Hello all,

In celebration of the new Pathfinder Setting from Headless Hydra Games, we have decided to publish a serial, which will (initially) be made freely available on the City of Mages Design Blog.

http://cityofmages.wordpress.com

The serial is called Wizard’s Path and details the life and explorations of a young abjuror called Cellian Varr.

The serial is written by Sean Holland and will, in time, be lavishly illustrated by all the official Mor Aldenn illustrators.

Drop by once every month and read a new chapter of this wonderful story!

Brekkil

Headless Hydra Games is looking for a new idea to a future city setting!

If you think you might have a great (and even original) idea, then head on over to the HHG headquarters and see what you can do to make it happen!

http://headlesshydragames.wordpress.com/

Everybody is welcome to participate in the setting search, even if you just have a cool idea and dont want to write an entire setting bible. Afterall, coming up with a great and original idea is absolutely the hardest part! Writers can always be hired to do the rest of the work.

K. Axel Carlsson
Headless Hydra Games

Brekkil

You might (or might not) have noticed that I've been working on a new setting called Mor Aldenn, the City of Mages, if not, please check it out here; http://cityofmages.wordpress.com.

Which of the following ideas would you like to see developed into the very first adventure of Mor Aldenn?

I'd love to hear which of these ideas you think sound most intrguing...

The Heirloom from the Delve
One day, an heirloom turns up in Mor Aldenn, seemingly by accident. It was supposed to be buried deep within the Barrowdelve, but is someone looting the necropolis of the city of mages? And like that wasn’t bad enough… this heirloom appears to be cursed!

The Spy
An old and weak woman dies one day, a brutal death by the hands of some vicious and unknown creature. The necromancers of the Shadow Tower bring back her soul briefly, to ask her a few questions. It seems that she know the identity of one of the night hag’s many spies… but when she tries to utter the name, the spell is broken! Can the PCs find the murderous creature and possibly…the spy?

The Strange Death
A local druid returns to Mor Aldenn, bearing terrible news. He has found several magical beasts in the surrounding forest, dead. It appears that they have been somehow… poisoned! When the PCs investigate the poisonous trail, they find a dying unicorn who knows some of the truth, but before the creature can tell them everything it knows, they are attacked by the cruel minions of the night hag…

Luck in the Woods
A wizard from the Tower of All-Magic needs the PCs to catch a blink dog. They are (under no circumstances!) to kill the beast or make it suffer, he wants it (mostly) unharmed and alive. However, while looking for this beast in the forest, the PCs come across a group of half-elves and human rogues who catch (dead or alive) magical beasts! The small group hope to sell the beasts to a nameless buyer in one of the western settlements… but will the PCs allow this?

The Theft
Something is stolen from the PCs, an item of value and importance. A little investigation leads to… nothing. However, a few days later, the PCs learn from a shadow in the night, that a caravan is transporting stolen goods south. Will the PCs be able to track down the caravan, find the thieves and perhaps learn the identity of their shadow ally? In fact, if the PCs play their cards right, they may uncover a whole organization of thieves…

The Demon’s Cult
An imp, a prophet who has terrible nightmares, a Fallen tower, a young cult and the deomn they worships and who wish to be free of its prison. Will the PCs be able to hunt down the cultists, stop their scheme and perhaps learn secrets of the Fallen Tower’s single inhabitant… or will the cultists unleash a fury upon the city unlike any Mor Aldenn has ever seen?

Remember that these are just ideas, and will definitely change (somewhat) before the adventure is finished!

Brekkil

Hi,

I've started on a new project called Mor Aldenn, the City of Mages. The idea is to create a High Fantasy Urban setting for the Pathfinder RPG.

We are not talking about a Ptolus-sized city, but a small city of eight thousand inhabitants; humans, elves, centaurs, halflings, kobolds and whatnot. Its heavy on magic and the wondrous, and you'll find lots of adventures tied to wizards and their arts, but also lots of dungeons, rogues and even dragons and hags!

To follow my progress on this new project, I've gone ahead and created a new Design Blog that you can find here; http://cityofmages.wordpress.com

Feel free to drop by, add a comment and perhaps offer me an idea or two!

- Brek

Brekkil

While I create a new urban setting, we have begun a game in another great urban setting, Ptolus!

If you wanna read more, I've create a Campaign Journal that you can either find here; http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-h...n-journal.html

or here; http://wandermansrealm.livejournal.com

- Brek

Brekkil

Remember, this is just an idea, not tested, not fully-thought-through!

