I searched for an adventure to run that harkened back to AD&D modular format as opposed to the large campaigns that now have become commonplace from Wizards of the Coast.

I mentioned this in my recent post that was inspired by Matt Colville’s video on how long an adventure should be:

How long should an adventure be? – Blog of Holding

After searching for awhile I found Into the Veils by Eldritch Press. It is available on DMsGuild and the Fantasy Ground store. It is comprised of three chapters that are about the size of old AD&D modules – although the second chapter is a bit shorter. The third chapter looks to be the largest of all the chapters and it culminates with an epic boss battle.

How is it? I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is interesting and the backstory and characters have a really good amount of depth and complexity. The digital maps in Fantasy Grounds were really good and added to the adventure.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the adventure isn’t as polished as the Wizards of the Coast campaigns, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. There are the odd spelling and grammar error and these are easily corrected.

My one complaint is that the plot also isn’t as polished as we have come to expect from Wizards of the Coast. Without giving the plot away, there are some early plot hooks that just fade away and aren’t central to later chapters. My players are always wanting to follow up on those hooks and I have had to create content to fill in the gaps. Now I don’t mind this as I am a DM whole usually takes adventures and removes some parts and adds new story lines. But I know some people have higher expectations and would prefer the adventure to be more cohesive and complete.

We have finished two our of the three chapters and would give it a solid 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. The last chapter looks to be quite an epic so that score could go up – stay tuned.

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Here are the session recaps for the first two chapters to give you a sense of the adventure.

Session 1 Recap

Every year, the town of Trendleton hosts a festival to celebrate the birthday of Lady Lydia Trendle, the baroness of the territory. The celebrations are enjoyed by all. Competitive games draw many people to compete for honor and a chance to win a purse of gold. Those who triumph in the games are seen as heroes and often find work performing special missions.

The party has heard rumours that Lady Lydia Trendle was taking a greater interest in the competition as she was looking for adventurers that could help her to reclaim a signet ring that was recently stolen by bandits on the road.

Cryus, Varin, Mort, and Steve all found themselves at the Trendleton festival. They greeted each other as they mingled and decided they would compete together in the competitions. Before they went to the competitions, the party perused the vendors to sample their wares. Cyrus was feeling particularly generous and purchased a serving of mushrooms for every party member. Feeling satiated, the party moved onto the competitions.

Mort and Varin teamed up for the Log Toss competition and Varin was successful in defeating the champion Hercis. Hercis awarded the Champion’s token to Varin and informed Varin that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

Cyrus and Steve teamed up for the Archery competition and Steve was successful in defeating the champion Biffle. Biffle awarded the Champion’s token to Steve and informed Steve that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

Mort and Varin teamed up for the Dueling competition and Varin was successful in defeating the champion Seress. Seress awarded the Champion’s token to Varin and informed Varin that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

The party noticed that Lady Lydia Trendle was paying close attention to their success in the duel.

Steve and Varin teamed up for the Magic competition and both failed in defeating the champion Ocracor. Ocracor strutted defiantly revelling in his success. Mort and Cyrus were unable to compete as they were unable to cast any magic.

Cyrus and Steve teamed up for the Entertainment competition and Steve was successful in defeating the champion Fickle Fenis. Fickle Fenis awarded the Champion’s token to Steve and informed Steve that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

Cyrus and Mort teamed up for the Tightrope competition and Cyrus was successful in defeating the champion Gressel the snake. Gressel the snake awarded the Champion’s token to Cyrus and informed Cyrus that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

Cyrus and Varin teamed up for the Maze competition and Varin was successful in defeating the champion Chrystaal. Chrystaal awarded the Champion’s token to Varin and informed Varin that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

Cyrus and Steve teamed up for the Puzzle competition and Cyrus was successful in defeating the champion Gadreel. Gadreel awarded the Champion’s token to Cyrus and informed Cyrus that he was now obligated to return to the festival next year to take on all challengers.

The party was very successful in the competitions with Varin winning 3 tokens, Steve winning 2 tokens, and Cyrus winning 2 tokens. Mort was unable to win any tokens.

