Exciting times, my dear readers! Our brave party prepares to depart Stormwreck Isle to seek their fame, fortune, and adventure elsewhere.
Remember our good people?
Fiona: Lightfoot Halfling Rogue (Jenny)
Thalia: High Elf Wizard (Kurt)
Gallan (Sidekick): Wood Elf Fighter (Kurt)
Ahfa: Human Paladin (Brent)
Zulu (Sidekick): Dwarf Cleric (Brent)
In the final goodbyes from Stormwreck Isle, Runara the Elder Bronze Dragon acts as a monetary exchange of sorts. The party trades out the small coinage for larger, easier-to-carry denominations. They also leave a few items behind that they feel they won’t need (looking at you, Zulu, with your five hundred javelins). Then, Runara gives each a scroll of information about their destination; information that is especially pertinent to each character.
And then, it’s through the portal and onto Greyhawk!
The party suddenly finds themselves in a small copse of trees at the top of a ridge. A main highway is on their right. They take a few moments to adjust and also to share a bit of information they’d learned from their scrolls. They can see in the distance (about a tenth of a mile) a T-intersection, as well as small hovels and houses surrounding it. They can also discern large shapes on the road and dark humanoid figures moving in and around the buildings. It is unclear at this time what exactly is going on in the small settlement below.
So the party descends. Carefully. They note there is a bridge that crosses the river and two stone statues in the vicinity of the settlement as well. Eventually they come close enough to see that the two dark shapes are overturned pillaged caravan-coaches. The horses hauling these vehicles have been slain as have the human drivers as well. Goods from the wagons are scattered about in piles. Uh-oh.
They’ve cautiously closed the distance when they hear a frantic scream of terror. Ahfa and Gallan immediately race down the road towards the sound. Thalia, Fiona, and Zulu proceed a little more slowly, taking in the massacre in front of them. The party has come upon the final stages of a raid. The dark figures moving around are in fact six orc raiders intent on pillaging not only the caravans, but the houses and people here as well.
Initiative is rolled and things proceed as thus:
- An orc charges at Thalia and slices her with his axe.
- Another orc races in, trips, falls right in front of Fiona, who quickly stabs it for damage.
- Ahfa and Gallan follow the screams into a home, where an orc is menacing a man and woman in the corner. Ahfa Divine Smites the creature after Gallan announces “Have no fear, Gallan is here” before missing on his attack.
- It’s 4 v 3 out in the road and there’s a fair bit of stabbing, slashing, and Shocking Grasping by our brave questers. Zulu the Cleric blesses his comrades and everyone’s feelin’ good and confident.
- Thalia’s having a great day, as she puts two orcs to sleep and deflecting another orc’s attack with a well-timed Shield spell.
- The fighter and the paladin FINALLY dispatch their ONE orc and attempt to speak with the frightened couple. They don’t articulate much except raids like these seems to be on the rise.
- The killing outside continues. By our brave champions, I should say. Not OF them.
- Ahfa and Gallan rush back outside to join the fray. The paladin does take in the fact that one of the statues appears to be of a deity of some sort.
- Gallan fells one orc with an arrow, Fiona kills one of the sleeping orcs, Thalia sends another to meet his maker with a Magic Missile, and Ahfa, wanting something to talk about as well, takes care of the other sleeping orc.
Gallan notices another caravan wagon and body on the bridge to the party’s right, and soon calls for Zulu when it is clear the man there is not dead, but gravely injured. The man comes to enough to express his thankfulness and gratitude to Gallan and Zulu and says his name is Ricard. About this guy: he owns the Green Dragon Inn in Greyhawk; he offers free lodging to the players as a token of appreciation; he was en route from the city of Dyvers with this caravan when it was attacked by bandits; a sorcerer and wyvern were also present and that’s who bested Ricard and stole his beloved Blade of Chaos; he declares Greyhawk will be full to the brim with people coming to pay homage to the now-deceased but still popular cleric, Riggby. *Deep Breath*
As Ricard takes another few moments to rest before the party escorts him back to Greyhawk, Fiona and the others are searching the wagons. Most of the pillaged goods appears to be consumables: grain, fabric, and the like. The orc corpses carry nothing of value on them besides their weapons. The caravans are all marked with the same company logo: an orange shield with a black eight-spoked wheel on it. Eventually, Fiona, Thalia, and Zulu soon join Gallan and Ahfa on the bridge.
Ahfa can detect faint tracks – foot and wagon – that cross the bridge and turn abruptly to the right off the main road (which eventually comes to Dyvers). It would appear there has been some traffic on this “B” Level Maintenance Road and Ricard states that path eventually comes to the ruins of Castle Greyhawk. To the best of Ricard’s knowledge, the raiders do not appear to be local thugs.
Incidentally, the two stone statues at the scene are of one Boccob the Uncaring (the deity Ahfa discerned earlier) and Zagig, The Mad Archmage who built Castle Greyhawk.
The party now begins the journey to that city. Ricard moves a little quicker and as they enter the city through the south gates, he informs the guard there about the wreck on the road behind them. It’s obvious to the party that Ricard is well-known here in the city. As they travel along the main thoroughfare known as The Processional, Ricard explains the city’s layout. Six quarters divide the city, all with their very own characteristics and personages. He points out the Slum Quarter as they pass it be – clearly marked by its squalor and neglected buildings. Also of note is the Thieves’ Quarter, shabby-looking in its own right, but Ricard warns the party not to be fooled. Thieves’ Guild members are incredibly savvy and know much about all the goings-on in Greyhawk. Gallan asks about the Scarlet Brotherhood and Ricard nods knowingly, stating that they are likely present in the city, but that he personally does not know of any intrigues.
The group finally reach the River Quarter, a rowdy, boisterous cobbled-together collection of gambling dens, inn, taverns, brothels and such. It’s midday and the only noise is the hustle and bustle of cargo being transported and river-workers coming and going in their business. On the way to the Green Dragon, the group passes a one-story rambling building that Ricard indicates is the City Watch Station. He chuckles as he states that the City Watch have their hands full most days, and that is not even including the swelling of the city’s population that will happen in the next few weeks.
The Green Dragon is a two-story building in the middle of Cargo Street, one of the main arteries of the River Quarter. There are maybe six others in the pub at most, two and threes who are having a late lunch before returning to work. Ricard is welcomed by loud cheers and expressions of concern. He soon retires to his rooms to rest and recover further, but not before inviting the entire group to dine with him in the evening at his Lord’s Table as his special guests. He tells the barkeep to get the party whatever they would like to drink, which our valiant champions accept readily!
And this is where the adventure comes to a close for this session, as our brave questers drink and decide on the next course of action. To the best of this scribe’s knowledge, individual goals stand as thus:
Fiona: Shopping, treasure, new gear/weapons!
Thalia: Knowledge!
Ahfa: Vanquish some evil and save some souls!
Until next time, dear friends!
Your Scribe,
Heather