Level Goals
Have your players set one goal for their characters at each level, something thats not unrealistic, yet not too easy to accomplish either. Such a goal could almost be anything that relates to the characters, like;

Fighters: Defeat a specific number of creatures, perhaps even a very specific type of monster, like...defeat an umber hulk single-handedly. A goal for fighter types could also be, enter a specific fighters' guild or become a knight of the... a barbarian may want to defeat another barbarian 2 levels higher, on his own... you get the idea.

This is just one idea, with enough time, I could mention hundreds of these... I think!

The goal is written down and given to the DM. Of course, the player should keep the goal as well, especially if he can't remember it... my point is merely this... the other players must not know your goal! You can give hints of the goal in the game, but never come outright and say... my level goal is... that would defeat the purpose. A goal is personal, although you can get help to accomplish the goal inside the game.

Now the fun part... if you succeed in accomplishing your set goal before reaching a new level, the whole party receive bonus xp. The DM decides how much bonus xp each goal should trigger, and he must do this early on, but should never reveal the amount to the players, unless of course, the goal is accomplished.

Goals are fun, and with this little game feature, there is an even greater purpose in trying to fulfill them.

I intend to playtest this feature in my upcoming Ptolus game... should be fun!

Brekkil

It's been far too long since I last created anything for the gaming world, and my fingers have been seriously itching to get back in business! As a long time DM, I've always found it interesting to create new settings. A setting is the foundation of a good game, and while a setting can and should change over the course of the game, its important to know where you came from, the beginning.

I love urban settings.

They are small, at least compared to entire kingdoms and realms, yet that only means that the inhabitants are that much closer connected and share the same environs and thereby the same problems. A district becomes a small realm in its own way and a thief lord, it's king. You will find dungeons below the great mansions, below the ancient mausoleums and in the shadow beneath temples almost forgotten. Thieves and monsters lurk in the shadows just around the corner, and as the sun passes below the horizon, a new city of darkness is born. Commoners turn in, hoping that a scream from a nearby alley will not awaken them, hoping that this night will not bring the shadows into their home.

A city is a place where people gather, a place where adventurers gather. Its a place to buy new equipment, bond and make new friends, but its also very much a place to find adventure.

Ok, enough of my rambling about urban settings.

I've decided to make 2009 the year where I try to make a new urban setting. My hope is that this will become a living place, a setting inhabited by others besides myself and my gaming groups. I'll strive to make this new setting into a living Wiki, updated daily, by myself, but in time, hopefully, by others as well. It's not going to be a commercial project at all, but I will use my own funds to buy artwork and a map of the city. Though, to begin with, my own simple maps will have to do.

I love creating new resources, and this setting will see its share of new feats, races, monsters etc. All resources created for the D&D 3,5e game, or perhaps the Pathfinder RPG.

Here's my initial thoughts on the urban setting.

* It's a winter city, located far to the north near the great eastern sea. A port city.

* It used to be ruled by a human lord, a servant of a faraway king. The lord was assassinated (by an unknown assassin) and is now ruled by a half-orc barbarian called King Skalla the Grim, who laid siege to the city for 16 days.

* The keep is called Winterhold, a strong and heavily fortified keep located from a high vantage point. King Skalla has been rebuilding parts of the keep the last 5 years, having hired (or rather enslaved) dwarven workers.

* A curse is tied to the city, a curse that bring out the dead in the streets when the sun goes down.

* The inhabitants are mostly humans, but you'll find lots of orcs and half-orcs as well, even some dwarves, halflings and elves. I'm also thinking about introducing a few new races, one being the Giant-blooded (or half-giants).

* The city is home to lots of great personalities that have fled into the northern reach, seeking a new beginning, or perhaps seeking the strange magic of the north. Among these is an old assassin, perhaps the most feared assassin in the world, a man who is fleeing his past, ashamed of the deeds that he has done, a man with thousands of enemies.

* The city is also home to those who wish to free the city of King Skallagrims grip, those who remember the time before.

* The northern reach is also home to a strange beast called the Draegotha Temper, a beast that the barbarians revere and fear. This beast is also called the Dragon God, but few have ever claimed to have seen it.

I have other ideas... scattered thoughts so far. However, here's the reason why I wrote this long post.

I need a name for the city!

I've been wrecking my mind, but so far I have not found the perfect name.

