Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
A bag of loot
Treble opens the worn and dirty bag. "Don't worry," he says, "I've checked it for traps already."
As the snickers die down, Treble produces the treasure, holding each item for the party to see, and then placing it on the floor.
The first item is a bow, and even at a casual glance, it is easy to tell the item is special. The wood has a golden luster, and as the bow touches the stone floor, its string quivers, and a sprinkle of notes floats upon the air. At this, Elaira's eyebrows raise, and she says, "Surely, it is a songbow....."
Next, Treble removes a dusty cape. He beats it against the floor, and a cloud of dust rises. After a fit of coughing, he says, "Well, would you look at that." It is a fine cape of shimmering burgundy silk. "Not my color, but it looks like it'll fit me better than the lot of you." He pretends to put it on, but upon noticing the stony glances from the rest of the party, he smirks and passes it around for everyone else to examine.
After the party has taken a short rest, the items are identified as:
1. Songbow of Vanishment +1
2. Cape of the Mountebank +1
In the bottom of the bag rests 20 gold coins and a sapphire worth 200 gold.
"So what was that you were saying about a shard in the treasure?" says Keh'r to the kobold, Shamash, who is meditating or communing, or just humming and acting mysterious nearby.
Shamash opens one eye and replies, "Eh, what? You expect Shamash to know all?" Pointing at the sapphire, he says, "Maybe the goblins moved it, or maybe I just saw that pretty rock. It looks like a shard. Both grow in the belly of the Dragon Below." He shrugs, and that is the end of the conversation.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
An unexpected informant in the catacombs
We regrouped and formulated a strategy for reentering the West door of the catacombs: Treble would sneak in, throw a dagger, and lure them back to where the rest of us waited to attack, as Elaira taunted them by regaling upon them tales of their weakness and cowardice. I reached into the Earth's power to assume the Form of Winter's Herald, so that our foes could not maneuver well around us. This worked out well for us, as we quickly dispatched the first wave of 5.
However, we came to find a second band of foes waiting further into the room, and found ourselves quickly needing to pursue a new strategy, as these new foes were attacking us from afar. Three kobolds were throwing their javelins at us, and a kobold wearing a totem skull mask shot energy orbs. One combatant made the mistake of trying to maneuver out of my reach to engage Rhogar's mark, and paid heftily for this choice as my flail rained crippling damage upon him, ending his life. As we battled the kobolds, we heard some scuffling and arguing in a foreign language. I led the charge into the room, where I saw as I entered that most of the enemies remaining were bloody due to the infighting. I helped Treble gain tactical advantage to take out the kobold mage, shrugged off two goblin attacks, tracked down and killed two escaping kobolds, and then went after the goblins, killing one and immobilizing the other so that he was also easily dispatched. One kobold warlock was begging for his life; Rhogar translated his pleas and Elaira decided to spare him.
Keh'r encouraged the kobold to speak with us in Common (which he did so, haltingly), so that Rhogar did not have to translate so much. He said his name was Shamash, and that he was unaffiliated with the other (now dead) kobolds, from a different tribe on another continent far away called Argannessen. He said that his kind had been enslaved by the goblins, and that he was willing to help us navigate the parts of the catacombs with which he was familiar in return for our sparing his life. He told us that he had been a slave here for only a few days, but that he had been enslaved for months before that when he was taken from his home continent. He drew us a basic map of the dungeon, outlining some pits, a portal to another world in which he could see a castle, and the locations of rooms containing treasure and prisoners (a man and a woman). He told us that we should be on the lookout for goblins, undead, fiery creatures, spiderlike creatures, and gnomes. Elaira believed him to be sincere, and the information was appreciated, so we returned his weapons and allowed him to accompany us as he wanted to see revenge rain upon his slavemasters.
Treble put on the skull mask and we went into the next corridor, which did contain two deep pits just as Shamash had described. Treble deftly navigated the ropes above the pit, and I easily leapt across. Unfortunately, our paladin and wizard fell into the pit as they tried to cross, sustaining some pretty serious wounds, after which the others used ropes to climb across carefully. On our way into the next room, Treble found and disabled a poison needle trap.
In the next room, Keh'r entered to examine the portal. I am not skilled in the ways of magic things, but I joined him, a little suspicious of the magic portal, just in case some ill were to befall him. We asked Shamash whether he had seen anything come through the portal, which he answered in the negative; it didn't matter, though, because as Keh'r was examining the portal, a huge blob came through it and tried to eat him. I'm told it was called an Ochre Jelly. Anyway, Treble quickly and quietly came into the room and backstabbed it. The blob was so gelatinous that I had difficulty landing a hit on it, but I did seem to at least distract it a little so that Treble could get some more good stabs into it. Rhogar joined the fray and the gel tried to eat him as well, and Horadric slid it clear through the portal (though it did not go back from whence it came). The portal was a creepy arcane effect: we could see into it from one direction (but not allies behind it), and from the other direction we could not see it at all--it was as though it was not even in the room (except, of course, for the swampdwelling creatures that emerged from it). Back to the fray: the ochre jelly divided into two, and it was around this time that we noticed a humanoid figure approaching from the swamp shown in the portal. One of the gels managed to hit me, leaving behind some acid residue that burned my skin, and I returned the favor by sticking my flail deep into it.
