Late afternoon - The Elysian lordling, Rhys decides immediately that the only course of action is to rush towards danger; towards the dragon. His countryman, Thialia quickly follows him towards the besieged town. The strangers approaching from the west; the dwarven soldier Elrdron and the fey elf Kelsie quickly follow suit.
Jarmash, the dragonborn traveler sees before him evidence of the very sort of activity he's been sent by his clan to find. He joins the others as they scurry towards the beleaguered town. The Westportian gnome, Lillian is the last to join though she's hesitant at first. However, she soon concludes that the group of adventurers might be safer company than the merchant caravan that is quickly heading away from the scene to try and get out sight of those assailing Greenfields.
The six brave souls jog the three miles or so from the main road to Greenfields. They slow as they approach and are thus able to get a better understanding of what is going on. The dragon flies high overhead, well out of range from those on the ground. It swoops down only occasionally and seemingly at random to strike the town with streams of lightning that emanate from its maw. But the blue dragon is not the only attacker.
On the ground, the adventurers see that groups of townsfolk run to and fro whilst being chased by armed mercenaries and thugs. At first, it seems odd that the people are not running out and away from the town. Instead, they appear to flee towards the center; towards the small keep that is now plain to see atop a hillock in the center of the town.
Rhys first directs the group to approach via the stream that runs through Greenfields but running townsfolk emerge into view near the edge of town. They run inward towards the keep and are chased by diminutive humanoids with lizard-like features; kobolds. Rhys chases and the rest follow but their quarry disappear around a corner after those they pursue. And, as the adventurers follow, another group of townsfolk bursts out from a side street.
A human man limps significantly as he ushers three small children across an intersection of dirt streets. Behind them, a woman follows but then turns and faces off against those chasing them. In her hand, she holds a broken spear. Several kobolds become visible as they continue their pursuit.
The adventurers jump into action and attack the kobolds. Before they can do so however, the kobolds are upon the family they are chasing. A couple rush to down the woman in the middle of the street. Another fires a bullet from a sling and knocks the man to the ground. The hysterical children flee towards a wooded area behind the house at the far corner of the intersection.
The kobolds realize that the adventurers are a threat and they turn to face them. They are ill-equipped though to do anything but terrorize helpless villagers. The skilled albeit inexperienced party makes short work of the kobolds. Sadly, they are not able to get to the two adult townspeople before they succumb to their injuries.
The party then turns their attention to rescuing the three children. Eldron and Thialia are able to calm two of the kids down; the youngest and the oldest. The rest of their new comrades combine to scoop up the middle child and then they quickly confer on what the best course of action is. They decide to do as the townsfolk are doing and begin heading towards the center of town.
Along their way to the keep, the heroes encounter several more groups of raiders and several more groups of townsfolk fleeing from them. The party is up to the challenge and they defeat the raiders at every turn. As they go, the rescued townsfolk follow them on their mad dash to the Keep. The adventurers power through but, by the time they encounter their final group of foes, they are near spent. In the final confrontation, Rhys is nearly overwhelmed by the battle until Lillian uses her last bit of magic to heal him. The heroes arrive at and are quickly ushered into the Keep without a minute to spare.
Nightfall - Greenfields Keep is surrounded by raiders right after the adventuring party arrives. This means that other fleeing townspeople will not be able to seek shelter in the keep via the same route. As the heroes look around, they hear the announcement of the impending siege from the battlements and they realize the severity of the circumstances.
As the townsfolk are attended to, a guardsman approaches the group. He thanks them profusely for their service and bids them go and speak to Governor Nighthill. Thialia is attending to the children who saw their parents die before them and does not accompany them but the rest of the group accepts the invitation. The guard leads them into the enclosed structure of the keep and up to the top level of the tower.
