Small Invasion

Just as the adventurers were starting to make plans on how to go about investigating the magical disturbance that elder mage Haidrivan had discussed with Mira, Guard Timms arrived, and advised Aurora that a messenger had arrived from Taloos. At the guard house, a pair of children from Aurora's town waited, exhausted from their hurried travel. They related a tale of horror - one of the farms near Taloos had been attacked and overrun by a horde of yapping demons! Of course, based on the rumors around Taloos and their own experiences, the group quickly deduced that the local kobolds were behind the attack. The farmer himself had been killed defending his stead. His wife, daughter and baby son were missing.

The adventurers traveled back towards Taloos with the children, and made towards the farm that was attacked. They approached cautiously - the buildings were still intact, but quiet. The horses betrayed the presence of danger, and Mira was able to spot movement in the barn, so that was the first target for cleaning. The group slowly and cautiously made their way inside. Finding nothing on the ground floor, they made their way up to the loft. The kobolds sprung their ambush there, bursting in swarms from the hay. The combat was fierce, but the party prevailed, and the kobolds scattered once the fight turned against them. All were eventually caught and killed save for the shaman, who made it safely into the forest.

The farmhouse was explored next. While no kobolds were found laying in wait inside the house, the farmer's young daughter was found, locked in the closet. She was nearly dead of starvation, but had managed to stave of death from thirst with the waterskin she had hidden with. Aurora did what she could for the young girl, and the group took her back to Taloos for the rest and care she needed.

More startling was the news that the group received from Father Davis. While he knew little about the kobolds' religion, he was able to reveal that the worship of their deity, Kurltamak, revolved around the moon phases and appropriate sacrifices - and one such lunar event was approaching very soon. Thus, the party struck out immediately to the hills to the southwest where the kobolds had been sighted over the last few months. There were a few minor altercations as the group searched for the kobolds' mine, but eventually the party was able to find it. Inside, the group again fought swarms of the creatures, some being stronger than the ones they were used to facing. The initial forray into the mine was a victory, but the party had sustained such greivous wounds so that they could not continue.

They made camp in a fortified location nearby, all the while listening to the kobold's howls. It was this night that Mira was able to discern the exact lunar time that the kobolds' rituals would be taking place - and it would happen that evening! Thus they were forced to press on, despite their wounds, in order to save the captive townsfolk.

The mine was nearly cleaned out, save for the kobold's high shaman and his guards. The fight was again fierce, as the shaman's summoned monsters were terrible, but the adventurers again prevailed, slaying the shaman before he was able to sacrifice the baby. All was well, and the party safely brought the farmer's wife and baby back to Taloos, arriving for a heros' welcome.

Trouble in the City

Realizing that there would be little for three adventurers to do in a small village like Taloos, the group decided to travel to Welca, the nearest city of appreciable size. Aurora had never been there, Mira was denied access to the library on her first way through, and Oskar was hoping to find work. The journey was uneventful, save for a brief sighting of a kobold along the road.

As the group was admitted through the western gate, Mira noticed a brief look of recognition from the guard. Perhaps he remembered her from her passage this way earlier? The question went unanswered, as the adventurers were tired from their foot travel, and made for a moderately priced inn. After a brief rest, they were eager to explore the city.

Almost from the start, when the adventurers were travelling in public places, they discovered that they had been the victims of petty larcenies, and some were lucky enought to catch the ubiquitous pickpockets. However, they made some small garment adjustments to protect themselves, and proceeded to more important business.

Mira and Aurora headed straight to the Academy, hoping that Aurora's credentials as a Priestess would give Mira the reference she needed to gain access. The wait was long, as the bureaucrats and managers appeared to have other things on their minds. Fortunately, an elder Elven mage named Haidrivan Desamiel arrived in the lobby, and recognized Mira. Haidrivan was one of the elders involved in Mira's initiation into the Wolf Clan, and was happy to help cut through the red tape barring Mira from the library. Soon, she was pouring over the books and manuscripts, and studied up on extra-planar lore. Before he left Mira to her studies, Haidrivan mentioned to her that the elves had sensed an odd magical disturbance in the lands to the west and north of the human's most remote settlements, and suggested that the group investigate.

Aurora left to find the city's main cathedral, and was taken aback by its splendour. Inside, she found the church's library, and found a blind priest there who called himself Father Dobbs. Dobbs told Aurora that she, through an aura that he could somehow perceive, was the first thing that he had seen in ten years, ever since he had lost his sight. Aurora was understandibly astounded. Dobbs advised Aurora to search a bookshelf for a few titles relating to the heavens, and specifically those about the blessed creatures that come from those places. It was through these texts that Aurora began to suspect her Aasimar nature, as she could draw several similarities between herself and the creatures described.

