Adventure Notes – The Arrival 17

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The party, along with the rest of the caravan begins their journey up into the Longstone Mountains which is covered in snow. The further up, the more snow, and the temperature continues to drop rapidly, with more fog rolling in, mixed with flurries, making the visibility ahead very difficult to see more than five feet; requiring most of the caravans to be manually led by someone to ensure no steps off the side of the cliff are made. The caravans eventually reach their next stop which is a very large cave where the caravan steeds are kept in the back, near a large roaring fire to ensure they don’t freeze to death. Those who sleep, also sleep near the animals, near the roaring fire.

A wizard mentions that it’s his 60th birthday, and that someone he’s hired to record his stories; a Hafling Bard named Baurt, will be performing. Having heard of Baurt, Calliope asks to join him on stage. Elly gathers the donations to be made for the wizard (and pockets some of which is collected) and passes out drinks (drinking some times more than she hands out from various merchants), Phalen and Twirpo help by creating magical effects using their cantrips during the musical performance, with Talerien, Trogdorr and Alaric acting as bouncers to ensure no one gets too out of control.

Even Courtel Barrowspear joins in the festivities, keeping his Half-Orc female body guard, Brakara Durastorm out with his wagon, with the Aasimar Paladin, Haylen Farstar near by, her eyes scanning for potential danger. Yellena Fallmoon (the female elf druid), Bren Barrelforge (the male Halfling Rogue), Nourn Blackmane (the male half-elf Monk), Dourn Blackmane (his brother, the Ranger) and Lren Tornsoul (the male Tiefling Warlock) all partake in the festivities.

After the musical celebration, Calliope gathers everyone’s attention and says, “Let me tell everyone an enchanting story of several heroes, fifty years ago, who came to this continent looking for adventure…”

Anita steps in to Dungeon Master at this point, as I take over a character. Everyone is given Level 1 characters to pick from.

  • Kouri Dawnheart – Goliath Monk (Amy)
  • Talarys Hopebringer – Tiefling Paladin (Tawmis)
  • Rurik – Hill Dwarf Cleric (Albert)
  • Seamus McFlurry – Half Orc Sorcerer (David)
  • Keishara Nailo – High Elf Ranger (Jessica)
  • Hillda Blackfoot – Hill Dwarf Rogue (Melinda)

Calliope explains the story… that this group (all save Hillda Blackfoot, who at the time had been at the tavern but not a part of the group) had all traveled together a few times when they arrived at a new town, tired from their walk – in the tavern some young, rich looking children had been picking on a lesser well off child.

Talarys, having been raised by Gypsies, sympathized with the lesser well off child and stepped up – and attempted to warn the well off children to leave him alone. The children did not listen, so Talarys made his eyes glow to appear more threatening; still they did not leave. One of the children went so far as pushing Talarys. Though striking a child did not seem appropriate; no one else seemed to be coming to the young boy’s defense, and Talarys felt that perhaps his god Valingard had placed him here for a reason; so Talarys reached out and struck the leader of the children – the one who had pushed him. He’d given ample warning and they were not listening; justice had to be dispensed. The child warned that he would summon his father and that Talarys would be thrown in jail forever. A patron at the bar approached Talarys and explained he liked what he did, defending the innocent child from bullies; but the bully he’d punched was the son of one of the high ranking constables and would undoubtedly, as the child said, imprison Talarys if he was caught. Instead, the man purchased Talarys a drink and said, “I could use your help – and that of your friends to take a caravan to Phalendin. I will not be with you, as I have urgent business there to attend to and must ride ahead.”

Offering payment for the job, everyone accepted as he explained there had been a Forge of Spells until one day Orcs swept through the land and seized Echo Caves, and that the location was supposedly lost over time. The man, Sildar Hallwinter, explained that he – and some friends of his, Dwarven Brothers named Rockseekers, may have found the entrance to the cave.