Within the covered parapet of the highest level of Greenfields Keep, Governor Tarbaw Nighthill listens earnestly to his advisors as they report on the ongoing attack. He is wounded. The right side of his face and head and face are bandaged and his right arm hangs in a sling. His blue tunic is stained with his own blood. The beleaguered ruler of Greenfields bears his pain without qualm as he greets the adventurers.
The Governor introduces himself formally to the adventurers and repeats the guardsman's profuse thanks. Then the sixty-year-old man's visage grows even more beleaguered as he asks the group to continue to help out repel the ongoing attack. Rhys responds affirmatively and without pause. So does Elrdron and the rest of the group follows. Nighthill smiles briefly.
As he walks over to the edge of the parapet, Nighthill wonders aloud about how they will ever get people to the keep now that it's surrounded. Elrdron asks if there is some other access to the keep besides the front gate. This is when the other person in the room comes to the party's attention for the first time. A male dwarf introduces himself as Castellan Escobert the Red and affirms that there is a secret tunnel from the keep that leads to an opening near the stream. It was built for the purpose of ensuring the keep had a water supply in case of a siege but it has never been used.
Elrdron suggests that the party use the tunnel to draw off the raiders from the keep and give the guards time to rescue others. His companions suggest though that this is a bad idea. There are too many raiders surrounding the keep at this point and that would be a certain suicide mission. Castellan suggests instead that they party check out the tunnel and make sure it's clear. After, the tunnel can be used to shepherd townspeople to the safety of the keep. The party agrees to this strategy and sets off.
After moving some barrels and chests covering the door to the secret tunnel, Castellan gets the rusty lock to turn and opens the way. He hands Elrdron the key for the gate at the other end and the party sets off. The dwarf leads the way as the tunnel quickly becomes so narrow, only one person can pass at a time. The tunnel is cramped, choked with spiderwebs and dust, but otherwise easily passable. The group proceeds cautiously but they are surprised nonetheless, when they reach the end.
Their passage disturbs several nests of rats and the rodents swarm out and attack. The challenge may have seemed more of a nuisance than anything else but the rats do poses a threat. Still, the heroes are able to fight them off enough so that they drive them away. The rats swarm out through the grate of the gate at the outer end of the secret tunnel.
Elrdron sets to work on the gate but he quickly realizes the lock is so worn down and rusted, the key may not work. This is confirmed when he's not able to insert it in the lock. He briefly considers smashing the lock but thinks better of it. He calls do his comrades to ask if anyone can take a look at the lock and see if they can free it of all the wear. Lillian steps up again and she is able to maneuver the lock and clean it enough to fit the key. With some effort, Elrdron turns it and unlocks the gate.
The dwarf steps through the open gate and his enhanced sight catches something that others might not have given the darkness of the night around them. He spots numerous forms of kobold raiders heading in their direction. Elrdron warns his companions of the threat and they take cover to await the raiders.
Late Night - Elthrithi Burningsword looks down the slope towards the burning town of Greenfields. She catches her breath after the three or more mile run she undertook after first seeing the village under attack. She had seen others running towards the town and they had entered along the main trail from the east. But the aasimar had been journeying from the west and she cut across open grassland to arrive at the southern edge of town.
The paladin looks towards the stream that runs through the southern part of town and sees some villagers trying running for cover. Behind them, she spots a couple of kobolds chasing. Her breath caught, El draws her longsword and heads towards the danger. The kobolds are surprised by her presence and she fells them easily. Three villagers thank her profusely and then advise that they are headed for the keep where they believe they will be safest. Elthrithi agrees to accompany them.
As the group approaches the streamline, though. They spot more danger. A large group of raiders is approaching the stream from the west. It looks as if they've found something and after scanning the area herself, Elthrithi realizes there is an iron grate set into the earth of the northern bank of the stream. Perhaps there's some secrete tunnel that it guards.
El's investigation is cut short when, in a sudden burst of action, first a tall and imposing human man and then another much shorter but equally imposing dwarf burst out from behind the grate. They attack the surprised raiders and others emerge from the tunnel to assist. Elthrithi surmises these are those that ran towards the town from along the main road to the east. Whether or not they are, though, they are fighting the raiders so she joins the fight.
