Category: The Story So Far

Player	Character	Role	Class	Race
Lofton	Lorian	Controller	Wizard	Eladrin
Jason	Reef	Striker	Rogue	“Human”
Sabin	Xaelin	Striker	Sorcerer	Dragonborn
Pete	Orin	Tank	Fighter	Mul (half-dwarf)
Michael	Kriv	Tank	Paladin	Dragonborn
Katey	Jasmine	Controller	Druid	Human
Perrin	Alphazar	Leader/Striker	Hybrid Druid/Shaman	Wilding

As the party emerged from the cave into the late morning sun, some noticed that something was off.  Alphazar examined the forest and weather and realized that the party had been in the cave for some 3 months, rather than a few hours or days.

Shrugging off that strange news, Orin led the party back toward Harken.  Ahead, they saw a plume of smoke, and investigating, came upon a small band of the Iron Hand, terrorizing a local villager brandishing torches as if to light the place afire.  The smoke was coming from an outbuilding which was already ablaze.  Orin flipped his lid (his village had been burned to the ground), and ran into the front garden to battle the villains.

A battle ensued.  Jasmine emerged from the house to fight from the rear, while the rest of the party was set upon the Iron Circle.  During the battle, after using the Crossbow-that-never-hits, Reef meandered over to the well and doused himself with water, then headed toward the outbuilding with another bucket of water.

At the end of the battle, last remaining Iron Circle member pled for his life, which was spared, despite the fact that Xaelin had to hold Orin back.  The man answered several questions with a lot of bravado, until the party had had enough and killed him.

Reef changed himself into the likeness of the Iron Circle member, earning himself a punch in the face from Kriv.  He explained that he could do this thing, that he was a changeling, and that it could be of some use.  A huge argument went up among the party about what to make of this.  Was he an Iron Circle spy, or could he be trusted, and should they just kill him on the spot and be done with it?  Calmer tongues prevailed and Reef resumed his normal appearance.

A discussion with the lady of the house, Ilyana, yielded further information about, Nazin Redthorn, the Iron Circle and their takeover of the Harkenvold.  She suggested they go to see Dar Gremath in Albridge or to see the Druid Reithann.  Since Albridge was on the way, to the Druid’s Grove, they decided to start there.

On the journey north they ran into a small band of the Iron Circle.  Orin and Kriv went ahead to “chat” with the band, while Laurian led the rest of the adventurers through the trees.   When he could see the group, he put them all to sleep, whereupon Reef began slitting throats.  A short skirmish was ended quickly as Orin and Kriv awoke, followed by one of the band, whom they dealt with.

Upon arriving in Albridge, the party visited first the White River Mercantile where they tried to off-load their sizeable collection of used and bloodied armor and weapons.  For some of the items, notably the Skeletons’ swords and armor, she paid a good price; most of the rest was either in such a state of disrepair, being battle worn, dirty, or rusted, that she was only willing to give a pittance.  For the Iron Circle items that were not bloodied, she paid a good rate too.

In all, the party made out well.  Many merchants would not have paid anything for the scraps of leather that comprised the goblins’ meager armor.

_________________________

Treasure:

Party:  4 scale armor, 4 light shield, 4 scimitar, 4 crossbows, 75 bolts, 4 black cloaks embroidered with a gray circle.

Party:  150 sp

Party:  30 gp

Party:  6 scale armor, 6 light shield, 6 mace, 6 crossbow, 85 bolts, 6 black cloaks embroidered with a gray circle

Party:  +1 Wand of Magic Missile
Implement (Wand)
Enhancement:  +1 Attack and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 damage
Property:  When you damage a target with the magic missile power used through this wand, you can push the target 1 square.
Power (Encounter):  Standard Action.  As the wizard’s magic missile power.

