Want to help? Consider becoming a Patreon.

These notes are for The Arrival characters/game.

The party is currently:

• Calliope Laurelleaf – Halfling Bard
• Ellyjobell – Gnome Ranger/Rogue
• Phalen – High Elf Cleric
• Talerien – Wood Elf Ranger
• Trogdorr – Dragonborn Barbarian
• Twirpo – Hill Dwarf Wizard

• Talerien returns to the Ivory Coast to report that he had news of a Dryad being in danger in the Jade Forest and had gone to investigate and found himself in a war against cultists that freed a fallen angel from his tree prison by sacrificing the Dryad of Jade Forest
• Talerien watched in horror, during the battle that the fallen angel broke off the Unicorn’s horn that came to assist the Dryad, and pierced the Unicorn’s heart and performed a dark ritual that turned it into a Nightmare (demon horse) and rode off to the West
• Immediately the woods in the Jade Forest began to suffer as the leaves fell and the forest rapidly died, as if the touch of Winter had washed over it
• Talerien learned, to his disappointment that the party had a mission to speak with the Dryad and had been side tracked tracking down brigands
• He learns that the party is headed West to the Broken Lands
  • Twirpo needs a sword called “The Giant Slayer” which has been acquired by a guild known as the Forgotten Sands
  • Phalen has been told a wizard named Dezarin that there are rumors coming from the Broken Lands about ancient magic that’s been found and that perhaps something there could be found to free her of the cursed gauntlet
  • Calliope’s blade “The Hummingblade” has origins tied to the Broken Lands, supposedly recovered from an ancient tomb.
  • Talerien is now interested in going West as well to hunt down the Fallen Angel and Nightmare to put them down for what they had done in the Jade Forest.
• The party learns of a caravan that is headed for Drastor in the Broken Lands, but it will be a long escort mission.

• Party is hired to protect a caravan that has several stops to make
  • It will head to Spire’s Edge (Northwest) of the Ivory Vale (same town the party briefly visited after the defeat in Jade Forest) to deliver weapons to the devastated town
  • Due to bandit activity in the area, rather than take the common road to Ridgecrest, the caravan will be making a slower, but perhaps safer trip, by sticking to the mountains, until reaching Ridgecrest which borders the mountains.
• The Caravan’s path will be:
  • Spire’s Edge
    • Drop off weapons and equipment for the town to rebuild and defend itself
  • Into the mountain pass
  • Ridgecrest
    • Restock and resupply, rest for a few days here
  • Southwest to Lakefront
    • Restock and resupply, rest for a few days here
  • West to Redstone
    • Drop off supplies to Redstone
  • Mountain pass then into Ferndale
  • South to Kingshill Landing
    • Restock and resupply, rest for a few days here
  • West through the marshes and into the Broken Lands
  • West to Drastor, the largest known city (still standing) in the Broken Lands
    • Drop off supplies, restock.
  • The caravan at this point, will make the journey back, following the same path in reverse.

• As the three wagon caravan comes to a halt, late into the night – several people tie up their horses to near by trees and begin to set up their tents. Several of the people on the caravan get out and stretch after a long night’s ride and pull out chairs to sit around a welcoming campfire that helps fight off the approaching winter winds.
• Everyone but Elly (who is deep into a few drinks and talking with other caravan travelers) and Twirp who is studying her wizardry book and gazing at the constellations notices that the horses seem uneasy.
• Before they can figure out what’s happening, an Ankheg burst from the ground and attacked Trogdor’s warhorse. Trogdor rushed up to it and damaged it enough to draw its attention.
• The others joined the fight (except Elly and Twirpo, who were both too distracted) and eventually defeat the creature.

The next two days guarding the caravan are spent on edge, as Ankhegs typically do not travel alone – and the idea that its mate me be tailing the caravan keeps everyone awake at night – including yourself, making your arrival at Spire’s Edge a welcome sight – though the town was attacked by a Blue Dragon and several Kobolds a few months ago, it is still very much in the process of being rebuilt. Scorch marks line the walls, and towers that have been toppled over, show the power and destructive capability of such a magnificent and yet dreadful creature, like a Blue Dragon.