The party was then approached by the Captain of the Guard, Dario Lambread, and Dario informed them that Lady Lydya Trendle would like an audience with them tomorrow. Dario offered to pay for rooms at the Prancing Penguin and that he would come collect them in the morning. The party agreed and retired to their rooms after shopping for supplies and having a pint or two.

The next morning Dario met the party and brought them before Lady Lydia Trendle.

Baroness Lydia Trendle rewarded the heroes with 100 gold pieces each for their fine performance at the games. She then goes on to explain she wants them to undertake a special mission for her. Two agents carrying a valuable pair of signet rings have gone missing , and she needs them to be discovered and returned along with the ring. A signet ring is extremely valuable and could cause great harm to the realm if they fall into the wrong hands. The baroness wishes to keep the missing rings a secret, which prevents her from sending her guards to undertake the mission.

She will grant each hero 200 gold pieces now and an additional 200 gold pieces upon their successful return, insisting they leave today after seeing captain Dario for supplies and further details. She dismisses them after thanking them for their service. Captain Dario begins preparing the party for travel and provides them with the equipment they require, including food, water, camping gear, and a sturdy mule to carry it all.

Dario explains it takes three days to walk from Trendleton to Fenwich, which is the route taken by the missing agents. A steep escarpment separates Trendleton from the area below it, which is known as the Hollow (or “Hollor” to the locals). The Hollow is lawless, and Dario suggests that might be where the missing agents got into trouble. If the heroes leave by noon, they will be able to find a farmstead to stay the night before they go down the escarpment the next morning.

The party set out and passed by many farms before coming to CliffsEdge farm at sunset. CliffsEdge farm was located right at the escarpment and they met Loco Jacco who offered the party free lodging in his barn if they could help in determining who was been stealing eggs from his chickens. Loco even offered to feed the party breakfast the next morning.

The party searched around the chicken coop and did find one gossamer wing. The party agreed to watch the chicken coop and set up a trap and watched over the chicken coop that night. In the middle of the night the party was able to detect a party of sprites that were attempting to open the door to steal the eggs. The party pounced and killed most of the sprites but we able to captured two sprites and interrogate them to find out who sent them.

The sprites informed the party that they were sent by two Harpies to steal the eggs. The sprites also mentioned that the Harpies lair is behind the waterfall at the Singing Caves. The sprites also warned the party that the Harpies also have a gang of Goblins defending the lair.

The party rested and had breakfast before they decided what to do next.

Session 2 Recap

The party finished up the delicious breakfast and asked Loco Jacco if he would be so kind to give them rations of bread and cheese for the road. Loco was so pleased with having his eggs thievery resolved that he quickly agreed and even threw in some fresh apples. Before the party departed they discussed what to do with the captured sprites and after some discussion it was agreed to set them free after they promised to never come back and steal any more of Loco Jacco’s eggs.

The party made their way down the escarpment and then soon saw why a wagon wasn’t provided – it was a very difficult hike down that took the better part of the day. Once down in the hollow the going was much quicker and they made their way to a well-used campsite just before sundown. The party decided to camp here for the evening and tied up the mule and scouted around the campsite.

Finding nothing, Cyrus took the first shift along with Mort and Cyrus soon detected movement along the bushes. It was a Panther that was attempting to sneak up and make a meal of the mule. Cyrus and Mort engaged the Panther and the Panther ran right past them to attack the mule. Thankfully the mule was prepared and delivered a powerful kick that staggered the Panther. Cyrus and Mort were then able to finish off the Panther.

The rest of the evening passed without incident. The party continued their travel the next day and met a convoy of merchant wagons coming the other way down the road. The convoy informed the party that there was a destroyed wagon a few hours up the road. They reported that they found no survivors or cargo, just two dead horses that were being pecked on by vultures. The party enquired about their business and being satisfied they were trustworthy merchants, they took their leave.

The party continued down the trail and about an hour later they heard a loud buzzing above them. Suddenly, a cadre of eight Giant Wasps attacked! The battle was engaged and it was a blur of vicious stinging and buzzing. Mort took the brunt of the initial attack and was able to withstand the fury of the stings. Steve wasn’t so lucky and was knocked unconscious by repeated stings. Eventually the party was able to finally defeat the Giant Wasps and decided to take a short rest and heal  Steve before moving on.

