Augulus's RHoD!! (IC)

[Augulus]

This is a private game!

Character sheets:

Mako Benet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=517105)

Marius II Doomforge (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=517259)

Erysinthae Solani (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=516945)

Sylvas Windrunner (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=528712)

Dice-rolling thread

dice rolling thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14708713#post14708713)

general overview

The setting of the adventure is a thinly populated human frontier known as Elsir Vale and the surrounding wilderlands. The vale stretches almost 250 miles east to west and averages about 70 miles north to south. Several small mountain ranges and dense forests form the vale's borders.

Climate and Terrain

Elsir Vale lies in the subtropical latitudes. Summers are hot and dry (although punctuated by the occasional intense thunderstorm), and winters are warm and rainy. Large stretches of the area are quite arid, and the vale is flanked by vast savannahs stretching for mile after dusty mile. The forests that stretch across most of the vale's northern reaches are stifling and blisteringly hot in the summertime, with not a breath of wind to relieve the oppressive heat.

History of the Vale

The scattered human towns and villages of the area grew up along the Dawn Way, an important east-west trade road linking the heavily settled lands that lie northwest across the Endless Plains with the exotic kingdoms and goods of the coastal lands lying to the southeast. Much of the Dawn Way was built by an ancient dwarf kingdom that spanned the Wyrmsmoke and Giantshield Mountains more than a thousand years ago. While the dwarves are long gone, their roads, bridges, and cisterns remain in use to this day. AFter the dwarf realm passed, the presence of various monsters and raiders kept traffic along the Dawn Way light for many years; few caravans dared the long and dangerous trek. Few humans lived in Elsir Vale during those years- only scattered settlements of druidic folk who left behind little more than grassy barrows and stone circles on the hilltops.

About five hundred years ago, the nearby city of Rhest came to control the vale and a large swath of land north of the Giantshields as well. Soldiers from Rhest secured the roads all the way to Dennovar and beyond, creating a safe passage for trade. More and more traders traveled the Dawn Way, and the kingdom of Rhestilor grew on the fariffs exacted from the passing merchants. Under the kingodm's shield, the towns along the Dawn Way - Brindol, Talar, Terrelton, and the rest - grew up from tiny hamlets or lonely soldier's posts to flourishing human settlements.

The kingdom of Rhestilor eventually collapsed under civil strife, monstrous incursions, and magical blights. Almost two hundred years ago, the city of Rhest was burned by a savage horde out of the Wyrmsoke Mountains. Although the warriors of Rhestilor killed many of the goblins and their kind, the city was abandoned and the already weakened kingdom broken. The locks and canals surrounding Rhest fell into disrepair, and the Blackfens swallowed the ruined city.

In the years since the kingdom's fall, the towns of Elsir Vale have come to look after themselves. Most of the local lords, such as Jarmaath of Brindol, still hold titles derived from the old kingdom of Restilor. While everybody knows that the kings of Rhestilor are long dead, no new realm has arisen in the vale.

Major Settlements

Brindol: One of the largest settlements in the vale, Brindol is a prosperous farming community and caravan stopover located along the Dawn Way on the south bank of the Elsir River. Orchards of apple and pear trees follow the river's winding shores, while broad grain fields and farmlands surround the town for miles in all directions. Brindol is the home of Lord Kerden Jarmaath, and his small keep and the city walls are the only fortifications of note this side of Dennovar.

Dauth: A sleepy little hamlet about halfway between the Hammerfist Holds and Brindol, Dauth is home to about two hundred people. It is noted for The Tired GIant, an inn and tap-house under the proprietorship of Galadan Ryethresher. The Rhestorilan nobles who once ruled ehre died out two generations ago, and Dauth Keep - their ancestral home - is only a burned-out shell overlooking the settlement. A council of elders now governs the village.

Dennovar: A trade-city located on the shores of Lake Ern, Dennovar is the largest community in Elsir Vale. It's the eastern gateway tot he vale, the first bit of civilization a weary traveler encounters after crossing the Golden Plains. Lady Yisel Bristeir is the titular ruler here, but in practice the city is governed by the Merchants Council - powerful oligarchs primarily concerned with keeping the city a good place to do business. Dennovar is also noteworthy for the dozens of temples, both minor and major, that dot its streets. The activities of these places are over-seen by the Temple Council, made up of the highest ranking clerics devoted to each of the deitites the temples serve.

Drellin's Ferry: If Dennovar is the eastern gateway to Elsir Vale, then the small town of Drellin's Ferry is the western. Once a dwarf-made bridge spanned the Elsir River here, but it was destroyed during an epic flood about a hundred years ago. Since that time, travelers on the Dawn Way have crossed by means of a ferry, from which the town gets its name.

Elsircross: A small town at the ford of the Elsir River, Elsircross is known for woodcutting and papermaking. The self-styled "Baron" Hargil Transk and the rest of the no-good Trask clan govern the town by the Baron's fiat. Lord Jarmaath of Brindol has no use for Baron Trask and would like to see him and his lot driven out of Elsircross. The towns of Elsir Vale haven't fought among themselves in many years, however, and Jarmaath is loath to intervene in another town's business, even if that business is getting rid of a jumped-up brigand like Hargil Trask. For his own part, Trask is smart enough to keep his thugs from running amok in his own lands, so his subjects (and neighbors) tolerate him and his swaggering sons for now - but Trask has ideas about adding Marthon or Red Rock to his "barony," and maybe even Brindol someday.

Hammerfist Holds: In the high foothills of the Wyvernwatch Mountains lie the Hammerfist Holds, a half-dozen dwarf clanholds that sometimes trade with the humans of the vale. Each of the holds is a hamlet or village, home to a hundred or more dwarves.

Hillwatch: A dusty flyspeck of a hamlet located in the northern part of the Brown Hills, Hillwatch is primarily populated by shepherds and cattleherds. The town has no inn or tavern; travelers often stay at the home of Jerossil Indo, a well-off rancher who takes a few coins to board strangers for a night or two.

Marthon: Located in the shadow of the Marth forest, this small town thrives on woodcutting and catering to traders on the Dawn Way. In the hills nearby lie a number of the ancient barrows and stone circles of the long-vanished druidic folk who once dwelled in these lands. Marthon is governed by Lord Erethal Rethrew, an old and miserly man who lays heavy taxes on the folk of his small domain.

Nimon Gap: A tiny hamlet located at the place where the Dawn Way descends out of the Nimon Hills, Nimon Gap grew up around a large walled inn known as the Cross-Eyed Beholder. The folk of Nimon Gap grow apples, pears, and chestnuts in orchards sheltered below the hills, while shepherds and goatherds keep their livestock in the heights.

Prosser: A village located about halfway between Brindol and Hillwatch, Prosser is a quiet little place where the adventuring band known as the Six Blades retired some years ago. The former adventurers cleared a number of troublesome monsters from the woods to the west and brought a new prosperity to the town. The wizards Sardith is recognized as the leader of th band, but he usually leaves most affairs in the hands of Deillyr Starcloak. Deillyr runs the town's taphouse and serves as the chief constable, judge, and troubleshooter.

Red Rock: Rich copper veins in the high foothills of the Giantshield Mountains eventually gave rise to the rough-and-tumble mining town of Red Rock. In addition to the coppper mines, Red Rock also serves as a trading post for trappers, hunters, and prospectors who wander all over the southern flank of the mountains. A number of dwarves and half-orcs live here, with no small amount of bad blood between them.

Talar: A small town west of Brindol, Talar is governed by Lady Celiira Nesten, a high-spirited young woman who lately returned home to take up her father's title on old Lord Nesten's death. Her impulsive ideas are tempered by an old and conservative town council, whose members grew accustomed to running things during the old lord's long decline.

Terrelton: The western end of Elsir Vave is drier and more sparsely settled than the eastern end. Terrelton is a dusty town that gets by on the livestock and leather trades; several large, foul-smelling tanneries sit in the hills east of the town. The town is governed by a Merchants Council shot through with connections to various gangs of brigands and highwaymen, but a crusading cleric named Leille is working to clean up the council by exposing the misdeeds of the criminal members.

Witchcross: A large village located at the ford of the Witch-sream, Witchcross is ostensibly governed by a council of elders. However, the elders make no decisions without consulting a circle of Witchwood druids known as the Keepers of Eth. Adranna the Young is the Eth Speaker, or leader, of the circle.

Sites of Interest:

Ruined keeps, burned-out watchtowers, and occasional abandoned farmsteads dot the backlands of Elsir Vale and the area around Lake Rhestin, reminders of the fallen kingdom of Rhestilor. Even older ruins can be found here and there, dating back to the old dwarf kindom or the druidic human folk.

The Blackfens: Lake Rehestin's eastern shore is hard to define, because the lake gradually gives way to a vast wetland known as the Blackfens. The Blackfens tend to be marsh, rather than swamp - that is, most of the landscape is a treeless maze of open water, reeds, and wet, grassy flats that shelter countless waterfowl. Isolated hummocks or islets in the marsh are covered with dense brush or forest. In the days of Rhestilor the marsh was much smaller, its spread controlled through the locks and canals, but it has grown steadily since the kingdom;s dissolution. Half-drowned farmhouses, dilapidated barns and sheds, and sinking fieldstone fences tell the tale of settled lands slowly inundated and abandoned.

