Show
Tonight I ran the first session of my new Monday night Forgotten Realms campaign. We had spent much of the afternoon enjoying our day off for Memorial Day, but we got down to it and got about 4 hours of gaming in. I've titled the adventure Frostford Pass (as I've always enjoyed the naming convention of old D&D modules that are basically just the names of places), and the heroes got through a couple of encounters and are well on their way through the adventure.
The players, and their characters, are:
Malkyr Nightstep, drow rogue from Baldur's Gate, played by Mike Mearls.
Theren Mordenson, half-elf warlock from Myth Drannor, played by Derek Guder
Sardon of the Seven, genasi warlord from Wheloon, played by Chris Tulach
Zereb-Khan, genasi swordmage from Akanûl, played by Logan Bonner
Harold Glimmerwick, human wizard from Waterdeep, played by Greg Bilsland
Each of the players came up with basic backstories for their characters, and the adventure began!
The North. Known to some as the Savage Frontier. A cold, biting place on the edge of civilization. Poised at the base of the Spine of the World mountains, leagues West of the mining city of Mirabar, is a sleepy little town called Gateheim. A century ago, Gateheim was probably a booming trade town, situated at the base of a route through the Spine, a place where travelers to, or from, Icewind Dale could stop before making their way on to Luskan, Neverwinter, or Waterdeep. Now, the town is over half abandoned, run down and rickety, and only a small population of hangers-on continue to live in Gateheim. It is into this small town that our heroes ride, unaware that mere hours later they'll be leaving once more...
The heroes ride into town and meet the local Sheriff, a grizzled, weathered old man who introduces himself as Elias. Sheriff Elias warns the heroes that they don't want any trouble, and if they have any notions in their heads of adventure or excitement, they'd best be moving on. As they are getting stern warnings from Sheriff Elias, a well-dressed, charismatic and roguishly charming many by the name of Arden swoops in to offer a more proper welcome. As it turns out, Arden is the owner/operator of several local businesses (Arden's General Store and Fine Goods Emporium, Arden's Tannery and Leatherworking, Arden's House of Companionship, etc.) and the self-described Commissioner of Gateheim Commerce, who extended the hand of friendship to the heroes.
Later, as the heroes dined at a place called the Leaky Tankard (owned by the Sheriff's niece-in-law, Arissa), a caravan of wagons rolled into town, disgorging food and supplies from the first wagon while the other two sat untouched. After a bit of prying, the heroes discovered that the caravan's other two wagons are intended to be sent across the Spine to the Ten Towns area, specifically a walled town called Brynn Shander. However, the wagons would be going nowhere, as they had been claimed by a band of outlaws calling themselves the Blackhands, named for the black leather gloves they all wear. Just as the heroes go to ender one of Arden's establishments, seven Blackhands barge out of the building, knocking poor Harold over in the process. Unaccustomed to such rough treatment, Harold casts a sleep spell on the leader and two of his lackeys, and the fight is on! While the party struggles to deal with the human bandits, a halfling Blackhand leans out one of the upper-story windows and begins slinging stones down at the heroes, raining damage down and forcing the heroes to take cover behind a building. As the fight wore on, the heroes took down several of the Blackhands, and, enraged, the halfling leapt down from the second story window with a lantern in hand, smashing it against the side of one of the wagons and setting it ablaze. Fortunately, the heroes subdued the halfling and put out the fire, ending the scuffle.
Needless to say, the Sheriff is none to pleased with what the heroes have done, but he seems more agitated than angry. After throwing the surviving Blackands into the lockup, he tells the heroes that mostly he just warns people away from Gateheim because he knows hotheaded fools (like the heroes) will get themselves killed. Seeing the heroes know how to handle themselves, he mentions that they might be able to deliver the much-needed supplies to the Ten Towns area in Icewind Dale; with Arden offering to front the money for such an expedition, the heroes accept, and will leave within the day to head across the Spine. First, however, they decide to interrogate the prisoners, and learn a good deal about the Blackhands. These particular Blackhands left their hideout in the Spine of the World weeks ago under the orders of a man named Azard. Azard, reputed to be a powerful sorcerer who steals men's souls, dispatched the Blackhand thugs to bring the supplies into the mountains. However, the illiterate Blackhands proved to be no help in pointing out the location of their encampment on a map, and the heroes decided to leave matters alone. The Sheriff assured the heroes that the prisoners would be no further trouble, and so the trip to Icewind Dale began.
Nearing the most dangerous parts of the Spine of the World, the heroes began to see strange sights. In the dead of the night, strange balls of fire began to drift back and forth across the horizon, with no explanation for their presence. The very next day, as the heroes passed through a wide, wooded trail in the mountains, four goblins and their wolf pet sprung out in ambush. Thanks to the canny skills of the heroes, the goblins were defeated (though not before Malkyr suffered a near-fatal wound), but on the leader of the ambush party, a note (in crudely-written Common) gave the heroes an interesting clue to what lies ahead. Scrawled on the note were the following words:
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
The players, and their characters, are:
Malkyr Nightstep, drow rogue from Baldur's Gate, played by Mike Mearls.
