Mercenaries of the Wheel
Structure
A diplomatic structure that follows the captains word like law, but isn't afraid to give advice or alternatives.
Public Agenda
To stop the The Elder Elemental Eye and thwart their plans of return.
Assets
The Mercenaries of the Wheel have two patrons which fund their operations. The first and only public patrons are the Lords of Hommlet Burne, Rufus Brunel and his wife Lady Camilla. The other patron of the group is Nierethi Poscurian, a gnome informant who spends his time in a shady corner at the back of Terrigan's who had hired the original group of Eduardo, Verena, Brog, and Finn to look into the moathouse on rumors of strange things in the area as well as the structures known history.
History
The Mercenaries of The Wheel was founded in the aftermath of a deadly battle in Hommlet that saw the complete destruction of the mill and it's cellar by a fire started by local cultist lead by Master Dunrat. This battle also saw the deaths of three investigators and mercenaries, Bitty Gnomebody, Kiln the Mad. , and Pip the Ranger, leaving Mangoseed the only survivor. Rufus would sponsor this new group led by Mangoseed and would task Magnoseed with finding new recruits as his former comrades were unable to help him any further.
Operation: Last Ride
Operation: Burning Rat
Operation: Rotting Lama
Operation: Defiant Summer
Operation: Lightless Echos
Operation: Lost Hand
Operation: Black Rose
Operation: Glass Justice
OPERATIONS
The Mercenaries of the Wheel have undertaken several missions detailed below:Operation: Last Ride
Mission Objective:
Recon the Moathouse and neutralize as many hostile entities as possible.
After-action Report:
Attempting to talk to the Dragon Utreshimon, Verena was sent up to talk to the beast. Upon realizing that his pets wanted to leave, the dragon decided best to eat them all and get new pets. Before everyone could leave the stairs that led to the underground dungeon, Utreshimon unleashed a blast of lightning from its mouth. Brog being caught in the front of the blast took the brunt of all the lightning. Holding a halberd in his hands, he looked down and noticed that his left hand had been touching metal, and was now a shriveled up thing on the ground beside him. Fighting for their lives, the mercenaries and Spugnoir rushed the dragon, forcing it to eventually leave the structure after Brog threw a bead of force into the dragon's mouth. Angered by memories of failure, Mango would not let the dragon leave and ordered everyone to fire at the fleeing beast. Taking aim with crossbows the mercenaries fired volley after volley. Eventually, it would be Spugnoir's bolt that would bring the flying beast down to the swampy Lowlands beyond the moathouse.
ENEMIES KILLED:15/15
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:1/5
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/5
RATING: EXCELLENT
Operation: Last Ride addendum
Mission Objective:
Recon the Moathouse and neutralize as many hostile entities as possible.After-action Report:
Attempting to talk to the Dragon Utreshimon, Verena was sent up to talk to the beast. Upon realizing that his pets wanted to leave, the dragon decided best to eat them all and get new pets. Before everyone could leave the stairs that led to the underground dungeon, Utreshimon unleashed a blast of lightning from its mouth. Brog being caught in the front of the blast took the brunt of all the lightning. Holding a halberd in his hands, he looked down and noticed that his left hand had been touching metal, and was now a shriveled up thing on the ground beside him. Fighting for their lives, the mercenaries and Spugnoir rushed the dragon, forcing it to eventually leave the structure after Brog threw a bead of force into the dragon's mouth. Angered by memories of failure, Mango would not let the dragon leave and ordered everyone to fire at the fleeing beast. Taking aim with crossbows the mercenaries fired volley after volley. Eventually, it would be Spugnoir's bolt that would bring the flying beast down to the swampy Lowlands beyond the moathouse.ENEMIES KILLED:15/15
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:1/5
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/5
RATING: EXCELLENT
Operation: Last Ride addendum
Operation: Burning Rat
Mission Objective:
Infiltrate the moathouse and neutralize all hostile targets.
Discover the source of the magical energies detected from the moathouse.
