The mercenaries sent by Bastard Nigel to collect them for questioning in Videl laid dead at the base of the tower. Some of them, smought by Beorn’s lightning, some torn apart by the bomb of souls thrown by Gadoof the necromancer, a few run through by ballista charges. Things seemed to be looking up for the party.

Until, all of a sudden, Beorn, Tenli, Uncle Iron, Orophor, Zain, and Shiela the ghost found themselves in a cozy tavern. Under normal circumstances, quite pleasant. Especially since the tavern was decorated with festive garlands, glass baubles, and scented with warm cinnamon wafting from mulled wine. However, when teleported unwillingly and without warning, even the coziest tavern feels a bit unwelcome.

The group put together that Gadoof must have teleported them, for whatever reason, and decided to talk to a patron, Finger Yew. She informed them that the island upon which they now stood would be their home. Forever. Nobody leaves. Sorry.

Upset with the answers Finger Yew gave them, they moved on to a cheerier looking fellow named Chad Dingle. Dingle directed them to Granny Mickledog, the elder on the island.

Granny Mickledog told Orophor that, despite being sent there unwillingly, they were in luck. The island is intensely pleasant, in great part to the kindness of all its citizens. After all, nobody wants Krampus to kill them in grotesque and ugly fashion. She explained, every year, Krampus punishes those on the island who made his naughty list. People up to misdeeds. Unfortunately, that probably included our party members. Or at least Orophor.

Tenli meanwhile asked the bartender, Burp, about getting a room for the evening. Rather than rent them a room to rest in, he gave everybody magic cookies, which when eaten, filled their bellies and their minds full of zesty and gingerful high spirits. Rather than pay, Tenli simply promised Burp first rights to looting the party’s corpses when Krampus killed them.

The group decided to set off to put an end to the Krampus. Seemed their best bet to get off the island, from some sense of logic the DM didn’t argue. They made their way to Kramus’s lair, atop Candycane Mountain, trudging through the bitter cold of the night and away from the twinkling lights of the town.

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As they made their way further from the village, they began to hear screams behind them. It seemed Krampusnacht had begun, and some villagers had made the naughty list.

They made it to the lair, and discussed the possibility of releasing Crazy Horse from the bag of holding as an ultimate weapon during the fight against Krampus.

Beorn cast vail of shadows to keep them hidden as they inspected the lair, filled with bones and stinking piles of refuse that might be children, or perhaps just really big goats.

Off the island, in the Necromancer’s tower, Balthazar and Sven made out a little bit to the delight of old Gadoof. Gugu egged them on, suggesting they twist tails.

Back inside the lair, the party found a band of gnomes, caged up and playing music. Feeling some guilt about his previous interaction with a gnome, Orophor released the lock on the cage and freed the gnomes. In their gratitude, the gnomes bequeathed presents upon the party.

As the group admired their presents, a jingling came from down the way. Ring-ting-tingling, slay bells sounded. And before they could think up a good plan, Krampus was upon them.

Orophor struck by releasing Crazy Horse into the fray. Unfortunately, Crazy Horse’s first action was to betray. It immediately sided with Krampus and bit Orophor on the shoulder.

Orophor’s second instinct was to put Krampus in the sack of holding. It didn’t really work, although he did get Krampus’s enormous hog in the sack, and clung to it, accidentally (or purposefully?) jerking the monster off a little bit.

Shiela, having been hitching a ride in Zain’s head, did her best to help by jumping into Krampus’s head. However, the horrors within proved not to her liking. She tried to escape, but it proved more difficult than she inspected. Still! Shiela gave Zain inspiration with her selfless act, and allowed Zain to stab Krampus right in the spleen.

Iroh then clambered up on the demon and let fly his fists, pummeling the crooked red nose into a bloody pulp.

The demon staggered, and fell. Krampusnacht was no more.

As the rest of the party celebrated their accomplishment, Orophor and Zain split the loot in secret.

And, as Krampus’s corpse cooled in the snow, Beorn let out a whimsical toot. The Forest Spirit, coming from Bjorn’s ass, congratulated them on ridding the world of a monster that punished evil and made people act in kinder ways. She opened a portal for the party to jump back through into the Necromancer’s Tower.