Theren Mordenson, half-elf warlock from Myth Drannor, played by Derek Guder
Sardon of the Seven, genasi warlord from Wheloon, played by Chris Tulach
Zereb-Khan, genasi swordmage from Akanûl, played by Logan Bonner
Harold Glimmerwick, human wizard from Waterdeep, played by Greg Bilsland
Each of the players came up with basic backstories for their characters, and the adventure began!
The North. Known to some as the Savage Frontier. A cold, biting place on the edge of civilization. Poised at the base of the Spine of the World mountains, leagues West of the mining city of Mirabar, is a sleepy little town called Gateheim. A century ago, Gateheim was probably a booming trade town, situated at the base of a route through the Spine, a place where travelers to, or from, Icewind Dale could stop before making their way on to Luskan, Neverwinter, or Waterdeep. Now, the town is over half abandoned, run down and rickety, and only a small population of hangers-on continue to live in Gateheim. It is into this small town that our heroes ride, unaware that mere hours later they'll be leaving once more...
The heroes ride into town and meet the local Sheriff, a grizzled, weathered old man who introduces himself as Elias. Sheriff Elias warns the heroes that they don't want any trouble, and if they have any notions in their heads of adventure or excitement, they'd best be moving on. As they are getting stern warnings from Sheriff Elias, a well-dressed, charismatic and roguishly charming many by the name of Arden swoops in to offer a more proper welcome. As it turns out, Arden is the owner/operator of several local businesses (Arden's General Store and Fine Goods Emporium, Arden's Tannery and Leatherworking, Arden's House of Companionship, etc.) and the self-described Commissioner of Gateheim Commerce, who extended the hand of friendship to the heroes.
Later, as the heroes dined at a place called the Leaky Tankard (owned by the Sheriff's niece-in-law, Arissa), a caravan of wagons rolled into town, disgorging food and supplies from the first wagon while the other two sat untouched. After a bit of prying, the heroes discovered that the caravan's other two wagons are intended to be sent across the Spine to the Ten Towns area, specifically a walled town called Brynn Shander. However, the wagons would be going nowhere, as they had been claimed by a band of outlaws calling themselves the Blackhands, named for the black leather gloves they all wear. Just as the heroes go to ender one of Arden's establishments, seven Blackhands barge out of the building, knocking poor Harold over in the process. Unaccustomed to such rough treatment, Harold casts a sleep spell on the leader and two of his lackeys, and the fight is on! While the party struggles to deal with the human bandits, a halfling Blackhand leans out one of the upper-story windows and begins slinging stones down at the heroes, raining damage down and forcing the heroes to take cover behind a building. As the fight wore on, the heroes took down several of the Blackhands, and, enraged, the halfling leapt down from the second story window with a lantern in hand, smashing it against the side of one of the wagons and setting it ablaze. Fortunately, the heroes subdued the halfling and put out the fire, ending the scuffle.
Needless to say, the Sheriff is none to pleased with what the heroes have done, but he seems more agitated than angry. After throwing the surviving Blackands into the lockup, he tells the heroes that mostly he just warns people away from Gateheim because he knows hotheaded fools (like the heroes) will get themselves killed. Seeing the heroes know how to handle themselves, he mentions that they might be able to deliver the much-needed supplies to the Ten Towns area in Icewind Dale; with Arden offering to front the money for such an expedition, the heroes accept, and will leave within the day to head across the Spine. First, however, they decide to interrogate the prisoners, and learn a good deal about the Blackhands. These particular Blackhands left their hideout in the Spine of the World weeks ago under the orders of a man named Azard. Azard, reputed to be a powerful sorcerer who steals men's souls, dispatched the Blackhand thugs to bring the supplies into the mountains. However, the illiterate Blackhands proved to be no help in pointing out the location of their encampment on a map, and the heroes decided to leave matters alone. The Sheriff assured the heroes that the prisoners would be no further trouble, and so the trip to Icewind Dale began.
Nearing the most dangerous parts of the Spine of the World, the heroes began to see strange sights. In the dead of the night, strange balls of fire began to drift back and forth across the horizon, with no explanation for their presence. The very next day, as the heroes passed through a wide, wooded trail in the mountains, four goblins and their wolf pet sprung out in ambush. Thanks to the canny skills of the heroes, the goblins were defeated (though not before Malkyr suffered a near-fatal wound), but on the leader of the ambush party, a note (in crudely-written Common) gave the heroes an interesting clue to what lies ahead. Scrawled on the note were the following words:
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
-- George Krashos
Nice to see that even WotC designers are happy to indulge in the "I wanna play a drow/genasi/phase doppleganger elf-troll coz they are cool"-mentality without any real coherent reason as to why such disparate individuals would ever band together.
-They are people, too. They have their needs...;)
These story hour snippets give the impression that the new Realms are just like your good ol regular Realms, despite the 100-year jump.
-There's the caveat.
This game log reads just like any regular game set in the 3e Realms. How was the game experience enhanced by the new setting?