As we had ourselves quite busy dealing with the two ochre jelly bits, with the concern of the approaching figure from the portal, two ghosts appeared next to Elaira and Horadric, hurting them both badly and knocking them prone. There was nothing the rest of us could do immediately to help, other than to do our best to wrap up our battle with the ochre jellies so that we would be free to confront the spectres. Treble dispatched one of the blobs and warned us that a slimy head was coming through the portal. Keh'r killed the other, and Rhogar went after the ghosts, shouting something about unholy demons. The paladin beseeched divine favor and smited both of the ghosts, one of which bore most of his wrath. I don't believe in benevolent spirits, but Rhogar must be pretty passionate about his beliefs since he seemed to have a burst of renewed energy at that moment.
One spectre attacked Rhogar, Elaira, and Shamash before both vanished into the walls. A sodden ghoul emerged from the portal and Treble and I attacked it... well, Treble more than I, as I was doing more to distract it with my ineptitude as Treble stabbed it. The ghoul tried to grab Treble, but he dodged and killed it. In the meantime, a spectre reappeared and continued its assault on Elaira, who managed to avoid the attack. As the spectres reappeared, Rhogar continued his bloodthirsty attack on them. Elaira avenged herself against one of the spectres, attacking it and knocking it prone, where Treble stabbed it and killed it. Rhogar exploded the last spectre in a blaze of light. We took stock of our injuries and noticed more movement on the lake within the portal, so after checking the door for traps, we all went through it into the next corridor. Treble scouted ahead around the corner and reported that Shamash's information was accurate: there was a prisoner in a cell in the room and a bag of treasure (though he did not see any guards). He brought the bag back to us and described the prisoner as an elderly man (his description most matches the information we have about the missing Castellan of the Hall of Great Valor). We will have to speak with the Castellan and find out what condition he is in before we determine the best way to get him safely back to Brindol.
However, we came to find a second band of foes waiting further into the room, and found ourselves quickly needing to pursue a new strategy, as these new foes were attacking us from afar. Three kobolds were throwing their javelins at us, and a kobold wearing a totem skull mask shot energy orbs. One combatant made the mistake of trying to maneuver out of my reach to engage Rhogar's mark, and paid heftily for this choice as my flail rained crippling damage upon him, ending his life. As we battled the kobolds, we heard some scuffling and arguing in a foreign language. I led the charge into the room, where I saw as I entered that most of the enemies remaining were bloody due to the infighting. I helped Treble gain tactical advantage to take out the kobold mage, shrugged off two goblin attacks, tracked down and killed two escaping kobolds, and then went after the goblins, killing one and immobilizing the other so that he was also easily dispatched. One kobold warlock was begging for his life; Rhogar translated his pleas and Elaira decided to spare him.
Keh'r encouraged the kobold to speak with us in Common (which he did so, haltingly), so that Rhogar did not have to translate so much. He said his name was Shamash, and that he was unaffiliated with the other (now dead) kobolds, from a different tribe on another continent far away called Argannessen. He said that his kind had been enslaved by the goblins, and that he was willing to help us navigate the parts of the catacombs with which he was familiar in return for our sparing his life. He told us that he had been a slave here for only a few days, but that he had been enslaved for months before that when he was taken from his home continent. He drew us a basic map of the dungeon, outlining some pits, a portal to another world in which he could see a castle, and the locations of rooms containing treasure and prisoners (a man and a woman). He told us that we should be on the lookout for goblins, undead, fiery creatures, spiderlike creatures, and gnomes. Elaira believed him to be sincere, and the information was appreciated, so we returned his weapons and allowed him to accompany us as he wanted to see revenge rain upon his slavemasters.
Treble put on the skull mask and we went into the next corridor, which did contain two deep pits just as Shamash had described. Treble deftly navigated the ropes above the pit, and I easily leapt across. Unfortunately, our paladin and wizard fell into the pit as they tried to cross, sustaining some pretty serious wounds, after which the others used ropes to climb across carefully. On our way into the next room, Treble found and disabled a poison needle trap.
