Session 31 - 02/08/12 "The Cockatrice Lair" Waterday, the 5th of Brewfest - Moonday, the 3rd of Sunsebb, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis -
Monsters - 2 cockatrices, 2 spriggan powries, 1 spriggan witherer
Treasure - cockatrice feathers for antidote to save halfling child
Individual XP Gained - 270 Total Individual XP - 6451 ( 1049 Until 6th Level)
Session 30 - 02/01/12 "Coup d'Etat - The Black Tower" Evening of Godsday, the 4th of Brewfest, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis -
Monsters - 2 human guards, 2 elite guards, 1 human cavalier, Morgana the Scarlet Witch
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 250 Total Individual XP - 6181 ( 1319 Until 6th Level)
Session 29 - 01/23/12 "Coup d'Etat - The Sewer" Evening of Godsday, the 4th of Brewfest, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis -
Monsters - 2 cavern chokers, 3 wererats, 2 rat swarms
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 210 Total Individual XP - 5941 ( 1559 Until 6th Level)
Session 28 - 01/11/12 "Coup d'Etat - Breaking Out" Evening of Godsday, the 4th of Brewfest, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis -
Monsters - 11 Istivin city guards, 2 human veterans
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 210 Total Individual XP - 5731 (1769 Until 6th Level)
Session 27 - 11/11/11 "Demon Haunted Wood - Voice in the Darkness" Evening of Sunday, the 16th of Goodmonth, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Among a clearing littered with ruins deep in the depths of the wood, the party finally encounters the power behind the attack. The Voice in the Darkness, a huge black tree radiates evil at the center of the clearing, while a pair of horrible figures worship before it. As the party watches another figure is pushed out of the trunk of the tree in a horrid mockery of birth. The figures are ghouls, transformed from the bodies of the children taken captive. Among the ruins is a small hill on top of which is a glowing, man-sized crystal which seems to contain a humanoid figure inside it. The party attacks and engage the ghouls. They are then attacked by an eladrin warrior and fey panther who emerge from the ruins. The tree then begins sprouting twig blights who emerge from the ground, and attacking with it's limbs. After a hard battle the party defeats most of the Voice's servants, but still faces the Voice itself, and Audrey lies mortally wounded and dying. In desperation, Hardek makes his way to the crystal and smashes it, freeing Anolath, the wood nymph who ruled the Feywood before the Voice in the Darkness imprisoned her and possessed her tree. Anolath drives the Voice from her tree and the tree springs back to life, blooming with white flowers.
Monsters - Anise - Lvl 5 eladrin, fey panther - Lvl 7, 3 ghouls, Voice in the Darkness - Lvl 4, 8 blightborn twig blights
Treasure - Lvl 5 Verdant Presence (Dragon # 395) - Audrey, Lvl 7 Frost Gauntlets (AV p. 133) - Hardek
Individual XP Gained - 500 Total Individual XP - 5521 (1979 Until 6th Level)
Session 26 - 09/27/11 "Demon Haunted Wood - The Oracle's Pool" Morning of Sunday, the 16th of Goodmonth, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The party continued on their journey into the woods to rescue the villagers, encountering a small pool that is the home of more fey creatures. Before attacking them the hag who lives in the pool issues cryptic prophecies to the party members. Of Ash she says he will be entombed in ice, Hardek will be consumed by fire, and Gwenn will be crowned with a star of blood. Audrey's future she says she cannot see. Then she attacks them along with her dryad servants. The party defeats them, but with her dying breath the hag repeats the prophecy of Gwenn.
Monsters - 1 ghost hag (lvl 7), 2 ash dryads (lvl 7)
Treasure - Lvl 6 Ghoststride Boots - Ash
Individual XP Gained - 225 Total Individual XP - 5021 (479 Until 5th Level)
Session 25 - 09/20/11 "Demon Haunted Wood - Ambush" Evening of Freeday the 21st of Planting - Morning of Sunday, the 16th of Goodmonth, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - After capturing Oakshield Tower, Gwenn is given command as castellan, with responsibility for the nearby village of Cressock and guardianship of the Northern Road from Baron Kline's lands. Audrey acts as second in command and lead scout for the garrison. Corporal Fallek is assigned to the tower to help Gwenn command the soldiers. The other two members of the Owlbears take up residence in the tower with Ash continuing in his duties as Lord Drysdale's court wizard. Hardek remains busy, spending time with the growing dwarven community of miners from his clan based at the abandoned mine and also working a smelter that has been built at Restwell Keep. With shipments of alumen and iron flowing out of Restwell, settlers begin flowing in. Besides the lands being farmed in the villages of Cressock and Burwych, there are soon farms sprouting up near the crossing of the Northern and Eastern Roads. The fief of Restwell is booming, enriching Lord Drysdale and his allies, to the dismay of the neighboring and hostile Merrowmans.
This idle is shattered for the party on early the morning of the 16th of Goodmonth when a messenger from Cressock arrives with word of an attack on a farm on the village's edge. Upon arriving the party restores order among the upset villagers and finds out the attack came from the direction of the Feywood. That wood which lies to the northwest and climbs up into the foothills of the Crystalmist Mountains has never been a source of trouble before though it has traditionally been shunned by the villagers and all about, to avoid antagonizing the fey said to inhabit it. In the attack the farmhouse has been burned down and most of the family living there slain, although the family's four children are missing and the tracks seem to indicate that they have been abducted.
Setting out in pursuit the party has barely gone a mile when they are ambushed on the edge of the forest by eladrin archers and wolves, led by a satyr. The party defeats them and the lone eladrin they save for questioning dies mysteriously when pressed for answers, bleeding out of his nose and mouth. There appears to be some unnatural force at work.
Monsters - 1 satyr piper (lvl 6), 2 eladrin arcane archers, 4 hunting wolves, Lvl 4, Complexity 2 Skill Challenge
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 312 Total Individual XP - 4796 (704 Until 5th Level)
Session 24 - 08/01/11 "Oakshield Tower - Orog Chieftain" Evening of Freeday the 21st of Planting, 581 CY (Common Year)
Individual XP Gained - 258 Total Individual XP - 4484 (1016 Until 5th Level)
Monsters - 7 orc drudges, 2 orc scouts, 1 orc shieldbreaker, 1 orog Eye of Gruumsh, shadow hound
Treasure - Lvl 8 Ravenclaw Warblade Longsword (AV2 21) - Gwenn, 470 gp
Synopsis - Descending further into the keep they hear noise of celebration on the next lower level. They descend further to see if anything can be found to give them an advantage and learn the tower's layout. They return and enter the room, which turns out to the be the tower's hall where they find the bulk of the orc bandits which are being led by an orog (half-orc, half-ogre) chieftain with his shadow hound. They successfully defeat the orcs and their leader. Looting the room reveals the accumulated riches of the bandits.