After-action Report:
Entering the moathouse courtyard via a portal created by Burne, the mercenaries would hit the ground running towards a wooden barricade now put up at the top of the stairs that entered the moathouse structure. Upon hearing the commotion, the guard company of gnolls with fire arrows began shooting their longbows at the party while they were stalled with the wooden barricade. Eventually entering the structure the mercenaries would split off, one team being successful in clearing their two gnolls, the others however had failed at their three, and the eventual reinforcements of another Gnoll and bartender Chatrilon Unosh now revealed cultists and assassin and capable magic caster complicated things too much. This resulted in a breakdown of strategy and communication, which quickly lead to multiple deaths, including Finn, Brog, and leader Magnoseed himself. This break in leadership would leave Verena the only remaining member to take up the mantle of leader of the Mercenaries of the Wheel.
ENEMIES KILLED:7/8
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:1/4
MERCENARIES KILLED:3/4
RATING: POOR
Operation: Burning Rat addendum
Mission Objective:
Infiltrate the moathouse and neutralize all hostile targets.Discover the source of the magical energies detected from the moathouse.
After-action Report:
Entering the moathouse courtyard via a portal created by Burne, the mercenaries would hit the ground running towards a wooden barricade now put up at the top of the stairs that entered the moathouse structure. Upon hearing the commotion, the guard company of gnolls with fire arrows began shooting their longbows at the party while they were stalled with the wooden barricade. Eventually entering the structure the mercenaries would split off, one team being successful in clearing their two gnolls, the others however had failed at their three, and the eventual reinforcements of another Gnoll and bartender Chatrilon Unosh now revealed cultists and assassin and capable magic caster complicated things too much. This resulted in a breakdown of strategy and communication, which quickly lead to multiple deaths, including Finn, Brog, and leader Magnoseed himself. This break in leadership would leave Verena the only remaining member to take up the mantle of leader of the Mercenaries of the Wheel.ENEMIES KILLED:7/8
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:1/4
MERCENARIES KILLED:3/4
RATING: POOR
Operation: Burning Rat addendum
Operation: Rotting Lama
Mission Objective:
Retake and occupy the moathouse courtyard with a suite of Burne's Badgers.
After-action Report:
On the way to the moathouse, as the sunset and the group pushed on to gain ground, they encountered two hobgoblins and a cart with a dead Horse and broken wheels. Assuming the worst, the mercenaries attacked the hobgoblins. This would prove fatal for the men of Burne's Badgers (5 guards) as they were frozen by an ice storm. These hobgoblins turned out to be powerful wizards for the Cult of the Crushing Wave, a subject of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Successful thanks mostly impart to the quick healing of Dùghall and the damage of Dr. Ceaser, the mercenaries broke into the chest of the cultist recovering thousands of Silver pieces and 50 feet of silk rope. This rope would come in handy to replace Verena's hand which was lost in the battle.
ENEMIES KILLED:2/2
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:3/10
MERCENARIES KILLED:5/10
RATING: POOR
Operation: Rotting Lama addendum
Mission Objective:
Retake and occupy the moathouse courtyard with a suite of Burne's Badgers.After-action Report:
On the way to the moathouse, as the sunset and the group pushed on to gain ground, they encountered two hobgoblins and a cart with a dead Horse and broken wheels. Assuming the worst, the mercenaries attacked the hobgoblins. This would prove fatal for the men of Burne's Badgers (5 guards) as they were frozen by an ice storm. These hobgoblins turned out to be powerful wizards for the Cult of the Crushing Wave, a subject of the Temple of Elemental Evil. Successful thanks mostly impart to the quick healing of Dùghall and the damage of Dr. Ceaser, the mercenaries broke into the chest of the cultist recovering thousands of Silver pieces and 50 feet of silk rope. This rope would come in handy to replace Verena's hand which was lost in the battle.ENEMIES KILLED:2/2
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:3/10
MERCENARIES KILLED:5/10
RATING: POOR
Operation: Rotting Lama addendum
Operation: Defiant Summer
Mission Objective:
Regain the courtyard of the moathouse with hired help.
