Black Smoke Rising

Lord Markelhay is not sure what to make of Father Quinlaven's visions. He has heard stories like that from the old priest before, but in light of current events, it is a possible reason for concern. 

Markelhay has never fought gnolls; this is the first time in recent memory that the hyena-beastmen have ventured this far from their territory in the plains to the east. Goblins and hobgoblins are all he has experience fighting against. 

There is a smaller-sized chainmail shirt that is found for Bramble. 

Morning comes too soon, and with dawn, an ill omen: black smoke rising into the sky some ways north of Fallcrest. There is a small cluster of farms and a tiny village called Holwood on the main road but a league north of town...

Markelhay is awake and has mustered a small group of the town guard, six men in all. "There you are," he says as you all approach the gate. "I fear the worst. These men will accompany you as far as the village Holwood." The men have dark looks on their faces. 

OOC: I will be able to update your character info above this evening when I get home from work. Thank you all for your patience, I know this is slow moving. 

A Mission

The people look around, not sure what to think of the motley crew that has stepped forward to hunt down these monsters. Lord Markelhay regards the five of you with a curious look in his eye.  

"Very well," he says, looking you up and down. "Come with me." 

He leads you toward the Markelhay Estate, which sits atop the hill at the Northeastern corner of Upper Fallcrest. As you walk along, he speaks. 

"You all know that this aggression has grown worse and worse over the past year. The time has come we do something about it. I think the halfling may be correct. Perhaps there is some connection between the recent gnoll attack on his clan, and the growing frequency of goblin attacks on our town. The goblins, I believe, we can hold off if they attack again. This gnoll presence to the north concerns me greatly. When a pack of gnolls is riled up, they are a deadly maelstrom of claws and teeth, spear and sword." 

Before you all looms Markelhay Estate. "Come, adventurers. There is an armory inside my estate. If you will do the work of Fallcrest, you will have the finest that Fallcrest can give you. If there is any other equipment you require, I will grant you a small sum to acquire whatever you need at the Halfmoon Trading House."

"In the morning, you depart to hunt down the gnolls. Prepare yourselves," Markelhay says. 

Players, you may each find yourselves a new set of armor, and a new weapon. There is nothing magical in Markelhay's armory, but everything is of the finest quality. You may take this opportunity to question Markelhay, or any other of the townsfolk, if you like. 

A Call to Arms

OOC: I hope everyone had a most excellent holiday. I certainly did, as busy as it was. Back to it now. 

IC: The Lord Warden Markelhay furrows his brow at the news of slaughtered halflings, so close to Fallcrest. 

"This is a foul day indeed," he says. 

The rumors of gnoll attacks spread around the tavern swiftly. The good folk of Fallcrest are fearful now, and there are calls for action. 

"Something must be done! These monsters cannot be allowed to freely roam our lands."

"Surely, some demon is spurring them on! They have never been so brash as they are now."

"And organized too! Goblins used to attack in hordes, and now they launch themselves into our city?"

As the talk grows louder and the people of Fallcrest more and more worked up, the Lord Warden excuses himself for a moment. Many people have returned to the Market Square now, for news, for safety in numbers, to console their grieving friends. 

Markelhay steps up onto the stage that had so recently been showcasing Fallcrest's talented musicians. 

"People of Fallcrest," he says, immediately commanding the attention of the crowd, "we are under attack. This is the third direct assault on our township by goblins in as many months. There are reports of gnoll attacks just north of here. We must drive these creatures back to the hell from whence they came!"

Cheers go up at the show of bravado. 

"We cannot leave our walls unprotected, however. Long ago, a small group of heroic individuals, from many different walks of life, came together in the face of monstrous aggression such as this, and won for the peaceful folk of the Nentir Vale a peace that lasted generations," the Lord Warden said, invoking a local legend of the end of the Horde War. 

"Some force is spurring these creatures to ever more brazen attacks. We must root it out and destroy it. We need brave souls, now more than ever, to enter the belly of the beast and root out the evil there. Who among you is brave enough? Strong enough? Smart enough? Step forward! Now is the time for heroes, more than ever!"

