Sidekick’s Eberron Red Hand of Doom Story Hour (updated 04/01/07).

[Sidekick]

Sidekick’s Eberron Red Hand of Doom Story Hour (updated 04/01/07).

Welcome to my attempt at a Story Hour. My group have just embarked upon the Red Hand of Doom in Eberron.

I’ll try to keep this updated but we’ve only had one session so far in the Campaign. We’ve now stopped for Christmas but restart of Tuesday 2nd of Jan.

This campaign involves the Raven Wing, a group of ex-mercenaries who have 5 levels of Gestalt to boost their prowess – they’re gonna need it!

Raven Wing: The Protagonists
Aloya ir’Pressalan (female human scout5/fighter5). Aloya is the eldest daughter of the ir’Presselans one of Sharn’s 60 noble families. Enlisted in the Brelish army for a cushy job, due to politics and some point scoring against her father she found herself in a line company.

After earning herself a combat medal she found out that her parents weren’t even trying to get her off the line. So she left the Brelish Army & enlisted in the Blademark. There her scouting and leadership skills saw her become a squad leader in the 5th Strike Brigade’s feared Death Wing Squadron. A light, elite cadre of mercenaries who could get the job done no matter the cost.

Aloya is a bit of a free spirit. Beautiful, deadly and with the Mourning ‘gifted’ ability to see through the eye patch that covers her cosmetically ruined left eye she’s one of the best archers in the 5 nations.

Josephine ‘Jo’ Fletcher: (female human Warlock5/rogue5). Jo, the younger sister of the others squad-mate Zac fell in with the group through chance. Her father and mother hung for murder in Regalport, her run out for being a witch she found herself answering Aloya’s letter to Zac. A head-strong young girl and definitely not combat tested she has proved her worth to the group time and again.

Durnnam Yurak Droranath: (male dwarf barbarian5/rogue5).
Durnnam is a dwarf with a mission. Originally taking on Mercenary work when the left the Mror ‘Army’ he seeks to gather enough gold to reclaim his ancestral home – the Yurak bridge in Drornath Hold.

A fearsome warrior his axe never lets him down. A stalwart he typically ends up bloody and battered but nonetheless victorious.

Speaker Linden Auntain Kandermann: (male human monk5/cleric5). Linden originally hails from House Deneith. After the death of his mother his father enlisted a Deneith Blademaster to turn Linden into a great warrior of the House, something he himself had never achieved. Linden resisted, the Host was what his heart wanted.

Eventually leaving his home with his fathers blessing he enlisted in the Blademark once his tutelage was up. There he served with Durnnam, Aloya & Zac in the Death Wing Squadron. Ever one to avoid killing he left (and still leaves) a bath of broken & unconscious foes in his path.

Now an ordained Cleric of the Host his skill with a sword had grown even stronger. A mix of swordbrother, Deneith blademaster and foremost a powerful Cleric of the Host Linden has recently been given the title of Speaker of the Host (will take Sovereign Speaker next level). A roving champion of his faith Linden carries a Blade of his House, the symbol of the Host and a fierce desire to protect the people of Elsir Vale.

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A beginning:

The group travelled down the road, enjoying the peaceful nature of the Vale, they’d been through war, Jo had lost her parents & her brother in the war, Aloya recently returned home to sort out her fathers death and enstate her newfound half-brother into his parliamentary seat in Wroat.

The Raven wing had had a rough time of it over the past 4 years. As soldiers in the Blademark’s Elite Death Wing Squadron they were witnesses to the Mourning, surviving seemingly by fluke. Durnnam their dwarven stalwark had grown to 5’6 overnight, Aloya’s left eye had gone milky even though she could still see through it, while Linden seemed to age a decade every day, only wake up in the morning at the 30 year old man that he was.

Zack, their Zack hadn’t survived the Mourning, Kesh who had was now dead, fallen in their pursuit of the Dhakanni Dragon.

But here they were in the Elsir Vale, travelling to Drellin’s ferry to investigate the raids by these Hobgoblins bearing a Red Hand. A simple group of hobgoblins wouldn’t have worried them overly, but the creature – a Barghest Brindol’s town sage had identified the creature as, led them. Their task a little too organised for normal raiders.