The population of monstrous denizens is slowly on the rise in the Blackfens, but their growth is stunted by the constant vigilance of several small groups of wild elves known collectively as the Tiri Kitor. These elves were the caretakers of the swampland before the rise of Rhest, and they still fulfill their charge centuries after Rhest's fall. now that their ancestral lands have increased so dramatically in size, they are slowly expanding their borders and strength. The elves patrol the Blackfens with the aid of giant owls, using lanterns flickering with pale green continual flame at night. They keep a wary distance from the humans who occasionally fish in the marshland borders.

The Dwarfroad: About 20 miles north of Skull Gorge, the Dawn Way splits into the Old North Road, which leads up along the western shores of Lake Rhestin to the Endless Plains and the cities to the north, and the Dwarfroad, which climbs through the Wyrmsmoke Mountains to the lands of the west. Once this road was the preferred route for caravans traveling east-west, but the growing presence of savage tribes and hungry monsters in the Wymsmokes led to the Dwarfroad being all but abandoned. Most travelers follow a battered cart-track that parallels it 30 miles farther north or take their chances on a track skirting the Thornwaste to the south, steering clear of the goblin-infested mountains.

Elsir River: The major river of the region is the Elsir, a broad but slow-moving stream fed by a number of tributaries, for most of its lenght, the Elsir averages 200 to 400 yards in width, reaching depths of 20 to 40 feet in the middle of its channel. The small town of Elsircross, about 150 miles upstream of Brindol, is the first place where it can be forded, although a wooden bridge spans the river at Brindol and ferries cross it at Talar and Drellin's Ferry.

Endless Plains: North of the mountains at the edge of Elsir Vale lies a great windblown sea of dry grass, stretching for hundreds of miles east, north, and west. The planes aren't truly featureless; the land has a fair amount of rise and fall, and low-lying creek beds choked with undergrowth and briars cut deep gullies through the grassland. Lonely stands of tall, hardy trees dot the savannah-land. Nomadic human barbarians, tribes of gnolls, and bands of wild centaurs roam the Endless Plains.

Fane of Tiamat: In the Saiga Vale at the heart of the Wyrm-smoke Mountains stands the Fane of Tiamat. The Fane is the crowning glory of the Doom Hand cult, the center of Tiamat's power among the tribes of the Kulkor Zhul. Those who have seen the citadel tell stories of massive dragon heads carved into the face of a mountain cliffside.

Giantshield Mountains: Sheltering Elsir Vale from the harsh weather of the Endless Plains, the Giantshield Mountains are a low range of arid, well-weathered peaks. The northern slopes are barren, dry, and rocky, home to a variety of dangerous monsters. The southern slopes are a little more hospitable, covered in light pine forest and cut by the gorges of may small seasonal streams. A smattering of isolated farms and steadings hidden throughout the southwest portion of the range represent the last remnants of the druidic folk who once lived throughout the vale.

Golden Plains: East of Elsir Vale lies a vast, arid steppeland that quickly gives way to rocky desert. in the vicinity of Dennovar the Golden Plains are dry, flat grassland, but within a few dozen miles the grass gives way to a rock-littered badland of flats and mesas - a waterless and inhospitable wilderness posing a formidable trial for the trade caravans following the Dawn Way.

Lake Rhestin: This shallow, marshy lake stretches almost 100 miles from north to south. Once its shores were dotted with villages and manors of Rhestilor, but in the centuries since the kindom's fall, humans have largely abandoned the old heartland of the realm.

Marth Forest: Climbing the southern foothills of the Giantshield Mountains, Marth Forest is a rugged, wild woodland rarely trodden by human feet except in its southwestern fringes. In its lower reaches, the forest is dotted with the old barrows and stone circles of the ancient druidic folk who once dominated the vale. The higher parts are home to human barbarian tribes - disorganized clutches of feral berserkers rarely encountered outside the woods.

Rhest: Once a prosperous city and center of the kingdom of Rhestilor, Rhest is now a half-drowned ruin slowly sinking into the Blackfens.

The Thornwaste: South of the Wyrmsoke Mountains lies a vast barren land known as the Thornwaste. A maze of broken hills, briar-choked ravines, and dry, dusty scrubland, these badlands give way to larger and larger stretches of true desert as one goes farther south and west. The Thornwaste has long been the haunt of lions, hierocosphinxes, and otehr hungry monsters. The ruins of a lost serpent-empire thousands of years old is rumored to be hidden in this wasteland.

Vraath Keep: Formerly a fortress held and manned by a powerful family of soldiers known as the Vraaths, this keep survived the fall of Rhestilor but later succumbed to a senseless feud with local forest giants. For many years the keep has stood in ruins.

The Westdeep: Several xenophobic tribes of wild elves dwell in the depths of this dense forest, avoiding contact with most other folk. The elves of the Blackfens once counted themselves among these folk, but centuries ago they broke ties with the Westdeep elves and struck out to the east, eventually settling in the Blackfens.

The Witchwood: Generally held to be haunted by the restless spirits of the ancient human druidic folk who once dwelled here, the Witchwood is a lush, wet woodland interrspered with swampy stretches in the vicinity of the larger rivers.

Wyrmsoke Mountains: Several volcanic peaks gave this rugged range of hills and low mountains its name; travelers who observed the plumes of ash and smoke that sometimes arose from the inner hills believed that a great red dragon was responsible for the fuming hills. The Wyrmsmokes are home to a number of goblin, hobgoblin, and bugbear tribes.

Wyvernwatch Mountains: South of Elsir Vale lies the Wyvernwatch Mountains, a forbidding range of high, steep mountains with few passes leading to the other side. The Wyvernwatches divide Elsir Vale from the more densely populated and civilized realms of the southern coast. Only the most determined trekkers cross the range; most go hundreds of miles out of their way by circling east or west around the mountains before turning north.

[Augulus]

32 point buy.
Start at level 6 (15000xp)
standard wbl (13000gp)
don't spend more than 5000gp on any one item to begin with.
either roll for HP or take averages (reroll on 1's)

Quick note on how to roll on this forum:

#d# is the basic way to roll a dice. i.e put "3d6" inside the brackets to roll 3 d6's.

you can also do #d#+# to add modifiers.

[Augulus]

The day was drawing to a close.

The tree travelers had packed up and headed out of Nimon Gap a few hours ago; they were eager to get on the road. Besides, they figured that they had spent too many days and too much gold at the famous inn, the Cross-Eyed Beholder. The party of three travels west along the Dawn Way, seeking adventure, fame, and profit. A tired looking mule tags along beside the man bringing up the rear - a young and dashingly handsome human named Mako Benet. A few feet ahead, an unlikely pair of friends trade their life stories. On the left is Marius Doomforge, a fully armored and powerfully built dwarf. On the right is Erysinthae Solani, an adult wood elf also fully armored.

"Well, I didn't always live in the Blackfens. I left my tribe - we were the strongest of the Tiri Kitor, of course! - and set out to bring the human world the truth and harmony that my faith in Corellon Larethian has brought me. I've been living in human and dwarven settlements for over 100 years!" Eri explained. He took long strides down the dirt path, kicking up small clouds of dust that swirled along behind him in the light breeze. Though the sun was setting, it was still hot! Erysinthae and Marius were both sweating profusely under their armor, but they dared not take it off. This section of the Dawn Way could be dangerous, and attacks on travelers were not as uncommon as they used to be. "Well, I've been doing odd jobs for a number of years. I adventured a bit in my youth, then settled in Dennovar for about forty years, where I served as a cleric in the house of Corellon Larethian, a splendid temple in the palace district of Dennovar. You really must see it! How the light reflects off the walls! It is pure marble, you know. Inside is a wooded grove, a most wondrous place to meditate. But I digress... What about you, Marius? Where are you from? How did you find yourself at the Cross-Eyed Beholder?" Eri turns around, and with a quick laugh, adds, "And I haven't forgotten about you, Mako! What is your story?"

The trio continues down the Dawn Way, enjoying the setting sun and the cooler temperatures of the oncoming night.

[firewolf397]

As the odd band of misfits traveled on their adventure, Marius was bothered deeply by a great number of things. It was not the absurd heat that bothered him, for he had experienced it before and this was just another day of what he trained for. It was his past that plagued his mind. Over and over the events that occurred up to his exile fogged his mind.
But I digress... What about you, Marius? Where are you from? How did you find yourself at the Cross-Eyed Beholder?
Marius snapped back to reality,"I... was exiled from my homeland, traveled here having no where to go." He looked down at his hammer saying nothing more.

[DASLAYARGH]

An awkward silence followed. After a few moments, Mako decided to break the awkwardness and chimed in.

"Well, I thought I'd explore the world and see what it has to offer me. This is the first time I've really gotten a chance to do some traveling. Plus, I'm sure some damsels in distress will need my bow arm."

Mako grinned and twanged the string of the shortbow on his back.

"What a party we are, huh? A Human, a Dwarf, and an Elf!"

The mule brayed loudly. Mako turned to look at it and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, and a mule."

[Augulus]

Mako, Marius, and Eri are travelling along as dusk approaches. They've been exchanging stories, laughing, and been generally optimistic. As they continue walking, they eventually see a cart off to the side of the road in the distance. They cautiously approach, and there is a distressed merchant sitting in the dust, sobbing softly. In his grief, he doesn't really notice or care about the approaching strangers.