I'd like your help...what would be a cool (no pun intended) name for such a city as I've just described? It could be a fantasy name like Fallthak or Kem, or perhaps a more revealing name like Crow, Skull or Ice... I just don't know!

Brekkil

Having recently purchased the Pathfinder RPG Beta Playtest, I suddenly find myself inspired back into the world of d20 and 3,5...and... Crown, my old setting. While only a playtest edition, this system book is much better than the original core rulebook, in just about everything.

I'm actually thinking about starting a new game for a bunch of friends, and its been a loooong while since I last DM'ed anything. The game would be a small one, of course, nothing epic or earth shattering the first 10 levels.

A new edition also means that you have to learn new stuff...which is cool. So, here's a new Crown NPC created with the new Pathfinder rules. The basic concept is a wizard antagonist called Fathalus the Great. He is a real charmer and a master of bluff and disguise, but not much of a wizard. Sure, he knows a few things, but could never truly become a great and powerful wizard, in fact, if he had used his full potential, he had found a sorcerer to teach him and not a...wizard!

Fathalus the Great [CR 2]
Male human wizard 2 (Illusionist)
CN Medium humanoid
Init -1; Senses Perception +2

Defense
AC 9, touch 9, flat-footed 9
Hp 15 (2d6+6)
Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +5

Offense
Spd 30 ft.
Melee mwk dagger +2 (1d4+1/19-20)
Ranged blinding ray +0 (blinded 1 round, range 30 ft.)
Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; +0 ranged touch)
1st - Color Spray, Magic Aura, Silent Image
Cantrips - ghost sound, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic

Tactics
Before Combat Fathalus casts silent image, making the illusion of some minor obstacle between himself and his enemy, hoping that it will slow his enemy down...a little.
During Combat Fathalus will first and foremost use his skills to his advantage, like the persuasive Diplomacy skill. His dagger is his sharpest and most dangerous weapon, but he will use his lesser spells, like color spray and his blinding ray spell-like ability, to weaken and catch his opponents off-guard.
Morale Fathalus values his life and will beg for mercy if the PCs manage to bring him close to death. He will also try to run (escape), as he would hate being locked in jail.

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 18
Base Atk +1; Grp +2
Feats Deceitful, Eschew Materials, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (hand crossbow), Scribe Scroll
Skills Appraise +5, Bluff +8, Craft (alchemy) +5, Diplomacy +6, Linguistics +5, Sleight of Hand +1, Spellcraft +5
Languages Crownspeak, Draconic
SQ arcane bond (amulet), school (illusion)
Equipment mwk dagger, fancy outfit, spellbook, pouch with 28 gc

Fathalus was born from ordinary parents, something that has always annoyed him, even though they were both goodhearted and kind. He wasn't exactly greedy, and yet, Fathalus always wanted that which he could not have. He was a rather clumsy child, and at times, the other children on the street would tease him, calling him Dropper and Bighands. It took some years before Fathalus had learned to control his temper, but when he did, he also learned that he had a gift. He was very persuasive and even slightly handsome, something that had not gone unnoticed by the girls in the neighbourhood. So when it was time for Fathalus to find an apprenticeship, he went looking for someone who could give him that which he craved the most...power. His first master was a bard called Tyradil, but while Fathalus was a great speaker, he had no affinity for music or even a lust for knowledge. When he found his second master, he knew that he had finally found what he sought. Fathalus was apprenticed to an elderly wizard named Gorfis Ty'rand. He charmed the elderly wizard, who would do almost anything for his apprentice, but the thing was...Fathalus never had much of a talent, yet, after a year, Master Gorfis announced that his apprentice had achieved mastery of his gift. Fathalus had become a journeyman wizard, ready to take on the world on his own.

Fathalus is actually a con artist, who cheats, steals and lies, hoping that no one will ever realise how little potential for magic he truly has. He uses his charming tongue to earn a living, but has also been known to sell fake magic items and even stolen goods. The wizard currently works on his own, fearing that a partner would betray him, yet, the wizard has plenty of enemies, which is why he is constantly on the move within the walls of Crown.

How to use Fathalus the Great
Let the "Greatest Wizard in the World" charm the pants off the PCs, letting them believe that he has something to offer them in return for their cooperation. He might even sell them a few "cheap" magic items, which "appears" to be working. Fathalus will lie to the PCs, telling them stories of a thief, an enemy of his, who recently stole a magical ring. If the PCs can retrieve this ring, Fathalus will offer them great magic in return, and he might even have greater quests in store for them. His tongue is so sweet that they may even believe him, for a while...but when they finally understand the truth...