This game log reads just like any regular game set in the 3e Realms. How was the game experience enhanced by the new setting?
I'm sure it wasn't
18DELTA ;)
-What caught me eye was the guys playing his game. How many are Paragons of Realmslore if any? Have any of them worked on any past Realms Books if any? What about Eberron? Its nice that there is finally a Realms game being played by the Folks at WotC. It makes me wonder how many Realmslore savy designers and developers other than Bruce Cordell and Rich Baker are in house at WotC? :embarrass
18DELTA ;)
-To be fair, we don't know what goes on "behind the scenes".
These story hour snippets give the impression that the new Realms are just like your good ol regular Realms, despite the 100-year jump.
If that's true, that does prompt the question of why it was necessary (if the "good ol' regular Realms" were truly that good) to move the timeline ahead and introduce a setting changing event such as the Spellplague.
What I actually meant with my comment was that the new Realms still sound like the Realms and not a new setting of its own, which has been heard here on the FR board/s more than once.
-Think Dragonlance.
-The crux of what I was getting at is that each 'age' took place (obviously) in a different time, so, while the core of what Dragonlance was remained in tact, each incarnation had a subtle-to-outright different flavor, for a lack of better words. And, that is what is happening here, too.
Yes, but these story hour posts gave me, at least, an impression that the flavor I like is still there.
-Tastes differ.
-The point is, that even though, "new Realms still sound like the Realms and not a new setting of its own", things 'zig', when they usually 'zag', things have 'a hint of salt', when they usually had 'a hint of pepper', and all kinds of other analogies like that.
-The setting is undoubtedly the Forgotten Realms, obviously, but they are different.
Clearly they had to remove most of what made the Realms the Realms to deal with those two points.
Well, to be fair, the old Realms had those pesky rules about not being allowed to play Drow and Genasi together. And that highly annoying 'Elminster sorts out every adventure hook himself inbetween sleeping with Mystra, so you needn't do anything' rule.
-You know, that brings up a good point. How did Elminster have the time to fix everyone's problems when he was busy sleeping with every maiden left and right? Makes you wonder...
The point is, that even though, "new Realms still sound like the Realms and not a new setting of its own", things 'zig', when they usually 'zag', things have 'a hint of salt', when they usually had 'a hint of pepper', and all kinds of other analogies like that.
-The setting is undoubtedly the Forgotten Realms, obviously, but they are different.
True enough. Even this messed up Realms will still have some flavor that I will like. There will still be evidence of the old Ed Realms, but it won't be as good for sure
-You know, that brings up a good point. How did Elminster have the time to fix everyone's problems when he was busy sleeping with every maiden left and right? Makes you wonder...
I'm going to go with Simulacrums(Simulacra?)
I'm going to go with Simulacrums(Simulacra?)
-Oh, that tricky, tricky Elminster.
-Oh, that tricky, tricky Elminster.
It's good to be a wizard ;)
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Glad to have helped, but I must warn you: almost all of this stuff is just made up by me. I mean, I'm running in the Realms pretty much right out of my 2nd Edition books, especially all the great resources on the North that TSR put out, and so far it's been going great!
I especially love Volo's Guide to the North.
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
I especially love Volo's Guide to the North.
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
Glad to have helped, but I must warn you: almost all of this stuff is just made up by me. I mean, I'm running in the Realms pretty much right out of my 2nd Edition books, especially all the great resources on the North that TSR put out, and so far it's been going great!
I especially love Volo's Guide to the North.
So the designers don't have a problem running Realms games using multiple older edition books and resources. They also feel comfortable making stuff up on the fly for lore they don't have, or don't know, not beholden to the dreaded canon and mounds of lore that crippled all their attempts at (and the very thought of) gaming in the Realms just a few months before. Other designers also are willing to play in these games and it seems like they're having fun. I guess it's cool to go retro.
So the designers don't have a problem running Realms games using multiple older edition books and resources. They also feel comfortable making stuff up on the fly for lore they don't have, or don't know, not beholden to the dreaded canon and mounds of lore that crippled all their attempts at (and the very thought of) gaming in the Realms just a few months before.
-Oh, geeze...;)
-Its nice that there is finally a Realms game being played by the Folks at WotC. [/b]
What makes any of you think there weren't?
Or are y'all taking snipets of online statements and stretching them out of proportion to conform to your own stereotypes? :P
Like Karsus said, we don't know what goes on behind WotC's walls.
:::::::::::::::::::::
Good to see I'm not the only one using Volo's Guides with 4E.
What makes any of you think there weren't?
-Chris Perkins stated in his online "interview" (I believe that was where this came from) that there were no Forgotten Realms games going on in the office.
-Chris Perkins stated in his online "interview" (I believe that was where this came from) that there were no Forgotten Realms games going on in the office.
They know nothings about good settings over there
-I am sick and tired of one glitch or another on this cr@ppy web site. It makes me wonder what kinda mess DDI will be when it finally goes live. :P Hey its caused me to go hang out at Necromancer Games, and other 3rd Patry Publishers. So its not a total loss on my part. :D I will be happy in the REAL REALMS, OR THE PATHFINDER WORLD.
