Breachill, Isger; Rova 1, 4719 AR

The town of Breachill waited patiently for the arrival of new heroes into town. The monthly Call For Heroes was a sure way to bring in new talent, new faces, and new coin. Trinil Uskwold carefully decorated her tavern, festive streamers and banners coating the walls while boar roasted lazily on the spits in the back room. Crink Twiddleton shouted for his apprentices to make sure his armor and blades were well polished while he busily arranged his finest wares to catch the eye.

Miles away, the goblin Uhn rose before the sun could take its place low in the sky. He crept from his small hovel, making not a noise as he slowly winched the gate open, taking care that he wasn't spotted. Unfortunately, he was not alone. Fim, chieftain of the Scalehoarders and Uhn's mother, was waiting for him. She wore her Crown of Scales and held the dagger that marked her as the ruler of the tribe. She knew of his plan to leave for the human town. The once small goblin had outgrown his world here among her people. His ambitions were too large. Fim passed the dagger of office to her son with a sneer. "When you can take the crown from me," she hissed, "then you will be fit to lead, should you return."

A dwarven woman tossed in turned in her sleep. Visions of melting gold, boiling skin, and skies of ash and fire haunted her dreams. She saw a fortress as black as pitch, with flames bursting forth from within. When she awoke within her carriage, she had arrived at the town of Breachill. Outside the confines of the transport, she saw in the distance the citadel from her nightmares. A thick plume of red smoke drifted lazily from its battlements. She shivered involuntarily and stomped into town. Inagra Ironbeater had found the source of her haunting visions.

Greta Gardania's home was filled with art and decorative pieces, all hailing from Osirion. She brewed a tea spiced with Thuvian cardamom and hibiscus for her temporary guest. The half-orc stirred on her couch, still wearing his travel-stained clothes from the day before. Something dark drove him, and she was beginning to entertain some doubts about calling him out here. He wanted answers about his brother who had come through here not long before his death. She knew that she was a being a little selfish pushing him into helping out with the Call For Heroes, but he didn't seem overly upset about it. Just moody and quiet. As usual.

Viggo Vulcan woke up with empty tankards hitting the ground around his feet. The clanking did nothing to ease the pounding in his skull. Around him, banners proudly proclaimed, "Welcome, Heroes!" and the gamy smell of boar wafted through the air. As the half-elf got his bearings, men tromped into the tavern, jabbering about their expectations for the Call For Heroes. Rumors were abuzz about what the council would be announcing: A dedicated team to catch the Bloody Blades? A group to help the hellknight and his hunt for his missing ring? One member even suggested that the Call For Heroes was looking to gather a group to slay a dragon lairing within Citadel Altaerein. When Inagra entered, followed soon after by Uhn, the party began to really kick off. Boar was supped on, tea changed hands, and Breachill's local "Black Lantern" adventuring party seemed ready to accept the goblin into their number. Inagra wasn't convinced, however, and managed to convince the goblin to hold his decision until they met with the council, at least.

"Who could have done this?" Greta asked while she held her kinsfolk in her arms.

The half-orc narrowed his eyes before grabbing Warbal and pulling her in front of the crowd. "It was the halfling. Who was that?"

The goblin ambassador seemed shocked by the question. "Y-you mean Calmont? I don't think he would be able to--"

"I saw him through the fire. He was running towards that fortress over there." He pointed to the looming structure up in the foothills, red smoke poured from the battlements.

Warbal seemed to suddenly remember and shot to her feet, shouting, "My Bumblebrashers! My Bumblebrashers! I haven't heard from them in days and then their distress signal is lit! That's what help we needed before the fire began!"

As an obvious choice for the job, the four strangers were chosen to hunt down Calmont and rescue the Bumblebrashers. They left immediately, introducing themselves to each other along the road: Inagra, the dwarven cleric, drawn here by her visions. Viggo, the half-elven alchemist, looking to start a new life. Uhn, the goblin barbarian, on a personal quest to reconcile what he saw in his youth. Finally, the half-orc, Wrin, a sorcerer who claimed to be here searching for someone. Warbal tagged along, excited to help set up camp and tend to any of the party's wounds if trouble arose.

When the party arrived at Citadel Altaerein, Warbal set up camp while the others scouted the perimeter. Near a collapsed section of wall, Uhn spotted a shining shirt of chain laying in a small, stagnant pool of water. After some debate, Wrin ventured into the chest deep morass to fish out the glittering prize. Unfortunately, the waters were home to massive turtle-like creatures that lunged at the half-orc. In the blink of an eye, Wrin disappeared beneath the waters. Viggo and Inagra opened fire on the creatures, their bolts barely managing to pierce their hardened shells. Uhn's horsechopper proved to handle turtles just as well as it did horses, as he sliced the head clean off of one before pulling Wrin free from the mire. The half-orc stumbled to his feet clutching a piece of parchment in his hands. A few muttered words under his breath and the pond boiled as arcs of electricity raced across the water, cooking the remaining creature and whatever else laired within.

