Hoard of the Cold Sun (ToD Storyline in Eberron)

[Gradine]

I'm about to settle in and read this but I just want to make a comment first: Tyranny of Dragons doesn't belong in the Realms; it belongs in Eberron.

There's nothing that actually connects the story with the Realms, and WotC didn't make any effect to correct this. By contrast, this plot is very similar to the Tiamat-based plot outline provided in Eberron 3.5E's Dragons of Eberron. If you haven't already, read Dragons of Eberron and I think you'll find a lot of ideas about how to make these two adventures really sing in the world they were meant for.

Thanks for the advice! I'll have to check it out.

In the mean time I'm still working on the recap for Chapter 2. It was a very different kind of session; hardly any dice were rolled after they reached the camp, but it seemed like everyone was having a blast!

I'm curious to see how they handle the dungeon crawl in Chapter 3. It's not a style I often DM as so even my more experienced players might be thrown off a bit.

 

[Gradine]

Chapter 2: Cold Sun Camp

Session 3

The party take a long rest as everyone recuperates from the attack and the rebuilding process begins. Rylorn lets the rest of the party know that the cult’s half-orc leader is Frulam Mondath, the criminal he’s been sent to capture and bring back to the Shadow Marches.

The party is then approached by Escobert, who is still heavily injured from the attack. He says that he has a job for the party, and that Lady Cara has promised to pay them each 250 gp for finding out information about the cult: where they’re striking from, what their numbers are, who their leaders are, what’s motivating the attacks, and where they plan to strike next. Escobert even offers his personal stash of khyber dragonshards, which the party utilized to have Jerred d’Cannith enchant some equipment for them.

Coop, Rylorn, and Herb all had Jerred enchant their spell foci (with fire, ice, and tremors, respectively); these spell foci grant them a +1 bonus to their spell attack rolls, the ability to ignore up to half-cover with spell attacks, and a once-per-day spell (burning hands, ice knife, and earth tremors, respectively). Brother Alwyn had a lapel pin enchanted to grant his unarmed strikes a +1 bonus to hit and a +1d4 lightning damage. Anakendrick ended up with a flashy belt, which allows him to blind opponents in front him. Merla got the gauntlets of earthy grasp, which allow her to pull opponents ankle-deep into the earth, momentarily restraining them. And finally, Kazik had his shoes enchanted with the khyber dragonshard he found in Lady Cara’s manor, granting him the ability to gain purchase in mid-air one time before touching solid ground, effectively doubling his jump distance (gravity boots).

While working, Jerred brought up how he wished he got a chance to look at Cyanwrath’s byeshk greatsword, as byeshk weapons are exceedingly rare, ever since the secret to forging them was lost with the fall of the Dhakaani Empire. Anakendrick showed him the byeshk shortsword he took from Francine, and was flabbergasted by it. According to Jerred, the weapon doesn’t look anything like an ancient goblin-made weapon; that it in fact bore some hallmarks of ancient dwarven crafting, though with a fine and detailed filigree that no dwarven smith would’ve been able to accomplish. He also estimated, based on the wear of the blade, that the sword itself was no more than a few months old, which should be impossible. He asks the party to bring him any more byeshk weapons they find.

The party departs Windshire, finding the trail of the cult exceedingly simple to follow. After journeying for a few hours, they spot a plume of smoke in the distance. Merla, who’d spent a good deal of time with House Ghallanda colleagues, thinks she smells game hens, pheasants, and maybe a hint of roast duck. Herb transforms into a skunk to scout the area, finding a small group of human cultists and kobolds roasting some game hens and pheasants, and one duck (technically a mallard, which for some reason became a point of contention). The cultists have their backs against some high rocks, providing an optimal position for an ambush. The kobolds were eating about 60 feet away, and had with them one of the smaller lizardfolk as well as a winged kobold in their midst. After spraying the cultists, Herb runs back to report her findings.

The party concocts an unnecessarily elaborate and cockamamie scheme; Merla, who has taken the fringe off of Francine’s robes, will wear the robes, and ride in on a horse (Herb in disguise). Coop helped with the disguise, stuffing some pants and boots with straw to give Merla the appearance of being as tall as a human. Merla rides up, and while most of the cultists wave hello, their leader immediately sees through the disguise and lets loose a sacred flame. Merla and Herb dodge out of the way just in time, with Herb transforming back into a gnome at the same time. The rest of the party launch their ambush.

The kobolds immediately scatter for the nearby hills, and the party has little trouble dispatching the remaining cultists. Merla uses her new gauntlets of earthy grasp to pull their leader into the earth, rooting him to the spot, where Anakendrick is able to easily knock him out. Unfortunately, just then the kobolds return, firing attacks from their slings. Alywn takes out a few kobolds before an arrow from the small lizardfolk strikes him in the side, poisoning him. Merla is able to send several of the attacking kobolds into a deep sleep. Coop casts command to bring the flying kobold crashing prostrate to the ground and grovelling. A few eldritch blasts take care of the lizardfolk, and the battle is easily won from this point.

