Session 1: Smoke Signals Flames

General Summary

Plot

 

Act I: Introductions

After saving Sareth from the risk of necromantic destruction, Elräen Naïlo, Brôck Redbeard and Sir Asguir Thornveil take a day of rest as the High Harvestide festival begins. Deep in the Arcane Forest south of Sareth, Fauna Rosclip - a wood elf painter - sits within the terrifying yet calming woods filled with beautiful flowers and thick thorny vines. The paint almost seems to come to life from the page when a squirrel appears and Fauna can sense that there is something exciting occuring in Sareth. After a treacherous journey through the Mountains of Anga, Fasül Hyringer arrives on the outskirts of town with a letter closed with the Dwarven Council's seal. His gauntlet is fastened to his skin, it's magic inhibiting properties sapping his powers. While searching Sareth, he finds the local blacksmith with an older, muscular woman sitting in front of the forge. Her right leg has been amputated yet she swings fiercely on the greatsword in front of her. Fasül inquires if she could remove his gauntlet, which sparks an interest in her eyes which quickly turns to defeat as she realsies the cast iron has been melded with some sort of ancient arcane metal - impossible to remove. Fauna gets to the village and enjoys the festivities before entering a tiny slipshod token shop. The owner is Piper Furrowshrew, who keeps to herself in the store when not helping in the church, and the two quickly connect. Fauna asks if there is any books on language and Piper retrieves a large tome called "Literature and Languages of Isaldar". All our adventurers then end up at the tavern for the evening's festivities.  

Act II: The Calm Before...

After a pint, Asguir heads outside to the toilet where he spots a strange green light emanating from an alleyway. He finds an old caravan and Trank, a goblin travelling salesman who has procured many riches by nefarious means. Asguir buys a longsword and returns to the party in the tavern. While our adventurers order more drinks in the crowded tavern, Fasül bursts through the door and finds Prince Benjamin at the side of the bar drunk out of his mind. The goliath slams the letter onto the table, the prince slurring his words while Asguir listens in from a nearby booth.The letter is from King Bortûr Wyvernheart of Goroth, urgently informing the Vashni noble family of changes in the positioning of the Eastern forces, suggesting an attack may be imminent. Asguir's adrenaline spikes and he looks out the window to see, despite his drunken vision, a cloaked figure in the woods observing the tavern with bright red eyes. Just at this moment, and Fauna hear a strange chuckling sound from the 2nd floor of the tavern. They go to investigate separately and find many small, hunched figures moving barrels and attaching them together with wires. As the two elves sneak up behind them to confront them, Elräen tries to take one hostage revealing goblins. One of them hisses at the adventurers and lights a match, causing searing white light to burn into the retinas of the tavern's occupants.  

Act III: The Storm

The following explosion blasts Fauna and Elräen against the tavern's walls as fire quickly spreads across the old timber. Many of the partiers are immediately killed in the blaze with the rest dazed and choking on the thick smoke engulfing the ruins of the tavern. The doors of the tavern are torn off as a hulking hobgoblin commander enters, shouting commands at the squad of goblins at his side. Several guards are massacred as the hobgoblin commander tears through the tavern's interior and chokeslams the prince up against the wall. Elräen takes out some goblins and Fauna turns invisible and uses her illusion magic to distract the commander, allowing the prince to escape. Asguir attempts to plunge from the 2nd floor and stab the commander, but is thrown off. He is saved from great danger when from the other side of the tavern, throwing off goblin warriors and scales burning, Arjhan charges from the rubble and slashes at the commander's chest. This allows the party to escape as more attempt to ambush them.  

Act IV: In the Flames of Despair

The party gathers outside to see Sareth in ruin: the town an inferno, goblins raiding shops, people fleeing in terror. As Fauna calms some nearby horses for the party to escape, our adventurers witness a gruesome scene in the town square with the surviving villagers rounded up and forced to their knees. Dragged out of the tavern by the hobgoblin commander is Arjhan, bloodied and beaten yet still not surrendering. He claws at his captor but can't escape his grasp. His body is dumped at the feet of the hooded figure, which the party can see more clearly: a demonic being with 4 arms and an exposed blackened skull, skin like molten lava and large horns curling from its head. As Arjhan attempts to fight back his eye is clawed out by the demon as its says to the onlookers: "This blood is spilled in the name of the new empire of chaos." It grabs Arjhan by the head and sinks its claws deep into his skull. His body twitches then becomes motionless. Piper is absolutely traumatised and tears roll down her face. The hobgoblin bows on one knee shouting "Glory to the saviour of goblin kind!" The party rides south as quickly as they can, towards the safety of the forest as their town of refuge is engulfed in flames and everyone they know is escorted further east by the goblin army.

Character(s) interacted with

Piper Furrowshrew   Brockshap Tournir   Trank   High Commander Malog   Hooded Figure (CB)