The Missing Gnome

Gunter and Sylvannas have just been trapped in a meat store with two Slaadi. After trading only a couple of blows with the sladdi, they realizie they might be a little outmatched in power. They decide to try and escape. As they manouver their way around the store, Michold yells at the slaadi, "They cannot be allowed to escape!"

Michold donns an odd looking plague mask while putting one over the face of his beloved, Ellaide. He then has one of the slaad break open the death's head coffer, releasing a number of disease ridden rats. The rats soon join the fracas and in the battle Junia is felled. Michold uses the opportunity to flee out the back door.

Sylvannas and Gunter are able to make it out onto the streets of Triel and Sylvannas wastes no time in blowing her war horn to hopefully bring the others.

Back in the Singing Wind Inn, Princess Elora hears the horn and tells the others. She summons a flock of giant owls and together they ride the owls following Princess Elora towards where the sound came from. When they arrive, landing the owls in the middle of the street, with the few people in the street running to take cover, they also meet a few of the city's militia, The Hellriders.

Its a Love Potion

After a quick and urgent explanation, the Hellriders enter the store only to find the slaadi fled. Junia , her brother and his fiance remain. Junia is quickly attended to and cured of the disease which courses through her body. Messick offers to cast Zone of Truth to assist the city guards.

Michold falls under the influence of the magic, forcing him to tell the others everything. He had always wanted to have a beautiful woman love him. One day a figure approached him. A hooded robed figure, a tabaxi....at least he thinks. She smelled of the grave. She told him that she could provide a bit of magic that would help him. He just had to give the woman he desired the potion she would provide. In return, she asked that he accept the occasional carcass provided to him. He may use the meat as he sees fit, but the magic box he would find inside he must take out into various parts of the city and open it. She would give him a mask that would protect him.

Keep up the distribution of the disease boxes and she would keep providing him with an enhanced version of Philter Of Love.

Hearing this the Hellriders have enough information. They take Michold away to meet his justice.

Later that day, Elvar The Grainlord, visits the group to personally thank them for helping to save the city from a horrific and decimating disease. He allows them to have their weapons back.

Proving both their capabilities and their righteousness, he asks them if they may do the city yet another good turn.

The Missing Gnome

Elvar tells them of the granary equipment that is meant to transfer the harvest grain to the storage buildings. It was built by Lorick, a gnome tinkerer. The machinery has broken down and requires the skill of Lorick to fix. Without this much of the harvest will rot. Lorick has been summoned but he has not arrived. Nor has the small group dispatched to summon him.

It is not like Lorick to miss a chance of earning a coin purse. Besides he is a friend to Triel and Triel takes care of its friends.

Would they go and find the gnome?

The group agrees to come again to the aid of Triel. But horses and gold would help.

Elvar agrees and the group sets off to find steeds.

Soon after, they are mounted and set off in the direction of Lorick's home, in the nearby forests surrounding Triel.

Master?...Not Master.

As they travel into the forest following the ever narrowing trail. They come to two smalll odd metal statues on either side of a very narrow trail. Able to approach only by dismounting they cautiously approach the structures. The heads of the metal constructs follow the group and soon they can be heard to say, "Master?", then in a more disappointed voice, "Not Master."

Just to be sure Gunter blasts the head off of one of the small figures. Sylvannas
runs past them and pauses just in front of a small piece of shiny metal sticking about an inch out of the ground. The piece of metal rises up, tips over and touches the ground. A burst of electrical energy spreads out along the ground hitting nearly everyone. Princess Elora watches on in horror as she is hovering above the ground.

After trying to figure out what is attacking them they quickly move on and find the small home of Lorick the gnome. It is built into a small grassy hill, with a stream flowing nearby all in small clearing in the forest. Everything is quiet. No sign of activity from within the home shows itself.

As the group moves closer to he home, two grassy hillocks rise up out of the ground revealing a balista-like construct hidden underneath. "Master?.....Not Master." And they fire bolt after bolt towards the group. Before long the group is able to disable the two devices.

Lorick's Journal

Inside the small home. Scrolls of magic, blueprints and various plans are strewn across a few workbenches. The entire home is a single room with a small bed off in the corner and the rest of the room dedicated to construction of devices or plans for devices.

The group finds Lorick's journal which speaks of him going into the Forest Of Wyrms for the much prized Gulthias wood for his constructions. But while there he had noted the odd markings put on both rock and plant throughout. Fearing for his safety he returned a few days later, this time with a clockwork huntsman for protection. But this time he saw several demons, some with the same markings that he had seen before upon themselves. There was some small lesser demons which he said he was able to capture, hoping to somehow use their energies to power his contraptions. But the demon hoards continued to grow.

Knowing when he is in over his head (not hard for a gnome), he retreated but thought perhaps he had been spotted. So he left his huntsman to protect his retreat and he returned home, hoping that he had not been followed.

Demon Powered Clockworks

Meanwhile, Princess Elora found a secret compartment below the workbench, hidden with an illusion spell. Within she found two large cases locked with some sort of keyless lock. It had the symbol of wind or air on it. The locking cylinder could not be removed by touch, force or magic. Eventually, through the ingenuity of Princess Elora, she was able to remove the locking cylinder and opened the cases.

 Inside were to clockwork inventions, similar to those seen around his home. But these had dangerous looking metal barbs on their legs and had eyes that began to glow a disturbing red when the cases were opened. Before anyone could inspect them the clockwork beasts jumped out of their cases skittering along walls and ceilings attacking the group. They would shoot small cylinders of meta downwards to hit individuals as well spraying fire all around. In the small house, no one was safe.

As they battled the demon inventions, they finally were able to destroy them but as each device was destroyed it would explode in a fiery death, shrouding the entire group in fire. Several are badly hurt but eventually they emerge from the smoking hole that was Lorick's home and into the twilight of the forest.