Unbeknownst to each other, the six heroes work together to defeat the raiders. The group is large and the battle tough but they are successful. Once the fight is done, Elthrithi approaches the other adventurers to determine who they are. The human man introduces himself as Rhys and she is instantly familiar with his dress and aspect. She knows exactly where this man is from even if he doesn't volunteer the information. The dwarf is less well known to her. He introduces himself as Elrdron, a dwarven soldier from the south.
Three magic-users of various capabilities are with them. The gnome woman, Lillian indicates she is from Westport and her affect suggests she may be out of her element in such a dangerous place. The dragon-man, Jarmash is from Varn's Gate and there's something strangely familiar about him but Elthrithi can't quite place it. She is appreciative of the medallion of Bahamut the man wears. Finally, there is a high elf's whose appearance suggests them being actually from the plane of light; the Feywild. They introduce themselves as Kelsie.
The heroes become aware that they should get out of the open and decide to head back to the keep along the secret tunnel. The group takes some moments to hide the bodies of the fallen raiders before heading away. Elthrithi shepherds the townspeople with her in first and Elrdron locks the gate back up behind him after everyone's passed through. They return to the keep and are again thanked at length for their continued assistance.
The party heads to the tower to convene with the Governor. They report back to him that the tunnel is operational and remains hidden. Elthrithi introduces herself and reports that she was able to bring back some townspeople to safety. Governor Nighthill is very pleased with this news but he worries that there are so many others still out there.
As the heroes discuss the situation with the governor, there is a blood-curdling screech from the northern area of the town that's heard even at such a great distance. The party and the governor head to the edge of the parapet and look out over the besieged town. In the northwest corner of town, they spot a group of people emerge from hiding. Behind the, a group of raiders chase. They are lead by a tall and fearsome bipedal dragon-man, not unlike Jarmash.
The apparent leader of the raiders methodically murders all the fleeing villagers as the town's liege and the party of adventurers looks on. Governor Nighthill returns to his desk and sinks wearily into his chair when he gets there. "If only we knew what we are up against; what these raiders want," he says. "We might be able to strike an accord with them to stop the killing".
Rhys suggests that there is no bargaining with madmen and Nighthill agrees. However, he reiterates his thought and Jarmash suggests that maybe if a raider were captured for interrogation, that might help. Nighthill snaps to attention with this recommendation and again asks the party for their help. They of course agree and are soon heading out of the secret tunnel. They head in a direction away from where they know the dragon-man to be and quickly encounter a group of kobolds. The party concludes that the diminutive creatures won't be much help so they dispatch them and move on.
Before long, another group of raiders is encountered and this one is comprised of cultists and acolytes. The party battles the raiders and, using their newfound abilities, they are able to win the contest fairly easily. In the end, they take one of the acolytes as their prisoner after Elrdron convinces him to stand down. They bind their prisoner and begin making their way back to the keep. Along the way, they encounter another group of Greenfields townsfolk and these they shepherd back to the secret tunnel and to the safety of the keep.
The ever-grateful Governor is again pleased by the success of the heroes. He indicates that the adventurers can take some time to rest while he interrogates the prisoner. The raider is lead away and the members of the party each take the next hour to relax in their own ways.
Jarmash, Rhys, and Elrdron take the time to consider their recent gains in experience. Lillian does as well and she uses a new skill she has finally mastered to give a magical benefit to the dwarf fighter's shield. With his consent, she draws a magical sigil upon it, imparting it with an additional protection bonus. She then procures an empty jug from those in the Keep and imbues this with magical properties as well.
Elthrithi spends the down time offering words of comfort and consolation to the people in the keep, particularly the town guardsmen patrolling the battlements of the fortification. These she finds to be quite terrified as they are aware of the long odds they face. The dragon is especially worrisome to all. It has not yet attacked the Keep and they fear that if it does, they will most certainly be doomed.