Brekkil

A few years back, 5 or 6, to be exact, I started working on a new d20 setting called Crown. It was to be an urban setting, well, rather, it is an urban setting...with a twist. I worked hard on it for a long time, with a friend of mine, but finally, after a year, the core book was ready. It was picked up by Dark Quest Games, and I started working on new aspects of the book, like the artwork. It took a while before it was published (only in pdf, though we had talked about bringing it to print) and soon after we started a new Crown project, a series of Crown shortstories. One of which was written by the Wandering Men, called the Skein of Shadows, another which is coming out...soon.

I've played a few Crown campaigns over the years, but not for over a year, and I was wondering if anyone has even heard of this setting?

If you haven't, no problem, I dont expect a lot of people to have heard of it, but if you have heard of it...or even read one of the books...I'd like to hear what you think of it.

Brekkil

The Shattered Empire was once a great realm ruled by magi, but magic is a power that will never let itself be ruled by anyone. The first magi of the world did not proper understand this, but when the realm shattered and the Azavian Sea flooded their beautiful lands, they finally understood this lesson. Those few, who survived, vowed never to return to the now wild and uncontrollable lands. Instead, they scattered all over the world, building places called covenants; small communities where they could study their arts, hoping to fully understand what had went wrong all these years ago.

When the old realm shattered, people fled, crossing hills and mountains, hoping to escape the wrath of the Azavian Sea. They were finally free of their wizard tormentors, who had sought to create a realm of magic. They found a wild realm beyond the borders of the Shattered Empire, ruled by strange creatures like the feyish Sylvari and the barbaric Horde. Small towns aose in the following years, ruled by the strongest and most intelligible of the refugees. There were still magi in the world, but they either hid from their former slaves, or made uneasy alliances, vowing to serve. The Sylvari remembered the past, a past when the humans had captured them and forced them to give up their magic. They still carried within them, a deep hatred, and when the first magi entered the great forest realm of Ossindrillon, they were tormented and later on, killed.

Soon, the human refugees found themselves at war with the barbaric Horde, who did not want to give over their ancient lands. The small towns allied themselves, and soon the first Vardarian king was chosen to rule them. He was a strong warrior, whose voice forced others to listen, and soon an order of knights was formed, to serve the king and kingdom. The first Vardarian king was chosen 412 years ago, and since then, there have been countless others. The feudal kingdom has prospered, and while there are some cities who does not fly the banner of Vardaria, the kingdom stand united. The past has not been forgotten, and the Vardarian king needs all magi within his dominion to swear an oath to him, and oath that ensures that they will never use their magic against him nor against his knights.

To be continued.

Brekkil

So far... the world is merely named just that - the World!

Here are some of the things I am going for;

* small, not big (but with lots of possibilities for expansion)
* mystery and lots of secrets
* youth, not old age
* wilderness, not heavy civilization
* few, but extremely cool races and cultures (Humans being the dominant race, but mostly in numbers, I am guessing that the Sylvari will be a much more powerful race)

Most people of the world are content with simple lives. They enjoy their work, finding lots of meaning in simple tasks, such as cultivating the land, weaving, smithing and taking care of the animals. Family is important, and it is hardly any bother to feed another mouth. Another child merely means another hand to help out in the fields, when they are old enough, of course.

For now, I think I'll keep the gods out of the equation, and perhaps substitute them with dragons (almost immortal wizards), heroes (whose spirits are said to live on in the Beyond Lands), elemental spirits and philosophies. I guess, in a way, you could call all of these...gods, at least in some way. Each faith has some potential and some power. I dont think anyone knows exactly who created the world... they may guess, but deep down, they know that the answer is not within the grasp.

The human cultures are fairly young, perhaps a thousand years (perhaps less), though humans have always lived in the World, but as nomads and barbarians. There are still barbarian tribes (a Horde), meaning those who keep to the old ideals of traveling, taking only from the land what it can spare. They are strong survivors, who have seen much hardship. One of the human cultures is a feudal kingdom. A king has been chosen to lead and under his guidance (and his advisors), the kingdom has prospered, growing strong. Wizards as we know them, can be found in this kingdom, but not in a great number. The king demands that a wizard living under his banner, must swear an oath to him, an oath that states that the wizard will never use his magic against him. For some, this is an easy oath, as they have no reason to use their magic against the king (some of these are advisors to the king), while others find it much harder (and these wizards may not just be wizards with evil intentions, but wizards who care little for oaths, wizards who care little for serving the king). While a civilized kingdom, this realm is still very much wild and untamed. No all towns and villages are connected by roads as we know them, but by "hard-to-find" trails.