The crowd falls silent, and the people look around at each other. They have families, farms, businesses. They are scared. Surely, someone else will do this dirty work, right? 

The Taphouse

OOC: I have updated everyone's sidebar profiles to reflect the five experience points you each earned from defending the town. The goblins carried no money on them. Also, apologies again for the delay in getting this up.

As word spreads that the goblin attack has been repulsed, and that the city is safe again, people begin to return to the Market Square. The celebratory mood of the festival is gone, however, as night falls. The people are mournful that three members of the city guard were killed in the attack, and there are calls for vengeance.

Lord Warden Faren Markelhay is personally seeing to some of the injured around the square, doing his best to calm the population. Bramble and Calix are the first to arrive at the square, and it is not long before they are pointed out and Lord Markelhay approaches them, after they have gotten their ale in the taphouse.

"Good evening, sirs. I have heard tell of your brave defense of our city. Calix, you are known around these parts, but you, sir Halfling, are new to my eyes. What brings you to Fallcrest on this foul day?" the Lord asks of Bramble, as an ale is delivered to him.

Rathman: you make the rounds, and all is well. Your helpers are all accounted for and uninjured, and it appears the old wizard slept right through the entire battle!

Gault: clean-up moves along as swiftly as possible, and your superior soon relieves you of your duty for the evening. He was impressed with your bravery and skill today.

Sarhan: I assume you have made your way to your family, and you discover all is well with them.

Victory!

Bramble fires at the worg as it crosses the threshold into town. The arrow shatters against the stone archway to the bridge. 

Calix and Gault charge for the worg, and meet it headlong in the open area where the bridge empties into Upper Fallcrest. They meet the beast headlong, attacking it! Gault's spear attack misses, but Calix's mace strikes, and the worg reels from the blow. 

The reinforcements behind them come up, sensing the worg's weakness, and two spears pierce the beast, slaying it. 

Rathman is quite prepared for the charging goblins, and sets off the werks at just the right moment to catch them all in the blasts! A series of bangs and pops go off, followed by a very large BOOM that leaves the goblins scattered, blackened, and lying flat-out on the ground! That blast also knocks Rathman and Sarhan down. 

Guess there was one of those bigger werks mixed in...

Across the river, the larger humanoids are retreating into the forest. All the monsters in town have been slain! The gates are shut and sealed, and the town secure. 

Goblin Attack Round 4

Calix swings his mace at the worg and strikes it firmly on the flank. 

Gault's attack on the goblin runs the little green beast through, and pins it to the ground next to the other one. 

Just as the snarling, angry worg can leap upon Calix, it is felled with an arrow through its skull from above! Bramble has scored a Critical Hit and slain the monster! 

The other, riderless worg has charged across the bridge and will be upon Calix and Gault next round. 

Rathman fires off another rocket, which explodes over the heads of goblin and worg alike on the other side of the river, and this blast causes the worgs to flee into the forest, and their goblin riders to run after them as well. Rathman then notices the four goblins running up the stairs and pointing in his direction... 

Sarhan has reached the top of the cliff, and is now within shouting distance of Rathman. 

Goblin Attack! Round 3

OOC: thanks for the heads-up Jake. I imagine it will be a bit difficult for everyone to post in a timely manner during the chaos of the holiday season. We will soldier on, patiently ;)


The bridge is quite stationary, and does not raise up. On the western bank is a guardhouse with a portcullis that is, at the moment, wide open. 

@ Sarhan: You can see the steely resolve in Myra's eyes, and the concern for your safety, but she does as you direct. You head off for the switchback; the goblins are headed up the other path, towards the staircase that is carved into the side of the cliff. You will most certainly require a couple of rounds to arrive at the top of the cliff. 

@ Gault: Your spear pierces straight through the attacking goblin's chest, and as you rip it out of the beast it collapses to the ground. The other goblin attacks you just before you can turn on it, but it misses wildly (granting you +2 to your next attack against it!)