Experience:

All: 180 each

Player	Character	Role	Class	Race
Lofton	Lorian	Controller	Wizard	Eladrin
Jason	Reef	Striker	Rogue	“Human”
Sabin	Xaelin	Striker	Sorcerer	Dragonborn
Pete	Orin	Tank	Fighter	Mul (half-dwarf)
Michael	Kriv	Tank	Paladin	Dragonborn
Katey	Jasmine	Controller	Druid	Human
Perrin	Alphazar	Leader/Striker	Hybrid Druid/Shaman	Wilding

 

After the battle with the goblins was over, Jasmine excused herself to return to visit with the Druids and tell them what was going on regarding the slavers.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the party decided to continue on through the double iron doors.  After many attempts, they decided their best bet was to smash through the hinges and rip the door open.  It took much effort, but with a little help from a mage hand, they were able to pull the door open.

Finding themselves in a large tunnel carved in the rock so that it was unnaturally smooth, they proceeded on.  Sometime later, Orin and Kriv found themselves at the brink of a 15’ wide chasm that was at least a hundred feet deep.  After much discussion, a couple of javelin tosses and no small amount of trepidation, Kriv leapt across the chasm, rope in hand.  Landing roughly on the other side, he helped as the other’s jumped across.  Lorian almost didn’t make it, but thanks to the rope around his waist, he simply splatted into the opposite chasm wall instead of falling to his doom.

Later, Alphazar spotted some small holes in the walls.  Reef proceeded to find and disable the poison dart trap that could have undone the whole party.

About an hour later, after walking a mile or more in this tunnel, the party felt a cold shiver run through them as the tunnel widened and they came face to face with a massive pair of iron doors fully 20’ across.  Alphazar perceived a way to open the large sun motif that decorated the doors.  After Kriv and Orin tried, Xaelin managed to get the sun to move out of the way, discovering what seemed to be a large keyhole.  Reef went to work on it and managed to pick it, unlocking the mighty doors with his skill and dexterity.

Orin’s bravado had him through the doors first, followed closely by Kriv.  Inside, the large room, some 40’ wide and 80’ long, stone cabinets that lined the walls opened, each releasing a skeleton into the room.  As one, the skeletons drew bows and opened fire on the party.  Orin was ready though and charged in, smashing the closest skeleton to bits.  Kriv, Xaelin and Alphazar were close behind.  Reef shot futilely with the Crossbow-that-never-hits.  As the party shattered Decrepit Skeleton left and right, arrows kept coming at them out of the darkness.  When they finally brought some illumination to the far end of the chamber, they were face to face with a Skeleton Captain and his Skeleton Warrior guards, behind them were the source of the arrows, two Skeleton Archers.

Kriv leapt into the fray, taking on the Skeleton leaders and several minions, marking them all for combat.  Shortly thereafter, he was rethinking that choice as he slipped into unconsciousness.  Alphazar then used his summoned spirit to channel a healing surge to Kriv and a secondary heal to Orin.  With amazing accuracy, Reef denied the Crossbow-that-never-hits and shattered one of the skeletons, which seemed to turn the tide as all the remaining skeletons soon fell.

When the skeleton dust and bones had settled, Orin and several others began investigating the stone cabinets.  Inside were 3 ornamented clay pots that held the remains of the soldiers entombed here, each set carved in the likeness of a crow, a snake and a spider.  There was also a small golden statue resembling a lesser demon.  In the Captain’s cabinet, the statue was larger and represented the greater demon Horrifaux Echs.

Rifling through the skeletons weapons, the party found that the warrior’s armor and swords are ornamented in gold, while the captain’s was even more richly ornamented.  The captain’s sword also has a keen edge (+1 to damage rolls).

After gathering their loot, Alphazar noticed that the Captain’s cabinet was not anchored as the others were.  Some heaving and shoving ensued, and the massive stone cabinet tumbled to the floor with a terrible smash.  Behind the cabinet was a keyhole in the center of a 10’x10’ gilded door.  Try as they might, the party could not breach the magical enchantments that protected the door.  The demon that set it here was not to be troubled by this party this day.

