Matt Cotton
A group of initiates was assembled to investigate the murder of a fellow Dearborn operative-the Knight of Thorns-that had been inadvertantly uncovered a few weeks prior. Returning to work the case was the cleric Stor Blackstone and the Dragonborn knight Balazar, joined by the rogue Jaquen, the bronze dragonborn bard A’ter, and the wood elf druid Finrim. The party received a tip that one of the dead man’s companions, Cull, had returned to Silverymoon, and they tracked him to a shady tavern, The Bawdy Sealion, deep in a bender. They were beginning to get an idea of what happened–Cull had set his friend up in order to save his sister, who had been taken by the same nefarious organization that orchestrated the murder. However, before more details were revealed, a group of assassins wearing dark robes and gruesome masks struck, killing Cull dead with a poisoned dart, before being driven off by the party.
With still loose ends to tie up, the party then travelled to meet with Lord Balder, since the murder had occurred on his lands. On the road they were again attacked by assailants intent on stealing key evidence, again at the behest of some unknown party operating out of Silverymoon, but the Dearborn showed their mettle once more and the bandits we’re handily defeated. After being granted an audience with the Lord himself, they found a senile old man unlikely to be orchestrating any plots, and instead relayed what information they had to his son, Rickard. Promising more information, they were led to the young Lord’s study, but it was a set-up: through the use of powerful magics, the party was systematically incapacitated, as it was none other than he who had put the hit out in the first place. While unconscious, they were uncerimomiously loaded into their own wagon and driven into the mountains by two scoundrels in the employ of Rickard. Their destination was the cave of an Owlbear, and if not for the quick thinking of A’ter, who turned one of his would-be captors into an easy meal for the beast, the party would have had quite the fight on their hands, but they were able to flee instead. With the information they uncovered, the party was able to expose the treacherous Rickard and avenge the Knight of Thorns, but of the shadowy organization that orchestrated much of the plot, more questions than answers remain.
Brad Lansaw
Guildmaster Firiniel (known as Fen) was called to join us in Silverymoon this week as the local watch requested his expertise to help them build a profile on the Dread Wolf, a serial killer prowling the streets of our fair city. A group of 5 were asked to escort Fen as bodyguards while he was within the city, however this assignment took an unexpected turn when shortly after his arrival, the Dread Wolf’s latest batch of victims were found aboard a ship that had run aground near the docks. While aboard our agents were deputized to investigate the scene. In the course of the investigation it became apparent that the victims were complicit in the smuggling of a controlled substance into the city, and the creation of addictive mind-effecting potions that could wear away the user’s mental faculties. The party managed to shut down the production of these dangerous potion. As they left with the last surviving apprentice mage from the circle, they were ambushed by an assassin, however another individual (whom our agents believe was the Dread Wolf) intervened and saved the witness’s life, only to incapacitate and abduct him from our people. Before he was taken away the young man revealed that while he and his colleagues had started this ring of potion-making a few years before they had long since been co-opted by a greater criminal enterprise. On the matter of the Dread Wolf, guildmaster Fen put forth a new theory for the watch, that perhaps his pattern of one arrow in the head and two in the torso was not in fact a method of execution, but a habit formed by a particular type of archery used to mitigate the presence of a shield. Mastery of this style is indeed very rare, and the community small enough that only a dozen archers in the city are capable of being the Dread Wolf. Members of our group now also theorize that rather than a rabid serial killer, that perhaps the Dread Wolf is operating as some sort of vigilante, further investigation is warranted.
Joseph T.
Far to the east beside the Moonsea lies the city of Phlan, a storied city with a history full of rising to prominence, collapse, and rising again. Just outside of the city lies Thorn Island and Sokol Keep. The keep has recently been purchased by the Sokol family — a newer noble family within the city — and is watched and maintained by Igan Thorn, a junior member of the family. The keep is older than Phlan itself, and rumors have long floated of a hidden treasure buried somewhere beneath the keep — though the rumors have been around for so long that most consider it to either be false or that the treasure was taken some time ago. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped Igan and his new friend Grim — a sergeant of the Black Fist mercenary gang that watches and maintains order in both Phlan and Sokol Keep — from searching for information about the hidden treasure. Both Igan and Grim, along with four other guards, disappeared without a trace. Worse still, a magical beacon within the keep has mysteriously gone out, leaving Phlan at risk of raids by pirates along the sea. Tasked with investigating the beacon and ensuring the continued safety of the city, Dearborn Company dispatched a party of adventurers including: Bulgol, a Dwarven Tempest Cleric with a love of alcohol. Zora, a Human Bard acting as the “diplomat”. Aram, a Human Cleric skilled at investigations. Pneumisma, a Gnome Rogue with an eye for tricks of the mind. Elisande, the Half-Elf Fighter with deadeye aim. Deliverance, the Tiefling Paladin decorated in bells. Red, the Dragonborn Fighter with an axe-throwing arm that could rival a minotaur.
