On returning to Womford to resupply, the party decided to hire a captain and crew for the Soaring Hippogriff, their freshly re-christened keelboat. 
The captain agreed to a fee of 10gp per day plus 15% of the proceeds. The adventurers assigned him the task of rummaging through Rivergard Keep and salvaging anything of value.
After a busy day of shopping and negotiating, the party attended the Bargewright Inn for some dinner and a good night’s sleep. Of course, they were welcomed with open arms and immediately recruited for guard duty for a convoy headed to the north up the Long Road to Yartar. The trip was largely uneventful, excepting when the convoy was attacked by some bandits.
The bandits struck hard with crossbow quarrels flying everywhere. One of the wagons caught fire. Then the bandits took off, running into the trees and hills.
The party pursued. Right into an ambush. At first, it looked like it wouldn’t go well for the party as they were surrounded and outnumbered. Woe be unto the bandits though as first the captain, and then the individual bandits were picked off or taken down. Reyroris was in rare form, testing his range, he brought down bandits at further and further distances. His final shot at a speck in the distance was rewarded by the speck crying out and vanishing into the undergrowth.
After safely returning the convoy to Womford, the adventurers headed for Summit Hall. En route, they investigated a pillar of thick black smoke in the distance. The smoke turned out to be a burning farm. On hearing a plaintive cry from the farmhouse, Reyroris rushed in, dragging the farm’s owner out of the collapsing building in the nick of time. After healing, the farmer explained that orcs had taken his wife and farmhands and left him for dead. His wagon was missing too.
The wagon was easy enough to follow and find. The adventurers quickly slew the four orcs that were with it, a little surprised at how squishy the orcs turned out to be. The farmer was elated to be reunited with his wife. The farmhands were exhausted from pulling the wagon, but they would recover. The party agreed to escort the farmer to the Dellmon Ranch where he and his could seek refuge.
The ranch was abuzz with activity. They were clearly preparing for war. Earthworks had been established at the perimeter, makeshift crenelations were mounted to the top of the buildings, archers were posted around the farm and every able body was armed with something. The adventurers were quick to volunteer to help with the defense of the ranch.
The next day, the ranch was surrounded by an orc warband of 40 or so orcs. Aria, a druid from the Scarlet Moon Hall camp, had discovered that she had an adventurers spirit and had accompanied the party since having a taste of what they could do. Aria cast Spike Growth, immediately hindering the progress of the advancing horde. Their leader, an Orog, ignored the brambles, to his own detriment, and plowed forward, only to be taken down by Keeley’s fine bow skills. The orc’s incompetent spellcaster, an Eye of 
Grumsh, tried to be useful and failed. Meanwhile, Telfid called forth some Spirit Guardians and a Spiritual Weapon, and, contributing his own prodigious melee abilities, became a whirling cyclone of death and dismemberment, chewing through the perimeter of orcs like a scythe through wheat. After only a few minutes of slaughter, the defenders raised a loud cry of “Hurrah” as the last orc fell. While there were a few casualties in the ranch, the Dellmon family survived and there was much to celebrate. Several of the farmers and ranchers that had sought refuge had tales of narrowly escaping much smaller orc warbands as they overwhelmed defenses, killing or enslaving those within. Many a mug was raised in praise of the party and their contribution to the successful defense of the ranch.
With the immediate danger past, the party continued their journey to Summit Hall. There they recruited a dozen soldiers to guard Rivergard Keep and defend it from what may be left of the Water Cult. This contingent agreed to a fee of 5gp total per day.
Upon returning to Womford, they party was delighted to find that the Soaring Hippogriff had been busy. After expenses, they netted 825gp from the ransacking of the keep. Their fledgling shipping business was, so far, a success.
