Mask’s Assam and the Lord of the Black Guardsmen

• Characters: Bixtbie, Dak, Cromwell, Forkbeard, Jebeddo, Rog, Sentalial, V.L., X-Requinn, Zaytheon
• NPCs: Uljary Blackshore, Armunestor the Mouth of Mask, Zedrick Neely, Councilman Dimlock
• Synopsis: As representatives of the City of Assam, the horsemen lead by Captain Uljary Blackshore present to the adventurers Armunestor, the Mouth of Mask. The ethereal appearance of the man is astonishing, but Assam’s welcoming committee praises the group for passing the four tests of Mask. With Assam now a theocracy under the direction and guidance of Mask, all citizens are followers of the god. Those that were expelled and failed to vacate the city were sundered during the tests. Some of the group questions the methods, but the calm demeanor of the horsemen lead straight into negotiations. Zedrick Neely, exiled former leader of the Night Masks of Westgate, appears before the group summoning an exotic mansion to serve as a comfortable site to begin negotiations. Jebeddo, wizard class of the Year of the Gauntlet, represents the Army of Nature’s Wrath, and asks the Dark Lancers to join the war against the Black Legion. Zedrick is well aware of the war, serving on the Circle of Holundi as well as knowing the intimate details of Westgate herself. The Mouth of Mask speaks of the common enemy and agrees to join the war, working in conjunction with the attack against the forces of Mystenaculis. The Dark Lancers will fight against the Black Legion and retake the fallen Westgate, restoring Zedrick Neely to his command of the Night Masks. The plan unfolds; in three days time the army of Cormyr will reach the western front. Simultaneously the Dark Lancers will attack from the south and the Army of Nature’s Wrath will attack from the east. But in order for the coordinated effort to succeed Mystenaculis’ second-in-command, the Lord of the Black Guardsmen, must be defeated. The group is to travel to the fallen war mage College of the Fire Hawks where spectral forces are being dispatched by the Lord himself. Zedrick reveals that the Black Bard Mystenaculis is preparing a host entity for the lost god Myrkul, former god of the dead who seeks to regain the power. The group agrees to destroy the Lord of the Black Guardsmen. During the down time, Dak, Zaytheon and X-Requinn receive gifts from Zedrick to aid them in their scope. On the third day Zedrick teleports the group outside of the war college. Bixtbie scouts ahead and surmises that their target is in the largest building at the rear of the compound as spectral warriors are being dispatched in constant fashion. X-Requinn stone shapes an entrance into the building triggering a ward. Moving inside, the party is surrounded by eight stone golems. A lone figure standing the far corner is encased by a wall of force and begins directing the golems against the party before disappearing. Against the far wall is a mirror portal that appears to house the attacker. Moving through the magic portal, the group attacks the necromancer as he has erected another wall of force against the back wall of the new chamber. The maneuver works brilliantly as the stone golems can only move through the portal one at a time, creating a bottle-neck effect. As the rear warriors keep the golems at bay, Forkbeard, Bixtbie, Jebeddo and Dak attack the necromancer. The gambit is a massive success as one stone golem after another is destroyed. Jebeddo opens a dimensional door to access the Lord of the Black Guardsmen while Forkbeard squeezes through the crawlspace at the top of the wall. Relishing the opportunity to use his well-earned armor, Dak vaporizes into a cloud of gas appearing above the necromancer. The fighter’s attack is unrelenting as the spiked chain breaks again and again on the wizard’s body. Surrounded but not out-matched, the Lord releases diminishing spell after debilitating spell before his grand finale. Arced lighting bounces back and forth between his attackers pulling their life force apart in dramatic fashion. With their last breath and concentrated effort, the wizard falls. Immediately the wall of force vanishes and the stone golems cease the attack. Beneath the cowl is Dimlock, former Councilman of New Kelvin and one of Forkbeard’s and Cromwell’s old enemies. Before the dust can settle, the door to the chamber bursts open as a skeletal dragon rears. Cromwell calls on his god and the group is teleported to Threshold with their task achieved.
• Encounters: eight stone golems, Lord of the Black Guardsmen Dimlock
• Achievements: created a temporary alliance with the Dark Lancers of Assam, defeated the Lord of the Black Guardsmen Dimlock, and secured the Crown of the Stone Golem.

