What Lurks Below Daggerdale

[Mystic Lemur]

This is meant to be a storied version of the events and adventures in a small game I am running for my family, but I reserve poetic license. I am going to experiment with the style throughout the thread, so my apologies in advance if it becomes confusing. Also, this is a high power (for their level) game because that is what my players find 'fun'. If you don't find the overpowered actions of PCs to be an interesting read, you've been warned.

Spoiler Warning: This thread will contain spoilers for certain situations in certain published adventures. If you are playing in any of the following modules/adventures please either don't read this thread, or take it with a grain of salt. Don't assume that the situations faced by my group will exactly mirror the situations faced by yours, or that the solutions will be the same. Metagame at your own risk.

• Night Below- As the core of the campaign, expect heavy spoilers from this amazingly awesome 2e box set. I hope I can do it justice.

• Doom of Daggerdale- A quaint little 2e adventure that I am using to immerse the players in the flavor of the area and introduce a few key NPCs.

• The Forge of Fury- A nice 3e dungeon crawl for a little extra xp and character motivation. I would have preferred to use The Sunless Citadel, but they have explored it in a previous campaign.

And others that may be worked in, depending on the choices the group makes.

Dramatis Personae:
Briarwyn- A druid from the northern reaches of Anauroch Desert, she was raised by an outcast sphinx who discovered her in the form of a panther cub under a full moon. Despite showing signs of a bloodline touched by both Sharess and Selune, she has decided to dedicate herself to the goddess Lurue and nature.

Lerine- A sinister monk in the service of Shar, she has temporarily allied herself with a loathsome creature like Briarwyn while she pursues her mission to discover why a cult of Shar has gone silent in Dagger Falls. If Briarwyn and their other companions have discovered the nature of her... darker abilities, they have given no outward sign.

Supporting Cast:
Doryn and Roryn Stoneshield- Twin brothers from the Great Rift, they seek glory in the North in order to found a new clan from the remnants of the fallen kingdom of Tethyamar.

Nale, of the Bedine- There is something odd about this pale, redheaded man who claims to be from the desert tribes of Anauroch, and not just his looks. He has befriended Lerine despite having nothing in common, and seems completely ambivalent towards the goals of the group.

Thunk- A stunning example of what happens when you combine the Orc and Human races. His skillset includes: carrying things, hitting things, guarding things, hitting things, carrying things, and stating the obvious.

Setting:
Although the group joins together in Cormyr-held Tilverton, they quickly find themselves in the wildlands between Daggerdale and Mistledale.

We are using Pathfinder Core, but this is still heavily a 3.x game. The world is Forgotten Realms and the year is 1368 DR (The year of the Banner).

What you should know Dagger Falls (the capital city of Daggerdale) has been in control of the Zhentarim for over a decade, with the exiled ruler Randal Morn holding as much of the outlying farmsteads and villages as he can with his Freedom Riders. Daggerdalesmen are, as a rule, surly and suspicious due in part to recent troubles but mostly stemming from a long ago tragedy. A strange fever has struck Dagger Falls, causing those who get sick to slip into a comatose state and slowly waste away. The 'official' rumor is that Randal Morn has poisoned the water supply in an attempt to weaken the Zhent garrison, but it is suspected that the fever was caused by the Zhentarim Constable Tren Noemfor to further subdue the population. The truth is far more sinister...

 

[Mystic Lemur]

The beginning:

It was a beautiful warm day, the 16th day of the Claw of Sunsets, and Briarwyn couldn't help but be outside enjoying it. She didn't much care for the bustle of the city, but she had to learn the way of humans and Tilverton seemed to be the best place to start.

It was a horrid day. Much too bright and far too hot, at least for Lerine. She walked through the market, hoping not to touch anyone, following behind Nale. He was a strange one. Claimed to be the desert, but he was far too pale. By Shar, he made her look dark by comparison. She still wasn't sure why she had decided to follow him, but he seemed to know a way to get them to Dagger Falls. She hoped he still wasn't sure if he why she was going that way. She didn't want to kill him.

...