Session 23 - 07/25/11 "Oakshield Tower - The Barracks" Moonday, the 3rd of Growfest - Evening of Freeday the 21st of Planting, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The remainder of Growfest in Istivin the party is feasted and treated as heroes. As a reward for their services Lord Drysdale grants them all the title of Esquire, allowing them to style themselves as "Squire" or "Squiress." They even set a fashion trend, with nobles appearing at feasts and ceremonies in coats mimicking the style of the owlbear fur-trimmed coats that have become their namesake. The return to Restwell is accompanied by the retinue of Baron Kline. At Bova Manor a party celebrating the betrothal of Baron Bova's younger daughter Alys to Lord Drysale's son Murlann is held. The combined retinues of Lord Drysdale and Baron Kline continue on, heading north to Strake Terrace, the Baron's castle where the party are acquainted with Kline's family and retainers. Lord Drysdale's retinue takes a little-used road south into Restwell near where the boundries of Restwell, Kline and Merrowman intersect. In the month of Planting a group of hardek's kinsmen arrive, led by his cousin, Glansun. A survey of the mineworks which were the hideout of the Brother's Grey proves disappointing in the terms of precious metals, but shows promise in the amount of minerals in high demand from dyers. Plans are made to cut a road to the mineworks and establish an operation there, with a small ore refinery built outside the walls of Restwell Keep, it being too dangerous and not worth the effort to reestablish the old forge where the party defeated the duergar. To help guard this operation Squire Halwyn Pryce is given command of a small garrison at the Old Gatehouse on the King's Wall. Given this new source of income and the animosity of the Merrowmans, Lord Drydale would like to avoid sending shipments of minerals through Merrowman land. For this reason he gives the party the task of reclaiming the abandoned keep tower of Oakshield, which will be garrisoned to guard the northern road into Baron Kline's fief. The tower is rumored to be the hideout of bandits who have been harassing local homesteads.
The party approaches the tower at night and it is revealed to be virtually impregnable to attack from the ground though no obvious sentries are evident. Audrey climbs up to the top of the tower and lowers a rope for the rest of the party to climb up. Descending the tower they find a barracks room with orc soldiers, all of whom they kill.
Monsters - 1 orc slasher, 2 orc scouts, 1 orc dervish
Treasure - None.
Individual XP Gained - 162 Total Individual XP - 4226 (1274 Until 5th Level)
Session 22 - 06/27/11 "The Council of Peers: Dinner At Bova Manor; Circus, Circus" Waterday, the 12th of Ready'reat, 580 CY - Moonday, the 3rd of Growfest, 581 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - After cleaning out the abandoned forge of duergar the party settles into Winter in Restwell Keep and the season passes without much event. In Spring Lord Drysdale begins planning his journey to the Council of Peers in Istivin during Growfest to petition the Marchioness to confirm his patent on Restwell. The party, along with his retinue begin the journey on the 21st of Coldeven. In Bova they are invited to stay at the estate of Baron Bova, and the performance of the party at the formal dinner that night makes a favorable impression on Baron Bova, so he pledges to represent and aid Lord Drysdale at the Council. They arrive in Istivin on the 1st of Growfest and attend the opening of the Council on the 2nd, where with Baron Bova's help Lord Drysdale's petition is heard. Baron Rees Merrowman, who rules a fief neighboring Restwell makes a claim and words are exchanged. Merrowman says he will allow the matter to be settled by a judicial duel fought as a melee and the Marchioness assents. On the 3rd of Growfest the melee is fought in the Circus between the party and Merrowman's son, Aksul, with his court wizard; Wurp the Eyebiter, a warlord retainer from Bissel; Philotomy Jurament, and a rogue henchman; Cloyer Bulse. The party wins the match and Lord Drysdale is declared the lawful holder of the fief of Restwell.
Monsters - Level 4 complexity 2 skill challenge (Dinner at Bova Manor), 1 human noble (Aksul Merrowman), 1 Lvl 4 human warlord (Philotomy Jurament), 1 human renegade mage (Wurp the Eyebiter), 1 Lvl 5 rogue (Cloyer Bulse)
Treasure - You're now famous.
Individual XP Gained - 274 Total Individual XP - 4064
Session 21 - 05/17/11 "The Hammer Falls: The Lava Pit" Morning of Godsday, the 11th of Ready'reat, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis -
Monsters - 1 Lvl 6 magma brute, The Scarlet Witch, 1 Lvl 5 duergar champion, 1 dark creeper
Treasure - 1 Lvl 4 Darkleaf Cloth Armor, 1 Lvl 3 Moradin's Blessing of Iron
Individual XP Gained - 160 Total Individual XP - 3790 (Level up to 4th)
Session 20 - 05/10/11 "The Hammer Falls: Metalworks" Morning of Godsday, the 11th of Ready'reat, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis -
Monsters - 1 duergar guard, 4 duergar miners, 2 magma hurlers
Treasure - 40 gp
Individual XP Gained - 145 Total Individual XP - 3630
Session 19 - 05/02/11 "The Hammer Falls: Entrance" Evening of Moonday, the 10th of Ready'reat - Morning of Godsday, the 11th of Ready'reat, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Heard rumor while drinking in the Stumbling Giant from Black Thom that duerger had been seen at an old foundry, not too far from the abandoned mine where the Brothers Gray were hiding out. Left the next morning on foot (to Gwenn's annoyance), stopping at the Crossroads to question Millen Silvereye about the foundry. He was evasive and angry with them, so they continued on, following Black Thom's directions. After finding the only entrance a rough battle ensued with duergar guards and their hell-hounds. The entrance area appears to have been where the duergar slept and ate. Sounds of an active forge were heard from the exit.
