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Story HourPost your ongoing tales from your campaigns, and read those from others for inspiration. Lots of other RPG boards post "Story Hours", but this is where it started!
My normal policy is to post this storyhour in bite-sized chunks. The game is run approx once a month, and I write the details down to remind players of what they've been up to. As such it is more of a log than a storyhour - I'll not often include dialog sadly.
The Kyri Chronicles
An account of the adventures surrounding the town of Knightsbridge.
Dramatis Personae:
(removed so that you can see people arrive (and die) as the adventures proceed...
Campaign Setting
Briefly these adventures are set in the world of Kyri, a campaign world that I created back in the late 1970's and have used as the basis for each of the D&D campaigns that I've run to date.
It is a generally low-magic setting, and it is monotheistic. There is only one god - Asura, the many-facetted one. Before the days of the cataclysm the world was under the dominion of the “Great Old Ones” and it was full of madness and pain. Then Asura burst into the world, fought the Great Old Ones and banished them forever. The centre of worship of Asura is the nation of Singh. It is ruled by a theocracy. There are shrines and temples to Asura across Caran and the whole world though. Full details of the setting can be found on my website at http://www.starguild.freeserve.co.uk/frp/
Outsiders
The Wizards say that there are many, many planes - all pressing together closely around Kyri; and on these planes Outsiders are waging the "Great Game". Celestials, Elementals and various groups of Infernals battling for possession of reality. (none of the normal D&D "alignment planes" exist here - I have a completely different cosmology).
Calendar
Spring is divided up into the months of Floodwater, Greening and May.
Summer is divided into the months of Summertide, Midsummer and Harvest
Autumn is divided into Autumntide, Stormtime and Hogswatch.
Winter is divided into Frostdawn, Ironwater and Bleakwinter.
Days
The seven days of the week are Holyday, Restday, Fastday, Waxday, Moonday, Waneday and Markday. Holyday is a day of religious observances and celebrations of Asura, including lectures and miraculous healings. The first Holyday of each month is a festival, and is normally well attended. Restday is when townspeople tend to recover from the joyous excesses of the Holyday celebrations, although is often used as an additional market day. Fastday is traditionally a day of fasting in preparation for the week ahead. Rigorously applied in Singh, it is less commonly observed to the East of the Barrier range. Waxday, Moonday and Waneday reflect the main phases of the moon of Kyri. The moon goes through each phase once a week, and Moonday is always the time of the full moon. These three days are all normal working days. Markday closes the week, and is the traditional market day; commoners bring their produce into town for sale in the markets, and much business is transacted in preparation for the coming Holyday.
Character Nationalities
Most of the characters are Southlanders from Lythau. Olive to fair skinned, and with a range of dark brown to fair hair, people from this nation have a reputation for nobility and honour.
Lysander and Azrin (who will appear later) are from Singh - swarthy skinned, yet soft featured. They normally keep their heads shaved and wear short, hooded robes.
Character classes
Martial arts are very common in this world, and many fighters become "martial artists", concentrating on a large range of unarmed combat feats. Monks are more spiritually aligned than the martial artists (although are still just as good at bashing people).
In this world, there are no "Paladins", the class has been replaced by "Jazumai" - a kind of paladin-monk hybrid class. There are no Barbarians as a class - barbarians all come from particular regions and there are regional feats for various kinds of barbarian rage. The Ranger class has been heavily modified, losing two-weapon fighting and spells, gaining d12 HD, fast movement and uncanny dodge as per barbarian. The druid class is renamed Shaman, and they are only found amongst the barbarian tribes
Races
Only human characters are allowed at first, the elves and dwarfs are mostly rumours - only once they have been encountered will it be possible for players to have a nonhuman PC.
Knightsbridge
The base of operations, guards a significant crossing of the Silverlode river. The bridge is a natural stone arch across the river gorge here, and legend has it that an Honourbound knight of Lythau once held off an army of goblins here until the locals had escaped and the alarm raised.
It is still the only crossing point for many leagues, and so is a natural stopping point for travellers and adventurers. It comprises a keep, town wall, houses, shops, marketplace, temple to Asura, 3 taverns - "The Wyvern", "The Queen of Cups" and “The Stony Gaze”
The adventures start on the first Moonday of Midsummer, an auspicious beginning.
Miranda, Graculous and Blodwyn (the initial party) break their travels northward along the trade roads at the imposing town of Knightsbridge. Guarding the natural rock span across the river gorge, the town stands at a natural crossroads for trade and defence. While deciding which tavern they like the best, and circulating in the town, Miranda picks up rumours of bandits hitting small merchant convoys on the road to the North.
Mindful of their need to gain local credibility (not to mention the reward offered by local merchants in the market) they set off to the last known location.
