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Milstrom

Red's Hometown • Freed from the Milstrom Party • Gateway to Grimvar's Spine

Overview​

Milstrom is the town where Red — Thurnok Skyhammer — was raised by his adoptive parents, Marion and Robert Cross. The party first came there in Session 10, following leads on George, Project Purple Patch and Red's family, and found the town in the grip of the "Milstrom Party," a cult-like collectivist faction led by a devil called Red Lennon. The party cleansed the corrupted shrine in the forest, closed an infernal portal with the hedge mage Eleanor, uncovered the murder of Red's parents by the Eldoran spy Zeke, and left the townsfolk to choose a new government (Sessions 10–13).

Milstrom then became the party's base between trips up Grimvar's Spine, which is reached by the Pilgrim's Path from the town. The party returned for the winter solstice (Session 18), came back after Red was lost to the Skyhammer starship (Session 22), and held Red's memorial at his childhood home (Session 23). The town has not featured in the story since.

Places​

  • The Common Mug — The tavern at the center of town life, scene of the Milstrom Party's show trial (Session 10) and the town meeting on its future (Session 13).
  • The tunnels — A hidden trapdoor leads to tunnels beneath the town, once used to smuggle pilgrims of Tyr toward the mountain pass, with a meadery and dining hall where Roscoe holds court. They connect to Red's childhood home and the basement of the Common Mug (Sessions 10–11).
  • Red's childhood home — The Crosses' house; in the tunnels beneath it, Roscoe gave Red his mother's journal revealing his true name and heritage. It has been repeatedly taken over by squatters (Sessions 11, 23).
  • The druidic shrine — An altar in the forest, corrupted by devils into a portal and the source of the blight on the surrounding woods (Sessions 8, 11–13).
  • Milstrom Inn — Where Roscoe drank with the party after Red's memorial, and where the Warden's mountain race was organized (Session 23).
  • Lonnie's Bar & Grill — Where George last checked in with the Twilight Company before heading into the mountains (Session 3).

Outside town, the woods held Magnolia's cottage and Zeke's cottage, which the party accidentally burned down (Session 13). Eldoran Knights kept a checkpoint on the approach, warning travelers away and handing the party a brooch to report back what they found (Session 10).

History​

The Milstrom Party (Sessions 8–13)​

Fleeing High Forge with a refugee caravan, the party headed for Milstrom with a list of errands: the blight on Eleanor's shrine, a rumored portal to hell, the missing mayor, and leads on George and Red's family (Session 8). They found an orderly, red-armbanded town under Red Lennon's collectivist regime, holding a public trial that sentenced the dissenter Willemay Hargreave to death (Session 10). Beneath the town Roscoe revealed Red's past as a Skyhammer prince; the party interrogated the squatters in Red's old home, learned of monthly sacrifices at the forest shrine, and drove off a wolf attack (Session 11). They allied with Frankie the werewolf, killed the three devils conducting a ritual at the shrine, and Eleanor cleansed it (Session 12). With the portal closed, the town met at the Common Mug to decide its government and postponed the decision for a month; Magnolia's testimony and Zeke's journal revealed that Zeke, an Eldoran spy, had poisoned the Crosses' well (Session 13).

Solstice and Memorial (Sessions 18–23)​

At the winter solstice the town was decorated with an ice rink, snowman contest and carolers when Negacast, an impostor of the Winter King's assistant Caspian, corrupted the celebration; the party destroyed its crystals and killed it with the real Caspian's help. Jasper Gaines, arriving with a wagon of beer casks for the tavern, joined the fight (Session 18). After Red's sacrifice on the mountain, the party returned to Milstrom to rest (Session 22), then evicted squatters from Red's home to hold his memorial outside it. At the Milstrom Inn they caught a bounty hunter hunting Bo Dega, learned that the Iron Claws had taken High Forge, and watched Helisanna's playing turn locals' eyes purple (Session 23).

Session History​

  • Session 8 — Traveling with the refugee caravan toward Red's hometown, the party draws up a to-do list of Milstrom's troubles.
  • Session 10 — The party enters Milstrom past an Eldoran checkpoint, finds it under Red Lennon's collectivist regime, and meets Roscoe.
  • Session 11 — In the tunnels under town Red learns his true identity, the party interrogates the squatters in his old home, and wolves attack the town.
  • Session 12 — The party allies with Frankie the werewolf and kills the devils at the corrupted forest shrine before Eleanor cleanses it.
  • Session 13 — Eleanor closes the portal, the town postpones choosing a government, and the party learns Zeke murdered Red's parents before burning down his cottage.
  • Session 18 — The party saves Milstrom's winter solstice festival from Negacast, fighting alongside the newly arrived Jasper Gaines.
  • Session 22 — After Red's sacrifice, the party rides down the mountain to Milstrom and rests with its vehicles.
  • Session 23 — The party holds Red's memorial at his childhood home, questions a bounty hunter at the Milstrom Inn, and prepares for the Warden's mountain race.