Kelsie also spends the free hour wandering around the keep and giving comfort to any they can. The townsfolk are huddled up along the different levels of the structure. Though the thick, stone outer wall offers much protection, they wonder how long it will hold out should the raiders make a full assault. As Kelsie walks among them, they also learns that many are worried that the raiders will eventually reach the mill and may destroy the previous winter's grain which is yet to be milled.
The heroes eventually reconvene at the bottom level of the keep. Not long after this, the dwarven quartermaster, Castellan approaches them and indicates the Governor would like to discuss what he's learned from the prisoner they took. They gather themselves up and follow the dwarf up to the top of the Keep.
Midnight - The adventurers meet with a very frustrated Governor Nighthill who reveals that the raiders only interest in Greenfields is looting and robbing. He reveals the prisoner said they were doing it "for the great hoard that will usher in the reign of the Queen of Dragons." Additionally, the raiders call themselves the Cult of the Dragon and they apparently have a camp that's not far north and west of the town. Also, they have hidden away there a clutch of dragon eggs.
The revelation of the cult's involvement sparks the interest of Jarmash and Rhys and both of them indicate that they are themselves looking into the activities of the cult. Kelsie and Elrdron add that they too are aware of unwanted activity by a nefarious group that could be related.
Nighthill is quite surprised at Rhys's revelation and questions him on it indicating he's aware of the young lordling's place of origin. The Governor reveals that he's originally from the Southland Coast himself and that he too fought in the Horde Wars. He adds that he's surprised that the young nobleman is investigating these matters in light of the fact that the Elysia's new liege has a predilection to withdraw his kingdom from the affairs of the rest of the world. Rhys replies, flatly indicating that the King's beliefs are his own but that doesn't change the fact that the outside world exists and can be very dangerous.
The interchange is interrupted by a call from the battlements warning of incoming fire. Nighthill heads over to the edge of the parapet and asks the guards below what's going on. One responds that an arrow was shot over into the keep and that it looked like a message was affixed to it. This is confirmed a minute later when a breathless Castellan climbs up to the parapet with a small capsule in his hands.
The dwarf hands the message to the Governor who extracts a small parchment from the capsule. He unfolds it and quickly reads the short message. Then, chuckling, he hands this to Castellan. "If only he were here," he says amusedly. When he notes the heroes' interest, Nighthill says that the note says that the raid on Greenfields will end if they turn over a monk named Leosin.
The name elicits an instant reaction from Elthrithi and Rhys. Rhys remembers the travelling scholar that his father and his peers met with not long before he was sent off to look into the rumors connected to the Cult of the Dragon. And Elthrithi remembers very well her mentor whom she's not seen since before the previous winter. Both of them speak up and note that they know the monk Leosin.
Nighthill is surprised by the revelation but he quickly quashes the two heroes' questions. "Master Leosin came through Greenfields some weeks ago but he's not here now. I wish he were but even if it he was, I would never trade him, or anyone to these raiders. We don't negotiate with those that wish to terrorize us," he adds emphatically.
The interlude is interrupted when another guardsman along the battlements calls up to the Governor's ensemble. "Sir" he calls. "They're attacking the mill, sir!" Nighthill limps over to the western edge of the parapet to get a look and the heroes follow. In the distance, they all see billows of smoke coming up from the building westernmost along the southern bank of the stream running through Greenfields.
Nighthill's dismay is plain when he turns to face the heroes. "They must not destroy the mill," he says. "The fall grain is not yet milled and if it is burned up, it may mean that starvation will finish us off in the event that the raiders tonight don't." He pleads with the heroes to go and put an end to the attempt. The party agrees and makes ready to move out.