Upon investigating the island, the party discovered that a pit had been dug into the bottom of one of the towers, and ended abruptly in a stone slab with a hand imprint and faded runes. Investigating the keep further, they found that Igan had been studying ancient books that discussed the history of the isle, including ancient, demonic rituals conducted by pagan cults. While investigating the beacon, Deliverance detected the presence of a spirit, and chased it towards the old east tower of the keep, where the spirit led the party to a hidden shrine to Tyr, god of justice. Within the shrine they found Igan’s journal — and the passphrase that would allow them to remove the mysterious stone slab. The slab revealed a descent into an ancient, dark chamber, within which they party encountered ancient, magical guardians of animated armor. Upon descending further, the party found a glowing green jade statue of Demogorgon, prince of demons — and the body of Igan spread across a shrine in front of the statue; dried blood pooled around it. Suddenly, the party was ambushed by undead who awoke in the chamber, including the zombified body of Igan. Defeating them by the skin of their teeth, the party finally found the sergeant Grim and three Black Fist guards, who had barred themselves in another chamber away from the awakened dead. The party agreed to allow Grim and his cohorts to escape in exchange for the treasure they had collected in this chamber. On the way out, Red smashed the Demonic Jade statue to pieces, which seemed to restore the magic within the beacon.
Donald S.
A missive from the mayor of Oakenhost, Igor Leonid, asking for the Dearborn Company’s help get to the bottom of a couple mysteries – the whereabouts of a couple lumberjacks last seen heading deep into the Cold Wood and a few sheep missing from a local flock. A party of six adventurers, setout from Silverymoon. Paladin Warden Lawbringer, wizard Rolen Galinndan, bard Aasimar, wizard Josh, warlock Thera Donata, rogue Mebuton Greenfelt arrived in Oakenhost to find mixed feelings about their involvement in the local troubles, specifically with an element of the town guard and a drunken contingent of wood-cutters.. The group persevered, and learned of additional problems around town, namely the burglary of a small library run by Yuri, an alchemist. A careful inspection of the crime scene identified a census book and lab equipment as missing. More troubling was the evidence suggesting a wolf was involved – Yuri’s obsession with lycanthropy didn’t do much to calm the investigators. As the investigation progressed, the shepherd who lost some sheep served as a guide into the Cold Wood. The site of the sheep’s killing was found and a trail leading deeper into he wood discovered An encounter with a Wererat was the party’s first taste of combat. The group came upon a disheveled man who seemed out of his mind, ranting of being forced to kill and warning the party to flee before he sees them and forces him to kill again. The group calmed the man and learned of a “devil” who takes control of the man.
As the man was leading the party to his devil, he transformed into a wolf-man hybrid killing machine. The party defeated the werewolf, but not without injuries being sustained, but lycanthropy was not spread to the wounded. The dying man’s last effort was to point the party toward the devil’s lair. Even after a group discussion about the likelihood of this devil being able to see through the eyes of the werewolf they encountered, the party stuck to stealth as they entered the lair, a cave in the woods. A curious decision to put a human, without a light source, in the lead with a Tiefling guiding his movements from behind led to a trap being triggered – resulting in the near death of the Tiefling and the wounding of the human. Magical healing got the party back in fighting shape. The party encountered the Spined Devil behind the troubles along with another werewolf henchman. The werewolf got the jump on the paladin and dealt a severe blow before moving onto softer prey. The party defeated the werewolf and found the devil had fled deeper into the cave. A man chained to the wall appeared to have been the subject of cruel experimentations (maybe a devil-werewolf hybrid kind of thing). Rather than spend time evaluating the situation with the chained man, the party ended the mystery with sword points. The Tiefling struck up a private conversation with the devil in the language of their kind. The devil was acting out of revenge for an act committed by a townsperson many years ago against his kin. An agreement was made to allow the devil safe passage (as if the devil needed their kindness to escape…). The party reported back to the mayor but left out the part about a devil being involved. What, if anything, the devil has in store for the town remains a mystery.
Come join us March 2nd for the next adventures!
No Comments