Monsters - 2 Duergar Guards, 1 Duergar Scout, 2 Lvl 5 Hellhounds
Treasure - 20 gp, potion of healing
Individual XP Gained - 185 Total Individual XP - 3485
Session 18 - 04/19/11 "The Tomb of Greysen Ramthane: The Betrayal & Audience With Lord Drysdale" Morning of Freeday, the 14th of Patchwall - Morning of Starday, the 15th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Returning to the tower's dungeon after hiding some of the treasure, the party brings the axe, hammer, and bodies of their slain companions. Gorn accuses them of cheating him when the axe they return with is not Ramthane's magic axe. He attacks, calling on the henchmen he has hidden in the dungeon cells. A brief fight ensues. Gorn is slain, but Benwick reveals himself to be able to fight when he pulls an envenomed dagger from his robe and attacks Sunder. He flees with Audrey in pursuit, but she is restrained by a coils of green energy he summons. He laughs at her as he flees. The last mercenary drops his sword and asks for quarter. He is quickly questioned, revealing that Benwick is a false priest, instead being a cultist of Merrshaulk, the serpent god. He also reveals that Benwick was working with the Scarlet Witch and arranged to have the party ambushed at the tower of Voran Earthane. He also reveals that the Scarlet Witch is an agent for someone known as the Vermillion Queen. When Fallek and the guard show up they are taken to Bailiff Longstrider, who allows them to take Ash and Hardek's to the temple of Avandra to be healed by Chendara. Afterward the party is allowed to retire to their rooms under guard, and Longstrider tells them that they have been summoned to appear before Lord Drysdale the next morning. When they time comes they dress in their best clothes and are led to the upper bailey gatehouse, where they are turned over to Lord Drysdale's chaplain, the half-elven Erathan priest, Ellesan, and the acting commander of Drysdale's guard, Squire Halwyn Pryce. At the audience they tell the full story, admitting their error. Lord Drysdale pardons them on the condition they swears themselves to his service and hunt down Benwick and the Scarlet Witch. As his retainers they will hereafter be exempt from the adventurer's tax.
Monsters - 2 human mercenaries, 1 dwarven axeman (Gorn)
Treasure - None
Individual XP Gained - 95 Total Individual XP - 3300
Session 17 - 04/12/11 "The Tomb of Greysen Ramthane: The Crypt" Morning of Freeday, the 14th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - In the crypt of Ramthane they are confronted by a crowd of dwarven ghosts, led by the ghost of Ramthane himself. He seems to be confusing them with Bertak, the man who defeated him two centuries ago, and attacks. The ghosts of his followers animate the various skeletal hands that remain in the tomb, grabbing and clawing the party members. The poltergeist of one of Ramthane's sons throws party members around the crypt. Ash and Hardek are badly wounded, and Gwenn slays the ghost of Ramthane, causing the other restless spirits to flee.
Monsters - 2 crawling claw swarms, 1 poltergeist, 1 ghost of Ramthane
Treasure - 1 Lvl 7 Dwarven Thrower Warhammer, 43,300 cp, 2570 sp, 255 gp
Individual XP Gained - 200 Total Individual XP - 3205
Session 16 - 04/05/11 "The Tomb of Greysen Ramthane: Rolling Boulders and Bronze Drakes" Evening of Godsday, the 11th of Patchwall - Morning of Freeday, the 14th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - After returning from the Goblin Hole the captive people of Burwych are reunited with their families and the party is welcomed to spend the evening there, in the former lord's tower house, now commanded by Garrick Blackoak. In the morning the party returns to Restwell Keep with Dendra Penrose, the now orphaned daughter of Burwych's former lord. She is turned over to the priest Elessen, who acts as Lord Drysdale's agent, to be the ward of Lord and Lady Drysdale for the time being. Elessen also pays the party the promised 200 gp for returning the captives from Burwych and eliminating the threat of the Goblin Hole.
That evening in the Stumbling Giant, while they are drinking pints of Mother Aran's stout, they are approached by the Peloran priest, Benwick. Just before they had seen he and the dwarf captain, Gorn Hammerfell arguing and Gorn stormed out. Benwick asks if they might accompany him to his rented rooms over the bakery to hear a proposal over a desert of Sybarite port wine and sweet tarts. They are shortly joined by Gorn. The proposal turns out to be a raid on the tomb of Greysen Ramthane, a notorious and evil dwarven bandit lord, who some say built Restwell Keep in the early 300's CY. Benwick and Gorn have jointly discovered that the entrance to Ramthane's tomb is underneath the very tower that Gorn inhabits and that also houses the dungeons. Their exploration is doubtless what Splugg saw when he was imprisoned there. The two want to keep the raid secret, fearing that Lord Drysdale may want to keep all the treasure. They agree to split the treasure, with half going to the party and a quarter to each of them, plus the axe of Ramthane for Gorn. After some reluctance the party agrees. The raid is set for the coming Freeday, when the town will be full of farmers and traders in the weekly market and people who have come to see the hanging of Moseley Graybairn. The party meets Gorn and Benwick in the Captain's Tower on Freeday morning and they open the secret door for them. They are warned of a trap, which killed Ralv, a henchman of Gorn and Benwick's. They encounter the trap and Audrey is able to disarm it. Made cautious, they easily find another trap further down the stairwell and disarm that one too. The stairs end in an chamber carved with a elaborate reliefs, and with a large 10' tall platform in the center of the room, surmounted by two bronze statues of drakes and a large brazier glowing with magical fire. While cautiously traversing the room, Audrey steps on a pressure plate, unleashing two boulders which begin rolling through the room toward them. At the same time the drake statues come to life and attack. All of the party are able to scramble onto the platform and avoid the rolling boulders, and the drakes are dispatched fairly quickly. A secret door is found on one wall of the platform with another set of steps going down.
Monsters - Level 2 spear trap, Level 3 rolling boulder trap, 2 forge drake homonculi
Treasure - None
Individual XP Gained - 175 Total Individual XP - 3005
Session 15 - 03/08/11 "Down the Goblin Hole: Spiders & Goblins & Kings" Evening of Godsday, the 11th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The party confronts Urgrog and the Feyspitter Spider which is his councilor. They are both slain with their guards and the captives are freed. Audrey claims Urgrog's magic short sword, which is of dwarven make. Ash claims the piece of chaos shard worn around the spider's neck.
Monsters - 4 goblin cutters, 1 goblin underboss, 1 feyspitter spider, 2 goblin cutthroats, 1 goblin warrior
Treasure - 1 Lvl 6 Short Sword +2 - Audrey, 1 Lvl 5 Chaos Shard Implement - Ash
Individual XP Gained - 210 Total Individual XP - 2830
Session 14 - 03/01/11 "Down the Goblin Hole: The Webwall" Afternoon of Godsday, the 11th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The party reaches the Goblin Hole; a sink-hole which is the lair of Urgrog's tribe. They are ambushed as they descend into the sink-holes upper opening, and defeat the goblins and spiders that attack them. Sunder finds a potion of healing and some coins on the body of a previous victim, which is in the bottom of a pit trap.
