Jocylina’s Party at the Carowyn Manor

• Characters: Alrak, Barl Bloodbones, Belton Stoutshield, Crulamin, Domollo Blue, Zaos
• NPCs: Eshtani Doctry, Tae Soldado, Daeanaria, Ruan, Jocylina
• Synopsis: The spread of the disease Bloodveil creeps across the adventurers as the deep dwarf Barl Bloodbones succumbs to its depths. Arriving at the Temple of Torm, the group is granted audience with Eshtani who struggles with the dangerous outbreak. After healing Barl, Eshtani is slightly reprieved when the group offers to extend themselves on Eshtani’s behalf. The follower of Torm redirects the adventurers back to the Soldado homestead. Their success in healing the young Brianna reverberated throughout the community and a friend of the Soldado’s comes forward with an urgent request. Daeanaria reports that her brother Ruan is missing. Being a harpist, he was hired by the monied and elite House Carowyn to perform at a galla event two nights prior, but has not returned. She went to the house to investigate herself, but it was boarded up and shuttered. Since the Bloodveil outbreak, she fears contracting the disease but cries for her brother’s whereabouts. Accepting the grieving sister’s request, the group leaves for the Carowyn manor finding it in the exact condition Daeanaria descriped. Domollo and Barl make quick work of the fancy lock and push into the foyer. There they stumble onto a grotesque sight as undead dressed in fancy outfits are paired up on a dance floor, flittering about to unheard music. As inevitable combat erupts, cackling laughter comes from beyond the dance floor. The source is a femal elf, marred with bizarre make-up and dressed in a ball gown, its garish colors clashing. Announcing their entrance, the elf welcomes the party-goers to “Jocylina’s Party” and instructs the zombies to attack. The group plugs up the foyer while battling the undead, only to be the intended recipients of Jocylina’s attacks from afar. In the adjacent lounge more zombies linger, latent in there lack of response to the melee. Arlak is able to break through, tracing the hysterical elf upstairs where he finds more zombies in the gallery. Presenting his newly acquired holy symbol, the dwarf banishes them, sending them scurrying through the balcony windows and crashing to the streets below. A series of unfortunate events plagues the party as Jocylina douses Barl with alchemists’ fire. His return shot with the crossbow errantly fires into Belton’s back, crippling the wizard. Zaos and Crulamin continue decimating the horde as bodies continue to pile up on the dance floor, as the lounging zombies join the soiree. Barl gathers his wits and turns invisible, beginning his hunt along with Domollo Blue for the laughing elf. The two find her in the sitting room only to have her escape again. The crazed hostess is dancing throughout the manor, reeking havoc on her uninvited guests. Another batch of zombies arrives from the dinning room, only adding the great wall of zombies that the party is constructing. But the groups health dwindles even as their foes numbers do in turn. Barl and Domollo track Jocylina to the servants’ entry, rushing her position in an attempt to end this evil play. As she goes to retreat, Domollo swings, violently missing. But the still invisible Barl Bloodbones strike is as true as the Underdark is lightless. Bring his dwarven battle axe down on Jocylina, Barl drives the blow deep into the elf’s torso, sending her body violently in two opposed directions. Clan Bloodbones has earned its name once again as what remains of the hostess is all but red grafitti splattered across the wall. Domollo Blue is stunned at the massive display of brawn but redirects his ally to the zombie battle behind them. Reuniting the party and flanking the undead, the two join the rest and dismember the remaining “guests”. Now all they have to figure out is which head belongs to Ruan the Harpist.
• Encounters: six zombie dancers, three zombie loungers, three zombie art critics, four zombie diners, and Jocylina
• Achievements: discovered the horrific aftermath of an murdered party, destroyed most of the undead of the Carowyn manor, and split the responsible elven witch in two pieces.

