Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tikigod" data-source="post: 4425817" data-attributes="member: 75310">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.</blockquote>

Verification