They’d destroyed the Sivis message Stone and the Sivis & Kundarak Heir’s who were on route to Brindol. ‘Glory to the Red Hand’ the note had said. So here they were on their way to Drellins Ferry to see Mayor Winston about the hobgoblin raiders that the town was having problems with.

Hero’s they weren’t, yet…

Aloya & Linden were the first to notice the ambushers. A glint of steel showed them the hobgoblin archers lying in wait.

And so it begun… Aloya darted off her horse using it as cover from one flank “AMBUSH, archers in the tree lines” she shouted. Linden focussed inward and brought forth the power of the Host upon the group, blessing them with divine assistance.

The archers, realising that the element of surprise was lost attacked. Six, archers Linden thought, this shouldn’t take too long.

The group did battle, Jo unleashing the eldritch might that is her birthright into the archers. Durnnam savagely jumping into range with two of the archers and laying them low in the blink of an eye, powerful strokes loping ones head off and then cleaving the others head and shoulders down the middle* clearing him of opponents.

Then things got worse. The hell-hounds appeared, breathing fire and scaring the horses. Reinforcements and a battle-leader bearing twin shortswords. The leader called out Durnnam for a duel in what proved to be a bad idea.

The group made sort work of the Red Hand troops. Their martial leader falling to Durnnam’s axe in a spectacular fashion**, the priest and his pesky invisible casting eventually ferreted out (Jo’s see the unseen invocation came in handy here) and vanquished while the Hell hounds proved short work under the combined efforts of the groups axe, swords & magic.

After searching the area and carefully making their way to Drellin’s ferry through the bush (tactical skirmisher column with Jo in the rear) they found themselves at an small idyllic town that appeared rather worried.

Beseeched by Mayor Winston to help the people of the town and do what they could, Durnnam, in typical fashion demanded pay for his work. Linden managed to smooth things over with the Mayor and the group secured a payment of 400 Galifars for the group should they succeed in defeating this Red Hand warband that has been plaguing the town.

Winston a man of good nature, but rather out of his depth in such situations hesitantly agreed to contact the Hammerfist Halls for assistance as well as send word to Brindol of their increasingly severe situation.

Guard Captain Anitah advised the group to track down Jorr, a local woodsman who knew the Witchwood well. Mayor Winston also arranged for the group to go see Sereterin, the local hedge wizard for a few scrolls to aid them in their mission.

While Linden went to the local church of the Sovereign Host to talk to the local priest about the significance of the Red Hand symbology, Aloya ferreted around for gossip and rumours. However the arrival of the Raven Wing and the worry about the hobgoblin marauders seemed to be the only news on peoples minds.***

Linden agreed to have his Honour Blade ensorcelled by the local blacksmith, a devotee of Onatar, lord of the Forge & a fellow Droranath, much to Durnnam’s delight.****

The four of them then turned in for the night ready to find Jorr the woodsman & travel to Vraath Keep - a possible base of operations for these marauding Hobgoblins.

Little do they know what awaits them…

--
* a 70 point critical followed by cleave = two dead hobgobs.
** Another gorram 65 point critical!!! Durnnam’s player was on FIRE that session!
*** totally blew her gather information check.
**** All the Dwarves of the Vale are Droranaths in this campaign. The Hammerfist Halls are the remnants of a Droranath outpost from centuries ago.

 

[Sidekick]

Okay first off we got LOTS done last night. Since I was the only one working yesterday I knocked off at 4 and we started at 4.30, a full two hours early. And boy did we need it. Vraath Keep AND Skull Gorge Bridge all in one session.

The group felt the effects in Vraath Keep and Skull Gorge keep was a epic battle. My attempt at a recount is below.

******

The Raven Wing awoke their mission clear, reconnoitre Vraath keep for any Gobliniod presence and see if they can send the raiders packing. Durnnam’s eye was practically twitching when thinking about the idea of looting Vraath Keep.

But first they neeed a guide. So they picked up their horses from the stable and headed out to Jorr’s Cabin.