In the next room, Keh'r entered to examine the portal. I am not skilled in the ways of magic things, but I joined him, a little suspicious of the magic portal, just in case some ill were to befall him. We asked Shamash whether he had seen anything come through the portal, which he answered in the negative; it didn't matter, though, because as Keh'r was examining the portal, a huge blob came through it and tried to eat him. I'm told it was called an Ochre Jelly. Anyway, Treble quickly and quietly came into the room and backstabbed it. The blob was so gelatinous that I had difficulty landing a hit on it, but I did seem to at least distract it a little so that Treble could get some more good stabs into it. Rhogar joined the fray and the gel tried to eat him as well, and Horadric slid it clear through the portal (though it did not go back from whence it came). The portal was a creepy arcane effect: we could see into it from one direction (but not allies behind it), and from the other direction we could not see it at all--it was as though it was not even in the room (except, of course, for the swampdwelling creatures that emerged from it). Back to the fray: the ochre jelly divided into two, and it was around this time that we noticed a humanoid figure approaching from the swamp shown in the portal. One of the gels managed to hit me, leaving behind some acid residue that burned my skin, and I returned the favor by sticking my flail deep into it.
As we had ourselves quite busy dealing with the two ochre jelly bits, with the concern of the approaching figure from the portal, two ghosts appeared next to Elaira and Horadric, hurting them both badly and knocking them prone. There was nothing the rest of us could do immediately to help, other than to do our best to wrap up our battle with the ochre jellies so that we would be free to confront the spectres. Treble dispatched one of the blobs and warned us that a slimy head was coming through the portal. Keh'r killed the other, and Rhogar went after the ghosts, shouting something about unholy demons. The paladin beseeched divine favor and smited both of the ghosts, one of which bore most of his wrath. I don't believe in benevolent spirits, but Rhogar must be pretty passionate about his beliefs since he seemed to have a burst of renewed energy at that moment.
One spectre attacked Rhogar, Elaira, and Shamash before both vanished into the walls. A sodden ghoul emerged from the portal and Treble and I attacked it... well, Treble more than I, as I was doing more to distract it with my ineptitude as Treble stabbed it. The ghoul tried to grab Treble, but he dodged and killed it. In the meantime, a spectre reappeared and continued its assault on Elaira, who managed to avoid the attack. As the spectres reappeared, Rhogar continued his bloodthirsty attack on them. Elaira avenged herself against one of the spectres, attacking it and knocking it prone, where Treble stabbed it and killed it. Rhogar exploded the last spectre in a blaze of light. We took stock of our injuries and noticed more movement on the lake within the portal, so after checking the door for traps, we all went through it into the next corridor. Treble scouted ahead around the corner and reported that Shamash's information was accurate: there was a prisoner in a cell in the room and a bag of treasure (though he did not see any guards). He brought the bag back to us and described the prisoner as an elderly man (his description most matches the information we have about the missing Castellan of the Hall of Great Valor). We will have to speak with the Castellan and find out what condition he is in before we determine the best way to get him safely back to Brindol.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The daggers were sharp today
After a short rest we progressed further into the catacombs. The passageway to the left out of the entrance room proved to be occupied with some hobgoblin guards. Not wanting enemies at our back, we elected to head into danger. I initiated the melee with a stealthy dagger thrown at the closest guard's back, but my attack flew wide. Fortunately, the group was slow in response and my next volley dropped its target, after which I fell back around the corner to lie with the rest of our band waiting in ambush. The initial group of minions was quickly dispatched as they wasted themselves piecemeal against our blockade and continued to fight.
Part way through the encounter some commotion back in the guards' room alerted us to reinforcements. A pair of goblins were whipping a number of kobolds into battle. This group was no more effective than the hobgoblins...in fact less so, as they turned on each other in the midst of the fight. When the dust had settled just one kobold warlock remained, pleading for his life. We spared him, as he was bloodied and had dealt a mortal blow to one of the goblin leaders. The kobold's accent was thick, I could barely understand him, but he was able to relay to us that he had been kidnapped by the hobgoblins and forced into slavery. He was able to provide us with a rough plan of part of the catacombs, noting both where enemies might be and a cellblock where we think the Brindol citizens might be being held. Given the choice, he opted for revenge with us over freedom, at least for now. He shows some mettle.
We headed through the guard's room into a passageway blocked by a deep pit. Some ropes hung from above, making it easy to cross. The warden also passed by, using main strength to leap the opening. The paladin and eldar both attempted a similar feat, both landing with a resounding crash as they missed the far edge and fell to the bottom. I must admit to laughing at their expense...who attempts to breach a chasm in plate mail? Those who came after them opted to use ropes for safer passage.
A doorway on the left side of the passage had a crude trap on it, which I easily disabled. The first such protection we've found here, I will have to be vigilant for more in the future. The large room beyond had quite a spectacle in it - a huge "window" of sorts that seemed to be looking into another world. It was impossibly thin, and invisible from one side, but facing forward one could see a castle, grass and a muddy pond in the foreground, all vibrant and real as if you were standing in front of them.
