Chapter 12: Chasing the Wyvern's Tale

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About the Saga

The heroes leave Obsidian Bay to seek out their former adventuring companion Kor, now the leader of the self-styled "Wyvern Empire".

Timeframe

Cast of Characters

Notable Quotes

What Has Come Before

Kor, recent adventuring companion of Finn Underbow, Burgell Nackle, and Tänévir Calywyn, has fallen under the influence of at least two magical relics -- a rusty gauntlet and a vicious looking battle axe -- and taken up the faith of Hextor. A month ago he left Obsidian Bay with a band of newly converted followers to seek out the Steel Skull Guildhall. The Guildhall was once home to a mercenary band that served the various barons of the Pomarj, but imploded when its leader, Lord Randal died.

He left a cryptic note for Burgell explaining his quest, and telling the bard that he intended to release the "Ironbound Warriors" from the Steel Skull's vault. He would use these automatons as well as his new followers to re-found the Baronies and establish a new reign of law on the peninsula.

Concerned about Kor, his friends Finn Underbow, Tänévir Calywyn, Burgell Nackle, have headed out into the countryside to find the Steel Skull Guildhall and save him from himself. They are joined by the half-elf adventurer-turned-scribe Telthanas, one of Burgell's new adventuring companions in the Griffins Guild, and a sage who desperately wants to escape his backlog of paperwork...

The Saga

Growfest 5-6, CY 515

The three adventurers, accompanied by their new friend Telthanas, emerged from three days of epic report filing at the Griffins Guild to find a strange sight filling the eastern night sky. Ribbons of purple, green, yellow and blue light flickered like aurora in the sky, illuminating the far off hills and mountains outside of the city.

Talthanas took a deep breath of the night air. He noted the aurora -- "That's very strange ... but it's good to be out in the world again." The scribe, who had been deluged by months of backlogged Griffins Guild reports, suddenly turned nervous. "Let's get out of here before anyone else turns in any adventure logs..."

They headed into town and took in rooms at the Sign of the Silver Wave. During dinner Burgell overheard several merchants talking about the wave of settlers heading out beyond the city's borders to establish new farms. Intrigued, Burgell decided he wanted to learn more about these would-be farmers.

Together with the other adventurers, he headed out on the town to carouse. While doing so, he learned that most of the farmers were actually former adventurers. These adventurers, all of whom had familiars and henchmen, planned to plant fields and create fortified holdfasts. The fields would feed the city; the holdfasts would protect them should raiders or monsters attack. He also learned the name of one such "holder" -- Sir Neldon Mungadr, a retired knight from Keoland.

The heroes spent most of Growfest 6 shopping; once they were properly stocked with supplies they decided to head out into the countryside accompanied by Telthanis.

As evening fell they arrived at the Mungadr Farm where they learned that another adventuring party had been through a few weeks earlier. That party had headed up to the old Copper Hill Mines to recover Ernest Cartwright, would-be adventurer and the son of wealthy businessman and importer Ellis Cartwright.

Apparently Ernst had been in the company of three other adventurers: a hulking human male fighter, a neurotic human male mage, and a pretty human female whom Mungadr was pretty sure was a cleric of Kuroth (god of theft and treasure finding). Cartwright's group was tracking a bunch of orcs to the Copper Hill Mines; those following him were apparently hired thugs meant to bring the boy to heal.

They must have come to some understanding because two weeks later both groups returned together and helped Mungadr and his sons fend of an ankheg attack. That fight wounded two of his boys, but the adventurers agreed to take them into Obsidian Bay for healing by the church of St. Cuthbert. They'd had a strange horned skull staff with them that the boy intended to bring to Johann the Destroyer for proper disposal. Or so he said.

They also learned that Kor had passed by the farm with a retinue of more than two dozen ragtag warriors. He hadn't spent much time talking with Mungadr -- the former knight sensed there was something off about the lad -- and moved on without any trouble.

The heroes decided to spend the night with Sir Mungadr, who regaled them with old war stories.

Growfest 7-Planting 1, CY 515

The next morning the heroes continued their trek toward the old Steel Skull compound. They were interrupted in their quest by a pack of Death's Head gnolls led by a vicious packlord. The creatures, like the last gnolls to attack them, had been dispatched on their mission by the Death's Head Sisters, a group of hags who lived in the eastern Pomarj. The hags apparently resented how badly the heroes had ravaged their gnoll minions, and were eager for revenge.

The adventurers fought valiantly against the gnolls, but the humanoid's numbers were overwhelming. Just when it seemed there was no hope though, a band of soldiers arrived. The dozen soliders quickly formed up and, at the order of their leader, began firing carefully aimed volleys into the melee. One man couldn't control his battle lust and decided to charge toward the gnolls, at which point the leader ordered his mean to shoot the individual who'd gone rogue.

They did so without question.

With the newcomers help the adventurers were able to drive back the gnolls. They killed most of them, but the packlord and two of his minions were able to escape. After the combat the heroes met up with their saviors and learned that their leader was Feld Deathspeaker, a lieutenant of the "Wyvern Empire" founded by "General Kor." He explained that his was one of several patrols that were scouting the country side surrounding the Steel Skull Fortress, and that their initial ranks had been bolstered by Hextorite recruits streaming in from around the Pomarj. There were easily a hundred individuals now following Kor, a fact that Tanevir, Finn, Burgell, and Talthanis found particularly distressing.

Upon learning that the heroes were former adventuring companions of Kor, Deathspeaker was ecstatic. He told them that Kor had told many stories of his former friends and that he secretly hoped they'd realize the error of their ways and come join the Wyvern Empire. Deathspeaker agreed to escort the heroes back to Steel Skull Fortress. They began the two-day trek northeast, putting some distance between themselves and the site of the battle before camping for the evening.

Experience

Player Characters

  • Burgell Nackle: 750 xp
  • Finn Underbow: 750 xp
  • Tänévir Calywyn: 750 xp
  • Roaryk: 750 xp

Non-Player Characters

  • Telthanas: 325 xp

Treasure

  • None.