A Merry Little Christmas
Summary
GM: Kita
Season: Summer 825 WK
Night: Christmas
- Party
- Remel elderly, white bearded chief
- Hrothgar crossbow wielding dwarf
- Kerry skilled kitty
- Argus "prankster"
- Uthgard master tree decorator
- Boom Boom young orc child
- Employer
Snowdrop
- Mission
Help Santa
- Pay
LOOT!
Scribe Notes
The party—Remel, Rothgar, Kerry, Argus, Uthgard, and Boom Boom—gathered in Meeting Room Four, summoned for a mysterious briefing. They were introduced to Lemon Drop, a remarkably short elf (even by elf standards) standing barely three feet tall, who was clearly in distress. Lemon Drop nervously asked for help with present delivery, offering a mysterious gift in exchange.
After a brief discussion, the party agreed. Lemon Drop instructed everyone to close their eyes and hold hands. When they opened them again, they found themselves standing in the library of Storybrooke, greeted warmly by Ollie the librarian. Lemon Drop wasted no time, hurrying to a shelf and opening a large tome. As snowflakes and shimmering ice crystals erupted from its pages, a magical portal appeared, which the party stepped through. They emerged into a lightly wooded forest, dusted with snow and chilled by a brisk winter breeze. The walk warmed their limbs as Lemon Drop led them to an ornate building, bustling with chaos inside. Dozens of short-statured elves dashed back and forth in a flurry of panicked activity. They were introduced to Everat, the anxious overseer of operations, whose frown seemed permanently etched into his face.
He explained that everything was falling apart—the Christmas tree wasn’t decorated, the reindeer were missing, and no one had made the hot chocolate. Priorities.
The Quest Begins
Deciding to locate the reindeer first, the party made their way to the stables, only to find the stalls broken open. Hoofprints—alongside odd, unfamiliar smaller tracks—led into the woods. After an hour's hike, the silence was broken by a wolf’s snarl. A pack of shadow wolves ambushed the party. Uthgard landed devastating blows, while Boom Boom and Kerry unleashed magical havoc. All the wolves were slain—save one, which fled.
Following the trail, they discovered the reindeer, weary and frightened. They had been stolen by goblin-like creatures. The party safely returned them to the stables, where they devoured food gratefully. Though Everat was thankful, he remained visibly distressed.
Next, the party tackled the massive Christmas tree in the foyer. Somehow nearly two stories tall, it miraculously fit indoors. They spent an hour decorating it with magical ornaments of all colours. Uthgard’s height proved useful for placing the topmost ornaments. Interestingly, the decorations seemed to magically affect the party, though no one was quite sure how.
Everat, somewhat calmer, asked for help with the hot chocolate crisis. In the kitchen, the chef was overwhelmed trying to make hundreds of candy canes. Remel took the lead on the hot chocolate—but discovered they were out of mint. An assistant mentioned a supply in the garden.
Chaos in the Snow
The party stepped into the snow-covered garden to locate the mint. Things took a turn when Argus, in a classic “prank”, released rats from his magic bag. Amid the chaos, the party managed to unearth the mint plants and return to the kitchen. Remel brewed a magically endless batch of invigorating hot chocolate, which the staff began distributing. The party, refreshed by their own mugs, took extra in bottles (thanks to Rothgar).
With things looking better and the house settling down we reported the good news to Everat, who was panicking: Santa was missing.
A Rescue Mission
The party rushed to Santa’s study, a lavishly decorated office with an ornate desk carved with winter scenes. The window had been forced open, snow drifting inside. Following the tracks through the woods, they discovered a goblin-guarded cave. After a swift ambush, they entered and found Santa imprisoned and badly beaten. A dozen goblins fought to keep him—but were defeated. The survivors—Geremy, Greg, Gardin, Gerald, Gertrude, Gail, and Goliath—were tied up and subject to Remel’s geas spell, compelling them toward reformation. The party returned Santa to his quarters, but even magical healing couldn’t restore him—he needed rest. Everat was panicked even more: With Santa incapacitated, who would deliver the presents?
Sleigh Duty
The party quickly stepped in. Remel, naturally, took on the role of Santa. Argus volunteered to drive the sleigh, Rothgar manned the mounted crossbow, while Kerry, Boom Boom, and Uthgard prepared as skybound guards.
The sleigh, enchanted and loaded with a magical bottomless sack of gifts, lifted into the air. The party soared through the skies, delivering presents across the realm. Once Remel discovered the chimney travel magic it made the job easier. Things were not without hiccups: a child caught him and he had a long converasation explaining his presence, he was chased by parents, and he held a deep philosophical conversation with a goldfish.
Battle in the Sky
As things settled into rhythm things were going well until four shadowy figures attacked the sleigh mid-flight. In the distance, a larger, more menacing shadow loomed in the distance. Aerial combat erupted: Argus dodged and weaved; Rothgar launched bolts from the crossbow; spells rained from above. The attackers reached the sleigh, landing vicious blows—but were ultimately defeated, dissipating into smoke.
The distant figure, booming with menace, declared he would destroy Santa. Before vanishing, Remel cast geas on him mid-monologue, hopefully planting the seed of redemption.
The rest of the night passed in tireless deliveries.
Mission Complete
Upon returning to Santa’s home, the stars still high in the sky, the party found Everat on the verge of tears—from pure relief. The elves were calm, the reindeer safe, the tree glowing, and hot chocolate flowed like a river.
Everat presented each adventurer with a gift, and Snowdrop returned the party to the guild—mission complete.
Loot and Expenses
A present from Santa.