Alas, our tale pauses here, to be continued next week.
| Character | XP / XP So Far | Level / To Advance |
Treasure |
|---|---|---|---|
Ganus |
0 / 6387 | 4 (6500) | Wand of Magic Missiles Scroll of Haste Scroll of Wall of Water Scroll of Skywrite |
Reyroris |
980 / 7816 | 5 (14000) | 250 GP gold ruby ring |
| Sytarii | 0 / 6999 | 5 (14000) | +1 Dagger, “Reszur” Potion of Diminution |
| Taban | 980 / 5038 | 4 (6500) | N/A |
| Telfid | 980 / 7296 | 5 (14000) | Scroll of Lesser Restoration |
| Keeley | 980 / 4581 | 4 (6500) | N/A |
| Aria | 980 / 4581 | 4 (6500) | N/A |
| Noctavia | 0 / 6110 | 4 (6500) | N/A |
| Nastane | 0 / 3942 | 4 (6500) | N/A |
| Nala | 0 / 4942 | 4 (6500) | N/A |
| Proceeds from shipping, less expenses and upkeep. (Keelboat – 50gp per ten-day, plus crew – 10gp per day plus 15%. Rivergard Keep defense – 5 gp per day) |
825gp | ||
), and their druidic friends and headed up the hill to do something about this so-called “Wicker Giant” before it got loose.
on the priests and the Wicker Giant, wounding, and thus angering, the Fire Elemental trapped within. Alas, the flame was no match for the deluge of thick wet sleet and the Fire Elemental was doused in less than 12 seconds. The priests were taken down almost as quickly, with Sytarii charging into the maelstrom to thoroughly disembowel 
the priest caught within.
below them, they ascended the stairs. First one flight, then another, only to be surprised by a very well prepared foursome. First, a fireball whooshed into the team, knocking poor Telfid out – thankfully, the party was well-stocked with healing potions. Reyroris shook off the fire damage though and would have fought back, had the fireball not been followed by a stinking cloud of gaseous nastiness that left the party retching. Two Guardians led their attack with strikes from their flaming swords, further aggravating the situation. Then the druid, Elizar, 
conjured a wall of fire that knocked Telfid out again. Ganus made himself invisible and ran downstairs to take cover. Sytarii wasn’t far behind and sprinted for the exit. Reyroris administered another potion to Telfid and they took off too. After a few seconds, the druid dropped the wall of fire and the foursome chased after the party. Unfortunately, Lord Commander Ted had been overcome by the fires and was no more.
unconscious friend one last time, and the two trotted East into the hills and forests beyond. An hour or so later, Ganus appeared, huffing and puffing behind the two.
Sytarii hid in the captain’s quarters until he heard Ganus getting attacked. The hellhounds took turns breathing fire in the wheelhouse and Telfid dropped again, however, he was granted a boon from the heavens and miraculously recovered. With their combined efforts, the party was able to vanquish the monsters.
While the party wisely went around the giant killing machines, Sytarii thought he’d have some fun and unleashed Ildon’s crossbow. Taking careful aim at an ogrish posterior, he loosed a quarrel, that missed, of course. The ogres took note of the miss though and chased Sytarii for a long way before they tired and gave up. 
One of them even nicked him with a massive javelin.
up and left as soon as she could. She did, however, leave a small box in her tent with a note that said, “Use them well.” Ganus was very happy to see a pair of magic scrolls in the box.
Jolliver charged in, knocking out Telfid, but the party rallied and the enemies were dispatched forthwith. Then the adventurers thoroughly looted the keep. Encountering little remaining resistance. The chapel contained a cultist priestess and her guard, who attacked the intruders, so they were aggressively dealt with. Some bugbears proved to be the last remaining resistance in the last tower. They, likewise, were aggressively dealt with. Exploring the secret staircase in the throne room, the party found a grotto with a wide stream running through it. Embarking on the boats that seemed provided for that purpose, they headed downstream only to be waylaid by ghouls who capsized one of the boats, dumping the heavily armored passengers straight into the stream. Thankfully, the other boat got back to shore safely, so the drier members of the party were able to throw a line to the wetter ones and haul them ashore. The ghouls proved to not be too much of a challenge as Telfid called forth his holy anger and scared half of them away. the rest were readily dispatched.