Along the ground a small mouse that whirs and clicks catches the attention of Princess Elora.
Why does this mouse whir and click?

The Blood Veil

The group awakens the next day. The Singing Wind Inn they are in is friendly but with almost no one around. All is not well in Triel. Few people move about within the city. Most choose to hide away in their homes, trying to avoid others for fear of catching the Blood Veil. The sickness which had begun to spread throughout the city a few weeks prior has people scared.

The disease starts off mild, with cough and malaise. But within a couple of days, the disease progresses with a red rash covering the face, hence its name. Within another day most people, if not treated by clerics or the mages, will perish.

Seeing The City

When the adventurers assemble in the common room of the inn they plan their day. Messick wishes to get armor made for his dog, Justice. Eda and Sylvannas wish to seek out spells or other magical items. Tort, the tortle, wishing to learn more about the culture of the city, roams around, ignoring signs and warnings telling people to stay out of quarantined areas. The disease has hit certain sections of the city hard and those living in those areas have been ordered to stay within their homes.

Finding Another Death's Head Coffer

Tort seeing something familiar lying in among a pile of refuse bends to retrieve it. It is one of the Death's Head Coffers. A blackened wooden box, measuring about a foot and a half squared with it's borders decorated with arcanic looking white runes which swirl together sometimes to form the crude form of skulls. This one is open with a dark looking rat with red eyes nearby. Tort grabs for the box and decides to bring it back to show the others.

The Lavender Boutique Scam

Some of the others move about the city and come across a huge line of people. The line stretches for several blocks. When questioned they find out that a store called the Lavender Boutique sells for a gold piece, a potion which can protect one from the Blood Veil. People line up everyday and hope they can continue to afford the potion for everyone in their families until the disease is either cured or ceases it's assault on the city.

Eda and Princess Elora pay off a woman to take her place in line. There is a lot of yelling about this from the rest of the line but the line is appeased when the woman leaves the line and goes to find a place in the rear of the line. Moving along with the line, they soon enter the shop and it seems to be a fairly efficient process. A person takes their gold piece, another person provides a small potion vial, once imbibed, the empty potion vial is returned to another person, and the line then exits the shop.

 Once drank, the potion makes one feel warm and well, but the adventurers find out it is simply a warming spell. Not a healing or restoring potion. This will not protect anyone from the disease. This is made evident as some of the group start exhibiting signs of the disease. Messick uses his magic to cure them but it is clear, the longer they stay here, they more likely it will be that they will have to continually battle this disease.

When Tort returns with the Death's Head Coffer box and shows the group they immediately recognize it as the same type of box that they had found within the kobold warren, where they had encountered the humanoid cat-like creature whose form was rotted, mostly hidden under a hooded robe. Gunter, uses identify and tells the others that it is a box intended to hold a disease or diseased creature in stasis until it is opened. It then looses any magic it had.

A Deal To Good To Pass Up

Gunter and Sylvannas meet with one of the acolytes from the local apothecary. He tells them that they do not have much to sell in the way of magic potions or items. Lately, with the Blood Veil disease all resources have been devoted to potions of healing and restoration spells. They are having trouble keeping up and have had to reserve most of these for the nobles of the city and those that have coin enough. But once he is shown a gem that they have in payment, his story changes. He has access to a couple of unclaimed items. If they meet him the next day they can make an exchange.

Gunter and Sylvannas look at each other and look at the gem. They apparently have no idea what it is worth.

The group returns to the inn later in the day and share their stories of the city. They talk to Junia and she tells them that they should return to Daggerford soon. They ask if she can wait another day or two, the deals they have in place should only take that long. She agrees and says she can use her time to visit her estranged brother. She has built up the courage and besides he's getting married soon. She must see what insane female would marry him.

Michold's Meats

Sylvannas and Gunter accompany Junia to go meet her halfling brother. He runs the local meat shop, Michold's Meats. When they enter the meat shop two large cloaked burly men enter the store behind them. They carry a carcass strung up on a pole carried between them on their shoulders. Gunter says a greeting to one of the hooded figures. They respond with an awkward sounding, "Bring Meat.". Gunter shrugs it off. Junia introduces them to her brother Michold.

Michold, the halfling is not an attractive member of his race. He has straggly greasy hair and hunched back. This would not be half as bad if his personality compensated but he is brusque and rude. He and his sister argue soon after reuniting. They are interrupted by a beautiful statuesque human woman who enters the main room from behind the counter. She immediately goes up to Michold and hugs his greasy head to her chest as she professes her love for him.

Michold introduces the group to his bride-to-be, Ellaide. Her beauty is matched only by her unwavering sunny disposition. She constantly giggles as she twirls Michold's greasy hair in her fingers as she kisses him often. Michold is obviously enjoying both the attention from Ellaide and from the shocked expressions from the others in the room.

Michold tells Ellaide that he has brought her a drink and that she must drink it up like the good girl she is. When she tells him that she's not thirsty he admonishes her and tells her that they have talked about this and she must drink. It is for her health.

When Michold tires of his company he tells them he is busy and they must leave, as he gestures to the two burly men carrying a carcass to wait. Gunter casts detect magic and as he moves around the store he sees the liquid Ellaide has nearly finished drinking glows with a strong magic, as does something from within the animal carcass the two men are carrying.

With a flourish Gunter slices open the carcass to reveal a Death's Head Coffer inside.

The two creatures roar in surprise and they shrug off their large cloaks. As they rise to their full height they reveal themselves to be slaadi, a green slaad and a red slaad....and they have decided that hiding is not longer an option. Killing is preferred.

On To Triel

After leaving the kobold warren, the group returns to the camp. There the survivors of the kobold raid have done their best to recover from the damage and are preparing an evening meal when the adventurers return.

