First campaign - Weapons in the woods

Weapons in the woods campaign

The story so far…

Goblins in the Mountains

Nathan Firestaff is the high Sheriff of Solace and was concerned about reports of Goblins and Brigands on the road between the village of Solace and the city of Haven.

Nathan tasked the characters to join a merchant caravan travelling from Solace to Haven, to keep an eye open for any Goblin or Bandit activity on the way.

The caravan belonging to the merchant Noel with his son, Nob sets off for Haven.

The caravan is attacked by Goblins and one of the carts along with Nob are taken. The characters track the Goblins to a cave by the Fasin mountain and here they find the Goblins lair.

The characters fight their way into the Goblin lair. Finding boxes of weapons and freeing an Elven prisoner called Kolanthus.

The characters find magical weapons – a red dagger, a black sword and a white sword. They also discover a human magic user called Nedrick appears to be behind supplying Goblins with weapons. The characters also discover that Nob is in league with Nedrick.

The characters defeat the Goblins, Nedrick escapes and Nob is captured by the characters.

After returning to Solace Nathan tasks the characters with travelling to Haven to find out where the weapons came from and to try and track down Nedrick.

Haven

The Solace blacksmith Theros Ironfeld suggests they speak to Katana Wildblade, a weaponsmith in Haven.

Nathan suggests they speak to the Haven Watch Commander, Fowler Grayeyes.

The characters travel to Haven staying in the Ivy Inn.

Characters notice there is a lot of trouble in the city between priests in brown and gold robes (Seekers) and priests in green robes (Belzarites).

The characters speak to Katana who says she has been approached by Nedrick but refused to supply weapons. Katana suggests they speak the Minotaur blacksmith, Karn.

Characters speak to Karn and he too met Nedrick and refused to supply weapons.

The characters speak to Fowler and he tells the characters Nedrick may be part of the new Seeker religion and a Seeker priest is currently inn jail.

Characters visit the jail where Narl the Key is jailer. Here they speak to the Seeker priest who confirms Nedrick has some involvement with the Seekers but wont speak to the characters after they mention weapons.

Characters visit the Seeker temple where they meet a large well armoured man by the name of Roderick the Converter. He claims the jailed Seeker priest is not a priest at all and denies any knowledge of Nedrick.

Characters are tailed from the temple, they catch the tail, this person admits Nedrick is in the temple but is killed before they can question him further.

Characters report to Fowler before returning to the Ivy Inn. That night a boy by the name of Jimmy the Hand tells the characters the Upright Man, a `king of thieves` for Haven wants to speak to them.

The characters meet with the Upright Man in an inn called the Steel Tankard. The Mockers (local name for thieves guild) are concerned about the recent fighting between Belzar priests and Seeker priests. They are aware the characters seek Nedrick and are willing to help them get into the Seeker temple to kidnap Nedrick as this will weaken the Seekers and allow things to calm down in the city.

The next day Belzar priests ask to meet the characters so the characters go to the Belzar temple to meet with the High Priestess Judith. They offer the characters money if they kidnap Nedrick and bring him to them.

That evening the characters meet Jimmy the Hand at the Steel Tankard and travel the sewers to a cave entrance under the Seeker temple. Two thugs wait with ropes to secure Nedrick when they capture him.

The characters enter an old cave entrance, fight a giant cave toad and find strange tracks heading into the temple basement. They find undead skeletons attacking the temple priests. The characters join the fight and fight skeletons until they find the source of the undead… a Lich. This undead creature has trapped Nedrick and is directing the skeletons to kill him and any other priests in the temple. Nedrick summons an elemental to defend himself and barricades himself into a room.

Characters defeat the skeletons, the Lich and the elemental. They seize Nedrick who tells them he got the weapons from the small town of Esker. They return to Fowler, Nedrick is arrested and put in jail.

Characters and 20 city watch enter the seeker temple but all the evidence is gone. Roderick the Converter denounces the characters as being in league with Belzar. Fowler held Nedrick but couldn’t not charge him due to lack of evidence.

Saving Esker

It is believed the weapons in circulation are coming from the little mining village of Esker in the mountains north of Haven.

There has been no word from Esker for a couple of weeks which while unusual is not unheard of. Fowler asks the characters to head to Esker and investigate.

Characters head out on the road North, stopping at a farm in Havens Vale on the way. There they hear about a trapper who lives outside of Esker called Borsk and that no word has come out of Esker. Crossing the Wildwater river bridge the characters start heading into the mountains. They encounter wolves, goblins and `accidentally` summon a troll.

As they approach Esker they stop in a travellers lodge, helping an injured wild cat as well. They are led by cats to Borsks trapper lodge where they learn from Borsk that Hobgoblin brigands have taken over Esker, that the villagers women and children are being held captive to ensure the villagers cooperation.

The characters track down the missing villagers women and children, freeing them from the clutches of evil Hobgoblins.

Once these are freed the characters sneak into the village and lead an uprising freeing the villagers and driving off the Hobgoblions. The battle is fierce and the characters are sorely tested – coming close to defeat on more than one occasion but eventually triumph over their enemies.

The plot thickens as they find the weapons are not being made in Esker itself, but at a nearby mine which is currently under the control of an evil wizard called Kite.

Borsk tells the characters of a potential ally deep in the mines, giving them directions on how to find him.

Into the Mines

The characters cautiously approach the mines, shrugging off an attempted ambush by Hobgoblins, they find there is a veritable army of animated skeletons cutting down trees, smelting iron and making weapons directed by an undead Lich.

The characters sneak into the mines but are spotted and must flee. Jumping into a mine cart they flee down the tracks deep into the mine pursued by Skeletons in other carts. Dodging and fighting as best they can the characters break away from their pursuers and crash into a deep underground cavern. Here they come across strange underground creatures that are mostly interested in eating them! They fight their way through to find a strange old wizard by the name of Fizban and his unlikely friend, a huge ancient golden dragon! The characters are sworn to secrecy – dragons are not supposed to be around – and helps them defeat Kite, the undead Lich and the skeletons.

Esker is saved! The flow of weapons to goblins and bandits is broken, the characters are heroes!