Mask’s Assault on Assam – The North Coffin

• Characters: Bixtbie, Cromwell, Forkbeard, V.L, Wicasa, X-Requinn, Zaytheon
• NPCs: None
• Synopsis: After defeating the astral demonoids, the group investigates the mysterious coffin, only to trigger a planar shift that steals Rog and Dak into the coffin itself. Unable to extricate their comrades, the group signals to them to hold tight through hand gestures and written words. Cat-calls from the city guard find the ears of the party triggering a decisive glare from Wicasa and a call to arms by X-Requinn. During the interaction, the follower of Mystra spots another ally Zaytheon approaching the city. The warrior has joined the battle just in time as X-Requinn summons a mount for Zaytheon and the two rendezvous with the group. But the delay in action is too long for Sentalial who summons his mount and gallops off towards the north. The party chases after the paladin only to quickly lag behind the charging Sentalial. After the separation, the group realizes they have lost another of their number as Jebeddo has disappeared. The wailing of Assam’s citizens rings throughout the city’s exterior; time is collapsing on the adventurers. They make the decision to gather their remaining resources and destroy the occupant or occupants of the north coffin. Bixtbie cracks the black stone lid with a borrowed wand of knocking and steps back from the unknown. As with the first coffin an obscuring darkness envelops the group’s surroundings, capturing them in a pitch black blanket. Only Cromwell and Wicasa can see their attackers as five earthen humanoids emerge from their crypt. The surrounding party is at an immediate disadvantage, unable to see their enemy. X-Requinn summons Mystra’s aid and banishes the darkness. The battle’s scales shift towards the center, but not in time to balance the combat. The undead stone humanoids emit a cloud of dust that collect on Forkbeard. Grimacing in pain, the dwarf succumbs to the magic effects, turning to stone. Wicasa rescues the statue from oblivion by shifting the plane of shadow while grappling the petrified Stone Lord. Zaytheon delivers a crushing blow, but the trade-off is devastating as his plate mail armor desintigrates, falling to pieces at his feet. But strike acts as the balance shift in balance towards the adventurers. In rapid succession, the five undead invaders are destroyed. The assault on Assam is only half-way repelled.
• Encounters: five dust wights
• Achievements: defeated the attackers from the north coffin.
  

The Great Ball of Lightning, Part III – Assault on Assam

• Characters: Bixtbie, Cromwell, Dak, Forkbeard, Jebeddo, Rog, Sentalial, V.L, Wicasa, X-Requinn
• NPCs: Julbin, Quint, Uljary Blackshore
• Synopsis: Erupting from the source, the ball of lightning breaks free from the ruins and collects in the sky. But it has ceased to be anchored to the Giant’s Plain and begins moving over the Giant’s Run Mountains. Quint assesses the path and determines that the target destination is the city of Assam. The party decides to seek reinforcements from Treshold and return to the small town. After hearing of their tales and the coincidental connection to Assam, several of the Defenders of the Dragon Coast join the group to continue the investigation. Traveling to Assam is a simple spell as the enlarged group appears in the midst of chaos. Outside of the city walls, merchants and city folk are in sheer agony and panic. With an unseen possession or some type of horrific curse, the affected begin collapsing or running in random directions. The Assam Captain of the Guard Uljary Blackshore intercepts the group with three of her captains in-command, investigating their strange appearance of the party. As the interview turns confrontational the welcoming committee sets up a barrier fire wall and retreats to the city. Jebeddo and X-Requinn combine to allow the party to fly invisibly over the city where they find mysterious stone coffins, one bordering on the outside of each city wall in all four directions. Without a doubt the focus of the disturbance emminates from these coffins. Choosing the east wall coffin, Dak cracks it up and is inundated with obscuring mist. Hidden darts target the group, but the attackers are nowhere to be seen. As the adventurers spread out, Dak draws the ire of one of their invisible assailants. Now visible to everyone, the group pounces on the muscular humanoid with leathery black skin and massive claws. After surrounding the newly found foe, another appears in a flanking position and drops Wicassa Wakan. The group works together to support and flank their opponents as yet a third demonic creature appears. Battling against the injured, the initial two beasts are destroyed, and the third is killed after attempting to flee. Before any inspection can be made the corpses vaporize in a cloud a blackened dust and smoke. It bodes poorly for the adventurers that there are still three coffins left surrounding Assam.
• Encounters: Assam’s captain of the guard, three astral stalkers
• Achievements: followed the ball of lightning to the city of Assam, discovered a city under attack by an unseen curse, and defeated the occupants of one of the offending coffins.