The notice said to be there at half past highsun, and she was running a bit late. Briarwyn needed a way out of town, and it would be good to be paid for it. As she walked in to the warehouse, she saw a large man look up from his desk. "Oh. I thought you had locked the door already. Please do so, I don't want anymore stragglers." A blonde woman ushers her inside as she bars the door behind. Briarwyn walks further into the warehouse to see that the only thing it holds is a desk, a fat man seated at the desk, and three groups of people. She didn't want to stand by the pale, plainly dressed couple. The look in their eyes was... less than friendly. Then there were the two dwarves, whispering gruffly between themselves. She decided to stand by the stoic half-orc, who didn't even seem to notice her.

After a few minutes of scribbling in a ledger, the man looks up. "Not as many as I would have liked, even after the late addition. Ah well. I am Gordren, and I will pay you to safely deliver a parcel from here, to a wizard called Tauster in the village of Thurmaster. It is up to you how you get it there, so long as it arrives safely and quickly. For this task, you will be paid not less than 20 gold apiece. To keep you from betraying each other, your share will be forfeit upon your death. If only one of you reaches Tauster he or she will only receive 20 gold. To keep you from betraying me, I have had another wizard trap the chest. It, and all of it's contents, will be destroyed should anyone but Tauster open it. I am sorry to seem paranoid, but I don't know any of you. I regret having to hire strangers, but with the recent troubles my resources are stretched thin. Do you have any questions?"

The pale redhead raises a hand. "Forgive my ignorance, but what troubles?" Gordren cocks his head to the side "Why, the disappearance of those three War Wizards. Didn't you see the men in the stocks in the market? Cormyrian soldiers have the city practically locked down, and are searching every wagon and cart, every home and shop, until they are found. I have every resource under my control searching for the remaining culprits. Now, do you have any questions about our arrangement?" The half-orc thumps his chest proudly "Thunk carry box good!"

...

After signing the contract, which doubled as a promissory note needing to be signed by Tauster to have any value, the newly formed group left with their charge. The dwarves, who introduced themselves as Doryn and Roryn of clan Stoneshield, mentioned that they thought it best to all stay together. They invited the group to join them in the inn where they had been staying.

 

[Mystic Lemur]

The 19th day of the Claw of Sunset

"Those Goblins had the markings of a Zhent patrol" grumbles Roryn. "What are they doing this far south?"

"I am not knowing this answer. Glad that these did not fight us while we were with the wagons." Nale shakes his head, remembering the caravan driver who hired them on as far as Mistledale. It meant they were having to travel north through the Beastlands into Daggerdale, but at least part of their trip had been paid for. They were a disorganized lot, though, and it was lucky indeed that they hadn't been attacked on the journey.

...

Later on in the day, as the wilderness begins to give way to isolated farmsteads and the trail grows wide enough to be used by wagons, Briarwyn spots something amiss in the distance...

"There are two or three farmers standing around a cart, and a mule grazing a little ways away. I think they broke a wheel, or ran off the road, but be careful. One of them has a sword..." The rest of the party is amazed at the detail she can make out (or make up) from the smudge in the distance. As they approach, they can make out two farmers trying to heave the laden cart out of a ditch, while the man with the sword 'manages'. He waves at the party when one of the farmers points them out, and the farmers take the distraction as opportunity for a break.

When the party is a long stone's throw away, arrows shoot out from the surrounding brush. "Bandits! Save us!" the farmers shout, as they run to the party. The 'manager' draws two shortswords, and takes a defensive stance. Lerine draws first blood with a jolt of lightning thrown at an archer up in a tree to the side of the trail, hitting the target that the dwarves miss with their crossbows. Nale's eyes flash momentarily as he seems to be concentrating. Barely noticeable, his traveler's outfit seems to tighten as his muscles strain. He raises his staff to ward off assault. At that moment the 'farmers' pull out clubs and attack Roryn, but they can't seem to overwhelm his thick armor.

