Heroes of Winterhaven (4e)

[Tikigod]

He was driven by a heady mix of curiosity, greed and pride. Douvan Stahl had learned of a dragon burial site near Winterhaven, a walled village in the far reaches of Ghol Avalar. He left the capitol Keltis Siddig with little more than a sword and shovel. That was a month ago.


Scranton is starting to think that Stahl skipped town to escape the twenty gold he lost to the half-elf in a game of King’s Bet. The tiefling warlord, Morthos, and the dwarven fighter, Ern Sparhenge both trained extensively under Douvan Stahl’s stern eye. Concern for their mentor causes them to join forces with Scranton. Lastly, Stahl’s wife has called on her nephew’s help. He is a bright, young wizard named Nexanaxourim of Spinning Glen (or Nex for short).


The band of adventurers is ambushed by a vicious group of kobolds. The scaly brigands are easily dispatched or driven off and the four heroes make it to Winterhaven without further incident. They sell some scavenged weapons for a little coin and learn that travelers to the town have oft been beleaguered by frequent attacks. At Wrafton’s Inn, they meet the beautiful Salvana Wrafton who remembers Douvan Stahl. But she does not know his current whereabouts. At a corner table is Lord Padraig and Eilian the Old. Padraig offers the adventurers a reward for ridding Winterhaven of its kobold problem. Eilian the Old scratches out a rough map to the dragon burial site. Scranton tries to make conversation with a sultry elf named Ninaran. She sternly rebuffs the half-elf, preferring to nurse her cups alone.


They decide to keep following Douvan Stahl’s trail. After a half-day’s trek, they reach the burial site. It is a shallow crater in the surrounding wilderness. Their mentor is nowhere to be found. But there is a group of diggers working on the site. As the party approach, two guard drakes growl menacingly. An excited gnome waves the heroes towards the site, babbling excitedly about his find. As they near the drakes, the gnome commands an attack and battle ensues.


After the fight, Douvan Stahl is discovered, bound, gagged and hidden under a ratty blanket. The warrior is glad to be free. Scranton searches the dig site and finds a magic amulet and an antique silvered mirror. Stahl is disappointed by the lack of a dragon’s horde, but he is in high spirits at his rescue. On the way back to Winterhaven, Stahl tells rumors of a nearby goblin-infested keep that may be full of treasure. He leaves the next day to rejoin his family in Keltis Siddig and invites the group to call on him whenever they are in Ghol Avalar’s capitol.


Morthos reviews the map to the kobold lair and all agree to rid Winterhaven of the kobold brigands. On the road to the lair, the party is once again ambushed by a mob of kobolds. These are led by a shaman of some sort. The battle is fast and furious and no brigands are allowed to escape. A search of the bodies turns up an onyx medallion in the shape of a dragon. On its back is scratched the symbol of a skull with ram’s horns.


Nex shudders, “The sign of Orcus…”

 

[Tikigod]

As they look through the overgrowth, the adventurers spy a mob of kobolds. The creature’s yips can barely be heard over the crashing of a rapid waterfall. Near the stream is a faintly glowing runic circle. The kobolds seem to notice the heroes at the same moment. A kobold slinger unleashes a gluepot at Ern, who is immediately stuck in place. The dwarf curses the day he forgot to buy a missile weapon. With Nex’s fiery magics and the teamwork of Scranton and Morthos the battle is quickly over. But the slinger escapes through the crashing waterfall.


A rest is taken and a sharp eye kept on the waterfall. But nothing emerges during the quick break. Weapons ready, they plunge through the cascade. The cave behind is filled with numerous kobolds and a massive goblin with an iron-banded tusk jutting from his face. Ern, Morthos and Scranton move to the left leaving Nex alone in the water. A pile of kobolds swarm the wizard, leaving him gasping and bloody. A Thunderwave clears the minions around him, but Nex is then set upon by the slinger and a Wyrmpriest. Ern challenges Irontooth and in the middle of the chaos they begin trading blows. Scranton and Morthos begin to clear the underlings. Nex staggers over to his companions and collapses under the sustained attacks. Morthos shifts focus and begins to attack the Wrympriest. Scranton, closest to the unconscious mage tries unsuccessfully to bind the wounds. Ern unleashes his fury and begins a relentless assault on Irontooth. (A critical Steel Serpent Strike followed by a better-than-average Brute Strike… 59 damage in one round from a 1st level character!!!) With a glance at Nex, Morthos waves at Scranton and they switch roles. But Morthos seems to fare no better at saving the wizard from death than the rogue. At the last possible moment, the tiefling stabilizes Nex. (Morthos failed 4 heal rolls in a row. Nex was on two death save failures.) With Morthos back in the battle, Irontooth is felled and the rest of the kobolds mopped up. As the goblin falls, he cries out, “Kalarel and Lord Orcus prepare my way!!”