[DASLAYARGH]

As the group continued along the path to Drellin's Ferry, Mako thought about their last encounter. The smell of the cave and rot brought back memories. He knew the smell of goblins and giants, for he had been introduced to them a long time ago.

"Mako! Get in here and do something useful!"

There was a battle raging in a cave not too unlike the one that the party at fought at earlier that day. Mako was a young boy at the time, and the rapier in his hand quivered due to his fear. His seniors were all engaged in fierce combat against a band of goblins that had been hiding out in the caves for month. They came out once every week to terrorize and pillage any villages in the vicinity.

Reluctantly obliging his Elder's battle order, he found a wounded goblin that was missing an arm, hobbling away. Mako squeaked out a pathetic battle cry and charged, holding the rapier in two hands above his head.

"I'm finally going to get my first goblin kill!"

Right before he got to the goblin, however, it smiled a devilish smile and cackled. Mako felt the ground beneath him collapse, but he was able to cling onto the ledge before he could tumble to the bottom of the hidden pit. The goblin gave him one look, came to the edge of the ledge and stabbed his hands. Mako shrieked in pain, but by sheer willpower continued to hold on to the ledge. But it was all for not; it only took one more stab to send Mako falling down the pit trap. He fell for what seemed like minutes before hitting the cold ground with a loud thud.

Mako could not move a muscle. He heard the battle continuing on above him and he wondered if he was going to die down there. His parents had died on an expedition climbing through the Wyvernwatch Mountains when he was six. The treacherous mountains famous for their spiraling peaks and deadly heights. Was he about to die the same way they did? From a fatal fall? At least it wasn't at the hands of some malevolent being. The difference was this time it was perpetrated by the goblins. Mako thought it ridiculous how something so inanimate and soulless as a trap could take the life of a good person.

If I survive this, I vow I will never die to a trap. Especially one planted by the vile goblins.

As the fight raged on above, Mako spent his helpless time staring upwards and examining the structure of the pit trap. He came to these conclusions about it:

-20 feet deep, 10 feet long, and 10 feet wide
-The pit was dug and taut sheets were used to hold a thin layer of dirt to cover up the put
-A few long tree branches provided extra support for the blanket and the layer of dirt
-Poor lighting helped conceal the pitfall trap; goblins took advantage of their low-light vision
-Pit trap was in a specific, non-obvious location that the goblins could lure their enemies to
-It was not going to be the end of him

The fight was over. His allies peered down the hole and eventually extricated him from the pit. He was scolded for his incompetence, but his dear old Mentor defended him and his actions. However, this could not keep Mako from feeling shame. He spent that night thinking about how he wasn't as strong or as tough as his other clanmates. His Elders were rangers who had been hunting goblins all their lives. They sought to teach him the art of hunting prey and being a Ranger, but it just didn't take. Nonetheless, Mako wanted to prove himself useful to the clan. His failure made him determined to show his clan that he was worth their effort to take him in when he was orphaned.

And from that day forward, Mako was the reason why none in his clan ever fell down a pitfall trap again. His path towards becoming a Rogue had begun.

[Augulus]

The trio trundled down the Dawn Way, headed west. They were making good time; Erysinthae guessed that they would hit Terrelton in another two days.

It was getting dark, and the human, Mako, could not see at night. Marius was alright, as a dwarf, and Eri retained most of his vision as well. The trio pulls off the road and begins to unload supplies off the mule. "Here's as good a place as any, I suppose!" Eri remarks cheerfully. They're at the top of a small crest, giving a commanding view for hundreds of yards in any direction. No one was seriously injured today, and Eri doubted that they would run into much trouble. After all, it was highly likely that they had just destroyed the most dangerous group of monsters to stalk these hills.

Marius unpacked some rods and hides, and began to construct the tent. Mako set about lighting a fire, repeatedly striking his flint against his dagger until one of the sparks caught. Erysinthae took a few minutes to remove his armor, and clothe himself in more appropriate camp attire. Then he moved a few yards away, laid out a cloth, and sat down cross-legged. He began to chant. Green, brown, and white magical energy began to swirl in lazy circles around his head. The air around the camp sweetened with the tantalizing smells of freshly cooked meat, baked pastries, and floral drinks. Erysinthae softly chanted in Elven, and a wonderful spread of food began to materialize on the cloth. Fruits, thinly-sliced and sweetened meats, and cool, fresh spring water all appeared. Eri opened his eyes. "Friends, supper!" he called. There was even a sack of grain and an apple for the mule.

---

After the satisfying meal, Eri reclined against his pack, and warmed his feet against the fire. His may have just recently met his companions, but he was growing increasingly fond of them. Marius, the dwarf, was a stronger fighter than any Eri had ever seen. He simply would not back down to a fight. Mako was an excellent marksman, as shown today during the fight in the cave. He felt safe, and content for the time being. The city-folk could be such tiresome creatures, he decided. It was much more pleasant to spend time on the road, or in the forest.

[firewolf397]

"Please spare me! I will tell you ever- Ack! Kah..."

Marius grabbed the dwarf and trusted it into the air by the neck.

"Where is she!"

Marius Doomforge roared with great anger.

"Kahahahah... You will never find her."

The dwarf snickered with a gleeful smile.

"RAHHHHH!!!"

Bellowing with furry, Marius in one quick motion dropped the fellow dwarf and sledged his hammer into its face. There laid the remains of the dwarf with its skulls bashed in with blood splattered everywhere across the walls and on himself.

"Marius?"

He turned around to see his companions with worried looks upon their faces. He turn back to where the dwarves remains were but to his surprise there laid the corpse of a goblin. Marius realized what he saw was a hallucinations and quickly regained his posture.

"Come on. Lets go."

Marius walked to the trap door finding it locked, kicked it open. He went down find a bag in the middle of the room, picking it up and emptying it, there fell the wife of the merchant. He dropped the bag and picked up the lady motioning his fellow travelers to move out.

Later that day after bringing the wife back to the merchant, Marius and the other travelers set up camp for the night.

"Eheh. That was quite a performance back there in the cave."

The ranger said nudging him in the shoulder as they were putting up the tents.

Do you really think of them as friends? Ahah! In the end they will only betray you when it most matters. But oh, but what a shame. After all you do need friends, allies to set Rakthar, your tribe free.

Marius kept silent, but there a shadowy figure in the back of his mind spoke to him.

"But of course if it weren't for my amazingly aimed arrows at their back line you would have never survived."

"Friends! Supper!"

Come. Lets go I'm starving.

The group of travelers gathered around the fire and started to eat what Elysinthae had prepared for them.

"So... Mr. Talk alot. What are you traveling down this road for?

"Going to Terrelton."

"Funny I am too, and I do believe pointy ears is too. Say do you have any plans after heading there? Because I've been thinking... We make a pretty good team, we should keep traveling together and oh this map! I do believe it leads to treasure. It is also along the way there, what says we head there first."

"No, I head to Terrelton and there we split our ways. I have no interest in keeping with you all."

He then stood up and walked away.

Aw... What? Don't want to make friends?

The same voice spoke to him as he headed to his tent.

"I find my cousin Ballin. He can help me not these fools in setting things right back at home."

Marius mumbled to himself as he went to sleep.

[Augulus]

The companions travel on!

The Dawn Way seems to stretch on forever. After another morning of travel, the trio reach Terrelton, a small establishment surviving mainly on the tanning of leather and ranching in the nearby fields. The glaring sun beats down upon the heavily-laden trio, so they stop for a drink from a well but keep moving on.

Another day passes uneventfully. The road is long and the weather hot, but they are in high spirits. Well, Erysinthae is, at least. Marius seems to brood a lot, and Mako keeps to himself somewhat. Nevertheless, Eri sings songs from his childhood in hopes of keeping morale raised. It seems to work, occasionally. They take rests every few hours to feed the mule and take a drink of water, and Eri to pray to his patron God.

The travelers come to a portion of the Dawn Way not unlike many others they've passed this day already. The road begins to slowly dip into the earth, and steep earthen walls about 4 feet high line either side of the road. There is a thick grove of oaks to either side, and the ruins of an abandoned farmhouse can be seen to the left.

Roll spot checks and iniative

Erysinthae:
spot: [roll0]
initiative: [roll1]

[DASLAYARGH]

Mako:
Spot: [roll0]
Initiative: [roll1]

[firewolf397]

Marius:
Spot: 12
Initiative: 10

[Augulus]

Something doesn't feel right. Erysinthae peers into the forest and notices a glint of steel catching the sunlight. "Hobgoblins! Ready yourself, friends!" he yells. "We're under attack!"

Mako is the first to respond, as he's always at the ready.

You can spot six hobgoblins, three on either side of the road, hiding behind trees. Mako, roll a d% for miss chance (1-20 misses) on ranged attacks.

Also remember that it's a move action to draw your weapons.

4 of the hobgoblins are within 30 feet away.

[DASLAYARGH]

I quickly unsling my shortbow and shoot an arrow at one of the foul beasts (within 30 feet).

Attack Roll:
[roll0]

Damage Roll:
[roll1]

[DASLAYARGH]

Concealment:
[roll0]

[Augulus]

With a fluid practiced motion, Mako unslings his bow and nocks an arrow against the string. He find his target, an ugly and especially tall hobgoblin to the left of the party. The hobgoblin had been poking his head out from behind his tree when Mako spotted him. With a twang, the arrow flies true, and strikes the foe in the head. He slumps over dead.