The party gets on the wagon and travels down the forested road; where night approaches the party decides to stop for the night rather than chance exhaustion (in the event brigands may be around this well traveled road). Keishara takes first watch; and awakens the party when she hears some wild boars. Seamus uses a light spell on a rock and throws it in the direction of the wild boars, scaring them off. Talarys takes second watch, where nothing seems to happen. The following morning the party continues and eventually finds the road ahead of them blocked by two dead animals. Talarys, Kouri and Seamus go to investigate and find it to be one horse and one mule.

Just then two goblins rush out from the brush; Seamus uses Chromatic Orb as an Acid Spell and scores a critical hit; just as Rurik casts Sacred Flame doubling his damage as well. A third goblin fires from the brush and hits Seamus reducing him to 0 health, but his Half-Orc blood surges through him and he stands at 1 hit point! Kouri climbs up the side and finds the orc that fired at Seamus and kills it, while a fourth one flees; both Talarys and Keishara fire their bows, but miss.

The party decides to give chance, since the horse appears to belong to Sildar (the man who hired them) and the pony is undoubtedly that of one of the Rockseeker brothers. Avoiding several traps along the way the party makes it to the mouth of a cave where Kouri, with Rurik on her should as she crosses the river is ambushed. Kouri attempts to attack the goblins, and instead critical fails with her sword, throwing it into the bushes; but landing a critical hit on the goblin that rattles some teeth out of his mouth. Talarys and Keishara arrive and engage, and manage to kill the two goblins who had ambushed them after a considerable amount of time, everyone having taken some damage. The party moves off to the side, just far enough away from the cave entrance to not be easily spotted (in the brush) but close enough to keep an eye on it, and take a rest.

The party, now rested, moves inside the cave where they hear snarling and see several wolves chained to a stalactite. Fearing that the wolves, clearly straining to break out of their chains will pursue the party inside the cave; Talarys decides they should put the wolves down. Stepping inside, he is attacked viciously, as Keishara also steps inside, followed by Kouri. Together they manage to do some damage, but not before Talarys is taken down, followed by Keishara, and with Seamus out of spells, and Rurik running low on spells; it seems things are about to end for our great heroes, before it even began.

But in good story telling fashion, in comes another! (Melinda officially showed up at this point and joined the game with Hillda Blackfoot, the Hill Dwarf Rogue). Hillda fires a shot and lands a critical hit, killing one of the wolves; the other two, desperately wounded are killed by Kouri and Seamus. Hillda introduces herself, while Rurik tends to Talarys and Keishara. Hillda explains that she’d overheard what Sildar had said and had been trailing the party to see what they might find or be up to; and seeing them in trouble against the wolves, decided to reveal herself and help.

The party moves on and spots a goblin on the bridge; Keishara fires and hits it, doing considerable damage, but not enough to kill it, before uttering a warning. It’s life is extinguished when Talarys fires and arrow. The goblin falls into the stream, which is noticeably moving faster in regards to the current and suddenly a large rush of water is unleashed, sweeping Talarys and Keishara down stream. Rurik and Hillda are next to be swept downstream as the water continues. Eventually it evens out and the party is reunited, continuing up the path, they encounter three goblins. Kouri rushes up to one, killing it; followed by Talarys killing one, and then Keishara killing one. Talarys explains that Hillda’s arrival is a sign of his god; for she appeared when they were needed and he feels that his god is watching him now, and that she was meant to not be a part of the band originally; and show up when she did. The party continues up the path where they encounter the Bugbear, Klarg and his wolf, Ripper, along with two goblins. Talarys and Kouri rush up to Klarg, while Ripper manages to take down Seamus. As the fighting rages on, there is blood spilled on each side; but eventually it is Kouri who delivers the killing blow on Klarg and Keishara killing Ripper; the other two goblins are easily killed afterwards.

The party secures the room and begins to take inventory on the treasure. But the mystery remains – where is Sildar Hallwinter and his companion?

Calliope smiles and says, “That is a tale for a later time.”