Most of the cooked meat is ruined on account of skunk-spray-related-vomitus, which leaves several party members (especially Merla) disappointed. Sensing an opportunity to be helpful, Brother Alwyn departs.

The unconscious cultist leader is awoken, and the party is able to successfully interrogate him. He reveals that this sect of the Cold Sun answers to Frulam Mondath, and Frulam answers to “the dragon-lady”, who, as far as he is aware, answers only to Masvirik, the Cold Sun himself. He is unable to answer most of the party’s questions, but he does reveal that the horde is usually somewhat disorganized after an attack, and that there are plenty of mercenary groups working for them.

Brother Alwyn returns with a handful of freshly caught wild game hens, and the party settles in for a meal and short rest.

The party deduces, based on the fact that, back at Windshire, one of the cultists confused them for mercenaries, that they should be able to waltz right into the camp unmolested, and this is precisely what they do. Just past the entrance they spot the individual camps of three large mercenary groups, each at least 80-strong. One, seemingly comprised entirely of elves, had a banner of a bleeding anatomical heart in a field of daggers. This is the Blood of Niath, comprised entirely of banished and disgraced Tairnadel mercenaries, all of whom were chosen by ancestors who were banished and disgraced and became mercenaries but ended up bringing greater glory to Valenar. Brother Alwyn goes to chat with this group, where he runs into an old colleague by the name of Thail. Alwyn tells Thail that a cultist told him to loot some buildings in Windshire (which is entirely true), and Thail reveals that’s what all of the mercenaries were hired to do.

Meanwhile, Kazik and Merla depart to talk with a second group, known as the Thunder Fangs, which Kazik and Anakendrick are somewhat familiar with, as they too hail from Sharn. Their banner is a white wolf with fangs beared over a dark blue background with lightning flashing. Their leader is a charismatic and boisterous minotaur named Leenan Boulderfist, whom Merla attempts to seduce (Leenan, already drunk at this point, think this is some sort of hilarious joke). They discover that the Thunder Fangs and the third major group, the Emerald Reapers (a green skull over a black background) out of Karrnath, do not get along, and that the Blood of Niath always seem to be spoiling for some kind of fight. They also learn that the “dragon-lady” was here at the end of the canyon as the raiding party returned from Windshire, and she did not look happy. Which is weird, since everyone seems to have considered the raid a smashing success.

Coop and Herb spot the prisoners in a space between the mercenary camps and where most of the cultists have appeared to set up camp. They go to inspect the prisoners, where there are three hostages from Windshire held in stocks and unconscious. None match the description of Leosin Erlanthar. They are watched over by a diverse group of mercenaries. Coop attracts the attention of one, an Emerald Reaper by the name of Theda Dorn. Theda is from Karrnath, but he’s still pretty freaked out by all the necromancy. He asks Coop what she knows about the Thunder Fangs, and if she thinks they would accept him. Coop sees Kazik and Merla chatting up Leenan Boulderfist, and tells Theda that he should go talk to the minotaur.

As they approach the cultist end of the camp, they see a large tent guarded by several of the very large lizardfolk they saw earlier. Langdedrosa Cyanwrath exits the tent holding a half-elf male prisoner Kazik instantly recognizes as Professor Leosin Erlanthar. Cyanwrath hands him to a pair of cultists, and tells them that he didn’t seem to know anything, to take him back with the other prisoners, and that Frulam had plans for them all at dawn. The cultists take Leosin away, as all are distracted by some sort of commotion coming back from the entrance to the camp.

Five tieflings, all wearing distinct crimson robes, walk through the camp and towards the large tent. The robes give Kazik a memory from his childhood; he recalls his parents owning robes exactly like these. The lead tiefling removes his hood, causing Cyanwrath to start. “You’re not Rath Modar,” he says. “Who are you?”

The tiefling introduces himself as Azbara Jos, sent on behalf of Rath Modar to treat with them. “Rezmir’s not going to be happy,” Cyanwrath responds, “though that’s hardly a change.”

It’s at this point that something strange happens. Cyanwrath scans the crowd, and several of the party members see him lock eyes directly with Anakendrick. Anakendrick, meanwhile, is too distracted by hearing the name “Rezmir” to notice. Cyanwrath grins for a moment, and then turns his conversation back to the tieflings, whom he escorts back into the tent. The party waits for a few tense moments, but nothing else seems to happen.

Concerned that their cover was about to be blown, the party springs into action. Merla and Coop return to the Thunder Fangs camp with Brother Alwyn, where they attempt to sow seeds of discord between the Fangs and the Blood of Niath, but both Alwyn and Leenan Boulderfist are too friendly and personable for them to make much headway.