You hear guttural, harsh words being shouted from the grove, near the farmhouse. Mako, having trained in the uncommon language of goblinoids, understands a few broken pieces of the orders over the din of battle. "Get over here! ... the others! ... ATTACK!" The hobgoblins mobilize, and quickly get over the shock of seeing their fellow sniped from behind his cover. They are, after are, battle-trained soldiers.

Each hobgoblin pulls an arrow back and fires into the trio. Five arrows are shot, and three find their mark, one into Eri, Marius, and Mako each.

Damages:
Eri - 5
Marius - 5
Mako - 8

Erysinthae draws his sword, and pulls his shield down off his back. In elven, he cries out a plea to Corellon Larethian. Magical energy swirls around him and centers on his forearm, infusing into his sword arm.

Erysinthae gets: divine favor, +2 on att. and dmg. rolls

Marius's turn.

[DASLAYARGH]

"The hobgoblins are rallying, brothers! Prepare for a fight and stay low!"

Mako watched his target fall to the ground with an arrow in his head and smirked. Unfortunately, a similar arrow lodged itself into Mako's armor, going an inch into his flesh. He groaned at the irony and the iron-tipped arrow.

[DASLAYARGH]

What a thrilling battle it was! Mako had not been in a large skirmish for a long time and he had missed the taste of combat. Arrows flying. Weapons clashing. The danger was something the Rogue thrived off of.

"The hobs were planning an ambush, but of course I was the first to strike," Mako bragged while the group continued on the path. "And I landed a perfect shot and killed that hob outright. But it was thanks to Erysinthae; I'm surprised that you spotted them in the forest and I didn't! Good man."

It started as a typical archery contest from the sides of the path. Mako wasn't worried; he was the best archer that he knew. However, things got a lot more interesting when he was forced to drop his bow on the battlefield and draw his rapier to fend off mounds of hobgoblins, hellhounds, and even some hobgoblin commanders. Mako was a crack shot, but he lacked the strength to do much brute damage to his enemies. Instead, he took advantage of his keen Rogue knowledge of vital organs and struck them where it hurt the most.

However, things started to go south. Mako and Marius were mobbed by a horde of hobgoblins, while Erysinthae was locked in combat with the intimidating hobgoblin commanders. Hits were taken all around, and before they knew it, Erysinthae was paralyzed. Mako knew he had to defend his ally, so he heroically tumbled through the enemy lines to fend off the attackers. Unfortunately, this left Marius alone to deal with the horde. But Marius was not worried. After all, he was the Terrorizing Tower of Torture. He cleaved through the poor hobs left and right. And sometimes right through their middles too.

Mako had a lot of fun tumbling around the battlefield. Watching his enemies' frustrated and surprised faces as he rolled around them just made his day. The enemy cleric thought he had the upper hand when he made himself invisible. However, Mako's rogue training allowed him to react to danger before his senses would have normally allowed him to do so. The cleric's devastating touch attack appeared out of nowhere as the hob broke its invisibility, but Mako immediately ducked out of the way.

Together, Mako and Erysinthae finished off the cleric, the hobgoblin commander, and a hellhound. They sought immediately to help their ally Marius who had been stuck in the sea of hobgoblins for the whole time, alone. They were pleasantly surprised to see the hobgoblins' crushed-in corpses littered around the dwarf. There were two or three still alive and fighting Marius, but they looked terrified. Mako rolled his eyes and jumped in. They easily finished off the remaining opponents. It was good for him to practice with his rapier; he used his bow most of the time and he didn't get much practice in with the melee weapon. All in all, it was a good fight.

The group had gotten the name of the hobgoblins' leader, Azarr Kul. Mako was interested to see how powerful this leader was. He wanted the challenge.

I wonder how many arrows to the head he'll be able to take?

[Augulus]

Erysinthae takes the time to heal up all of his allies after the battle. He is surprised to see Marius still walking around, jolly in his own brutish, dwarven way. Eri say Marius take a longsword through the shoulder-blade and not even flinch. Mako was even worse off. He'd taken a battering from both arrows and blades, but had miraculously managed to dodge all of the hellhound's fiery breath attacks. Erysinthae was definitely impressed, as he had take the full force of their flame more than a few times during the battle.

After muttering a few prayers, the party is once again in top condition, though tired.

"And I landed a perfect shot and killed that hob outright. But it was thanks to Erysinthae; I'm surprised that you spotted them in the forest and I didn't! Good man."

"Good elf, I think you mean!" Eri remarks with a chuckle. "And I saw that shot. "A fine show, indeed!"

Erysinthae had enjoyed the battle immensely. He was more prone to conflict than many of his elven brothers, and it invigorated him to be travelling with companions as equally bloodthirsty as himself. Destroying the vile creatures of darkness filled his heart with content. He knew that Corellan Larethian would protect him, so all he had to do was seek out his foes and strike them true.

Eri consulted his map. "Drellin's Ferry is only a few more miles on. We should get there to warn the townsfolk of this attack. There may be more in the area, and they need to know."

[Augulus]

The road descends into a small town built mostly on the near side of a broad, sluggish river. Six old stone piers jut out of the water, marking the spot where a bridge once stood, but the span itself is long gone. Instead, a couple of long thick ropes cross the river, each secured to a flat-bottomed ferryboat. Brown fields and green orchards surround the town.

A small group of armed townsfolk - three in leather, one in mail - stands guard, watching the trio warily. "Halt and state your business, strangers," a burly man demands, not too unkindly. He seems to just be glad that you aren't goblinoids.

[firewolf397]

After the events of today Marius thought to him self
Something is not right, such a raid does not happen to random travelers and the burnt down farm. Marius now sure that some evil is at play in these lands.

Should I stay with my companions in solving the matters of these lands or move on to my own problems.

Marius thought to himself as they traveled to the town

[Augulus]

Jorr leads the trio down the path through the woods for a few hours. During this time, he tells you about his past, how he once lived in town but now prefers to live alone, out in the woods. "After all, better goblin hunting!" He says with a grin. "I live with my dogs now. They're all the company I really need."

The ground gradually slopes downward, and your realize that you're entering a large, wooded valley. The ground wetter, and if you stray off the main path your boots sink in a few inches. You round a bend, and Jorr points out the Blackwater Causeway. Up ahead, a wide expanse of dark water has flooded the woodland in this low valley. Trees still protrude from the calm, dark waters here and there, but many large reaches seem to be little more than open pools of algae-choked water. The trill of frogs and the whine of insects fills the air. The forest road leads right down to the edge of the flooded section, up to a rickety-looking causeway made of thick planks of wood lashed together with sections of mossy rope. The wooden causeway runs for several hundred feet through the boggy patch of land, only a foot or so above the water.

Jorr motions you onward. "C'mon, lets get going. We've a while longer until Vraath Keep."

Spot checks, everyone! The google docs is set up.

[Augulus]

Erysinthae thinks the party should rest before assaulting Vraath Keep. Jorr remarks that he's not going to accompany you in, only show you the way to the keep.

Should you make camp, you'll be about a 15 minute walk from the keep in a secluded cave that Jorr camps in often. He'll wait for your return in the cave for a maximum of two days. He advises against cooking fires. He thinks that you should attack by cover of darkness in order to give you the best hope at surprising the hobgoblins, but then again, they might be most active during the night.

[DASLAYARGH]

"I've found some armor!"

Mako had been searching the abandoned wagon in the marsh, and he had come across a piece of armor that was made of some sort of silvery, glistening metal; it looked similar to his chain shirt that he was wearing at the moment. Mako was disappointed to find that the discovered armor was just breastplate. Breastplate was much too cumbersome for him to wear and successfully rogue about.

Marius came over, eyed the armor, and grunted with disdain.

"Mithril breastplate. Not worth my time," he declared as he pounded a fist to his full plate chest a couple of times.

"Aye, my full plate has served me faithfully." Erysinthae followed up.

"Hmm... well if it's mithril... then perhaps I could use it... Can one of you fine gentlemen teach me how to put it on? I must give it a try."

The two of the nodded and walked over to Mako.

"Take off your chain shirt."

Mako did so and put it away. Marius picked up the mithril breastplate as if it was made of feathers and threw it up and down in both hands.

"Very light. Like an elf."

Erysinthae snorted and the two of them began to help Mako put on the breastplate. The whole thing was so time-consuming to him. How could fighters spend so much time putting on heavy armor every morning? The chain shirt was so easy to put on and take off; it only took a minute at most. Putting on heavier armor took a whopping four minutes, and half and full plate couldn't even be worn properly unless the wearer had help equipping it.

Erysinthae undid the many straps holding the two halves of the breastplate together while Marius tapped his foot impatiently. The elf then held the back half of the breastplate while Marius took the front.

"Ready? One, two three."

They then sandwiched Mako within the halves of the armor and secured the straps, holding the two halves together.

It was certainly heavier than his chain shirt, but not by much. Surprisingly, Mako felt just as agile in the heavy chunk of metal as he did in the flexible chain shirt.

This breastplate has to be magical. There's no way normal breastplate can be this maneuverable in.