:D :D -REMEMBER: 4E ONE CORE TO RULE THEM ALL.
18DELTA
You realize that’s not good reason to believe there are no Realms games going on at WotC, don’t you?
-So, that Chris Perkins stated that, at the time, there were no Forgotten Realms campaigns being played in the WotC building by the designers at the time, is not a good reason to believe that there were- we are talking in the past tense, here, not the present- no Forgotten Realms campaigns being played by said individuals?
-Would you happen to know that guy who was saying that, since Ed Greenwood said that Elminster is not a personification of his in the Forgotten Realms, he must be lying?
You realize that’s not good reason to believe there are no Realms games going on at WotC, don’t you?
Because they know nothin'? its the only explanation I can come up with
-Rich stated IIRC that while doing in house 4E play tests they were running 4E games in the default Core World or Eberron. IIRC its a post in his thread somewhere. I am not going to look for it. Hey if I am wrong cool. I dont really give a **** about WotC and their Core Rule Book Cr@p anymore. :D
-I am sick and tired of one glitch or another on this cr@ppy web site. It makes me wonder what kinda mess DDI will be when it finally goes live. :P Hey its caused me to go hang out at Necromancer Games, and other 3rd Patry Publishers. So its not a total loss on my part. :D I will be happy in the REAL REALMS, OR THE PATHFINDER WORLD.
-REMEMBER: 4E ONE CORE TO RULE THEM ALL.
18DELTA
You flipflop alot I have noticed. Since Jan you loved/hated/loved/hated/lovedhated the 4E Realms left and right. Just want to make sure you hate them again right? At least until next week.
(Of course the amount of times I place loved/hated is exaggerated but ya get the picture:D )On a side note I just realized I have not been playing in the Realms for at least 3and a half years.
A year of that is due to my kids birth but the other two years may have been due to lack of interest. Never even thought of that. I can see getting inspired to play it again or run it if the new book is any good. We shall see.
I bet that once Perkins realized that their was no known FR game going on he had some people rustle one up. Or somebody did. Well that is what I would do if I called the shots.
On a side note I just realized I have not been playing in the Realms for at least 3and a half years.
A year of that is due to my kids birth but the other two years may have been due to lack of interest. Never even thought of that. I can see getting inspired to play it again or run it if the new book is any good. We shall see.
congrats by the way on the birth of your kids. Fun ain't they. It took me about a year and half to start getting my kid in star wars. Now he's in to marvel super heroes, indiana jones and what not as well
pretty soon it will be D&D time
congrats by the way on the birth of your kids. Fun ain't they. It took me about a year and half to start getting my kid in star wars. Now he's in to marvel super heroes, indiana jones and what not as well
pretty soon it will be D&D time
Thanks for that. Actually they are almost 3 at this point. This seems to be the coolest stage since they are really starting to speak english and not the mysterious language known as twinese (twin talk). My boys like car and dinos now. They will watch Superman and Spiderman but also all the other kiddie shows. I am going to let my wife get them into sports (she was a real athlete in her youth) and I will try my best to make them into "cool" geeks and not the ones that get stuffed into lockers. :D
So the idea of a retooled Undermountain is getting me to come up with some ideas for a campaign again for FR. Too bad I cannot run both settings at once but my free time is limited at the moment.
You flipflop alot I have noticed. Since Jan you loved/hated/loved/hated/lovedhated the 4E Realms left and right. Just want to make sure you hate them again right? At least until next week.
-Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? He's "open-minded" at least.
I was trying to like 4E, then I saw the GSL, and well I lost any and all desire to play 4E. :embarrass What more can I say. 4E is not for me. Yeah I am still going to run Keep on the Shadowfell and thats it for 4E with me. 18DELTA ;)
I gosh with ya. Ya have flipflopped a lot but ya put alot of positive energy all over the boards with your links.
Anyway is that it for Rod posting his PCs adventures?
-:P
-I noticed that to. I guess Rodney has been busy.
18DELTA ;)
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1061088
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(Figured I'd better get this posted today, so I didn't have to try and do two weeks in a row after tonight)
Deep in the underground gatehouse for Frostford Pass, a tunnel through the mountains known as the Spine of the World, our heroes have managed to fight their way to the chambers of a warlock by the name of Azard, a human man who was in charge of the goblin troops currently guarding the gatehouse. After patching up their wounds from the fight with Azard and resting, the heroes ventured back out into the dungeon in search of a way to unblock the passage through the mountain.
As the heroes made their way into the room where they suspected the opening mechanism lay, they stumbled across a prisoner. When the heroes entered the room and began dealing with the goblin guards (along with another couple of kobolds mysteriously in place assisting them), the tiefling captive sprung up, having loosened his bonds, and joined the fray. As our heroes, plus the tiefling captive, dealt with the goblins, some of their number began rotating some large statues, causing what sounded like the grinding of gears to echo through the room. In truth they were trying to break the mechanism by which the large stone gate was lifted, but the heroes managed to stop the goblins in time, allowing them to open the gate. With the pass open and the goblins dealt with, our heroes had a chance to meet their new comrade: Bargath, a tiefling ranger (played by Jason Bulmahn).