An Adventurer Is Born

The next morning, with a hard frost upon the ground, the group prepares to move out and continue on to Triel. By now, Lady Mara has heard of the groups adventures in the kobold warrens and she swears that this is the life for her now. She is determined to become and adventurer, just like her caravan protectors. Sylvannas promises to teach her how to use her dagger. They talk and practice as the caravan moves along. Marcon, Lady Mara's hired protector, listens and scowls, he tells Merrick his job is solely to get Lady Mara to Triel and put her into the hands of Elvar The Grainlords household. There she can decide if she wishes to marry the Grainlord's son or not. It matters not to him.

Turt, the tortle, who always dawdles behind, pauses as he listens. The rough road now passes through a wider clearing with forest on either side several yards away. From the west side of the road, within the forest, Tort thinks he hears something. He calls to the others and tries to describe what he heard. His mimicry skills are poorly lacking, and his imitation of the sound comes out more like a belch.

Sylvannas, sends Lady Mara and her squire back to the safety of the caravan while the group, while she moves towards the woods to investigate. Sylvannas sees a human male being mauled by an owlbear. He screams and then goes silent as the owl bear rends his back open with its massive claws.

The Owlbears and Werebear

Sylvannas moves back silently through the forest and as he passes the others, now entering the forest to investigate, Sylvannas tells them its an owlbear. Too late to help. Might as well move on. The others decide its important to see if they can help. They fight off the owlbear and heal the fallen human. When he rises back up he transforms into a massive bear. Together they kill off the owlbears, charming some, but the werebear has fallen again.

They tie the unconscious human to a strong tree and wake him. Under Messick's Zone of Truth they hear the man's story. His name is Filip Burtdum. Yes, he has been a werebear for years now. Ever since he and his smith mentor went into the woods to cut wood. There they encountered a massive bear. It killed his mentor, Olfstock, and would have killed him too if he had not escaped by jumping off a cliff into a rushing river below. Unfortunately, he did not escape unharmed. He had been slashed by the werebears claws and weeks later, he found himself under a full moon, in the woods near his house, with a carcass of a deer in his clutches. He found he transforms whenever he experiences strong emotions. Because of this, in the middle of the night, he packed a few belongings and left his home, leaving his wife and infant child. He did not trust himself. He has spend his years in the woods trying to keep it in balance but has found it more difficult in the recent years. Monsters abound and he still hasn't found the werebear that transformed him.

Releasing Filip, the group moves further into the woods to make sure they have completely cleared out the area. They come across a cave. After some debate as to whether or not they should enter the cave, they find a small group of owlbear cubs. Small and defensless they mewl at the group. The group argues over what to do with the cubs. Leave them be and they will grow up to attack and kill others on the road. They decide to kill them.

The Killing Of Small Owlbear Cubs

That's when they notice, hiding behind a tree watching them is Lady Mara. They call her over and tell her if she wants to be a part of the adventuring group she has to prove her metal. She must kill the owlbear cubs. She immediately draws her dagger but then looks at the small defenseless creature. It's soft feathers surrounding a cute face. Is it smiling at her? Tears running down her face Lady Mara stabs it through the chest. She screams and stabs again and again. Sobbing uncontrollably now. Finally the others pull her off and she runs back to the caravan.

 When the group returns to the caravan, they find Marcon glaring at them demanding to know what happened. Lady Mara has locked herself in her wagon. The group explains and Marcon looks displeased but resigns himself to simply getting the caravan going again.

They continue on to Triel.

A Vigilante Ambush

They travel for hours. A fine mist fills the air and the chill makes the ride miserable for that last few hours. Soon they see the walls of Triel in the distance. As the sun begins to approach the horizon behind grey clouds, the adventurers see a wagon ahead on the side of the road. A man kneels beside a removed wheel. A woman and a child sit nearby wrapped in canvas to keep the chill of the mist off of them. Messick goes up ahead and approaches the wagon. He asks if everything is alright. The man stands and scrutinizes Messick and then the others. He calls out, "It's them!", and attacks.

The woman and child discard the canvas they have been huddled under and join the battle. The woman moves gracefully as she slashes with her short swords and moves about the group with ease. The child, now revealed as a dwarf, attacks with an axe. As the rest of the adventurers rush to join in, several arrows fly down from a small bluff several yards away. The group moves to the far side of the wagons for cover. The attackers continually yell such things as, "Make them pay for her death!" and " We'll show you how we deal with those that murder innocents!" and the man who was feigning fixing the wagon wheel shouts to the others "Remember….we want to take them alive…..if we can.
But Elvar said that if it's our lives or theirs…..make them die painfully!"

Eventually, they kill the attackers but are still harassed by one of the archers on the bluff. Sylvannas jumps on a nearby horse and pursues up and over the bluff. The archer, trying to flee, mounts his horse and the chase is on. Sylvannas, draws her bow and fires. Even on horseback at full speed she hits her mark.

Unfortunately for Sylvannas, her attention was on the fleeing archer and not the terrain. She and her horse plummet into a small gorge in the otherwise flat plain. Injured, both to body and pride, she rejoins the group. They do not mention her stumble...but their smiles do,

They decide to take the wagon, as it is in good shape. Mystora replaces the removed wheel and attaches it to her horse.

Soon they arrive at the gates of Triel.

Garren's Wagon

The guards posted at the gate look at each other worried.

They call for more guards. One of the guards approach them and asks them why they have Garren's wagon. The group explains the attack and then have to explain how they have not murdered anyone. After some tense dialogue, the group finds that Jay Harris had arrived days earlier and told the city that Lady Mara was murdered by those who were hired to protect the caravan. This angered the citizens and some of them took it upon themselves to seek revenge.