Approaching his cabin they found themselves atop some semi-scared horses with a trio of hunting dogs barking at them like crazy.

“Who are you?”, the group look to the door and see a human male holding a longbow, arrow half-drawn.

Aloya and Linden then set about obtaining Jorr’s assistance as a guide, to which he readily agrees. When he learns that the job will probably entail killing goblins then he lowers his price to 2gp/day. “Nothing like getting paid to do my favourite thing – kill goblinkin” as he put it.

And so they travelled by foot to Vraath Keep. Coming upon its wasted form the thrown boulders around and in the building gave them cause for concern, but ultimately the century old giant attack on the place meant that there were plenty of places for the group to enter.

Aloya snuck up to the walls unnoticed and peered through the gap in the Southern wall to see a goblin Worg rider gearing up and heading out. There were a further two hobgoblins within the structure who went inside the western barracks. There she also saw another two hobgoblins, unarmoured playing cards.

Relaying this to the rest of the group Raven Wing decided to enter through the gap and head for the central courtyard.

Jo, deciding to create a diversion scrambled up the wall to the opening on the tower wall* to see what was inside. She crept down the stairs as quiet as she could, luckily seeing the bugbear sitting at the desk below her before she entered too far. She retreated back to the opening and discussed the bugbear with the others.

The plan was made and then enacted. Which is of course where all plans go wrong.

Jo crept back to the head of the stairs, ready to blast the bugbear when he went to investigate the ruckus that the others would be starting.

Durnnam led from the front, hoping to draw off the hobgoblins from their barracks. As he passed he saw the large minotaur resting on its bed and decided to barrel on in, raging as he went. Linden followed seeing that the plan was well and truly scuppered, as did Aloya.

Jorr stayed in the tree line agreeing to shoot down any goblins that tried to flee.

Karriklton (the Mintaur) jump to his feet, orders and warning flying. Grabing his axe he brought his axe down on the arrogant dwarven attacker, only to have it deflected at the last minute by the graces of Dol Dorn that Linden had bestowed upon Durnnam.

Koth, hearing the commotion leapt to the door, on the way he spied just the slightest of movement and whirled on the spy flinging one of his most powerful curses at Jo.

The dark bolt hit her and then everything went white – she was blinded!

Permanently…

Jo screamed and then fled upstairs hiding between what she thought was two rocks.

Meanwhile combat was joined in the barracks, the hobgoblins gathered their weapons and barrelled in. Durnnam and Aloya cut down the minotaur with quick deliberate blows, while Linden started to beat the hobgoblins into submission.

Things became hectic, Koth came into the battle, as did a Manticore and then a pair of Worg riders a few second later. Spells flew, swords spun and eventually Koth lay unconscious at Linden’s feet (monk grappling caster = KO’ed caster), the hogblins numbers whitled down and only one worg rider still on his worg.

The trio called a tactical retread as they still hadn’t heard anything from Jo. Linden snapped the neck of Koth, ending his leacdership in the Red Hand, while Durnnam and Aloya finished off the remaining mooks.

The Keep was theirs, but they weren’t so sure. They barricaded themselves into the tower, found Jo and then called in Jorr to help make sure that the place was clean. A few arrows into skulls later and a sweep of the Keep and there were no hobgoblins left alive, nor dying. All were in Dollurh.

Raven wing found Koth’s map & documents (still on his table) and with Jorr’s help (none of the PC can speak/read goblin) got an idea of the Red Hand’s plan. The total destruction of the Vale.

Most worrying within the reports was one in common, apparently from a spy in Drellin’s Ferry. It mentioned the Raven wing as ‘adventurers’ and sought to warn Koth about them.

Disturbed by all this news they sent Jorr back to town to warn Mayor Winston while they rested up and made sure that no more goblins were using the keep as a base.

The group looted the bodies, uncovered the Vault and after some precocious blasting from Jo (her sign returned by Linden) the contents were theirs.