The Wrath of Landryn Teriak the Shadow Lord

• Characters: Aramir, Dorian, Forkbeard, Gallipolas, Henzio, Jebeddo, Lazbin, Rathgillian
• NPCs: Landryn Teriak
• Synopsis: The Defenders decide to travel to Assam to deal with the tyranny of the Dark Lancers. But not without dealing with their new captive, Landryn Teriak the Shadow Lord. The execution starts just outside of the city walls as the group surrounds the Shadow Lord. Gagged and bound, Landryn Teriak can only plead with his eyes, begging through Forkbeard’s well-placed sock. The muffled urges are ignored as Dorian contemplates only for a second before dropping the final judgement on his nemesis. Taking a step back the sorcerer begins to cast, but before the spell is completed the Shadow Lord lurches forward collapsing on Dorian. Shadows spin from every niche as the pair vaporizes into the surrounding darkness. The party is left standing in the wooded entrance to the city of Cedarspoke wondering what has just occurred. Moments later shadows engulf the entire area, plunging the woodlands into a nest of entangled shadow strands. From everywhere the voice of the Shadow Lord condemns the party for its lack of vision, promising to reveal his kingdom of all shadows. They will fall in line, or fall under might. Within the confines of the shadow strands vision is limited and the party is sectioned off. Each one feels the pull of the owners of the shadow nest. Flowing through the shadow stuff, the group discovers two shadow aberrations responsible for their predicament. Unimpeded Gallipolas flies to the skies and sees the two shadow domes covering his allies. The battle rages until both shadow creatures are dropped. Simultaneously the domes vanish to reveal the woods embraced by dusk. Gallipolas looses a wall of fire to surround the invisible Shadow Lord just as a trio of fighter brutes emerges from the vine-covered city gates. Their menacing stance and equipped spiked chains indicate they are foes. Before any engagement the fighters morph into shadow beasts and emit a fierce howl that slices through half of the group’s will. Others watch as their comrades run fleeing into the woods. The invisible Shadow Lord cries for support, screaming that the shadow devils have found him. Even Cedarspoke is susceptible to invasion as first the drow, and now the devils, have infiltrated the city’s walls. The beasts converge on the Shadow Lord who is now visible, tearing him apart. With their enemies clustered Dorian explodes fire upon them and Gallipolas summons a comet from the skies. The beasts are obliterated and the Shadow Lord is crushed from the impact. Even as shadows splinter back to their natural source, the Shadow Lord’s voice once again breaks the silence. His verbal attack is directed at Dorian and offers knowledge of his surviving kin’s whereabouts, should the elf be interested. The proposition is in line with rumors of survivors of the massacre of the Lothenar Elves. But before Dorian can respond the Shadow Lord’s voice is no more as their enemy shadow walks his way to freedom. Fits of rage finally subside as the Defenders choose to remain in Cedarspoke to rest and spend some of their accumulated wealth, for their future ventures will be the most treacherous of their career.
• Encounters: The Shadow Lord, two darkweavers, three shadurakul
• Achievements: could not prevent the escape of the Shadow Lord, drew out the presence of devils within Cedarspoke, and received additional confirmation of survivors of the Lothenar elves.
  

