[D&D 5e 2024] Heroes of the Borderlands

[Lazybones]

Chapter 31


“The cult has an agent here in the Keep,” Leana said. “It’s the only possible explanation for what we experienced on this last expedition.”

The halfling’s announcement was greeted by a moment of silence. The conference room was full; in addition to the Castellan and his two assistants, Dwern and Elandra, the priest of the local temple, Fazzir, was there at Leana’s request. She’d already had a private chat with him, so he stood in quiet support behind her. She was standing on her own chair so she could see over the table, which could have been ridiculous but which she pulled off with simple dignity.

“Now, let’s not be hasty…” Elandra said, but Ravani cut her off with an angry slash of his hand. “Those bandits knew exactly where we would be and when, and they clearly coordinated with the cult; one of the guys we killed was a member.”

“So you say,” Dwern said. “We might need more evidence of that than the fact that he was a bit pale.”

“Castellan,” Leana said, talking quickly before Ravani could get into it with the dwarf. “We have accepted your charge to seek out the cult. We’ve made two trips to the Caves of Chaos, and each time met considerable resistance. The locals clearly know about the cult; the ogre admitted that he had been paid by them to attack us. The fact that even he would not tell us where they were hiding suggests that they have a great deal of influence there. And the fact that they raised his brother as a zombie tells us that their leaders are powerful, in case we had not already figured that out.”

“This cannot be the first time you have wondered about the security of your people in the Keep. Fazzir has told you about the vandalism at his temple; we believe that incident is connected to the cult in some manner. Multiple people we have talked to have mentioned the bandit attacks on the road, and while we do not have a signed confession from the bandit leader stating that he worked with the cult, you have to admit that the intelligence that we have collected to date thus far is concerning.”

Dwern opened his mouth to respond, but held off as the Castellan held up a hand. Winvarle looked tired; there were dark circles under his eyes, and he hadn’t touched his wine goblet.

“We appreciate all that you have done,” the half-elf said. “Your arguments are compelling, and advocate for a final end to the cult as soon as that can be arranged. What do you need from us?”

“For you stop half-assing around would be a good start,” Ravani said. “You have what, two dozen soldiers here? Let’s march over to those damned caves and put an end to it, tomorrow.”

Winvarle shook his head. “I am afraid it is not so simple as that, master elf,” he said. “I have superiors who have made their orders quite clear. The Keep is the last outpost of civilization on this frontier, and the only thing keeping the entire region from tumbling into savagery. I must keep my forces here, to protect the Keep and those who rely on its safety. If the cult does have a hidden foothold within these walls, that becomes even more important; we cannot relax our vigilance until the group and its leaders have been brought to justice.”

“So it’s just the four of us again, is what you’re saying,” Ravani said.

Winvarle stood, pressing his hands against the surface of the table. “You have proven your valor, and your resilience,” he said.

“We’re willing to go back,” Greghan said. “But we’ve already had a few close calls, and our enemies seem to be growing stronger.”

The half-elf nodded. “There is one further aid I can give to your cause,” he said. “Dwern, kindly take our guests to the Great Hall and await me there.”

The Castellan did not keep the adventurers waiting for long. He returned with a servant who was carrying a large parcel wrapped in blue linen. From the way the man moved it was obvious that whatever it was, it was heavy.

Winvarle gestured them over to the head table, currently empty save for a few brass candlesticks. The servant placed the parcel there, and the Castellan himself opened it, spreading its contents out on the tabletop.

It was a set of plate armor, exquisitely fashioned, the metal polished steel, the straps and other accents a deep blue. The breastplate was engraved with the same sigil that showed on the tabards of the Keep’s soldiers and the flags that flew above it, a horse’s head clad in barding.

“My personal armor,” Winvarle said, running his fingertips along the breastplate sigil. “This is a loan, mind you,” he added with a smile.

“That is… amazing,” Greghan said.

