz fought a Bone Knight from Eberron: Rising from the Last War. If I tried it again I would use a kobold Press Ghost Knight or Darakhul Captain. It turned into a slog as they alternated hit and missing one another with melee attacks. Hurkaz leveled up to four afterwards.

Overall, very fun. The class works to make the character much more powerful. I think it’s better suited to a kink of legendary hero, like how I intend to use Hurkaz as a mythic, Beowulf-type figure in future Northlands campaigns.