Barus Gravestone, the Mayor of Spire’s Edge explains that they have not yet discovered why the Dragon and the Kobolds attacked. It seemed that the attack was motivated by greed, rather than actual destruction.

He offers everyone on the caravan free lodging at The Stone’s Throw Inn and Tavern. Barus goes on to explain that The Stone’s Throw was one of the few places barely touched by the dragon and kobold attack. He mentions that a Dwarf by the name of Thoris Blackoak. The mayor gives each of you a copy of his seal and explains, “Present this to Thoris and he will give you a room for free. There’s not been much business since the attack. I am afraid that the food can not be given for free, as food is scarce right now for all of us.”

The Stone’s Throw Inn looks as if at one time it was quite glorious. There’s things on the wall that indicate at one time something probably hung on the walls. Thoris cheerfully explains, “Mounts,” he chuckles. “I used to hang the heads of my enemies on the wall. After Spire’s Edge was attacked, I took to selling the mounted heads on the market to earn some money, just so I could donate whatever I could to help rebuild this fine mining community. I was a part of the Everpeak Dwarven City, not far from here – in the neighboring mountains. Gnolls – hundreds of them had been popping up and wreaking havoc. I took to hunting them down. The gnoll chiefs I killed, I put their heads up there,” he points to the walls, “as a reminder of anyone who dares strike at the innocent. Eventually, I spent so much time killing gnolls, that I stopped returning home. I took residence in Spire’s Edge since it seemed to be attacked by marauding gnolls that would come down from the mountains. Eventually this just became my home. The previous owner, Shadowlock Everspring gave this to me when he became too old to run it. He still comes by time to time to see how I am treating the place.”

He pauses after a moment, and looks at all of you. “Speaking of gnolls – I know you’re a part of the caravan, but my understanding is that the caravan will be resting in Spire’s Edge for three days. I think I may know when a den of gnolls are. If you could go there and strike at them, I’d greatly appreciate it. I admit, I’d love to do it myself, but even my dwarven bones are beginning to ache. It’s less than a day’s travel. I would understand if you decline, and want to rest up for three days. I’ve heard rumblings that the caravan was attacked by an Ankheg; and spent the next two days wondering if the mate was trailing the caravan.” He takes a moment, before concluding, “Besides, I don’t mind hunting down gnolls… but this pack I tracked down… there’s something unusual about them… there’s… undead gnolls called Witherlings among them… more savage than their living counterparts.”

Thoris hands the party a leather parchment that has details of a map that leads to the mountains just outside Spire’s Edge. “I believe there’s a gnoll den mother who is responsible for the Witherlings. Find her and put her down – hard. If you can, if you’re the kind – bring me her head. You will know her when you see her – she has one red eye, like blood – and the other is icy white. Bring me her head, and I will see to it rewarding you a total of 60 gold.” He looks at his blank walls and says, “Her head will be the first one that I mount and put on that wall. A symbol to the people of Spire’s Edge that evil can not stand against us. Even when we are rebuilding.”

As you grow closer to the gnoll den, you begin to hear what sounds like mocking laughter as it echos off the mountain walls. It’s unnerving until you begin to realize that it’s the sound of hyenas. Oddly enough you can hear them all around you – but you can’t see them.

• Elly stealths along the wall and climbs up the rocks and spots two gnoll archers hiding behind the rocks above the cave entrance
• She launches an attack, attacking one of them; the other gnoll rings a gong to notifiy the gnolls hiding in the cave to rush forward
• Six gnolls rush out of the cave and run to attack the party
• As Elly battles the archers she discovers they’re extremely skilled and attack quickly
• The other gnolls rushing the party meet Trogodor who has rushed them on the path, circling him, striking rapidly, indicating these are not average gnolls, but gnolls specialized in combat
• Trogdor rages and frenzies cutting down several of the gnolls, but is badly wounded
• Twirpo centers a Shatter spell severely wounding them
• Calliope uses one of her songs to distract four of the six gnolls, who are dazzled by lights and sparks
• Talerien manages to heal some of Trogdor’s wounds allowing him to finish the fight
• The party finds Elly, who has been wounded, but has successfully defeated the two archers with the help of Phalen’s spiritual hammer
• The party, wounded and out of spells, opts to hide the bodies and camp further down the trail, keeping a vigilant watch for any gnolls who might be passing through or seeking out the killers of their clan
• The camp is not interrupted and the party returns to the gnoll cave