After an uneventful voyage back through the long cavern and over the gaping maw, the party carefully moved through the goblin’s chambers, finding nothing but corpses, until they emerged into the late afternoon sun and turned toward town.

_________________________

Treasure:

Party:  8 worn longswords, 2 gilded longswords (+25gp), 2 short swords, 2 longbows, 8 worn shortbows, 130 arrows in 10 quivers, 2 gilded chainmail (+100gp), 1 ornamented chainmail (+250gp), 2 light shields, 1 ornamented heavy shield (+150gp)

Party:  1 ornamented longsword (+80gp, +1 to damage rolls)

Party:  12 small demon statues (100gp), 1 large demon statue (300gp)

Experience:

All: 368 each

Player	Character	Role	Class	Race
Lofton	Arranis	Controller	Wizard	Eladrin
Jason	Reef	Striker	Rogue	“Human”
Sabin	Xaelin	Striker	Sorcerer	Dragonborn
Pete	Orin	Tank	Fighter	Mul (half-dwarf)
Michael	Kriv	Tank	Paladin	Dragonborn
Katey	Jasmine	Controller	Druid	Human
Perrin	Alphazar	Leader/Striker	Hybrid Druid/Shaman	Wilding

After exploring the Harken forest for several days, Jasmine had seen neither hide nor hair of a Woodsinger elf, but she had often felt like she was being watched, yet nothing was ever there when she looked.

Sitting on a stump to eat her lunch one sunny day, the beautiful sunlit leaves casting dancing shadows on the forest floor, she heard a scrabbling of feet behind her and then felt a terrible wallop on the back of her head.  She started to her feet but a second wallop sent her sprawling and everything faded to black.

* * * * *

When Mahindarel had called the saplings to come to his grove, several had rushed to be first to get there.  As always, Alphazar moseyed along, without a care in the world.  He eventually arrived at the grove.  Mahindarel looked down at the youngster and frowned, “Late again Alphazar, when will you learn?”  Addressing the saplings, he said, “I have called you here at the request of the Council.”  The saplings murmured and whispered at the mention of the Council of the Four Winds.  Mahindarel waited patiently, and then resumed, “Two of you will need to go to visit the Leafless.”  The murmuring was louder this time at the mention of the Leafless.  Most of the saplings had never left the woods, and even among those who had ventured further, only a handful had ever seen a Leafless – Scrawny, short, stumpy things with animal’s fur on the top of their heads instead of leaves.

Alphazar was one of those few; he had been particularly peeved one day and had gone off to be alone.  He had walked for two days before he came upon the stone and thatch dwelling where the Leafless lived.  He had stayed to watch for several more days but eventually became bored with their routine and headed home.

Branches shot up as Mahindarel asked for volunteers.  Alphazar’s were not among them.  Mahindarel selected Jocureel as the first of two.  Alphazar noticed the branches going down long before he noticed the elder’s stare, and then he realized what he was seeing.  “What?  Me?  You don’t want to send me.”

“Oh but I do,” said Mahindarel, “It is past time that you should grow up and begin to take some responsibility in your life.  You are the oldest of the saplings and have still not earned your bark.  This is just the thing to get your head out of the clouds and into the woods.”

“But, but,” protested Alphazar, “look there, Dorianis is a better Druid than I’ll ever be, and no one can touch Giramgend when he has his totem in his hand.  Clearly, they would be better choices.”

“I think not, you will go,” declared the Elder.

The following day, Jocureel and Alphazar headed north toward the town the Leafless called Harkenwold.  Just past the edge of the Woods.

After travelling for 3 days, they were discovered.  At first, whatever it was that had found them remained hidden, but when the sun had set, they found themselves surrounded by a gaggle of hostile bullywugs.  The tree folk started to put up a fight, but after Jocureel had one of his upper branches chopped off, they yielded and were captured.  Several days passed before they were sold to the hobgoblin.  He brought them back to a cave where he kept them locked in a cell with a dire wolf for company.  They were very glad that the wolf was a carnivore, though they lived in fear of his terrible fangs nonetheless.

