Adventures of the few

History

First quest

In 1130 AD Nesiven Rose, Flo Stormcry, Seraphine Cresilo, Sik, Ignis, and Sophia Tailor were all young adventurers, inexperienced, who naturally gathered as they embarked on similar quests. Their first mission was to deal with an Ogre terrorizing a nearby settlement not far from Holypertuis.
Upon confronting the ogre, they discovered it was protected by a group of goblins and bugbears. Sophia, a bard, managed to charm one of the bugbears and convinced them that it would be best for the goblins and bugbears to leave as the adventurers would handle the ogres. Agreeing, the goblins and bugbears fled as the adventurers ventured into the depths of the cave to face the ogre.
With Ignis' flames, they successfully defeated the ogres, but Sik the Kobold was gravely injured. Seeing the wounds on Sik, Sophia began to question her choices for a life of adventure. When they emerged from the cave, they found the bugbear Sophia had charmed still waiting for her. Developing a fondness for the bugbear, Sophia decided to befriend him and brought him back to Holypertuis with the adventurers
While the rest of the party went to the adventurers guild to claim their reward, Sophia went to the tailor to get clothes fitting for the bugbear, while the kobold did his best to heal himself.
When they reunited, Sik announced he wouldn't adventure again, having already tasted the harsh realities of this life. Vutha, who had been uncertain until now, found the courage to make the same decision, leaving the adventuring party to dedicate herself to the bugbear she had saved.

Suspicious giants

Heading North

The adventurers decided to unite to face the perils of future quests together. Three weeks later, the group was summoned directly by Booyahgs Nalyek, who had received numerous reports from the north about suspicious Giant activities. Sharla Scarletdottir, a warrior from the north, had traveled south as an emissary of the Duchy of Freed to request the Adventurers Guild's help, and Nalyek believed that the group of adventurers could undertake this mission. He tasked them with traveling north to investigate the movements of the giants on their island: the Giant Island.
The mission was supposed to be fairly simple, limited to reconnaissance, and paid handsomely. The adventurers all agreed to journey north, with Sharla now by their side as a representative of the Duchy of Freed. Flo Stormcry, a native of the north, and Sharla's affiliation with the duchy allowed the party to be easily accepted by the Northlanders, who assisted them in various towns they crossed, providing fur and hides to protect against the cold.
The group finally reached Raskam, the closest village to the Giant Island. Arriving during a blizzard in the evening, the adventurers sought refuge in the local tavern and stayed for the night.

Most of them looked for a ship, hoping one could be prepared the following day to take them to the island. Flo, Ignis and Nesiven negotiated for a suitable ship. Although most captains refused to sail that far north, they managed to negotiate with one who agreed to drop them off on the island and return to pick them up two weeks later. As they finalized the deal, they witnessed the fight but were unable to reach their friends before Sharla defeated the Demon. However, thanks to Ignis's control over the flames, the fire was quickly extinguished before it could spread further.

Meanwhile, Sharla and Seraphine, both pious, heard rumors about recent changes with the local priest, his new rituals, and how the temple's underground was now sealed.
The next day, Sharla and Seraphine investigated the temple. While Seraphine spoke with the new priest, Sharla broke into the sealed underground, revealing an evil ritual to summon a demon. The imposter priest, a cultist of the Blackened Horde, discovered, attacked Seraphine and attempted to complete the ritual by sacrificing him over the dark circle. Sharla intervened, knocking the imposter priest prone.
Unfortunately, it was too late, and a green energy materialized into the form of a huge demon that burst out of the temple. Seraphine used her divine power to try to slow down the demon, which had begun to burn the ships in the port below, while Sharla jumped onto the monster's back and killed it with a powerful blow, being hailed as the savior of Raskam.

Giant island

The group of adventurers finally reached the Giant Island, where the geography itself appeared enormous: trees grew to disproportionate sizes, grass reached above their heads... everything on this island was giant. As the party progressed further into the island, they came across an enormous but empty hut.
Inside the hut, they began to plan how they would investigate the giants' movements, but their discussions were quickly interrupted by the return of two hill giants to their hut. Hiding within the house as the giants brought back an enormous dead sealion to eat, they were soon discovered, leading to a fight against the giants. The adventurers learned of the giants' proficiency with rock throwing, as Ignis set ablaze the giants and trees alike.
Although the adventurers managed to kill the giants, the smoke from the quickly spreading fire drew too much attention, and they were forced to flee. In their escape, Seraphine and Ignis were captured.