Monsters - 1 goblin hex Hurler, 2 goblin Warriors, 4 goblin cutters, 4 spiderlings, 2 deathump spiders
Treasure - 1 potion of healing, 25 gp
Individual XP Gained - 160 Total Individual XP - 2620
Session 13 - 02/22/11 "Down the Goblin Hole: Goblin Ambush" Evening of Starday, the 8th of Patchwall - Noon of Godsday, the 11th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Returning to the mineshaft with the captive Moseley Graybairn the party discovers a dwarf waiting for them in the mineworks. He introduces himself as Hardek, a priest of the dwarf god Moradin. He had just come into Restwell Keep that morning and met Prince at the Stumbling Giant tavern, nursing his illness. Prince expressed his worry about his party-mates and after a brief conversation Hardek had volunteered to follow the party and see if he could help them out in their endeavor, viewing their mission to wipe out the bandits as worthwhile. He had proceeded to the mineworks on one of the party's donkeys, leading the other one. With the horses captured from the bandits the party proceeds back to the keep with most of them mounted. The prisoner and the body of his brother are turned over to the authorities and in the next few days they are paid the reward for the capture of the Graybairns as well as partial payment from Citirian for learning that the actions of the bandits were being directed by the Scarlet Witch. Sariel, hearing a rumor possibly relating to her missing cousins -- the reason she had originally traveled west to Sterich -- leaves the party and Restwell Keep, along with Prince, who agrees to go with her. Both take riding horses as payment for their share of the loot acquired so far by the party. The rest of the party gets to know Hardek a little better and convince him to join their company for the time being. Construction begins on the scaffold which will be used to hang Moseley.
On the morning of Godsday, word arrives at the Keep of an attack by goblins on one of the local farming communities, the village of Burwych, to the south. Burwych's lord, Sir Willem Penrose has been killed by the raiders and his daughter, Dendra and a handful of villagers carried off. Gwenn, knows both of them, having made friends with Dendra three years prior at the Tournament of Golden Leaves. The party is soon approached by the sergeant of Lord Drysdale's guard, Garrick Blackoak, who hires the party to go to Burwych with him. He will secure and protect the village, while the party is to track down the raiders and return the captives. They agree and all immediately set out. Burwych is a short eight miles south and the party, who has picked up Splugg from where he was camped just outside the Keep, make use of him in investigating the attack. He recognized markings on the arrows as belonging to the followers of a very successful goblin chief named Urgrog, who disappeared about three years before and has not been heard of since.
The party is easily able to track the raiders west through a gap in the Kings Wall and into the sizable wood which covers the much of the southern part of the Chaos Scar. After a few miles travel they stumble upon a clearing where Sunder, who is leading is attacked and grabbed by a Greenvise Vine. Arrows fly out from the opposite side of the clearing from goblin archers and a handful of large spider, led by a more sizable one attack. The goblins have obviously spotted the pursuers and set up an ambush. The melee is quickly concluded with some members of the party wounded, but none seriously. Ash makes sure to save one of the goblin archers for questioning.
Monsters - 4 goblin snipers, 4 spiderlings, 1 deathjump spider, 1 greenvise vine
Treasure - 2 100 gp gems, 25 gp
Individual XP Gained - 150 Total Individual XP - 2460
Session 12 - 02/15/11 "The Brothers Gray: The Mines" Evening of Starday, the 8th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The party takes a short rest and then proceed to loot the bandits and search for treasure, finding coins contained in two leather sacks near the drum hoist, where some of the bandits appear to have been sleeping. Curiously the majority of the coins, instead of being local currency from Keoland, Sterich, or any other neighboring states, bear the profile and name of Prince Jeon II, ruler of the Hold of the Sea Princes, a nation to the south, hostile to Keoland. Such coins are not often seen this far north.
The party tracks down the Scarlet Witch and her minions by following signs of their passage and sensing strong emanations of the dire energies of the Far Realm, which from his reading of the Journal of the Knight, Ash knows are associated with shards of the meteor that created the Chaos Scar ages ago.
They are finally found in a natural cavern the far end of which is raised in a series of natural stepped ledges. Large clusters of crystal glow an unnatural blue, lighting the cavern well. The halfling leader of the Brothers Gray, Moseley Graybairn and a figure who can only be the Scarlet Witch stand near the back of the cavern, in front of something glowing on the ground. Two duergar gaurds stand ready to defend them from a group of strange creatures whom Ash identifies as fell taints, natives of the Far Realm who sometimes slip through weak points in the boundaries between the planes. As the party enters the cavern two of the fell taints turn away from their assault on the duergar and attack them. Their attacks daze and befuddle their victims. One, which appears to be directing the others attacks Gwenn, dazing her and then opening a dimensional portal switching places with her, drawing her into the midst of its comrades, who all turn to attack her. Sariel rushes forward to help Gwenn. Taking advantage of this the duergar and Moseley turn their attacks on the party. Surrounded by fell taints and shot with a poison crossbow bolt by Moseley, Sariel goes down. Ash, having moved into a more advantageous position, sees the Scarlet Witch pick up a large hunk of brightly glowing crystal and disappears. Moseley curses loudly at her abandonment and the duergar rush forward to attack the party members, one of them falling down the ledge though the other one engages Gwenn. Sunder takes out the fell taint leader who is now where Gwenn had been standing beside him, and rushes to stand over Sariel's body to prevent the fell taints from feeding on her life energy. Audrey moves up behind him and administers a healing potion to Sariel. The party members finish off the fell taints, leaving the duergar, who seem intent on doing as much damage as possible, and Moseley who is attempting to flee using them as cover, though he tries to take out Ash since he had been the one who was most intent on chasing down his brother, Finneus. Unfortunately Ash manages to block the blow of his envenomed short sword with his staff, allowing Audrey to move up and knock him out. Gwenn, Sunder and Sariel finish off the duergar. A magic circle for opening a Linked Portal by which the Scarlet Witch used to make her escape is found in the far end of the cavern.