Not only was the marriage celebration something the citizens were looking forward to but it would make political inroads to link Triel to the Waterdeep allegiance.

The group calls out to Lady Mara to come out of her wagon. She does so. She does not look like nobility. She is dischelved, hair cut short and ragged, clothes dirty from the road and blood splattered from the owlbear cubs. She is still shaken and is not the composed Lady Mara the group was expecting.

The guards call for Elvar to come and make a decision. Elvar arrives shortly and hears the group out. It is decided that Jay Harris should be present. Until such time, the group must surrender their weapons and stay within the city. They are taken to the Singing Wind Inn and are given a meal of succulent meat and bread.

They have no fear that once they can face their accuser, the foul Jay Harris, things will be sorted out easily.

Soul Stealer

Hurting and lacking in spell abilities, the group decides to rest....a nice long rest. But safe places within the kobold warrens are not to be found. So Messick has his dog, Justice, dig a tunnel and then to dig out a hole large enough for them all to rest in. After resting they quietly approach the mouth of their new cave only to find two kobolds pacing around the edge of the cave near a exiting tunnel, seemingly waiting. When the characters emerge out of the hole they quickly attack, the kobolds retreat quickly down the tunnel leading deeper into the warrens.

Chase In The Tunnels

The group one by one, exit out of the dugout and join the chase until they hear the sound of rushing water. Turning the corner they find they have come to a rushing river crossing the path of the tunnel. The kobolds can be seen running across the bridge above the rushing river.

The bridge is a rickety wooden affair made from mold and mildew ridden wood. Some of the group stop at the foot of the bridge, while Mystora, the dwarf, pursues the kobolds across. One of the koblds, already badly hurt, stops at the far end of the bridge. He kneels and pulls out a device from his belt. The kobold presses a button on the device and the bridge is engulfed in flames and explodes into mold and mildew ridden wood dust. The kobold is engulfed in the flames and dies as Mystora is plunged into the cold waters below and begins to be washed down river.

Mystora is then pulled back to shore by Princess Elora, aided by Gunter.

When the adventurers finally regroup back on the side of the bridge, away from the kobolds, they discuss how to pursue across the river.

Crossing The River

Eda, takes off the broom she found back in the nothic's disgusting lair. The broom looks like any other ordinary broom, save for the arcane engravings along its shaft and the word "Brum" engraved in large ornate letters. Eda holds it out at arms length and shouts "Brum!"....with no effect. She then shouts, "Broom!" and the broom pulls at her hand and she lets go, the broom hovering in front of her.

She begins taking, any of the others who cannot fly already, across the river one by one until they all stand on the other side. They continue the pursuit down the tunnels as they hear kobold hissing and laughing further down. Messick, now holding a torch aloft, sees a couple of kobolds down the tunnel ducking around a corner and peeking out at them.

Sylvannas, watches along with Messick, and now once seen, the kobold cannot escape her magical arrows. She lets one fly, even though the kobold ducks back around the corner, the arrow finds the kobold and pierces its shoulder. The group can her the kobold cry out in pain as the kobolds can be seen and heard running away.

Watch Out For Traps In A Kobold Warren

Sylvannas pursues, unleashing arrows as she runs. Unfortunately, her weight is much heavier than a small kobold and as she runs she hears a click and the ground she is running on springs up, as the hidden catapult under the tunnel's floor launches Sylvannas up and into a series of wooden spikes anchored in the ceiling, angled just right to catch a body flung from the catapult.

The rest of the group cautiously approaches, most taking time to skirt the edges of the tunnel, clinging to the walls. As they come up underneath Sylvannas, who is still impaled upon several spikes, her feet dangle a few feet above their heads. The group looks around at each other and give a collective shrug. Messick jumps slightly to grab hold of Sylvannas' feet and pulls. Together they fall back down, Sylvannas getting injured even further in the rescue.

After a bit of first aid and healing, the group moves on, even more cautiously now.

A Mysterious Figure Stealing Souls

The tunnel eventually opens up in a large cavern. Just inside the cavern is a large drake, drool dripping from its snarling fang-filled mouth. It looks directly at the group. As they move slowly into the cave they can make out a pile of bodies, some of which they recognize as members of the doomed caravan. They are clearly dead, save for one slumped body chained to the wall on the far side of the pile of corpses.

Around a corner they find another chamber, a kobold stands ready to fight and defend a hooded creature that stands on a small raised natural dais, behind it a large open shimmering portal. Cat like features can just be made from under the hood of the creature, as it stands with one arm raised above one of the caravan people, Junia. She lies motionless upon the steps of the dais. A silver shimmering energy is slowly emerging from Junia's body and flows into a censer the creature holds above Junia's body.

As the group moves into view, the cat like hooded creature raises its head towards them. Shimmering eyes glow slightly as its eyes meet those of the group. Its face is only partially covered in mangy patchy fur. It's free clawed hand, with the same patchy mangy fur, points at the group as a raspy ancient voice whispers, "Stop them".

Each in the group begins to fight off the drake and kobold, while Sylvannas draws back her bow and points it towards the creature standing upon the stone steps of the dais. But she does not fire on the creature, instead she takes careful aim at the censer it holds, the silver ethereal stream still flowing from Junia, the halfling, into the censer.

The arrow strikes true and hard. With a loud metallic clang, the censer is spun on it's handle, still held by the creature. The silver stream of energy pulls, thins, then snaps and rushes back into Junia. The creature looks up at Sylvannas, its eyes glaring in anger. It then mutters words of incantation and raises it hands. In front of Sylvannas, a circular portal shimmers on the ground and a large fire demon raises up out of it. It charges the group.