Captured by a group of hill giants, Ignis and Seraphine were thrown into a bag and carried to the Hammerfell Citadel to be judged by storm giants. After half a day uncomfortably carried in a giant's bag, they were thrown into jails within the citadel, awaiting their judgment.
The cells were round in shape, made of large bent iron bars with loops below and on top of the cell linking them to large chains. On a single chain, there were 4 to 5 cells at various heights, all hanging from the roof.
Seraphine found herself despairing over the situation, believing her life to be over as the giants would boil her in a stew as in the child's tales. She was thrown into a cell with a Firbolg while Ignis was thrown into another cell by herself.
Seraphine, overwhelmed by doubt and the looming threat of Death, found solace in the unexpected warmth of the firbolg's embrace. As he wrapped his arm around her, offering comfort, Seraphine realized that amidst all her uncertainties, there was one thing she had yet to experience: love. In a moment of spontaneity and desperation, she kissed the firbolg.
To her surprise, the firbolg didn't resist her affection, and their kisses grew more fervent. In the face of impending doom, Seraphine cast aside her usual shyness, determined to seize every fleeting moment of joy and passion before it was too late. She started to make love with the firbolg.
Ignis was gagged to prevent her from casting spells, however, some of her spells wouldn't require any verbal component, especially one called Trixie's Tricky Teleportation, allowing the wizard to get out of her cell. However, teleporting like that left her arcane focus behind.
With Ignis out of her cell, she climbed the chain, delivering Seraphine and her lover as they escaped the room. While escaping the citadel, the two women heard terrifying conversations between the giants who were plotting an invasion of the continents.

The rest of the group, having managed to escape, attempted to track the giants who had captured their friends. However, they were halted in their tracks by a friendly Stone Giant. He warned the adventurers to leave, stating that it was no place for humans and the like to wander when the giants were preparing for war.
Regarding their friends, the giants explained that they were either taken to the Hammerfell Citadel or to the Ironslag mines of the fire giants to serve as slaves. After expressing their gratitude to the giant, the group falsely claimed they would retreat and then turned toward Ironslag, intending to rescue their friends.
It took the group days to reach Ironslag, where they began scouting. They discovered countless stone and fire giants working together, gathering Dragonite from the mines and forging weapons. It was evident that the giants were preparing for war, but the target of their aggression remained unknown.
Even though their duty was only that of scouts, they refused to abandon their friends and devised a plan to attack the mines and rescue them. Launching their assault during the night, Nesiven ignited a pile of dragonite, causing it to explode and creating a diversion. While this nearly cost Nesiven her life and dealt with most of the giants nearby, it provided the perfect opportunity for the rest of the group to sneak inside the mines.

Ignis and Seraphine, freed from captivity, searched for their friends to regroup and flee, especially with the valuable information they had gathered. Hearing the sound of an explosion, they headed towards Ironslag and spotted the party sneaking inside the mines in the distance. Following them, they finally caught up with the group as they were inside the mines.
With the information provided by Ignis and Seraphine, the group hastily fled from the mines. However, they were spotted by fire giants, who gave chase. Ignis attempted to stop the giants by conjuring a wall of flame, but to their dismay, the giants proved to be immune to fire. Sharla and Flo rushed forward to dispatch their pursuers swiftly.
Eventually, the party managed to escape, and it was soon Time for their boat to take them back to the mainland.