After the party resumed their travels, they came upon the destroyed wagons with the vultures circling overhead. Varin stopped and had a brilliant idea – he cast light on a stone and cast it into the trees beside the destroyed wagon!

Varin is awarded an inspiration for his strategic thinking.

Suddenly eight Goblins sprang forward from the trees! They were indeed setting up an ambush. The battle was engaged but these Goblins were cowardly and preferred to shoot arrows from a distance. The last Goblin attempted to flee but was struck down by Cyrus.

After the battle the party was able to see that the Goblins had harvested meat from the horses. The party also detected Goblin tracks that led eastward towards a stream by a ridge. The party was also able to detect boot prints along with Goblin tracks – there may indeed be survivors!

The party decided to rest for the night before continuing on. In the middle of the night when it was quiet they could hear a waterfall in the distance.

Session 3 Recap

The party awoke and decided to continue east in the direction of the sound of the waterfall. Soon the path ended at a ford across a fast-moving stream with an island in the centre. The party investigated and decided to cross as they found that the fast-moving stream wasn’t that deep. The party was able to cross without much issue, that is everyone except for Steve. Steve fell a couple of times on the slippery rocks but thankfully he was leading the mule and held onto the rope so he wasn’t swept away.

After Steve’s second fall, Steve heard laughter and giggling around him and four Muck Mephitis made themselves visible on the island. The Muck Mephits demanded 5 gold pieces each as a toll to cross. The party refused and attacked! The Muck Mephits proved themselves as worthy adversaries by turning the island into quicksand and making weapon metal hot. Eventually the party was able to withstand their attacks and defeated the Muck Mephits. The party crossed the stream and rested before continuing on.

The party continued eastward and could see the waterfall up ahead. Cyrus was able to hear footsteps behind the waterfall. Steve decided to be less subtle and magically move the falling water aside to see if someone was hiding behind it. There was indeed a Goblin scout patrolling the entrance. The Goblin saw that he was spotted and quickly retreated into the lair.

The party made their way to the mouth of the cave and entered. They found themselves in a large chamber and moved cautiously, that is everyone except for Cyrus. Cyrus moved forward impulsively and suddenly the ground gave way and Cyrus found himself in a ten-foot pit. Eight Goblins hopped out of the shadows and moved forward to attack Cyrus in the pit.  The party moved forward to assist Cyrus. The battle was vicious with Cyrus being felled twice. Eventually the party was able to defeat the Goblins and the party retreated outside of the lair to heal and rest up.

Cyrus is awarded an inspiration for being able to survive being killed – twice.

The party rested and re-entered the lair. They found that the pit trap had been reset and the bodies of the Goblins were missing.  Steve continued exploring north a found an adjacent chamber with a pool that was used both as a water source and latrine – ick. The party continued to explore east and found another adjacent chamber that appeared to be a likely sleeping chamber for the Goblins they previously defeated.

The chamber contained several sleeping mats, scattered around stores of common goods, such as cloth, lumber, oil, pottery, cordage, dried goods, food, and tools. There were passages exiting to the north and southeast. Another passage on the east wall is blocked by a large boulder reinforced with wooden posts holding it in place.

Cyrus tried to move the boulder but was unsuccessful. Cyrus listened and he thought he could hear voices on the other side of the boulder. The party found that the passage to the southeast led to a nursery of Goblin children with one elderly Goblin caretaker. The Goblin caretaker attacked to defend the children and was easily dealt with. The party moved on and left the Goblin children orphans.

The party moved north and triggered a spear trap. They were able to dodge the spear and continued on into another large chamber. Half of this twenty-foot tall chamber was filled with a shallow pool of water. Two large boulders protruded from the water about 15 feet from the water’s edge. A filthy odor filled the air. On the eastern boulder is a large, excrement-covered nest made from branches.