After that brush with danger, the party took more care. Warbal tended to Wrin's wound, and they made for the front door of the fortress. Uhn handled the "guard dogs," (a pack of goblin dogs) with some mutton that Warbal had brought along with her. The fortress had clearly been abandoned for some time; dust and cobwebs clung to every corner. They moved through the empty hallways methodically, cautiously. When they found an old barracks, all of the beds stacked together in some sort of makeshift home, the party tensed up. A voice from within the bed fort was singing softly in Goblin. Believing they had stumbled upon the missing Bumblebrashers, Uhn called out to the voice. Though surprised, the owner of the voice was curious about who had come into her domain. She was willing to talk to Uhn, should he join her in her "fortress" of linen sheets and bed frames. In a brazen display of naivety, Uhn took the voice up on her offer and entered her home.

The rest of the gathered party watched as a furred fist cracked against Uhn's jaw, spinning him into the arms of the bugbear who threw the punch. She rested a knife against the goblin's throat, even while he struggled to come to his senses. She demanded for everyone to leave their weapons on the floor and leave. If they followed her orders, she would let Uhn go. With a smirk, she retreated back into her tent home, leaving the party to decide their new ally's fate. Wrin didn't ponder long. He conjured up a sputtering ball of flames in his hand, and hurled it into the highly flammable bed fort. The bugbear didn't have time to react and Uhn wriggled flee and ran to join his allies, blood trickling from his lips and a bruise already forming on his jawline. With her home burning around her, the bugbear grabbed up an old bastard sword and leapt into battle. With four against one, the murderous creature stood no chance, and she fell only moments later.

The search for the Bumblebrashers had been going on for hours, and the group had only scars and aching jaws to show for it. It was around that time that Inagra overheard the chattering of goblin voices coming from the courtyard. Uhn translated, telling everyone that Calmont was in a shouting match with some goblins. He kept demanding a ring, all the while threatening to hurt someone he seemed to be holding hostage. Viggo and Uhn attempted to catch Calmont's attention, and partially succeeded, hearing only that the hostage seemed to escape. It still meant that the party had to make their way to Calmont.

The questions would have to wait, however. The party scaled the battlements to find Calmont nursing a wound on his hand while desperately trying to get into a seemingly barred tower. At his feet was a trail of black powder that led within. He held up on a tindertwig between his fingers and demanded that the interlopers get no closer. Inagra and Wrin interrogated the halfling, who told them he was there hunting for "Alesta's Ring," a series of elf gates that were said to be hidden within the citadel. He was trying to find them before his employer, Voz, could.

"Wait," Wrin muttered, "What does a bookseller want with these elf gates?"

"Bookseller?" Calmont looked incredulous. "Are you guys dense or something? She's a necromancer! I'm her apprentice." He went into great detail about the potential earnings one could make selling Alesta's Ring. He wanted to make sure that he was the first to do so. During all this, Inagra carefully swept away the black powder with a surreptitious spell. When it was clear that the powder no longer posed a threat, Wrin lunged at the halfling and he was quickly restrained.

With the stand-off ended, the remaining Bumblebrashers left the safety of the tower and profusely thanked the heroes. The chieftain, Helba Bumblebrasher, then recounted the tale of how everything came to be. A few days past, strange monkey people and frog men came barreling up from the caverns below the citadel basement. The goblins were chased up to the battlements where they were able to light the signal fire that caught Warbal's attention. Fortunately, the stairs that lead up to the battlements collapsed, not only trapping any of the strange monsters down in the basement, but also stranding the Bumblebrashers. Helba then pleaded with the heroes to clear out the monsters from the basement and to reclaim their home for them. They agreed, also remaining acutely aware that Warbal had previously mentioned a deed to the fortress being hidden somewhere on the property. But they had some things to take care of first.

The group dropped off Calmont with the council (now relocated to holding meetings in Wizard's Grace), and explained about the problems going on in Citadel Altaerein. Worse still, Voz needed to be brought in for questioning in connection to Calmont's claim about her connection to the elf gates. Greta rubbed her temples, thinking that she only had to deal with raising funds to rebuild city hall. Inagra broke the tension, "The creatures that the Bumblebrashers talked about aren't from around here." She unfurled a map of the Inner Sea, and pointed to the Mwangi Expanse, far to the south of Isger. "I'm thinking that they arrived through the so-called elf gates from here. We've already seen evidence of this being true with the crocodile creature we fought."

The way forward seemed clear to the four who had just fought through hell, but the obstacles in their path seemed to multiply by the moment. Only then did they get word that the bookseller, Voz, had gone missing. Just another trouble for the pile. It was getting late, however, so the group went to get some sleep and prepare for the trials that awaited them.

The next day, while everyone was making sure they were well supplied for the assault on the fortress once more, Uhn found himself speaking with Rorsk Axebane, the owner of Tuskhead Stoneworking. While the goblin counted out coins for a simple rune enscribing, the dwarf noticed the dagger that Uhn's mother had given him. When Rorsk looked at it, tears came to his eyes. "Tha' was me wife's," he said, suddenly overcome. He stared hard at Uhn and stormed out of his business.

The goblin stared at the dagger in his hands. The stone face of the woman carved into it stared back impassively.

What dangers still lurk within Citadel Altaerein? What of the bookseller and her plans for Alesta's Ring? Will the flames that Inagra sees in her dreams consume her as she has forseen? Beware... the Age of Ashes is upon us.

-Dungeon Master