Chapter 1: The Bastion of Blackwood
This adventure starts as the players are all traveling in a wagon, late at night, on the way to Mother Blackwood’s 70th birthday party, tomorrow. The wagon bounces and sways as it travels fast down the road. The adventures hear and feel the occasional bang of the wheels hitting holes in the road.
The adventurers are all honorary members of the Blackwood family. Each person in the wagon knows Mother Blackwood in some personal way. Being part of the Blackwood family is an honor that only a true undead hunter could know. The family has a history of seeking out people in need and especially when it involves the undead. The family has recently defeated a Death Knight Commander in the town of Vinewood a few valleys over. Word of the epic fight is spreading quickly throughout the lands.
Take this time for the characters to all introduce themselves and to get into their roles.
Suddenly the wagon hits a large rock in the road and the wheel spins off and into the field beside them. The bare axel scrapes then digs into the dirt road throwing dirt and gravel everywhere. Yanking the wagon towards the edge of the road it quickly comes to a grinding stop.
A thick mist quickly flows into the fields that surround the broken wagon. An unnatural chill fills the air. You hear an unnerving clicking sound in the fields all around you. An arrow splits into a board next to one of the adventurers. The wagon is surrounded by Skeletons on all sides. They quickly close in on you with glowing eyes and clicking their teeth together as if they want a bite of your flesh.
After defeating the skeletons the driver of the wagon asks them to help find the wagon wheel that fell into the field of tall weeds. Any character that rolls a (DC10) wisdom Perception check finds the wheel in the field. The driver asks the adventures to lift the wagon together so that he can reattach the wheel.
Encourage the players to describe how they work together to lift the edge of the wagon.
After getting back on the road for about an hour they arrive at the Bastion of the Blackwood family. They are greeted at the door by several fellow family members who jokingly ask “what took you so long to get here”. It’s late and everyone is exhausted from the recent encounter on the road here. So they all turn in for the night. Characters take a long rest.
This Bastion is no larger than 50 x 50 and can be configured in any way that suits the DM. Must contain a dining hall for the players to gather at the start of the adventure.
On this day the Blackwood family has all arrived for a family banquet to celebrate the birthday of eldest member of the family Grandma Sylvia Blackwood (Mother Blackwood). It's a joyous celebration. The bastion hums with life as all the members of the family prepare food and set the table in the grand dining hall. Sounds of clinking dishes, splashes of liquids being poured, delicious aromas, and constant laughter coming from the kitchen. Other members of the family prepare the dining hall with a bounce in their step with a little humming and singing in the air.
Take this time to have the adventurers introduce themselves.
Read:
As the family settles at the table and the last of the food is placed Grandma Blackwood slowly stands up. She slowly takes a look around the dining room laying her eyes on each of the members of the family one at a time. With a large smile she slams her large wooden staff on the floor with three loud bangs and begins to speak.
Mother Blackwood:
"Today my heart is full, as I look around this room and see all of you. Not all of you here today are of my blood but you are all my family. Many of you have found your way to this family out of our common desire to help others in need and of course our common desire to vanquish the many evils throughout this land. I have spent many years training with you, fighting beside you, laughing with you and sometimes crying with you. I want to thank all of you for the time you have spent with me. And thank you for coming here today to celebrate my birthday."
Just as Mother Blackwood finishes her speech there are three loud bangs from the door knocker at the front door. Then three more echo throughout the hall, bang, bang, bang. One of the uncles runs for the door. The hall fills with chatter as the uncle returns with a young man in his early twenties. The young man dressed in common clothes with windblown hair and a frantic look on his face quickly approaches the dining hall table.
The young messenger:
Please forgive my intrusion Mother Blackwood. I bring a letter from Lord Hastings of Windrest. The young man bows slightly as he raises the letter towards Mother Blackwood.
Mother Blackwood casts some sort of spell on the letter before snatching it from the young man's hand.
Mother Blackwood:
Can never be too careful with strangers handing you letters. (small chuckle under her breath) As she opens the letter and begins to read.
Mother Blackwood,
Please forgive my hastily written note, but I desperately need your help. I have heard of your heroic deeds when you and your family saved the town of Vinewood from the Revenant Commander. I know now that you have the skills needed to assist my town in its most desperate hour. Our town is overrun with ghosts and I fear things are getting worse by the day. Please come to the town of Windrest as fast as you can.
With respect
Lord Hastings..
My family there are people in need and we heed the call for help once again. Gather your gear and go to the aid of Windrest. As she points to each of the adventures.
The party now gathers supplies and boards the family wagon parked in front of the keep.
The journey takes only a few hours by wagon. The wagon travels dirt covered country roads over rolling hills and crossing the occasional river. There are no encounters on the journey to Windrest.
Take this time for the adventurers to roleplay and get to know one another.
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