Confrontation

Back in Raskam, Sharla urged the party to take action, recognizing that news of a giant invasion would require a swift response. However, Seraphine emphasized the urgency of the situation, knowing that the army wouldn't arrive in time to halt the giants' advance across the sea.
Thinking quickly, Flo and Nesiven proposed rallying the warriors and soldiers from the Duchy of Freed. They believed that the Northlanders would readily answer Raskam's call for aid. Sending envoys to every village in the north, they amassed a small but determined army of men and women ready to defend their homeland.
Gathered on the snowy beach, facing the oncoming fleet of giant ships sailing through the snow and ice, fear threatened to overwhelm them. Yet, Nesiven, standing boldly at the forefront alongside the adventurers, delivered a stirring speech that ignited the courage within the hearts of the Northlanders.
As the Frost giants made landfall, the adventurers charged into battle, confronting the leaders of the invading force. Meanwhile, Cloud Giants rained down dragonite from the sky, bombarding the battlefield. But amidst the chaos, a deafening roar pierced the air, and a shadow darkened the sky.
Doraka, a silver Dragon, awakened by the march of giants, descended to aid the adventurers. While the party focused on defeating the Frost Giant leader, Doraka engaged in a fierce battle against both the mighty Storm Giant and Fire Giant leaders. With the combined efforts of Doraka and the adventurers, victory was won, forcing the giants to retreat to their island stronghold.
Grateful for their heroic actions, Doraka bestowed upon Ignis a spell of great power as a token of appreciation.

Thief scheme

Fire and spies

The adventurers, now celebrated as Giant Slayers, had their fame spread throughout the duchy of Freed. However, their renown was soon overshadowed by a significant event: the closure of the portal linking Holypertuis to the Brass City in the Elemental Plane of Fire. This portal was a vital link in the empire's trade of Magic items, and its shutdown was attributed to the theft of an artifact powering the portal. The adventurers were tasked with tracking down the culprit and retrieving the stolen artifact.
Equipped with a necklace allowing them to traverse to the Elemental Plane of Fire, the adventurers embarked on their journey through the hostile landscape of the plane until they reached the bustling City of Brass. Ignis, resistant to heat, fared better than her companions in the scorching environment.
In the Brass City, the party took respite in a tavern, indulging in the local spicy cuisine while strategizing their investigation into the missing artifact. Their conversation caught the attention of Hardah, a solitary half-orc adventurer, and also caught the attention of a spy of the thief. The spy later ambushed the group, resulting in Nesiven's near-fatal encounter as the spy attacked her before fleeing.
Tracking the spy led the adventurers to an auction, where Ignis caught sight of a pseudo-dragon that she stole. This impulsive action put her in jeopardy, prompting Nesiven to teleport them both away from danger. However, this sparked an argument between Ignis and Nesiven, with Ignis feeling resentful about being rescued as she could have handled the situation herself.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party continued their investigation, leading Flo to uncover a clue that directed him to a shop selling exotic spices and incense. Enchanted by the strong scents in the shop, Flo fell under the spell of the shop's owner, who turned out to be another spy working for the artifact thief. Charmed by her influence, Flo divulged everything the party had learned about her master until the rest of the group intervened.
As they confronted the shop owner, Flo, still under her charm, resisted their efforts, proving to be a formidable opponent. The party hesitated to harm him, but eventually, Sharla managed to stop Flo. while Seraphine fought the shop owner.
Ignis was particularly offended by how easily Flo had been manipulated. The shop owner now captured, the group interrogated her, learning that she was a Vampire, and a spy of Silver Remington, a higher vampire and the thief of the artifact. He resides in the shadowfel, prompting the party to seek ways to reach the shadowfell.

by Mikhail Palamarchuk

Hardah, the half-orc, also approached the group, as she realized the necessity of collaboration and reluctantly allied herself with the other adventurers, initially intending to participate only in this specific mission.
The group paid for passage on a brass ship to navigate the Sea of Fire, encountering and battling a lava monster along the way. Their goal was to reach the Elemental Plane of Air, where they hoped to acquire an airship that would enable them to journey into the Shadowfell. Upon reaching the Elemental Plane of Air, they traded their collars for passage on an airship.
Ignis refused to proceed with the group she referred to as "buffoons" and left the party.

A dark plane

However, their journey took a disastrous turn as the airship crashed upon crossing into the Shadowfell. Outside the confines of the plane of air, the ship couldn't remain airborne.
Once inside the shadowfel, the party tracked silver remington. During their track, the adventurers met a group of elves, the Shadar-Kai, rare survivors of experimentation of the vampires. Thanks to the shadar-kai they had learned that the magical items was part of Silver's scheme to facilitate his movement across the material plane in preparation for a ritual.
After tracking the vampire to his mansion in the Shadowfell, the adventurers confronted him.
To their surprise, the vampire greeted them politely and invited them to discuss the matter over a tasteful dinner. Introducing himself as Silver Remington, he explained his plan: to create a Philosopher Stone through the sacrifice of many souls. While acknowledging the adventurers as obstacles, he preferred negotiation over conflict, offering them wealth and protection if they allied with him.
Despite the tempting offer, the adventurers ultimately refused, leading to a confrontation with the higher vampire. The powers of the vampire were extremely potent against Seraphine, who, despite her divine power was troubled to stay alive, she could feel an overwhelming pain in her belly with each of the vampire's spells.
Seraphine almost died during the intense battle, coming perilously close to death. However, she and her companions. However, Seraphine miscarried shortly after, realizing the immense pain was due to the effect of the spells on the baby she was unknowingly carrying.
The group then returned to Tana's Empire capital, Holypertuis.