They were right to.  The wolf took to chewing on Jocureel, which amused the hobgoblins to no end.  Within a week, Jocureel was dead.  Now, the wolf was eying Alphazar.  Yesterday, the hobgoblins had dragged in one of the Leafless and chained her up in one of the alcoves.

* * * * *

Having been sent from Fallcrest to the Harkenwold to investigate reports of the Iron Circle’s nefarious activities, the Paladin rode steadily along the King’s Road.  Kriv was rapidly becoming bored and frustrated that the journey was so long and the mission so pointless. (The Iron Circle has always been a raggedy band of thieves and cutpurses.  They’re usually nothing the town watch can’t deal with.)

Sometime around midday, he saw movement in the trees to the south of the road.  Not wanting to be waylaid by highwaymen, he drew his sword and prepared to gallop, but then he saw a gnarled green foot beneath some branches and realized this was probably some orcs or goblins.  He hoped for the latter as it would then be an unfair fight.  With a great cry, he charged the woods, scattering the goblins this way and that.  Two fell to his sword before he dismounted, three more fell after.  Three others ran away, he pursued, on foot, knowing it would take too long to mount again.  His righteous anger was upon him and he was determined to slay these evil creatures.  He caught up to the third runner when it tripped over a tree root.  He lopped off its head as it was scrambling to its feet.  The other two ran into a nearby cave, so he ran after them, barreling through a short passage and a chamber where five or six goblins lay dead.  He did not slow to count.  His quarry was just ahead when suddenly the first runner was cleaved in half and the second nearly had its head chopped off, the axe swung again as the biggest dwarf he’d ever seen came into view.  This strike was true and the last goblin fell to the ground, dead.

* * * * *

After slaughtering the goblins and their pets in the first two chambers, the adventurers decided to rest a little before tackling the final door.  Keeping a watchful eye on the tunnel and the door, they meditated and recovered to prepare themselves for whatever was behind the door.

Suddenly, there was the sound of scrabbling footsteps and belabored breathing from the tunnel.  Orin quickly brought his battle axe to bear and as the unsuspecting goblin nearly ran into him he sliced it in two.  Lorian prepared to cast a spell into the mix, while the second goblin slowed to avoid the next strike.  Then, as the goblin tried to run past Orin, he found himself being introduced to the sharp side of Orin’s axe and fell dead to the floor.  Orin quickly drew back; ready to strike at whatever it was that had been chasing the goblins down the tunnel.  Just as he was about to strike, a Dragonborn in chainmail armor stopped and raised a hand to dismiss the attack.  Distrustful, Orin challenged the Dragonborn to determine if he be friend or foe.  After some squabbling and bravado on both sides, Orin decided that the Dragonborn passed muster and walked with him past the goblin corpses, back into the chamber where proper introductions were made and the adventurers added a 5th to their party.

* * * * *

Orin and the newcomer, Kriv, crashed open the double doors, weapons drawn and attacks ready, the spell casters and the rogue readied in the rear.