After-action Report:
Upon reaching the edge of the moathouse the forward scouts Dr. Ceaser and Ingrith saw an oil lamp set up in the ruined south-western tower in the courtyard. Upon being shown a crude battle plan drawn out in the snow over an even cruder map drawn by the only survivor of the previous attempt to retake the courtyard, Verena. Ceaser would sneak successfully up into the tower with the use of a piton and rope, and turn the lantern off. This would however gain the attention of the undead that had been left in the courtyard, allowed to roam the entirety of the moathouse by the cultist of The Elder Elemental Eye who was supposed to have been occupying the structure. The resulting battle would end in the death of Questin Himmble and the near-death of Dr. Ceaser who almost succumbed fully to hypothermia if it weren't for the help of his newly found friend Dùghall. Even with the loss of Questin and the near loss of Dr. Ceaser the mercenaries would come out victories, breaking a run of bad luck.
ENEMIES KILLED:13/13
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:2/7
MERCENARIES KILLED:2/7
RATING: FAIR
Operation: Defiant Summer addendum
Mission Objective:
Regain the courtyard of the moathouse with hired help.After-action Report:
Upon reaching the edge of the moathouse the forward scouts Dr. Ceaser and Ingrith saw an oil lamp set up in the ruined south-western tower in the courtyard. Upon being shown a crude battle plan drawn out in the snow over an even cruder map drawn by the only survivor of the previous attempt to retake the courtyard, Verena. Ceaser would sneak successfully up into the tower with the use of a piton and rope, and turn the lantern off. This would however gain the attention of the undead that had been left in the courtyard, allowed to roam the entirety of the moathouse by the cultist of The Elder Elemental Eye who was supposed to have been occupying the structure. The resulting battle would end in the death of Questin Himmble and the near-death of Dr. Ceaser who almost succumbed fully to hypothermia if it weren't for the help of his newly found friend Dùghall. Even with the loss of Questin and the near loss of Dr. Ceaser the mercenaries would come out victories, breaking a run of bad luck.ENEMIES KILLED:13/13
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:2/7
MERCENARIES KILLED:2/7
RATING: FAIR
Operation: Defiant Summer addendum
Operation: Lightless Echos
Mission Objective:
Investigate the cavern beneath the Moathouse Dungeon.
After-action Report:
Upon descending down the makeshift platform left behind by the cultists, the Mercenaries of the Wheel found themselves fighting for their lives when Dr. Ceaser was nearly instantly slain upon stepping onto the 'Black Nail' dubbed by Dùghall. It was this commotion that would awake a massive Grell, grown fat on the energies released from the subterranean structure. Fighting this grell would cause the platform to tip and result in Verena's and Legba 'lls' deaths.
ENEMIES KILLED:1/1
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:3/6
MERCENARIES KILLED:3/6
RATING: POOR
Operation: Lightless Echos addendum
Mission Objective:
Investigate the cavern beneath the Moathouse Dungeon.After-action Report:
Upon descending down the makeshift platform left behind by the cultists, the Mercenaries of the Wheel found themselves fighting for their lives when Dr. Ceaser was nearly instantly slain upon stepping onto the 'Black Nail' dubbed by Dùghall. It was this commotion that would awake a massive Grell, grown fat on the energies released from the subterranean structure. Fighting this grell would cause the platform to tip and result in Verena's and Legba 'lls' deaths.ENEMIES KILLED:1/1
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:3/6
MERCENARIES KILLED:3/6
RATING: POOR
Operation: Lightless Echos addendum
Operation: Lost Hand
Mission Objective:
Figure out what the former champion of the reborn cult of evil knows.
After-action Report:
After a brief battle with the champion Lareth, formerly known as the Beautiful, the mercenaries learned about the reborn cult of nearly 20 years ago. It was revealed that Nulb was a pirate and slave port where prisoners of war and slaves bought in Thurdarth and Veluntia were transported to last before being forced to march to their deaths at the temple that lies outside of town further into the Ironwood.
