Prologue Part I Part II Part III Part IV
Moonday, Solstice 28, 1492
Rincewind might have been restored to life but, but between his erratic behavior and memory loss, his friends were left wondering if the cost of his revival was already too high. As for the group’s primary mission, Kiras Toth had been liberated, but the threat of enemy reinforcements arriving at any moment was a very real concern.
Operating on just enough sleep for the magic-users to regain their spells, the Fellowship made preparations for their journey back to Castebridge. After putting the recuperative powers of the Spirit Well to good use, everyone was in perfect health by the time they departed the dwarven fortress at the crack of dawn.
Ulfgar and the other dwarven survivors had done a fine job trussing Giran Oakenshield up in a sturdy travel pallet. Although short of stature, the dwarf’s comatose form was heavy to lift and awkward to carry. Only Roman and Pol were strong enough to heave the dead weight and carry for any length of distance across the treacherous ground.
Bria was the first one to peek her head out through the exit. Unfortunately, she failed to notice the presence of an ogre hunter, waiting patiently just outside to play a game of “whack-a-dwarf" and she was immediately grazed by a brutal sneak attack from the monster’s massive club. So towering and muscular was her assailant that the dazed rogue first mistook the behemoth for a small hill giant!
Trapped like rats, the group was forced to scramble away from the exit as a massive hand came grasping into the confined space. Somehow, Rincewind managed to blast the monster square in the jaw with an unerring, and completely random, “Magic Missile.” Lorelei attempted to distract the beast by summoning a badger, only to have it scamper a few feet before it was popped like a furry blister underneath the creature’s massive club.
As the ogre turned back towards the entrance, several of the adventurers plugged it in the flank with some well-placed missile-fire. When Rincewind cast an incidental “Open / Close” spell, the hinge-less hatch flew up off the ground and smashed the beast just under the jaw. With that, the creature flew into a rage and started jamming its club down the corridor. This caught Bria square in the ribs, sending her flying into the wall and knocking the wind out of her. After Lorelei deftly used a spell to “Daze” their foe, Roman and Elster immediately piled on. Finally, Pol spun her greatsword in her hand and delivered a dramatic coup de gras.
The adventurers immediately searched the ogre’s leather sling-pack, finding 331 Gold Crowns and an oily phial of liquid that felt oddly “sharp” and hot to the touch.
As if that wasn’t a rough enough start, the weather above ground was absolutely terrible. It was unusually cold for a late Solstice day, with driving rain, wind, thunder and lightning. Knowing that Giran’s condition was only getting worse, the Fellowship decided to grit their collective teeth and move out, carefully trying to pick their path through the Broken Lands. Given the steep decent, treacherous terrain and jagged rocks underfoot, this was certainly no easy task.
At one point, Roman lost his grip on the pallet and it slid out from underneath him, bowling him over. Bria tried to snatch the wooden stretcher as it slid towards her, but she missed it. Elster bodily leapt onto the litter but his limbs weren't long enough to anchor it. Eventually it came to rest at the foot of a hill, leaving Giran with an additional bump on the noggin as a silent testament to this wild ride.
Mercifully, the rain tapered off around noon and the rest of the day’s travel was largely unremarkable. Eventually the group broke for camp, finally giving them a chance to talk to Rincewind about his resurrection. After a short conversation, the “WIZZARD” confessed that he didn’t really trust the group, but he was going along with them because he thought it was his only chance to regain his memory and make it back home.
Godsday, Solstice 29, 1492
The early-morning dampness soon gave way to vibrant sun and, by mid-day, it was hot and humid. After reaching the bottom of a gully, the heroes promptly began a new ascension. Eventually the stone underfoot got a bit smoother and now large boulders were littering the path.
As the broken ground gave way to light scrub and trees, the climb got decidedly steeper. To the west: impenetrable forest. To the east: the shimmering expanse of a lake could be glimpsed just beyond the tree line at the bottom of a rocky embankment. Directly ahead, the shrubs and rocks divided the path into three possible routes. The crusaders decided to take the left route, and soon found themselves in a rocky clearing formed by a relatively-flat patch of tableland. Ahead they could see an inviting, but narrow, path leading back into the thick woods.
