Heroes of the Realm Campaign

Chapter 0

As of tonight's adventure, our heroes have become a loose group: Falben Farwalker is their cranky "leader", looking to make money and wondering how he has become saddled with all these young weirdos, Mix tagging along because they are SO shiny and INTERESTING, Cura hoping to learn the Way of the Merchant from Falben, Kaneatusu seeking knowledge and to further his honor, and ReCall seeking Something, he knows not what. They ride/walk in the mule-drawn cart westward, towards, ultimately, the great metropolis of Telleconia, City of Eternity. Will fate get in their way? Find out next time!

Chapter 1: Into the Dragon's Lair

Our heroes, traveling from Yerdly to Telleconia, each with his or her own purposes, are near to Quayda when they are stopped near a small farmhouse due to a troubling sight: kobolds menacing a human family. The party obliterates the kobold raiders, earning the gratitude of the simple farmfolk, who take them to the nearby village of Chedlow, where they are charged by the mayor with hunting down and eliminating the rest of the kobolds, who have been raiding nearby villages for weeks. The party finds their strange lair, obviously not built by kobolds, with the dragon art on all the walls. Slaying most of the kobold warriors, the PCs negotiate with the rest, getting them to leave the underground complex in exchange for the treasure in the deepest room and one of Kaneatsu's swords. The kobolds leave, thinking they have gotten the better of the party, while the party finds much treasure, AND a strange human man in a stone sarcophagus, due to Mix's curiosity. The man, when awakened, seems to have total amnesia. He accompanies the party back to Chedlow, where they are celebrated as heroes and given the rest of their fee. During the party thrown in their honor, the man slips away. The party shrugs: he was an odd one. The discover that the map they found leads to, possibly, an old crypt of a powerful person not far from here. Or maybe it's just more wilderness. Who knows? You will, next Friday at 6!

ELSEWHERE: The remnants of the Jagged Tooth clan of kobolds are crossing the mighty River Meroshavain on three hastily constructed rafts. Their leader, King Zerk the Devious, is waving about the black magical sword he conned away from the stupid human in exchange for an musty old layer and a pitiful treasure, and he's telling the story of how he did it for the tenth time. Suddenly, the sword disappears from his grasp. It's gone, mid-wave. He's dumbfounded. The other kobolds look at him, slowly realizing exactly who was swindled...

Chapter 2: The Wages of Sin

Taking their leave of the good village of Chedlow, our heroes make their way northwest to the grand metropolis of Telleconia… with a short detour to check out the “crypt” indicated on the map they found. Finding the entrance to the crypt in an illusory bush, the PCs explore it's snaking, labyrinthine corridors, dealing with traps, strange summoning runes, a Minotaur, and an intense battle with a group of orcs, who were seemingly exploring the dungeon from underground tunnels. Killing all of the orcs, the party loots their camps and continues, finding strange rooms, including what seems to be the actual burial chamber of Arzdunn the Marvelous/Mad. They rob the ancient king's bones, and find his, or somebody's secret treasure stash. They rest before exploring the rest of the dungeon.

Chapter 3: Tales from the Crypt, Part II

Adult Kruthik

The party continued to explore the maddening Crypt of Arzdunn, encountering many vicious traps, vile monsters, and fabulous treasures. Eventually they found their way back out and headed towards Telleconia, the greatest city on the planet. They are now Level 3. Correct me if I leave something out, but I believe their were 4 fights this session: the specter, the hook horror, the ghouls, and the mimic. You also saw an ochre jelly and two adult kruthiks, but did not engage. And you met Twinklespring the Pixie :)

Chapter 4: Bad Kitty

Our heroes travel to the metropolis of Telleconia, where they become citizens, living and working with or around Falben's "Stuff & Things" market kiosk. Five months pass as they explore the city and make their various livings. Early one morning in early midsummer, Mix is awakened by a creature in her inn room, rifling through her stuff. The thing is big, cloaked and hooded, and smells like wet dog. She attacks it, and it fights back. Without her weapons it's a tough battle, but the arrival of the innkeeper, a friendly human man, drives the thing to somehow turn into a gray mist and fly out the window.