ENEMIES KILLED:0/1
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:4/4
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/4
RATING: FAIR
Operation: Lost Hand addendum
Mission Objective:
Figure out what the former champion of the reborn cult of evil knows.After-action Report:
After a brief battle with the champion Lareth, formerly known as the Beautiful, the mercenaries learned about the reborn cult of nearly 20 years ago. It was revealed that Nulb was a pirate and slave port where prisoners of war and slaves bought in Thurdarth and Veluntia were transported to last before being forced to march to their deaths at the temple that lies outside of town further into the Ironwood.ENEMIES KILLED:0/1
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:4/4
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/4
RATING: FAIR
Operation: Lost Hand addendum
Operation: Black Rose
Mission Objective:
Find out the size of the force inhabiting the ruined temple and successfully report back to Burne without alerting any forces at the temple.
After-action Report:
Here, in the Ironwood past Nulb, the mercenaries felt a true evil, oppressive and growing every day. The temple was indeed not empty, like Xaod had said and Burne had feared. Inhabited with a small armies worth of goblinoids (Hobgoblins), their fires, drums, and wicked barks could be heard and seen from the wicked and twisted grove that surrounded the ruined temple of evil.
Entering in the courtyard to do light reconnaissance, the mercenaries would discover an old ruined guardhouse or gatehouse inhabited with four hobgoblins, who upon seeing the mercenaries began launching javelins and spears at the mercenaries. Even with their cover and tactical surprise the mercenaries would slay the hobgoblins quickly and without alerting the greater force at the temple. Satisfied, the mercenaries left and made the long trip back to Hommlet to inform Burne and Rufus of the inhabitants.
ENEMIES KILLED:4/4
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:0/5
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/5
RATING: FLAWLESS
Operation: Black Rose addendum
Mission Objective:
Find out the size of the force inhabiting the ruined temple and successfully report back to Burne without alerting any forces at the temple.After-action Report:
Here, in the Ironwood past Nulb, the mercenaries felt a true evil, oppressive and growing every day. The temple was indeed not empty, like Xaod had said and Burne had feared. Inhabited with a small armies worth of goblinoids (Hobgoblins), their fires, drums, and wicked barks could be heard and seen from the wicked and twisted grove that surrounded the ruined temple of evil. Entering in the courtyard to do light reconnaissance, the mercenaries would discover an old ruined guardhouse or gatehouse inhabited with four hobgoblins, who upon seeing the mercenaries began launching javelins and spears at the mercenaries. Even with their cover and tactical surprise the mercenaries would slay the hobgoblins quickly and without alerting the greater force at the temple. Satisfied, the mercenaries left and made the long trip back to Hommlet to inform Burne and Rufus of the inhabitants.ENEMIES KILLED:4/4
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:0/5
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/5
RATING: FLAWLESS
Operation: Black Rose addendum
Operation: Glass Justice
Mission Objective:
Investigate the Black Nail that sits beneath the dungeon of the moathouse mansion.
After-action Report:
ENEMIES KILLED:1/1
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:0/5
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/5
RATING: FLAWLESS
Operaton: Glass Justice addendum
Mission Objective:
Investigate the Black Nail that sits beneath the dungeon of the moathouse mansion.After-action Report:
ENEMIES KILLED:1/1
MERCENARIES WOUNDED:0/5
MERCENARIES KILLED:0/5
RATING: FLAWLESS
Operaton: Glass Justice addendum
DISBANDED/DISSOLVED
Don't reinvent the wheel, just realign it.
c. 4113, Neth - c. 4114, Calistril
Type
Military, Mercenary Group
Alternative Names
The Wheel
Predecessor Organization
Training Level
Semi-trained
Veterancy Level
Recruit
Leader Title
Parent Organization
Location
Notable Members
Dùghall
Eduardo Mangoseed
Rufus Brunel
Verena
Temporary Mercenaries of the Wheel
Cure-rig/Cofveve//C2
Firebrand
Haunor
Ingrith
Legion
Spugnoir
Xaod the Slayer
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