The Intercept of the Divine Hammer

• Characters: Aramir, Dorian, Forkbeard, Gallipolas, Jebeddo, Karne, Krullix
• NPCs: Mikailis, the Divine Hammer
• Synopsis: At the rendezvous point, the group surprises two trolls investigating the decaying husk of the nine-headed hydra and quickly deals with the minor obstruction. Teleporting back to Reddansyr after the failed negotiations with the Wizards of Tendale, Dorian brings his companions to face Mikailis. The former apprentice is curt and reluctantly informs his old master of their progress, or more accurately their regress. Words are not lost between the two as Dorian lets the leader of the League of Wizards know that the elf intends to see this through. Mikailis can only offer a suggestion. The master wizard is aware of safe house used by the Wizards of Tendale on occasion. If the exchange is to occur, it is likely at this location. He then locates a trail out of Gulthmere Forest, a path to the safe house. Dorian gathers the others and exhausts his teleportation to bring them to Kelvin. It is a two-day march to the trail and another half-day of forced march to reach the safe house. Well after sundown, the group encounters a magical sphere. Aramir scouts ahead only to be spotted by a shape changer. As a polar bear, the beast throttles the halfling before reinforcements have a chance to act. Melee erupts as the polar bear is flanked by three others emerging from the protective bubble. Forkbeard charges into combat but the other three become entangled in Dorian’s summoned tentacles. The polar bear is the first to fall and Aramir is quickly brought back from the brink of death. Cries from the group leader reveal two names: Mahguvial and Otiluke. But no remorse is offered for the other three as their role in the ambush yields retribution. Inspecting the cart escorted by the Divine Hammer, they find only a large chest with too many gold coins to count. The small fortune in gold pieces reveals that it was only payment involved for the trade as this was no doubt the envoy of the Army of Nature’s Wrath. Standing in blood-stained snow, the group wonders what they have resorted to and is there a line between justice and revenge being crossed. Is the long arm of the Shadow Lord manipulating them too?
• Encounters: two hill trolls, the Divine Hammer
• Achievements: Intercepted the Army of Nature’s Wrath’s payment for the exchange of the Historian, annihilated the Divine Hammer

Llewmorc the Damned

• Characters: Alyssic, Aramir, Carn, Cromwell, Gallipolas/Fig, Lazbin, Rathgillian, Roywyn, V.L., Vindicus