Steve launched a firebolt and smashed the nest of branches. Two Harpies flew up, Hella and Rhyss. The Harpies attempted to use their luring but everyone but Steve had previously put sap in their ears to muffle the sound. Steve and his elderly hearing was able to naturally resist the sound.

The battle was engaged and the party were able to defeat the Harpies through a combination of magic and might. The party was left in an empty chamber with feathers falling all around them.

What would you like to do next?

Session 4 Recap

The party searched what was left of the Harpy nests, finding nothing they returned to the room to the south with a large stone blocking the east exit. Cyrus reminded the party that he heard what he thought was voices on the other side of the rock. The party tried multiple times to move the rock or look for switches. Finally, Steve found a lever beside the rock. Steve impulsively pulled the lever and the rock moved revealing a large chamber with two humans bound beside a pool of stagnant water.

The party freed the captives and discovered that these were the agents of the baroness that were transporting the signet rings when the caravan was attacked. The party freed the agents and noticed the exit to the east was also blocked by a rock. The party moved to the rock and tried to move the rock or search for another switch. The party searched for what seemed like hours before Cyrus finally found a button on the floor. Cyrus quickly pressed the button and the rock slid to the side revealing another chamber with a pool of stagnant water above which was hung a burlap sack 10 feet above the water.

Mort reached for his glaive and planned to try and cut the sack down. Mort needed to wade into the water and suddenly found that the water itself seemed to attack him – the water hid a Blue Ooze. Mort was struck but was able to regain himself and the party was able to defeat the Blue Ooze. Steve smartly used a fire bolt to cut down the sack and the party recovered the treasure which included the Signet Rings and the agent’s clothes. The party gathered up the treasure, gave the clothes to the agents, and returned to Trendleton.

The party were welcomed by the grateful baroness and awarded 100 gold pieces each for the return of the signet rings. The baroness also offered each party member 400 gold pieces to escort a ship to pick up and return a parcel of magical blue steel – 200 gold pieces in advance and 200 gold pieces on the successful delivery. The party accepted the quest and set off in the morning on horses and supplies provided by Captain Dario.

Captain Dario informed them that it would be a day’s ride on the wet road to Port Angle and to stop at the Oarsman Inn before seeking out Captain Tibbi Brightbrow and her ship the Grey Runner in the morning. It was a miserable ride but the party came to the Oarsman Inn. They checked their horses into the stables before entering the Oarsman Inn.

The Oarsman Inn was lively with a bard performing and a mixture of locals and travellers. The bartender, Miori, welcomed the party and brought them food and drink. The night passed and the party talked to other patrons and even played darts later in the evening. Varin offered his services to assist in the kitchen to which Miori gratefully accepted.

The two non-local patrons that drew their attention was Barnett, a cleric, that seemed to have an endless supply or coin and Rosan, an adventurer, that kept to himself at a table just reading a book.

Around 11:00 pm, Rosan, headed upstairs to retire. He returned down 30 minutes later in a panic stating that his book was missing. Rosan informed everyone that they are in grave danger if he is not able to perform a ritual on the book before midnight. No one else had left the common room so everyone was at a loss as to where the book could be. The party suddenly discovered that they were also missing items:

• Mort – Dice Set and Manacles
• Varin – Bill of Sale and Utensils
• Steve – Thieves tools and Crowbar
• Cyrus – Grappling Hook and Mess Kit

The patrons all gathered together and Miori offered that they could search anywhere in the Oarsman Inn to search for the missing items. The patrons found that additional small trinkets were missing from other areas.

Rosan was getting more and more agitated about the upcoming danger if he is unable to find his book and perform his ritual. The patrons continued to look when they heard growling from behind them – all the other patrons had turned into Jackalweres with Rosan turned into a Jackalwere deceiver. The Jackalweres attacked at the party soon discovered that they were resistant to normal weapons. Cyrus thought quickly and picked up silverware to attack the Jackalweres. The party thought quickly and focused their attention on the Jackalwere deceiver and defeated him with attacks of silver and magic – whereupon all the other patrons reverted to their human forms.