The Assassination Attempt of General Freutin

• Characters: Aramir, Dorian, Forkbeard, Gallipolas, Henzio, Jebeddo, Lazbin, Rathgillian
• NPCs: Captain Brighton, General Freuntin, Zalaznar Crinios, Landryn Teriak
• Synopsis: While leaving the Earthome library Forkbeard, Jebeddo, and Lazbin are stopped in place by Captain Brighton on the Army of Nature’s Wrath. They agree to a meeting with General Freuntin, but allegations are ledged against Jebeddo of the wizard class of the Year of the Gauntlet for dereliction of duty, failure to report, and desertion. In the presence of Freutin, Jebeddo is silenced as the leader of the Army of Nature’s Wrath rages against the absent wizard. Hearing about their research of the Firehill Runestones, Freuntin cries folly against getting the ancient runestones, revealing that the Council of the Divine explored this avenue months ago to great detriment. Half of the Divine Hammer has gone missing after two failed expeditions to retrieve the Firehill Runestones. Lazbin is released to bring the rest of the Defenders so that Freuntin can address them collectively before they speak with the Council. Lazbin returns with the others as General Freutin reassigns Jebeddo for his final task as a soldier in the Army of Nature’s Wrath. He is to travel to the warrior city-state of Assam atop the Windbreaker Mesa in the Shining Plains and convince the Dark Lancers to join them in defeating the Black Legion. The Dark Lancers alliance with the Wizards of Tendale has expired and their forces have consolidated to Assam under their new leader, only know as the General. Freutin’s strategy is to have the armies of the Dark Lancers, Cormyr and Nature’s Wrath converge upon the Black Legion and annihilate them once and for all. Without the Dark Lancers the Black Legion can flee to the south to the Orsraun Mountains. Freuntin also suggests the potential of infiltrating Westgate to kill the heads of the Forces of Mystenaculis who have enslaved the citizens. The Defenders ponder their multiple choices as Freuntin escorts them to the Council of the Divine. In route, a phaerlin giants erupt from the ground each with a drow archer supported on its back. Their target is obvious as all of the Defenders are ignored in an attempt to kill General Freuntin. Lazbin teleports Freuntin to safety while the group wipes out the giants and drow. Only a single archer escapes into the ambush tunnels below Cedarspoke. In front of the council the Defenders are praised for their actions. They have been in council with the Circle of Holundi and have coordinated strategies in dealing with the Forces of Mystenaculis and the Black Legion. Dorian offers the deceased members of Divine Hammer and the council offers custody of the Shadow Lord. Despite the misgivings of General Freuntin, the council asks for the Defenders help in retrieving the Firehill Runestones as they are invaluable to their cause. The Shadow Lord’s protests are silenced with a gag as the Defenders leave the council chambers with their hard-fought prize. General Freutin sees them to the gates of the city, briefly watching over the Shadow Lord during the group’s deliberations. The Defenders decide to travel to Assam to assimilate the Dark Lancers in the war. But not before dealing with the criminal Shadow Lord.
• Encounters: General Freuntin’s inquisition, six phaerlin giants, two drow dark snipers, one drow ninja, and one drow priestess of Kiaransalee, Council of the Divine quest to Scarwall
• Achievements: stopped a drow assassination attempt on General Freuntin, saving his life in the process, learned of the surviving Dark Lancer army, negotiated the release of the Shadow Lord to their custody, and received a map to the fabled keep of death Scarwall.
  

