Adventure #5: It All Ends In Defeat

 

2023/08/12 Session 5: Welcome to Weaverville (Campbell, Doug, Gryffon, Ronn, Zak (on Zoom))

1 Winterwane 5023

The members of The Order of Righteous Peregrination arrive in Weaverville late in the day seeking a hot meal, a strong drink, and a room for the night at the inn. Before any of that can happen, the group is questioned on the road outside Weaverville by a trio of red-cloaked sentries. The Order had seen enough of these cloaks to recognize a Redbrand ruffian when they saw one. These three seemed to be, and in fact, claimed to be working under the authority of the mayor. The hobgoblin, Vranden Charoz, was forbidden entry to the town. Yet another show of goblin intolerance and racism in this region. The Order was set to contest this, but seeing no support forthcoming from Sildar Hallwinter, they conceded to the local ordinance. Brandon shrugged it off and set to find a campsite outside of town. Eyrowyn Cwycyshyn left the party to join him. In the end violence was neither taken or given and all for the better as the towns main street was thick with Redbrand activities. The Order took rooms at the Stonehill Inn, ate, celebrated their return to civilization, and took in some local gossip.

No one in the inn seemed particularly happy with the Redbrands, but no one would say much against them either. The dragon has everyone afraid, and that alone seems to be reason enough to tolerate the Reds. Of Cragmaw Castle or Vilarno Albrek, nothing could be learned.

Elsa, a gossipy barmaid, speaking to Eyrowyn when she came in to tell them where their camp was. “Oh, you’re an aelfar! Do you know Daran Edermath, the orchard keeper, he’s an aelfar too! He used to be an adventurer. Like you. I mean you are an adventurer, right? Wait, are you the ones from Eureka, that banished the alchemist's ghost and killed the mage san Balet.” Chased off by her boss, Tolben Stonehill.

Note. Most of the locals refer to the town of 900 residents as camp. Odd, but an appropriate sentiment given the seeming impermanence of the place.

2 Winterwane 5023

The next morning dawned, full of possibilities and ripe with potential. Sildar met the Order to break fast and then set out to find a doctor, take care of business, and begin his search for Vilarno and Gundren Rockseeker. The Order set out on its own errands, agreeing to meet Sildar back at the inn for the afternoon meal. 

The members of The Order of Righteous Peregrination learned at breakfast that some folk claim to have seen a dragon flying through the high clouds. At that distance, it’s hard to gauge the creature’s size, but some say it’s as big as an elephant. Filing that away, they headed out to gather the wagon and make their deliveries. Their activities were followed with sharp interest by a series of red cloaked observers on the street. 

 Beginning with a trip to the Lion Coster, where the Order returned the goods stolen by the goblin bandits and were rewarded nicely by the proprietor,  Linene Graywind. With gracias thanks, she offered the Order any aid they might need within her means to provide, expressed distress over the Redbrand presence, and confessed that she does have a small selection of weapons for sale to folks of character, but she will not sell to those red cloaked extortionists.

Next they delivered Gundren’s mining supplies to Elmar Barthen at Barthen’s Provisions, who paid them the remaining balance of the wages promised by Gundren. While his two clerks, Ander and Thistle, took delivery of the goods the Order was regaled with more complaints about the Redbrands, concerns about goblin raiders, the dragon, and other camp gossip. Learning that Gundren’s brother’s,  Nundro and Tharden Rockseeker, haven’t been seen in 10 days and are expected back to resupply any day. They are hold up somewhere outside camp. Elmar seemed genuinely concerned about the captured dwarf he considers a friend.

The Order traveled around town a bit, seeking news, rumor, and any information they could gleen about the elusive Cragmaw Castle. Many of the folk in camp complained about the Redbrands, worried over the dragon sightings, and asked after the group's interest in doing anything about these problems, what with them being the heroes of Eureka, who had already faced smugglers, ghosts, and wizards.

The Miner’s guildmaster, Halia Thornton, mentioned the Redbrand’s have a goblin servant who might know the location of the castle, they loiter about the Sleeping Giant Saloon, and they’ve got a barracks beneath the ruins of Tresendar Manor. 

Pip Stonehill, the innkeep’s son, mentioned a friend of his had seen monsters in the woods and Dartina visited the Alderleaf farm to question the young redana boy, Carp, about what he might have seen. While waiting, the boys mother, Qelline Alderleaf, mentioned that Reidoth the Druid would certainly know the location of any ol’ goblin castle, but he recently set off  for the ruins of Orleans, “since there’s not an inch of the land he doesn’t know.” 

Carp, a spirited and precocious redana lad of ten years is enchanted by the idea of being an adventurer and says that he was playing in the woods near Tresendar Manor when he found a secret tunnel in a thicket. A couple of “big ugly bandits” came out of the tunnel when he was there, and met with a pair of Redbrands. They didn’t see him, but it was close. Carp thinks that the bandits have a secret lair under the old manor house. Dartina assured him he was not needed on this particular adventure and he provided her with directions to the location of the tunnel.

At the afternoon meet with Sildar, it was decided that the tunnel would be their way into the Redbrand’s base and the surest way to find the goblin who might know the location of Cragmaw Castle. Sildar provided the members of the Order with a sizable reward for his rescue and promised them more to aid Gundren and deal with this goblin castle.

The Order located the tunnel late in the evening and slipped into the caverns beneath Tresendar Manor. Things did not go as planned. The tunnel opened into a large natural cavern, faint with the scent of decaying flesh. A deep and wide crevice divided the cavern and the ceiling was supported by two natural stone columns, 20-feet high. Two wooden plank bridges spanned the chasm at either end, but the members had little faith in these. 

Within moments of entering the cavern, the Order felt an intrusive presence worming into their minds. Garnet and Horatio shook off the worst of it, but a strange tickle remained. Dartina and Chane were joined within their heads by a horrible, slithering voice which began to tell them vile things about their past and present, demoralizing thoughts that stripped them of hope and whispered of their inevitable fate. The order slipped quickly from the cavern, into a finished stone hall, and down a flight of stairs, but the voice did not relent.

At the bottom of the stairs, the Order found, behind the first door they opened, the goblin servant they sought in a foul smelling chamber belonging to three bogbirs. They attempted to rescue the goblin from his tormentors and a battle ensued. The sound of that battle brought four redbrand ruffians from the nearest room. The fight was not decided in favor of The Order of Righteous Peregrination. When blades were sheathed, two of the bogbirs and a redbrand were slain, but the heroes of Eureka were brought low. When consciousness returned they were bruised, beaten, unarmed, devoid of their equipment, separated, and sharing a pair of iron barred cells with three other human captives, two women and a boy.

And so it appears a grim fate awaits our heroes.

Treasure

Rescue Sildar. Rewarded 50 gp each by Sildar Hallwinter.

Recovered Lion Coster Goods. Rewarded 50 gp by Linene Graywind at Lionshield Coster.

Delivering Gundren’s Supplies. Paid 20 gp each by Elmar Barthen at Barthen’s Provisions