As we stood gawking, the window become a portal, as a noxious ochre blob passed through and immediately started trying to eat us. It had no eyes, but it was clear it could see somehow, as it tracked our movements and struck with a stinging protrusion that left a tenacious and corrosive residue. We surrounded it and struck repeatedly until it seemed to be dead, only to have it split into two independent parts that brushed off our efforts so far.
The bard and eldar had up util that point stayed out of the fray, singing and gesticulating from afar, but shortly after we broke the jelly a pair of spirits suddenly appeared behind them and struck. The eldar was very near death, having not tended to his wounds after falling in the pit. By some sort of miracle he was able to retreat and recover somewhat. As the remnants of the jelly were subdued, yet another creature crossed through the portal - this time some sort of swampy ghoul. Unlike the hobgoblins we faced earlier, the spectres and ghoul failed to act in concert - we were able to flank and subdue them one at a time, and the battle was soon over. It was a good day, my strikes were frequent and precise.
We did not linger in the picture room. A door across the room was quickly checked and broached, and I scouted ahead to the room the kobold had indicated was some sort of holding area. His description was accurate, I saw a row of cells there, one detaining an elderly man. A sack of some sort was in a corner, which I grabbed before retuning back to report what lay ahead.
-- Treble
Part way through the encounter some commotion back in the guards' room alerted us to reinforcements. A pair of goblins were whipping a number of kobolds into battle. This group was no more effective than the hobgoblins...in fact less so, as they turned on each other in the midst of the fight. When the dust had settled just one kobold warlock remained, pleading for his life. We spared him, as he was bloodied and had dealt a mortal blow to one of the goblin leaders. The kobold's accent was thick, I could barely understand him, but he was able to relay to us that he had been kidnapped by the hobgoblins and forced into slavery. He was able to provide us with a rough plan of part of the catacombs, noting both where enemies might be and a cellblock where we think the Brindol citizens might be being held. Given the choice, he opted for revenge with us over freedom, at least for now. He shows some mettle.
We headed through the guard's room into a passageway blocked by a deep pit. Some ropes hung from above, making it easy to cross. The warden also passed by, using main strength to leap the opening. The paladin and eldar both attempted a similar feat, both landing with a resounding crash as they missed the far edge and fell to the bottom. I must admit to laughing at their expense...who attempts to breach a chasm in plate mail? Those who came after them opted to use ropes for safer passage.
A doorway on the left side of the passage had a crude trap on it, which I easily disabled. The first such protection we've found here, I will have to be vigilant for more in the future. The large room beyond had quite a spectacle in it - a huge "window" of sorts that seemed to be looking into another world. It was impossibly thin, and invisible from one side, but facing forward one could see a castle, grass and a muddy pond in the foreground, all vibrant and real as if you were standing in front of them.
As we stood gawking, the window become a portal, as a noxious ochre blob passed through and immediately started trying to eat us. It had no eyes, but it was clear it could see somehow, as it tracked our movements and struck with a stinging protrusion that left a tenacious and corrosive residue. We surrounded it and struck repeatedly until it seemed to be dead, only to have it split into two independent parts that brushed off our efforts so far.
The bard and eldar had up util that point stayed out of the fray, singing and gesticulating from afar, but shortly after we broke the jelly a pair of spirits suddenly appeared behind them and struck. The eldar was very near death, having not tended to his wounds after falling in the pit. By some sort of miracle he was able to retreat and recover somewhat. As the remnants of the jelly were subdued, yet another creature crossed through the portal - this time some sort of swampy ghoul. Unlike the hobgoblins we faced earlier, the spectres and ghoul failed to act in concert - we were able to flank and subdue them one at a time, and the battle was soon over. It was a good day, my strikes were frequent and precise.
We did not linger in the picture room. A door across the room was quickly checked and broached, and I scouted ahead to the room the kobold had indicated was some sort of holding area. His description was accurate, I saw a row of cells there, one detaining an elderly man. A sack of some sort was in a corner, which I grabbed before retuning back to report what lay ahead.
-- Treble
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Into the catacombs
Before meeting Councilman Troyas for lunch, we headed out on the town to learn more about the challenge facing us. I asked around about the townspeople who had been kidnapped, and learned that seven people were missing from the previous night:
I met up with the others at Councilman Troyas' manor, where the man in the top hat from the previous night greeted us. He announced us to Councilman Troyas, a half-elf who was dressed in fine linen robes. They served us a delicious and robust meal full of the finest meats garnished with savory sauces, fresh garden vegetables, and all kinds of decadent desserts. This was definitely the best meal I have ever had in my life, and I would be happy to accept an invitation to dine there again once the bandits are defeated.