As luck would have it, just five leagues up the road they come across a ransacked and burnt-out caravan. There is a lot of bloodshed, but no sign of bodies - did the brigands bury their captives? It doesn’t seem likely. The trail led into the wooded hills to the North.
Abruptly the party reached a small building, and after Miranda picks the lock they enter - to be confronted by the shambling horror of the recently dead caravan owners, lurching towards them! Blodwyn steps forth, and invoking the power of Asura causes the undead to flee and cower at the end of the room, whence they are hacked down by her companions.
Checking the next room they find six kobolds, well armed and with good tactics - but not good enough as the agile Graculous leaps over the crates they shelter behind and swiftly cuts them down with his swords. Blodwyn calls upon Asura to heal her companions somewhat, and then they press on, with lighted torches, into the cavern behind the building.
Across a narrow chasm they see the leader of this gang of bandits - an evil priest of one of the forbidden cults of Asura! Magically he incapacitates Blodwyn, and as Graculous and Miranda leap the fissure he joins them in combat. Graculous, wounded by the Kobolds falls quickly, but Miranda strikes with precision. The vile creature falls, and after rest and bandages for the wounded the small party returns triumphant and richer to the tune of several bales of silk to Knightsbridge.
A league out from town they meet a softly spoken monk Ynnsfeardh by name, escorting a farmer from Oakhurst. Apparently there have been strange goings on in the surrounding farms, mysterious deaths amongst the cattle, and the village elders are sending to the Baron of Knightsbridge for help.
Sensing the opportunity to further their experience the team immediately volunteer to help out, and change their course to Oakhurst.
In Oakhurst, there was news of an earlier expedition to a chasm in which the Sunless Citadel lay - yet none had returned. Furthermore, some remembered an old witch who had travelled that way many years ago, and wondered if her hand was behind some of the unnatural goings on.
On Markday the adventurers set off to the chasm, and lowered themselves down on ropes. Miranda was jumped by a couple of dire rats which wounded her before they were dispatched, and threatened her life with filth fever… not for the last time either. Stealthily moving into the darkness, they came to the entranceway to the citadel, where Miranda cunningly detected the spring loaded trapdoor in a precipitous fashion! Assailed by an imprisoned dire rat in the depths of the pit, she was saved by Graculous who leapt in and swiftly dispatched the rat.
Investigating with more caution, they found a sealed door covered with dragon motifs which they couldn’t pass, and a corridor with a metal water cylinder. They tried for some time to prise out the bung in the top of the cylinder but happily without success. Moving further into the citadel they came across a whimpering bundle of rags, which seemed to contain a heavily scarred kobold named Meepo.
Blodwyn, ever the diplomat, managed to calm the frightened chap who seemed to have lost something important. Meepo agreed to introduce them to “the great leader” who knew the answer to all their questions.
Graculous Ftr2
Miranda Rog2
Blodwyn Clr2
Ynnsfeardh Mnk1
Ysdrayl, the sorcerous leader of the kobolds was interested to see the adventurers, and they were interested to see a large key on the altar behind here - in all likelihood suitable for opening the locked door that they had found! A rival tribe of goblins had captured the kobolds white dragon hatchling, their mascot. If the party could recapture the little dragon and slay some of the goblins, then Ysdrayl would be highly pleased and would let them select from her collection of “treasures”.
The kobolds showed them the back way into the goblins lair, and they burst into a chamber, slaying all the guards in seconds. Creeping through a pillared hall they found the icy room containing the baby dragon. While the others waited outside Graculous and Ynnsfeardh leapt in and managed to subdue the little beast without too much trouble with some lucky blows. Retreating back to the kobold lair with their prize, the party are interested to hear further information from Ysdrayl which links the goblins to the rogue witch. After a short discussion the party decide to clear out the goblin enclave in return for further concessions from the kobolds.
Deciding (rightly) that the “back door” into the goblin lair was probably trapped to high heaven now, they decide to taking the long route round to the goblins. Along the way there are a number of fountains with indecipherable scripts, some skeletons which Blodwyn proudly blasted into nothingness with the divine power of Asura, and the mother of all dire rats which Graculous defeats single-handedly.
The party are gaining in confidence and experience all the time, and press on towards the goblin enclave. A defensive post is cleared in short order, the 3’ high wall providing no barrier to the fighters who simply leapt straight over it. One goblin escapes to raise the alarm, and a mighty fight ensues in the pillared hallway. Once again Blodwyns’ healing powers help to sway the tide, although many of the hobgoblins were fatally surprised at the nimbleness and combat reflexes shown by Graculous!