With the pass open, the heroes journeyed through the Spine of the World before finally reaching their destination in the walled town of Brynn Shander. Unfortunately, their entry into the town was marked by an unpleasant sight: dozens of Blackhands standing at guard posts along the town's walls. Once inside the town, the heroes were greeted by Mayor Busby, a friendly and graying man who also serves as the town's sheriff. Mayor Busby listened to the heroes' tale and welcomed them into town, thanking them for the much-needed supplies they had brought, and assured them that they would be welcome to stay at the Falconer's Rest, the largest establishment in Brynn Shander. Mayor Busby also pulled Sardon aside, warning him that a handbill with his face on it had preceded him to Brynn Shander, though the Mayor assured him that he wouldn't be turning him in to collect the bounty, believing it the least he could do for bringing the supplies from Mirabar to the town.
With the supplies being distributed by the Mayor, the heroes traveled to the Falconer's Rest, a large inn that is part tavern, part hotel, part gambling hall, and part brothel. While cooling their heels, a slick-looking Blackhand in well-oiled studded leather entered the room and approached them. This newcomer identified himself as Andrez, the local captain of the watch and leader of the Blackhands in Brynn Shander. According to Andrez, the Blackhands are merely here to protect the innocent folks of the town, watching out for those who cannot watch out for themselves. The Blackhands are ostensibly there to protect the town from marauders, though our heroes certainly get the impression that the "protection" offered by the Blackhands is merely an excuse to plunder the town at their whim. A thinly-veiled threat from Andrez warned the heroes to stay out of trouble, and with that the Blackhand captain departs.
After finishing their drinks, the heroes split up, with one group moving to investigate the town and the other to claim the rest of the money owed to them for delivering the supplies. Harold and Zereb-Khan ventured forth into Brynn Shander to see if they could get a good feel for the town. Unlike other towns they have been in, Brynn Shander seems well-protected, and like it has yet to have its spirit crushed, though the presence of the Blackhands seems to put a dark cloud around the town. In their wanderings the two came across a man sitting in a cage, hanging from the side of the parapets. The man, clearly a barbarian by his garb, munched on an apple as he watched them approach. Ever curious, Harold engaged the barbarian and learned that he had been imprisoned by the Blackhands, though he would not say why, and the guards on the walls (while warning Harold to leave the prisoner alone) were no more forthcoming. The barbarian did not seem concerned by his plight, and casually tossed the apple core through the bars at Harold's feet.
Meanwhile, Sardon, Theren, and Bargath had traveled to the town's bank to speak to Rolgar Callahan, the local moneychanger. As they exchanged their letter of credit for actual gold, Rolgar let slip a startling revelation: he knew Theren's father, an elf by the name of Morden Moonblade. According to Rolgar, Morden had passed through Brynn Shander some years ago, accompanied by a young apprentice by the name of Azard. Morden had been inquiring about a silvery liquid known as godsblood, which Theren was able to identify as a physical manifestation of part of a dead god's power. Rolgar told them that Morden had come from the south, having taught at Blackstaff Tower, and had headed further North toward the Hellfrost Glacier, a place rumored to be inhabited by fiendish beings of all types. However, Rolgar also told the heroes that he heard a short while later that a contingent of elves had come to Icewind Dale to bury one of their own, and that one of the elves in that funeral party had come to Brynn Shander following the conclusion of their business. According to Rolgar, the elf told the Mayor of the location of the fallen elf's tomb (which Rolgar assumes is the tomb of Morden Moonblade), but that map has since fallen into the hands of Andrez and the Blackhands. The only other information he can provide them with is that Morden spent a good deal of time speaking with a woman named Szelrina, a local saloon girl who is rumored to be involved in witchcraft.
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
Deep in the underground gatehouse for Frostford Pass, a tunnel through the mountains known as the Spine of the World, our heroes have managed to fight their way to the chambers of a warlock by the name of Azard, a human man who was in charge of the goblin troops currently guarding the gatehouse. After patching up their wounds from the fight with Azard and resting, the heroes ventured back out into the dungeon in search of a way to unblock the passage through the mountain.
As the heroes made their way into the room where they suspected the opening mechanism lay, they stumbled across a prisoner. When the heroes entered the room and began dealing with the goblin guards (along with another couple of kobolds mysteriously in place assisting them), the tiefling captive sprung up, having loosened his bonds, and joined the fray. As our heroes, plus the tiefling captive, dealt with the goblins, some of their number began rotating some large statues, causing what sounded like the grinding of gears to echo through the room. In truth they were trying to break the mechanism by which the large stone gate was lifted, but the heroes managed to stop the goblins in time, allowing them to open the gate. With the pass open and the goblins dealt with, our heroes had a chance to meet their new comrade: Bargath, a tiefling ranger (played by Jason Bulmahn).