At about the same time, in a much nicer inn, Kaneatsu is a sleep in the finely-appointed room afforded him by his entertainer/blacksmith earnings, when another hooded thief tries to steal his stuff. Kaneatsu fights him off and he runs, to ultimately be arrested by the City Guard. At the same time, in the market square, two similar thieves try to rob the wagon, fighting Falben and Cura. One thief escapes, one is arrested by the City Guard. The PCs meet and share their stories, discovering that 3 separate attacks were made against them. No one knows what became of ReCall, out somewhere on his prowl.

The next day the PCs try to find out information on their assailants by going to the jail where one is held. The Guard are reluctant to share information on investigations and suspects, but Cura gets himself arrested, is put in a cell next to one of the bugbears, and charms him for information. Apparently he was hired to steal magic items by a mysterious "black cat" (it remains unknown how the cat knew the PCs possessed magic items).

After being gotten out of jail by Falben, Cura shares this info with the group, and it rings a bell for Mix, who decides to investigate among Telleconia's very small Tabaxi community to see if any of them known of a black tabaxi. One of her acquaintances, a Tabaxi fishmonger's assistant named Azjak Citlali (Five Birds in a Tree), invites her to dinner with his family (the people must help each other), and when she mentions the black cat, he reveals that there is such a begin in the city, who has through agents tried to recruit many of the people into some kind of army. All have refused to join, as they are honest working folk and want no trouble, but Azjak remembers the name of a tavern he was told to go to if he changed his mind: The Fat Goblin, a dive bar in the Port District. Mix, Cura, Kaneatsu, and ReCall pay the place a visit, Falben keeps making coin in the market (no profit in picking fights). As they drink, the place empties out, and suddenly four more bugbears entered, lead by a black panther Tabaxi. Mix knows him: it's the infamous sorcerer Wuhuxl, an apostate and a killer of his own kind. He wants the party's magic items, and he wants Mix, who he considers to be an abomination, dead. The party battle him and his minions, and he proves to be extremely powerful, nearly killing Mix and ReCall. But when the party slays his minions, he reevaluates the tactical situation and flees by some kind of magic ring, vowing revenge on Mix and the clans, who, he says, will "burn". The party, gravely injured, returns to the kiosk, where Falben is drinkin' and thinkin'. They all get a good night's rest.

Chapter 5: Expedition to Castle Dragonspear

After the Wuhuxl affair, the party passes an uneventful 3 weeks living their normal lives in the Brontzmar Market Square, tending Stuff 'n' Things. One fateful evening, however, they are visited by the insanely rich Quartavious, the Margrave Dragonspear, a noble who explains that he's recently uncovered evidence that his family once own a fabulous castle to northwest of Telleconia, in the area of the Wood of Harmarae. He hires the party to go find it, map the way to it, explore it, and bring back proof that it belonged to his family (his interest being family history and territorial claims, as he doesn't need treasure).

The party travels two months to the wood, and initially finds no sign of anything, until one night they are attacked by a savage owlbear. They drive the creature off, and it disappears through a strange stone circle. The party passes through it and finds themselves on a floating, stationary, chunk of rock 20,000 feet in the air., one which is a castle they soon discover indeed belonged to the Dragonspear family (after slaughtering a whole family of owlbears). They explore the first floor of the castle, losing their faithful dog Fluffy in battle against a fiendish nothic. Exploring further, our heroes battle evil hell hounds and find some treasure. They also detect the strong signature of magic, and follow it to a room where a unicorn lies shackled on the floor. The party frees it, and learns that it's name is Fernaco, and it was captured, brought here, and held captive by unknown beings. Fernaco pledges his loyalty to them and will accompany them on this quest. While helping Fernaco, Mix catches a glimpse a small, icy creature watching them before it disappears. Girding themselves for battle, the party makes ready to take the steps up to the second floor of Castle Dragonspear.