Erysinthae gave Mako tips on how he should wear the armor to prevent injury and something much more dangerous: chafing. Mako needed further practice to put on the breastplate by himself, but it definitely provided much more protection than his chain shirt. It was worth it. He felt ready to face whatever Vrath Keep had in store for him.

[DASLAYARGH]

Health 7th Level:
[roll0]

[Augulus]

The tired trio loots the castle clean, and heads back to the cave. They may be battered, bruised, and bleeding profusely, but the day was theirs. Spirits were high, and Erysinthae broke out into elven song, much to the dismay of Marius.

The sun is setting as you make it back to the cave. Jorr is there waiting for you, and he asks how the battle went. Erysinthae settles down, and opens the book recovered from the vault below the Keep.

Hours later, he summarizes the story for you...

"Vraath Keep has a tragic history, as the ruins and skeletal remains attest. For centuries, trade through the Witchwood used the Dawn Way, and the soldiers stationed at Vraath Keep were the primary defenders of the region. Their presence kept the road safe for merchants to travel.

A few years before the fall of Rhest, an ambitious young man named Amery Vraath inherited control of the keep. After the Rhestilor kingdom dissolved, Amery laid claim to the entire Witchwood and sought to rid his new domain of its evil reputation. Chief among his targets was a tribe of forest giants that dwelt deep in the woods. Known as the Twistusks, these forest giants generally kept to themselves but raided merchants on the Dawn Way from time to time.

The brash young lord gathered together an impressive group of mercenaries and adventurers, and early one summer day led his force against the Twistusks. The battle was furious, but in the end Amery's men won the day and forced the Twistusks to flee into the mountains. The soldiers burned the giants' steading to the ground and returned to Vraath, victorious.

Yet their victory was short-lived. One week later, the surviving Tiwstusks returned and attacked Vraath Keep during a tremendous thunderstorm. The giants bombarded the keep all night long with hurled boulders and massive poisoned arrows. When the sun rose, four of the Twistusks lay dead amid the ruined keep, but none of the keep's soldiers or residents remained. Those who had survived the battle were taken away to be eaten by the giants in their own victory feast - all except for Amery Vraath. The young lordling retreated into the vault below his keep after he was shot by a forest giant's poisoned arrow, hoping to elude death, only to perish slowly of his poisoned wound."

[DASLAYARGH]

"I don't feel comfortable fighting a monster of unknown power. Let's wait for the so-called 'manticore' to leave its nest before we assault Vrath Keep."

The rest of the party agreed. Under the cover of night, the band of four crept into the keep without being detected. They had waited for the manticore to soar away and then 30 minutes more.

Mako put his ear to the door of the common room. There were definitely creatures in there. He signaled the rest of the party to prepare themselves. Marius and Erysinthae positioned themselves on opposite sides of the door, while Mako and Jorr climbed up and took up positions along the walls of the keep. Everybody's weapons were readied. Mako counted off with his fingers.

5... 4...

Marius knocked on the door callously with his warhammer. After a few moments, the door slowly opened. A hobgoblin poked his head out curiously, only to be completely flattened into a goopy mess by both Marius's and Erysinthae's weapons. The elf pushed the door wide open to reveal a couple of undressed and confused hobgoblins. As well as a hulking half-man-half-bull monster creature. Seeing their ally instantly killed, the group of monsters retreated further into the room. Marius and Erysinthae eagerly waded into the fight. Mako looked down and jumped off the walls of the keep, tumbling on the ground upon impact. He approached the entrance of the common room, allowing him to see the enemies and shoot his arrows. The hobgoblins were quickly dropping; the party's weapons had an easy time going through their unarmored flesh. The minotaur was another story though. It picked up its greataxe and swung it around recklessly. It gored Marius multiple times with its horns. However, with the support of the rest of the party, it was finally taken down.

As this happened, a loud clanging sound rang throughout the keep. Fearing that the manticore would be called back, Mako yelled to Jorr, "Retreat! Get back to the cave! We'll meet you there!"

Jorr, being a good follower, obeyed Mako's commands. The hobs inside the common room had managed to pick up their weapons and were smiling for some reason. This reason became crystal clear when Mako saw the doors of another building to the north fly open. Two hobgoblins with crossbows mounted on wargs charged at him. Mako beelined to the inside of the common room into the hobgoblin fray. He got out his rapier and helped his party in melee combat. More hobgoblins seemed to appear out of nowhere, and it seemed that the tides of the fight were turning.

"I'll handle these dogs and their wargs!"

Marius went to the entrance of the room and prevented their entrance. Mako, Erysinthae, and his summoned creatures proceeded to wipe out the hobgoblins inside. The dwarf was taking some serious hits and had to drink his magical healing potions. However, he successfully killed the wargs and the hobgoblins were forced to fight on foot. Just when things were looking good again, a strange figure descended from the staircase in an adjacent room. It was a bugbear in flowing, dark red robes.

"Who dares meddle with Koth?"

Pointing his finger, Koth sent a lightning bolt crackling straight at the party. Mako dodged the bolt skillfully as always, but his allies were not as fortunate, taking the full brunt of the electricity. Mako could smell the singeing.

"I do."

The cleric and his summoned bear moved to engage Koth in combat. Mako tumbled around to take advantage of Koth being flanked and get a good sneak attack in. Just before Mako could plunge his rapier into the bugbear's heart, however, Koth soared into the air.

"Suffer!"

A cloud of stinking vileness spewed forth from Koth and engulfed the entire party. Luckily, they managed to hold their breaths and dive out of the cloud before it could overcome them. Meanwhile, the few remaining hobgoblins were still wailing away at Marius. Tiring of this battle, Marius swung his hammer around in an almost lazy circle and killed off the poor hobs. Unable to hit the Koth in the air, Erysinthae instead cast a mighty spell to render Koth immobile. This allowed Mako to take out his bow and fire at the bugbear's vital organs. A successful shot sunk into Koth's heart. Amazingly, Koth broke free of the cleric's enchantment and replied with another lightning bolt, still up after the heart-shot. The elf cringed at the pain of the bolt going straight through his chest, but he still remained standing. Koth was being a difficult target in the air for Mako, with his moving about and all. Arrow after useless arrow flew around Koth. Once again, Erysinthae cast a summoning spell. This time, a hippogryph appeared and engaged Koth in aerial combat.

Taking a toll from the hippogryph's relentless assault and the handful arrows that had managed to hit him, Koth decided to retreat and flew away towards the staircase.

"He's getting away! Bring him down, you useless archer!"

Mako took a few more shots at the fleeing sorcerer, but to no avail.

Then Erysinthae, the Elven Cleric of Corellon Larethian, took a step forward.

"Vile scourge! I bring justice!"

Erysinthae cast his Ultimate spell and summoned a giant, magical, and glowing longsword, which he had dubbed "Larethian's Justice." It soared above Koth's head and flew straight down through his body with a yellow burst of light. Based on how much health Koth was missing already, it was safe to assume that the impalement killed him. The bugbear plummeted to the ground, having been slain.

"Accursed villains."




---



After much looting, the party happened upon the hobgoblins' war room while searching the keep. Inside was a giant table with a giant map on it. It appeared to be a map of the Elsir Vale. Words written in Goblin were scattered across it.

"Mako, what do the words say?"

Being able to read Goblin, Mako took a closer look at map. He looked at all of the text, nodding his head and mmhmm-ing every once in a while.

"Well, my friends, as you all know, the Goblin language uses the Dwarven alphabet. So Marius recognizes all of the letters on this map, do you not? You just can't understand the words, since they differ from Dwarven words."

The dwarf nodded.

"Unfortunately, I am in the same predicament. Gentlemen... it looks like gibberish to me."

Marius groaned.

"But don't fret, brothers! I believe that the text is simply encoded. It will only take a few short hours to decipher it."

The party took the huge map along with them and headed back to Drellin's Ferry. In his free time, Mako worked on decoding the map. As he progressed further and further, his heart sank more and more as he realized what the map foretold. Finally, Mako was finished. He called over his friends to read the text.

"By the gods..."

Marius looked on stoically.

"Yes. It looks like the hobgoblins are planning a mass invasion of the Vale."

[Augulus]

You wake up to a peacefully calm Drellin's Ferry. The horses bicker and stomp the ground as you approach. Erysinthae stops Marius and Mako.

"Friends, it has been a pleasure travelling with you. However, I feel obligated to go warn my brethren, the Tiri Kitor, of this invasion. Perhaps we will meet again in the future."

He saddles and mounts his mare, and takes off towards the Eastern edge of the village.

[Augulus]

2275 xp for each of you for defeating Ozzyrandion and his garrison at Skull Gorge Bridge!

[DASLAYARGH]

HP FOR LEVEL 8:

[roll0]

[firewolf397]

[roll0]
BRETT IS AN *******

[DASLAYARGH]

"If you truly wish to become an Avengers, Mako, you must understand that you cannot rely on anybody but yourself. Unfortunately, plans fail and alliances break. People will falter. Be ready to be on your own."

And once again, for what seemed like ages, Mako was alone again. And he didn't like it. A big reason was because he was trying not to move a muscle as the Razorfiend which had killed his entire team stalked around to find him. Luckily, Mako was invisible. However, the Razorfiend had a good sense of hearing. Mako wasn't sure for how much longer he could hold his breath. It wasn't just like the "holding-my-breath" threats that he used to send against his Elders when he was a young boy. This was a matter of life and death. All the while, Mako was covering up his wounds with both hands to prevent his dripping blood from giving away his position.