• NPCs: League of Wizards, Llewmorc the Damned


• Synopsis: With the Black Legion amassing at Reddansyr, reports come in that the giant-kind forces have sent regiments to either side of the town to flank the Circle of Holundi. The new General of the Black Legion Llewmorc the Damned rides atop the massive black dragon Blastimithican and now leads the giant-kind forces north to the Dragonmere. The recently revived Dunrick the Daring has joined his old master in the ranks of the League of Wizards and reveals the sick truth behid Llewmorc. The new general is a conglomeration of the Defenders held captive in his tower so many moons ago. His strengths are an amalgam of the greatest traits of Cromwell, Gallipolas, Lazbin, Rathgillian, and Vall, deriving most of his characteristics from Cromwell. Dunrick was only at the beginning of creation. Evidently his work was scavenged from the remains of his tower and completed by Mystenaculis. This can only mean that their greatest enemy is truly present on the Material Plane. But the present task at hand is to thwart the three-pronged attack from the rear forces of the Black Legion. The Defenders are dispatched to eliminate one of the branches of the attack, the one that has already crossed the River Reddan and is the most immediate threat. Gallipolas, Roywyn and Carn take to the skies as the druid shape shifts into a giant eagle. The Black Legion regiment is located and the rest of the Defenders join the scouts. The attack is swift and violent as magic erupts across the shores of the River Reddan. The rivers water rise to drown orcs, walls of fire scorch giants, and ice and comets drop from the skies. The majority of the Black Legion troops are destroyed as the Defenders move in to mop up the rest. Gallipolas raises a wall of thorns and entraps some of the enemy while Lazbin tricks two other giants into thinking they themselves are enemies. Vindicus looses a volley of magic and the Defenders systematically dismantle the remnants of the front line. The group storms the rear of the regiment to finish off the Black Legion forces. But as combat rages the mighty black dragon Blastimithican soars to the battle field and lands with Llewmorc the Damned mounted on its back. The half-elf’s forked tongue spews evil, demanding that Mintassan the Planeswalker be returned to his care in Westgate. The parlay continues as Llewmorc promises not to raze the rest of the Dragon Coast. Lazbin and Gallipolas signal the others to prepare for battle as the remaining giants surround the defenders. Lazbin drops a glass bead summoning Cromwell, who appears and engages Llewmorc. The battle is vicious as no combatant holds back. The Defenders are throttled as each is only mildly successful. On the brink of death, Carn vanishes to the Plane of Shadow. V.L. succumbs to the blasts from the stone giant’s club. Rathgillian withdraws from combat and is rescued by Gallipolas. Alyssic retreats from the black dragon trying to draw the healing powers from Heironeous to close her wounds. The Defenders regroup and rally behind the might of Cromwell and the bravery of Vindicus. Attacking the remaining giants, the others quickly kill the minions. Cromwell summons a field of whirling blades that shreds Llewmorc and Vindicus stands toe-to-toe against the black dragon. Through the elf’s magic, the dragon’s attacks fail as the great beast finally falls crashing down to the shores of the River Reddan. With their enemy vanquished the Defenders limp back to Reddansyr, but not before dropping the head of Blastimithican into the camp of the Black Legion. They bring the body of Llewmorc back to the League of Wizards and contemplate the arrival of Mystenaculis to the war.
• Encounters: an army of 300 orcs, 12 hill giants, 12 stone giants, 3 storm giants, Llewmorc the Damned, black dragon Blastimithican


• Achievements: Destroyed the new General of the Black Legion, Llewmorc who was reported to have been bred for warfare by Balethemos the Black and trained in the arcane arts by Mystenaculis. Slew the huge black dragon Blastimithican. Wrecked the morale of the rear armies of the Black Legion.
  

Return of Dunrick the Daring

• Characters: Aramir, Carn, Gallipolas & Fig, Hadith, Lazbin, V.L.
  