As soon as the door was opened, the chaos of battle took over as goblin blackblades, hobgoblin grunts, wolves, a goblin warrior and a hobgoblin warcaster all joined the melee.  Pinned in the doorway by the crush of enemies, Orin and Kriv fought valiantly to advance the party into the room where the mages could use their blast spells.  Lorian reacted with cat like reflexes, practiced hands moving deftly as he placed a swirling sphere of fire deep into the room, burning several of its inhabitants.  This he followed with a sweet and sinister lullaby that slowed several of the enemy.  Reef, cursed with the Crossbow-that-never-hits, shot several times in vain, no matter how steadily he handled the bow.  Xaelin saw an opening where Orin had slain the goblins and advanced to cast his spells more effectively.  Lightening split the air as his spells found target after target.  As the endless tide of greenskins began to falter, the druid chained in the alcove transformed into beast form and back again; releasing herself from bondage.  Then she too began casting spell after spell to destroy the terrible creatures.  One of the hobgoblins managed to get to the lever that opened the cage where the dire wolf lived.  As the cage opened, the great beast bayed and slavered and leapt forward, finding itself fighting an ancient spirit of the forest in ape form.  Out of the cage came a white wolf that charged the nearest hobgoblin, ripping out his throat.  The white wolf was followed by a bear rampaging toward the dire wolf and attacking its flank.  At some point, Orin was given the chance to show off his gladiatorial athletics skills as the Warcaster tossed him into a pit, almost.  At another, a well-aimed shot that defied the nature of the Crossbow-that-never-hits, took the dire wolf in the eye and it was no more.  One by one the greenskins and their pets fell.  Until, at last, the party stood amidst the death and destruction, facing a human druid, and one of the fabled tree folk, his skin of bark and limbs like branches, covered in pale green leaves.  As the battle ended, the white wolf padded toward him and faded away, and the ape dematerialized as it returned to the spirit world from whence it came.  Lorian released his fire sphere and that was that.

Reef and Kriv attempted, in vain, to topple the statue, while Orin eyed the two sets of double doors at the back of the chamber.  The ones on the right appeared to be made of iron.  The ones on the left:  wood.  Orin decided to try his luck on the wooden doors.  With a few mighty chops of his axe he smashed through the doors and found a small chest containing a Potion of Healing and approx. 120gp.

_________________________

Treasure:

Party:  10 leather armor, 4 light shields, 4 longswords, 1 spear, 5 javelins, 6 short swords, 1 staff, 1 grimy robes

Party:  vellum sheet – a letter from Chief Krand of the Bloodreavers ordering the warcaster here to capture villagers to transport to Thunderspire for use as slaves.

Party:  Potion of Healing.  Minor action – drink and spend a healing surge to regain 10 hit points.

Party:  130gp

Experience:

All: 208 each

Player	Character	Role	Class	Race
Lofton	Arranis	Controller	Wizard	Eladrin
Jason	Reef	Striker	Rogue	“Human”
Sabin	Xaelin	Striker	Sorcerer	Dragonborn
Pete	Orin	Tank	Fighter	Mul (half-dwarf)

 

Bright and early the next morning, the adventurers gathered at the inn.  Old Kellar, explained that the challenge was to clean out the catacombs beneath the town.  Apparently, some goblins or some such have moved in.  After Orin renegotiated the price up to 12gp each, Kellar showed them the entrance to the catacombs below.

As soon as they entered the first tunnel they spotted, and were spotted by, a goblin, though he just stood there, acting oddly brave for a goblin.  You see, the villagers had tried to rid themselves of the goblins several times, but they ran away faster than they came, so the goblins expected this group of “villagers” to be no different.  And at first it would seem they were right.  The adventurers discovered there were three Goblin Warriors and two Goblin Blackblades in the outer chamber and that they were ready for a fight.  The Warriors danced all over the place hurling javelin after javelin.  The Blackblades flanked poor Xaelin and cut him down in a coordinated attack that nearly killed him.  But Reef finally hit with the Crossbow-that-never-hits, and Orin rallied while Arranis came to Xaelin’s aid.  After that, the party made short work of the goblins until the last of them fled, running off down a hall at the back of the chamber.  Once he was out of sight,  the adventurers tossed the room, finding a pouch with some 40gp in it and a map of the town with Baron Stockmer’s house and the Cliffside Brewery both circled in dried blood.  After these discoveries, the adventurers collected themselves, bandaged their wounds, which were many, and grievous in some cases.