He wondered about all of his life decisions that brought him up to this point. Mako remembered all of the times and not-talks that he had had with Marius. What the dwarf lacked in conversational emotion, he made up for in passion during combat. Mako remembered the games that Sylvas played on their enemies with his ridiculous magics. He remembered that just earlier that day, Sylvas caused a giant to steal his shortbow and run away with it. It was hilarious.

But the mood had changed drastically. They had been talking about the whole debacle while wandering through the abandoned manor when suddenly, two lizard-like monstrosities leapt over a low wall. As they landed, one mauled at Marius with its 2 wing blades, then took a bite at his head. One wing broke through his armor, but he deftly dodged the other attacks. Sylvas was almost killed immediately. Mako immediately pulled a healing potion from his backpack and shoved the liquid down Sylvas's throat. Marius had no idea what was going on, but swung his hammer at the foes instinctively. The potion brought Sylvas back to his feet, but it was not to last. Mako saw one of the beasts open his mouth and predicted a breath attack. And he was right. It opened its toothy maw and spat caustic acid at the three of them. Mako managed to duck under the blast, but his two allies took the full brunt of the green gunk. He saw the acid eating through Sylvas's flesh as he lay on the ground again. Another blast fully engulfed Sylvas and Marius, and Mako knew that the elf was done for. Mako's and Marius's eyes met for only a moment, but it felt like an hour. For the first time, Mako saw in his eyes the dwarf contemplating retreat. And, just as Mako predicted, Marius made a run for it. He ducked his head, raised his shield, and raced out of the door. On the way, he took multiple razor wings, but he barely survived. While they swung at the dwarf, Mako took the opportunity to run out as well.

The exit of the manor was just down the hallway. The two survivors ran for their lives. Unfortunately, one of the Razorfiends burst through a window and took Marius's life. Mako had no choice but to continue his retreat. He knew that he would never be able to escape the Razorfiends with their huge jump distances. However, he knew that Miha, a powerful sorceress, was waiting outside for him. Mako was sure that she would be able to do something.

"Miha! Miha!" Mako shouted in between breaths while running. "We need to teleport!"

The girl looked confused.

"What's going on?"

"Sylvas and Marius were killed. I'll explain later, just teleport now!"

Mako immediately regretted his choice of words when Miha took one glance at the incoming monstrosities and vanished in an instant. Without him.

He could hear the Razorfiend at his back, so Mako had no choice but to drink a potion of invisibility. And so here he was, try to stand as still as possible. ASAP.

Eventually, the Razorfiend grew disinterested and traveled back to the manor where Mako's allies had been mercilessly cut down. After he was sure that the Razorfiend was gone, he breathed in gasps of relief. Mako looked around for any signs of Miha. Perhaps she had just gone invisible, or maybe she had teleported back. He found no signs of the sorceress, but he did happen onto a hill. Sprawled across the rotting roots of the small marsh hill was the ruined and bloody remains of a horse-sized owl. The once-magnificent bird's body had been partially dissolved in places, and swaths of foul, dark green fluid still sizzled and popped, eating away at exposed flesh and bone. Mako found a jade band around one of the owl's legs, inscribed with unfamiliar letters. He took it and put it into his backpack. Unfortunately, it slipped right out the bottom. Taking a closer look, Mako found that there was a small hole in the bag due to acid.

Mako managed to push onwards and retreat back to civilization. He stared ahead with the blankest of stares. That was when he met the elves. Mako led them to their fallen comrade's remains, and they helped him retrieve his allies' remains and kill the Razorfiends. The elves brought Mako back to their home, the Starsong Hill. It was there where he learned the backstory behind the Red Hand. He met Sellyria Starsinger, Speaker for the Tiri Kitor, as well as High Singer Trellara Nightshadow. He learned of the goblin Wyrmlord Saarvith. He found out that Tyrgarun was a dragon, and that Azaar Kul was the mastermind and leader behind the entire invasion. He learned that a black dragon loomed about, threatening the safety of the elves. Mako agreed to help the elves as long as they returned the favor to the humans. And so, he set to find this Saarvith and destroy him. Trellara agreed to travel with Mako to avenge the death of her brother.

Mako swore to make sure that the deaths of his allies were not in vain. He would finish what they had started and catch Azaar Kul red-handed. Mako would be his doom.

[DASLAYARGH]

Mako flew into the sky above the swamp with his newly-found allies, Valor and Dwellen, to finally take down the black dragon that threatened the elves. The dragon was accompanied by none other than Saarvith, a dangerous goblin Ranger who was the leader of the Red Hand's forces in the swampy area. Characteristically cautious, Mako managed to throw his fear out the window and engage the dragon head-on. With a mighty shout, Mako plunged his rapier into the dragon's chest. The blade immediately exploded with fiery, electric flash bright enough to blind everyone in the area momentarily. The dragon roared in pain as a hole was left in its body. Dwellen took up a position to flank the dragon, hammer at the ready, while Valor prepared a magical follow-up bombardment. Before, Mako had thought that it was impossible to defeat such an intimidating creature. Dragons were known to be ferocious living weapons of death. With claws and teeth as sharp as the sharpest steel, scales even harder than steel, tremendous wings that hit like battering rams, and breath weapons that spewed elemental death upon enemies, dragons were true terrors to behold. Literally. But this time, the tables were turned. With Dwellen distracting the dragon, Mako saw that all of the dragon's weak points were unguarded. He saw no less than four places that he could strike in quick succession that would severely cripple the foul beast.

"To the death!"

The dragon suddenly turned to look at Mako, its eyes full of malice. Mako swore that he could see a grin as he was bit, clawed, and tail-slapped out of the sky by the vile dragon in less than six seconds. His body was pierced and bludgeoned beyond repair. He bled quietly as he floated gently down from the sky to the swamp surface. And there he lay, staring straight up at his two allies still fighting the dragon. Mako's vision was starting to blur. He saw the dragon being felled. He saw a barrage of well-placed arrows sticking into Valor. But finally, Mako saw no more. The last thing that Mako felt was the dwarf's rough hands applying pressure to the gaping, bloody holes in his chest.

"Don't die on me, you worthless human!"

But it was over.

[DASLAYARGH]

"We have to travel through that? The thorns will eat us alive!"

Chora looked in despair at the hills that were covered with what seemed to be an endless sea of thorny brier.

"And by my approximation, it'll take us six days to get there if we travel at dwarf speed," Valor squawked heartily.

He seemed to be unfazed, as if he was happy that the party would be going through tough terrain for the first time.

"Bah, shouldn't be a problem. Let's march."

The group decided that Chora would ditch her armor and march ahead with Valor while Dwellen marched at his own pace. Although slower, Dwellen's constitution would allow him to force his way through the fatigue. He was very enduring, you could say. The going started out slow and steady. But it got slower. The sea of thorns began to take its toll on the adventurers as they got caught everywhere: inside boots, down socks, into pants, up the pants, and places that should never be mentioned. Every hour or so, the members would have to stop and spend 10 minutes pulling out the thorns in order to keep walking somewhat comfortably. The whole situation was very unappetizing.


---

Nevertheless, Chora was excited to finally be traveling with her peers and going to fight a terrible evil. She was eager to make a name for herself and tell stories about her accomplishments. It was her chance to show her teeth and take a bite out of evil. The hardships that she endured throughout her life were finally going to be worth it. She had been an outcast, shunned by her community that despised anybody who was not 100% human. Her family had disowned her when they had found out about her dragon lineage. She took up singing as a bard in order to gain the affections of friends and win back her family. However, even with her talents, she was eventually thrown out of her village at the age of 15 (which was considered adulthood). With no friends or family, only her song was there to guide her. Chora roamed the Dawn Way, barely living off of the gold from her performances. She sang songs of bravery, perseverance, and love in order to help her forget about her exile. Life on the road was never safe, especially as a homeless teenage girl. It was a cat-eat-cat world out there. However, she was good with words; she could talk her way out of almost any situation. Her voice was her only companion.

One fateful day, her inspirational song caught the attention of Captain Lars Ulverth, the leader of Brindol's Lion Guard as he was walking down the streets of Brindol.

"What is your name, kind girl?"

"Captain Ulverth! My name is Chora," she said as she fell to her knees. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Get up, Chora. No need for this."

She scrambled to her feet, her face turning red.

"My soldiers are trained and combat-ready. But the problem is that they have no motivation. They lack the fire in their souls to fight. You are a bard, Chora?"

"Yes sir."

"Then I must ask you this question. Would like you to join the Lion Guard as a standard-bearer? Your music would do wonders on my men."

"Oh! Of... of course, I'll do it! It'd be my honor!"

"Excellent."

Ulverth pulled out a piece of paper, wrote something on it, and gave it to Chora along with five pieces of gold.

"Report to the barracks to get your uniform and equipment. The money is for your personal spending; spend it wisely."

Chora stared at the gold pieces in her hand with wide eyes. She had never held this much money before. Ulverth laughed.

"And don't worry, you will be getting paid for your service, Chora. Good day. I will see you tomorrow at sunrise in the training yard."