• NPCs: League of Wizards, Dunrick the Damned
  



• Synopsis: With the League of Wizards reformed and consisting of Mikailis, Gronchiss, Merty, Yulimmi, Loothum, Vindicus and Lazbin, the first order of task is to find and subdue Dunrick the Damned. Dunrick is the disgraced apprentice to Loothum, and the gnome still holds hope that he is redeemable. If the defenders can capture him and bring him back alive, Dunrick might hold the key to disabling the army of golems under the Dragon Coast Alliance’s control. Before Loothum was murdered, he dispatched his apprentice to the small farming community of Fallow where his apprentice was researching the great golem-maker Tyron Capell. Dunrick was communicating his learned knowledge and understanding of golem creation to Loothum via messengered letters while the gnome master wizard was advising Holundi in Tendale. Loothum read the series of letters that unofficially documented Dunrick’s mental collapse as his apprentice discovered the red glowing ore desposits in the nearby Orsraun Mountains. Dunrick was on the verge of a great discovery: the ability to make golems sentient beings. But the red glowing ore easily eclipsed Dunricks studies but before Loothum could intervene the Elven Star was stolen from Tendale setting the region’s historic events into motion. Loothum speculates that his apprentice is somewhere near the failed settlement of Fallow, and that if he can be brought in, his studies can be completed. With Dunrick’s untapped knowledge the Circle of Holundi can give life to the golems, liberating them from the Dragon Coast Alliance, and eliminating their primary defense. Then the Circle of Holundi can sack Westgate. The group of adventurers travels to the base of the Orsraun Mountains near Fallow and begin their trek towards the summit. They find Ragnov, the disgraced bodyguard to Dunrick the Damned’s brother Derrick. She is imprisoned in a crow’s cage, and barely human. Having failed Dunrick, she now serves as a warning to all trespassers. Following tracks up the mountain slope, they find a trail lined with pikes, each adorned with a decapitated head of a horned devil. The group battles a guardian roper and a legion of fiendish gnolls and hobgoblins before reaching the main mining chamber. Red glowing ore has been collected from below into a massive chamber where they find the delinquent Dunrick, or what they think is their target. Loothum’s apprentice has grafted pieces of the red glowing ore onto his body and surrounded himself in a natural cavity for the red glowing ore. Stacks of the ore climb to the ceiling and litter the cavern, creating an overpowering crimson hue that drowns out all other color. As the group tries to penetrate Dunrick’s chamber, they are each overwhelmed by the power of the red glowing ore and compelled to seek their personal desires. With Gallipolas’ mighty will they are able to overcome the crippling effects and subdue Dunrick by magicking him into a toad. The group returns with their hard fought prize and witness the revival of Loothum’s apprentice. The man simultaneously recalls every evil deed he has executed over the past tenyear and collapses under the weight of grief and remorse. Finally through tears he recalls the death of his brother Derrick and a lost love named Patricia.

• Encounters: Ragnov, roper, half-fiend gnoll horde, purple worm, Dunrick the Damned
  



• Achievements: Extracted Dunrick from his mined collection of the red glowing ore.

ASSASSINS!

• Characters: Alyssic, Aramir, Gallipolas, Lazbin, Mariel, Rathgillian
• NPCs: Circle of Holundi leaders, Gorbin Nolt, Loothum, Ninove, Saluth
• Synopsis: After hearing the grim news from Zedrick Neely, the Defenders gather at the Verse to plan their operation to infiltrate Westgate. Over the waning hours, they are soon alone as all of the other patrons have left on this snowy night. The blasting of a battle horn alerts them to the floating horseman drifting past the windows of the establishment. Springing to action, the group prepares for an assult via the front door only to be ambushed from behind. The coziness and charm of the Verse is now an obstacle between the attackers and the Defenders as the mass of tables and chairs proves to impede them. Another assassin emerges from a rented room and targets Lazbin for death, poisoning him with a dagger strike. Gorbin Nolt joins the fray, defending his bar by shifting to bear form. The assassins are wittled away, one at a time. Order is restored and Gorbin presents facts from the rented room. One of the assassins, Gish, was using Westgate ledgers for payment, ledgers from House Dhostar. The other three assassins were staying at the Cracked Helm, and asking around town about certain adventurers. Outside Rathgillian confronts Ninove who begs for secrecy and addresses the Defenders. She planned for the illfated attack by underselling the abilities of the Defenders, insuring the use of ill-prepared and inexperience hirelings. Finding the Dhostar ledger, she informs the group that House Dhostar fell, replaced by House Cormaeril. Lord Targeth Cormaeril heads that house; he must have hired the assassins. She says that only Houses loyal to the Dragon Coast Coalition are receiving benefits, as the entire leading faction of Westgate has been subplanted by the Coalition. Many of the once-powerful merchant class are now left fighting for scraps. In order to retain her status as a spy, Ninove needs to be successful in returning Saluth to the protection of Westgate. As her cover has potential to be exposed the longer she is with the Defenders, Ninove requests that Saluth be freed as he is the master scryer. His abilities are now useless if the Defenders are adorned with Mikailis’ amulets of non-detection. The group agrees to release Saluth, with the caviat that he experience Lazbin’s touch of the feeble-mind. They trudge through the snow to the Disden farmstead and present their case to Mikailis and Loothum. The gnome goes wide-eyed and vanishes from sight. Merty is instructed to release an incapacitated Saluth, who is immediately preyed upon by the blood mage, Lazbin. Drooling and incoherent, Saluth is brought back to the Verse where Loothum and Ninove are is a deep lovers embrace. Through tears and rejected pleas and bargains, Ninove gathers Saluth and vanishes. Loothum explains their romantic history and the reveal that they both believed each other dead. The gnome wizard’s long-lost love is now an agent of the enemy.
• Encounters: four bard assassins
• Achievements: thwarted their own assassination attempts, uncovered the attackers benefactor, bolstered Ninove’s value to the forces of Mystenaculis and gained working knowledge of the new political structure of Westgate.
  