This small area of the cave could be the source of the rotten meat odor that permeates throughout the cave. There are bodies of animals – as well as humanoids (some human, some elven, some dwarven) – all piled into the corner. Most of the bodies are in various states of decay, and most of them have had the majority of the meat chewed from their bones.

• Trogdor convinces Elly not to spend time searching the bodies and the party carries on deeper into the gnoll cave

The cavern roof vanishes in the chilling darkness and a large pit in the hallway seems to reflect the same depth and oblivion, spreading 30’ across. A thin board has been used as an improv bridge across the depth of the pit.

• Elly crosses the bridge first
• Twirpo then uses her Mage Hand spell to pull a rope across
• Twirpo crosses next, followed by Phalen, then Calliope, then Talerien
• Finally, as Trogdor is crossing a darkmantle drops on top of him
• Trogdor manages to keep his balance
• Elly tips an arrow with poison and fires it, but due to Trogdor struggling to get the darkmantle off of his head, he is hit instead
• Eventually the darkmantle is killed and Phalen cures the poison

As you round the corner, you finally see light inside the cavern – and it appears to be a human, who has cornered himself and swinging a torch wildly about. He seems completely frantic, perhaps driven to some form of madness or hysteria.

• The party tries to communicate with the man but he seems frantic, shouting things about being dead and alive, his soul being ripped out by the den mother, and mentioning he was a part of another caravan
• After a moment, a shadowy being appears and attacks the human
• Talerien shoots an arrow to put the human out of his misery, but the shadowy figure turns it’s attention on Talerien, furious to have been denied its kill
• The party kills the Shadow quickly

This room is decorated in wall paintings that clearly seem to be composed in blood. A large female gnoll sits on a throne made of bones, and six skeletal gnoll figures stand – three on each side of her. A blood red eye peers from her mangled fur, and a white, icy cold eye can be seen – focusing its anger and hatred upon all of you, as an eerie smile reveals her canines, drenched in blood and rotten flesh. Two gnolls crouched before her now stand, ready to protect their Den Mother.

• The Witherlings advance on the party, but Trogdor rushes up to greet them in battle
• The party launches an attack against the Witherlings, while the two Gnoll Flesh Gnawers hold their action
• The party damages most of the Witherlings, but Twirpo casts her Shatter spell and destroys the remaining standing Witherlings
• The Gnoll Flesh Gnawers rush to attack Trogdor and Elly is forced to assist in taking them down while the Den Mother begins casting a flurry of spells
• Oddly, as Phalen was about to cast a damaging spell on the Den Mother, her hand begins to burn and she finds herself healing the Den Mother instead; and she realizes that it’s the evil of the gauntlet influencing her
• Twirpo manages to launch one of her spells that lands three bolts of powerful flame against her, and finally puts the Den Mother down
• Trogdor removes the Den Mother’s head to bring back to Thoris Blackoak
• The Den Mother’s Shaman book is recovered
  • The book involves a heavy amount of necromancy
  • One such spell calls on pulling the soul out of a dying body and using it to animate the body when it dies
    • The book notes trying these on various people that the gnolls captured
    • This spell is what allowed her to create the Witherlings
    • The mechanics of the spell are like none seen before – leaving the mystery of where the Den Mother gained this knowledge?
• Trogdor locates two gems with eyes inside of them
  • The Den Mother’s book describes a ritual of creating a Flesh Golem in which those eyes would have been used