Unfortunately, between the loud, lingering debate about which route to take next and their dense, overgrown surroundings, the group failed to notice the approach of their stealthy pursuers. Suddenly, the underbrush behind the Fellowship exploded in a wave of snarling, barking, and howling as a pack of four wolves bearing diminutive goblin riders charged at them. Taken by surprise, the adventurers were momentarily caught flat-footed.
Two of the riders circled around the rocks to try and cut off the group. At the back of the pack, Lorelei and Rincewind were pounced upon by two more of the beasts. After having his arm crippled by a Goblin’s morning star, Rincewind attempted to swig one of his healing potions. Unfortunately he ended up drinking a tiny amount of poison that he was also keeping in his backpack by mistake. Instantly, the “WIZZARD” became violently ill.
Lorelei cast "Burning Hands", charring the goblin rider and wolf duo intent on her blood. She took a nasty bite in retaliation but, just as she was about to have her throat ripped out, Elster came to the rescue. At the same time, Pol launched herself from the top of a large boulder at the lead goblin rider, impaling it spear-style with her greatsword.
Meanwhile, at the front of the pack, Bria managed to perforate one of the wolves before she got pounced on by another. Roman performed double-duty, healing her while fending off his own feral opponent.
Lorelei blasted the now rider-less wolf with a "Ray of Frost." That same wolf received a sound smash upside the head as Elster tried to ward the beast away from Rincewind’s prone form. Pol then rushed up from behind and split the animal’s hind quarters abroad with a double-handed chop, just as Roman subdued the wolf intent on chomping down on his neck.
Deciding that discretion was now the better part of valor, the last goblin expertly leapt from his dead mount and scampered away. At that same moment, Bria got mauled by the wolf stalking her and Roman rushed in to try and distract it. Now a whirling dervish, Pol jumped in to finish the deed as Elster attempted to stabilize the poisoned Rincewind.
After recovering from this unexpected battle, the group found 87 Gold Crowns on the dead goblins, as well as a pretty blue quartz gemstone.
Thankfully, the rest of the day was uneventful. That evening, while settling in for the night, Lorelei noticed that Rincewind wasn’t studying his spell-book.
“Pffft, I already read it,” he said dismissively while scrutinizing an odd-looking rock. “Why would I want to read it again? It’s not exactly a page-turner!”
Lorelei settled into her bedroll, but had a hard time sleeping as she pondered the dark implications of Rincewind’s seemingly-effortless new displays of power and knowledge.
Waterday, Solstice 30’th, 1492
Although it clouded over and threatened rain early the next morning, the mid-day sun emerged triumphant and burned away the gloom. The Fellowship made its way through a well-worn path with tall trees to the left and right, waist-high ferns and needle-covered roots and boulders underfoot. The air was humid, but fresh, with the smell of pine, peat and plants still in full bloom.
“How in Pelor’s name do the dwarves get horses through these trails to transport goods?” Roman growled.
“We dwarves don’t typically trust horses with such precious cargo,” Elster reminded. “More often than not, we just carry the goods to Castebridge on our backs.”
After getting whacked in the face with a half-dozen tree branches, Bria insisted on moving to the front of the marching order. Not long after, she halted the procession after an orange length of rope lying across the path suddenly started moving! Upon closer inspection, she realized that the “rope” had beady eyes and was sampling the air with its flicking black tongue! After spooking the snake as much as it spooked her, the creature turned tail and wriggled back into the woods, allowing the group to press on.
Although the path was reasonably clear, at one point the heroes were forced to leap across some rocks to cross a small river. During the crossing, Rincewind’s luck went from bad to worse as he sprained his ankle, further hampering the group’s travelling speed. Roman also stumbled, losing a few items out of his backpack in the process.