Mighty diplomate

Emperor request

The emperor Charle III Tana himself heard about the group of adventurers who had saved the material realm from destruction and caught the thief of Holypertuis' artifact. Summoning them to Castle Goldleaf, he rewarded the adventurers for their deeds, granting each of them a noble title and lands in the Roaring plains within the Duchy of Buchais.
Additionally, the emperor bestowed upon them a new mission, one under the empire's order rather than the adventuring guild's. In an attempt to showcase the empire's might and to negotiate pacts with the Lightfoot Kingdom, the adventurers were tasked with escorting a group of diplomats to the Lightfoot Land.
Although the adventurers accepted, feeling obligated to do so in the presence of the emperor, Seraphine sought out Booyahgs Nalyek to inquire why the adventurers guild wasn't assigned this task. Nalyek explained to Seraphine that the guild refused political missions as it sought to remain neutral.

by Winova Nelson

Furthermore, Seraphine was summoned by Typhany Gallael, the highest authority within the Church of Waukeen within Tana's empire and the Kingdom of Vale. Typhany, instructed by the emperor, offered Seraphine the church's benediction, blessing her as a templar of Waukeen and a paladin of the goddess. The party then went to the Three Brewers to celebrate Seraphine's promotion.
The following day, the party commenced their journey with the diplomats, including Joy Sunbringer and Anastashia Skyrun. A group of goblins attacked the caravan but were swiftly defeated by the adventurers, with a small Goblin girl barely managing to steal a bag of fruits before escaping.
Hardah discussed with Victor, leader of the guards escorting the envoy on ways to improve security, and the two even sparred.

A long journey

The caravan reached the river north of Crystal Lake, where a group of Yuan-ti had erected a dam to prevent the passage of ships and halted the diplomats' boat.
Hardah asked Victor to take care of the nobles as the adventurers followed the Yuan-ti into the jungle to negotiate passage with their high priestess, Sistine. After a week-long journey, they reached Orrinshire, where Sharla refused to enter, staying at the city entrance while the rest of the adventurers discussed matters with the high priestess of the Chezucore.
They demonstrated their valor in the dungeon beneath the main pyramid, where Flo was cursed to slowly become a snake and proving their worth to Sistine, who invited them to a feast before they rejoined the diplomatic mission.

During the feast, Sistine noticed a spark of power within one of the adventurers from the group, Flo Stormcry, and engaged in intimate relations with him. However, he did not prove to be chosen by the god, as he did not give the priestess a child.

During the feast, Seraphine sneaked out to give some of the food to Sharla, who was still waiting outside the city. The two discussed their future: what should they do once they're done adventuring? Sharla's experiences so far had left her troubled, and she sought a life of peace after these adventures. However, her sense of duty also prompted her to continue as an adventurer, as she hoped to save many. Seraphine was humbled by Sharla's ideals, as she realized she also sought a peaceful retreat after the adventures, even if it meant leaving the realms to other heroes to defend.

Nesiven, on the other hand, met with Tanith Helicos, a friend of the Chezucore and a vampire. Ready to fight as she learned the truth about the woman origin, Nesiven decided to discuss instead. She had witnessed the power vampires could harness and asked Tanith how she could become one, believing the tales of Curses spread among mortals.
Tanith revealed it was impossible for Nesiven to become a true vampire; however, certain forms of lycanthropy have similar capabilities and are often referred to as vampires by common folks. Tanith, taking a liking to Nesiven, decided to bestow upon her this curse.