Monsters - Level 1 complexity 1 skill challenge (Navigating the Mines), 3 fell taint lashers, 1 fell taint warp wender, 1 halfling prowler (Moseley Graybairn), 2 duergar guards
Treasure - 1 Lvl 5 Ironskin Belt (PB p. 253) - Audrey, 1 pair of Lvl 6 Bracers of Tactical Blows - Gwenn (AV p. 116)
Individual XP Gained - 255 Total Individual XP - 2310
Session 11 - 02/08/11 "The Brothers Gray: Upper Mineworks" Afternoon of Starday, the 8th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Taking a short rest, the party plans their assault on the upper mineworks. They attack with Sariel, Sunder and Gwenn going through the lower ore shed where they find the remaining bandit, who ambushes Sunder, although to little effect. The two slingers -- Finneus Graybairn, who led the ambush on the party in the ruins of Voran Earthmane's tower, and the Kobold remain in the crossbeams of the minework's headframe sniping at those below. Meanwhile Audrey rushes up the steps and takes up position at the outside door of the upper works. Lambert Graybairn signals a pair of trained shadowhunter bats to attack. He then rushes Sariel who has climbed up the remains of the ore slide from the ore shed and strikes her a grievous enough blow that she is unconscious and bleeding out. Audrey meanwhile throws a shuriken and knocks Finneus from the rafters. He falls to his death down the mineshaft. Seeing his brother fall, Lambert rushes to attack Audrey, who by this time has been joined by Ash. Sunder and Gwenn climb the ore slide and one aids her while the other defends against the bats. Ash burns down the kobold, who has been attempting to raise the ore lift, and when Lambert attacks him Audrey knocks him unconscious with a blow to the back his head. Seeing their master go down, the bats give up and fly out through the open doors of the ore shed. The unconscious Lambert is bound and when he wakes up is questioned. He is uncooperative at first though seems willing to deal in exchange for his freedom. Unfortunately he does not believe Gwenn is willing to follow through on the deal and says he'd rather hang at the keep than be stabbed in the back after betraying his employers. Audrey appeals to him again, swearing that she will see he comes to no harm and swearing by the halfling goddess, Yondalla. Lambert likewise swears by Yondalla that in return for his life he will give them information and not seek vengeance upon them. He reveals that their employer is a woman known only as the Scarlet Witch for the red robes she wears. She came to the mine that morning accompanied by two duergar guards and they descended into the mine with the eldest Graybairn brother and leader of the band, Moseley. All Lambert knows is that she is looking for a "chaos shard" that she believes is down in the mine somewhere. His bonds are cut and he is seen following the stream south, away from the mine until he is out of sight in the trees.
Monsters - 2 shadowhunter bats, 1 human bandit, 1 halfling thief (Lambert Graybairn), 1 halfling slinger (Finneus Graybairn), 1 kobold slinger
Treasure - 200 sp, 300 gp
Individual XP Gained - 150 Total Individual XP - 2055
Session 10 - 02/01/11 "The Brothers Gray: Bandit Encampment" Early Morning of Freeday, the 7th of Patchwall - Afternoon of Starday, the 8th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Back at The Crossroads trading post the party hands over the necrotic gemstone to Millen Silvereye, who seems intent on selling it rather than using it to some purpose of his own. Whatever moral qualms they have about giving him the obviously evil gem must be put aside to obtain the location of the Brothers Gray's hideout. Millen gives them the directions to an abandoned mine that he has heard is where the Brothers Gray are currently camped at. Having had such a hard battle at the temple against the hordes of undead, the party travels back to Restwell Keep. Sunder turns in the hobgoblin ears for the bounty. Having been back at the keep since the day before, Sariel has consulted the priestess of Avandra in the keep's lower bailey. The priestess, a pretty half-elf named Chendara, tells them that the results of oracles she has cast tell her that Hoshee's spirit is unwilling to return to the land of the living, making a ritual to raise him untenable. She offers to perform funeral rites to aid his journey to the afterlife of his heathen Baklunish gods. The party is willing to meet her price and pay her the three gems they have found amongst the dead of the temple. Chendara assures them of the continued goodwill of the temple and that the blessings of Avandra will be upon them. She performs the rites and burns Hoshee's body on a pyre at sunset according to Baklunish custom . With the funeral done the party returns to the Stumbling Giant to eat and toast their too brief ally, with the plan to set out in the morning to find the abandoned mine. At dawn it is apparent that Prince, perhaps due to his grief has over-imbibed, and is too ill to set out, pledging to catch up with the rest of the party later.
After a brief journey, following the King's Wall north from the Old Gatehouse, and then an intersecting stream northwest, they see the abandoned mine on an escarpment almost a quarter mile away. They leave Splugg guarding their two horses at this point and continue on. At a hundred yards or so away from the lower mine building, which appears to be an ore shed of some sort, they devise a plan for Audrey to follow the trees to one side of the clearing around the ore shed, with Gwenn moving up to her position, while Sunder and Ash move to the other side. Apparently, both groups are spotted as a warning shout rings out from the upper mine works, and the group of four human bandits in front of the ore shed turn from their dice game to the members of the party. Sunder rushed toward the open door of the ore shed, hoping to pass through and surprise the bandits by coming out the other side, whose open doorway he can see. His plan to vault over the horse tethered in the doorway goes awry when he vaults into the side of another horse tethered beyond it, leaving him prone between the two animals. He crawls out from underneath them and is attacked by a small shadowy form which dances past him, though it's dagger-thrust fails to penetrate his armor. A sling bolt flies out of the darkness and smashes into the ground nearby. Three of the bandits spread out in front of the ore shed, waiting for the party to attack, while one of them, seeing Ash, plunges into the trees to attack him. Audrey throws a shuriken, wounding a bandit and moves behind a tree near the ore shed door for cover and is immediately struck by a dagger thrown by the dark creeper who has been hiding in the shadows of the ore shed. He advances to engage her. Before Sunder regains his feet inside the ore shed he is again subjected to a passing slash by the halfling, who runs out the opposite door, and another sling attack, both of which fail to harm him. Sunder climbs to his feet but is forced to crawl under another horse in the doorway. Meanwhile a kobold slinger in the eaves of the upper mine works has been attacking Ash and Audrey to no great effect. Ash manages to evade the bandit attacking him and runs into the clearing and in front of the ore shed. The three remaining bandits have charged Sariel and Gwenn, pinning them down as they surround them and furiously bash the pair with their maces. Sunder moves up to help them as Audrey continues to battle the dark creeper. Ash moves forward to sweep the creature with arcane fire but it ducks the burst of flame and ducks around behind the wizard, attempting to stab him in the back. Ash manages to throw up a shield spell in time to stop the blow. Between the two of them they kill the dark creeper. With the party able to focus on the bandits they are soon slain too. The reunited party rushes into the trees for cover against the continuing attacks of the slingers in the eaves of the upper mineworks.