Scranton finds a message on Irontooth’s body: “My spy in Winterhaven suggests we keep an eye out for visitors to the area. It probably does not matter; in just a few more days, I’ll completely open the Shadowfell rift. Then Winterhaven’s people will serve as food for all those Lord Orcus sends to do my bidding.” Scranton immediately thinks that Ninaran is the spy. “Anyone who would spurn someone this good-looking has to be evil!”


Returning to Winterhaven, the party is paranoid. The prime suspects for the spy are Ninaran, Valthran, and Lord Padraig himself. Scranton gains entrance to Lord Padraig’s study and meets with Lord and his son, Ohlmert. Scranton requests a meeting alone with Padraig; sans son (there was much discussion that the son could be the spy). Affably, Padraig agrees to meet with the PCs in their room at Wrafton’s. He greets the villagers they pass with a hearty hello. Salvana offers Padraig a drink, but he begs off, “Business with the adventurers.” In the room, they show the Lord Irontooth’s head and discuss the possibly of a spy and an Orcus cult. Padraig mentions that dreadful rumors are coming in from the far reaches of the Winterhaven lands. He talks of raids by a band of slavers named Bloodreavers. Maybe they are the Orcus cult? Ern shrugs. They also discuss the shadow rift, but Padraig points them in Valthrun’s direction from more information on the ruined keep built over the rift.


The discussion wrapped up, Padraig and the heroes head down to the common room of Wrafton’s. “A drink for the Heroes of Winterhaven!” he shouts, “They have crushed the kobold brigands!” Morthos grits his teeth and Scranton rolls his eyes. “We just told him there is a spy in town and he blabs to everyone,” they whisper to each other. Salvana is in awe of the group and offers a toast, “To His Majesty Broderick the Owlking and to our heroes!”


Ern and Scranton leave to buy supplies and a longbow for the dwarf. Morthos visits Valthrun. The sage explains that the rift is a hole into the Shadowfell, a dimension of darkness and shadows. Valthrun also gives the history of Shadowfell Keep. It was built centuries ago after an undead army poured through the opening. With the Keep being on the edge of the Kingdom of Ghol Avalar and the subsequent wars with the Empire of the Sea, it fell into disrepair. He begs the Winterhaven’s newest heroes to visit the ruins and put a stop to anyone trying to open the rift. On a similar note, Valthrun mentions that he is a collector of magical art. He offers a reward for a piece of called the Minotaur Crystal. He explains that there once was a Minotaur Kingdom that stretched from across these lands. They ruled from the dread Thunderspire Mountain. The Crystal has an animated image of a roaring minotaur trapped within. Valthrun has traced the Crystal to the Shadowfell Keep. Scranton senses that Valthrun isn’t telling the whole truth but doesn’t push the matter.


Meanwhile, Nex has parked himself in at a table in Wrafton’s, enjoying a few frothy beers. He sees the elf girl, Ninaran enter the common room. She hears the tales of the heroes destroying the kobolds and slaying their leader, Irontooth. Ninaran immediately turns and exits the inn. “Hmmm…interesting,” Nex thinks to himself. He tries to follow her but his drunken stumblings are no match for the elf’s stealth.


The next morning, the Heroes of Winterhaven set forth to the ruins of Shadowfell Keep.