Another human culture is located along the coastline, a seafaring culture, that has their base in great port cities. They do not really care about the land. Sure, they may remove a forest, to get the timber they need, but they have no interest in agriculture. These humans are traders, travelers and explorers. Each port city is ruled by a council made up of the heads of the oldest and most powerful families. This is actually a very greedy culture, and have been known to make use of piracy. The port cities are a sanctuary, but on the sea, there are no rules! This culture is far from as chaotic as it sounds.

Then there are all the free states... small communities located on the outskirts of the World. The humans living here, are closer to the land than any of the other cultures. They may have made pacts with the elemental spirits, and some may even trade and live in harmony with the Sylvari and other fey creatures. Wizards (and dragons) are much easier to find here, at least, they should be, but with wizards and dragons... you never know!

Alright... to be continued!

Brekkil

More ideas came to me last night. I was thinking about races, and as previously stated, I dont want elves, dwarves and halflings, at least not in the traditional sense, however...a new race (or rather a twist on an old race) I'd like to see in this setting is...changers. Werewolves, mostly, and werebears (or Bearmen). And again, I am not thinking werewolves in the traditional sense, I am thinking them more as an entire race, and not just as a creature to be feared.

Another idea I had was concerned with an important and quite infamous NPC in the realms, a sort of Brigand King. He follows no rules, except his own, and bows to no kings or queens. He is not wholly evil, but neither is he a good "robin hoodsk" brigand. Sometimes the Brigand King forges an alliance with a king or town, but its an uneasy alliance, and the Brigand King only keeps to his oath as long as its beneficial to him. The Brigand King has spies everywhere, and is constantly on the move. He has hideouts in the mountains and in the deepest parts of the forests. Bards love to write stories about him, and not even half of these may be true.

In earlier posts I've spoken of dragons. Now, I like dragons as a powerful enemy, but in this setting, I want dragons more intelligent, more... human. To replace dragons as a great and fearsome enemy, I am going to use wyverns. These creatures are ferocious like none other, and with animal intelligence and instincts, the wyverns should pose a great threat to PCs. They fear nothing and always fight to the death. I might upgrade their size a bit, but I am still not sure what system to use (though I am thinking heavily about either Ars Magica or the new Pathfinder RPG). Somewhere on the outskirts of the known realms, there is a place called Wyvernwatch, an order of knights keep watch on the wyverns, making sure that the realm is relatively safe. This place is heavily scarred from the wyvern attacks. In fact, the knights may have a magical means of attracting the wyverns...

To be continued.

Brekkil

To continue...

So, I want dragons in my setting, but not dragons like we know them. Dragons are heavily tied to magic, but they are, more importantly, heavily tied to wizards. They might not be as big as some of the classic d&d dragons, but they are impressive creatures of incredible intelligence. For now... I dont think I will change their appearance much, except perhaps to make the magic in them more obvious.

For more info on dragons, see Part I.

Now... races!

Most settings follow the classic path, elves, dwarves, halflings... humans. Its not that I dont like those races, I do, they are cool, each in their own way, however... for this particular setting, I think I might test the waters a bit and try something different. For now, I'll keep the classic races out of the setting, except of course... humans. Humans are the foundation on which the world is built, but there will be plenty of variation. I'll focus on various human cultures, adding a unique feel to each of them, there might even be slight physical and mental differencies. I'm not going for realism here, I want other races, especially fey creatures, but I want my focus on the human race.

I am not sure yet, what cultures I want, but I am thinking that they will be mostly feudal kingdoms, perhaps one seafaring culture. I want knights, but not just knights that serve kings and feudal lords, no I want knights of orders that serve higher ideals, knights who is bound by no borders, dark knights and grey knights. Its a bit messy at the moment, but these are just loose thoughts, to be structured later on.

One of the fey creatures I want in the setting, is a race called the Sylvari, sort of elf-like, but in fact, I wish as little comparison as possible. The Sylvari has a tragic story, they were once a powerful philosophical race, ruled by wizards, but then they were captured by human barbarians... who wanted the magic for themselves. The Sylvari was enslaved and tortured, until the wizard rulers gave up and gave their secrets away. (The Sylvari had never used their magic in any destructive way, but that was about to change..) The spirits of the Wizard Lords were now captured and trapped within magical gems, gems that offered the humans a power unlike any they had ever known.