As we were eating, he interviewed us to determine whether we would be a good fit for the task he had in mind. I in turn interviewed him to ensure that we share the goal of protecting Brindol and the Elsir Vale, and recovering the kidnapped townspeople, before agreeing to take on the task. I wasn't about to go gallavanting around the countryside just to recover some lost treasure--that's a job for a mercenary. Treble would probably do it. Anyway, Councilman Troyas seemed awfully interested in what I was doing in Breland... it was obvious he had never met a goliath before, and I felt kind of singled out (even moreso than Keh'r with his fiery hair). Anyway, we seemed to come to an agreement when I described to him how seriously I take my duty as a Warden. Keh'r told the councilman that he was travelling about the lands to try to encounter more of his own kind (genasi). Elaira told him she was traveling in search of noble deeds to record in song and saga. Treble said he has been a guard in this region for the past 20 years and was looking for a job to do, and Horadric said he was willing to lend his arcane skills to Troyas' aid.
Councilman Troyas wants us to recover the 7 townspeople, to extinguish as many bandits as possible, and to recover the treasures stolen from the Hall of Great Valor. He said he believes that the kidnappings were random, and told us that there had been 1 or 2 other kidnappings a few months ago, but that those individuals had never been recovered or offered for ransom. He told us that the Band of the Red Hand had been running around Brindol about 10 years ago until a group of heroes (who have since gone their separate ways) routed them, and that they were so named because their emblem depicted a red hand. The councilman gave Treble a list of the treasures that he wants us to recover:
Councilman Troyas offered us money and assistance, as well as some money upfront for party supplies, and the rights to whatever treasure we find along the way. He also told us that a goblin prisoner was being held on the town green for interrogation. We agreed to help, thanked him for lunch, and went to the town green.
The goblin looked as though the townspeople had not been treating him kindly. He was resistant to help us, but Elaira told him that we would speak to the proper authorities on his behalf if he gave us enough useful information. When a nearby guard expressed his skepticism, Treble went and kept him busy chatting while Elaira and I got the information out of him... I guess he found me somewhat intimidating and thought it would appease me to tell Elaira what she wanted to know. Oh well. Anyway, his name was Moric and he said that the band of the Red Hand was back and that he was a member, and that they plan to use the hostages but not to ransom them. He told us that the band leader is Sinruth, and that he plans to raise an army and carve out a fiefdom here in Breland, and that they are targeting Brindol because it is one of a few towns most nearby to where the Red Hand is located. He said that the goblins are using the catacombs under Castle Rivenroar for their base of operations. He said he didn't know anything about the treasures, and that Sinruth must have staged that heist himself. He also said that they plan to offer the hostages to appease the undead horrors under the catacombs--so apparently we have to hurry to retrieve them before they meet their deaths. He also drew us a map to the castle through the Blackcap mountains.
Keh'r said afterwards that he could tell that rather than being members of the Band of the Red Hand from a decade ago, that these guys instead see themselves as their descendants but don't have any actual relation to the original Band. We asked him how he knew that, and he laughed and said that the emblem on the armor was upside-down.
The next morning, we started the 8-hour trek through the mountains to the castle. The Blackcap mountains are very pretty, and I felt somewhat more at home along the journey, though in some ways it made me miss home more, too. Certainly the conditions in these mountains are much more mild than the conditions back home, so it was easy for me to assist the others along the steep paths and along the well-concealed trails. We found the castle entrance and made camp in a nearby mountain crag. That night I listened to the sounds of nature's animals as I drifted off to sleep--a welcome respite from all the noise of bustling cities and towns.
We met a dragonborn paladin named Rhogar wandering around near the castle the next morning and he seemed like an eager and able-bodied guy who was interested in going with us down into the catacombs to confront the Band of the Red Hand. Treble snuck ahead and alerted us to the presence of some guards in the room. There were four of them, and they were pretty tough. Barely into the fight at all, I found myself struggling to land a good hit with my flail while they were walloping me bloody. Then Elaira was singing a beautiful song that made me feel a resurgence of energy, and the paladin said a prayer over me and I felt whole again, and was better able to focus my energies... after that, I landed a devastating blow to aid Elaira, Treble, and Rhogar in defeating the sword-wielding gobins, while Horadric and Keh'r focused on trying to take out the bowmen. After helping to defeat the swordsgoblins, I helped Treble and Keh'r gain tactical advantage to finish off the two bowmen. As we were finishing them off, Keh'r was unable to move in time to avoid being hit by a silver flame crossing the room between the two braziers, but he seemed to shrug it off.
