Session 3: The Dragon Burial Site

Rob couldn't make today's session, so the guys didn't want to advance the plot too far this time. I improvised and pulled up a mini-quest that was meant to serve as a hook to the storyline. Another interesting note: I allowed for major character changes this session. I decided if people had any qualms with what they had they should fix it now or forever hold their peace. Matt and Stranberg decided to switch roles. I declared that in the middle of the night Stranberg's cleric and Matt's warlock left in secret to find and join the local death cult (now determined to be a cult of Orcus by a successful Religion check on one of the Kobold's necklaces).

The Lazarus Concord, being as crafty as they are, knew of the plight that was to befall the deserters and already sent their two newset members, a Bugbear Fighter and a Hobgoblin Cleric.

The party now looks like a band of thugs:
Colin - Still DM!
Charlie - Human Fighter
Jon - Tiefling Rogue
Matt - Hobgoblin Cleric
Rob - Dragonborn Paladin
Stranberg - Bugbear Fighter

I had recommended to Stranberg that he try out the new Barbarian playtest if he wanted to roll a mighty pounding DPS class, but he argued he wanted the armor, too. Despite the feats that could remedy the issue, he stuck with the fighter. I gathered the hint that Charlie was a little upset because now there were essentially 4 characters vying for suitable armor/weapons (though Rob would most likely stick with Plate Mail).

After searching the Kobold's den, the players found magical Dwarven Mail Armor, which, for whatever reason, was not given to their main tank. Alas, the follies of a fledgling group.

Anyways.

After resting up in the cave the players returned to Winterhaven. Treated as local heroes, Lord Padraig rewarded the player's with a good sum of gold. As they celebrated brief victory in town they came across one woman who was not. She cried for her husband, whom she now feared dead. Douven was a local adventurer, off to explore the burial site of a long dead dragon for treasure, but he hadn't returned in over a week. His wife feared the worst. Though she had nothing of value to offer the Adventurers, they were happy to investigate (are they good or evil??!?! it drives me mad. No one has truly played with any sense of character yet, besides the rogue who is obsessed with attempting to pickpocket everything in sight).

Before they leave town, the sage Valthrun tells them he's been doing research in his tower and discovered dire news. Though the old man new it all along, he wanted to wait before he could trust the PCs. He now revealed that there is a rift to the Shadowfell below an abandoned keep to the north. Though he had never heard of any Death Cult, if there was one, they would likely be there. Having an obligation to Douven's wife, the player's set out to search for the poor fellow. Valthrun would do more research.



Following a rough map as discovered through some successful Streetwise checks in town, the player's made their way to the Dragon Burial Site. As they approached the edge of a great crater in the wintry forest, they were spotted by a band of humanoids below. A gnome yelled up to them to come take a look. Cautious, they entered the crater. Just as they saw the kicking legs of a man wrapped in a sack the gnome called out to his men to ambush them.

The fight wasn't too much of a challenge. The Guard Drakes proved to be quite deadly when close to an ally though. I decided to throw in a little twist to make it interesting: the Gnome leader ordered one of the minion to kill the man in the sack (no doubt a captured Douven). Like the suddenly good aligned characters they were, the PCs now had to break combat to save Douven within 2 rounds or he would be dead. In the end the PCs were victorious. On the body of the gnome one of the player's found a +1 Amulet of Health. They then helped the adventurer out of the sack. He thanked them and asked if they had found his amulet which the thugs had taken from him. "Nope."

As they brought Douven back, the PCs thought completely out of game (I hate that) and decided they might get more XP for returning the amulet. They decided to "surprise" Douven and his wife at their reunion with the necklace. Guess what- no XP bonus! Grateful that he had the necklace back, Douven took the picture of him and his wife from it and gladly gave it to the adventurers. There was no reason to give it back, other than for good or evil alignments, but honestly this group has very little "roleplaying" for an RPG. They treat it like a videogame where you should just try everything. I can tell guys and I don't reward that kind of play.

Valthrun caught up with the player's and informed them of the Keeps shadowy past. How it belonged to an ancient empire and how it's captain went mad. Driven insane by the whispers of Orcus from the rift the Keep was meant to protect, the captain systematically killed everyone in the keep, starting with his family. The knight was eventually driven into the depths below the Keep and was never seen again. Since then, the failing empire fell and the keep lay empty. An earthquake destroyed much of the Keep, but below it lay unknown danger and treasure... and more likely than not, Kalarel and the death cult.

So the players gathered their belongings and set off in the snow to the long dead keep... muhahahaha....