Close to dusk, the group approached a river. As they broke into the clearing, Bria and Lorelei heard an alarming “PFFFFFTT!” sound.
“DUCK!” Lorelei yelled.
“Ambush!” Bria echoed. “Take cover!”
A platoon of orc archers sprang up out of concealment and launched a coordinated sniper attack, but thanks to the keen ears of the thief and the mage, they all missed their marks. A pitched ranged battle quickly ensued.
Knowing that she’d be more effective in close combat, Pol slid down the bank and began to wade across the river, all the while dodging a deadly hail of bow-fire. Unfortunately, she was so preoccupied by her quarry that she failed to notice a massive black-and-grey river spider lurking just under the bridge. As soon as the creature spied her, it skittered down to the base of the stone bridge to intercept her.
While attempted to cross the rocks, the spider got swept up by a sudden surge of rushing water and was promptly carried downriver. With its eight spindly legs displacing its body out of the water, the critter spiraled close to some shoals, secured its footing and then skittered up onto the bank. Her path now unopposed, Pol completed her crossing and surged up the hillock.
After casting a quick “Bless” spell, Roman charged across the river after the warrior. Although he stumbled when the water got waist-deep, he still managed to keep his footing in the roiling waters. Just as the cleric crested the hill, he spied a figure on horseback half way up the trail.
"Wait, is that Duran?" Roman muttered to himself, stunned by the incongruous sight of the Chief Bailiff of Castebridge.
As soon as the horseman recognized the heroes, he immediately turned his mount around, spurred it into a hard gallop and raced back up the trail.
Roman moved to give chase but was forced to deflect a point-blank arrow and then close with his assailant. Focused only on the closest orc, Pol hurled herself into combat, surprising one of the creatures with her unerring speed. It tried to cast down its bow and draw its sword, but by the time its blade cleared the scabbard, it was already too late.
When the spider arrived at the top of the hill, it spied motion from the orcs and immediately charged at them. Within moments, the massive arachnid had poisoned one and was dragging the hapless creature back into the underbrush! Adding to the chaos, Lorelei cast “Summon Animal”, and the conjured mystical badger immediately charged into the fray. Assailed from every angle, the orcs soon collapsed into a rout.
Among their dead assailants, the Fellowship found 46 Gold Crowns, 4 longbows (identical to the ones used by the Castebridge town guard!) and a note written in common which read:
Destroy
the bridge and guard the pass.
Ambush
and kill any dwarf refugees, survivors and merchants.
Above
all, make sure that the humans don’t get across the river alive.
The group noticed that these orcs also bore the standard of the bloody crescent moon, the same brand that Bria had been tagged with as a child.
After recovering from the battle, the Fellowship decided to move off the main trail and break camp for the night.
Earthday, Earthlife 1st, 1492
The following morning the adventurers pressed on to Castebridge, anticipating an arrival before noon. As the sun crept up overhead, it became blazingly-hot on the forest trail, and soon everyone was sweating profusely under their heavy cloaks and armor.
Eventually the canopy of trees overhead cleared and the group emerged out of the hills and into light scrub. This soon gave way to knee-high grasslands, which could be seen swaying in the distance right up to the town walls. Feeling the warm, reassuring heat of the sun on their bodies and the cool breeze coming across the field, the crusaders suddenly felt refreshed and fortified.
But half-way to the gates, the sky clouded over and the heroes felt a loud gust of wind above their heads. They looked up to see a massive, bat-shaped creature diving straight towards them: presumably the same young red dragon that destroyed Vanguard Tower at Kiras Toth! The Fellowship watched, terror-stricken as the dragon shot back up into the air, banked sharply and dove down again for another pass.
Sensing that their only chance for survival was to reach the town’s defensive perimeter, the adventurers charged into a flat-out sprint, which quickly degenerated into a marathon endurance run. The dragon strafed down again and again amidst the pack, badly clawing up both Lorelei and Rincewind. Tired of being used as the creature’s plaything, Elster stopped running and decided to take a stand, but got mercilessly slashed up for this act of valor.