The next morning the group returned to Drellins Ferry and spoke with Mayor Winston, who was looking rather worried. He beseeched the group to find out the strength of the ‘horde’ at Cinder hill. Sure enough off they went to check it out, but first there was the small issue of the force mentioned at Skull Gorge Bridge.

The group decided that this was a highly important tactical position and that they needed to destroy it. Durnnam, a dwarf of the Yurak (translates to ‘Bridge’) family of Droranath was rather upset at this suggestion, but ultimately tactical/strategic decisions rested with him squad leader – Aloya.

And so the group set out to fight the defenders…

And then their jaws dropped. A DRAGON!!! There was a Dragon defending the bridge? Along with 8 hobgoblin troops and a pair of hell hounds the four heroes (well two heroes a small girl and a mercenary dwarf) were well and truly outnumbered.

So they planned, thought, pulled back and waited until morning when Linden could commune with the Host, seeking their blessings before the battle.

Buffed, in place at dawn the group struck. Durrnam charged the hellhound, felling it in one blow, Linden dropped a silence inbetween the two tower guards while Jo & Aloya killed the one in the South Western tower.

The team then advanced to the towers with Linden, flying plucking the guard off the SE tower and dropping him into the canyon to his death. Jo climbed up the side of the SW tower while Durnnam made for the top of the SE one & Aloya went up the stairs on the SW one.

The other guards responded by grabbing their gear, the ones in the towers fires arrows at Linden who simple dodged or deflected them with disdain.

And then the Dragon came into play. Roaring he swooped between the towers and coated Durnnam in a caustic acidic breath on his way past.

Jo & Aloya started to whittle down the guards numbers unti lAloy fired one fo the arrows the found in the vault of Daal Volaar** at Ozzyradion.

The arrow flew towards him, but split into two, then 4 then 8 then 16 and finally 32 arrows hailing the sky around Ozzy in arrows, one catching him in his ribs.

The Arrows of the Legion, a feared tool of the ancient Dhakanni empire were in play.

The battle raged. Aloya, Durnnam, & Jo all getting hit at least once by the Dragons breath while Linden got hit more than a few times by archers and sword.

Ozzy, heavily injured from the efforts of the female party members retreated to hide, invisible and healing up he hadn’t counted on the girls ability see the unseen. “He’s still on the tower” Jo called.

Enraged Ozzy snapped, he flew straight for her and latched onto her, hanging off the tower by only her magical climbing capabilities “This is the last time you meddle in my affairs little one” he hissed into her ear as his talons scored her flesh.

But he’d forgotten about the dwarf. Durnnam leapt and only just managed to graba hold of Ozzy before he fell*** into the gorge below. In the instant before they crashed into the walkway, Jo’s strength not being enough to keep her, the dragon AND durnnam’s armoured bulk up, Ozzy pinned Jo under him taking the brunt of the fall. There she lapsed into unconsiousness. Focussing on the dwarf next to him He picked the fool up and then flew out over the gorge, dropping him down to a certain death.

Durnnam fell, Aloya and Linden certain that they had just lost another comrade, but then Durnnam enacted his featherfall token (praise Dol Dorn that he forked out for one in Sharn) just in time, landing with nothing more than a tumbled roll to the gorge floor and dusty knees.

The dragon roared in outrage, then he was shot by Aloya. Nearly succumbing to the pain & seeing that his force was decimated, the cleric was tending to the witch, while the woman archer was lining up another shot he wisely fled, a bolt of magical energy barely missing him as he did so.

The Raven wing had the Bridge, Durnnam climbing up the gorge. But the Dragon had got away, with Cinder Hill only a few miles away, hardly a day’s flight for a creature as swift as a dragon for how much longer could they keep it?

* Damn Warlocks and their spider climb, that girl has a ground, climb and swim speed. All that’s left is burrowing and flying, and 6th level Warlock looms…
** A previous adventure before they started RHoD.
*** Joining the grapple he only just beat Ozzy by 1 point on the opposed grapples. We thought that everyone was about to tumble to their deaths but they were over the walkway so they slammed into that instead.


Next session is Monday 8th Jan. Let’s see what they do and if they’ll make it to Cinder hill to realise the true gravity of the situation…