The adventure begins in Fal-Narah, a small town nestled
in the foothills of some minor, unnamed mountains. The town is weary; exhausted
and on edge. A few months ago, a smaller settlement to the north in the
mountains, known as Fal-Hatet was massacred by a clan of mountain giants, and
their swarms of kobold slaves. Fal-Hatet was home to a small order of clerics,
known as Sealers of the Stone Maw.
Only two survivors made it out of Fal-Hatet; the cleric
quartermaster, Brenda Halim, known as the “Mover of Pieces,” and her now
grievously disfigured and mute assistant, known only as Harold. Kobolds harried
the two as they made the trip south, and the draconic rabble was forced back by
the local militia. Thankfully, none of the giants pursued.
In the following weeks, Fal-Narah was militarized. The
local militia was drilled into a proper city guard, and palisades and then
walls were constructed to protect the town from the kobolds, who were marauding
unchecked throughout the mountain passes north of the city.
Brenda was instrumental in organizing the manpower and
materiel needed to facilitate these changes. She’s revered by Fal-Narah for her
help, though pitied for her losses. Recently, as the northern defenses have
improved, Brenda, the Mover of Pieces began to divert adventurers passing
through to the north, to serve as counter-raiders against the kobolds. Little
has come of these ventures, however.
It is in Fal-Narah that we first find our party, three
persons who have caught the attention of Brenda...
The first is a human named Turnin, and while garbed as a
monk, has proven more slothful than one would think. While earnest and eager to
please, his actions tend to lag behind his intentions. His order sent him to
Sealers, but he arrived at Fal-Narah after the massacre, and Brenda has had him
doing odd jobs and errands around the town for the last few days, though has
promised him that she’ll have a greater task for him soon…
The second is a human conjuration wizard, Kyllar, who
arrived in town the previous evening. His vocation has piqued the interest of
the Mover of Pieces.
The two are chatting with Brenda in her makeshift
headquarters – a floundering inn donated by the mayor to the Sealers of the
Stone Maw (ie Brenda and Harold), for use in organizing the town, running the
order’s affairs, and outfitting the local city guard and any adventurers Brenda
appropriates from the road. They are joined by the third person of interest, a
Halfling rogue, known as Shadowale. After brawling against some dwarves in a
tavern last night, he woke up hungover, and under Brenda’s warden-like care.
With a little prodding for the hungover and surly Halfling, Brenda convinces
the trio to embark on a quest for her.
The trio learns that the Sealers of the Stone Maw were a
communal order, bound by magic. Through ritual, they were linked, allowing one
to sense where each other were, and their general physical and mental state. When
one of the order would pass on, the body would be consecrated and the bond severed. Unfortunately, the swiftness of the massacre prevented this, and their
dead souls torment Brenda and Harold unceasingly. She thinks that the party is
competent enough to make their way to the ruins of Fal-Hatet, and consecrate
the bodies of her slain brethren, at which point, Brenda will lead the city
guard north, and reclaim Fal-Hatet from the kobolds and giants. The party will
be the vanguard for a glorious counter attack! Brenda teaches the cleric the
consecration spell, gives them provisions, and are sent on their way. The city
watch nods solemnly as they pass the walls into the foothills…
Nervous small talk is soon disrupted by the sound of
fighting ahead, the party sneaks up to a crest of a hill to see a dwarven druid
fending off several kobolds. The trio of Kyllar, Turnin, and Shadowale charge
in, and the kobolds are slain before they could even consider routing.
The party is introduced to Bearchief (another PC), a hill
dwarf druid, who has been out exploring the world on a personal quest, and
righting wrongs as he finds them. He informs the party that the kobolds have
hewn a path underground, through the mountains. He was on his way to warn the
nearby towns, like Fal-Hatet, that they might soon have a kobold problem.
Bearchief was unaware of the current local situation, and was quickly educated
by the party.