Rather than press on to the goblin throne room the party retreat with the injured Ynnsfeardh and hole up in one of the cleared side rooms for a day, praying and recuperating. The mighty Asura once again answers prayers for healing and wholeness, and the company are ready to continue into the depths of the citadel...
The final battle with the goblin leader is, like his namesake, short and brutal. Goblin ears are collected and presented to Ysdrayl, who offers them the pick of her treasures. They select the large key and head back to the sealed door with dragon motifs. The following rooms have clearly not been visited for many, many years - dust lies thick upon the floor. They cross a room where a strange glowing orb sits in an alcove, but don’t approach it. In the next room they answer a riddle posed by a statue and finally gain access to what looks like a tomb - where Miranda is ambushed by a tiny demonic figure after crossing a pit. His claws inflict itching wounds that reduce her dexterity, but before she is completely immobilised the others leap across the gap and scare off the nasty fiend, who flies of swearing and cursing at them.
So there it is. A great marble sarcophagus. Obviously they need to open it...
...but no sooner is the cover removed when a fearsome giant sits up and steps out of it. The gangling arms of the creature have a tremendous reach, and in the close confines of the tomb it is difficult for the party to move without being caught by the swinging arms. Suddenly Blodwyn is down and dying! Miranda backs into a hidey hole, but is also caught by a claw and lies dying! Severely injured, Graculous leaps back across the pit and is horrified to see the creature, all its wounds healing, stride towards him. Thinking tactically he bull-rushes the creature and knocks it back - straight into the pit where it is impaled on spikes! He jumps in on top of it, along with Ynnsfeardh who has been summoned from his position on watch by the sound of fighting. The creature is burnt with torches, and expires. A quick survey of the companions reveal Miranda at deaths door but just stabilised. Not so with poor Blodwyn. Saddened, the party loots the tomb and then retires back home to Knightsbridge, carrying the body of Blodwyn with them.
They present Blodwyn to Alkanar the High Priest at the Asuran temple in Knightsbridge. For reasons he is not yet sure of, Alkanar agrees to ask Asura to raise Blodwyn back to life on Holy day, in three days time. Word gets around, and the Holy day ceremony is one of the best attended for several seasons. To everyones amazement, Blodwyn breathes again! There is great rejoicing, and Alkanar exacts a promise from each of the party - they owe a favour to the priesthood of Asura now.
After a weeks rest and reequipping, and with a new friend, the witch Auriel (who is following rumours of a wicked witch named Belak), the party returns to the sunless citadel. The goblins may have been dealt with, but there is still the renegade witch to deal with. The kobolds seem to have abandoned their rooms and returned to the underdark. In the goblins inner sanctum there is a mysterious vine-filled shaft that descends into the earth.
With some trepidation Miranda climbs down, followed by her companions. They alight in a compost-filled room, suffused by a dim violet light which emanates from fungus growing on the walls. Two skeletons engaged in muck-spreading are dispatched quickly. Investigating the southern door leads to a crevasse which has cut through some of the dungeons, and a room with a mysterious dragon plinth, which doesn’t appear to do anything.
Turning to the eastern door is more productive. There is another hall of columns, and sneaking from door to door the party is able to ambush a number of goblins, in each case slaughtering them before an outcry can be raised! Their superior experience is really starting to tell now, and Graculous is particularly deadly when fighting with two weapons and cleaving left right and centre!
Pressing on through further halls, which seem to have been transformed into strange, stunted gardens, there are a couple of worrying fights with bugbear gardeners - scythe wielding gardeners! Once again the party triumphs without too much difficulty, and once again the healing power of Asura readies them for further action. Or so they think.
It is not long before they find themselves in another room with a large dragon statue - and to Miranda’s horror her careful investigations are disturbed when a shadow detaches itself from the darkness and strikes at her! She fights back ineffectually, meanwhile Blodwyn casts “magic weapon” on Graculous’ sword, and he wades into the combat. The shadow is one of the toughest combats yet - more often than not their blows pass harmlessly through its immaterial body, while it almost drains Miranda’s strength to nothing! Desperately Miranda tumbles to safety outside the room while Graculous, with missile support from Blodwyn and Oriel finally disperses the vile undead creature.
While searching the room the party trigger a strange summoning spell, and find that a swarthy skinned, goateed southlander named Kieran is in the room with them - snatched from his homeland many hundreds of miles away. A guarded conversation determines that he is a good warrior snatched unwilling from his home, and the party decide to allow him to join up with them for the remainder of their mission.
Dripping corridors lead down stairs and round corners before bringing them to what must be the witches library, and an adjoining room with four goblins - again quickly dispatched. The fourth wall of the goblins den has crumbled away however, and beyond is a vast cavern - still illuminated by the sickly violet glow of fungus, there is a thick carpet of brambles across the floor of the cavern - and in the distance the branches of a twisted and vile tree can be seen poking above ruined parapets...