Monsters - 3 human bandits, 1 dark creeper
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 110 Total Individual XP - 1905
Session 09 - 01/25/11 "Dead By Dawn: Second Wave" Early Morning of Freeday, the 7th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The brief respite the party has gained is broken as the gemstone once again begins to glow with necrotic energy, driving the zombies outside into a frenzy. Two groups of zombies break through the defenses and pour into the temple, including one with a zombie whose heart seems to be glowing within his chest and beating in time to the evil necrotic energy of the gemstone. He directs the attacks of the other undead. Gwenn and Sunder rush forward to battle the rotters and two fresh hobgoblin zombies while the rest of the party supports them with ranged attacks while trying to close the gaps in their defenses. After a brutal battle the last zombie falls and the party realizes that dawn has come, and with it quiet. Outside of the temple and in the basement rectory are heaps of zombie corpses. They search as many of the bodies as they are able for treasure. They pile timbers and other burnable material in the center of the temple and Ash lights it with arcane fires. From outside they watch as the roof catches fire and then collapses, sending a huge plume of smoke and cinders into the sky.
Monsters - Level 2 complexity 1 skill challenge (Shoring Up the Defenses), 2 corruption corpses, 1 shard zombie, 2 hobgoblin zombies, 12 zombie rotters
Treasure - 3 100 gp gems, 160 gp, 2 potions of healing, 1 Lvl 3 Ornament of Alertness (AV p. 153) - Sunder, 1 Lvl 4 Collar of Recovery (AV p. 151) - Gwenn
Individual XP Gained - 271 Total Individual XP - 1795
Session 08 - 01/18/11 "Dead By Dawn: The Siege Begins, First Wave" Evening of Earthday, the 6th of Patchwall - Early Morning of Freeday, the 7th of Patchwall 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The party realizes that they must work full time to keep the zombies from breaching their hastily erected barriers at the temple's door and windows, as well as the door in the rectory downstairs. They immediately set to work and are able to keep any zombies from breaching the entry ways for several hours by reinforcing the barriers, forcing zombies back through openings, and warding them with religious symbols known to repel the undead. Ash and Prince are also able to use their skills in arcana to dampen the power emanating from the gem, which they realize is attracting the zombies. Eventually, despite the best efforts of the party two groups of zombies break through. Gwenn proves her worth to the party by immediately dispatching two zombie rotters although she is knocked down and bitten by a gravehound. Audrey wounds a zombie soldier behind it with a shuriken, but Ash gains it's attention with a magic missile, and it scrambles across a sarcophagus and rushes him swinging its sword which bites into Ash's quickly raised staff. Sunder advances on the second group of undead on the opposite side of the temple. Prince unleashes a staggering song, its thunderous words forcing the zombie attacking Ash back into the corner. Prince then exerts his will over the glowing gem, reversing it's necrotic energy into radiant energy, pushing back the undead which attempt to pour through the open windows. Ash attempts to bolster the divine wards that he has scrawled on the temples surfaces, but distracted as he is by his close brush with the zombie soldier he draws a wrong rune, which breaks the wards. This allows two additional zombie rotters to slip through and charge Ash. Audrey rushes to help Gwenn and close the open shutters of the window. Ash responds to the rotter's attack with a scorching burst. Sunder, despite being knocked down by another gravehound, quickly recovers and evades being pinned down by the undead, while at the same time drawing them away from his allies. Prince bolsters Gwenn and unleashes an arcane song that staggers the skeleton warrior intent on Ash, allowing him to slip away from it. From his new position Ash throws out a burst of flame that burns down the nearby rotter as well as engulfing the undead surrounding Sunder. Unfortunately Sunder is caught in the firestorm. Ash then lends his arcane strength to the power that Prince is exerting over the gem, forcing the undead away from the temple's walls. With the rotters destroyed the tide has turned for the party and they make quick work of the remaining undead in the temple though the others outside are barely being held back. As the sliver of the waxing Luna seems to race across the sky, the party returns to shoring up the barriers, taking turns at working and quickly resting and tending each others wounds.
Monsters - Level 2 complexity 3 skill challenge (Zombie Proofing the Temple), Level 2 complexity 1 skill challenge (Shoring Up the Defenses), 2 gravehounds, 2 zombie soldiers, 6 zombie rotters
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 240 Total Individual XP - 1524
Session 07 - 01/11/11 "The Crossroads: Trading Post, Dead By Dawn: Temple Rectory" Noon to Evening of Earthday, the 6th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The half-orc fur-trader, Fulgrim demands that the party allow him his payment from the dwarves from the strongbox in their cart in return for two owlbear pelts. He is given the agreed upon 100 gp from the box, leaving the party with the rest of the contents and loot from the hobgoblins and dwarves, as well as the owlbear pelts, the dwarve's cart and 2 donkeys. Millen Silvereye hints to the party that he will talk to them about information after Fulgrim is gone. The party takes the time to interrogate the dwarf chieftain who reveals that he and his fellows attacked the party to try and obtain Audrey's armor, which she looted from a dwarven corpse in the staff chamber of Voran Earthmane's tower. Apparently, the dwarven corpse was a member of the Bronzeknuckle Clan, and the dwarves wanted to return the armor to their dead clansman's heirs. The Bronzknuckle name is recognized as belonging to a dwarf clan known to engage in shady and possibly criminal activities in Istivin, Sterich's capital. Rather than try to ransom the dwarf to the Bronzeknuckles as he asked, Ash kills him. He feels that the Bronzeknuckles might be more likely to engage in a vendetta with the party than honorably follow through. The party agrees that Sariel should be sent back to the keep with the monk, Hoshee's body to arrange to have him raised from the dead if possible, and buried decently with the proper funeral rites if not. The rest of them continue to the temple. Sariel leaves with Hoshee's body and the donkey cart. After Fulgrim leaves, Millen is questioned about the whereabouts of the Brothers Gray. He is unwilling to talk at first but agrees to give the party information in return for them obtaining a particular object for him. He learned of the object, a large magical gemstone sacred to a cult of Orcus, from a group of adventurers led by a man named Doran Underhelm, who had been through two weeks before searching for the temple. Millen knows the location of the temple, once dedicated to Erathis that had been taken over and rededicated to Orcus some years before. He shared the information with Doran in return for a share of the other loot from the temple. The rumors Millen knew of said the Orcus cultists had met some dire end many years ago and that the temple is now haunted by undead. Assuming that Doran and his partners have died he now wants the party to go to the temple and return with the gem. They agree and he gives them its location. As they are preparing to leave a newcomer arrives at the trading post, a young female human fighter who appears to be of possible gentle or knightly origin. Her name is Gwenn. Realizing they may need more muscle for the job of obtaining the gem the party agrees to let her join them for a share of the treasure. Lastly, Splugg is released from his gibbet cage and insists on accompanying the party in return for them having saved his life. During the telling of his escape from the dungeon of the keep, he does mention one interesting thing - that he saw a "tall fat man" and a "short fat man" open a secret door at the end of the row of cells. Sunder voices his suspicion that Splugg's description vaguely fits the Peloran priest Benwick and the Guard Captain, Gorn Hammerfell.