With the diplomatic mission complete, the party was free to sail south and joined the boat. The night following their reunion, they drank with the diplomates, enjoying the night sky on the boat deck while discussing the various visions of the world. A drunk Hardah kissed Victor under the moonlight and flo hairs fell as his curse was turning him into a snake.
Arriving in the Savage Savannah, there, they faced the Horsekull Clan, with whom they traded food and water before proceeding to the Tree above the clan, the village of the Oreskos pride. Upon arrival, they witnessed a group of Red Orcs from the Redfang clan fighting against warriors of the Oreskos Pride, including Cloudfur. They aided the warriors and were offered a place to rest.
During their time in the Tree Above the Clan, Flo managed to secure a remove curse scroll, as his lower body had been turned into a snake tail, finally freeing him of the curse. A young Tabaxi wizard approached them, seeking advice about a levitation spell he was struggling to learn from an old book left behind by a previous traveler.
The party attempted to help him, but Cloudfur intervened, explaining that he was the son of Sun Star, the leader of the Oreskos Pride, and it was best for strangers not to meddle in their affairs. Cloudfur then expressed his frustration with Sun Star's lack of decisiveness, as he refused to take strong action against the Red Orcs.
Cloudfur then spoke privately with Nesiven, outlining his plan to overthrow Sun Star. He asked for her assistance, promising a hefty sum of gold in exchange. Nesiven agreed to help him.

Family first

The adventurers offered to negotiate with the red orcs, despite Hardah's advice against it, given her origins from the Redfang clan. Nevertheless, the group ventured into the territory of the Redfang orcs and challenged the clan's chieftain, Rhorog Oknar RedFang, to a duel.

Sharla initially fought him alone in the arena in the middle of the village, but she was quickly overpowered. Flo had to intervene, allowing sharla to disarm Rhorog and turning his own weapon against the orcs. Recognizing their prowess, the orcs acknowledged the adventurers as warriors and allowed them to depart in peace.
The weapon sharla had taken from the ros started to whisper to her, whisper of powers and bloods.

Meanwhile, Hardah took the opportunity to search for her father, Gnarg Redfang, among the clan members. Despite her past adventures and her current strength, he barely acknowledged her, showing more interest in the fight between the chieftain and Sharla. Left alone and shaken by her father's lack of emotion, Hardah was then confronted by a few Orc bullies from her childhood who took pleasure in tormenting her. She fought them off, emerging victorious but not unscathed.

Lion's king

The party returned to the tree above the clan, where Cloudfur challenged Sun Star. The fight quickly turned in Cloudfur's favor as Nesiven sneakily cast haste on the tabaxi. Sun Star's son intervened, attempting to prevent his father's demise.
In a fit of rage, Cloudfur pushed the young tabaxi off the edge of the branches. Sun Star leaped to save his son, barely managing to grab hold of him. Cloudfur attempted to seize the opportunity to attack Sun Star, but the adventurers intervened, preventing Sun Star's death. However, he couldn't maintain his grip on his son, who fell below, to the terrified gaze of his father. Miraculously, the young tabaxi managed to cast a levitation spell and survived the fall unscathed.
Cloudfur was promptly arrested, along with the adventurers. Nesiven and Hardah were suspected of conspiring against Sun Star alongside Cloudfur and were thrown into prison. A trial ensued, with the party arguing that they had saved the king and should be thanked rather than punished. The judgment was delivered, and the adventurers were merely banned from the pride's territory, especially considering their failed diplomatic attempt with the red orcs.