Fire and Water

Looking at the censer in its hand, the creature seems to think for a moment as it evaluates the group as they fight. Muttering a single unintelligible word, the group sees the world grind to a slow halt, as the creature continues to move at a regular, and now seemingly incredibly fast speed. It approaches Messick who is the closest of the group and it looks closely at his face, "You better hope we never meet again.", its breath on Messick's face, that of something long dead.

It walks back to the portal upon the rough carved dais. The creature steps through and is gone.

The battle is hard fought with finally the fire demon defying the damage the group does to it. Messick is felled by the fire demon but is brought back to life by Princess Elora. Finally, the fire demon, damaged by Gunter's green-flame blade spell, is put out by Princess Elora's tiadal wave spell.

Moving about the room, the group is able to revive both Junia and the chained human. They find the chained human to also be a part of the doomed caravan. His name is Fodel Sbilans, he has an eye patch over one eye and has an old scarred up arm. With a gravely voice he thanks the group and asks when they may depart. The group wants to take time to look around.

Through The Portal

Eda has her cat familiar, Harry, pursue the escaped creature through the portal and watches through its eyes as it walks through a large warehouse with stacks of crates. The crates are stacked such that one cannot see very far, so the cat climbs up to the top. It sees a few humanoids walking through the warehouse, seemingly unconcerned.

Meanwhile, the others have built a funeral pyre for the fallen caravan folk. Gunter then decides to use gust of wind to waft the massive amount of smoke through the portal. As the few people in the warehouse begin to realize the building is starting to fill with smoke one of them runs out. Soon a well dressed dragonborn enters the building. Harry watches as the massive, even for a dragonborn, creature stride up to the portal, perform some movements and the teleportation circle shuts down.

Back in the kobold warrens, the group finds two odd looking crates. They are made of blackened wood with white arcanic symbols etched into the edges of the crate. The symbols scroll and swirl and sometimes join to make crude skull figures. They are locked and when shot with an arrow of Sylvannas' move and jitter with odd noises.

Removed from the bodies before they were placed upon the funeral pyre, were several odds and ends along with quite a bit of coin. The caravaners were travelling for business and as such had coin for purchasing supplies. Some of the more interesting items were two keys, one of iron and one of brass as well as an ornate ceramic ocarina.

A Hidden Ship

Finally, they pack up and begin to move back through the tunnels. When they approach the remains of the bridge, they find the kobold who set off the explosion. He is just a burned husk, kneeling, his hands still holding the now burned out trigger. Gunter angrily kicks the kobold corpse into the river. It falls into the rushing waters below and bobs up and floats quickly down the river. As the group watches the hated kobold bob and soon round a bend in the river out of sight. Immediately a flash of arcanic white light accompanies a loud explosion. Princess Elora flies along, following the path of the river and around the bend sees a thin veil of energy blocking the way further down the river. A glyph of warding is cast on the energy barrier. Beyond, in the darkness of the subterranean river floats above the river, a massive ship.

Spoiler Inside

DM Note: Wow! Never thought anyone would find this here. It was here for future story purposes (or maybe backstory purposes). But hey! You found it! Not sure you could really do anything about it but good on you for trying. All from Gunter angrily kicking a kobold corpse into the river

The group decides to investigate but in order to bypass the glyph of warding they decide to let Justice dig a hole through the side of the tunnel closest to where they believe the ship to be docked. Soon enough Justice has dug a tunnel that emerges directly across from the ship.

A Demon Too Strong

The ship seems to be constructed out of some black type of wood or metal composite. There are no visible sails, but 4 massive dark globes hover above the ship, anchored to the ship by a web of robes. As Gunter and Messick look upon the ship, a faint fiery glow can be seen emerging from below. Gunter decides to go across. Messick decides that's just crazy. As Gunter throws a grappling hook across, the loud noise alerts the creature in the hold of the ship. As the creature climbs up and out of the hold, the group, most of whom stand in the dark safety of the newly dug tunnel on the side of the river, watch as a fiery demon, a balor looks around.

The balor looks down and sees Gunter on the side of the ship, fast as fire, the balor grabs Gunter and grunts, "Who are you?", but Gunter within its fiery grasp and so near it's blazingly hot body, dies before he can answer. The balor drops Gunter, dead upon the ship.

Mystora, grabs her magical spear and throws it directly through Gunter's chest, the spear grabbing the body and Mystora reels in the dead body. Once back with the group they revive him and Gunter just gives them a nod and a wink, and they're off again.

The Kobold Warrens

The group decides to rest for a short while before moving on through the roughly dug kobold tunnels. As some of the group retreat into the safety of Eda's rope trick spell. While inside some of the group notice a hole being dug into one of the tunnel walls, as a kobold's nose pokes out from the newly dug hole. The kobold peers cautiously around before retreating back into the small tunnel. When the group is ready to move on Sylvannas fires off an arcane imbued arrow down the small tunnel in which they saw the kobold. The arrow magically navigates the tunnel and from around the corner of a different tunnel a yip of pain can be heard. They head off in that direction.

Everyone Watch Out For Traps, Kobolds Love Traps

Turt, the tortle, moves first through the narrow tunnels, but when he hears a slight click, he quickly tucks his head and limbs into his shell, falling with a thunk upon the tunnel's dirt floor. Behind him the group watches in horror as from the ceiling, with the creaking sounds of vines, a huge beam of timber held by a series of vines swings down towards them. Turt and Messick take the brunt of the damage.

After recovering, the group presses on until they see the opposite end of the newly dug kobold tunnel from which the kobolds were trying to spy upon the group from. The group moves cautiously down the tunnels until Messick breaks through a thin crust of earth and falls into a dug pit with poisonous spikes at its bottom.

Sylvannas, decides that she can easily avoid the trap by jumping over it, only to find a second identical trap is placed just on the far side of the first pit.