@ Calix: the worg-riding goblin bears down on you! You strike its flank as it rushes past you, shaking it enough that it comes to a halt and turns on you! The goblin raises a crude spear over its head and throws it at you! Fortunately, it is a wobbly throw, and falls harmlessly on the ground a few feet away from you. The worg growls and prepares to pounce...

@ Bramble: You manage to line up a shot as the worg stops and turns on Calix. You release just as the goblin tosses a spear at the mace-wielding cleric, and your arrow flies true, knocking the goblin clear off the worg and into the dirt, quite dead with an arrow through its neck. 

@ Rathman: The next firewerk you shoot off also explodes in the same general area as the previous one, making it difficult for the goblins there to get a handle on their worg mounts. The one in front, however, without a rider, gets spooked enough to run straight for the bridge and into town!

Goblin Attack (cont)

OOC: If you would prefer I make the rolls for you for whatever reason, it is not a problem at all. Bramble, I will go ahead and roll for you from now on. In the interest of speeding up game play, I will go ahead and have the rpglibrary roll for your actions if you haven't already, and email the result to you. 

Also, apologies for the delay in posting this. Overtime at work has been kicking my butt, and home life is just getting more and more busy it seems. Also, I thought I posted this as a comment on the previous post, but it appears blogger ate it or something. I will be much more prompt in my replies (and double checking them!) in the future! Anyways, back to the game. 

@ Bramble: as the four goblins cross the threshold, you let fly an arrow and it hits true, dropping the one in front. The goblin running behind it trips over the crumpling body, and the two other goblins run towards Gault and Calix as you prepare another arrow to fire. 

@ Calix and Gault: the goblins are upon you! Calix takes a swing with his mace and strikes true, felling the foul green beast with a single blow. Gault's spear misses the mark, and the goblins strike as they run into you! One of them attempts to stab Gault with a nasty-looking serrated knife, but misses. The other one attempts to tackle Calix, but Calix narrowly dodges the attack. 

Calix and Gault can hear booted footsteps coming up behind them, reinforcements in the form of Fallcrest Guards. Good thing, too, as the first worg-riding goblin is charging full-bore across the bridge, and tramples over the two goblins in a heap at the bridge entryway. 

@ Tenkar: you grab, light, and set off one of the bigger, noisier fireworks from the cart, and it whistles off above lower Fallcrest, across the river, and explodes right in front of the three worg-riding goblins charging the bridge! The worg in front crashes to the ground, rolling head over feet and crushing its rider, while the other two toss their riders and run away from the blast! 

Also, Tenkar, from your vantage point on the cliff, you can see that there are two large monstrous humanoids, possibly ogres or hill giants, that are throwing goblins across the river and into town! In fact, two more go flying across the river right now, and land with a squeal and a crash near the docks and are running towards the chaos on the Market Green!

@ Sarhan: You hear the hiss and whistle above your head, and so does the goblin. You see it point at it and scream out in goblin: "Firebombz! Gets 'em!" as he grabs the other goblin and they run towards the cliffs. 

Goblin Attack!

OOC: Congrats Tenkar on tying the knot!

Also, apologies for taking my time getting this one up, but overtime has been kicking my butt. Anyways, back to the game.

@Bramble and Rathman: from your vantage points atop the cliffs overlooking Lower Fallcrest, you can see quite clearly that a few of the farmhouses on the other side of the river have been set ablaze! You can barely make out several green-skinned little bastards running around the area, wreaking havok in general. There are three quite large, lumbering hulks with them, making their way towards the river. You also spy half a dozen large wolves with goblin riders racing along the path, heading north. Behind you, you hear a horn call from the Five-Arch Bridge (number 3 on the map), which is the only way into town from the other side of the River Nen.

@Gault: the northern gate has been shut and secured. You hear a horn call from the Five-Arch Bridge, and a moment later sounds of combat erupt from that area!

@Calix: Father Quinlaven rushes towards the temple grounds, ushering nervous townfolk along with him to the relative safety of the temple. You also hear the horn call from the bridge, and can see combat between guards and goblins breaking out on the bridge!