We then rested as we found ourselves confronting 3 sets of doors. Treble checked them all for traps and declared that none were to be found, so we decided to split up to survey them and determine which direction was best to go. Elaira and Kehir went through the East door, which was labelled on the plaque with to Van Jallach; Rhogar and Treble went through the North door, labelled to Rivenroar; and Horadric and I went through the West door, labelled to Van Urstadt. I don't know what was through the other doors, but I know that Horadric and I encountered a room full of goblins. They didn't see us peeking around the corner, so we quietly closed the door again and went to report back to the others.
- Jellissa, a human priestess, follower of Arawai;
Mertala, a human cook from the tavern that had burned down, as she escaped out the back door;
Kartenix, a human guard captain and his son, Thuran;
Zerixa, an elderly human woman;
Adronsias, a dwarf alchemist; and
Sertanian, the human castellan of the Hall of Great Valor, in the town hall, from which the artifacts were stolen.
I met up with the others at Councilman Troyas' manor, where the man in the top hat from the previous night greeted us. He announced us to Councilman Troyas, a half-elf who was dressed in fine linen robes. They served us a delicious and robust meal full of the finest meats garnished with savory sauces, fresh garden vegetables, and all kinds of decadent desserts. This was definitely the best meal I have ever had in my life, and I would be happy to accept an invitation to dine there again once the bandits are defeated.
As we were eating, he interviewed us to determine whether we would be a good fit for the task he had in mind. I in turn interviewed him to ensure that we share the goal of protecting Brindol and the Elsir Vale, and recovering the kidnapped townspeople, before agreeing to take on the task. I wasn't about to go gallavanting around the countryside just to recover some lost treasure--that's a job for a mercenary. Treble would probably do it. Anyway, Councilman Troyas seemed awfully interested in what I was doing in Breland... it was obvious he had never met a goliath before, and I felt kind of singled out (even moreso than Keh'r with his fiery hair). Anyway, we seemed to come to an agreement when I described to him how seriously I take my duty as a Warden. Keh'r told the councilman that he was travelling about the lands to try to encounter more of his own kind (genasi). Elaira told him she was traveling in search of noble deeds to record in song and saga. Treble said he has been a guard in this region for the past 20 years and was looking for a job to do, and Horadric said he was willing to lend his arcane skills to Troyas' aid.
Councilman Troyas wants us to recover the 7 townspeople, to extinguish as many bandits as possible, and to recover the treasures stolen from the Hall of Great Valor. He said he believes that the kidnappings were random, and told us that there had been 1 or 2 other kidnappings a few months ago, but that those individuals had never been recovered or offered for ransom. He told us that the Band of the Red Hand had been running around Brindol about 10 years ago until a group of heroes (who have since gone their separate ways) routed them, and that they were so named because their emblem depicted a red hand. The councilman gave Treble a list of the treasures that he wants us to recover:
- iron gauntlets with extensive filigree,
platinum ceremonial longsword,
a battle standard depicting two hands in a handshake,
an ornate and gilded dragoncrest helm, and
3 shields depicting the red hand emblem.
Councilman Troyas offered us money and assistance, as well as some money upfront for party supplies, and the rights to whatever treasure we find along the way. He also told us that a goblin prisoner was being held on the town green for interrogation. We agreed to help, thanked him for lunch, and went to the town green.
The goblin looked as though the townspeople had not been treating him kindly. He was resistant to help us, but Elaira told him that we would speak to the proper authorities on his behalf if he gave us enough useful information. When a nearby guard expressed his skepticism, Treble went and kept him busy chatting while Elaira and I got the information out of him... I guess he found me somewhat intimidating and thought it would appease me to tell Elaira what she wanted to know. Oh well. Anyway, his name was Moric and he said that the band of the Red Hand was back and that he was a member, and that they plan to use the hostages but not to ransom them. He told us that the band leader is Sinruth, and that he plans to raise an army and carve out a fiefdom here in Breland, and that they are targeting Brindol because it is one of a few towns most nearby to where the Red Hand is located. He said that the goblins are using the catacombs under Castle Rivenroar for their base of operations. He said he didn't know anything about the treasures, and that Sinruth must have staged that heist himself. He also said that they plan to offer the hostages to appease the undead horrors under the catacombs--so apparently we have to hurry to retrieve them before they meet their deaths. He also drew us a map to the castle through the Blackcap mountains.
Keh'r said afterwards that he could tell that rather than being members of the Band of the Red Hand from a decade ago, that these guys instead see themselves as their descendants but don't have any actual relation to the original Band. We asked him how he knew that, and he laughed and said that the emblem on the armor was upside-down.