Half-way to the north gates, the group could see a small handful of longbow-armed guards manning the battlements, led by Berowne, the Captain of the Guard, and Fellowship alumni Barant des Apres. They were clearly readying their weapons and preparing to cover the town’s champions as soon as they made it within range.
As they got closer, they witnessed Duran de Montford appear from out of nowhere and order the guards to seal the gate and take cover behind the wall. Berowne and Barant immediately ignored this and commanded the guards to stay put. During the heat of battle, Duran slunk away down below, only to re-appear in a successful bid to get the north gates locked up tight.
Watching helplessly as the portcullis slammed shut, the group decided to join Elster in a brave last stand. After the dragon pitched down between the Fellowship and the town wall, the crimson wyrm began to toy with its human prey. Rincewind and Lorelei gamely hammered the creature with "Magic Missiles" and "Frost Rays", but the damage seemed akin to insect bites. All the while, Bria fired off a constant barrage of crossbow bolts, also to little discernible effect.
When Pol managed to bury her sword in the creature’s leg, the dragon’s attacks immediately went from play-time to murderous. The warrior woman was the first to experience the beast’s genuine wrath, slashing her with such force that she was launched into the air. Frustrated by his inability to reason with the beast and seeing his brave ally nearly eviscerated, Rincewind’s eyes suddenly filmed over.
To everyone’s shock, the "WIZZARD" stretched his hand out and three massive boulders lying nearby flew through the air, striking the dragon full-bore, knocking it back into the gate and breaking it off its hinges. Try as he might, the “WIZZARD” attempted to duplicate this remarkable feat, but this unexpected wellspring of mystical energy seemed to be spent.
Peppered by arrows and wounded by the stony projectiles, the creature launched itself skyward, its wings frantically beating at the air, propelling it back north in a hasty retreat. After taking an inventory of this miraculous turn of events, the group limped through the shattered town gates.
Berowne and Barant scrambled down off the wall to offer concern and congratulations. Denneth, the town Major, suddenly materialized from out of nowhere to pepper the heroes with a constant barrage of rapid-fire questions. All the while, Duran de Montford was skulking around in the background and scowling at these unpredictable turn of events.
With Giran still at death’s door, the group was forced to ignore all of these theatrics and bring cart him off to Moira at the abbey. Within minutes, she'd stabilized the poisoned dwarf with her healing arts, all the while directing a few acerbic barbs towards Roman for his long absence.
When quizzed about his sudden. magic-based flex, Rincewind once again claimed to have no memory of what had happened. In fact, he didn't even seem to believe his friend's first-hand account of the battle!
When the Fellowship turned on Duran, he claimed that he was just acting in the town’s best interest, insisting that it’s standard procedure to seal the gates and get the sentries off the wall when the town “eez attacked by so formidable a foe.”
Accusing the Chief Bailiff of plotting against them, the heroes presented their evidence to Denneth. Not only did Roman testify that Duran turned tail and ran away during the ambush, they presented the longbows, the severed head of the orc chieftain and, most importantly, the note.
Seeing that the longbows were indeed Casterbridge town guard standard issue and swayed by Roman’s conviction, the Mayor quickly turned a critical eye on the Bailiff.
Duran swore up and down that he no-where near the battle. Before anyone could ask him for an alibi. Denneth gasped audibly at the note:
“Your right...this note was indeed written by a trusted member of the town. But this isn’t Duran’s hand-writing...it’s Stefan's!”
The adventures stood in shocked silence as the town guard were ordered out to his home and instructed to escort the fiery young farmer straight to the stockade!
IMAGE CREDITSOgre: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/ogre
Goblin Warg-Rider: https://www.deviantart.com/bruumbaraztarag/art/Yellow-Goblin-Worg-Rider-144208053
River Spider: https://dmdave.com/flying-spiders/
Young Red Dragon: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/young-red-dragon