The Lighthouse Sting – The Fall of Lycast

• Characters: Azla, Cheynar, Flannigan, Janora, X-Requinn
• NPCs: None
• Synopsis: The adventurers decide to pull out and regroup. Marlet has vacated the aerial assault, retrieving Vexander and Sentalial and returning to Threshold to help verify the words of Krullix. Finding the call to arms true, Marlet grabs Azla the war mage and the cat-folk scout Cheynar to continue the assault on the tower. Remaining outside the parameter the others scour the woods to find Krullix. Only moments after a rendezvous with the rogue, Marlet returns with familiar allies and the group returns to the tower. Traversing the stairs of the tower, the adventurers reach the second level and find more empty quarters and unoccupied rooms. The two largest rooms are breached and each contains a cluster of goblins sharpening weapons. Slaying the trespassers, the group continues to the next level finding a different layout. The locked room is infiltrated after female noises are heard. Convinced that the leader of the goblin tribe, the so-called Lycast, is just beyond the door, X-Requinn blasts the door to pieces as the lock-pickers cannot bypass the bound barrier. The quarters are empty save for a large chest and Flannigan gets to work quickly. Others move to the door to an adjacent room. Opening the door, a hidden opponent strikes out. The group rushes in to find no one before retreating. The invisible attacker shifts position as X-Requinn unplugs his ever-lasting decantor of water. The room begins to flood as the assailant’s footsteps give her away. Magic is loosed as Azla and X-Requinn use area-blast spells to flush out the invisible hag. The successive blasts reveal a fallen green hag, and no doubt as to the tribe’s gross ambitions. With only the remaining tribal champion, the mysterious Skrom, the group continues to the next level finding a barghest with his goblin minions. The battle is well orchestrated with the archers and spellcasters maintaining cover while the melee experts flanking opponents and quickly disabling the threat. Skrom fails under the blade. The stairs are checked at a trap door leading to the roof where other goblins are heard. Returning to the previous level and exiting the windows, the group attacks the roof by scaling the walls. Atop the tower are the remaining goblins that were not cast down by Marlet and her bronze griffon. Combat is spread throughout but the goblins are outmatched and they all are killed. With the tower vacated and the threat to passing ships removed, and the long journey home from their high seas adventures almost complete, the heroes begin their trek back to Threshold.
• Encounters: eight armory goblins, green hag Lycast, three goblin minions, tribal champion barghest Skrom
• Achievements: sacked the phony lighthouse, destroyed both the goblin tribe leader and the tribal champion

Lavendar’s Riot

• Characters: Alrak, Barl Bloodbones, Crulamin, Domollo Blue, Malhavoc, Zaos
• NPCs: Aria Yelloweyes, Eshtani Doctry, Lavendar
• Synopsis: The Teziiran City Watch has established an all-persons curfew at sundown following the massive spread of the Bloodveil. At the Smelted Horse Domollo speaks with Aria Yelloweyes who has heard of his name and is following the exploits of his group, specifically the lycanthrope-striken Belton. After giving Domollo a map of the sewers, she says that a follower of Vernon Archer named Geargz is amassing a following and weapons in the sewers. He was must be convinced to disarm, either diplomatically or physically. Given that the curfew has been established, the group decides to wait it out a night before checking Aria’s authenticity. In the morning Zaos receives a scroll from Eshtani Doctry of the Temple of Torm. A merchant named Lavendar is perpetuating a cure for the Bloodveil. As clerics of Torm cannot thoroughly investigate without being mobbed by plague victims, he requests that Zaos and his group verify the claims of the cure. Traveling to Lavendar’s Luxurious Linamints, they find another development in the outbreak. The city’s merchant council has issued a decree giving Doctor Duvalus and his physicians as well as Eliosa Arabasi and her Gray Maidens full authority in dealing with the outbreak. All citizens must abide by their demands or face extreme prejudice. The emergency powers given to the outsiders is truly frightening and the development reflects the dire situation brought on by the Bloodveil plague. At Lavendar’s place of business, word has spread and people are lined up through the streets. Muscling there way to the front, the two bouncers are intimidated into allowing the group entry. After purchasing a vial of the “cure” Domollo Blue confronts Lavendar, detecting a falsehood in her statements. Zaos presents the written request from the Temple of Torm, but the effect backfires as potential patrons start a riot. Domollo Blue attempts to subdue Lavendar but she escapes into the back alley to her apartment. The riot becomes full-scale as the store’s bouncers are caught in the shuffle and the store is thrashed. The throng of desperate citizens transforms into a stampede. As Domollo, Zaos and Crulamin give chase, Barl and Malhavoc strip the store safe from its foundation and strike fear into the looters. The store is vacated and Alrak is caught up in the rush, coming to blows with one of the bouncers and forcing him to retreat. Lavendar unleashes her deadly blade catching both Crulamin and Zaos with her poison-tipped dagger. She is quickly subdued and covertly escorted back to the Temple of Torm. The circumstantial evidence is presented to Esthani who questions the detective work, but finds Lavendar’s use of poison a criminal offense, enough to halt her peddling of the “cure” at least temporarily. The group rendezvous at the Smelted Horse finds everyone made it out intact. Barl and Malhavoc crack the safe, but do not find any additional incriminating evidence, only fine valuables. Perhaps the confusion of the riot will blur unwanted memories.
• Encounters: Aria Yelloweyes, two rogue thugs, diseased mob, Lavendar
• Achievements: received an inquiry regarding a militant wererat, intimidated store guards, initiated a riot, subdued a practioner of a false cure, and presented flimsy evidence of wrong-doing.
  