“Um, no offense, Castellan,” Ravani said. “But that’ll never fit our guy here. I mean, his shoulders alone, compared to yours…”

“The armor is magical,” Winvarle said. “It will resize itself automatically to fit its wearer.”

“That… that is a princely gift, Castellan,” Leana said. “And it will help us achieve our objective.”

“Then you will return to the Caves, to put an end to it?” Winvarle asked.

Leana sent a look to each of the others in turn. This time, Greghan felt like a part of the group, and his soft nod was offered without hesitation. “We will go tomorrow,” she said. “And deal with this cult once and for all.”


Game Notes:

In the module, the magical armor is not a part of Winvarle’s kit, but it is one of the random treasures in the magic item deck. The adventure is set up to favor the “talk first” approach in the options it provides in the text, but at the same time, that can lead to a group acquiring fewer of the treasures that are available. I am also a fan of solutions that avoid violence, so I took one of those treasures that they skipped and made it available in the Keep.

 

[Lazybones]

Chapter 32


The mood in the private back room at the Drunken Dragon was somber, as the companions gathered for a last meal and to discuss their plans for the final assault on the Caves. A few neatly-wrapped bundles sat on the edge of the table. In addition to fresh supplies and ammunition provided by the Castellan, they had made a visit to the local provisioner and secured a fresh healer’s kit for Folgar, as well as another potion of healing that the halfling shopkeeper had had in stock. They’d had to combine their dwindling stores of coin for that last purchase, but Greghan hadn’t begrudged the expense. In this moment, after everything they’d already faced, a stack of gold coins seemed to matter less than they would have even just a week ago. The warrior—a title he had come to accept—had changed, and he credited the three people with whom he dined that night for the transformation.

For a while the four of them ate in friendly camaraderie, talking about anything and everything except for what lay ahead of them on the morrow. Finally, once Umbrusk had come in and cleared the dishes, closing the door behind him as he left, they got down to business.

“All right,” Ravani said. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

Greghan leaned forward, expecting some sort of tactical analysis of the remaining caves, or the possible cult forces that could await them, but the elf only smiled and said, “The group name. It’s time.”

Leana rubbed her forehead. “Not this again.”

Ravani rubbed his chin. “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. How about, ‘Ravani’s Company’? It’s short and easy to remember, and has a certain ring to it.”

“Ha, the ‘Lords of Chaos’ would be a better name, and more accurate given how we’ve proceeded thus far,” Folgar said.

“Ravani and Associates?” the elf countered. “Saviors of the Borderlands?”

“I think we might want to wait until we actually have accomplished something before claiming any high kudos,” Leana said dryly.

“I’d like to talk more about our approach,” Greghan said, redirecting the conversation to more weighty topics. “The armor will help, but I’m worried about what surprises the cult might have in store.”

“A reasonable concern,” Folgar said. “Given that we started with kobolds and goblins and ended up with gnolls and an ogre, it seems likely that the cult will be the greatest test of all.”

“And one involving undead,” Leana said. She reached up and touched her sigil absently as she spoke.

“But you can deal with those, right?” Greghan asked. “Being a cleric and all.”

“Yes, to a degree,” the halfling replied. “But it’s like my magic—limited in the frequency of use, and not guaranteed to work.”

“So it may come down to that chopper of yours, is what she’s saying,” Ravani said.

“I am on the cusp of a breakthrough with my own magic,” Folgar said. “I have been researching some more powerful spells. Second-order magic.”

“Fireball?” Ravani asked hopefully.

“Not that powerful,” Folgar corrected.

“Maybe we should wait, then?” Greghan asked. “If you need more time to finish your research…”

“Time is not the issue,” Folgar said. “The application of magic is not that dissimilar from the way you use your muscles to accomplish martial feats; it requires training to expand one’s capacity. I have completed all of the necessary formulae for the use of several potent spells; it is a matter of increasing that capacity to the point where I am able to facilitate their casting.”

“It is similar for me, although my magic comes from the Lightbringer, and not from spell formulae in a book,” Leana said. “However, I believe that I too am close to being able to channel more divine energy.”