Dramatis Personae at this time
Graculous Ftr3
Miranda Rog3
Blodwyn Clr1 Died - and raised
Ynnsfeardh Mnk2
Oriel Dru1
Kieran Ftr1
The party form up, and start forcing their way through the brambles towards the castle.
They get halfway across when they are suddenly attacked by more of the horrible twig creatures. Oriel uses her witch-powers to run untouched through the brambles and help flank the blights. Kieran swings his pair of swords, pommel-tassels flying and acquits himself well. With minor injuries the party presses on - and now in-between the walls they can see their foe - a twisted tree, at the base of which stands Belak the witch, with a couple of additional human companions (albeit with woody appearing faces) and some animals.
Suddenly the brambles rise up and grasp at the heroic party, attempting to pin them down. Only Graculous saves, and leaps free of their embrace. Belak reacts quickly - and charms Graculous! Asking her new best friend to stand to one side, Belak directs her companions into the attack. Belak casts a heat metal on Kieren, forcing him to let go of his swords, and then a flaming sphere starts to cause Blodwyn serious damage! Taking a risk, Ynnsfearth tumbles past the struggling combatants and ends up right next to Belak, who starts getting a right pounding from the fists of fury! Belak calls to Graculous for help, but Grac is distracted by seeing his best friend Blodwyn burning - an opposed charisma check later and Graculous is off helping his priestess buddy away from the fire.
Suddenly the rest of the bad guys are down. In a trice, Belak swarms up the tree, weaving in and out of the branches and disappearing into the gloom faster than Miranda and the others can follow, before jumping down the far side of a crumbling wall. By the time they party get into the upper branches it is too late. Belak has escaped into the darkness.
Returning to Oakhurst, the villagers are delighted to hear about the ending of their problems - although they are distraught to learn that they had been helping to propagate the twig blights themselves. There is a tremendous celebration with the heroes at the centre, and the next day they return to Knightsbridge with joyful hearts!
Dramatis Personae at this time
Graculous Ftr3
Miranda Rog3
Blodwyn Clr2
Ynnsfeardh Mnk2
Oriel Dru2
Kieran Ftr2
They spend some more time training and preparing in the town - ordering goods from the armourer and Weaponsmith, trading souvenirs and stories at their favourite tavern for further rumours and several nights board. Miranda discovers subtle sorcerous powers growing within her, and spends time getting to grips with them. While there, they are met by Tonar, the chief of the city guard. He summons them to an audience with Baron Kellder...
The exploits of the adventurers has not gone unnoticed, and the Baron thinks that they might be suitable candidates as “Companions” of his - a rank which lies outside the normal military structure, and loosely refers to “special agents” for the Lythunian nobles. One of the villages north of Knightsbridge has recently been razed to the ground, and the scant evidence left suggests that goblins may have been involved. The next nearest village of Three Beeches is very concerned. Baron Kellder resolves to send the companions to investigate and solve the problem.
A couple of days journey brings them to Three Beeches, a community wrapped in fear like a blanket wraps an old man on a cold night. Many of them lost friends when the other village was destroyed, and there was evidence of terrible barbarism. A trapper who knows how to follow tracks leads them through woods to the base of the “uneasy cliffs”, which continually shudder and groan. A couple of goblins are visible, guarding the entrance in a desultory way...
A swift ambush and the goblins at the entrance are dispatched. Venturing into the caves is uncomfortable - no walls and corridors here, there are plenty of narrow squeezes, steep inclines and uneven surfaces. A goblin outpost is encountered and attacked, and to their surprise the goblins go into a barbarian rage! Fighting fiercely, Blodwyn is nearly killed by a critical hit before the goblins are finally killed.
After a spot of healing and recovery the companions press on into the caverns, ever mindful of the ominous creaks and groans from the cavern around them. Suddenly their passage opens into the side of a vast chasm, stretching further than their torchlight can reach in every direction. There are other lights visible at different points on the far side of the chasm, and a narrow rope bridge stretches, swaying, ahead of them.
The party crawl across one by one - but as Blodwyn is halfway across, disaster strikes! A tremendous shock hits the caverns, the bridge bucks and rocks like a wild animal, and Blodwyn loses her grip! There is a despairing cry as she falls into the darkness, followed by a loud splash. While the others maintain guard, Graculous quickly ropes himself up and climbs down the side of the crevasse. Although he is lucky enough to find Blodwyn, the fall has broken her neck. His sword-sister will never fight alongside him again...
