Chapter 15: Bean Counting
Contents
About the Saga
The heroes emerge from the Ol'Triple Threat lair laden with loot ... and under attack by monstrous perytons.
Timeframe
- Campaign Date: Planting 7, CY 515
- Real World Date: Aug. 30, 2015
- Read other Obsidian Frontier Sagas
Cast of Characters
- Finn Underbow (Jim), a halfling ranger
- Burgell Nackle (Damon), a gnome bard with dubious ethics
- Hawkwind, the Warrior on the Edge of Time, human barbarian
- Tänévir Calywyn (Nate), a young elven ranger who has come to apprentice with Súlimëtasar of the Griffins Guild
- Telthanas (NPC), a half-elven adventurer scribe of the Griffins Guild
Notable Quotes
- None
What Has Come Before
Ol'Triple Threat is dead at the hands of the Griffins Guild and their associates. The heroes then traveled into the Dire Downs, where they discovered that the land had been transformed. Magic radiating from the "Green Way", a Feywild portal located deep in the Verdant Waste, was causing rampant flora growth. In addition strange creatures like phase spiders and dinosaurs were suddenly running rampant in the area.
The heroes successfully looted the wyvern's lair and are now contemplating their next move.
The Saga
Planting 7, CY 515
The heroes search for a way to leave the lair via a secret tunnel, but don't find one. They decide to climb out via the rope instead. It's a near thing, but they make it to the surface where they discover five perytons circling in the distance.
To distract them, Tanevir throws one of his beans from the bag of beans off the cliff's edge, where it lands in the stream below and causes a massive storm to appear.
The perytons catch sight of the party after Telthanas hides badly. They swarm at Telthanas, tearing at the half-elf until he collapsed from his wounds. Tanevir, inspired by Burgell's words, charged after the half-elf.
Finn took out a peryton with an ensnaring strike that sent the creature spinning over the side of the cliff, struggling to stay aloft.
Meanwhile, the storm continued to gather overhead. Finn attempts to take a cover behind a tree, but it doesn't save him from the creature's hungry attack. It tears at him viciously with its gore and talon attacks, causing the gnome to falter, fall, and begin bleeding out.
Tanevir, ignoring the threat, heals telthanas. The half-elf staggers awake and manages to kill one of the creatures with a bolt.
Suddenly a shamanic warrior appears. He introduces himself as Hawkwind, the Warrior on the Edge of Time. He shoots his bow threat times, pin cushioning the creature.
Burgell gives Finn a potion of healing, and the halfling staggers to his feet, takes two shots with his bow. Each strikes home, slaying its peryton. Meanwhile, the storm continues to rage overhead.
As it intensifies, the heroes decide to take cover in the cave. Finn tries to climb down in the wind-tossed rope, losses his grip, and falls. Fortunately Hawkwind is able to snag him by lashing out with his spear and knocking the halfling into the cave. He slams against the wall and shakes his head, glad to be alive.
They take cover within the cave and wait out the storm. After 8 hours, the storm abates to be replaced by unbearable heat. 11 hours later, that heat abates.
Planting 26, CY 515
The next morning the heat abates, replaced by extreme cold. They use the cover of cold to escape. Five hours later, the weather transforms again. As they escape the temperature rises and a thunderstorm begins to pummel the area with hail.
Four hours later they arrive at the old iron mine looking for the skull of Ol'Triple Threat. They find that the ruins of the old warehouse have been disturbed, and all the valuable portions of the wyvern -- the talons, the skull, the stinger -- are gone. It looks as though two to three dozen soldiers had milled about the site. The bodies of the two fallen Wyvern Empire soldiers are no where to be found.
They make their way overland, reaching the edge of the eastern hills. Hawkwind finds the perfect place to hide -- a small depression in the side of a hill overlooking the plain, protected by trees. He throws down a brace of rabbits for dinner, surprising his new companions.
During their journey out of the hills, they realized that the phases of the moon had radically shifted. Based on their reckoning, 18 days had passed since they entered the Dire Downs, rather than the 3 days they'd expected.
Planting 27, CY 515
The heroes return to Obsidian Bay. Burgel and Talthanas arrive back at the [[Griffins Guildhall to find a meeting underway to determine what the heck was happening to the east. There is great debate over what to do about it. Burgel explains that he knew who planted the bean and caused the swirling weather storm to the east. They also explain the likely cause of the auroras to the east -- the Viridescent Keep, the Green Way within, and the dragon that had seized control of it.
The mage Robertson and elven lord Willow Wind ask Burgell and Talthanas to return with their friends for a private meeting.
Meanwhile Tanevir, Finn, and Hawkwind go to the Silver Wave, where they check in. The major domo is skeptical of Hawkwind, but Finn vouches for him. Burgell heads there as well. He explains that there was a guild meeting, and that he told them that a bean was used (but not who used it) and about the portal. He asks his friends to accompany him back to the guildhall to talk with its arcane leaders.
The combined group returns Griffins Landing and meets with Willow Wind and Robertson. They recap what they learned while they were in the Dire Downs:
- The green dragon, the portal, and the fallen keep.
- The summoned black pyramid
- The newly-spawned elemental vortex.
Robertson explains that the Griffins Guild needs to deal with the Purple Squid hobgoblin threat, which has raised a fleet and is threatening vital shipping. Because of this, he asks the heroes to travel to the Verdant Waste and deal with the dragon threat within.
The heroes agree, and begin planning their expedition.
Experience
Player Characters
- Finn Underbow: 562 xp
- Burgell Nackle: 562 xp
- Tänévir Calywyn: 562 xp
Non-player Characters
- Telthanas: 281 xp
Loot
- None.
