The full compliment of our same six players joined together for the second session of the new campaign. Ronn was at the head of the table and to refresh your memory, we present our adventurers.
Chasza the Saurian, lizardfolk ranger
Claudius Lyander, human artificer
Haden Roughstone, human cleric of Ephara and Templar of the Pantheon
Kresh the Nyxborn, tiefling paladin
Quinn Kai, human monk from the lands of Olde World
When we left off, the adventurers had just stepped from the tavern and the festivities celebrating their victory over the blue kobolds and into the assault on the town of Ojai. As they stood on the portico there was a rush of air, a flash of lightning, and an enormous dragon soared overhead.
As they stood gawking at the dragon, terrified townsfolk rushing around them, and the town aflame, a group of bandits rushed upon them. There was the briefest of exchanges, as the raiders mistook the adventurers for allies. But the characters quickly dissuaded them of that notion through force of arms. As the fight ended they found a pair of tavern goers huddling amongst their mix, seeking protection. The group headed out into the chaos to do what they might and find safety for their charges.
Without warning, five humans dashed out from between the buildings. A limping man and three young children raced across the street into the shadows, and a woman carrying a round shield and a broken spear turned back to the alley from where they had emerged. Seven kobolds streamed out of the alley on the family’s heels and fanned out around the woman, who looked determined to delay the creatures for as long as possible. The PCs rushed to her aid, smashed the kobolds, and added the family to their entourage. After several fights and gathering more terrified townsfolk, the characters group was the last into the keep, before the the gates were barred closed and the forces of the raiders closed ranks to put the keep under siege. They had rescued a bakers dozen of townsfolk from the raiders and delivered them to the safety of the keep, but that would only be a temporary reprieve. The danger was omnipresent and growing with every minute.
Linan Swift, her husband Cuth, and their children were grateful. The townsfolk even more impressed by these new heroes of Ojai. The castellan, Escobert the Red, was relieved to see them arrive before the keep was sealed and had a job for them.
With the keep surrounded, the secret tunnel needed to be cleared for use and to ensure it wasn’t leading to an ambush. If they had a secret way in and out of the keep, they might be able to spring some surprises of their own on these damn raiders. The task was simple enough and after moving some goods, dealing with swarms of rats, and working a stubborn, disused grate free, they had the tunnel working again. A band of kobolds near the stream saw them emerge from the tunnel gate and the characters made sure they would not be spreading word of the secret.
Returning to the keep, they found the castellan in conversation with the the town governor, Tarbaw Nighthill. The town’s leader was pleased to meet them and impressed by their deeds. Despite having a bandaged head and his sword arm in a sling he took them to the parapet, from where they could see the entire town laid out beneath them. What he needed was answers. Maybe a captive from the raiders could provide those. But the mill was about to be torched and the town would starve before the next harvest would come in, there were people who had gone to the temple instead of the keep to seek shelter, and all signs pointed at a coming assault on the keep. And then there was the gods damned dragon. Could he ask aid from the adventurers? They’d proven themselves both capable and resourceful, perhaps with their aid the town could yet be saved.
The characters conferred among themselves and decided to save the towns mill. There wouldn’t be much use in saving the people if they were simply going to starve weeks later. A grateful governor wished them success and they snuck out the tunnel and made their way along the stream to the threatened mill.
It wasn’t until they came out of the stream bed that they ran into raiders they couldn’t slip past. A trio of unusual bandits, well armed and armored, were conferring with a purple robed acolyte. Mercenaries working for cultists? It mattered little at this point as both sides were intent on conflict. Our heroes came out on top and the raiders went back to the mud.
When they arrived at the mill our keen eyed and insightful heroes noted that the raiders were playing at burning the mill and seemed to be waiting for something. A few fires had been started, but there were signs that more than one fire had been put out that would have threatened the structure. This was a trap.
Ignore the trap and risk the raiders burning the mill in frustration or clear the raiders from the place and make it secure until the governor’s soldiers could get to the mill and defend it? What will our band of heroes do? We’ll find out in the next session of The Dragonbane Mask.
