Off to the City
The Knights of Iron spent the night outside the city in an effort to distance themselves from Felix. In light of the recent news of political unrest, Thrashtim thought it best to return home to the stronghold of Tolundsel to get his affairs in order, should conditions escalate. Like Ness, he thanked the other members for the company and the adventure, but he had to ensure he was home. He left after breakfast, heading south toward Cloudharbor.
The group was summoned back to Whitehall to discuss Mr. Verner with Constable Edward. The constable had recieved a bird from Cloudharbor that with the recent commotion, no jurors would be making the journey to try the old man. He could either stay in his cell until such a time, or he could be sent to Cloudharbor to be tried there. The constable asked the group if they could transport the prisoner to Cloudharbor and they would be paid upon his arrival.
The group reluctantly agreed, but before they could go far, they again were summoned, this time by two dwarves drinking in the inn across the square. The dwarves told them they were the leaders of a group known as the Blackwater Company, a merc group operating in and around the Amber Plains. They told them they had been hired by Mr. Verner, but that his hired amount was not enough to cover the damages inflicted on them by the party.
The dwarves invited them to join the Blackwater Company as hired hands. Mr. Verner's debts would be forgiven and they would be paid handsomely for their work. The group declined, and the dwarves remarked ominously that they would be seeing each other again "very soon."
The adventurers decided it best to purchase a cart and mule to make the journey a little easier. They went ahead and purchased two carts with the intention of selling them for a profit upon arrival at Cloudharbor. However, they only purchased one mule. Gil was able to jury-rig them together effectively.
The first night on the road, the Knight's of Iron were attacked by a small swarm of giant wolf spiders. Their new mule was paralyzed in moments, but the group was able to dispatch the spiders before any real damage could be done.
The group was summoned back to Whitehall to discuss Mr. Verner with Constable Edward. The constable had recieved a bird from Cloudharbor that with the recent commotion, no jurors would be making the journey to try the old man. He could either stay in his cell until such a time, or he could be sent to Cloudharbor to be tried there. The constable asked the group if they could transport the prisoner to Cloudharbor and they would be paid upon his arrival.
The group reluctantly agreed, but before they could go far, they again were summoned, this time by two dwarves drinking in the inn across the square. The dwarves told them they were the leaders of a group known as the Blackwater Company, a merc group operating in and around the Amber Plains. They told them they had been hired by Mr. Verner, but that his hired amount was not enough to cover the damages inflicted on them by the party.
The dwarves invited them to join the Blackwater Company as hired hands. Mr. Verner's debts would be forgiven and they would be paid handsomely for their work. The group declined, and the dwarves remarked ominously that they would be seeing each other again "very soon."
The adventurers decided it best to purchase a cart and mule to make the journey a little easier. They went ahead and purchased two carts with the intention of selling them for a profit upon arrival at Cloudharbor. However, they only purchased one mule. Gil was able to jury-rig them together effectively.
The first night on the road, the Knight's of Iron were attacked by a small swarm of giant wolf spiders. Their new mule was paralyzed in moments, but the group was able to dispatch the spiders before any real damage could be done.
Putting the Pieces Together
The new Knights of Iron made their way back to Whitehall with Verner in tow. They inquired at the Temple of Pelor, but ultimately decided it best if he was placed in the custody of the constable, whom they found less than adept at his job. Nevertheless, he accepted Mr. Verner and placed him in an empty cell.
It was divulged that Verner hired the goblins through a dwarf broker in an attempt to drive business away from Felix, whom he despised. The reason being, he wanted to see Felix fail because he didn't feel he deserved the Whitehall and he wanted it back in the hands of its rightful owner, Peter's father, Shipley. In the investigation that followed, it was learned that Shipley has a diminished mental capacity and relies on his caregiver and son, Peter, for most things.
It seems that Shipley, in his drinking and gambling, gambled away the Whitehall to Felix Blackthorn during a game of knucklebones a year ago, around the same time his mental capacities began to slip. They visited Shipley, questioned Verner, met again with Father Samuel, and spoke with Peter to put the narrative together.
Rican then did some snooping in Felix's office and pulled some cryptic letters from an individual by the name of "Z," along with some instructions for how to perform a charm of some kind, although the exact use of the spell was not apparent to any present, nor Father Samuel. To this point, no one had seemed to have any idea if Felix could even perform any sort of magic.
The biggest news of the day, however, was that the governor of Valemont, and self-described count of the Vale, Xander Aynzodel, had now declared himself emperor of all of Nostra Celeste and in opposition to this action, Temberlain Arlings, governor of Cloudharbor, had declared himself Sovereign Lord. Lord Arlings was requesting the other cities north of Stonekeep to join him in opposing Aynzodel's ludicrous claim and remaining sovereign city-states, unified in their opposition.