 

[Tikigod]

Episode 3 will be coming in a couple of days. In the meantime, here is the introduction that I handed out to the players at the beginning:

Innerlands Introduction


The world of the Innerlands, known as Green, is ancient beyond belief. Some sages estimate that the first nation of man was founded over twenty thousand years ago. Most of history has been lost to the ravages of time. The current Age began two thousand years ago when a star fell to the earth. The land shattered and the oceans poured into the crater, creating the Inner Sea. Three hundred years after, the Empire of the Sea had been founded and within another hundred it had conquered the Innerlands.
Now, Imperia has fallen. Its demon-bred nobility dispersed throughout the Innerlands. The West and South have broken free of the Empire and established their own countries. The city-states of the North and East nominally pay homage to the Empire of the Sea, but in reality they have long run their own affairs.

The Races


Dragonborn: The Dragonborn once ruled the world and their laws spanned the globe. A war against the other races brought their empire to ruin and dispersed the Dragonborn. Near extinction, they have never again built another nation. To this day they live intermingled with the other races.


Dwarves: After Starfall, the Dwarves retreated to their mountain strongholds. During the dark times after Starfall and the rise of Imperia, the dwarves created the underground kingdoms, known as Khurgish Muhr, in the Longback Mountains. Within the last several hundred years Dwarves have once again began to live among the other races of Green.


Eladrin: The Eladrin have always lived in places that exist both on Earth and in the twilight realms of the Feywild. Their cities cross the boundaries between the two dimensions, often existed for several years on Earth and then centuries in the Feywild. Most of these fey humanoids prefer to live in their magical cities and castles, but some seek the heady adventure of Green.


Elves: Untold eons ago, a nation of Eladrin decided to leave Feywild and live forever on Earth. They established themselves into nomadic courts throughout the world. Several of these courts traverse the nearby World Forest.


Half-Elves: Elves and Humans have long been attracted to each other. The unions of these two races often produce exceptional individuals that exhibit the best of both. Due to geography most half-elves live in the Southlands.


Halflings: Halflings are the gypsies of the Innerlands. They travel the Inner Sea in clockwise fashion. The journey is called The Way. They rarely settle in communities. It is rumored, though, that there are secret Halfling towns scattered on the Way.

Humans: Humans live throughout Green. They are active and ambitious as a whole. No other race can match their drive and determination. Humans are the dominant race of the Empire of the Sea and therefore are now the dominant race of the Innerlands.


Tieflings: At the height of the power of Imperia, the nobles bred with demons. It was a great honor to have a Tiefling as an offspring. An uprising of the forces of good against the dark masters caused most of the Imperial nobility to flee into hiding. The tieflings were replaced by humans in the aristocratic ranks of the Empire. Today tieflings are heir to that noble infernal bloodline. Most, though, owe no allegiance to their past.

The Gods

The Earth was created by four gods, Allfather, Mother Dark, Mother Light, and Mother Green, known as The Progenitors and also called The Four. They were the only gods of Earth for thousands of years. And their worshippers claim the world they walk on is the body of Mother Green. But during a time called Godstrife a rift had opened and other gods flooded into the worship of Earth. Today, the pyramid topped temples of the Progenitors are still dominant throughout the Innerlands, but it is not uncommon to find churches dedicated to other gods. The most common are the gods in the Player’s Handbook.

The Campaign


Your characters will start in the country of Ghol Avalar, the Owllands. Any class and race from the Player’s Handbook is acceptable. You will all start with ties to an adventurer named Douvan Stahl.

 

[Tikigod]

As part of the deal to obtain the Minotaur Crystal, Valthrun accompanies the Heroes to Shadowfell Keep to return their horses safely back to Winterhaven. The Keep is little more than crumbled walls. Scranton spots a stairwell in the middle of the rubble. He also notices many sets of boot tracks leading to and from the stairs.


The rogue sneaks to the bottom and spies a lone goblin leaning on a spear. He signals the rest of the group to attack. Running forward, Scranton falls headfirst into a hidden pit. A swarm of rats boils towards him. The rest of the adventuring party surges forward, but not before the goblin yells out a warning. A few other greenies join their companion. Scranton easily scales the walls of the pit and joins his friends in the attack. The goblins are quickly put out of service.