@Sarhan: the Market Square has erupted in commotion. You also hear the horn from the bridge, but it is distant and almost lost in the sound of the waterfall. You can see black smoke rising across the river. Your wife manages to keep your family all together, for now. Your house and shop is in Upper Fallcrest, near number 19 on the map.

An Ill Omen

Excellent writing thus far, friends, thank you. We shall continue on this posting.

Rathman: The three boys all perk up at your words, and rush over to you. Their attention is split between you and the cart of fireworks, but thus far they keep their hands to themselves.

Sarhan: When you return to your family table amidst the festivities, you notice your eldest daughter, Messa, is no longer her usually cheery self. A grim, almost fearful look has overcome her, and her eyes are distant with worry. She has long had the gift of foresight; never knowing exactly what events would come in the future, but having a general feeling for things that have not yet come to pass.

Calix: You see Gault leading a wild-looking halfling into town through the North Gate. The halfling looks a bit weary but uninjured. The guards along the walls are much more active now. One of them has rushed past you towards Lower Fallcrest and the Market Square in quite a hurry.

Setting the Stage; Game On!

We are about ready to begin, I believe.

It is the sixth day of the Summer Festival in Fallcrest, and as evening draws close, most residents have made their way to the Market Green (26) on the lower side of town, where a great bonfire is being prepared, and the ale has already started flowing. The people of Fallcrest are in good spirits; there has not been a monster raid since the last Festival, and this year's harvest looks to be plentiful. The Lucky Gnome Taphouse (28) is doing a brisk business, which is pouring over onto the Market Green. While much of the lower side of Fallcrest remains in ruins, there has been some rebuilding lately.


Bramble Butterfoot: you have literally just gotten to Fallcrest after seeing your family slaughtered by gnolls. You followed the River Nen south to Fallcrest, where you hear the sounds of a great celebration.


Calix: This happened today:

Father Quinlaven has asked you to walk with him after morning services. "Calix, I was granted a vision last night," he begins, his old deep voice slow with age and deliberation. "It seems the gods have a greater purpose for you than remaining here. I know, I find it hard to believe myself, young man, but these are dark and dangerous times we find ourselves in, and the gods work in mysterious ways. 


"You must leave this temple, Calix. Have faith and trust in Corellon to guide you through the darkness you will surely encounter. Gather your things and go. Oh, and take this," he says, opening his robes and brandishing a heavy mace, adorned on each blunt face of the business end with the Star of Corellon. "It has been many moons since I have had to wield it, but it served me well when the orcs were rampaging across the Vale.


"I fear the orcs are gathering again in the Stonemarch Mountains, to the west. Normally the tribes of darkness bicker and fight amongst themselves, but when a strong enough leader can impose his will on the clans, they can be rallied under a single banner. You must not allow this to happen, Calix."


Father Quinlaven hands you the mace. 

DM note: this is just a normal mace, although of exceptional quality and sentimental value.


Sarhan Soth: You are in the Market Green, enjoying the festival with your friends and family.


Rathman: Your teacher, the old human hedge-wizard Tauster, has given you the most important job in town. You are in charge of the fireworks. A cart stacked full of them sits near the cliff on the upper side of town, just above (15) on the map.


Gault: You drew the short straw and are stuck with guard duty, walking the wall for the evening.


Okay, I know I just served up Calix a big fat plot sandwich, but it was one of those things that I just started writing yesterday and it seemed like it would be perfect. So there ya go. I'll try to make sure everybody gets some, as the storyline progresses and more NPCs are added to the mix through play.

Also, if anyone has ideas for NPC relatives or friends, shoot me an email and we can get that sorted out and added to the mix somehow. The more you put into your character, the more I can give back. I'm all about you guys helping me build this world as the game progresses. It's ours, not mine, and I have very little set in stone about any of it at the moment.

Calix and Rathman still need starting equipment, and Rathman needs to select the spells in his book, as well as his "signature spell".