Messick commands his dog, Justice to dig a while and tunnel his way towards his master in the pit and thne continue on towards the next pit. After coming to Sylvannas they have Justice continue his tunnel under the already existing tunnels, guided by Eda's cat familiar, who walks the tunnels above.

Kobold Hatchery

They come to a large cavern covered in mushrooms and eggs held in place by mud nests.
A lone kobold with globs of glowing green dotting his body. He moves from egg to egg applying some sort of green ooze to the eggs.

He looks up at the group entering the cavern and he warns them to get out. They don't listen. They move further in only to have several of the mushrooms begin to make a horrible screeching sound, which in turn triggers other such mushrooms to take part in the shrieking. It continues until the cavern is filled with the brain-grating sound.

They kill off the kobold and in the process destroy several of the kobold eggs. Messick picks up an egg and carries it towards the tunnel continuing further into the lair. He yells out with the help of thaumaturgy that if they let them pass no harm will come to their eggs.

A lone kobold comes with arms raised in front of him and says for the group to not harm the eggs. Messick tells the kobold to stop but the kobold continues walking forward, telling the group not to harm, holding his hands out empty. Sylvannas makes a show of threatening, then killing an egg and smashing its contents but unfortunately, the kobold at the far end of the cavern did not see this happen.

When the kobold is close enough he runs and lunges at Messick, barely missing him. As he falls near Messick, the kobold who he now sees was wearing several vials across his chest in a bandoleer style belt. When he falls to the floor, they vials shatter, causing an massive explosion.

After the explosion, they hear the growls of some sort of beast. Several of the group worry about drakes, as they are often associated with kobolds. But something calls them back.

Insane Collector

It is then that Mystora discovers a hole in the middle of the cavern floor. Below seems to be a pit strewn with various body parts. As they drop down into the hole they find themselves in a low ceilinged cave beneath the other cavern. Several pillars are scattered throughout but hiding behind one of them is a a creature, back turned to them who is looking at different items and setting them down. It mutters to itself.

"The dragon comes"
"Soon sooooon"
"...and he smiles...."
" we need more, more.  Must find more..."
"souls souls souls"

When the group call out to it, it turns around to reveal itself as a nothic. Mystora has heard of these creatures from the old ones in her clan. They used to be wizards who have dabbled in the arcane arts beyond their capabilities or experimented with magic which went horribly wrong. They don't remember much of their former lives but are obsessed with magic and magic items.

Indeed the nothic has cobbled together a few shrines to his magic items which he has collected from some of the dead tossed down here over the years. Messick approaches him and talks to him. The creature is easily distracted but keeps coming back to his desire to seek out more souls. The group makes quick and easy work of the nothic and it is soon dead.

The room is a disgusting collection of horrors but Gunter is quick to point out the fact that there seems to be a few shrines to magical items in different areas of the cave.

Magical treasure.....is there anything better.

Taken In The Storm

The night is silent after the group has finished killing the attacking kobolds. The group rushes through the caravan checking wagons for anyone hurt or missing. One by one they find that everyone is gone. Signs of struggle are everywhere. In one wagon Messick finds, hidden under tarps, the young elven farmer, named Pateli Little Iron. She hid when she heard the screams.

They check the wagon of lady Mara and find it empty. The wagon doors open. Not pried or forced but simply open.

The Abudction Of Lady Mara By The Scoundrel Jay Harris
1,000 XP

From out in the woods they hear groans of pain and the rustle of branches. They move carefully to find Marcon, the dark skinned Turamian tasked with driving and guarding the Lady Mara, gravely wounded and crawling along the ground. He tells them that Jay Harris has taken the Lady Mara and her girl-in-waiting, Bryda. Marcon believes Jay Harris had taken the opportunity to take the Lady Mara for ransom purposes.

The fairy, Princess Elora and Gunter pursue through the thick woods in the direction that Marcon tells them he believes Jay Harris has taken the young women. They come to a clearing, where across on the opposite side, they see Jay Harris struggling to move both the women further into the woods. Jay moves into the bushes before Princess Elora and Gunter can catch  them.

Bryda R.I.P.

Across the clearing, Princess Elora and Gunter find the body of Bryda, Lady Mara's girl-in-waiting. Her lifeless body lies upon the ground, her throat slit from ear to ear. They cannot pause for too long, lest they loose Jay Harris and Lady Mara. As Princess Elora flies quickly through the tangle of branches she soon catches up and casts, thorny whip and catches Jay. Jay Harris is no skilled fighter so he pushed Lady Mara towards his pursuers and runs away. Princess Elora approaches Lady Mara and cuts her bonds. They return to the camp with Gunter carrying the body of Bryda.

Lady Mara Grieves

After letting Lady Mara briefly grieve and then tell the group how Jay had come to them during the attack, telling them how he would take them to safety, they bury the body of <?> near the edge of the woods. Princess Elora uses her druid magic to grow a series of beautiful flowers around the fresh grave.

Gunter believes that he sees tracks from the kobolds and marks indicating them carrying off the caravan's people. But the others feel tracking in the middle of the night might not be the safest strategy. As well, they each have had a long day and they need their rest to restore their health and their magics.

Messick, the half-orc (half elf) takes a few moments and moves among the dead kobolds and picks one. He begins to weave dark magic around the body and the kobold begins to move and rises. Messick stands before the undead kobold, now a zobold, and names it "Peanut Butter".

Tracking the Abducters

The next morning they awake and prepare to set out. They are easily able to track the kobold party in the wet ground. The kobolds small clawed feet leave distinctive marks in the ground. Among the kobold footprints are various drag marks indicating they still have the caravan people with them.