The Bloodveil Over Teziir

• Characters: Barl Bloodbones, Belton Stoutshield, Crulamin, Domollo Blue, Gonzor (Fash), Zaos
• NPCs: Eshtani Doctry, Captain Redbeard, Grau, Crasidia Croft
• Synopsis: The adventurers bring the body of their fallen ally Farthick to the Temple of Torm and have his body prepped for burial. The cleric Eshtani Doctry receives Farthick along with the cost for gentle repose of the corpse. Hearing of a rumor for potential adventure and rewards, group hikes to the point to investigate the use of a trebouche to destroy a pirate ice skiff. The watchguard is not aware of the activity but says that the city wall construction is continuing, having already been built to protect attacks from the dragonmere. Two trebouches account for the city’s defense along with two more already in design. Hitting a dead end with their lead the adventurers head towards the docks, finding the watering hole the Bitch’s Bed. They cross paths with Grau, a patron whose niece has fallen ill. With their connection to Torm, they decide to aid the despressed man. At Grau’s homestead they find Eshtani Doctry making a house call. The cleric of Torm believes the illness to be a derivative of Enterick Fever. The girl’s mother Tae Soldaldo is desperate to heal Brianna, so the group pulls together enough funds to finance a scroll with the spell to remove her disease. Eshtani successfully heals Brianna with the Soldaldo family’s eternal gratitude. The following morning the adventurers are summoned to the Temple of Torm. Disease has enveloped Teziir and the needy are swarming the divine pleading for help. The plague is being referred to as the Bloodveil. A dire Eshtani fears for his safety even as he travels the city to help others. Visibly shaken he hires the group to bring him to the City Watch where followers of the divine are assembling to address the Bloodveil. Arriving free of interlopers, they meet Field Marshall Crasidia Croft who has drafted Doctor Duvalus of Sembia. The doctor has arrived with his physicians upon request and joins the gathered clerics. Captain Redbeard also finds the adventurers and requests that they assist him. In the seedy section of Teziir lies Racker’s Alley. Redbeard has received reports that people are dumping diseased bodies there that may be contributing to the spread of the Bloodveil. At Racker’s Alley the group finds clear evidence implicating the owner of the tinkerer shop. During the investigation they uncover two undead vampires and destroy them. Amongst the remains of the shop keeper is a key to a lockbox that contains thieves’ tools and documents and patents for designs. The events warrant further investigation into the outbreak.
• Encounters: city watchman along the city walls, near riot at the Temple of Torm, two vampire spawns
• Achievements: removed the Bloodveil from Brianna Soldaldo, developed a strong ally with the Temple of Torm, networked with the City Watch, and discovered a potential connection between vampires and the plague.