Chapter 6: Expedition to Castle Dragonspear, Part II

Umber Hulk

Exploring the wild magic-bedeviled ancient Castle Dragonspear, our heroes and Fernaco the Unicorn, their new ally, explore the second floor. They encounter cold-hearted ice mephits, sinister wild magic traps, deeply evil minotaurs (and their disturbing temple and treasure), and make it to the 3rd floor. In the very first room they enter, a strange black portal divulges a savage umber hulk from the realms beyond the world. Defeating it, our heroes encounter a ghost, who pursues them through a door that destroys undead. Such luck. Beyond it, they find a torture chamber and the gruesome remains of many years or torture: a room full of preserved body parts. The also holds a strange treasure, a flintlock pistol. Having reached a dead end, our heroes return to explore the room the ghost came from, now that the room's fog has dissipated. The PCs are now Level 4.

Chapter 7

The party had just survived its encounter with a ghost and were exploring the room it came from, when Falben gets a new animal companion. A ghost cat he names Shadow. Exploring the next room, the party hears voices arguing about treasure and some big object. Introducing themselves, the party gets an icy reception from Cuso Beerch and Trellsheim Magical Salvage Company. The Company demands they leave the castle and all its treasure as THEIR salvage, and the party is about to comply when one of the Company picks a fight, wanting no one to know about them. A brutal combat ensues against the six wizards, which the party eventually wins. They loot the bodies, and find out what's under the tarp: an airship called the Autumn Moon. They study the ship and learn to fly it, returning for their mules. While looking for Falben's cart the next morning, they encounter Xembroaar the White, a young white dragon who apparently had a deal with the Company to secure for him some kind of “jewel”. He attacks them, insisting they must have done the Company's work and have the jewel (young white dragons have an INT of 6). After a hellacious battle and the bravery of Fernaco, the party slew the dragon, collected his corpse and the cart, and sailed for Telleconia.

Chapter 8: We’re on a (sky) Boat

The Autumn Moon flies back to Telleconia, arriving in its air space an month and half after leaving Castle Dragonspear. After a friendly but firm visit from the White Wizards, the party enjoys a heroes reception at the Dragonspear Estate, where the Margrave officially becomes their patron, and gives them lots of gold. Once the ship is licensed, the party drops a lot of money on equipping their personal cabins and the ship itself. Then Falben seeks work for the airship, finding it in the form of a shipment of art objects to South Gate, four months away. The Moon also pics up passengers, a pair of elven twins, Arvardis and Tessila Ravenclaw, a strange and secretive pair of high elves of uncertain background or purpose, but who seem very urgent to get very far from Telleconia. The ships sets forth, and early the next morning, while just reaching the border of the Client States, Mix is visited in her cabin by Wuhuxl, the black Tabaxi sorcerer, who offers her the location of one of the Secret Scrolls if she will help him murder her colleagues and seize the Autumn Moon. She refuses, and he almost kills her with a poison. He appears on the deck with four fiendish henchmen, and a terrific battle rages over the ship. Finally, Wuhuxl disappears (after leaving mix some kind of clue?) and the party mops up his henchmen. The twins sleep through it all, and the Moon rights itself towards South Gate. The sun rises as they lick their wounds and wonder if they will ever see the end of Wuhuxl's villainy. And what means the strange note he left?

Chapter 9: Down and Out in South Gate

The Autumn Moon flies into South Gate harbor, with Cap'n Falben feeling kinda wolfy. Once docked Mix, Cura, and Kaneatsu are send to the estate of Bredick Huznock, the noble they are delivering the art collection to. On the way, Cura spies a strange sight: another Firbolg, in the city! They continue on their errand, however, with the noble expecting delivery to his estate.

On the path back, they notice another young male firbolg, this time planting something in the street. They investigate, and it turns into a giant vine monster and attacks. Eventually, with the help of the city guard, they slay the beast before it can destroy more than one block of South Gate. Then are arrested, until Falben bails them out.