Meanwhile, Rylorn heads to the Emerald Reapers camp, where he name-drops his archlich patron, Larloch, to their leader, a man named Wultram Brand, surrounded by skeletal bodyguards. Rylorn mentions that Theda has defected, and is able to point to him chatting up Leenan Boulderfist in the Thunder Fangs area. He motions to several of his members, and they approach the Thunder Fangs camp. Several Fangs hop to attention in response. Before too long, the Fangs and Reapers have devolved into an all-out brawl. The Blood of Niath, who’ve had worse excuses to engage in violence, jump into the fray as well. Their aligned mercenaries on prisoner guard duty abandon their posts to aid their companions.

The party works quickly. Herb quickly mixes together some smelling salts to wake up the prisoners, and Leosin asks Kazik what’s going on. There’s no time for talk, however, as several cultists are rushing past to try to stop the massive fight that’s been unfolding. Anakendrick cuts them free, and Rylorn is able to turn up an empty treasure wagon. Herb turns into a draft horse, and the party load up with the prisoners and ride swiftly past the brawl and out of the camp, back towards Windshire.

Preview for Session Four:
Play Date: 03/17/18

Leosin reveals what he’s learned, which has the party heading back to the Cold Sun Camp to investigate further. Rylorn faces a difficult decision as a battle rages over his soul. The party learns a terrible secret about the Cold Sun Cult.

 

[Gradine]

Updated some stuff in the Dramatis Personae logs to reflect some new characters and some stuff that has changed since the beginning of Chapter 3 (There are a few spoilers in there, I guess). I'm quite a bit behind on my Chapter 3 write-up (and we'll finish Chapter 3; Session Five, tomorrow); but I'm hoping to write shorter, more frequent installments (so I don't go 2-4 weeks between posting again). I'm hoping to have the first Session Four writeup done by Monday.

 

[falikely Rakoto]

Chapter 1: Windshire in Flames

Session 1

The party has met up on the road to Windshire, finding it interesting that they are all heading to the same location and for the same reason: to investigate the activities of the Cult of the Cold Sun. They crest a hill just outside of town around nightfall, and see smoke rising from the direction of the town. The rush to see it attacked by large force of cultists, mercenaries, kobolds and lizardfolk.

Their first sight as they approach the town is the stream that runs alongside it, and their first instinct is to sneak through the stream to the keep, where it appears that many villagers are gathering for protection. However, they spot a villager, Linan Swift, protecting her husband and children from a group of kobolds led by the smallest lizardfolk they’ve ever seen. The kobolds note their approach but do not react to them, instead advancing on the family. Brother Alywn immediately ran forward to help, decisively killing the lizardfolk before any of its minions could react. This almost immediately breaks the morale of the remaining kobolds, some of which put up minor resistance but several of which flee, only to be shot in the back and killed by Eldritch Blasts from Kazik and Rylorn. The party decide to take the family along with them, down the stream, before making a run for the keep.

On the way to the stream, they run past a house and Brother Alwyn bumps almost immediately into a man in blue robes. This cultist leader insists that they “take care of the hostages and ransack that nearby shop.” Alwyn, always helpful, respond with “Okay!” without a hint of subterfuge, though Coop steps in to assure the cultist that all is well. After a convincing bluff, the cultist stomps off, muttering about “shiftless mercenaries” under his breath.

The party is able to easily sneak alongside the town down the stream, and arrive to the Keep just as the gates are being sealed. Carrying the children (and halfling) they make it inside just in time. Merla Tealeaf stops to help tend to some wounds with a fellow house Jorasco scion, Callie, while they spot a few other Dragonmarked scions helping out, from Harley d’Ghallanda providing fresh food and water to Jerred d’Cannith fixing things around the keep. Coop and several others seek the leadership, and find Lady Cara, the bewildered minor noble who rules this region of Aundair, and Escobert “Big Red” d’Kundarak, the dwarven castellan. Lady Cara professes she never imagined the cult would be so brazen as to assault as large a settlement as Windshire, to which Coop replies “Maybe you should have imagined it,” to approving nods from Escobert. Brother Alwyn asks if there’s anything the group can do to help. Cara points to the local Temple of Olladra, where several villagers rushed to take refuge but is currently under siege by cultist forces. They spot three groups; the roving band patrolling the building’s perimeter, the group trying to break down the front door, and the group trying to smoke them out from the back.

Escobert shows the party the hidden escape tunnel through the back of an old storage room, which takes them through the keep sewers. He also gives the key to the lock at the end. Anakendrick goes ahead to scout, and notices two swarms of rats up ahead. Merla hatches a scheme with Herb, as both have the minor illusion cantrip: Merla will form the image a large cat while Herb will make the sounds. This works wonders: the rats disperse, fleeing out the tunnel. They struggle to open the lock, but a little oil helps them get it open without resorting to breaking it down.