Following the bloodied goblin down the hall, they turned to see a dimly lit room with a brazier burning in the back corner and a foul looking Goblin Hexer behind it.  Orin engaged a pair of fire beetles that the Hexer had released, while the others battled the gang of four Goblin Cutters that guarded the Hexer.  Upon entering the room, some giant rats emerged from the debris, but reacting quickly, Xealin burned most of them and one of the Cutters to a crisp.  The Hexer gave as good as he got though and blinded Arranis and Reef during the battle.  Even blinded though Arranis fired back with a vicious lightning strike that nearly killed the Hexer.  Reef, alas, fired the Crossbow-that-never-hits, and, of course, missed.  Arranis struck again with lightning and killed the Hexer.  After dispatching the remaining goblins and rats, Xaelin and Arranis came to aid Orin with the bugs as they seemed determined not to go down without a fight.  Reef, shot at the beetles with the Crossbow-that-never-hits, and, wonder of wonders, struck one of the beetles, helping to bring it to its doom, then he went off to check out the brazier.

After dispatching the remaining beetle, Orin, Xaelin and Arranis tossed the room.  Amongst the debris, Orin found a longsword that shone with an unnatural light, and felt lighter and stronger in his hands.  “If I was a swordsman, this would be a fine blade,” he declared as he put the sword with the other gear they had found on the wizards magical disk.

Reef, meanwhile, had dumped the brazier on the ground and had started dancing in the coals, looking for anything of value.  No one saw it at first, but Reef eventually found a coal that looked a little different, singing his hands, he plucked the gem out of the fire and slipped it in his pocket.  Orin was having none of that, “Why don’t you show us what you’ve found there, eh,” he challenged.  After some further threats and cajoling, Reef said he had found some sort of gemstone, to which Orin replied, “Well let’s have a look at it when we get back to town.”

Wounded and recovering from a couple of near-death experiences, the party decided not to go back to town for lunch, but rather to stay and finish what they started, lest the creatures in the catacombs were to get away or reinforce while they supped.

_________________________

Treasure:

Party:  40gp, 9 leather armor, 3 spears, 5 javelins, 6 short swords, 1 hexer rod, 1 leather robes,

Party:  Map of Harken village with Baron Stockmer’s house and the Cliffside Brewery circled in dried blood

Party:  +1 longsword ( +1 to attack and damage roles, 1d6 extra damage on a critical hit)

Reef:  gemstone (unknown value)

Experience:

All: 328.

Player	Character	Role	Class	Race
Lofton	?	Controller	Wizard	Eladrin
Jason	Reef	Striker	Rogue	“Human”
Sabin	?	Controller	Sorcerer	Dragonborn
Pete	Orin	Tank	Fighter	Mul (half-dwarf)

 

Orin and Reef met in the forest while hunting.  They found it mutually agreeable to work together on the hunt.  When they stumbled upon a boar, Orin nearly stepped on it.  The boar’s charge missed and Orin chopped it to bits with his halberd while Reef used a hand crossbow to no effect.  The death of the boar was observed by a cloaked Dragonborn who was happening by.  He could hardly contain his amusement at the human’s futile bolts.  When the boar was good and dead, the Dragonborn came forth and halloed the two hunters.  They all helped bring the boar back to the inn where Orin presented it to the bartender to settle the matter of a small wager.  As they came through the village they encountered an Eladrin heading toward the bar too.

Orin led their way into the common room, with the Dragonborn carrying in the great boar and the other two coming in behind.  Upon seeing the boar, the bartender, Kellar, begrudgingly handed over the gold piece.  While the boar was roasting, Orin and the others engaged some of the local townsfolk, including an elderly drunken man, who turned out to be Varrow Del, the man who had been savaged by the beasts that trouble the city.

After much discussion, Kellar invited the adventurers to help solve the town’s beastly problem and the adventurers agreed to come back on the morrow to take care of it.

_________________________

Treasure:

Orin:  1GP

Free boar at the inn for all four adventurers.  (Kellar mistakenly assumed that the Eladrin and the Dragonborn were party to Orin and Reef.  For that matter, I’m not sure if Orin and Reef count as a party yet either.)

Experience:

Orin, Reef: 165.

Dragonborn and Eladrin: 100.