Barnett the cleric quickly stood upon and dumped a bag on a table with all the trinkets that were missing including the book. Barnett confessed to everyone that he was running a racket with two imps to steal and fence items. Barnett pleaded for mercy and the party decided to turn Barnett into the authorities in Port Angle in the morning.

What would you like to do next?

Session 4 Recap

The party slept at the Oarsman Inn and turned Barnet into the authorities the following morning. The party then made their way to Port Angle and found the Grey Runner as it was the only ship in the port. They saw that the entire crew was comprised of halflings. The party asked if they could have an audience with Captain Tibbi Brightbow and the crew member called Captain Tibbi over.

Captain Tibbi Brightbow was also a halfling and quite loquacious. The party was welcomed aboard once they showed Tibbi the broaches they received from Baroness. Captain Tibbi warned them that they would need to pull their weight and do required tasks like any other member of the crew. The party agreed with this and Captain Tibbi welcomed them aboard.

Captain Tibbi also informed the party that they have a tradition of a new crew member receiving a small gift to welcome them to the crew. The party received the following gifts:

• Blue Chalk. One hour after an image is drawn with this chalk, a crude but operational version of the image appears, made from the same substance as the surface that was drawn upon. The chalk is expended after five uses.
• Broth Spoon. Once a day, when placed in a bowl of water, it transforms up to one gallon of the water into a warm, nutritional broth that acts as the goodberry spell.
• Thirsting Mug. Once a day, if empty and placed on a wooden table, the mug spins to point its handle towards the nearest source of ale, if one exists within a day’s walk.
• Roasting Bone. Once per day, if this dried chicken bone is scraped, the smell of roast fowl fills the air. This strong smell can confuse or distract creatures using scent-based Perception checks

After the party received the gifts, Varin offered a gift to Captain Tibbi. Captain Tibbi was surprised and taken aback with the generous gesture and also gifted an additional item.

• Carry Cloth. Once per day, this one foot square handkerchief absorbs any normal item fully wrapped in it, which reforms again when the handkerchief is dropped to the ground. It can only hold one item at a time, which must be fully wrapped in the handkerchief to be affected.

The party was welcomed aboard and the Gray Runner soon set off. On the first day Varin tossed the cursed book into the sea. The party soon learned that the journey to Ravaria would take 7 days and spent their days doing assigned chores and talking to other crew members. The party learned the following information:

• They are called outlanders by the crew, meaning they hail from outside Ravaria.
• The halflings are from Holbec, a port town on a small island off the coast of the main island of Ravaria. It is renowned for its shipbuilders.
• Ravaria is the largest island among others. It is about 600 miles long and about 300 miles wide.
• Ravaria lies inside a perpetual storm known as the Maelstrom, which is considered an incarnation of a god by most seafarers.
• The people of Ravaria have always lived in relative peace and harmony together.
  

Over the next couple of days, the party also observed the following:

• The crew always go about their daily tasks while singing. Their epic ballads speak of shipbuilding, ocean voyages, and the bounties of the sea.
• Every sunrise, a crew member throws a small offering to Oceari, the Rava of the sea, to ensure safe travels (see Truths of Ravaria).
• A gigantic bird– a giant vulture, roc, or something else – is pointed out high overhead. After a day of shadowing the ship, it drifts off on another course.
• A sailor shouts and points to something emerging from the water. Three orcas breach the surface; riding on their backs are three sea elves. They quickly submerge after surveying the ship and passengers. The crew explains they are sea angels, a good sign while on a sea journey.

On the third day a strong wind builds through the day, and the ship runs before the wind. This rough ride caused seasickness for a couple of the party much to the amusement of the crew members. The party soon recovered and carried on with their duties.

The fourth day started normally but in the middle of the day the ship struck something and all crew members were knocked off their feet. The crew shouted that they had run into a whale carcass that was being devoured by Sea Ticks and now the Sea Ticks were eating the hull! Captain Tibbi directed the party members to stop the Sea Ticks or else they would be sunk.

The party members easily defeated the first round of Sea Ticks and another wave of Sea Ticks emerged from the whale carcass. The party was also able to defeat them with much trouble.