It was divulged that Verner hired the goblins through a dwarf broker in an attempt to drive business away from Felix, whom he despised. The reason being, he wanted to see Felix fail because he didn't feel he deserved the Whitehall and he wanted it back in the hands of its rightful owner, Peter's father, Shipley. In the investigation that followed, it was learned that Shipley has a diminished mental capacity and relies on his caregiver and son, Peter, for most things.
It seems that Shipley, in his drinking and gambling, gambled away the Whitehall to Felix Blackthorn during a game of knucklebones a year ago, around the same time his mental capacities began to slip. They visited Shipley, questioned Verner, met again with Father Samuel, and spoke with Peter to put the narrative together.
Rican then did some snooping in Felix's office and pulled some cryptic letters from an individual by the name of "Z," along with some instructions for how to perform a charm of some kind, although the exact use of the spell was not apparent to any present, nor Father Samuel. To this point, no one had seemed to have any idea if Felix could even perform any sort of magic.
The biggest news of the day, however, was that the governor of Valemont, and self-described count of the Vale, Xander Aynzodel, had now declared himself emperor of all of Nostra Celeste and in opposition to this action, Temberlain Arlings, governor of Cloudharbor, had declared himself Sovereign Lord. Lord Arlings was requesting the other cities north of Stonekeep to join him in opposing Aynzodel's ludicrous claim and remaining sovereign city-states, unified in their opposition.
Some Explanation Required
The group entered again into the old tomb and found the hobgoblin leader of the outfit to be in the mood to parlay. He asked for the adventurers' help in getting into the hidden area. The goblin troupe had heard from the survivor of the previous night that the paladin had discovered how to access the antechamber. After some deliberation, the group decided to save themselves the effort and go with the hobgoblin and his orcish bodyguard.
In the sacrificial chamber, they discovered the goblin they had spared from the night before limbless on the altar and in his place in the cage was none other than Mr. Verner! The hobgoblin let them know that Mr. Verner had hired them to terrorize the village, but that he now owed them more money due to the effective rout the adventurers had laid upon the goblin mercenaries the day before.
Inside the antechamber, the hobgoblin awoke an ancient curse, causing the 7 sarcophagi of the old Knights of Iron to rise and fullfill their oath to rise even in death to protect the land. Thinking quickly, Thormund uttered the oath of the Knights of Iron, and the risen knights then no longer considered her a foe. The other adventurers followed suit. The goblins with them fled from the tomb as fast as they could, while the orc and hobgoblin were slain by the thirteen foot tall risen form of Nathaniel the Vigilant and his seven-foot greatsword. Once the goblinoids were dispatched, the knights again went to rest in their respective places, but not before Nathaniel declared Thormund a member of the Knights of Iron and she vowed to protect the lands and the tomb. In her vow, Nathaniel bestowed upon her his sword, Fatebringer.
The group recaptured Mr. Verner and took him back to Whitehall, after questioning him for all they could discern. After the bloodshed, Ness declared he was not comfortable taking the same oath the others had taken, and he believed he had had enough adventure for one week. He thanked the others for their time and departed from their company, instead heading south toward Cloudharbor while the others turned back north toward Whitehall.
In the sacrificial chamber, they discovered the goblin they had spared from the night before limbless on the altar and in his place in the cage was none other than Mr. Verner! The hobgoblin let them know that Mr. Verner had hired them to terrorize the village, but that he now owed them more money due to the effective rout the adventurers had laid upon the goblin mercenaries the day before.
Inside the antechamber, the hobgoblin awoke an ancient curse, causing the 7 sarcophagi of the old Knights of Iron to rise and fullfill their oath to rise even in death to protect the land. Thinking quickly, Thormund uttered the oath of the Knights of Iron, and the risen knights then no longer considered her a foe. The other adventurers followed suit. The goblins with them fled from the tomb as fast as they could, while the orc and hobgoblin were slain by the thirteen foot tall risen form of Nathaniel the Vigilant and his seven-foot greatsword. Once the goblinoids were dispatched, the knights again went to rest in their respective places, but not before Nathaniel declared Thormund a member of the Knights of Iron and she vowed to protect the lands and the tomb. In her vow, Nathaniel bestowed upon her his sword, Fatebringer.
The group recaptured Mr. Verner and took him back to Whitehall, after questioning him for all they could discern. After the bloodshed, Ness declared he was not comfortable taking the same oath the others had taken, and he believed he had had enough adventure for one week. He thanked the others for their time and departed from their company, instead heading south toward Cloudharbor while the others turned back north toward Whitehall.
There and Back Again
The intrepid band of heroes returned Lizzie in the dead of night to the waiting arms of her mother and father. Jago promised he would find them tomorrow in town to give them a small token of appreciation and the group continued on to Whitehall. They arrived at the inn not long before sunrise and slept the rest of the morning. They arose after lunch and spoke with Felix.
Felix seemed thankful the goblins were taken care of and make good on his promise of payment before waiving everyone off. Before leaving, Thormund made a point to speak with the handyman, Peter. He was mucking stalls when they walked up, but wouldn't speak much about his arrangement with Felix other than they should speak with Father Samuel at the temple, which they did.