I say nearly, because the party reacted quickly and decisively to the threat, killing the captain and his mate before the pirates could mount an offense. Several remaining pirates jumped ship and swam for the shore, while one stubbornly held his post, only to be cut down.
take on the day. That all changed the moment the Innkeeper, Nalaskur Thaelond, a Zhentarim operative, walked up and asked her and the party to run the inn for a ten-day while he went to Waterdeep to sort out some supply issues. After he left, she immediately discovered that 6 of the keys were missing. After much investigation, all evidence pointed at the Senior Sword, Chalaska Muruin, Guardmaster for the Inn. But it was a frame-up. Iglor the handyman was the actual culprit and he now sits in prison. Nalaskur was very happy that the Inn didn’t burn down in his absence, and rewarded the party handsomely for their efforts.
water genasi and high ranking member of the Water Cult. After entertaining the nosy adventurers for an interminable amount of time, he attacked. Discovering the party was a little more resilient than he’d expected, he unleashed a Tidal Wave that nearly washed the entire party down to Davy Jones’ locker. With Ganus’ nifty use of the invisibility spell and a few much-needed healing potions, the party was able to destroy the water wizard and his entourage.
encountered a sour-faced fellow with a drooping mustache named Reash. After Ganus told him they slew the genasi, he invited them in. An escort of 3 reavers brought them to the tower room where Reash and a small army were waiting for them. Reash proved to be a worthy 
adversary, but the Reavers, deckhands, and bandits just kept coming. Wave after wave of water cultists came after the party as the alarm spread throughout the keep. And wave after wave of cultists died. Sytarii got to experience what it must be like to be a red dragon, breathing Dragonfire and burning his attackers to a crisp. With burnt, slashed, pierced and bludgeoned bodies piling up (34 in all), the party was able to stem the tide. Now, after a short rest, they ready themselves to explore the keep.
stitched into it. All died from arrow wounds or crushing blows.
To the south was a long-abandoned privy. To the north, the tunnel led to a charnel house where giant rats feasted upon some travelers’ corpses marked with the sign of the Cult of the Black Earth. Flame magic destroyed the rats and the party moved on, but not before several were overcome by the stench.
promptly ignored. Larrakh, a Black Earth priest, cast Spider Climb to hide among the moving stones, only to be dislodged from the ceiling by Noctavia’s Thunderwave. A protracted battle ensued as Larrakh managed to hold his own against the party until Nastane shut him down with a well-placed globe of Silence. This sent Larrakh running through a secret door to the southeast. A few moments later, the party heard a loud crash as he triggered a cave-in to block the tunnel he was running down.
the ogre from behind, tearing it a new one. Meanwhile, Sytarii lined up the perfect shot, only to have the ogre duck out of the way so that his crossbow bolt tore through the chest of poor Keeley. Luckily, Sytarii was able to use the healing potion to bring her back from the brink of death. However, as a reward for his perfect marksmanship, Ildon insisted that Sytarii wear the jester’s hat.
sleeping hobo, Sytarii woke him, interrogated him, and after much back-n-forth, gave him 5gp and sent him on his way. One thing the thug was good for, he led Sytarii to the skull with the black arrow stuck through it. Sytarii read the note attached to the arrow: “The Last Laugh, You’ll be next! Valklondar” Now, who was Valklondar?
While rifling through the pockets of a corpse in the cave, Ildon expertly ducked out of the way of its left jab as the zombie reacted violently to his touch. The party dealt with not one, but two zombies, and proceeded into the cave. Defortune took the lead and narrowly missed getting his head smashed in by a box of rocks that fell from above, followed by the two zombies that had been holding it. In short order, the adventurers dispatched those two zombies and a third that came from the other side of the cave.
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