Dramatis Personae at this time
Graculous Ftr4
Miranda Rog3/Sor1
Blodwyn Clr2 Dies
(Ynnsfeardh Mnk2 - on leave from the company, this soft-spoken monk stays in the background, but is capable of great acts of bravery)
Auriel Dru2 - a mean spirited witch with a grudge against humans.
Kieran Ftr2 - magically spirited from his home on the Sword Coast, this flamboyant fighter uses his trademark twin weapons while awaiting the opportunity to return to the lands he grew up in.
Blaming the goblins, Graculous decides that they shall pay in blood. Progressing a little further into the tunnels Miranda spots a cavern full of the little blighters. Firing an arrow at them and then running for it, the goblins rage and charge into a rocky corridor, were Graculous and Kieran stand at a junction, both with their two swords readied. It is a bloodbath. Wave after wave of goblins crashes against the two fighters and are cut down or cleaved apart until at last the rage wears off the last few remaining goblins who are cut down as they run for it. Gazing at the mountain of bodies, they decide that it is time for them to escape and lick their wounds, ready for the next day. Our heroes are far from unscathed, and without the divine aid of Asura they are in no fit state to continue the fight. Wearily the characters retrieve Blodwyns body and make their way out of the caves and back up to sunlight.
Back in Three Beeches they proceed to the tiny temple in order to make burial arrangements for Blodwyn, and meet a young Singharese man with a white band tied around his forehead named Lysander. Strangely charismatic and compelling, this man helps with the funeral service and then asks whether he can aid in avenging the blood of his church - for he is a Jazumai, one of the holy military arm of the church of Asura (think a kind of Paladin-Monk).
The next day the party ventures once more into the caverns despite the ominous groaning of the uneasy mountain above them. Disposing of an early guardpost they venture deeper and deeper into the caverns. In one room they find a strange and talkative adept who is more fearful of the mountainside than the adventurers, and asks them to slay the goblin leader so that he might escape the coming doom. As a token of his good will he gives them a potion that he has prepared. Crossing the chasm once more and Progressing yet deeper they find a guard post with three alerted goblins - much tougher ones too. Miranda bravely tumbles past the bodyguards ranks, only to be cut down by one that was previously unseen! Graculous too falls to a critical axe blow and it would have been disaster if not for fine swordsmanship by Kieran, and an illusionary flaming man conjured in a last gasp by Miranda that gives them a moment to win free. Lysander calls upon the power of Asura to keep each of the others from death and a weary and crippled band slowly make their way back to the surface, wary of the creaking rocks and the possibility of goblin ambush.
Once more they return to Three Beeches, but with heavy hearts - knowing, as they do, that the goblins are now bound to attempt a counterstrike at the village. The local cleric is able to help heal them somewhat, but it is not possible to get everyone back up to full strength. Appraising the villagers of the seriousness of the situation they decide to gather everyone together into the small temple - probably the most defensible of the buildings in the hamlet. Lysander stays inside the temple to rally the village men in defence with his indomitable personality while Graculous, Kieran and Miranda mount guard on the roof with their missile weapons. The long wait starts... shortly after midnight, Miranda’s owl familiar raises the alarm - a ring of goblins has surrounded the village and they start vandalising the outlying buildings. Finding nobody home, the goblins run towards the temple, the only place where lights are burning. With a howling roar, fully forty barbaric goblins charge hooting and howling out of the shadows and towards the temple building...
Before more than a few bowshots have been made the goblins, charging at incredible speed reach the base of the temple and swarm up the sides to the roof. Miranda, Kieran and Graculous all dislodge goblins from the edge, but more goblin heads pop up all around the roof. Miranda calls upon her sorcerous illusions to hold up some of them (apparently making a section of roof crumble silently infront of them), but then decides that discretion is the better part of roguishness and abandons the roof. While Graculous and Kieran are both surrounded by half a dozen raging goblins, others start attempting to batter down the main door of the temple. Inside Lysander is rallying the bravest of the villagers to stand with him, improvised weapons at the ready.
On the roof the combats go badly - Kieran and Graculous are both surrounded and pressed hard - then tragically Kieran is struck down and swiftly hacked to pieces!
By the front door, Miranda has crept round and sneak attacks one of the goblins, dispatching him rapidly, and just as the goblins batter the door in she covers the portal with an illusion of wholeness - from within Lysander and the peasants strike through the illusion and two more goblins fall. The barbarian rage is now wearing off from the attackers and a hoarse call signals their retreat; the goblins race off into the darkness once more.
Fearing for her companions, Miranda scurries back up to the roof and sees a feebly moving Graculous - racing across she is able to staunch the flow of blood just in time - six seconds longer and he would have bled to death! Their joy is short-lived though, as they realise that Kieran is fallen.
