H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 4

Game summary for March 26, 2009; present characters included Galinndan (eladrin wizard) and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue) accompanied by mercenaries Bree Shinbreaker (halfling cleric) and Skald Konietzko (dwarf warlord).

With the kobolds defeated, the Unspeakables returned to their original mission of finding Douven Staul. They again set out toward the supposed dragon burial site. Following the map, they eventually came upon the place and found it being excavated by a group of humans, a halfling, and a gnome, accompanied by two guard drakes. The gnome beckoned the group to come down to the site, but something just didn’t seem right. Without warning, the thugs attacked.

Skald advanced position and was quickly cut down by the halfling’s hail of sling stones. Quickly, Bree used her clerical prayers to restore the fallen dwarf. Galinndan waded in and unleashed blasts of flame and magic missiles upon their foes. Meanwhile, Gloombrood slipped into the trees and crept toward the halfling. The guard drakes tore into the Unspeakables with brutal ferocity.

Galinndan killed two of the human rabble with his spells. Bree swung her mace with terrible ferocity, felling two rabble herself. Skald swung about with his hammer, killing one of the drakes. Gloombrood succeeded in sneaking upon the halfling slinger and catching him by surprise. He viciously slashed the halfling from hip to shoulder, nearly cutting him in half. The slinger’s body hurtled over the ledge, and Gloombrood followed down to kill the last guard drake. Finally, Skald brought down the gnome skulk.

Following the battle, the team discovered a man bound and gagged under a blanket. He was none other than Douven Staul! They quickly released their friend, and he explained how he was waylaid by the bandits and forced to continue his excavating. The team sent Douven heading back home to his wife, and they returned to Winterhaven.

Inside the town, they found the people nervous and frightened, but of what, no one could say. Gathering provisions, the Unspeakables decided to investigate the light Gloombrood had seen to the north a few days before.

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 3

Game summary for March 19, 2009; present characters included Adran Thorn (half-elf ranger), Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

After nursing their wounds, the Unspeakables set off to find the kobold lair they were told was hidden behind a waterfall. Following a bit of travel, the group found a clearing guarded by kobolds around the waterfall. A brutal fight ensued, with slashing blades and blazing magical fire. After a short time, the monsters were all put down. The team wasted no time storming the kobold lair and finding over a dozen more battle-hardened kobolds led by Irontooth the goblin!

The Unspeakables suffered serious injuries in their struggles but continued to press the kobolds and slay them left and right. Soon, the fighting had condensed into two groups, one inside the caves and one in the woods. Galinndan pitted his spellcasting against the swordsmanship of an armored kobold dragonshield. Meanwhile, Balasar, Adran, and Gloombrood circled about Irontooth, taking advantage of openings and slicing him up. Although the goblin fought in a bloodied frenzy, he was unable to keep the Unspeakables off of him. Soon, he too lay dead in the cave.

The Unspeakables wasted no time looting the corpses and gathering the treasures within. They also found a disturbing letter to Irontooth from a mysterious Kalarel regarding a rift. What have they stumbled onto outside the idyllic town of Winterhaven?

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 2

Game summary for March 12, 2009; present characters included Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

As morning dawned, the Unspeakables set out to find the old dragon burial site on their map. Along the way, they encountered another band of kobold brigands. Fierce fighting ensued, leaving Gloombrood dead and Galinndan unconscious. Balasar defeated the last kobold and dragged his friends back to town. Once there, the lord of Winterhaven traded a raise dead ritual in exchange for the party eradicating the kobolds in their lair once and for all.

H1 – Keep on the Shadowfell – Game Session 1

Game summary for March 2, 2009; present characters included Adran Thorn (half-elf ranger), Balasar Scaleskin (dragonborn fighter), Galinndan (eladrin wizard), and Gloombrood Sorrow (tiefling rogue).

Four adventurers, dubbing themselves the Unspeakables, set out along the King’s Road toward the small trading town of Winterhaven. Douven Staul, an old companion of Balasar, had gone to Winterhaven to see if a map he possessed would lead to a dragon’s treasure. After thee weeks, he went missing. Balasar and the Unspeakables seek his whereabouts and well being.

Along the road, the four were ambushed by kobold brigands. The reptilian thieves surrounded the group and attacked, hurling javelins and glue pots at the party. The Unspeakables wasted no time bringing the fight to the kobolds, with Balasar’s mighty halberd chopping down the first. Gloombrood engaged in some impressive bladework with some others but took some serious wounds in turn. Galinndan unleashed his arcane fury, striking foes dead with magic missiles and firing off some impressive (although ineffective) scorching bursts and acid arrows.

In the meantime, Adran pressed in on the kobold slinger and soon found himself on the receiving end of a firepot. In moments, Adran was engulfed in flame; however, this did not stop him. Trailing fire, the enraged ranger moved into the midst of the kobolds and slaughtered all around him. Only then did he allow time to put himself out.

Following a few more moments of battle, the Unspeakables proved victorious, slaying all of their attackers. A search of the bodies revealed a number of silver coins and an assortment of subpar weaponry. The team took a short rest to catch their breath and take stock of their situation. Before long, they pressed on to the walled town of Winterhaven.

Within, the group rented two rooms at Wrafton’s Inn and began socializing with the townies. They talked to proprietor Salvana Wrafton for a bit and discovered that Lord Padraig wishes to rid the area of kobolds, but the militia has been unable to do so. They also talked to Eilian the Old, a local historian, who remembered giving a map to Douven. He was able to sketch another map for the Unspeakables. During this time, Gloombrood cased the joint and filched the coinpurse from a sleeping drunkard. He also climbed stealthily up atop the inn and surveyed the area. Off to the north, he could see the faintest glow of lights.

Down in the inn, Galinndan and Adran continued to work the crowd. They attempted to make nice with an attractive elven woman, but she dismissed them curtly. Adran made good friends with Lashley, a waitress at Wrafton’s willing to make extra coin in the evenings. Adran compensated her well, but only for information, which she was more than willing to provide. By the close of the evening, the team was aware of a kobold problem in the area, the last known location of Douven, and had made a number of potentially useful contacts.

What adventures will the dawn bring upon the Unspeakables?