They follow the trail until the ground becomes rocky and they approach a roaring waterfall. The cliffs from which the water rushes down from are craggy but the group can make out rough steps and ledges among the cliff wall. On the ground are rocky formations which upon closer inspection seem to be the remains of several stone walls. Most lie close to the ground but a few stand up to 15 feet tall.

Battle At Reichenbach Falls
5,300 XP

Sylvannas sees a hawk flying through the sky and decides to fire an arrow at it. The arrow catches it in the wing but it is not enough to halt the hawk's flight. Just then an arrow flies from the direction of the cliff and hits the hawk. This hit is direct in the hawk's body and the hawk plummets, spiraling down into the nearby woods. The group looks to the cliff. Several more arrows rain down hitting several of the group.

The adventurers run for cover behind the various stone wall remnants. Several kobolds run out from near the waterfall and begin to attack the group, while arrows continue to rain down from the cliffs. Messick takes on the kobolds up on the ledges of the cliffs. Mystora, the dwarven barbarian moves among the ruins and uses her spear to deadly effect. While Eda, the wizard, sits upon a low stone wall lobbing in fireball spells from the distance.

As Princess Elora, flies up to the ledge where Messick is battling two kobolds on his own, he tells her that he has this under control as he uses vampiric touch to drain the kobolds of their life force. One of the kobolds dives off of the cliff towards Gunter and Mystora. Eventually, after killing the kobolds, Messick again uses his dark powers to raise the dead kobold into his undead servant. He names this one "Jelly".

Soon, the field grows quiet save the roar of the waterfall, as the kobolds one by one are felled. The group explores and quickly find the secret entrance to the kobolds lair hidden behind the waterfall. Unfortunately for the weaker individuals of the party, the tiny Princess Elora and the human wizard Eda, the waterfall's power is enough to throw them back in the river streaming away from the waterfall. But eventually, with perseverance, they are able to get through the waterfall and into the cave beyond.

Inside The Kobold Lair

Inside the cave the river flows down into the tunnel system. Inside the kobold lair the air is heavy with humidity and a fetid heat. The stench is thick enough to chew. Ahead the tunnel ends in a rocky barrier but nearby they can see a faint glow of firelight. Gunter quietly moves ahead and looks carefully around the corner. There he sees several kobolds.

They decide to rest, Eda, casts rope trick and they climb into a protected pocket dimension, hidden from view. There they try to rest to mend their wounds. As the group rests Mystora looks down into the kobolds lair, she notices an odd scrawled image on the cave walls. It seems to be drawn their with a rough kobold hand. It looks to be an image in worship of either a dragon or dragon deity. She brings it up to the group but none can place the symbol with any particular dragon.

A Kobold Arcane Archer
2,900 XP

The kobolds are sitting in a large alcove, a tunnel system continues further on at the end of the cave. Two kobolds sit in the far end, they wear backpacks and have a myriad of tools sticking out from their belts and one of them wears odd eyepieces that sit in front of one of his eyes, held in place by straps of leather around his head. A old crooked kobold wearing an odd robe made of something akin to dragonscales sits on the far side of a small fire. A strong looking kobold stands in the center of the room, alert and holding a stringless bow.

The group moves in for the attack.

The strong kobold pulls back on the stringless bow, an ethereal arrow forming in his hands and looses it upon the group. The arrow splits into two and hits both the dwarf, Mystora and the warlock, Gunter. As the other come up from the rear, the two tinkering kobolds make a run for the tunnels in an escape. The stooped kobold begins weaving his hands in the air pulling the weave of magic and summons a water elemental which forms out of the fast streaming river. It attacks and grabs individuals pulling them into its watery body. Messick's two zobolds were sadly felled during the battle.

Soon they have dispatched all but the arcane kobold archer who begins to retreat into the tunnels. But he is stopped by the concerted effort of the group. They stop and listen and can only hear the rush of water.

Do they go further into the kobold's lair? How long do the abducted caravan people have?

They Meet In A Tavern

It is the year 1731, and Leaffall is just has just begun. The Highharvesttide festival has wound down and the cities are crowded with peoples from all over the countryside, who had come to sell their wares and take part in the festivities. The population dwindles everyday as people reluctantly make their way home, outside of the protective walls of Daggerford.

It is an uneasy time. Attacks upon settlements up and down the Sword Coast have become disturbingly frequent. It has been more than 200 years since the height of peace reigned upon the Faerun.  The Order Of The Obsidian Dagger, the militant group keeping light and order throughout the land has long since become a thing talked in reverence, only by those who's race is long lived and their memories long.

The Happy Cow Tavern

Several adventurers find themselves in the commoner's tavern, The Happy Cow. The bartender, Junia Bulsara, a stout hafling is talking to a man, whose drinking has obviously started early in the day. He is tall and scrawny, but wears bulky clothes perhaps to try and give himself a look of more sturdiness than he actually has. The clothes themselves used to be of a fine cloth and cut but have long since worn out to be threadbare in places.

"What do ya mean you haven't got a team ready?! We leave in the morrow! I am willing to pay coin those skilled with a sword. There's no way any of us are heading down the Trailway all the way to Triel with no swords", the hafling complains.

"Okay, okay. No need to get your knickers in a bunch.", at which the man turns to the patrons of the tavern and begins to seek those who have the time, the skill and the need of gold

The drunk goes round to any tables who have individuals who seem capable with protection duty. He introduces himself as Jay Harris, a member of the adventurers guild, The Order Of The Obsidian Dagger. The group hears others in the tavern scoff at the name of the adventurer's guild. Apparently it is a loose group of adventurers who do odd duties such as protecting caravans and disposing of packs of wild dogs that can harass the farmers. It is by no means a glamorous group.