There is a solemn service of thanksgiving the next morning. In the short time they knew him the villagers had taken this extravagant young man to their hearts. His tasselled swords were committed into the keeping of a 14 year old boy who had spent a lot of time following Kieran around in the village and his soul was committed to the grace of Asura. Ynnsfeardh reaches the village after his short sabbatical, and after the local priest works with Lysander to heal Graculous back to normal, the party form up to venture into the uneasy cliffs once again. But this time it’s personal...
Death Toll now includes Blodwyn and Kieran. Sadly many more are to follow...
The goblins have clearly faced another setback after their attack on the village, and Graculous is concerned that they might move off to safer lands, since their leader is still very much alive. The only solution seems to be to take the fight to them once again, and to bring the goblin reign of terror to an end.
At the now familiar cave entrance, Miranda conjures a silent image to screen their entrance from any watching guards - but their way seems clear. None of the early guard posts in the caverns seem manned any longer. Amidst continuing ominous creaks a groans from the rocks above them, the party presses deeper into the caverns. Miranda scouts ahead, taking a different route from before. Turning a corner, she finds herself on a steep incline… a very steep incline… covered with pebbles… Losing her balance, she slides down a rocky path and just as she is going to shoot over the lip into the chasm she grasps hold of a rocky projection! Safe, phew! Painstakingly she crawls back up to the top of this treacherous passage, turns… and loses her footing once more! This time she hurtles down the slope and into the abyss, screaming!
Back along the corridor, Ynnsfeardh hears the falling scream and is galvanised into action - running in her direction, he glides skilfully down the slippery corridor and dives head-first into the chasm! With superb jump and swim rolls he dives gracefully into the subterranean lake, and then looks around for Miranda. His friend was knocked unconscious by the fall, but her tumbling and jumping skills (along with a fair amount of luck) had saved her life. Her Owl familiar guides Ynnsfeardh to her body, and he drags her to safety. Up above, pitons and ropes make it possible to safely traverse the corridor and Ynnsfeardh and his precious cargo are hauled out of the crevasse. To their delight, all this noise hasn’t drawn attention from goblins, who must be even further into the caverns than they had expected.
The party retreat out of the caverns, and lick their wounds once more. Ynnsfeardh travels with Lysander back to the village while Graculous, Miranda, Auriel and Tekel venture back into the caverns before the goblins can regroup. They backtrack to the normal chasm crossing, and work their way deeper into the uneasy caverns, with the groaning and creaking of the caves growing louder and more persistent around them. There are a couple of skirmishes with lone goblins, and the discovery of a gross kitchen and sewer cave before the party stumble across a vast cavern - filled with goblins!
After a seconds hesitation, Graculous and Auriel move into the cavern entranceway, whilst Tekel hangs back and casts his sleep spell, and Miranda creates a silent image of crevasses opening and rocks falling. Whilst a few goblins are slept, and a few more hesitate before the illusions, the rest press into the attack, led by the goblins second-in-command, whilst another snipes from the other side of the cavern. Auriel sends her badgers into combat, and the furry teeth of doom soon get enraged and rip the bow-goblin to shreds. The other goblins start falling, but at a cost in wounds for Miranda and Graculous.
Suddenly there is a howl of rage from behind Tekel - and the leader of the goblins thrusts his sword straight through the wizards chest! Tekel chokes out a few words and then collapses. The goblin beserker, fresh into the fight then lunges into the room and attacks Graculous - Miranda attempts to flank him but fails because of his barbarian senses - then he critically hits Miranda, and to add insult to injury electricity flashes out of the blade as it cleaves into her. Mirandas body jerks from the electric discharge and falls smouldering to the ground. Graculous hauls himself round to deal with this new threat, but as the grinding rocks overhead reach a crescendo, the Goblin chieftain hacks him down too. Auriel, in fear for her life casts obscuring mist in the centre of the cavern and dives inside, calling her badgers to her side. The goblin chieftain stalks the outskirts of the mist while Graculous lies bleeding to death and Auriel cowers inside.
With a tremendous, ear-splitting roar, the cavern cracks open for real, and boulders start falling into the room, as the floor bucks and heaves in the throes of a tremendous earthquake. Auriel hangs on for grim life, and when the dust finally settles, and the noise of falling rocks ceases, she finds herself alone with her badgers in a silent cavern. The entrance she came in by is buried under a mountain of stone. As are her friends, Graculous, Miranda and Tekel. Conjuring a light spell, she starts to find her way out of the caverns, more by luck than by judgement since even if she had been able to unearth Mirandas map the topography of the caves has been upended by the tremendous earth tremor.
Eventually reaching the caverns entrance that evening, she returns with low spirits to Three Beeches. The goblin threat is ended… but at what cost?