A Debt (or Favor) to Teziir’s Redbeard – The Attack of the Goblin Raiders

• Characters: Alrak, Belton Stoutshield, Dimak Cloudchaser Ogolakanu, Domollo Blue, Farthick, Qualen
• NPCs: Sgt. Bartran, Captain Redbeard, Garsys the Merchant
• Synopsis: After defeating the were-rat Vernon Archer, the group collects itself on the docks of Teziir. They are approached by the City Watch headed by Sgt. Bartran. Leading the inquiry Bartran’s attitude shifts from skepticism to reluctant acceptance upon verification of the party’s deeds. He orders the sequestered to the Smelted Horse until the morning when they must explain their activities to the Watch Captain Redbeard. The following morning Bartran’s expectations are met as the adventurers are escorted to the City Watch headquarters and are greeted by Redbeard. He has heard of their exploits and offers up an entirely different escapade to the group. A caravan mercenary survived an ambush from a tribe of goblins that looted the cargo which is desperately needed food stuffs for Teziir citizens. The mercenary produced a map that identifies the revine where the goblins returned to. As the party could earn the City’s good favor, Redbeard suggests that the merchant guild would hold the group in high esteem should they retrieve the goods and slay the trade interlopers. Under escort the group follows the map to the isolated revene and enters one of the several cave entrances. The cave network is only marginally explored before the group intercepts a cluster of six goblins. The bottleneck of the corridors prevents the full group from attacking, but the alarm is raised and another group of goblins attacks from an adjacent corridor. Splitting the party in two, Qualen, Farthick and Alrak challenge the initial goblins while Cloudchaser, Belton and Domollo Blue take on the flanking goblins. The massive battle is soon joined by additional goblins lead by an ogre skull crusher as the sounds of combat and dying goblins has alerted the tribe to an invasion. As Domollo Blue and Alrak are drawn away from Qualen and Farthick, the accompanying light source vanishes as well and the two are left in darkness. Farthick cannot stand against the multitude of goblins and falls to the floor just short of consciousness. The blinded Qualen horribly misses his intended target and lands a fatal blow on his own ally Farthick. Battling back to the others Quallen joins the on-going battle as the combined party forces the goblins to retreat. After a quick assessment and dispersed healing, the party persues their enemy. The encounter turns deadly as the goblins and ogre have been joined by the tribe’s warchief and shaman. Like water the adventurers spread to meet the demand as blades and axes fly. Again the combat shifts to the adventurers’ favor as the warchief is destroyed and the ogre falls. The bereaved shaman is pulled away in yet another retreat, the fallen comrade Alrak is revived and again the party gives chase, hoping to prevent the goblins from regrouping and healing. A locked door is found as Domollo Blue pulls out a rogue trick to give way to a bound and bleeding human. The man is Garsys, the merchant caravan leader, and he pleads for his freedom saying the goblins were planning on using him for ransom. Qualen and Domollo Blue convince the others to persue the goblins so that they cannot regroup. With reluctance the party continues into the chaotic caves on the condition that any additional forces encountered will force a retreat. Rounding a turn in the corridor, they spot the regrouped goblins, but this time reinforced with hobgoblins. It is enough to trigger the condition and the party withdraws from the chase, retrieving Garsys in the process. Returning to near the entrance, they spot the hidden door for the ogre’s personal quarters and loot it. The party hastely retreats from the revene with the saved Garsys and the fallen Farthick and force march back to Teziir. Belton does his best to cover their tracks with his spells but the odds are bad that the goblins know exactly where they are headed.
• Encounters: goblin tribe, ogre skull crusher, goblin war chieftan, goblin shaman, hobgoblin cloister
• Achievements: discover the hidden cave network housing raiding goblins, destroyed a significant portion of the tribe including their primary warriors, retrieved the kidnapped Garsys at the expense of one of their own comrades Farthick.

