14 Mirtul, 1489 - Campaign Begins
Having met each other through happenstance and misfortune, the heroes have agreed to make their way to the small town of Greenest. Each has different reasons for making the journey, but the destination is one they all have in common.
Before they arrive, on the very outskirts of town, they are hailed by a youth, Herc, pleading for someone to help his father and uncle, who were trapped beneath a falling tree in the nearby woods.
With the strength of the heroes, they were able to move the trunk enough to get the two men out, but not before Faressk heard the distant howling of wolves. Leodithas tended to the severe wounds of the two townsfolk, while the others kept watch.
It wasn't long before the wolves were on them, one distracting Faressk while another two came at him from the side, dragging him to the ground. Finally fighting the wolves away, the heroes escorted the lumberjacks back to the town of Greenest before any more appeared.
With close to a heroes' welcome from a town they had never visited before, the heroes enjoyed a night at Ye Olde Tavern, listening with interest to the tales of the wolves as told by some of the locals. Four of the heroes took rooms inside the tavern while Faressk opted for a more "comfortable"option of a low-hanging branch in one of the trees in the field behind the tavern.
Early in the night the heroes were woken by the howling of wolves though and it wasn't long before it sounded like they were in the town itself. Faressk opted for caution over comfort and returned to the Tavern, to find that the doors had been barred. As he was banging on the doors, the first wolves entered the town center.
The other heroes opted to go outside to help Faressk fight the wolves off. Midway through the fight they were surprised by a larger white 'wolf' that appeared out of nowhere before attacking. After taking a couple of hits, it then mysteriously disappeared.
With the battle complete, the heroes were mourning the death of two of their own, Faressk and Havilarr. The town itself also had eight more that had been lost to the wolves.
15 Mirtul, 1489
In the aftermath of the battle with the wolves, the remaining heroes were told rumours of a magical temple outside of town with powers to heal any wound, and even restore the recently deceased to life. With nothing to lose, they set out first thing in the morning, hoping for a miracle.
Although the heard more howling of wolves, in particular the harrowing sound of the mysterious white wolf, their trip to the temple was free of interruption. The temple itself was almost exactly where it was described by the local townsfolk that had visited the site years ago.
Covered in vines, it took a little while searching to find the entrance. Inside the complex was clearly in ruins, with pillars collapsed throughout the courtyard and much of, what was once, the second story. Moving cautiously, the party explored the perimeter of the ruins first, slaying several spiders and swarms of rats, before coming to an "inner sanctuary". A room walled by black marble with torch sconces lining the walls and a large shallow pool at the far end.
A statue of a hideous gargoyle stood on the lip of the fountain, its mouth pursed as if water to flow out, but there was no water flowing and only a small amount at the very bottom of the pool. As Camdyn stepped into the pool to gather some of the water, the gargoyle suddenly sprang to life, launching a vicious attack on him.
Unlike with the wolves, the battle with the gargoyle was over shortly, the party emerging almost completely unscathed. They were able to gather up as much of the water as they could and return to town. A small group of kobolds tried to ambush them as they were leaving the temple, however they were quickly brushed aside.
Having returned to Greenest, the waters were indeed able to restore life to both Faressk and Havilarr, in addition to a half dozen other residents of the town. The party were hailed as heroes by the townsfolk and an impromptu celebration was put together in the tavern for their benefit.
16 Mirtul, 1489
Having restored their companions, the party journeyed out into the farmlands, following clues of a band of marauders that eventually led them to a sinister looking cavern. Overcoming several kobolds in the first few chambers, the party then took on some of their human allies. With the battle going the heroes' way, one of the humans decided to flee, running deeper into the caverns. With the rest vanquished quickly, the party went in search of the escapee.
Going around several bends they discovered a room full of skeletons across a small cleft. Battling those, they were also set upon by several giant snakes, that appeared to call the small lake in the centre of the cavern complex home. Killing two smaller snakes and driving the one giant one back into its lair, the discovered a crude false wall in the room the skeletons guarded and making their way through that found the trappings of a wizard's lair. They were able to overcome more undead as they explored deeper into the ancient caverns, finally arriving at an small throne room.
A skeleton wearing decrepit robes occupied the throne, with a creature of malformed muscle standing at its side. Neither of them moved or even acknowledged the party in any way, until Lavinia picked up the book lying at the dead wizard's feet. At that instant the guard burst into action, attacking the entire party with unnatural strength and speed. With the creature seemingly immune to some of their magic, it was a difficult fight, with Faressk being struck down from a single mighty blow (BG: was rolling crits out the wazoo that session, and Faressk was on the receiving end of the almighty '00'), however eventually they prevailed. The loot being a couple of ancient books that had survived intact.
Nursing their wounds, the party opted to withdraw from the caverns, convinced now that the bandit that fled from the earlier fight had, in fact, doubled around and escaped. They made their way back to Greenest, hoping to reach the town before nightfall. As the approached the town though, they began to sense that something was wrong. Instead of the peaceful little town they were expecting, they saw columns of black smoke rising from burning buildings, running figures that were little more than dots from a distance, and a dark, winged shape wheeling low over the keep that rose in the centre of town.
Greenest was under attack by a dragon!
continued
- Rushed into town and saw it under attack my marauders and kobolds who were stealing and trying to start fires.
- Attacked the invaders, especially one group chasing a women and group of kids, whom the kobolds appeared to be trying to kidnap.
- Protracted battle with many cultists and kobolds slain (over 30), all teh while the blue dragon was making breath weapon attacks upon the keep, eventually turning its attention to the party.
- Blue dragon faced the heroes and after a battle breathed fire upon them. Camdyn dodged expertly to the side avoiding all damage, while Havilaar, healed by Leodithas, rose to continue the battle from near death.
- Eventually the battle with the dragon took its toll on the heroes and Camdyn and Zargar (Havilaar's cousin) succumb, paying the ultimate toll just before the dragon fled.