Meanwhile, at the ship, Falben and ReCall are visited by an artificer named Ibarus Klimen, who insists that ReCall is a thing, a servitor, and wants to buy and disassemble him. He leaves when his purchase offer is rejected. Later Cura goes out to find his fellow firbolgs, alone. He finds them alright, but they defeat and capture him, sparing his life only because he pledges to one day join them. He had previously learned that they are a group of ecoterrorists who call themselves "Caomhnoiri an Dulra" or "Guardians of Nature" in firbolg Giant (means the same thing in real-world Irish). Back at the ship, the art collection delivered, the ship set off to return to Telleconia. Not long after leaving, in the dead of night, two flying sharkships attack the Moon, which is boarded by raiders. They are of course the henchmen of Ibarus Klimen, who shows up when his men are doing poorly and battles the crew with some manner of magnetic gun. Though his technology makes him a formidable opponent, the crew convince him to withdraw, to capture and melt down ReCall another day. The Moon sails on towards Telleconia.

Chapter 10: Living on Telleconia Time

After the complicated delivery in South Gate, the party in The Autumn Moon flew four months back to Telleconia, arriving in mid-July. They landed, paid the rip-off docking fee, and ReCall and Falben collected the 2100 GP 💰 delivery fee.

One the trip, the party had had some trouble with Falben's lycanthrope nature, so in flight they hatched a scheme to find a way to remove the curse once they got to Telleconia. So Kaneatsu and Mix visit the Church of Ilmater, God of Compassion, and by dint of their great generosity, employ the services of senior priest to come de-curse Falben. This he does, and dances away singing the praises of the party.

Observing the rise of the cult-like Dragon Pride group, the party celebrates their newfound wealth, and Mix tries to be serious at the wrong time. In the morning, Chikanobu, son of Bakebono, celestial dragon of Rokugan, Tengoku, finally finds Kaneatsu, and offers him a ride home. Kaneatsu chooses to stay with his friends and new life of adventure. Anticipating this, the dragon gives him a gift from his family by enchanting his sword.

Later, Mix finally gets them to listen to her need to go the north pole, though she hasn’t exactly said why yet. Something about a note left in blood by Wuhuxl, some kind of mission she has? Details hazy. Falben says sure, IF they can find a way to make it pay. The party works its contacts, and, after a run of no luck, finds a kind of work (not what they wanted): Xev Bellringer, a gnome wizard, desperately needs to travel north and rescue her twin brother, apparently being held by undead in a far north Lost City of the Grasslands. Falben and Kaneatsu make a deal with her to leave immediately.

When they return to the ship with her in tow, they find it under assault by Dragon Pride members angered by the party’s use of a white dragon head as a decoration on the prow of the ship. They party defeats the DP guys easily, but they have backup: a young male red dragon attacks, coming very close to killing Mix and Kaneatsu. The party seems about to get the upper hand when lord_xy shows up and stops them from slaying “his” dragon (what are actual dragons doing in the city??). Lord Xy, it turns out, is not merely the leader of Dragon Pride, this group of great influence in the city, but is the very same tall, muscular, red-headed human the party woke up in the kobold-occupied dragon temple. He’s done well for himself, and declares a truce with the party, having bigger goals. He warns them that their good will earned by awakening him is used up: if they cross him again, they die. He leaves with his retinue (having clearly bought off the City Guard), and the party departs for the northern Grasslands to rescue Simden Bellringer.

Chapter 11: Expedition to the Lost City of Fargash

Ghast

The party sails The Autumn Moon northeast to the extreme northern reaches of The Grasslands, searching for the Lost City of Fargaash, where Simden Bellringer is being held hostage by ... something. Hired by his twin sister Xev, they find a way into the sunken city and explore it, finding ancient treasure as well as savage undead creatures, including a ghast, minotaur skeletons, a mummy, two wights, and a beholder zombie. In the battle with the last Xev is disintegrated. The party explores the strange circle she was headed toward, and gets trapped in some sort of transportation system, being deposited below the level of the city, in a circular room with four doors. The party takes a long rest. What horrors await them beyond the doors? Who or what is behind this all? What is the fate of Simden Bellringer?