The Hunt for the Black Legion War Champion Venduul

• Characters: Cromwell, Dorian, Gallipolas, Hadith, Ilora, Karne, Krullix, Roywyn, Vindicus
• NPCs: Circle of Holundi leaders, Floosk/Loothum, Vendul, Zedrick Neely
• Synopsis: As the Circle of Holundi settles in the small village of Threshold, the Adventurers Guild of Threshold is assimilated into the resistence. Numerous adventurers that have already crossed paths with each other facilitate the integration. Moving into the abandoned farmstead of the slain family, the Disdens, the rebellion leaders are joined by the gnome illusionist Loothum, long thought deceased. Loothum is also the half-elf Floosk and the ogre warrior Bronx. His immortal curse transfers his soul to another humanoid creature if he is killed, but the transfers have caused him to lose portions of his memory. He has reconstructed the timeline of events and now can control his form at-will. Zedrick Neely confirms rumors that Roywyn has heard that vocal dissenters in Westgate have been rounded up and thrown into the prisons. The sage Mintassan is among the detained and even Zedrick cannot free the planeswalker. The Circle of Holundi has also further refined their battle plans to defeat the Black Legion and Mystenaculis. This includes attacking the rear forces of the Black Legion, reforming the League of Wizards (including the initiation of Dunrick the Daring), and commandeering the forces of Tendale, the Dark Lancers. Floosk has returned from infiltrating the Black Legion forces south of Reddansyr. These forces are being led by their warrior champion, the mountain troll Venduul, but he was unable to discern who the strategy mastermind is, as Venduul is only the leader of the Black Legion’s reserves. The leaders of the reserves have assumed control of the abandoned war mage college of the Order of the Fire Hawk. Loothum surmises that killing the mountain troll may shatter morale beyond reconstruction. Not being a member of the upper echelon of the Black Legion, Loothum was not given access to the compound, but he has the location of the plateau and the layout of the compound.
• Encounters: pack of worgs, orc berserkers and war howlers regiment, orc battle priests, ice devil, Venduul the mountain troll, and ogre skullcrusher warriors
• Achievements: The group infiltrates the compound, discovers the location of their enemies and develops a plan of attack. During the battle the ice devil flees, Venduul is slain, and the elite orc warriors are annihilated along with their ogre counterparts. The treasure horde of the ice devil is looted and the group returns to Threshold.

Standing at the Gates of Hell

• Characters: Alyssic, Cromwell, Dorian, Gallipolas, Krullix, Lazbin, Rathgillian
• NPCs: Circle of Holundi leaders, Gull the Grim, Lord Topaz, Zedrick Neely
• Synopsis: The leaders of the Circle of Holundi have developed a plan of attack to defeat the forces of Mystenaculis. Multiple tasks are before them and include infiltrating Westgate, destroying the reserve forces of the Black Legion and thus its supply line, and a secret task assigned by Mikailis. The master wizard states that the Icon of Kelvin is the phylactery of Mystenaculis and it must be destroyed, otherwise the war to defeat their enemy will never end. The Icon can be destroyed several ways, but the most likely to succedd method involves shattering it against the gates of hell. The Circle of Holundi is preparing multiple strike teams for the secret task and the Defenders accept, becoming the initial attempt. They are warned that the guardians of the gate are pit fiends, massive devils saturated in fire and fierce combatants. In preparation for the assault the Defenders are rewarded with magical enchantments crafted by Zedrick Neely. The former leader of the Night Masks of Westgate is given custody of the soul gem the binds Forkbeard with the instruction to seek out Mintassan the Planeswalker, Sage of Westgate. Zedrick will return to Westgate and retrieve Forkbeard’s soul. Mikailis opens a portal to Hell and the Defenders quickly move to the gate.
• Encounters: two pit fiends
• Achievements: After defeating the first pit fiend, the Icon of Kelvin is destroyed and Mystenaculis’ life essence is sucked under the gates of Hell. The group defeats the second pit fiend blocking their retreat and esacpes through the portal being chased by a legion of devils. Emerging on the other side they find that the Circle of Holundi has abandoned the illusionary camp and relocated it to a small village near the coast line of the Dragonmere. The village is called Threshold.
  