With the pass open, the heroes journeyed through the Spine of the World before finally reaching their destination in the walled town of Brynn Shander. Unfortunately, their entry into the town was marked by an unpleasant sight: dozens of Blackhands standing at guard posts along the town's walls. Once inside the town, the heroes were greeted by Mayor Busby, a friendly and graying man who also serves as the town's sheriff. Mayor Busby listened to the heroes' tale and welcomed them into town, thanking them for the much-needed supplies they had brought, and assured them that they would be welcome to stay at the Falconer's Rest, the largest establishment in Brynn Shander. Mayor Busby also pulled Sardon aside, warning him that a handbill with his face on it had preceded him to Brynn Shander, though the Mayor assured him that he wouldn't be turning him in to collect the bounty, believing it the least he could do for bringing the supplies from Mirabar to the town.
With the supplies being distributed by the Mayor, the heroes traveled to the Falconer's Rest, a large inn that is part tavern, part hotel, part gambling hall, and part brothel. While cooling their heels, a slick-looking Blackhand in well-oiled studded leather entered the room and approached them. This newcomer identified himself as Andrez, the local captain of the watch and leader of the Blackhands in Brynn Shander. According to Andrez, the Blackhands are merely here to protect the innocent folks of the town, watching out for those who cannot watch out for themselves. The Blackhands are ostensibly there to protect the town from marauders, though our heroes certainly get the impression that the "protection" offered by the Blackhands is merely an excuse to plunder the town at their whim. A thinly-veiled threat from Andrez warned the heroes to stay out of trouble, and with that the Blackhand captain departs.
After finishing their drinks, the heroes split up, with one group moving to investigate the town and the other to claim the rest of the money owed to them for delivering the supplies. Harold and Zereb-Khan ventured forth into Brynn Shander to see if they could get a good feel for the town. Unlike other towns they have been in, Brynn Shander seems well-protected, and like it has yet to have its spirit crushed, though the presence of the Blackhands seems to put a dark cloud around the town. In their wanderings the two came across a man sitting in a cage, hanging from the side of the parapets. The man, clearly a barbarian by his garb, munched on an apple as he watched them approach. Ever curious, Harold engaged the barbarian and learned that he had been imprisoned by the Blackhands, though he would not say why, and the guards on the walls (while warning Harold to leave the prisoner alone) were no more forthcoming. The barbarian did not seem concerned by his plight, and casually tossed the apple core through the bars at Harold's feet.
Meanwhile, Sardon, Theren, and Bargath had traveled to the town's bank to speak to Rolgar Callahan, the local moneychanger. As they exchanged their letter of credit for actual gold, Rolgar let slip a startling revelation: he knew Theren's father, an elf by the name of Morden Moonblade. According to Rolgar, Morden had passed through Brynn Shander some years ago, accompanied by a young apprentice by the name of Azard. Morden had been inquiring about a silvery liquid known as godsblood, which Theren was able to identify as a physical manifestation of part of a dead god's power. Rolgar told them that Morden had come from the south, having taught at Blackstaff Tower, and had headed further North toward the Hellfrost Glacier, a place rumored to be inhabited by fiendish beings of all types. However, Rolgar also told the heroes that he heard a short while later that a contingent of elves had come to Icewind Dale to bury one of their own, and that one of the elves in that funeral party had come to Brynn Shander following the conclusion of their business. According to Rolgar, the elf told the Mayor of the location of the fallen elf's tomb (which Rolgar assumes is the tomb of Morden Moonblade), but that map has since fallen into the hands of Andrez and the Blackhands. The only other information he can provide them with is that Morden spent a good deal of time speaking with a woman named Szelrina, a local saloon girl who is rumored to be involved in witchcraft.
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
:P
Show
(Apologies on the lateness, having to do 2 at once to stay caught up)
Having learned not only that Theren's father, Morden Moonblade, had once spent some time in Brynn Shander but also that he had made friends with a local witch as well, the heroes set off to the Falconer's Rest saloon to find the mysterious Szelrina. Beautiful and unnaturally tanned given the climate, the smoky-eyed saloon girl leads the heroes up to her private chambers, where she speaks with them. At Theren's request, Szelrina agrees to show him his father's death; she performs a ritual that clouds the heroes' minds, but when the haze clears they find themselves not in the saloon but rather standing on an ice-covered plateau with a geyser of hot water erupting from one edge, melting the ice they stand on and causing cracks to form beneath their feet. Moreover, Theren's face is replaced with that of his father, Morden Moonblade, and they have only moments to adjust to their surroundings before they are set upon by three imps, who lead a charge in front of a young barbarian man. As they fight off the imps and subdue the barbarian, they realize that the latter foe appears to be merely a bewitched, younger version of the barbarian that Zereb and Harold had seen hanging in the cage above Brynn Shander. At the moment of their enemies' defeat, a rough-looking Blackhand appears suddenly (as though he had been invisible) to drive a dagger into Theren's heart. As Theren sinks to the ground, he gazes into the Blackhand's fiery eyes as his killer whispered, "For Yeenoghu."