Unfortunately, the escaping rats have attracted some unwanted attention, in the form of a patrolling group of cultists and kobolds! A single cultist is sent to investigate, and again mistakes the PCs for mercenaries, though this time the party does so intentionally, with the help of a well-timed casting of friends by Kazik. They pump the cultist for information, finding out that the cultists are looking for loot, and especially dragonshards. They’re also looking for a way into the Keep, and he asks the party about the tunnel behind them. Again, Coop successfully bluffs the cultist, telling him the tunnel is collapsed behind them. The crisis appeared averted.

As the cultist went back to inform his colleagues about the tunnel, Kazik and Rylorn began motioning to Coop to ask her if they should shoot him in the back with eldritch blast. She nods, and together the two successfully kill the cultist, then proceed to kill his remaining colleagues in a fairly simple combat. This battle also saw the first use of Anakendrick’s acid breath. One of the cultists had a spell scroll of silence.

The group decided to sneak their way to the back of the Temple, where they could stop the cultists from trying to smoke the villagers out. The warlocks hung back to assist and pick off stragglers or anyone trying to run for help. Anakendrick, with Herb hiding behind him, successfully snuck up to the creatures. Anakendrick was able to easily kill the lead kobold, who was carrying a weird backpack and wearing a fancy cloak, while the rest of the party quickly joined the fight. There was some difficulty with a particularly difficult to kill cultist, but the group was quickly dispatched. Anakendrick looted the backpack wearing kobold, discovering three alchemist’s fires, a bag with a hornet’s nest in it, and the cloak, which turned out to be a cloak of billowing.

The party had to work fast, as the patrolling group was nearing them. Merla was able to talk to the scared villagers, convincing them to open up and escape with the party back along the stream. Herb dropped a fog cloud to cover their escape.

As the rest of the party reported back to Cara and Escobert, Merla amused herself by conjuring the image of a large dragonshard just outside the gates. An eager kobold broke from the siege and tried to leap on, falling straight through it and earning laughs from its enemies as well as its allies.

Their triumphant return was short lived, as sounds of fighting broke out in a nearby side courtyard near the Sally Port. They arrived to find a small group of kobolds, a cultist acolyte, and an ambush drake had broken through the sally port broken and killed the guards stationed there! A difficult melee ensued, as the party’s focus fire on the drake and the acoylte’s well-timed saves allowed the kobolds to gang up on party members, taking down Brother Alwyn in short fashion. Merla was able to bring him back to his feet with a healing word, but the kobolds surrounded her and also knocked her unconscious! Coop, still tangling with the acolyte, risked an attack of opportunity to break free and cast cure wounds on Merla, and the kobolds were quickly dispatched after that, eliminating most of the threat.

The sally port gate was broken. This was when Merla remembered: there was a House Cannith rep in the keep! She ran to get Jerred, who was a bit jittery about being so close to combat, but was comfortable coming to help cast the required mending spells needed to fix the gate. But just then a second group rush the sally port ledge, trying to climb up. A timely eldritch blast from Kazik knocked a cultist off, killing him, but four kobolds managed to make the climb, including one with a large black shield made of dragon scales. The kobold was much more powerful than the rest, easily knocking the exposed Kazik out before engaging in a difficult melee with Coop, while Anakendrick and Alwyn focused on the other kobolds. The other kobolds were quickly dispatched, but the dragonshield kobold posed a tougher threat. Alwyn shoved a goodberry down Kazik’s throat while the rest of the party engaged the remaining kobold.

Seizing an opportunity, Escobert charged at the remaining kobold, who, in its shock, dropped its shield as they both went tumbling off of the ledge. They saw the kobold land, its neck broken, as another group of kobolds swarmed over the fallen dwarf paris cdg transfer. The shield was a black dragonscale shield, a magic shield without an enhancement bonus but conferred resistance to acid. The shield, not being made of metal, was claimed by the party’s druid, Herb.

Jerred, holding Escobert’s key ring, let the party know that the gate was fixed and ready to be shut and locked. The party decompressed, and Harley d’Ghallanda offered them a specialized heroes’ feast that allowed them to benefit from a long rest in a much shorter period of time.

Coop has disappeared by the end of the meal. The last anyone had seen of her, she was pulling her blonde ponytail tight and headed towards the hidden tunnel.

It's a big story to what I see. In any case, thank you for sharing the stories with us.

 

[Gradine]

This game went on hiatus, but I'm hoping to pick it back up soon. I fell behind in the recaps by a couple of sessions too; in our last session the party had just reached the beginning of the caravan in Chapter 4.