The next morning, we started the 8-hour trek through the mountains to the castle. The Blackcap mountains are very pretty, and I felt somewhat more at home along the journey, though in some ways it made me miss home more, too. Certainly the conditions in these mountains are much more mild than the conditions back home, so it was easy for me to assist the others along the steep paths and along the well-concealed trails. We found the castle entrance and made camp in a nearby mountain crag. That night I listened to the sounds of nature's animals as I drifted off to sleep--a welcome respite from all the noise of bustling cities and towns.
We met a dragonborn paladin named Rhogar wandering around near the castle the next morning and he seemed like an eager and able-bodied guy who was interested in going with us down into the catacombs to confront the Band of the Red Hand. Treble snuck ahead and alerted us to the presence of some guards in the room. There were four of them, and they were pretty tough. Barely into the fight at all, I found myself struggling to land a good hit with my flail while they were walloping me bloody. Then Elaira was singing a beautiful song that made me feel a resurgence of energy, and the paladin said a prayer over me and I felt whole again, and was better able to focus my energies... after that, I landed a devastating blow to aid Elaira, Treble, and Rhogar in defeating the sword-wielding gobins, while Horadric and Keh'r focused on trying to take out the bowmen. After helping to defeat the swordsgoblins, I helped Treble and Keh'r gain tactical advantage to finish off the two bowmen. As we were finishing them off, Keh'r was unable to move in time to avoid being hit by a silver flame crossing the room between the two braziers, but he seemed to shrug it off.
We then rested as we found ourselves confronting 3 sets of doors. Treble checked them all for traps and declared that none were to be found, so we decided to split up to survey them and determine which direction was best to go. Elaira and Kehir went through the East door, which was labelled on the plaque with to Van Jallach; Rhogar and Treble went through the North door, labelled to Rivenroar; and Horadric and I went through the West door, labelled to Van Urstadt. I don't know what was through the other doors, but I know that Horadric and I encountered a room full of goblins. They didn't see us peeking around the corner, so we quietly closed the door again and went to report back to the others.
Tavern brawl
I continued in my journey to carry the message from Elwood to Aelwyn in Warden Keep. I stopped in a tavern in a town called Brindol. I took a seat near the back and tried to ignore all the wayward glances. The place was busy; a few people sat at my table, though we didn't do much chatting. In the middle of the meal, a bunch of hobgoblins burst in, shouting something about Sinruth and the hand. They started just slaughtering all the innocent people who were sitting closest to the door. One guy who had been sitting in the corner started fighting back and was quickly finding himself the target of their attacks. I ran across the room to help him and managed to draw some of their attention away from him, as more rounds of hobgoblins rushed in and were throwing torches everywhere, setting the place on fire. A few other tavern patrons joined in the fray: a wizard who had been eating at my table, a fiery-looking orange swordsman, even the bard who had been entertaining us, and a human with a club (who, unfortunately, lost his life to one of the hobgoblins). In the meantime, I was hit by a torch of fire and the wall behind us was burning down. Fortunately, a lot of people managed to escape out the back door. I chased down the last hobgoblin who had been throwing torches, as he tried to escape out the front once he realized he was outmatched. However, it was too late to save the tavern, which burned to ruins, though the Bucket Brigade was able to extinguish the fire before it consumed the neighboring buildings. At least everyone who survived the hobgoblin attack was able to get out before it burned to the ground.
The watch patrol, bloodied and wounded, arrived and were asking questions of the witnesses. I staunched my own bleeding as we learned that the town hall had been raided. I met the others who had defended the tavern: the wizard Horadric, the bard Elaira, the swordsman Keh'r, and the rogue Treble. Keh'r asked the watchman about which artifacts were taken, and we learned that they were nonmagical artifacts from the Band of the Red Hand. The watchman still seemed a little stunned and unraveled to be telling us this; he said everyone in these parts knew that the Band of the Red Hand had been defunct long ago.
While we were talking, a band of townspeople came running and shouting down the street. We tried to ask what was going on, but they ran right past us. Then, we saw for ourselves: they were being chased by a huge ogre carrying a wagon of casks and hobgoblins. The casks were explosive: the hobgoblins were lighting them and giving them to the ogre, who was throwing them into the town to light more buildings on fire. I couldn't stand idly by and watch them burn down the town, so I put aside my trepidation and ran up to the ogre to attack it. While I was battling the ogre, Keh'r blew up the wagon of explosives, and he and I were caught in the explosion. Can't say I much appreciated being blown up by an ally, but I guess it did the trick... One hobgoblin was killed; the other ran away. Shortly thereafter, Keh'r and I both retreated to staunch our bleeding, and we all kept our distance as we watched the ogre tied to the explosive wagon trudge on until he self-destructed.