Thormund spoke well with Father Samuel and extracted quite a bit of information, such as that Peter's family had owned the Whitehall for generations before it ended up in Felix's hands a little over a year ago. Peter lives with his father, who had not been around town much since Felix took over.
After speaking with the priest, the group left town and went back to the tomb, which they found reoccupied. The bodies of the goblins were burning and a new band of guards had set up watch. After some trickery, they killed the bugbear leader and the surviving goblins retreated to the presumed safety of the tomb. The group then found themselves in nearly the exactly the same situation they were in the night before, but with a little more sunlight on their side.
Felix seemed thankful the goblins were taken care of and make good on his promise of payment before waiving everyone off. Before leaving, Thormund made a point to speak with the handyman, Peter. He was mucking stalls when they walked up, but wouldn't speak much about his arrangement with Felix other than they should speak with Father Samuel at the temple, which they did.
Thormund spoke well with Father Samuel and extracted quite a bit of information, such as that Peter's family had owned the Whitehall for generations before it ended up in Felix's hands a little over a year ago. Peter lives with his father, who had not been around town much since Felix took over.
After speaking with the priest, the group left town and went back to the tomb, which they found reoccupied. The bodies of the goblins were burning and a new band of guards had set up watch. After some trickery, they killed the bugbear leader and the surviving goblins retreated to the presumed safety of the tomb. The group then found themselves in nearly the exactly the same situation they were in the night before, but with a little more sunlight on their side.
A Fist Full of Goblins
The gang semi-cautiously entered the tomb, only to realize they were far outnumbered and the element of surprise had long passed. A bloody, two-fronted battle ensued and carried them further into the tomb. They soon found themselves inside a makeshift goblin bivouac situated within an offering room to the knights who made their final rest in the dark hall.
Battered and weary, the group pushed on, through a trapped hallway and into the inner sanctum. The paladin charged in full of zeal, only to be felled immediately by the bugbear who was lying in wait for them. Soon thereafter, the warlock fell as well and the situation seemed dire to all. Saved in the end by the quick thinking and quick hands of the other adventurers.
The bugbear soon fell, along with his priest, but his bodyguard was taken hostage. The young Elizabeth was found scared and shivering, but otherwise unharmed. They released her from her cage and replaced her with their goblin prisoner. Before leaving, the dwarf paladin unearthed a secret passage to the knights' crypt. They opted for returning the girl to her home and resting before returning to investigate.
Battered and weary, the group pushed on, through a trapped hallway and into the inner sanctum. The paladin charged in full of zeal, only to be felled immediately by the bugbear who was lying in wait for them. Soon thereafter, the warlock fell as well and the situation seemed dire to all. Saved in the end by the quick thinking and quick hands of the other adventurers.
The bugbear soon fell, along with his priest, but his bodyguard was taken hostage. The young Elizabeth was found scared and shivering, but otherwise unharmed. They released her from her cage and replaced her with their goblin prisoner. Before leaving, the dwarf paladin unearthed a secret passage to the knights' crypt. They opted for returning the girl to her home and resting before returning to investigate.
3 Dwarves, 2 Halflings, and a Human walk into a bar...
A group of previously unacquainted adventurers followed the wanted posters and promise of coin to the rural hamlet of Whitehall. There, they met with the proprietor of the Whitehall Inn, Felix Blackthorn, who had been having a goblin problem that was damaging his bottom line.
He offered 5sp per goblin ear to the strangers and they each signed an agreement with him. Satisfied, Felix set off to other matters and shortly after, Jago, the village blacksmith burst into the door, panting. He ran two miles from his homestead to find help after his family was attacked by a pack of goblins.
Seeing this as an immediate opportunity to cash in on their new work, the adventurers followed Jago back to his home where they found his wife hurt and his daughter missing. It did not take long to pick up the trail and they followed the tracks across a creek to the north and a few miles into the Amber Plains to an old tomb that had been repurposed to the goblins' needs.
Seeing an opportunity to sneak up on the creatures, the party split up and took on the lookouts from both sides. They eliminated them swiftly and silently. However, upon pressing into the tomb itself, they may have spooked the next lines of defense...
He offered 5sp per goblin ear to the strangers and they each signed an agreement with him. Satisfied, Felix set off to other matters and shortly after, Jago, the village blacksmith burst into the door, panting. He ran two miles from his homestead to find help after his family was attacked by a pack of goblins.
Seeing this as an immediate opportunity to cash in on their new work, the adventurers followed Jago back to his home where they found his wife hurt and his daughter missing. It did not take long to pick up the trail and they followed the tracks across a creek to the north and a few miles into the Amber Plains to an old tomb that had been repurposed to the goblins' needs.
Seeing an opportunity to sneak up on the creatures, the party split up and took on the lookouts from both sides. They eliminated them swiftly and silently. However, upon pressing into the tomb itself, they may have spooked the next lines of defense...