At that moment, the world spins and the heroes find themselves once more in Szelrina's chambers. With this new knowledge, they set out to go talk to the barbarian. Still hanging in his cage, the barbarian speaks with the heroes until the guards attempt to break up their conversation. While Harold and Sardon distract the guards, Malkyr stealthily climbs up the wall, onto the parapet, out onto the cage, and then quietly unlocks the cage, freeing the barbarian (who identified himself as Keldar). In silence, with the guards distracted, Keldar and Malkyr drop to the ground and skulk off into the shadows. Around this time, the guards notice that Keldar was missing and raise an alarm, telling the heroes to get back to their inn (apparently, Keldar had escaped before, as they assumed he'd broken out on his own now).
The heroes reconvene in an alley well away from the search to quickly question Keldar on his role in Morden's death. Reluctant to answer until he learned that Theren was Morden's son, Keldar reveals that when Morden came North he hired Keldar to serve as his guide around Icewind Dale. The two of them, along with Morden's apprentice, Azard, traveled to several of the towns in the Ten Towns area, accumulating a number of followers who were experts on the strange happenings in the area. Their last journey north was to Hellfrost Glacier, though the Moonblade Expedition never reached its destination. According to Keldar, they were set upon by devils, and the next thing Keldar remembered was awakening near an icy plateau, alone, frozen, and half-dead, with no sign of Morden or his comrades. Keldar, obviously wracked with guilt, tells the heroes that he does not know of Morden's final fate, but he did encounter a cadre of elves that came to the North, supposedly to bury one of their own (corroborating Rolgar Callahan's story from before).
With this new information, the heroes decide that their best bet for learning more about the Moonblade Expedition was to break into the house of the Blackhand leader and steal the maps to the site of this elven burial. The heroes steal a horse for Keldar, instructing him to lead the Blackhands on a chase and meet them far outside of town, where he will then guide them on to the location listed on the map. As Keldar rides off, the heroes approach Andrez's house, bluff their way past the townsfolk standing guard outside the building, and enter the home. Unfortunately, their luck ran out as they encountered the Blackhands, and a tussle broke out. After dispatching the Blackhands and confiscating some valuables from the house, the heroes discover the map to a place called "Morden's Oasis."
Stealing away in the wee hours of the morning, the heroes ride out and eventually meet up with Keldar. Using Keldar's expertise, the heroes journey north, arriving at a spot that looks eerily similar to the icy plateau in their earlier vision. Instead, they are confronted with a beautiful oasis, with tall, fruit-bearing trees hanging over a steaming hot lake. Greenery grows all around the lake in a most unnatural fashion for a place this far North, and clearly there is elven magic at work. After some investigation, Theren discovers a set of trees that looks identical to those outside the Moonblade estate in Myth Drannor, and after some manipulation they manage to uncover a secret entrance into a rocky outcropping at the side of the oasis. At that moment, a brisk wind blows in, whipping up debris from the ground which swirls and forms into several elves, who launch an attack on the heroes. During the battle, the very land reaches out to smite the heroes, but eventually they prevail, rendering the defenders inert and causing them to collapse into piles of dead leaves and twigs.
From behind the doors into the outcropping, the heroes can hear the sounds of laughter and celebration. As the doors open, they are confronted with a wondrous scene. The door appears to be a portal into an ancient elf city in the midst of a celebration. The heroes are welcomed inside, and as they go in they discover that they are apparently transported to a rediscovered city of Valynar, a city of ancient Myth Drannor thought lost eons ago. According to the locals, the city (and the portal to it) was discovered by Morden Moonblade, whom they all honor and revere. Upon further investigation, however, things are not all as they seem. No one in town seems to know where Morden Moonblade lives, although they are all quite sure he has an estate in town. They are also quite sure that he will be arriving soon, as he is the guest of honor in their festivities. The locals encourage the heroes to feast and make merry, and they assure the heroes that Morden will have plenty of time to speak with them when he arrives. As the heroes grow more suspicious, Theren goes to a the local library to see if he can learn more. Upon opening the books, each one of them is revealed to be blank, and with this revelation the book crumbles into a pile of dead leaves. The illusion revealed, a city guardsman that had been following them fires an arrow at Theren, which streaks toward its target as the scene fades to black...
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
Having learned not only that Theren's father, Morden Moonblade, had once spent some time in Brynn Shander but also that he had made friends with a local witch as well, the heroes set off to the Falconer's Rest saloon to find the mysterious Szelrina. Beautiful and unnaturally tanned given the climate, the smoky-eyed saloon girl leads the heroes up to her private chambers, where she speaks with them. At Theren's request, Szelrina agrees to show him his father's death; she performs a ritual that clouds the heroes' minds, but when the haze clears they find themselves not in the saloon but rather standing on an ice-covered plateau with a geyser of hot water erupting from one edge, melting the ice they stand on and causing cracks to form beneath their feet. Moreover, Theren's face is replaced with that of his father, Morden Moonblade, and they have only moments to adjust to their surroundings before they are set upon by three imps, who lead a charge in front of a young barbarian man. As they fight off the imps and subdue the barbarian, they realize that the latter foe appears to be merely a bewitched, younger version of the barbarian that Zereb and Harold had seen hanging in the cage above Brynn Shander. At the moment of their enemies' defeat, a rough-looking Blackhand appears suddenly (as though he had been invisible) to drive a dagger into Theren's heart. As Theren sinks to the ground, he gazes into the Blackhand's fiery eyes as his killer whispered, "For Yeenoghu."