The Heroes scout out the numerous pathways, Scranton hastily sketches out a map. Finally they decide on the doors to the north. The bloodstains give them pause, but Ern shoulders his maul and boots open the door. Scranton dashes forward to engage the hot-iron-poker-wielding hobgoblin. Ern closes in with the goblin warrior. One of the goblin sharpshooters steps into the small jail cell in the corner and begins firing on Nex. The wizard returns the favor and for most of the battle the two of them wildly miss each other. Scranton is set on fire with the scorching poker. Morthos and Scranton team together to take down the torturer. Scranton, hair blazing, leaps a bloodstained table and plants his short sword in the back of the goblin warrior. Morthos then turns his attention to the sharpshooter in the jail cell. He enters and menaces the enemy with his sword. The goblin scoots around the tiefling and slams the cell door shut, the lock clicking loudly. The party’s tactical master, trapped in a jail cell by the trickery of a sly goblin, continues to cheer the group to victory, to the laughter of goblins and adventuring mates together.


After searching the bodies of the expired goblins, Ern discovers a goblin in a jail cell. Scranton communicates with the wretched prisoner named Spulg. Ern threatens Splug with bodily harm and the goblin collapses into a miserable heap of tears and snot. Scranton bullies Splug into drawing a map of the dungeon. Once done Splug hands the wet, sticky map back to the half-elf. The scratches are labeled: Here, To Outside, Boss Fatty, Digging for Treasure and two spots labeled Don’t Know.


Scranton bitterly yells, “Your map looks nothing like our map!” He digs out his map and shows it to Splug, “Where on this map is Boss Fatty!”


Splug wails, “Your map looks nothing like my map! I don’t know!”


He begs for his life, offering to service the Heroes as a porter. They scoff at the offer from a traitorous goblin and lock him back in the cell. As they begin to leave, Splug begins to scream and cry. They make a bargain. Splug shuts up and Nex will release him before they leave Shadowfell Keep.


The Heroes of Winterhaven decide to strike at the source and head to the room labeled Boss Fatty. Within they discover two goblins lounging at a table. A brass bell glints on the table before them. With superhuman swiftness, Scranton grabs the bell. With less than superhuman agility, he cannot prevent the bell from clanging as he snatches it away. The group piles into the room, but they are unable to prevent one the goblins from disappearing down a curtained hallway and raising an alarm. Ern tips a table over and Nex works his magic behind its cover. Goblins begin pouring into the room like a green, smelly flood. Finally an enormously fat goblin enters the fray, but is as quickly cut down by the deadly weapon work of Morthos and Ern.

 

[Nebulous]

Heh heh...Boss Fatty. i'm going to use that.

 

[Tikigod]

The heroes barricade themselves in Boss Fatty’s room, set up a watch, and sleep. Nex begins having second thoughts about leaving Splug alive. He resists the urge to end the miserable goblin’s life. During the night they find a secret door. In the morning the party follows it down to a hallway leading to “Looking For Trezur”. Scranton hears goblins complaining about their work.


The adventuring group charges into the room, surprising the workers. The room has been excavated except for a few “islands” connected by wooden planks. A ramp leads from the entrance area down to the floor of the excavation. There are wooden ladders leading from some of the islands into the excavated area.


Nex leads off the attack by blasting goblins and ladders alike with a Scorching Burst. Morthos and Ern charge down the ramp and swiftly dispatch the guard drake. Scranton attempts to cross a wooden plank but falls into the fray below. The last goblins kick away the planks and continue to fire upon the group. Morthos heaves the stout dwarf up the “island” but Nex finishes off the goblins before Ern can raise his mighty hammer. The only treasure found is a magic shield that Morthos claims.


The Heroes of Winterhaven are now left with two choices: stairs leading into a cavern area and stairs leading into an unnaturally silent maze of hallways. They choose the hallways and quickly discover sinister-looking runes blocking the way into various passageways. Nex determines that the runes will release some sort of magical effect, but is unsure of what exactly that effect would be. The group turns south away from the runes and encounters some moaning zombies. The undead are quickly turned into just plain dead. Continuing on, they discover a large hallway lined with sarcophagi. On the far east end is an area glowing with a silvery light. Ern dashes towards the lighted area much to the dismay of the rest of his mates.


With a loud BANG the coffins slam open and then close. A horde of skeletons have spilled into the tomb. The dwarf disappears under a pile of attacking bones. Morthos aids his stout ally with the use of a Guarding Attack. Nex calls forth his roaring flames, blasting enemies and allies alike. Every round more skeletons burst from the sarcophagi. Ern’s renowned dwarven resilience and his magical dwarven-crafted armor keep the fighter alive through the endless attacks. Morthos and Nex believe the key to stopping the river of skeletons rests in the shrine. The wizard casts Expeditious Retreat and speeds up to an altar.