The destination

They continued their journey south through the savannah, encountering and battling the perils it brought with it, until they were on the home stretch to Oakhearth, their final destination. Upon their arrival, their task was supposed to be completed. It was now up to the politicians and traders to negotiate an agreement with Tulia Greyhard and the great council.
Hardah proposed a date to Victor, which he agreed to, and the two went to the tavern to drink.
During their time off visiting the city, the party encountered Emilis Emka, a scientist attempting to find non-magical ways to heal and animate the dead. They attempted to assist her, but Sharla found herself electrocuted by one of the scientist's experiments.
While in the city, they also came across many clues hinting at something strange happening within the city and began investigating. All the clues pointed toward the royal castle. Rumors circulated about Alton Goodbarrel, supposedly linked to all the odd occurrences. They attempted to sneak into his laboratory but almost got caught, narrowly escaping while concealing their identities.
The adventurers decided to infiltrate the dungeon under the castle's keep during the night. They managed to bypass the traps and confront a Beholder manipulating events from the shadows. The beholder named Zarzwik had collaborated with Alton Goodbarrel to seize power within the kingdom.
During the battle with the beholder, sharla could feel the weapon's power once again as the axe flames burned the beholder, however it was craving blood. After defeating the beholder, they discovered Nessarya Jenssen, head of justice, dead in her office. Her blood still warm, and documents in her office indicating she was also investigating Alton, it was clear she had been murdered.
Hardah and Seraphine brought Nessarya's body to Emilis, attempting to resurrect her, while Sharla, Flo, and Nesiven went to the local adventurers' guild outpost to warn them of the danger, where they luckily apprehended the assassin.
The adventurers managed to resurrect Nessarya, but this inadvertently led to the destruction of Emilis's lab and a large fire that started to spread in town. The adventurers were subsequently captured.
During a lengthy trial in front of the queen herself, they detailed everything they had discovered. The adventurers were charged with a heavy fine and banned from the Lightfoot Kingdom for their intrusion on private properties, disregard of guard orders, and starting the fire in town. As most evidence had been suppressed, Alton was also only sentenced to a heavy fine and banned from the Lightfoot Kingdom.
The diplomats secured a trading agreement with the kingdom in the afternoon following the trial, and the group journeyed back to Holypertuis with the diplomats.

The undercity

Returning from their journey, the party took a few weeks off to rest after their adventures. Nesiven started to hoard a fortune, hoping to build a keep on her domain, and even plotted to potentially steal from Holypertuis' bank. Sharla, who took a liking to the Three Brewers, kicked a bunch of thugs stealing from Gothak Kalagiano Frostwolf.
The whole party gathered on a small mission to fight nekkers ambushing the trading road between the Kingdom -o Qwir and the Kingdom of Vale. During this mission, sharla weapon took over her, and the barbarian turned against her allies, fighting against them in a reckless fury. The other adventurers managed to stop sharla, and decided it was best for this weapon to be cast aside, where no one would access it. During hte missions they also saved Teleri, whom Sharla escorted back to Holypertuis. Teleri is currently running errands for her boss, Neya, and must return to Nimloth after a few days, yet Sharla has time to be enamored with Teleri and promises her she'll come and visit her.
A few cultists attempted to kidnap Hardah. They were swiftly dealt with by the fighter but managed to escape. Hearing the news of Hardah's abduction attempt, the adventurers gathered and learned of a new cult kidnapping spellcasters and non-humans.
Victor tried to convince Hardah not to participate in this investigation, as he believed it would be dangerous for her, but Hardah refused to listen to him.

Their investigation quickly led them to the Undercity. Sharla intimidated the owner of Jack's brewery into letting them use his secret trap leading to the Undercity. Once in the Undercity, they were welcomed by Irina Stormcry, a young woman and apprentice of the ruler under the city: Akhator Baltazar.
Flo found the young woman strangely familiar but couldn't put a finger on who exactly she was. Irina escorted the party to Akhator, who wanted to welcome the famous heroes of the realm and offered to help them in their investigation.
Flo discussed privately with Irina and learned she was Baltazar's daughter, despite the man's advanced age. Escorted by soldiers under Akhator's order, the party was free to investigate in the Undercity. Their investigation led them to the black market and to an underground fighting pit, where Sharla fought a Shaelmaar.
The party finally found the cultists' headquarters, and after fighting a few of them, reached the upper level of the building, in which countless jars with souls trapped inside were stored. Seraphine explained that this was probably the work of a Lich, and the group broke the jars. However, this prompted the soldiers of Baltazar escorting them to attack, trying to prevent the adventurers from breaking the jars.

The soldiers were defeated and revealed to be skeletons under the command of Baltazar. The group rushed back to Baltazar's mansion, where they fought against the lich with all his might. Irina joined the fight, initially siding with Baltazar, before switching sides as she realized he was a lich.
The group managed to defeat the lich, but Sharla died as she protected the party from Baltazar's final spell. Flo tried to help Irina, who was shocked by her father's death, revealing that Baltazar was only her adoptive father. This made Flo realize that Irina is her daughter, kidnapped years ago. He had lost hope of finding her, yet here they are: reunited.
Seraphine brought the phylactery to the church, where Typhany destroyed it.