Captain Tibbi thanked them and ordered them to climb down and confirm that the hull wasn’t damaged. Mort climbed and confirmed that the hull was undamaged, but then lost his grip and fell into the water. The splash attracted a couple of sharks, but the party was able to destroy one shark and the other shark chose to eat the slain shark as the easiest meal.

The party was able to drag Mort back on board and Captain Tibbi thanked them and praised that he had the right type of adventurers on board.

The next couple of days past without incident. On the sixth day the party could see an ominous storm on the horizon. Soon it becomes clear the ship is moving toward a vast storm that consumed the horizon. The seas become rougher, and lightning flashed along the outer edge of the massive storm front. The storm remains oddly stationary, and the churning seas beneath the storm look to devour anything that enters.

As the ship draws close to the edge of the storm, the captain begins to chant quietly, almost reverently. As he raises his voice, the ship’s pitching begins to ease, even as the maelstrom rages nearby. Captain Tibbi’s refrain transforms into an impossible harmony of a single voice layered repeatedly upon itself and then mixed with the ominous echos of the tempest. His voice blends with the very fiber of existence. As the song grows in rhythm, a shimmering sphere of iridescent light manifests to envelop the Gray Runner, and the roiling sea around the ship grows still while the storm outside the protective sphere swirls with lightning and a nebula of color.

As the Gray Runner passes through the maelstrom, a deep cold suddenly descends upon the vessel, causing water to freeze on her deck and breath to frost in the air. The crew looks bewildered when, suddenly, a rupture appears in the storm wall near Captain Tibbi, who stands at the bow of the ship. A large white dragon erupts from the rift, shrouded in frosty air, with its eyes fixed keenly on the captain. In a split second, the dragon lands heavily upon the bow, cold radiating from its body. It smiles widely, perched a few feet away from Captain Tibbi.

Mort leaped forward to attack but was restrained by the rest of the party as they had started to like Mort’s company.

Captain Tibbi is gripped in fright as the dragon reaches out toward him. He begins to run but is snatched up, grappled, and restrained by the dragon. The song he sings is replaced with screams of terror. The crew scatters in fear, either seeking a place to hide or to arm themselves with weapons. Captain Tibbi struggles to break free of the dragon’s clutches, but before he can escape, the dragon opens its mouth and throws the hapless halfling into its toothy maw, swallowing him whole. The crew is transfixed in horror.

With a burp, the white dragon smiles at the heroes and speaks in a deep, feminine voice that drips with sarcasm.

“I would have preferred it to be frozen, but it was delicious, nonetheless. Now, I must bid you all farewell. I wish you nothing but good fortune.”

As the dragon speaks, she flies 20 feet above the deck and unleashes her breath weapon against the ship’s hull at the waterline. Water saturated in the hull freezes instantly, and the sharp reports of the shattering wood mingle with the sounds of cracking ice. Panic completely overtakes the crew, who stand in shock, flee in panic, or scramble to prepare for disaster.

Hovering in the air, Ridlemere speaks again.

“I am Ridlemere, and your deaths will serve to remind all outlanders about the folly of approaching Ravaria. It is the realm of the true fey, and you are not welcome!”

The dragon then smirks and dips its arm toward the crew as if bidding them goodbye, and she flies into the storm through a suddenly appearing rift, disappearing into the tempest she came from. The crushing ice ruptures the hull of the ship, and Gray Runner quickly takes on water. With the protective sphere quickly deteriorating, the crew desperately scrambles to repair the hopeless ship or to gather buoyant items to survive its imminent sinking. Panic and desperation grip everyone as the tempest falls upon the ship.

Varin went to the captain’s quarters to see if any information could be gleaned from the Captains Journal, but it contained just observations from this voyage. The party then went below deck to find supplies and decided to gather barrels to float in and also loaded some mining tools into an extra barrel. No sooner did they gather the barrels before the ship sunk.

Over what seems an eternity, the angry sea ravages the heroes and reality is a semi-conscious blur. Eventually, battered and bruised, warm sunshine rouses the heroes from unconsciousness . They awake late in the day on a rocky, cliff-lined beach. A dense treeline hugs the shore, and beyond, the land rises into wooded highlands before meeting a jagged ridgeline far to the east, where a lone snow-covered peak stands out among the mountains. Out to sea, the setting sun is obscured by a storm on the horizon : it is the maelstrom that sank the Gray Runner.