Fortified by Gwenn, the party sets out for the temple, reaching it at dusk after a long day of travel through densely wooded, steep slopes up a narrow switchback trail. They set up camp in the clearing around the temple so as to go inside the temple in daylight. During the first watch Sunder begins to hear the noises of movement and moans in the woods. As they draw closer and more numerous he wakes the party. They soon realize they are surrounded by shambling zombies converging on the temple and that their only hope is to barricade themselves inside. Inside they find a ruined Erathan temple that has been hideously rededicated to the demon prince Orcus. They spend some time using fallen timbers and rubble to barricade the doors and windows. Downstairs in what appears to be the temple's rectory they find the gemstone, brightly glowing with an evil purple light, and guarded by the undead former Orcus priest and the reanimated corpses of Doran Underhelm and his two partners. After a short battle they defeat the undead and obtain the gem only to return to the temple's main hall where the horde of undead surrounding the building are beginning to hammer at the doors and window shutters.
Monsters - 1 deathlock wight, 2 zombie adventurers
Treasure - 70 gp, 20 gp in cheap jewelry, 1 potion of healing, 2 owlbear pelts, 3 hobgoblin ears
Individual XP Gained - 110 Total Individual XP - 1284
Session 06 - 01/04/11 "The Crossroads: Gibbet Tree" Morning of Earthday, the 6th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - The party, thinking the gibbet tree belongs to Millen Silvereye goes inside the trading post to negotiate a meeting with Splugg, but he informs them that the gibbet tree is owned by no one, and is used by the various groups and tribes within the Chaos Scar as a form of punishment he won't interfere with. Meanwhile, a pair of adventurers, a half-elf bard (Prince) and Baklunish human monk (Hoshee) enter the trading post and begin to attempt to talk to some dwarves who are bargaining with a half-orc fur trader at a nearby table. The pair are rudely rebuffed by the dwarves. Seeing that Millen can't help them with Splugg, and that a fight might be brewing, the party members talk the pair of adventurers into going outside. A pair of the dwarves follow them to keep an eye on them, and watch over their donkey-drawn wagon, which is tied in front of the trading post. Audrey attempts to parley with the hobgoblins guarding Splugg but is warned off. At this point, Sunder loses his temper and rushes the hobgoblin on the steps near the base of the tree. Audrey runs forward to help but is surprised and grabbed by a zombie in the nearest gibbet cage, who had been laying in wait. Rushing forward to help Audrey, the monk eviscerates the zombie with his bare hands. Ash conjures a flaming sphere to attack the hobgoblins on the stairs, while Sariel hurls javelins at them, and Prince, assaults them with bardic magic. At this point Audrey has noticed all the dwarves in the trading post have come out and are drawing their weapons, intent on attacking from behind. She yells out a warning and Hoshi runs forward to block the dwarves who are charging Ash. The courageous monk goes down under a flurry of hammer, knocked unconscious, and bleeding badly. Ash, seeing the only opportunity for having the dwarves bunched together that he may get, unleashes a scorching burst on them, and retreats. Unfortunately, the burst catches the already severely injured Hoshi, killing him. But it also badly burns most of the dwarves. Deciding he has had enough, the dwarf chieftain attempts to flee, while the others rush forward. But the battle is all but over, as the party quickly wears them down and they are killed one by one. The last is finished off by Splugg who lands a lucky throw from the gibbet cage he is imprisoned in at the top of the tree with the skull of one of the cage's previous prisoners. Ash pursues the chieftain, knocking him out with a well-placed magic missile.
Monsters - 2 hobgoblin deathwatchers, 1 hobgoblin archer, 4 dwarf caravan guards, 1 dwarf caravan master
Treasure - none
Individual XP Gained - 183 Total Individual XP - 1174
Session 05 - 12/07/10 "Return to Restwell Keep" Afternoon of Godsday, the 4th of Patchwall - Morning of Earthday, the 6th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - While Audrey was tracking the halfling slinger, Ash receives a message from Citirrian by the animal messenger spell, warning them of possible danger and urging them to return to the keep with the staff as quickly as possible. Upon reaching the keep at dusk they see a great deal of activity along the walls, as guardsmen appear to be searching for something. At the gate Corporal Fallek lets them know that Splugg, the goblin they captured just the day before has escaped and Elm, the servant of Citirrian has been found in the stables dead, with his throat cut. Everyone assumes the goblin did it. Ash is immediately suspicious of Citirrian, but the party agrees to return the staff and see what happens. Citirrian is overjoyed to obtain the staff, and seems concerned about the fate of Elm only so much in that he fears he has a competitor who wants the staff. He suspects they are responsible for the ambush in the ruins and Elm's murder. He hires the party for 100 gp to identify the competitor(s), and an additional 250 gp to stop them from meddling in his affairs by whatever means necessary. in the meantime he agrees to pay the rent on their apartments as well as board at the Stumbling Giant tavern. They are paid for returning the staff, and move their valuables out of the flea-bag Traveler's Inn to their new apartment. Afterward, at the Stumbling Giant they talk with Corporal Fallek, who believes that the group of ambushers were members of the bandit group known as the Brother's Gray, after their leaders, the halfling Graybairn Brothers, a trio of notorious bandits. Fallek has no knowledge of their whereabouts but has heard rumors that they deal with the merchant Millen Silvereye, who operates that the Crossroads, four miles or so along the road leading deeper into the Chaos Scar. Later that night Ash casts the comprehend languages ritual so he can read the journal found on the body of the mysterious Knight of the Watch, who was killed by Boontah's goblin gang. Throughout the next day (Waterday, the 5th of Patchwall) he reads the contents (See 'Journal of the Knight' in the Places and Things section). With the rest of the party, when he is not reading the journal they investigate Elm's murder with the help of Old Bob and his dogs. They are able to determine that Splugg most likely had nothing to do with the murder, since it appears he immediately left the keep by way of the privy hole in the tower where the dungeon is, after he squeezed out between the bars on the window of his cell. Aftewards, in private, Ash relates the contents of the journal to them, which are grim but seemingly unrelated to their current mission. They decide the best course of action will be to go to the Crossroads the next day and attempt to learn the whereabouts of the Brothers Gray. They set out the next morning (the 6th) and after a roughly five mile walk come to the Crossroads. There is a small, ugly weather worn building which can be assumed to be Millen Silvereye's trading post, but the most prominent feature is a gibbet tree from which hang a handful of gibbet cages. A group of hobgoblins appear to be placing another victim in the topmost cage, and they are surprised to recognize the screams of help by the victim to be those of Splugg, the escaped goblin.