At that moment, the world spins and the heroes find themselves once more in Szelrina's chambers. With this new knowledge, they set out to go talk to the barbarian. Still hanging in his cage, the barbarian speaks with the heroes until the guards attempt to break up their conversation. While Harold and Sardon distract the guards, Malkyr stealthily climbs up the wall, onto the parapet, out onto the cage, and then quietly unlocks the cage, freeing the barbarian (who identified himself as Keldar). In silence, with the guards distracted, Keldar and Malkyr drop to the ground and skulk off into the shadows. Around this time, the guards notice that Keldar was missing and raise an alarm, telling the heroes to get back to their inn (apparently, Keldar had escaped before, as they assumed he'd broken out on his own now).
The heroes reconvene in an alley well away from the search to quickly question Keldar on his role in Morden's death. Reluctant to answer until he learned that Theren was Morden's son, Keldar reveals that when Morden came North he hired Keldar to serve as his guide around Icewind Dale. The two of them, along with Morden's apprentice, Azard, traveled to several of the towns in the Ten Towns area, accumulating a number of followers who were experts on the strange happenings in the area. Their last journey north was to Hellfrost Glacier, though the Moonblade Expedition never reached its destination. According to Keldar, they were set upon by devils, and the next thing Keldar remembered was awakening near an icy plateau, alone, frozen, and half-dead, with no sign of Morden or his comrades. Keldar, obviously wracked with guilt, tells the heroes that he does not know of Morden's final fate, but he did encounter a cadre of elves that came to the North, supposedly to bury one of their own (corroborating Rolgar Callahan's story from before).
With this new information, the heroes decide that their best bet for learning more about the Moonblade Expedition was to break into the house of the Blackhand leader and steal the maps to the site of this elven burial. The heroes steal a horse for Keldar, instructing him to lead the Blackhands on a chase and meet them far outside of town, where he will then guide them on to the location listed on the map. As Keldar rides off, the heroes approach Andrez's house, bluff their way past the townsfolk standing guard outside the building, and enter the home. Unfortunately, their luck ran out as they encountered the Blackhands, and a tussle broke out. After dispatching the Blackhands and confiscating some valuables from the house, the heroes discover the map to a place called "Morden's Oasis."
Stealing away in the wee hours of the morning, the heroes ride out and eventually meet up with Keldar. Using Keldar's expertise, the heroes journey north, arriving at a spot that looks eerily similar to the icy plateau in their earlier vision. Instead, they are confronted with a beautiful oasis, with tall, fruit-bearing trees hanging over a steaming hot lake. Greenery grows all around the lake in a most unnatural fashion for a place this far North, and clearly there is elven magic at work. After some investigation, Theren discovers a set of trees that looks identical to those outside the Moonblade estate in Myth Drannor, and after some manipulation they manage to uncover a secret entrance into a rocky outcropping at the side of the oasis. At that moment, a brisk wind blows in, whipping up debris from the ground which swirls and forms into several elves, who launch an attack on the heroes. During the battle, the very land reaches out to smite the heroes, but eventually they prevail, rendering the defenders inert and causing them to collapse into piles of dead leaves and twigs.
From behind the doors into the outcropping, the heroes can hear the sounds of laughter and celebration. As the doors open, they are confronted with a wondrous scene. The door appears to be a portal into an ancient elf city in the midst of a celebration. The heroes are welcomed inside, and as they go in they discover that they are apparently transported to a rediscovered city of Valynar, a city of ancient Myth Drannor thought lost eons ago. According to the locals, the city (and the portal to it) was discovered by Morden Moonblade, whom they all honor and revere. Upon further investigation, however, things are not all as they seem. No one in town seems to know where Morden Moonblade lives, although they are all quite sure he has an estate in town. They are also quite sure that he will be arriving soon, as he is the guest of honor in their festivities. The locals encourage the heroes to feast and make merry, and they assure the heroes that Morden will have plenty of time to speak with them when he arrives. As the heroes grow more suspicious, Theren goes to a the local library to see if he can learn more. Upon opening the books, each one of them is revealed to be blank, and with this revelation the book crumbles into a pile of dead leaves. The illusion revealed, a city guardsman that had been following them fires an arrow at Theren, which streaks toward its target as the scene fades to black...
__________________
Rodney Thompson
RPG Designer
Wizards of the Coast
-I guess it's just me, but I find most of them boring. I guess reading other people's campaigns isn't for me.
I kind of like it. Also like reading about other people's character origins
-Hence the part where "I guess it's just me". ;)
Well, it is just you