Prologue

General Summary

Lyssa had spent many weeks with Oso and had taken a liking to the man. This was not surprising as it is always easy to like someone with skill. The monk could move quickly through the forest and while he knew little forest craft, he was highly intelligent and picked up the ways of the rangers quickly. She had met Oso when the 'Darkwood Six' came to Darkwood Tower and called upon the rangers to join them as a unified force against the evil in Darkwood Forest. An ancient undead sorcerer of unimaginable power had begun to exert his influence over the region after being dormant for many years. ‘The Darkwood Six’ had already dismantled the sorcerer's network of spies and killed most of his henchmen. They had purged evil temples, dispersed a cult and stopped minions conducting horrid experiments.   Several communities had been saved from death, disease and corruption and the people of Darkwood were in their debt. If Oso was accepted by this group he must be an impressive warrior. Her experience with the monk proved this assumption. Not only could the monk fight, he needed no weapon to take down his enemies.   The rangers knew of the religious monastic orders in Northwood abbey. The monks armed themselves with the simple weapons allowed to commoners since their lack of social rank did not permit them writs to own and bear arms within the kingdom. They used the weapons of peasants with great skill and also trained to use their fists, their feet and other body parts with deadly effect.   None of the rangers had ever seen such skills in practice as Oso was the first of his order to come among them. One of Oso’s friends named Dif, a member of the 'Darkwood Six' recounted a tale of Oso jumping 8 feet into the air to crush the skull of a hill giant. Dif was drunk from mead while spinning this tall tail but Lyssa believed it. Oso's skill with fist and foot created a unique opportunity.   Galt, the weaponmaster of the Darkwood Rangers had approached Lyssa over a week ago. “Get close to the monk. Learn what motivates him. Make him trust you.“ Galt was always very pragmatic. It was why he was granted the position of Ranger Four when Athelwold stepped down.   Galt was blunt with her. “Make him trust you and make him like you Lyssa. Do this so that you can convince him to put his life on the line for us. We need his help.”   To Lyssa, Galt was a legend equal to the Darkwood Six. Most recently he had survived a recon mission and had brought back the secret location and troop strength of the undead sorcerer known as the Mountain Lich. Many rangers died but Galt and two others had returned. It was clear that the man had earned his position as weaponmaster. He was also one of the few people that Ranger One allowed to enter Darkwood Tower, the mysterious building at the center of the ranger encampment.   Galt had asked her to do this and Lyssa could not refuse him.   Lyssa invited Oso on patrol to get close to him and observe the his skills firsthand. As they traveled and fought together, the young ranger tried to manipulate the monk by pretending to be interested in his ways. She carefully flattered him and appealed to his ego as he fought skillfully alongside her and her men.   They spent many days killing gnolls, goblins and other creatures who had sworn their loyalty to the lich and persisted in harassing the Rangers and their allies. Fighting together against a common foe creates a unique bond between warriors and Lyssa exploited this.   But in the end, none of this mattered. Oso was a centered soul. He was shy and quiet but confident in his abilities. The praise and compliments did little to move him. Eventually Oso simply asked Lyssa what it was she needed. He was blunt and curt but not cruel. It was clear to the young woman that he had spent little time socializing with others but his overly curt ways were not intended to be offensive.   So she was honest with him.   Lyssa told him of a tribe of sentient lizard people called “The Reed Folk” who lived in a large sprawling village on the southwest shore of Starfall lake. This lake was at the southern edge of Darkwood Forest and in close proximity to the lich’s lair. It was these ‘Reed Folk’ that the rangers needed to convince to join the fight. They despised all outsiders and were xenophobic but it was critical that the lizard people pick a side for their own survival.   Lyssa made it clear that there were two very specific reasons for this. First there was a fear that the lich himself may corrupt them or coerce them into joining his ever growing army. But greater than this was that Galt had found evidence that the Mountain Lich had found a way into the *Cavernous Deep* a vast underground network of caves and caverns that was sealed years ago by the combined might of all the religions in the realms. A portal into the depths of the earth was thought to be at the bottom of Starfall Lake - a place only the Reed Folk could go.   If the lich intended to escape this way when the rangers and their allies assaulted his compound at Darkness Falls, the Reed Folk would be needed to stop him. The would have to hold the line as allied forces regrouped to take down the lich once he made his way to the surface of the lake. This would result in many deaths.   The Reed Folk would likely suffer if they allied themselves with the rangers and Lyssa was instructed to keep this fact to herself. .   There was fear among the rangers that the village would side with the lich or simply move to a new location.   Galt would not risk this. Allies were needed and the location of the village acted as a check against escape. This did not sit well with the young woman but she trusted Galt’s wisdom and leadership. She stayed true to her word and did not reveal this to Oso. She told him everything else.   His reply was simple. “Sounds good. How can I help?”   Lyssa smiled and said, “You need to fight and defeat the Reed Folk champion in unarmed combat. They are a tribe of sentient lizards that walk upright like we do. Their ways are different than ours. They shun outsiders and ritual combat is the only way their chief will respect us enough to grant an audience. We must convince them to fight against the mountain lich before they are corrupted by his influence.“   Oso simply nodded. He agreed quickly since the cause was just. The monk was a man of few words.   Three days later Oso bid the Darkwood Six good fortune as they left to prepare for a final assault against the Lich. The Six had agreed to a suicide mission to ensure that the lich was defeated once and for all. They were going to escort a sage of Anur into the compound at Darkness Falls and disable something called an ‘Earthgate’ thereby cutting off one of the Lich’s avenues of escape.   This likely involved an armed assault against the lich in his lair. The Darkwood Rangers had captured the Lich’s phylactery decades ago in preparation for this assault. It had recently been given to Viks Ibiad, a priest of Vith and member of the Darkwood Six.   The possession of the phylactery made it possible to end the lich forever. If his body could be destroyed, the phylactery containing his soul could be smashed scattering the spirit of the creature into the void. This would ensure that the lich could never again plague the living.   It would be no easy task and Oso thought that there was little chance for success as the Lich is simply too powerful. Regardless, he still wanted to be with 'The Darkwood Six' for the final assault.   He had fought with this group for many weeks and considered all of them to be friends. Oso hoped his own mission would bring him into the final fight to help his friends succeed.   With a final farewell, Oso and his ranger escort left the safety of the protected areas of Darkwood Forest.   Lyssa and two of her scouts - Laird and Septum led the way south through the deep forest to Starfall Lake and the villages of the Reed Folk.

Missions/Quests Completed

Prologue - Campaign Setup