The wreck of the Gray Runner is nearby along with broken barrels strewn on the beach. There is no sign of any other of the crew members.

What would you like to do next?

Session 5 recap

The party gathered themselves and salvaged as much as possible from the Grey Runner. They found some additional supplies, rations, and a couple of barrels of Ale in the hold. When they re-emerged to the deck they were attacked by a party of Sahaugin who also saw the wreckage of the Grey Runner. The party was able to defeat the Sahaugins easily and turned their attention to making a camp off of the beach to protect from the tide. The party was able to use some of the sails and boards from the Grey Runner to make a camp to store their items. The party rested for the night before setting off to explore the island in the morning.

In the morning the party awoke to moisture blowing in off the ocean with the rising sun, forming a thick fog where the moisture meets the inland forests. A rocky, inhospitable coastline stretched in both directions, but to the south, a shipwreck can be seen stranded on a jut of rocks. It seems intact, and the possibility that it holds useful supplies offers a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.

The party made their way to the shipwreck but halfway they were surprised by the C’Kotane, a band of Sea Elves. The Sea Elves are led by Tsankai, a sea elf shaman, who leads this clan. Tsankai tells the party that the shipwreck exudes a baneful energy that has driven away the giant turtles that normally gather on this beach. He feels the heroes might be able to rid the area of the baneful energy that is coming from the shipwreck. The C’Kotane cannot undertake this task, as it is taboo to disturb a shipwreck.

If the party rids the shipwreck of the baneful energy, the C’Kotane would be eternally grateful and would give the party passage on this, their sacred land. The party agreed and moved toward the shipwreck.

The shipwreck shifted with the battering waves, its tattered flags whipping in the strong breeze. Nothing moved among the wreckage, but as the party drew closer, their hearts are gripped with a dark foreboding, and a nebulous promise of punishment overtakes them.

The party explored the bow and stern sections finding a collection of belongings from the crew. The party then noticed that a room near the stern of the ship seemed mainly intact. As they explored the room they saw a flickering light seeping from the cracks on a polished, intricately decorated sarcophagus. The effigy on the lid depicts an older woman with sharp features and sunken cheeks. The left hand is raised in benediction. The right bears a mace over its chest. Golden runes wrap around the base of the sarcophagus.

The party agreed that they would remove the Sarcophagus from the ship and attempted to carry it out. Unfortunately, Cyrus’s grip slipped and the Sarcophagus fell, spilling the corpse and releasing the curse! A spectre formed with her Ghoul servant and three Zombies. Although outmatched, the party was able to dispel the undead and the curse. The air felt free and the baneful energy was gone. The party searched the Sarcophagus and found a Robe, Mace of Smiting, and two Corpse Coins.

The party returned to inform Tsankai and he showed his gratitude by gifting the party with a Talisman of the Hunt and sharing the following information:

• The party is stranded on a large island.
• Travel along the beach is blocked by tall cliffs in both directions, which are impassible on foot.
• The C’kotane have traded with a village, Endmount, that lies many miles inland. It is a two day journey.
• There is a trail to the village at the top of a steep escarpment. To get there, you must travel through hick forests to a natural gap that bisects the escarpment at its center point.
• The gap lies due east of the shipwreck location, and the escarpment is visually pointed out as a reference point for travel.
• Beyond the escarpment is the snow-covered mountain that stands out in the distance, which can serve as a guidepost.

The party decided to make their way to Endmount and set off following the path. On the first day the party found a Hippogriff nest that contained two eggs and Boots of the Hinterland. The party continued on and camped for the night. In the evening, they were disturbed by a group of Satyrs playing pan flutes. The Satyrs offered them wine and asked them to join them in the dance. The party declined and took their leave from Satyrs. The Satyrs wished them well and the party felt energized from their interaction and awoke the next morning refreshed.