The past has truly shaped the Sylvari of the present day. Some are still captured and enslaved to this day, but all Sylvari carry with them a fierce hatred, a hatred for humans, and especially for those who still hunt them. They now know how to use their magic in a destructive manner...

To be continued.

Brekkil

It's been a long time since I last designed anything worth mentioning, but with the summer vacation behind me, and a new year ahead of me, I think its time to start a new project. I am currently playing in two games, a PC in both, which leaves some time open for the creative mind. Being a DM requires a lot of work, even if you just use the work of others, setting, adventures etc.

My first thought was to make a new system. But, really, there are enough cool systems out there, and there world doesn't need a new system.

I've designed settings before, for personal use, but also one published setting. You might have heard of it... it's called Crown, the City of the Fallen. I thought about redesigning Crown, but honestly, I'd much rather start fresh, instead of just hanging around old ideas.

So... my latest project. To design a new setting. But... a fantasy setting or a future setting? I've never really designed a future setting, and I don't think I would be any good at it. I'm just not very good at the science aspect of things, I'd much rather design a world with magic.

So... to design a new fantasy campaign setting. I'm doing this purely for my own sake, however, I think I will do most of the designing here, on ENWorld, just to see if people have any thoughts on the design, perhaps even ideas. I am not thinking about publishing it, so no pressure there, and in fact, my first thought is to design a systemless campaign setting, at least to begin with. If I find later on, that the setting fits perfectly with some system, then yes, I may design a few mechanics to accomodate the setting.

Now on to the brainstorming phase...

I've always loved dragons. Dragons are ancient. Dragons are powerful, sometimes wise and helpful, but they can also be vicious and create a sense of dread that leaves even the toughest necromancer weeping. I definitely want dragons in my setting, and I want them to fill a big role. However, I also love twists, and secrets.

What if dragons weren't creatures like humans, unicorns and orcs... what if dragons were reborn spirits? Dragons have powerful magics, in fact, they are magic. What if dragons were the reborn spirits of powerful wizards? These wizards have undergone some sort of Transformation (Metamorphosis), like the caterpillar that becomes a beautiful butterfly. All thats left is their spirit, which remembers everything from its past in vivid details and pictures. Wizards have different strengths, different powers that they use, and these powers decide what kind of dragon they become. I can already imagine cool it would be playing a wizard in this setting, striving for the ultimate Transformation.

Some dragons have left the civilised world, wanting to live in harmony with the nature, away from the industrious races, while others use their new powers to dominate the lesser races.

The dragons do not have the power to change permanently into their old shape, but they might be able to take on their old shape for a short while, walking as a human amongst humans. The other races might think that the dragons are immortal, but honestly, I dont think they should be. They might petrify with age, leaving beautiful statues behind...

To be continued.

Brekkil

We just played our 3rd 4e session in the Oakrest game, and once again, it was great!

We finally entered a real 4e battle, with kobolds! However, we didn't really wanna fight them, not to death anyways, instead we wanted to talk to them, and hear if they knew anything of the murder of one of the locals, Caelus Locke.

They started by catching the bunch of us in a really nasty trap that we had to cut our way out of, but then the fight was well underway and they really didn't leave us much choice. My character, a dragonborn fighter named Shama, had never before fought (or even met) kobolds, so he really didn't know that much about them, and had he just realised (or known) that these creatures actually speak draconic... well, he made the connection when he saw their draconic features. We killed a few, and I knocled one unconscious as it tried to flee the battle, oh the joys of being a fighter!

We followed a single fugitive deeper into the caves, and finally saw a truly makeshift door. I hailed them on draconic, offering peace. And yes... the little buggers did speak draconic, and yes, they did want to listen to us, in fact, it seemed that the old lord of the vale (where Oakrest is located), Lord Carvan, had made a peace treaty with them, but recently, that treaty had been broken by a woman (whom we know, and have protected up to this point). She had killed several kobolds, and now they had begun to fight back, and yes, they did kill Caelus Locke... so that mystery is now solved!

A little kobold/dragonborn diplomacy on draconic/common and the chieftain finally agreed to meet with Oakrest leaders, on common grounds, the fields below the nearby waterfall. The meeting will take place three days from now, in the twilight hours! I truly look forward to this... what a wonderful twist on the events!

Brekkil