The heroes use the secret tunnel to head back into the besieged town. Once out, they travel along the stream in the direction of the mil. They reach the area of the mill unhindered and survey the situation. It quickly becomes clear to them that the raiders are only making a pretense at setting fire to the mill. They realize that they may be walking into a trap but they set to the work of thwarting the raiders. They dispatch a number of kobolds and a lizard creature, a drake that accompanies them.
The party turns to investigate the mill building and they soon confirm that they have walked into a trap. Numerous raiders in the mil's loft are discovered and a pitched battle ensues. The heroes are nearly overwhelmed but ultimately win the fight. Battered and bruised, they ensure that the mill is safe and then they return to the Keep.
At the keep, Castellan is pleased to hear the mill is safe. He ushers the party up to the parapet to report to the Governor and they follow. Governor Nighthill is pleased with their report. Seeing their battered state, he advises the party to take some time to rest and they agree. The heroes return to the lower reaches of the fortification and take a short rest.
After Midnight - Unfortunately, the heroes' short respite is soon interrupted by another calamity. Castellan comes to them in a rush and reports that the raiders have just tried to breach the Keep. He indicates that the town guards were able to turn them away at the last moment and fortify the inner door. However, the raiders did breech the outer gate and have taken occupancy within the sally port. It would be only a matter of time before reinforcements take advantage of the critical position and barge through the inner door. The heroes once again take up arms and make ready to defend the sally port.
The party proceeds with caution through the secret door Castellan indicated leads to the sally port ready room. Elrdron is first to go through and he immediately spots a kobold doing a poor job at hiding. He moves to attack but another, successfully hidden one fires a stone at the dwarf with its sling. The reset of the heroes quickly follow Elrdron into the room to thwart the kobolds. When the door to the hallway that leads to the sally port proper swings open, more raiders are revealed and attack.
The heroes press on and defeat all the enemies in the ready room and hallway. Then they move into the sally port itself where a large group of raiders are holed up. Some are trying to break through the inner gate of the Keep but the rest attack the party of adventurers. The battle is pitched and fierce and eventually, the companions are victorious. At the edge of exhaustion, they return to the keep to get a few moments of rest.
Before Dawn - Again the heroes are barely able to get a scant hour's rest before another calamity befalls the keep. Screams of panic and warning come from the battlements. As arrows fly over the battlements, a guard atop the battlements yells "incoming!" The adventurers scramble to make their way up top. As they charge up the stairs, a sudden crash of sizzling air erupts from above. An explosion rocks the Keep and it's walls shudder. When the companions reach the top level, they see that the dragon is attacking the keep.
By the time they arrive, the dragon is high overhead, beyond the normal range of almost all ranged weapons and spells. The warlocks attempt to take shots at the terrifying creature with their eldritch blasts but are unsuccessful. Lillian is able to hit home with her crossbow, much to the surprise of all, but the bolt seems to have little effect.
The guards spot the heroes' arrival and a couple of them suggest Rhys, Elrdron, and Elthrithi take up longbows made available when the previous attack struck down a number of guards. The warriors take up these weapons and begin firing away.
Even though the dragon's scales are durable enough to resist most attacks, some of the guards' arrows do find purchase. The creature bellows furiously but does not swoop down to attack. Instead, it flies up out of normal range of even the longbows. High above it hovers as the attacks from below are mostly futile. Finally, the beast resolves to dive and attack.
The heroes and guards alike fire at the dive bombing beast and some of the shots find purchase. But the creature is undeterred. It dives in a manner to line up the northern face of the keep upon which stand shuddering a number of trembling Greenfields guards. The dragon opens its maw as it approaches and, from it surges a powerful stream of lightning. It strikes the northern battlements and Greenfields Keep again shudders. Almost all of the guards in the line of the dragon's breath weapon are killed instantly, some of them even vaporized.