“Let’s just hope your brain-muscles get bigger before we run into the cult,” Ravani said dryly.

“The only question for me is whether to focus my efforts on abjuration or evocation,” Folgar said. “I have laid the groundwork for either as a specialty.”

“Abjur…what?” Greghan asked.

“Defense or offense,” Ravani said before the dwarf could reply. “Blowing stuff up, or keeping stuff from being blown up.”

“You seem to know a lot about magic,” Greghan said.

“We elves have magic in our blood,” Ravani said. He made a gesture, and tiny sparkling motes of light flickered around his fingertips, hovering in the air for a moment before fading. “Unfortunately, I lack the talent to do anything more impressive than light a torch.”

“Do not sell yourself short, my friend,” Folgar said. “Inherent magic is a useful gift.”

“Let us focus on the immediate goal,” Leana said. “Blowing stuff up could be useful, going up against the cult.”

“Do not underestimate the efficacy of defensive magic,” Folgar said. “Especially given that we know that the cult contains at least one practicing necromancer.”

“So which option are you going to pick?” Greghan asked.

Folgar considered. “I do not yet know. I suppose it will depend on which insights I gain from our upcoming trials.”

“Yeah, well I’ve just been focused on taking down enemies faster,” Ravani said. “Though I don’t expect any earth-shattering insights on that front.”

“You never know,” Leana said. She stood up on her chair. “I suggest we head to our beds and get an early start in the morning. It may be a long day tomorrow."

“Unless it’s a short one,” Ravani said ominously.

 

[Lazybones]

Chapter 33


This time, the party was extra careful; they advanced along the road slowly, with Ravani frequently scouting ahead to check for ambushes. But there were no bandits or monsters waiting to attack them.

“Maybe that jerk Pral finally learned his lesson,” Ravani said, after returning from the third such scouting mission.

“Maybe,” Leana said. “But let’s keep traveling this way, just in case.”

With those delays it was almost noon by the time that they emerged from the woods that shrouded the ravine that held the caves. The place looked unchanged, eternal, but they had learned too many hard lessons to take anything here at face value.

“Looks quiet,” Greghan said.

“I’d say, ‘Too quiet,’ but I abhor cliché,” Ravani said.

“Which way, then?” Greghan asked.

“There’s a bit more cover to the left,” Ravani said. “I suggest we give the goblin and ogre caves a wide berth, if we’re not going to visit our friend.” They had debated checking in with the kobolds or the ogre to see if they could gain any more intelligence about the cult, but had decided that delay only gave them more time to prepare. Despite not having spotted anyone watching their advance up the road, they had to operate as if the cult was aware of every step they took.

Ravani started them forward, taking them on a course that would take them higher along the side of the ravine, close to the hobgoblins’ cave. But they’d only covered maybe fifty feet when the elf raised his hand.

Greghan froze, looking for threats, but nothing stirred in the canyon. Finally Ravani came back to them. “What did you see?” Leana asked.

“A flash of movement, near the far end of the ravine. I didn’t get a good look at it, but it looked like someone wearing red.”

“A sentry?” Greghan asked. Ravani just shrugged; he looked like he’d taken a bite of something unpleasant.

“Where did they go?” Leana asked.

“Into one of the middle caves.”

“Well, that’s fortuitous,” Folgar said.

“Yeah, a little too fortuitous,” Ravani said. “It’s obviously a trap.”

“Did you see where he came from?” Leana said.

“No, but there’s easily a hundred places over there where someone could hide and have a complete view over the entire ravine.”

“So it could just be a guard,” Greghan said. “You said earlier that they were watching our movements.”

“It feels like a trap,” Ravani insisted.

“You’re probably right,” Leana said. “But fortunately, we have the means to ferret out traps.” Greghan didn’t know what she meant, but she looked over at Folgar, and after a moment the dwarf nodded. “The cult has ambushed us a few times,” the halfling continued. “I think it’s about time that we returned the favor.”