Leviathan of Reddansyr

• Characters: Dalthon, Illdric, Quallen, Teldowen, Wicasa
• NPCs: Gandios Laffabar (halfling owner of the Giant’s Folly), Patriarch Thyrius Jorman (human cleric of Oghma), Circle of Holundi contingent (Maulgrim, Bixtbi, Zeluthian, Purple Knights of Cormyr), Tarlos (Purple Knight tactician)
• Synopsis: Teldown, Wicasa, and Dalthon deviate from their course to Teziir at Jebeddo’s insistence. They bring their prisoner Melgornarni to Reddansyr to get an update on the battle against the Black Legion. The Circle of Holundi has refortified the north side of the bridge and their efforts along with inclement weather have impeded the giant-kinds’ efforts to move north. Tarlos, an intelligent tactician of the Purple Knights of Cormyr, finds historical records of a caged kraken in a natural cave network on the south shore of the River Reddan. If the creature can be released, it may prevent incursions from the Black Legion, but at the cost of stability. With the Circle of Holundi more mobile than the Black Legion, it is a risk they decide to take. The group accepts the quest and adventures into the partially submerged caves. They discover an abandoned kua-toa outpost that was rumored to be aligned with Reddansyr during the First Giant’s War. Long since evacuated, the group only finds undead, wild vegetation and fungi, and ever-living guardians. Reaching the kuo-toan priest’s chambers they release the kua-toa leviathan from its underwater prison.
• Encounters: Trapped hall, poisoned air, kuo-toa mummy, dread blossom, lith guardian, statue of Blipdoolpool the Sea Mother, drowned kuo-toa priest, kuo-toa leviathan
• Achievements: Discovered the caves of the kuo-toa, uncovered an access tunnel to the Upperdark, defeated the undead Drowned, released the kuo-toa leviathan from captivity, and orchestrated the break-up of the iced-over waters of the River Reddan eliminating crossing access for the Black Legion to the north shore.

Cormyr Comes Calling

• Characters: Gallipolas, JadeBlade, Ilora, Qualen, V.L., Vindicus, X-Requinn
• NPCs: Ralston Earl, Homar Earl, Horgon Earl, Zeluthian, Circle of Holundi leaders
• Synopsis: A messenger runner of the Cormyrean army named Zeluthian finds Threshold, leading a pack of worg riders of the Black Legion into the town. He is delivering a message that Cormyr marches from the west to the Circle of Holundi, rebels fighting in Gulthmere Forest against the invading giant-kind. He seeks Maulgrim paladin of Tyr to alert him of the support. Adventurers escort Zeluthian to the rebel encampment and learn of the forces of the Black Legion as well as the Army of Nature’s Wrath. Vindicus and X-Requinn travel to Candlekeep to research destruction of artifacts. Adventurers return to Threshold to counterattack Black Legion troops near Reddansyr.
• Encounters: Black Legion worg riders, quartet of undead stone giants, six manticores, back reserves of the Black Legion (including giants, ogres and orcs)
• Achievements: aligned the Adventurers Guild of Threshold with the Circle of Holundi, defeated a portion of the Black Legion and destroyed the Troll Bridge.