The domed ceiling boasts a fresco of an immense sun blazing from a blue sky. The altars are painted white. Nex reads the script flowing around the altar, “The Mother Light is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. She is my stronghold, my refuge, and my armor against the foes of Light – I need only kneel and offer her my praise.” Morthos weaves through the army of bones, suffering many attacks on the way. Both warlord and wizard kneel at the two altars. The silvery sunlight spreads from the shrine into the coffin-lined hallway. No more sarcophagi open. The remaining skeletons collapse under the light leaving a much bruised Scranton and a very bloody Ern. While the group rests, Scranton inspects the door leading east. It is of solid wood bound with iron and brass. A plaque on the door reads, “Here Lies Sir Keegan Shadowguard.”

 

[Tikigod]

The doors to Sir Keegan’s crypt open slowly. Ern looked inside and saw a raised dais with an elaborate sarcophagus upon it. As he cautiously mounted the stairs to the tomb, it erupted in a shower of dust. A skeleton armored in plate mail emerged from within. It held a blade that flickered with a dim purple light. Its fiery eyes turned upon the party.


“I am Sir Keegan, once called Shadowguard now called Doomsgrief! You are invaders to my Keep! If you seek to open the shadow rift battle shall be joined. State your business or prepare to meet your maker!”


Morthos stepped forward, “Sir Keegan we are here to close that rift. The lands outside will be threatened if the rift is opened and we seek to prevent that.”


The skeletal knight turns towards Scranton, “If you trust your senses not to betray you, tell me what you see before you.”


Scranton replies, “I see a brave warrior who died defending the Keep against the forces of evil.”


“LIES!” Keegan spits, “I died in grief, betraying all that I loved! Why should I believe that you are the heroes you claim to be?”


Morthos answers, “Our actions speak loudly. We have defeated many enemies that seek to prevent us from obtaining our goal.”


Keegan replies, “Your weapons and armor agree with your words.” He looks to Nex, “Unnatural forces abound in this place. Are you equipped to overcome them?”


Nex simply answers, “Yes.”


“The answer is unsatisfactory. Why should I believe that you can close the rift? Yes, you have been tested in battle, but deadly dangers await. The only one that seems capable is the tiefling.”


Morthos again answers, “Alone I would fail. With unity and the help of my companions we can prevail. None have stopped us yet and none shall in the future.”


“Well spoken. You wear a fearsome demeanor. Are you really as formidable as you look?”


Morthos remains silent. He simply slides his blade out of his scabbard.


Sir Keegan Doomsgrief nods, “There is no need for us to battle. I can see the resolve within you. I believe you can protect the rift. I shall tell you my tale and give you a gift.


“In life, I was commander of the Shadowfell Keep. But its darkness corrupted me. My mind slipped and all I loved were enemies. With Aecris I slew my family. With Aecris I slew my men. They stared in shock as I murdered them. I had failed in my responsibility and was cursed. I awoke from my madness in my tomb. A fitting place. I fell upon my own blade in my grief. But that did not end my agony. I became as you see me now. No longer was I Keegan Shadowguard. I had become Keegan Doomsgrief. No longer was my brilliant sword Aecris. It had become Kinkiller.


“I am past redemption, but my sword is not. I will give it to you. Seek the paladin who bears the same name that my sword once did. He knows the path to redemption. He can give you a quest to restore Kinkiller back to Aecris. Now go. Go and put an end to the evil in this Keep.”


Sir Keegan Doomsgrief says nothing more. He climbs back into his sarcophagus and closes the lid.


The Heroes of Winterhaven leave the knight and travel back to the rune-inscribed hallways. Scranton leaps the runes and scouts about, but the moaning of zombies sends him to rejoin his friends. Nex, meanwhile, has left to grab the hapless Splug. The wizard brings the goblin to the runes. Scranton tries to trick the goblin into following him across the runes, but the bluff doesn’t work. So it’s the hard way. Nex ties Splug up and gags him. Ern then tosses the goblin onto the runes. A scream echoes through the corridors. The goblin is squirming on the floor, his eyes bulging in terror. Zombies shamble into view. Nex burns many of them to the ground. The two strongest continue across the rune. One claws at Ern. The other grabs Splug. Nex brings down another raging fire and Splug is not strong enough to survive the onslaught. And shortly thereafter, the zombies join Splug in the land of the really dead.