"That's right, just like we planned. Kill the fighters and leave the casters for the taking." Says the leader, content to let the bandits work for him. Not wasting another moment, Briarwyn orders her companion, Baltazar, into battle. The panther lunges at a hidden archer and makes short work of him and his cover. Briarwyn, channeling the fury within, throws a bolt of fire at the chest of the bandit leader. Two arrows slam into Roryn's shield as he downs one of the 'farmers' with his axe. Doryn calls out to Gorm Gulthyn and the party feels bolstered against the odds. Lerine has less luck with her second blast, hitting the cart instead of the bandit leader. Nale slips around and feints at the remaining 'farmer' with one end of the staff, then brings the other end around for a body blow.

By the end of the fight two bandits have surrendered, five are dead, and two more- including the leader- lie unconscious from their wounds. Doryn again calls on the name of Gorm, this time to stabilize the dying prisoners, and Briarwyn lends the aid of Lurue to heal Roryn. Lerine wipes the blood from her twin kamas and points to the prisoners. "What do we do with them? Take 'em in to town or kill them here?"

"I say we kill them here." says Briarwyn, at which Baltazar licks his lips.

 

[Mystic Lemur]

"What have you done, you fool!" the man now known as Carlanis snarls and strains to break his bonds.

"Important to you? Oh, I'm so sorry. Maybe now you will be more cooperative." says Briarwyn as she finishes pouring out the awful, fishy liquid into the hole she dug. "Tell us the name of the one who hired you. Tell us what you were sent to do. Tell us why you chose us."

"I told you I don't know his name. I called him 'One-eye' because he wore a gaudy eye patch over his right eye. He hired me to capture spell-slingers, priests, and minders for a stupidly large bounty. I didn't choose you, I set the same trap I've set every day this ride and you fools walked right into it. I told you I NEED those potions. I can't go more than a day without drinking one, or I get violent sick. I think the bastard let me steal them to get me addicted." he says and trails off, mumbling to himself.

"He's still weak from the beating we gave him, and I'll not spare any more of Gorm's healing on him. We take him to the nearest town, this Milborne place, and we turn them all over to the authorities." Doryn states, matter-of-factly. "Yes. Let's wash our hands of these land pirates as soon as possible. A few days in the penance boards will do them good."

...

They enter Milborne late that evening, as the sun is just setting. A priest of some kind is watching over playing children and ushers them out of the way of the liberated cart. "Greeting. I seek a man of law, for need of giving him these captured criminals." Nale says deliberately, trying to make himself understood in the Common tongue. "We have captured these bandits who waylaid us on the road north. We seek a sheriff or local lord to take them off our hands, and hopefully off the roads." Lerine adds, Chondathan obviously her native tongue.

"You need Garyld. He's our acting sheriff. He'll be down in the boathouse by the river. Do any of you require healing? I hope not, because I'm very tired. Welcome to Milborne, the ass-end of nowhere. Ilmater smile on you." He says as he shuffles off.

"Pleasant sort." grunts Roryn. "I had always known priests of Ilmater to be kind and long-suffering, not insufferable..." adds Doryn.

...

"Yes, I am Garyld. This is Capella. How may can we help you this fine night?" says the burly man with his leg in a brace. The woman he gestures toward smells faintly of tar and pitch, and is obviously not from around these parts. She is also much younger than the old ranger she appears to be living with. She is distracted, playing with two large dogs inside the house.

"We were attacked on the road by these men. Their leader was hired to kidnap spellcasters for some unknown purpose, and these other men helped him out of greed. We were told you are the closest thing to a lawman in these parts, and we want to turn them over to you." Briarwyn says bluntly. Garyld limps down from the porch and to the cart where the men are still tied up. "I know most of these men. Farmers from the village to the southwest. This one, however, is a stranger to me." He says, glaring at Carlanis. He moves to untie the others, and tells them "Go to lord Carmon in the morning and explain what you did. He will decide how best to punish you. This one... This one is more dangerous. Let's get him inside."

"Where can one get a meal and a place to sleep in this town?" asks Lerine.

"I'm sorry. The Baron of Mutton is just down the path there. I'll send for you if I need anything."

 

[Mystic Lemur]

Wow. So much has happened in game I don't know if I'll ever be able to catch this up. I'll post again when I decide what to do...