Meanwhile, Oskar's exploration of the dock area bore fruit - the city was installing a more permanent stone dock to replace the old wooden one, and as a dwarf, Oskar was accosted on the street and hired on the spot to oversee the construction. Needless to say, the authorities paid a handsome sum for his efforts.

However, the harrassment from the local criminals worsened. On one of Mira's evening trips back from the Academy, she narrowly avoided a pair of footpads that were after her in a conveniently empty street. Even at a Valogeshian fair, Aurora's belongings were pilfered as she watched. Finally, exaspirated, Mira accosted one of the happless bureaucrats at the academy, after it had became obvious that the group was being targetted for a specific crime wave. Mira's long pause spoke volumes after she was asked "have you recently annoyed anyone possibly connected to the thieves' guild?" Two-Swords from the lumber robbery was back, and after revenge.

The party resolved to do something about the thieves in the morning, and took to rest at their inn. However, noises in the night awoke Mira, and the silence in what should have been a busy inn betrayed the ambush that the thieves had planned in the common room. The party sprung the trap, and fought off the thieves. Two-Swords was slain in the attack, and prisoners were taken to the city guards. However, the guard were not as amicable as the group had hoped. It became apparent that while most were loyal to the law, others were agents of the thieves, and that little justice would result while the situation stayed this way. The group did make friends with a loyal captain named Timms, however, and decided to return one day to bring final justice to the Theives Guild of Welca.

An Adventure Begins....

Aurora set her canon on her table, making sure to bookmark her place. She had just heard rumor of a pair of strangers visiting Taloos! She was quite excited, as the rumors also carried that they weren't human. She had never seen an elf before, and the last time a dwarf had been in town, she was but a little girl. She quickly made sure that her medallion of faith was in display around her neck, and she left her home.

Mira quietly surveyed the quaint human village she had arrived at, wondering if indeed the rumors of an enchanted chapelhouse were true. The village seemed as normal, based on the others that she had visited, featuring the same uninspired and plain craftsmanship she had come to expect from provincial folk. However, Taloos seemed to have a unique sense of hominess about it, something that she had not felt since leaving her own village far to the east. A small smile came to her lips as she made for the town's inn.

Oskar rubbed his forehead with his hand in frustration. He had been navigating above ground for three months now, and had thought his sense of direction had finally adapted. He was rather annoyed to discover that his journey to the west had been interrupted yet again, as he had left Welca via the wrong road - and ended up travelling north to Taloos. At least his clansmen weren't watching. Ever good natured, however, he made for the inn to evaluate the skills of the local brewers.

The three adventurers met amicably. All had an interest in the local chapel: Oskar was drawn in as it was the only stonework within 200 leagues, Mira was interested as the building had a faint enchantment about it, and Aurora simply worked there. They met Father Davis, the old priest, who was aware of the enchantment on the old church, but not of its origins. Whoever placed it there had made sure that the building would be safe from natural weathering over the years.

Trouble reared its ugly head the next day. The main export of lumber from the woodcutters had been attacked on its way to Welca, and while the caravan workers had returned with their lives, the loss of the lumber would mean hard times ahead for the town. Aurora was the first to volunteer to track down the robbers, and was quickly joined by the two visitors, Oskar and Mira. The lawlessness precipitated by the wars in the east had reached as far as Taloos! The trio left town immediately in search of the thieves.

After about three days of travel, the group noticed evidence of a struggle on the cart path, and that two carts bearing heavy loads had been moved into the bushes. The carts and lumber load were cleverly hidden just off the path, but the party had no way of moving the carts without their mules, which were nowhere to be seen. Thanks to Mira's sharp eyes, a trail of men and mules was found, and the party trekked off into the woods. After several hours, they were halted by noises from ahead - they had found the robbers' camp. The thieves numbered seven, and were led by a man marked only by his preference for wielding a pair of shortswords.

After a brief parlay, the bandits attacked, thinking that their superior numbers would lead them to victory. However, Oskar's skill at arms, Mira's marksmanship and Aurora's skills at combat healing turned the tables, and the robbers were routed. Having no effective way of detaining them, the adventurers allowed the captured robbers to go free, and took the mules and the robbers weapons back to the lumber wagons. Finally, the group travelled back to a very grateful Taloos.

The Characters

Oskar Martzerath - Dwarven Fighter

Mira Niello - Elven Rogue/Sorcerer

Aurora - Aasimar Priestess of Tellanaxtrix

Joined later by:

Sylinnea Nailo - Elven Ranger

This is not a blog!

As I've said many times before, I will not create a blog. I have not done so now. These webpages are a resource for our D&D campaign.

Any resemblence to a blog is purely coincidental.

Anyway, navigate around through the 3 pages I have set up. You'll notice I have one for the campaign backgrounds, one for various resources, and this one where I'll be writing up the group's adventures as they happen.

Feel free to comment as necessary.