At the next rune, Scranton offers to cross. They tie a rope to his waist. The half-elf crosses and then runs in the opposite direction. Ern easily holds the rogue in place. When the effect wears off, the Heroes discover a set of stairs leading down. Nex flings his Light-ensorcelled coin down into the darkness of the stairs. They see an armored hand reach out and grab the coin. Not to be robbed of a silver piece the group charges down the stairs. A band of hobgoblins await their arrival. A Deathjump spider leaps from the newly opened cage into the fray. Nex releases a Sleep spell, hitting hobgoblin soldiers, the spider, and several hobgob minions. The soldiers fall asleep immediately. The spider and minions follow suit at the end of the round. (Nex hit all of them and every save was failed…the soldiers twice!) A flurry of coup de graces begins trashing the monsters in the room. A Brute Strike coup de grace kills the spider outright. As one of the soldiers stands and clears his head, Morthos pushes him into a deep well. The battle is quick and vicious.

 

[Tikigod]

The next room the Heroes of Winterhaven enter is filled with statues. Dominating the middle of the room is an enormous statue of a warrior wielding a wicked two handed sword. He is facing off against two smaller dragon statues in the eastern corners of the room. And to the south is a corridor leading out of the room. This hallway holds four statues of cherubs holding delicate urns above their heads. Nothing moves and the silence is thick.

Ern Sparhenge slowly moves into the room as the rest of the party awaits his doom. With an ear-bleeding screech, the warrior statue whirls on its base. Its huge blade scythes towards the dwarf, but he manages to evade the blow. Nex astutely points out that the statues blade doesn’t reach the western wall. The group begins making its way south, hugging the west wall. Scranton notices an access panel in the statue. He runs to the rotating warrior and vaults onto its base. Meanwhile the rest of the group begins launching attacks at the deadly trap. Frustrated with his failure to stop the spinning blade, Scranton joins in the attack on the statue.

Ern lays the last blow to the trap and mutters, “Never send a thief to do a dwarf’s job.”

Slowly the group circles the room, laying waste to each of the statues within. Scranton is blasted by the dragon traps and fails to disarm them as well. Crushing the smiling cherubs to pieces the heroes open the double doors to the south.

A blast of rank air gags Morthos. The stench of death and rot is as hard as a hammer. The next room holds a mass of shuffling zombies. Also found within is a whip-thin ghoul and some sort of animated clay figure. It is imp-like in design and flies on clumsy wings. Nex leads off the battle with a scorching blast. The ghoul, on all fours, speeds to attack the wizard.

“You shall not pass!” the ghoul shrieks, “Lord Kalarel cannot be disturbed. The ritual cannot be interrupted.”

Morthos and Ern engage the ghoul as Scranton moves to the west to hold off the approaching zombies.

Morthos is assaulted by a psychic attack from the clay construct. “Your mind will be squeezed like an overripe grape,” it pipes. “Like a raisin in my hands.”

Scranton is so confused by this strange analogy that he fails to land a single blow during the entire battle. The tide of zombies begins to squeeze by him, flailing him with vicious fists. The ghoul, faced with Ern’s challenge, is as immobilized as its attacks immobilize the fighter. Finally the undead creature falls to the combined attacks of Morthos, Ern, and Nex. The construct begins to flee to the doors in the east but Morthos shakes off the effects of the psychic assault and splits the homunculus into tiny gobs of wet clay.

 

[Nebulous]

How many sessions has this campaign taken so far? You're nearly finished.

 

[Tikigod]

There have been six sessions, but a couple have been all day affairs.

It also has been condensed a little bit. They decided from the beginning not to return to Winterhaven until the Keep has been cleared. So that skips the graveyard encounter entirely. Also they have bypassed the cave part of the Keep (the blue slime and kruthiks) and also the hobgoblin barracks and cube room. Hopefully they will go back to the cube room. That's where the Minotaur Crystal is!