At first, Chora thought she bit off more than she could chew. She thought that she would only be standing there with the banner and singing her magical bardic song. However, all members of the Lion Guard were required to know how to fight. It was over the course of two years that Chora found her true calling and became an excellent Fighter. Her meteoric rise through the ranks of the Lion Guard caught the attention of not only the Captain, but also many enemies. She became tough enough to lead platoons of Guardsmen against the threats that faced Brindol. She charged her way through rebels, thieves, and mercenaries alike. Her favorite tactic was to run right into the thick of it and sunder all of her opponents' weapons. For this purpose, she had forged a magical adamantine greatsword that could cut through steel like butter. Her recklessness and eagerness to prove herself, partnered with her distinct lack of awareness of the battlefield around her, however, meant that she got hurt. A lot. Chora was especially prone to surprise ambushes and vicious flanks. Ulverth saw this potentially fatal flaw, and as a gift for her years of service, he gifted her with magical full plate. This armor kept Chora alive and well, and it even made the difference between life and death in some of her battles.

One fateful night, Chora received a vision from none other than the King of the Good Dragons himself, Bahamut. She dreamed that she lay on a field of grass, staring straight up into the starry night sky. A streak of platinum raced across the sky and exploded, revealing Bahamut himself. The Platinum Dragon then told her of the coming darkness and said that her story had given him hope in humanity. Bahamut knew of her gold dragon blood, and told her that it was imperative that she embrace her long-suppressed draconic heritage and channel the power to fight for him. He told her than he had a vision that Chora would die in combat against a mysterious foe named Azaar Kul, but that her party would emerge victorious in the end due to her sacrifice. He said that her body would be sent back to her home village and buried. She would finally be honored.

When she awoke, she immediately told the captain of the vision and set off on her quest to awaken her dragon side. He wished her farewell, fully aware of the importance of her mission. Her journey led her to many places, and Chora found herself once again wandering the Dawn Way. Endless arcane research and learning Draconic allowed her great insights, and visions of dragons soaring through the skies at night signaled her growth. She first started to grow dragon scales, and then dragon teeth and claws. The growth frightened and excited her at the same time. It was after a week at Starsong Hill that she discovered her ability to breath fire. She was on her way to becoming a full-fledged servant of Bahamut. It was at the hill that she met Valor and Dwallen. They told her of their quest and Chora immediately knew that they spoke of the darkness that Bahamut told her she was destined to vanquish. She pounced at the idea of being able to travel with the pair, and they accepted her into the group. They then traveled to fight the Red Hand.

The Ghostlord was their goal, and they had his phylactery. He was located in the Thornwaste. The wizard at Brindol teleported the party there, and there they appeared. The march through the brier was on.

Now, normally gazelles are wonderful creatures. They are beautiful, graceful creatures that wander through the savannas without a care in the world. But those are the gazelles wearing +2 full plate. Chora was also beautiful and graceful, but she was lacking the armor. She also looked pretty much the same as one of them unarmored gazelle-types when she was torn apart by two pouncing 3500-pound Dire Lions. Her soft, unarmored flesh made an excellent scratching post for the big cats' dire claws and dire teeth. Except in this case, the scratching post was ripped into multiple pieces that were left barely attached to each other by thin ligaments and strings of flesh. Chora's blood spattered everywhere and soaked the dry earth. What was once a living thing was now a pile of entrails, flesh, and bits of lung. The lions began eating the body. One of them bit off the right half of her head and crunched her skull in its mouth, half brains and eye and hair and all, without a care in the world. The other, clearly disgusted by the other lion's lack of manners, began the meal by biting off her toes one-by-one, being sure not to waste any scraps of flesh. Unfortunately, the classiness of that one lion would never be known by anyone, because from the sky rained down fiery, electric death. The lions had thought that it was just a lone bird floating in the sky. But they were wrong. It was a bird with SPELLCASTING ABILITIES.

"What the hell, Lionel? How is that bird shooting fireballs at us?" one lion asked with a growl.

"Beats me. Maybe it's a wild shaped Druid?"

Before they could discuss the issue at hand further, the lions were promptly killed. And although on one hand, Chora wished for her intact body to be buried in her home village, on the other hand, the fireball personally thought that cremation was a more viable, simpler alternative. Given the current spell economy of course. And so, the body of Chora, which was missing the right half of her head and all of her toes, was burnt to ashes. All it took was a particularly strong gust of wind to scatter them into a billion unrecoverable pieces all over the Thornwaste.

Perhaps Chora's ashes will go to good use. They could be fertilizer for more briers. And maybe one day, a Dire Lion will be killed by some freak accident or fumble with an encounter with a large section of brier. Or maybe some of her ashes will blind a dire lion and cause it to accidentally kill its whole pride. Or maybe her ashes will blind a nearby flying owl and it'll soar down and pierce a Dire Lion to death with its sharp talons and beaks. A girl can only dream though.

Rest In Peace, dear Chora Semprion. I leave you all with a few parting words from Bahamut himself:

"The vision I saw was of Chora dying in battle with Azaar Kul. I guess it was a lion!"

TROLOLOL

[DASLAYARGH]

“Believe me when I say this: good luck, my friends. If you return to us, you will be welcomed back as heroes. Yondalla be with you, and may she protect you,” the halfling whispered.

The rabble of the impatient crowd behind them began to grow even louder. Pitchforks and torches were in the air.

“Now get out of here, you traitors!”

With a crack of the whip, the three mounted halflings were sent racing away on their riding dogs. An assortment of throwing stones and smooth pebbles flew near their heads and all around them as they disappeared into the dark plains. A sling bullet managed to hit one of them square in the arm.

“Ow! Gods damn it!”

After riding for about an hour, the three halflings attempted to make camp. They were mercifully granted their militia equipment before being exiled from their home: studded leather, light shields, and weapons. Unfortunately, that was all that they were granted.

“We’re going to freeze out here! Not to mention we don’t have anything to eat or drink!”

“Correction: we do have stuff to eat. Look what I managed to find.”

The halfling stood up from a nearby bush and opened his hand to reveal a fistful of berries.

“Garret, you sure those aren’t poisonous?”

“Of course, Dido!”

She gave him a stare.

“95% sure.”

“…We’re all going to die out here.”

“Oh, will you two quit yammering? Check out what I looted before they gave us the boot. We have water!”

The third halfling gloriously pulled out a waterskin from inside her studded leather. Dido blew up.

“What the hells is wrong with you, Kat? You have some sick sense of what’s right and what’s wrong, huh? The first thing you can think of when you two get kicked out for grand larceny is to steal a waterskin?”

“Umm, yes? We all need water to live!”

Garret began to sputter and choke. He spat out a mouthful of berries from his mouth.

“I… think it was a smart choice,” Garret managed to say before he gargled the water from the waterskin.

“Ugh! Of course I end up getting exiled with you two. That’s what I get.”

“Hmm… but the real question is this: why did you defend us? I’m still confused about that. I clearly remember you saying ‘If you exile them, you’ll have to exile me too!’”

“I don’t know! I’m only beginning to realize the stupidity of my decision.”

“I think you like us! Dido likes us, Dido likes us, Dido likes us!”

Both Garret and Kat began to sing the phrase over and over again. Dido threw her hands in the air in frustration and began walking away. Then everything changed when the dire rats attacked. Three of them appeared from the tall grass, and they skittered directly at Dido from behind.

“Watch out! Behind you!”

As Dido turned around to address the two of them, she was met with the sight of three crazed rats. And one of the rats would have been met with the sight of a crossbow bolt to the head if it weren’t facing away from Garret. Instead, it just died.

“I’ve just about had it with this!”

Dido drew her longsword and chopped the head off of another one of the critters. Garret had the unexplainable urge to rub his neck. The last rat, undeterred, leapt onto Dido’s face and began biting into every square inch of flesh that it could reach. In a panic, Garret reloaded his crossbow and aimed at the rat. Kat pushed his crossbow down.

“Are you insane, Garret? This takes finesse, not just a bolt to the face.”

“Get it off me!”

“As you wish.”

With a grin, Kat pulled out a dagger from inside her studded leather. With a flick of the wrist, she lazily tossed it straight at Dido’s head. The knife impaled the rat and launched it off of Dido’s face. As it attempted to run away, Garret shot a bolt, finishing off the threat. Kat smiled.

“So, Dido? Have anything to say to us?”

“Yeah. Yeah I do! Did you just throw a dagger at me? What the hells were you thinking? That could have blinded me!”

“Oh, not this again.”

“You know what? I’m too tired to argue with you two. Let’s just get some sleep. I’m just going to go over there now.”

Dido found a nice, bare patch of dirt and laid herself down. She snatched a nearby rock to use a pillow and shivered. This was even worse than her lousy bed at home. At least she had blankets at home. Oh, how nice it was back at home. She wondered how long it would take for the three of them to make it all the way to the Thornewaste and back home. That is, if they even made it. They could die the next day, for all she knew. Or even sometime in her sleep. Dido didn’t put it past Kat to rob both Garret and her in the night and run away. The thought of never seeing home again frightened her. Damn, it was cold.

As if on cue, a burst of heat arrived from nowhere.

Yondalla has heard my plea!

Dido opened her eyes and looked over towards the heat source. It was just a fire. A fire that Kat started.

“How did you manage that?”

Kat held in the air some flint and steel.

“…Exactly how much did you steal?”

“Enough to survive. Come on, get near the fire, Dido.”