Treasure - Payment by Citirrian for delivering the staff - 200 gp, 50 gp in alchemical reagents - Ash, 2 weeks rent of an apartment owned by Quint Spiregleam.
Individual XP Gained - 125 Total Individual XP - 991
Session 04 - 11/30/10 "Stick in the Mud: Vault of the Staff, Ambush in the Ruins" Noon of Godsday, the 4th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - After a short rest the party enters the Vault of the Staff, with Sunder having to push open the doors against the flood of elemental muck and mud, with some surprising help from Audrey. In the vault they find that the staff has opened a rift to the Elemental Chaos, which is creating the flow of mud, and allowed 3 mud men to enter. While they fight the mud men they also slowly close the rift, with Audrey using her skills in thievery to close the cracks in the staff, and Sariel and Ash exerting their wills and knowledge of arcana to close the rift. One more mud man is able to slip through the rift before they close it, but they party defeats it and its fellows without too much difficulty, though Sunder ends up on the receiving end of Ash's spells a few too many times for his liking. In the muck, amongst the remains of previous victims they find a suit of magic leather armor and a light shield. After another rest they reemerge from the dungeon level to the ruined base of the tower and are surprised to be ambushed by a group of bandits who demand they hand over the staff. They refuse and a fight ensues in which all the bandits are slain, except for their halfling leader. Audrey tracks him far enough to see him cross the road and head north, instead of east through the Old Gate.
Monsters - 4 mud men, 4 human rabble, 1 human bandit, 1 goblin sharpshooter, 1 halfling slinger
Skill Challenge - Stem the muddy tide
Treasure - 1 suit of Lvl 4 Bloodcut Leather Armor (PB p. 227) - Audrey, 1 Lvl 5 Bashing Light Shield (PB p. 244) - Sariel
Individual XP Gained - 349 Total Individual XP - 866
Session 03 - 11/02/10 "Stick in the Mud: The Study, Chamber of the Frog" Morning of Godsday, the 4th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - Sunder descended through the trap door, down a flight of stairs into a ruined study with floors covered in mud and overturned bookshelves, drawing the attack of the bullywugs waiting in the room. Audrey noticed a muddy quagmire hazard and warned her comrades. Bottle-necked by the a spear-wielding bullywug and the mud pit, Audrey somersaulted over Sunder to flank it. The party slew them all except one, who briefly managed to escape into the next room before Ash slew him with a magic missile. As the melee poured into the next room the party found themselves facing giant frogs as well as more bullywug croakers and a mud lord who did devastating damage with belches of flame and lightning, which he channeled through his staff. Audrey came close to death in the suffocating maw of one of the frogs until Sunder finished it and the mud lord.
Monsters - 2 bullywug muckers, 1 bullywug twitcher, 2 giant frogs, 2 bullywug croakers, 1 bullywug mud lord
Treasure - 100 gp in gems, 100 gp, 1 ritual scroll: unseen servant (AP p. 158) - Ash, 2 potions of healing
Individual XP Gained - 243 Total Individual XP - 517
Session 02 - 10/26/10 "Stick in the Mud: The Ruins" Afternoon of Moonday, the 3rd of Patchwall - Morning of Godsday, the 4th of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synposis - After the combat in the ruins that were Boontah's band's hideout the party recovers, rests and searches the area. In the back of the ruins they find a survivor, an unconscious female elf, who upon awakening turns out to have been traveling with the elf, knight and squire who fell victim to the goblins. She was not a member of their group, but had met them on the road and was traveling along when the ambush occurred. The party also opens the package found on the knight, revealing a small book written in an unreadable script. Ash resolves to read it with a comprehend languages ritual, but lacks the necessary components to do so.
Going back to the keep, the party pays the tax on plunder offsetting the cost by collecting a bounty on the goblins. Longstrider takes them to the Traveler's Inn and coerces the innkeeper, Nerrin Silverhand, into providing the week of room and board he had promised them. Later in the Stumbling Giant Tavern, they talk with Corporal Fallek, learning some details of the keep's inhabitants. As they are leaving they are met by a servant of the Mages of Saruun, who have a small guildhall in the keep. He takes them to meet the leader of the mages in the keep, the mysterious Citirian. Citirian hires them to retrieve a magic staff for him that he has divined is in the ruins of tower that once belonged to the wizard, Voran Earthmane.
Inside the ruins of the tower they run into a group of bullywugs, who they dispatch without too much difficulty. Among the remains of previous victims of the bullwugs, a magic hammer is found. Under some rubble a secret trapdoor is found, with a set of stairs leading down.
Monsters - 2 bullywug croakers, 2 bullywug muckers, 1 bullywug twitcher.
Treasure - 1 Lvl 3 Thundering Warhammer (PB p. 236) - Sunder
Individual XP Gained - 101 Total Individual XP - 274
Session 01 - 10/19/10 "Eyes in the Forest" Morning of Moonday, the 3rd of Patchwall, 580 CY (Common Year)
Synopsis - On the road about a mile east of Restell Keep, the party came across a riderless white mare wounded with a goblin arrow. The latches on the horse's saddle bags were decorated with a device recognized as a symbol of the Knights of the Watch. The party took the horse and proceeded to the keep. The guard was somewhat alarmed by signs of a recent attack on the road and summoned the bailiff of the guard, Kendon Longstrider, who offered the party entry to the keep and lodging for a week if they tracked down and killed the attackers.
The party went back to where they found the horse and followed the track a mile into the wood, coming upon some vine-covered ruins which were occupied by a group of goblin bandits led by a chieftain named Boontah; a large goblin with a very unusual power. They overcame the goblins, with Ash and Sariel being very seriously wounded. Audrey knocked out one of the goblins to save for questioning. Their recent victims were found in a heap in the ruins. Their eyes had been gouged out and used to decorate the spikes on Boontah's helmet. The bodies were of a female elf wearing the robes of a wizard, a middle-aged human male wearing the surcoat of a Knight of the Watch, and a young human wearing the same livery on his tunic; most likely the page or squire of the knight. The only item of interest found on their bodies was an oil-skin covered packet, sealed in wax with the symbol of the Knights of the Watch, found sewn inside the leather jerkin of the knight.
Monsters - Boontah the goblin champion, 1 goblin acolyte of Maglubiyet, 1 goblin blackblade, 2 goblin thorns, 3 goblin crazies.
Treasure - Bronze nose ring (40 gp), 10 gp, 64 sp, 130 cp, 1 potion of healing, 1 Lvl 2 Defensive Staff (AV p. 104) - Ash
Individual XP Gained - 173 Total Individual XP - 173