While Fal-Hatet could conceivably stand their ground, it
was deemed a far better idea to try and collapse the kobold’s tunnels and stem
the tide. Bearchief offered to lead the party to the entrance of the tunnels,
and the party, now 4 strong, embarked on their first side-quest.
A little more small talk was attempted, which was again
interrupted by the sound of battle ahead. The party peered around some trees to
see a female mountain giant topple to the ground; felled by a menacing looking
Drow (the 5th PC). The Drow carved a dozen gashes into her face,
ruining it as the party arrived. Before proper introductions could be made, her
mate came charging out of the tunnel towards the party, enraged.
The giant’s club connected a few times, but the Halfling
quickly got the advantage, climbing onto the giant’s shoulders while it was
distracted by Turnin the monk’s twirling quarterstaff. Shadowale held on for
dear life with one hand, while the other slit the giant’s throat, showering
Turnin with a geyser of blood.
The quartet looked around, but Zyn had disappeared. A
little unnerved, they ventured into the tunnel. A little ways in, Kyllar looked
over his shoulder to see the Drow desecrating the face of the second giant
before disappearing. The party was vigilant; Shadowale took up the rear to
mitigate the chances of the Drow sneaking up behind them, and soon noted that
the Drow was warily shadowing them, though at too far a distance to pose any
immediate threat.
They continue onward, deeper into the mountain. It’s
dark, and wet in places. Scores of tiny pick marks show where the kobolds have
dug through the rock, connecting caves and caverns with tunnels. At each
intersection, the druid Bearchief notices small druidic runes saying “Evil; Go;
Dig” in varying orders, though always accompanied by a symbol indicating what
direction to travel; toward the hole through which the party entered the
labyrinth.
After passing a few crossroads without incident, the path
opens to a large cavern. Some torches burn dimly, showing that the area is
split into two sides; the party on one; a crude bridge molded like rough clay
spanning a crevasse of unknown depth; and the other side, which has half a
dozen tunnels leading two it, as well as a large number of kobolds, harassing a
young lava elemental, it’s molten essence spilling onto the floor and melting
parts away with every successful spear thrust and slung rock from the kobolds..
The party secured their position on their side of the
bridge and chasm. A few kobolds noticed them, and slung a few rocks their
direction. The party returned fire with a Firebolt from Kyllar, and a few
arrows from Shadowale and Zyn, who had closed with the party, and decided to
aid them in the fight. The elemental raged on the other side of the cavern,
burning kobolds with immolated punches and smothering, smoldering hugs. As it
turned to face the party, its last opponents, Bearchief readied a spell,
summoning magical invisible stone spikes to litter the bridge.
The elemental raged on, the invisible barricades tearing
into its glassy, obsidian armor. The wounds menacingly belched fire, in
addition to spilling the elemental's molten essence across the bridge, partially
dissolving the path as the elemental tried to traverse it.
Weakened, it reached the party on their side of the
bridge, but Turnin, who had previously just been flexing, stretching, and
encouraging his companions with kind words, was now ready. With a Ki-channeling
whoop, a barrage of fists flew into the elemental, shattering more of the
obsidian armor. With a groan, the elemental collapsed on itself, melting
through the bridge, and badly injuring Turnin with the molten splash back,
knocking him unconscious.
Turnin collapsed, but was saved from falling into the
chasm by Kyllar and Bearchief. Shadowale regards Zyn, and with Turnin
stabilized, and on secure ground, the party thanks Zyn for his aid, and wonders
if Zyn might help the rest of the party with their task of consecration in
Fal-Hatet. Zyn agrees, but only once he confirms that the task will allow him
to face worthy prey, and slay the giants he reviles so much.
Turnin is healed, and mentions that his monastic
companions were wrong; he can – and DID – punch fire! Wounded but a little more
experienced, the party exits the tunnel to a nearby secluded copse of trees
that Bearchief noticed. A watch order is established, and though uneasy, the
party begins to set up camp for the evening, slowly swapping stories into the
night, isolated in a menacing wilderness…
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