The Bucket Brigade appeared, again late to the fray, to put out the last of the fires as we rushed off to aid in a skirmish at the bridge. This time it was we who arrived too late as the watchmen defeated the last of the band of hobgoblins. The watchmen were grateful for all of our help this evening and a member of the city council who was talking with them thanked us for our aid and offered us lodging at an upscale inn. We also learned that several people from the village were missing, presumed kidnapped.
As we arrived at the inn to get settled, a man approached us and read to us an invitation from Councilmember Troyas to dine at his residence for the midday meal where he would like to discuss enlisting our services to aid in protecting Brindol from rogue bandit attacks in the Elsir Vale. I plan to meet with him to learn more about what services they need and how I can help. I am sure that delivering the message can wait; Elwood advised me to keep on the lookout for ways I can serve the greater good while away from the village, and as a Warden, Aelwyn will certainly understand that I could not put aside my duty to accept this calling to defend the village now that this opportunity has presented itself. After the bandits are defeated and Brindol and the Elsir Vale are safe, I can take the lightning rail to Darguun and make my way to find Aelwyn in Warden Keep.
On the trail of the red hand
The summons turns out to be a sort of job interview. The noble who invited us, named Troyas, wasn't the usual sort of council member in Brindol. Instead of endlessly debating alternatives, he's gone round the council, trying to hire a gang to go retrieve the hostages and artifacts that were taken. I appreciate his directness. I suppose our skirmish yesterday got us in the door, and he wanted to convince himself we weren't some band of ruffians that would be worse than the red hand. After a fair amount of convincing he seemed satisfied and the terms were settled (500 + anything we can salvage). Unfortunately, only after we settled did we learn that hostages had previously been taken, but no ransom was demanded and they were never seen again. Not a good sign that we'll be successful finding the latest batch.
After speaking with Troyas we learned a hobgoblin had been taken captive the previous day, and was being held in the stocks at the center of town. A feisty one, he practically spat in our faces when we got there. I distracted the guards while the bard put her skills to good use weaseling information out of him...thankfully not involving singing. Her giantness (what I've been calling our height-advantaged warden) and myself probably would have just beat the information out of him, but I have to admit that the local constabulary might not have appreciated such direct tactics. In any case we learned the red hand is trying to carve itself a little kingdom out of Elsir Vale, and that they are hiding out in some catacombs north of the city. Our swordmage, a font of historical minutia recently, also determined that this red hand band isn't actually the same as the old red hand that troubled the region 10 years ago - something he figured out after noticing our goblin friend's hand logo was upside-down. I suppose they're just hijacking the name to make the populace more afraid, presumably facilitating their land grab.
The next day we trekked up to the ruined castle on top of the catacombs and quickly found an entrance. A paladin, his name was Roger or Rancho or something, happened to arrive at the same time. I thought I heard him mention also being hired by Troyas, and he offered to join our group. A little sneaking down the stairs uncovered four guards in the room beyond the entrance. There wasn't anything subtle about the ensuing melee as we charged in, subduing them without too much trouble. Like the last two battles, there were some pyrotechnics here as well, in the form of two mobile braziers lobbing fireballs between them. I did my best to not go up in flames, while the crazy swordmage stuck his head right in the line of fire. We learned he was a fire genasi...whatever that is.
Three doors lead out of that main room; we just need to figure out where to go next.
-- Treble
After speaking with Troyas we learned a hobgoblin had been taken captive the previous day, and was being held in the stocks at the center of town. A feisty one, he practically spat in our faces when we got there. I distracted the guards while the bard put her skills to good use weaseling information out of him...thankfully not involving singing. Her giantness (what I've been calling our height-advantaged warden) and myself probably would have just beat the information out of him, but I have to admit that the local constabulary might not have appreciated such direct tactics. In any case we learned the red hand is trying to carve itself a little kingdom out of Elsir Vale, and that they are hiding out in some catacombs north of the city. Our swordmage, a font of historical minutia recently, also determined that this red hand band isn't actually the same as the old red hand that troubled the region 10 years ago - something he figured out after noticing our goblin friend's hand logo was upside-down. I suppose they're just hijacking the name to make the populace more afraid, presumably facilitating their land grab.
The next day we trekked up to the ruined castle on top of the catacombs and quickly found an entrance. A paladin, his name was Roger or Rancho or something, happened to arrive at the same time. I thought I heard him mention also being hired by Troyas, and he offered to join our group. A little sneaking down the stairs uncovered four guards in the room beyond the entrance. There wasn't anything subtle about the ensuing melee as we charged in, subduing them without too much trouble. Like the last two battles, there were some pyrotechnics here as well, in the form of two mobile braziers lobbing fireballs between them. I did my best to not go up in flames, while the crazy swordmage stuck his head right in the line of fire. We learned he was a fire genasi...whatever that is.
Three doors lead out of that main room; we just need to figure out where to go next.
-- Treble
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