They made their way carefully around the rim of the ravine. They bypassed the hobgoblin cave, sealed again behind its door, and the abandoned shrine where they’d battled the gnolls. There was another cave above them to the left, almost to the summit, and another almost directly below the one that Ravani had seen the red-robed guard—assuming he’d been right in that brief glimpse—disappear. They held up while the elf crept forward and leaned into a gap between two boulders to examine the lower cave. He didn’t linger long, and quickly hurried back to report.

“I like that one even less,” he said. “It looks like a natural cave. I could smell rot and damp, and heard something, an unsettling screech, movement.”

“A monster?” Greghan asked.

“Well, probably not cultists,” the elf admitted.

“What about our destination?” Leana asked.

“That one looks constructed. Gray bricks, looks old, crumbling, dark inside.”

“You’re sure our guy went inside?” Greghan asked.

“I saw him,” Ravani said, though the warrior couldn’t tell if he was actually certain or trying to convince himself.

“Um, so what now?” Greghan asked. “How do we spring the trap without getting caught in it?”

Leana nodded to Folgar, who led them forward. They advanced to the very edge of the cave entrance. Greghan couldn’t see much inside; the walls were a bit irregular and looked to be made of hard-packed dirt reinforced with crumbling pillars and brickwork. He could see the broken white bits of bones sticking up out of the dirt floor, and footprints that looked fresh that led inside. He turned to Ravani to ask a question, but the elf held a finger to his lips, silencing him.

Folgar had pressed his hand against a patch of bare stone to the left of the entry and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and then another, letting the air out slowly. His brow furrowed, almost like it did when he cast spells, and Greghan could tell that he was concentrating intently on something. He remained thus for about twenty heartbeats, then opened his eyes.

“I’m not certain, Leana,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s too much loose earth in there. I think I sensed the cultist, not far in, but I can’t be certain.”

“Waiting for us?” Greghan asked. “Is he alone?”

“I cannot say for sure,” Folgar said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” Leana said. “Stonecunning’s a useful talent, but I know it’s not an exact science.”

“So do we go in, or try our luck somewhere else?” Ravani asked. “Somewhere other than that cave below us,” he amended. “We could go back to those hobgoblins and beat the truth out of them.”

Leana considered a moment, then shook her head. “We’re here,” she said. “I say we check it out. Carefully, of course.”

She looked at each of them in turn, awaiting pushback, but none of the men said anything. Greghan himself was beset by so much uncertainty about this situation he didn’t feel comfortable voicing and opinion, and in any case he trusted Leana. He only hoped for her sake that they weren’t biting off more than they could chew—again.

Now that a decision had been made, the companions moved forward with deliberation, Ravani again taking the lead. Greghan followed behind Leana, with Folgar again bringing up the rear. Leana didn’t summon her light immediately, trying to give them a chance to catch whoever was in here unawares. To Greghan that seemed a lost cause; his new armor seemed to clink with every step he took.

They couldn’t see much more in the entry than Greghan had from outside, but he knew that Ravani’s darksight would reveal much more than his own weaker human eyes. The interior seemed to be a maze, with multiple corridors branching off from the entrance. Thick pillars supported the ceiling, but he could see places where a few had collapsed, leaving uneven mounds of stone that further complicated the layout. He looked up at the ceiling warily as they advanced slowly, clinging to the left wall.

They hadn’t gone very far in—Folgar was still standing in the entry—when the elf lifted a hand again. Greghan tensed, but there was nothing in the cave but darkness and silence. At least until a flickering light appeared, coming toward them. At first he thought it was someone holding a torch, but as it got closer it rose in the air and then plummeted downward; just before it hit the ground he realized what it was, but that was too late to react as the flask shattered and the burning wick turned its contents into a pool of bright flames.

The companions recoiled from the burning oil, but other than a few flickering splashes they were not harmed. But a moment later the noise and the light and smoke were answered by the fluttering of wings from the next passage over, and as three familiar winged forms appeared, their beady eyes fixing on the intruders, Greghan realized that they had fallen into the trap after all.