Depths of Rage Death Roll: Blodwyn falls to her doom; Kieran is hacked down by goblin barbarians; Tekel, Graculous and Miranda killed by the goblin chief.
The Candlemakers Fire
(WotC cliffhanger adventure)
Current Party composition
Auriel: Druid 3
Lysander: Jazumai 3
and introducing
Crail: Rogue 1
Sula: Barbarian Ranger 1
Crail grew up as a street urchin in Knightsbridge, hanging around in the disreputable areas around SouthSpur and running with the gangs. He always had a bit of a sense of honour about him, and recently there has been a change at the head of the thieves guild - an outsider called Squim took over the local guild and with several henchmen - all with long, greasy black hair - a much more violent atmosphere started to permeate the guilds activities. Crail wasn't too sure that he liked the way that things were going, and decided that it was time to leave the town. How to do this in safety though?
He has been hearing stories on the grapevine about Lysander and his fellow adventurers, he approaches Lysander with a proposal that he works with them awhile. They are happy to accept, judging that he is honestly looking to change his ways.
Sula, meanwhile, finds herself a long way from her home in the jungles of the deep south. A towering black woman from one of the barbarian tribes, she is more used to hunting dinosaurs and other beasts than trading in a large town. She is a ranger (DM: heavily modified local version of a ranger) with barbarian rage feats (DM: regional feats for the barbarian tribes). She draws attention throughout the marketplace, attempting to sell her small carvings but generally meeting with fear and distrust. The party hears about this strange woman and tracks her down, making friends because of her fledgling interest in the cult of Asura.
Arriving at Knightsbridge, the much depleted party first go tovisit Alkanar at the temple. Lysander reports and dedicates his sword to the work of Asura in this location, and Alkanar is delighted to have a Jazumai in his region. Then Auriel and Lysander go to the Queen of Cups for a drink, while Ynnsfeardh leaves to transact some private business for a while, promising to return in a month or so.
While at the Queen of cups, the pair meet Crail (as detailed above) and the next day meet Sula in the market square (also detailed above). Joining together and helping Crail get out of town since Lysander thinks he is redeemable, they head off back to the village of Oakhurst to pass on news of the deaths to friends there.
A couple of days later they arrive at Oakhurst and discover the streets empty. A cautious recce by Crail reveals that everyone is standing, silently in the tavern. The heroes enter and see that everyone seems to be staring at something flickering on the bar. Crail gets drawn in by the mystic flame and stands entranced by Lysander is able to dash the candle off the bar, extinguishing it. Suddenly everyone wakes up out of their stupor.
Apparently, Edarad, a visiting candlemaker had been in town that morning - and had a number of exotic candles to sell. He had done fairly good business, and attracted quite a crowd, when he decided to show them one of his special candles. Other villagers came down to the pub looking for their loved ones and were also ensnared by the powerful charm of the candle, and nobody can remember what happened while they were entranced by the flame.
The company decide to do something about this, and casting around outside Sula soon finds tracks leading off into the woods, a small handcart led by a human. They give chase, and by late afternoon find themselves in the depths of the woods. Suddenly they become aware of a loud buzzing sound – and hurtling through the trees towards them come four giant bees!
The hurtling attack of the giant bees is met quite easily, Auriel’s manouverability in the dense underbrush proving very useful. Crail is unfortunately stung, and the poison cripples his dexterity – the last thing he wanted. Nobody is able to treat his poison, so they continue along the trail, until it comes to a clearing with a small hut built onto the side of a large rocky mound.
Crail & Sula hang back on watch, while Lysander and Auriel move up to the broken door. The hairs on Lysanders neck start to bristle… there is something evil inside there – he moves in and spots a tiny, hideous fiery red creature hovering near the back of the room. As the two enter it lights a candle set on the table, and mystic force glides outward from the burning flame. As quick as thinking, Lysander charges into the room and kicks the table over, extinguishing the flame. Sula hears the sound of combat and charges across the clearing, diving straight through the weakly boarded window of the hovel. The little impish thing quickly flies through a carved entrance that leads back into the hill and the party reform and step forward into the darkness, keenly aware of the smell of warm wax and a whir of small wings in the distance...
A short passage leads into a rough cave whose walls are coated with grey wax. There are niches all around the walls with unlit candles in, and several benches which are covered in candles of all shapes and sizes. A second fiery mephit appears and both breath gouts of flame over the Jazumai, as Auriel stands in the doorway. Next round while Lysander and Auriel tackle the first mephit, Sula grapples the second one, grits her teeth as her flesh burns, and then douses it with her water skin! The stunned and drenched mephit can’t resist as her powerful hands grind out its life, while Lysander and Auriel finish off the remaining mephit as it tries to flee.