Doom is almost certain for all of those defending the keep as the dragon completes its attacking pass and again begins to fly upward. As it passes however, Kelsie fires a powerful eldritch blast at the creature. The bolt of energy strikes the drake square and it bellows in rage. It continues to bellow and roar as it flies higher and higher. When the dragon continues to rise beyond previous hovering range, it turns southward and towards the west. It continues to fly and the defenders of the keep breathe sighs of relief. The dragon has seemingly ended its attack on Greenfields.
Dawn - Again the party has a brief respite to take stock of the situation. The dragon is gone but the raiders have not followed the beasts exit. They are spotted continuing their assault on the town. Off in the distance, a pitched battle is being fought between a squadron of guards dispatched by Nighthill and raiders assailing the town's temple. Eventually, the sounds of fighting from the southeastern corner of the town die down. Then a large group of raiders gathers in the northern reaches. The dragon-man the group had watched murder defenseless Greenfields residents earlier in the night leads them.
The dragon-man calls up to the keep when he's within a hundred feet of its walls. "Our attack has been quite profitable and we'll be going now! But, before we go, I wish to offer you a token." He signals to his allies and a group of bound townsfolk is prodded forward in front of him. It is a woman and three youngsters.
"I will let these four miseries live," he continues. "On one condition. Send out your best champion to fight me now. If you do, you have my word that, regardless of the outcome of the fight, these will go free. If you don't, they will die where they stand."
The party looks on in horror alongside Nighthill and Castellan. Then they spot movement along the battlements. A town guardsman begins to shuffle towards the stone stairs leading down. He is severely wounded from the dragon attack and limps precariously but seems intent on his course."
"Sergeant Markguth, where are you going?" Nighthill calls out to the man.
"Begging your pardon, Governor," the soldier answers. "It is my sister and her children the monster threatens. I will fight for them."
Rhys interjects just as Nighthill is about to respond. "Your soldiers and people have suffered enough on this night," he addresses the governor. "I will fight the monster."
Nighthill looks at him somewhat bewildered and also concerned. "I do not want to send you back to your father in a pine box, young lordling. This is not your fight."
"Oh, but it is," Rhys answers dryly. "It has been since I ran into your town sword drawn seven hours ago."
Nighthill's shoulders slump knowing he won't be able to deter the sense of duty he's felt emanating from Rhys since the moment he met him. "Please tell me then," he says, "that your father has other sons. Other heirs?"
Rhys nods and begins making his way down to the bottom reaches of the keep. Nighthill instructs his man to stand down as he and the rest of Rhys's party follow him down the stairs. The gates of the keep are opened tentatively when the young Elysian noble approaches, allowing him to exit. The raiders make no move to spring a surprise attack and the gates open further to allow the others to follow.
The dragon-man smiles broadly as Rhys approaches. He nods to his minions and the captured children are told to flee and prodded when they hesitate. "I will let the woman go once our fight is done," the raider commander asserts.
The two warriors approach each other as their respective allies form perimeters behind each. "It's a pity you will die so young," the dragon man taunts Rhys, waving a greatsword menacingly.
"If it's to be," Rhys responds, "then I will have died saving four lives. And only after destroying many of your minions during this night."
The dragon-man snarls and spits. "They were all expendable. By the look of you, I judge that you are not!"
The dragon man rushes forth with unexpected speed and lashes out at Rhys. The first swipe digs deep into the young nobleman's abdomen, taking him aback. The backswing that comes as the dragon man moves past Rhys cleaves deep into his left side. The young lordling falls to the ground unconscious and bleeding out. His assailant leans down to the dying man's form and wipes his blade clean on Rhys's cloak.
"Too brave, young nobleman," the dragon man intones. "Too brave and far too stupid."
The raider stands and begins to walk away from the keep. He motions his minions and the remaining prisoner is set free.
As the raiders all turn and begin to head away from the scene, Rhys's comrades rush to his side. They call for help as they try to save the young man's life. One of the Greenfields townsfolk rushes forth proclaiming to be a healer of sorts. She binds the brave man's wounds and is able to stabilize his breathing. Rhys is unconscious but he will live.
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