Earthome College and the Firehill Runestones

• Characters: Aramir, Dorian, Forkbeard, Gallipolas, Jebeddo, Lazbin, Rathgillian
• NPCs: Romualda the Librarian
• Synopsis: Holding the cryptic writings of the Historian, the Defenders are at the crossroads. The scrolls identify the Firehill Runestones, documentation of historic dwarven lore, contained at the Earthome College in Cedarspoke. Discussing their choices, the group argues between seeking out these runestones and seeking out the destruction of the Shadow Lord, still captive of the Council of the Divine. The group has recovered Cedarspoke’s payment to the Wizards of Tendale and still has in their possession the bodies of the Divine Hammer. With these bargaining chips they may be able to procure the Shadow Lord and deliver their long sought after justice. Jebeddo offers a different strategy, at least one prior to negotiating with the Council of the Divine. He offers to return to Cedarspoke and investigate these Firehill Runestones before any negotiations take place. At least then they will know what the Historian’s scripture is leading them to. As the decision is being refined, Gallipolas spots a shadow swiftly moving across the snowy floor of the clearing. The bellowing black smoke rises from the forest canopy, providing proof of their conquest for miles around. Gallipolas readies himself as a huge white dragon with bolted on steel plates swoops towards the group releasing a cone of cold. The flyby attack is preceded by an announcement of defilement and breach of agreement by one Salricasa. The white dragon’s fear sweeps across the group, shaking them to their core. Spells are loosed and the group prepares for defense, as magical fire engulfs the attacking wyrm. The next attack proves near fatal for Jebeddo as the gnome imprisoned in the creature’s maw and flung into the nearby trees. But the dragon makes a critical mistake in hovering nearby the defenders. Despite the kick-up of debris, smoke and snow drift, the Defenders find their target and drop it to the snowy banks as it attempts to flee from the overpowering group. Speeding up the decision-making process the group teleports to outside visual limits of Cedarspoke. Jebeddo is joined by Forkbeard and Lazbin who alter their appearance to mask their presence from the guardsmen. The three gain admittance to the city and make for Earthome College where Jebeddo befriends the librarian Romualda. She is perturbed by their inquiries for the Firehill Runestones and leads them to an ancient wing of the library where many dwarf runestones are kept. A barren section indicates that the Firehill Runestones they seek are lost to time. Romualda speaks of the history of the dwarf commander Dessothal Firehill. Commander Firehill lead the dwarven armies against the giant-kind during the First Giant’s War. Tales of his success are epics as he almost single-handedly repelled the attack of the giant-kind and then pursued them back to their point of origin. Dessothal Firehill was the dwarven war strategist behind the ultimate victory over the giant-kind and saved the Dragon Coast. His relentlessness in vanquishing the forces of the giants became legendary as he was bent on their eradication from the lands. The giants fled to their mountains leading to the name of the mountain range, the Giant’s Run Mountains. Firehill pursued them into the mountains only to discover some lost secret that caused him to retreat back to his fortress Scarwall. Firehill took the runestones documenting his successes in combat against the giants, baffling war strategists. His runestones also are rumored to have documented his findings in the Giant’s Run Mountains. But Commander Firehill was so full of despair and grief that he cut off all contact from the region, sealed the gates of Scarwall, and cursed the surrounding lands. Romualda says that periodically foolish adventurers hear of the rumors and seek out the fabled treasures of Scarwall, only to disappear never to be heard of again. When the Black Legion attacked earlier this year, historians and war generals sought out the Firehill Runestones, only to find that the location of Scarwall was lost to legend and lore. Rumors within Cedarspoke say that druid and ranger parties were dispatched but never heard of again, and that the Army of Nature’s Wrath abandoned the effort. With a grave warning the elf librarian grabs Jebeddo and prays for him not to join the leagues of lost souls on a fool’s quest.
• Encounters: Salricasa the Frostforged White Wyrm, Cedarspoke city guards, Romualda the elf librarian
• Achievements: defeated the mansion guardian for the Wizards of Tendale, returned to Cedarspoke and infiltrated the city walls, and learned of the ancient rumors of the First Giant’s War.