Crail joins them inside, and his quick eyes and nimble fingers spot a trap in the far opening which leads further back into the rockface. He disarms it, and they proceed into a smallish hexagonal room, whose walls seem to be made of smooth grey wax. Poking an eyehole through one of the walls shows more small hexagonal wax rooms beyond. Lysander and Auriel carefully cut a hole in one wall and then another, before coming across a similar chamber but with a wax-covered tall humanoid figure standing in the middle of the room. As they enter, the waxen head turns and gazes at them.
The fight is short and brutal – the wax golem is unable to land a solid blow on any of the quick-moving party, and it is soon cut down. As it falls, though, a secret door slides open in the southwestern wall, and beyond another one of these golems a robed figure is chanting ominously...
Auriel and Sula take on the golem, while Crail hangs back. The Edarad the enchanter lets off a couple of magic missiles from a wand and Lysander dodges an AoO from the golem in order to get close enough to strike the wizard. His blows all seem to be deflected - either from the glowing force which surrounds his body or some kind of invisible shield that intercepts his blows (AC 23 with all his protections and dexterity!). Meanwhile Edarad hazards an unsuccessful hold person, before unleashing more magic missiles into Sula. The golem is downed quickly this time, and as Edarad finds his foes starting to surround him he decides to make a desperate escape. Casting defensively he unleashes a spider climb spell - and runs up the wall and to one of the bee escape holes in the ceiling.
Most of the party rush out to the exit and try to climb up to the top of the rocky outcrop, but by the time they get up there he is long gone, and Sula is unable to pick up any tracks.
Meanwhile, Auriel searches around the workshop and finds what looks like a spellbook - so she pockets it, to sell later in town.
The party collect together again in the outer cabin and bind their wounds. Lysander calls upon the power of Asura to heal those who are most badly wounded, but they are still not in a good condition - the magic missiles of Edarad had taken a high toll of their vitality.
While contemplating their journey back to Oakhurst, Sula notices a quietning of the woodland sounds outside in the forest - and then a fearsome, hooting roar. Auriel and Sula share glances... "Owlbear" they both say. Peeking through the shattered door, they can see a massive shape at the fringe of the clearing, sniffing the air and pawing at the ground. Suddenly it lumbers forwards towards them!
Sula attempts to block its charge and recieves a crippling blow, hurling her back into the building. Auriel and Lysander duck and weave from just inside the doorway, landing some light blows while dodging the beasts fearsome claws - and it won't be lured into the shack were more of the party could get around it. Sula, stabilised but in a bad condition hauls herself up onto her feet and uses her animal empathy to taunt and enrage the beast, issuing a hooting challenge of her own - The owlbear, driven wild with anger, charges in at her, drawing attacks of opportunity from Lysander and Auriel, as well as a sneak attack from Crail - just enough damage to crumple it at Sulas feet. She snarls at the beast and then collapses herself, and only the swift ministrations of Lysander prevent her from following the monstrous beast into oblivion.
The company rest and heal for a few hours, and then make their way slowly and cautiously back through the woodlands to Oakhurst. The villagers are delighted to hear that Justice has been done, Edarad has fled and his power base removed. After a day to recover and heal themselves in Oakhurst (at the expense of a grateful citizenry), the company set off on the road back to knightsbridge.
Sula and Crail both gain a level at the end of this adventure.
DMs note: You can bet that Edarad will be back in a few months or years time with a serious grudge, a depleted spell book and several levels in the Candlemaker prestige class from Tome & Blood...
Current Party composition
Auriel: Druid 4
Lysander: Jazumai 3
Crail: Rogue 2
Sula: Barbarian Ranger 2
The road back to Knightsbridge comes with a few surprises... along the path ahead of them they spot a meeting between two armed men and a third. It looks like money changes hands... then the single bloke is cut down, mercilessly!
Auriel calls upon the forces of nature to rise up and entangle the men - and one of them finds himself bound fast by gripping branches and grasses, whilst the other struggles free and runs off into the woods. Sula charges in pursuit of the runner, whilst Lysander and Crail go to talk to their prisoner - who bargins for their freedom and then swings his weapon at them. He is quickly subdued, then they set off after Sula, leaving Crail to guard the injured man. Sula chased her quarry down, but has not been successful in melee, with much missing of weapons. Auriel arrives and again flexes her mystic muscles, summoning a wolf behind the fighter, who is tripped and then pummled into submission by Sula. Both are dragged back to the main pathway and questioned - Crail senses that they are under some kind of magical compulsion (great sense motive roll!) and the party decide to take them to Knightsbridge and hand them over to the Barons magistrates, then return here to investigate their employer - someone called "Plygar" - and find out what he wants with the jewelled eye which was delivered by the murdered courier.