“I refuse to benefit from your dishonorable ventures.”

“Come on, Dido. Be reasonable. We need to all stay alive and healthy if we want to have any chance of making it home again.”

After a few moments, Dido walked over and sat herself down by the fire. She wore a scowl.

“Dido, try some of these berries. They taste a lot better, and I’m 99% sure they’re not poisonous.”

She took a handful of them from Garret. And then she snagged the waterskin from Kat.

“Just in case. Wish me luck.”

And with that, she downed all of the berries.

[DASLAYARGH]

"And then, BAM! Lightning flies all over the place and kills them! But just when all hope is lost, the dragon stops murdering the soldiers and pulls out the oldest dragon card in the book: he says 'Give me a beautiful young maiden from your village to devour, and I will spare the rest of you pitiful halflings.'"

"He was lying! I bet he lied!" Kat burst out.

"Don't interrupt, this is the best part! So... anyway, after some deliberation, the village decides to throw this redhead girl out to her death. She goes out to the dragon with a face of stone. She walks without a hint of fear, and some even say that she was smiling..."




----------



"So you're the most beautiful halfling? I've eaten orcs better looking than you."

"Well, the humans say you are what you eat. And we've killed plenty of orcs in our time."

The dragon cocked its head and began to laugh. The rumbling sound of his laughter shook the ground, causing some of the villagers to scream.

"Hah haha hah. That was funny, halfling. Well, if what they say is correct, then I'm about to become the most beautiful halfling then!"

The dragon snatched up the halfling in its claws in a blink of the eye. Although some of the villagers looked away, anticipating her gruesome death, she looked the dragon straight in the eye, defiant. The dragon seemed amused.

"Not afraid? Hmm... I like you, girl. You know what? Halflings taste a lot better than humans. I've developed quite a taste. I think I'll take my time with you. You can't rush with fine cuisine. I wonder if you'll make sounds like my other meals."

The dragon began to imitate the sounds of his victims screaming and begging for mercy. It sounded hauntingly like the real thing.

"'Please! Take me instead! Please don't kill me! I beg you! No, ahhhh!' Hah! And the best part is when they finally beg me to kill them after all the torture. 'Please let me die...' Hah!"

No reaction from the girl. The dragon held her up right to his mouth and he roared ferociously.

"Fear me, you pathetic little girl! I will swallow your soul!"

She smiled.

"Swallow this," she responded.

Suddenly, a hail of arrows descended upon the dragon out of the blue. The arrows pierced right through the dragon's scales and burst into flame upon impact. The dragon roared in pain and accidentally dropped the girl. He looked to see an archer halfling in the distance mounted on a riding dog.

"A meal riding on a meal! Excellent!"

The dragon quickly took flight and soared at this new morsel. The halfling began riding away, stood on top of his dog, and took more shots at the dragon. The arrows struck true, angering the dragon even more. Unfortunately, the dragon was starting gaining on them. Suddenly, the dog stopped and turned to charge straight at the dragon. They were in for a head-on collision.

"Perfect."

The dragon had to endure a few more painful arrows to the face, but it was worth it because he planned to close in anyway and swallow them whole. He landed, preparing to bite the unfortunate fellow. To the dragon's surprise, the halfling maneuvered the dog to suddenly veer to the left at a 90 degree angle. The dragon chomped nothing but empty air. And a few more fire arrows sunk into him. The dragon was starting to get desperate.

"Die!"

The dragon opened its mouth and shot lightning at the racing pair. Even if they reacted in time, there was no way they could escape taking damage from the lighting-quick lightning bolt. But once again the dragon was met with a surprise. The halfling jumped high into the air as the dog curved to the right. The lightning passed right under the halfling and right to the left of the dog. The dog made it back to the left just in time to catch its rider on the saddle. And more arrows were fired, hitting the dragon. Once again, the dragon took flight, flying straight towards the halfling. Every time the dragon drew close to the halfling, the dog would turn at a right angle and dash away. The dragon could not maneuver itself well enough to turn like that, and instead had to make a wide curve to continue the pursuit. The pair dodged several lightning bolts in a row. During all of this, the arrows kept coming, and the dragon began to fly slower and slower. Before long, the dragon was nearing death. Cursing his luck, the dragon finally decided to retreat.

"Puny halfling! I'll be back, and next time you won't be so lucky!"

And so, the dragon flew high into the sky and disappeared into the horizon.




----------



"And that's the story of how my great-great-grandparents met. The rider was my great-great-grandfather and the redhead was my great-great-grandmother."

"What happened to the dragon?" Kat asked.

"He was never seen again. The village was saved, all thanks to Leon Lightfoot."

"You're related to Leon Lightfoot? I thought your family name was just a coincidence."

"I sure am related to him, and I'm proud of it. Someday I'll be just as good as an archer as he was."

Dido snorted.

"Yeah, sure, once you learn to stop almost killing me when we're fighting hobgoblins."

"Hey! It's not my fault! It's hard to shoot a target engaged in melee combat with another person!"

"Sorry, but I agree with Dido. You might know the ins and outs of fighting goblins, but it seems like your arrows always fly dangerously close to our hearts and minds. Literally."

"I'm still practicing, but I'll get it. Trust me. Anyways, I'm going to go feed the dogs now. It's about time for their meals. If you'll excuse me."

Garret walked off to the dogs.

"Hey Dido, do you think we'll ever get to fight a dragon?"

"And live to tell the tale? I doubt it. The most legendary halfling warrior in our history only managed to fend off a not even fully grown dragon. If that dragon was fully grown, the ending probably would have been very different."

"But there's three of us. I'm sure that could make a difference."

"Look, you can dream about whatever you want. But there's no way we could take out an adult dragon, even if there are three of us."

"Okay, how about a teenage dragon?"

"No."

"Child dragon?"

"Still no."

"Toddler dragon?"

"What the hells? No!"

"Okay, okay, I get your point."

"Good, because it would be the worst thing in the world to encounter any kind of dragon. Honestly, even talking about it makes me..."

"Ooo! How about a dragon egg? I'm sure we could beat that! Get it, beat?"

"NO!!!"

"Okay, now you're just being annoying, Dido."

[DASLAYARGH]

It was another average night at the campfire.

"You know, I always thought adventuring would be exciting and that we would have the fate of the worlds resting on our shoulders. But all we've been doing is spending hours traveling and traveling. The most exciting thing we've fought the whole time are dire rats. And honestly, I am NOT a fan of filth fever, thank you very much."

"Adventuring isn't all glory, Kat. And you're not here to have fun. You were exiled, if you don't remember," Dido brought up.

"Well, you came with us so you're as good as exiled too!"

"Yeah, because I knew that if you went alone, you would die out here. This isn't some sort of fantasy game, Kat, this is real life!"

"I know that. Don't treat me like a little girl. I know what I want."

Garret cleared his throat.

"Ladies, ladies! Calm down. Can't you see this kind of fighting is just tearing us apart? We're supposed to be a team."

"Garret, you tell her. You've been out in the wilderness on your own plenty of times. Tell her how dangerous it is."

"It's true. Once, I went out with my dog to hunt for some nice deer. You know how much I love venison. Then suddenly, I hear a repetitive thumping sound. It sounded awfully a lot like marching, and I was right. I look to my left and realize a warband of hobgoblin soldiers are about 30 feet away from me, marching right past me. There were at least 20 of them. There was no way I could fight them and live to tell the tale, so I instinctively ducked down in the tall grass and stayed perfectly silent. I heard the 'thump thump thump thump' of their iron boots and my heart practically burst out of my chest. I held my breath. I prayed to Yondalla. I gripped my bow in my hands and held on for dear life. I gave my dog a piece of meat to make sure that he stayed silent. It was horrible."

"But you made it out alive, obviously. You're here today."

"Yeah, I lived."

Garret slowly took off his studded leather and his shirt to reveal his bare chest. There was a prominent round scar on his shoulder.

"But I barely got away. They threw so many javelins, it was basically raining them."

"You only got hit by one. That's good luck," Dido mentioned.

"I wouldn't say that."

Garret turned around to show the two his back. There were five scars scattered on his back.

"Five javelins hit me. Only one of them managed to pass all the way through my body. The one in the front was the exit wound."

Dido got up to examine the scars, clearly fascinated, while Kat looked down at the ground.

"If you think this is bad, you should have seen what happened to my riding dog... I wouldn't be surprised if those hobgoblins ate him. But I'm being totally serious about this. Kat, sometimes adventuring isn't as fun as it looks. It gets downright terrifying at times. And there ARE battles that are not meant to be fought. You can't just jump at every opportunity. We have to fight smart."

"I get it."

"Be careful what you wish for, because..."

"...you just might get it. All right, Garret."

"Those are some nasty scars, Garret," Dido said in a tone that the other two had never heard before. "How did you get yourself out of that situation?"

"Oh, you know... I just walked back to town. I broke off most parts of the javelins because the extra weight was getting painful. I was getting woozy from the loss of blood. The last thing I remember was that the town was in sight. Then I guess I passed out because I was in bed afterwards. The healers had bandaged me up real good."

"That sounds scary. I get your point," Kat said.

At that moment, Dido took the floor.

"Can I touch them?"

"What?"

"The scars. You know what? Never mind."

Dido sat back down.

[DASLAYARGH]

R.I.P. RHoD 2013-2013