Jay Harris approaches the table with a half-orc/half-elf, Messick Elfbood. He tells them of the opportunity of adventure and making easy gold, protecting a caravan of farmers. He sees Messick, and others, eyeing his sword. It is the only thing of worth he carries. Trying to impress the tavern patrons he stands and unsheathes his sword with a flourish, or tries to. The weight of the sword pulls him off balance as his strength is not able to hold the sword at such an angle. He stumbles a bit before recovering.

Before he can give a rousing speech, Messick, moves in a flash to grab Jay Harris' throat as well as his sword hand. "Drop it!", the half-orc commands. The crushing strength of the half-orc's grip forces Jay to drop the sword. "Never unsheathe your sword unless you mean to use it. Now pick up your sword and put it away.". Jay, embarrassed, stoops to pick up his sword and quickly sheathes it.

Jay quickly leaves the table and approaches others in the tavern.

Adventurers Assemble

There is Gunter Davis a bard/warlock who takes it upon himself to entertain the tavern with his music, and appreciates the bit of coin he gets in return.
A tiny fairy, Princess Elora Moonily, accompanied by her tree-like companion, flits around the room often resting in the rafters of the tavern watching and listening to everything. That is until she hears the festival outside and flies off to join the revelry, tossing flower seeds as she goes and flowers springing up behind her.
A sullen dwarf, Mystora Frostbeard, drinks from a flagon and decides a bit of coin wouldn't be all that bad. Just a bit of walking for a fortnight protecting squishy farmers.
Eda, a fiery human wizard, stands ready to lob fireballs at anyone who looks at her the wrong way. But she decides that protecting the caravan is a good thing to do, as long as Jay Harris promises to watch her back as she watches his.

There is also a noble elf, Sylvannas Windrunner, a squire, Caleb Hawkspring, sitting beside. He is quietly approached by a stout dwarf. The dwarf is dressed in nice red robes with gold trim. On his back he carries a battleaxe and a long spear with a chain attached. He whispers to Sylvannas that no one should accompany Jay Harris. He is untrustworthy and that most people in caravans don't make it to where they're going. The dwarf then walks off back to his table alone.

The Caravan

The next morning the caravan assembles outside the walls of Daggerford. Near the farmer's gate in the west wall of the city several wagons sit on the roadside, while a dozen people move about readying for the trip.

As the caravan prepares, Sylvannas heads off to see if a horse can be procured. Finding the stables is quick and Abdula, the stable master, offers up various horses. Gunter and Eda both think this is a good idea and purchase horses as well. Messick, has a better idea. He approaches a lone farmer woman. She is heading home, her cart empty as she leads her horse holding the rope in her hand. Messick tells her his sad story of how he is to travel to protect a caravan of farmers just like her and all he needs is a horse. She relents but makes sure Messick knows of the importance of her horse, Clyde, to the family farm.

The Bandit Ambush
4,100 XP

The road to Triel is empty. Travelers are rare in these days. Bandits and beast abound. But the group has a nice day. That is until bandits and beasts. Standing in the middle of the road is a stout dwarf, dressed in red robes with gold trim. On his back he bears a battleaxe and a spear with an attached chain. He shouts that he is Embard Rockseeker and he has warned some of them that it is unwise to accompany this caravan.

It is then that several bugbears charge out from the woods on either side of the road. Arrow shoot out from within the woods as well, pinning some of the group behind the wagons. Sylvanna's squire is shot through with arrows and collapses dead in the middle of the road. Embard Rockseeker, the bandit dwarf, throws his speer which skewers Mystora and a charge of magical energy rushes through the attached chain for brutal effect.

Soon, though bugbears and bandit dwarf are dead. Bugbears carry little gold but Mystora retrieves Rockseeker's spear.

A Noble Is Discovered

As the group moves about the caravan making sure everyone is ok, a commotion can be heard near a wooden covered wagon. A young disheveled woman is pushing Jay Harris away. It would seem Jay Harris' protection is not needed or wanted near this wagon. The young woman, Bryda, tells the group that Jay Harris has been sniffing around this wagon too much and is not welcome. Bryda tells everyone that no one is to approach this wagon. The driver of the wagon, a dark-skinned Tumarian, sits quietly in watch of the altercation. Bryda is well capable of handling this.

Princess Elora and Sylvannas decide that they can use their political connections to demand an audience with whoever is within the wagon. Somehow the bard Gunter talks his way into the wagon as well. Inside the wagon they find a young woman, of maybe 14 years, Lady Mara Hornraven. They find she is on her way to Triel to be wed to the son of Elvar The Grainlord. This marriage would create a strong political bond between the two cities and families. But Lady Mara does not hide the fact that she is upset and will do anything to avoid this tragedy. She has watched the adventurers in the battle with the bandits and feels that the life of the adventurer is for her.

Sylvannas tells Lady Mara that it would be an honor to teach her defense with her dagger.

Kobolds In The Night
3,850 XP

The rest of the day passes as the caravan moves further towards Triel. As evening approaches, a storm begins to grow in the distance. When the caravan makes camp, Sylvannas tries to convince the farmers to being making a fence or barricade but they leave the defense to the ones hired for protection.

As everyone beds down for the night, Messick and Sylvannas are the only ones awake. A cold fog begins to roll in with the storm soon to roll in. The fog eventually thickens a begins to obscure everything. It is then that the two begin to hear screams, dulled inside the fog. As the rest of the group awakens from the screaming and alerted by Sylvannas' war horn, they each can see small creatures moving within the fog.

Kobolds burst towards them, still within the cover of the fog. The battle is joined by a kobold at the edge of the forest who uses odd guttural sounds and shakes a staff with odd tokens attached to it. Casting spells like heat metal on Messick and lobbing fireball spells into the others.

But soon the fog clears as the kobold mage is killed and soon the other kobolds are dispatched. But it would seem that at least some of the caravan's people are gone...

....taken by kobolds