A sunless dawn brought a steady rain throughout the day’s travel, trapping a chill in the bones. The terrain transitioned into the steeper hills and ravines of the uplands. Fresh wolf tracks, mixed with the tracks of a much larger canine, were detected in the mud in various places throughout the day, suggesting a pack of these beasts roam the area.

Soon the party was joined by a raven that kept returning to the group. Finally, the Raven led the party to a cabin and led them inside. Inside the cabin the Raven pecked endlessly at one vial of potion. The party uncapped the potion and fed it to the Raven. The Raven transformed into a Gnome named Thorkin Dorn who told them about a Hag, Q’rashi, that turned him into a Raven. Thorkin informed the party that this was the cabin of Q’rashi and everyone decided to move on as quickly as possible.

The party camped for the second night in miserable wind and rain. They awoke unrested the next morning and set out for Endmount in the hopes of finding a warm meal and soft bed.

In the mid-morning they came over a hill and saw a ruins of an old outpost down in the valley with what appeared a body lying just outside the front of one of the ruins…

Session 6 Recap

The day dawns clear and blustery. After breaking camp and setting out for the day, the party found a path that ran through a cleft between two highland ridges. Once the party reached the highlands above, the party discovered a footpath that is well-worn and recently used. It climbed downwards towards a couple of ruined buildings with a body lying in front of an entrance.

As the party got closer they could see that the body looked to be a local human merchant that was killed. Suddenly a party exited from the ruins and moved forward to attack. There were 5 Kobolds led by a Kobold Frost Rager. The Kobold Frost Rager wore a whistle around his neck and shortly after he blew the whistle a Giant Frost Lizard came forward from behind one of the ruins.

The battle was engaged and the party was able to defeat the Giant Frost Lizard first and then moved to attack the Kobolds. The Kobold Frost Rager stayed in the rear directing the Kobolds. As the tide of the battle turned the Kobold Frost Rager instructed the Kobolds to hold the party off and escaped down a path to the north. Cyrus spotted that he was leaving and attempted to shoot him with an arrow but he unfortunately missed. The party finished off the rest of the Kobolds and retrieved whatever supplies they could from the two ruined buildings.

The party looked the direction that the Frost Rager escaped and they saw further down in the valley was the town of Endmount.

Things seemed odd as the party followed the reptilian tracks; the woods are quiet, and the air seems strangely chilled. A small village grew larger ahead, but the normal sights or sounds of activity are absent. The chirping of a whistle can occasionally be heard coming from the village, as can the shrill voices from a group of kobolds.

As the party approached they could see that the village had been attacked and no villagers can be seen. The roofs of the building are all covered in ice although the temperature is far too warm to allow ice to form normally. After a few more shrill chirps of whistles, the reason for the state of the village reveals itself – a marauding party of Kobolds and Frost Lizards!

The party soon found themselves under attack by 2 Giant Frost Lizards, 12 Kobold Raiders, 2 Kobold Whips, and the Kobold Frost Rager that they first encountered at the outpost. The party could see that many of the buildings were in ruins and could see bodies of villagers that fought back but there didn’t appeared to be any villagers left alive.

The marauding party of the Kobolds attacked with Mort taking the brunt of their aggression. Mort was able to withstand the attacks, and the party were able to swing the tide of the battle in their favour. Seeing this the Kobold Frost Rager climbed on the roof blew the whistle and raised his arms. The party defeated the rest of the marauding party only to see Ridlemere, the White Dragon that destroyed the Grey Runner, swoop down and grab the Kobold Frost Rager and fly away to Mount Fang.

Slowly, villagers emerged from the woods and the party heard that a third of the villagers were missing and likely taken captive. The villagers reported that they had never seen or been attacked by the dragon before. The villagers also mentioned that the Blue Steel mine the party seeks is at the base of Mount Fang. The villagers answered that they were familiar with Captain Tibbi and people going to the mine but strangely they never saw anyone come back from the mine. The party asked if there was a Tavern they could rest in and the villagers said that there was a fine Tavern and it was still intact.

The party and villagers made their way to the Tavern and feasted on Roasted Frost Lizard.

The party agreed that they would seek out the kidnapped villagers and the Blue Steel Mine in the morning.