As our intrepid party reached Trestin's Keep City, a name was finally decided upon. From that point forward, they were to be known as "The Doom Blades." Trestin's Keep loomed large ahead, and they noted on their approach that caravans were entering the Keep at slow pace. Once in line, Calaban went on a journey to find more information among the groups waiting to enter.
Rumors were flying around freely, and Calaban was able to find out more than he had bargained for. First, One-Stab Rick, an old friend of Calaban's, was finally free from prison and was looking to start a new syndicate. Others were talking about the rumors that the Adventuring Guild was having difficulty with postings for fake jobs leading nowhere. Lastly, the rumors of rebellion in the Reach were growing with rumors of skirmishes between the Reach and Keep, and that the coming tournament was meant to be an embarrassment for the Reach. The Incident at Traevenshire was also brought up frequently in the rumors regarding the Reach.
After entering with a provisional acceptance around the early evening, the group settled their sights on the adventuring guild of Trestin's Keep, the first of its kind, a large building complete with statues of famous adventurers. They checked in, and after selecting a mission (deciding that the Silver Stag mission was one of the fakes, they decided on The Grayt Haunt!) decided to take up residence in one of the guild's rooms.
After resting, the group decided to meet Brandirr Skullcleaver (the issuer of the hunt) at the Roaring Knight Inn (a three story Inn, one level being a dwarven greathall, the next a human pub, and then an elven bar topped with a glass dome). Brandirr was to be found atop a table singing loudly with a flagon of ale as his fellow hunters chanted around him. The Doom Blades spoke with him after the chant, and he reminisced about his ill-fated time with various adventuring groups (and discovering his lack of respect for authority or common decency). He explained the terms of the Haunt, and to give the group a fighting chance divulged to prime targets. The Haunt would be a standard Dwarven affair judged by his loyal friend Durf. After returning with quarry, the group would be expected to issue a series of boasts.
The group decided to leave the next day (as they had already paid for the night at the Guild). Leaving the next day, they ran into a group of dwarves on the road to their prey. The dwarves could not be dissuaded from their course and would endeavor to beat the Doomblades there.
That night, the group set up watch and saw a mysterious gathering of clouds. Orianna and Tibeldorf identified it as either the arrival of a storm or cloud giant. Further, Orianna saw a small stage coach travelling in their direction by lantern light, that would arrive that morning.
That morning, the group decided to observe the giant at a distance and found it was a cloud giant (much less fearsome than its storm cousin). Deciding that it was more impressive than their current objective (a swamp hydra), the group first decided they needed to determine the giant's alignment.
Calaban played the part of a young child looking for the directions to the Keep. The giant made hostile gestures and then lied about the direction. Calaban reluctantly took his direction, and ended up separated from the group. The cloud giant sprinted after him, attacking as Calaban tried to double back around to the party, leaving him grievously injured. Fortunately, Tibeldorf arrived shortly upon Orianna who had transformed into a horse, picking up Calaban as the cloud giant fumbled his gigantic morning star.
After time to prepare and have Orianna heal Caliban, the group decided to attack again. Orianna lead off summoning eight stallions to distract the great humanoid and using his own cloud to channel lightning directly into its enormous frame. Calaban and Tibeldorf took turns unleashing their furious vengeance, but ultimately it was one of the horses who would claim the kill.
On the way back with the head of the giant, the group noticed the stage coach had stopped by their wagon, and then decided to continue on.
Back at the Roaring Knight, the group had great success in boasting, and had the bar buying them rounds upon rounds of drinks and shouting their name. One human was not amused and shouted from the back at Tibeldorf (whose name was among those called out).
"But, he isn't tough as Greg!"
The room was split, half calling Greg, the other half Tibeldorf and Doom Blades. Orianna decided to make her way to a shop owned by a local Druid.
Tibeldorf decided to find Greg and teach him who truly was the toughest. Followed by his fans, Tibeldorf found Greg in the Human Pub story of the Roaring Knight, and bought him a drink and invited him to see the cloud giant's severed head. Greg was displeased that he was interrupted in the middle of telling the story of putting some guy in a headlock, so much so, that he missed Calaban pick pocketing his sword.
Greg was clearly impressed by the size of the cloud giant, but only managed a few nonsensical snide remarks before noticing Calaban had his sword, attacking the two before being put in a headlock by Tibeldorf, and given a wet willie and a kick in the ribs by Calaban (which Orianna witnessed on her way back, but gladly accepted her comrades' explanation).
Deciding their quarry wasn't suitable enough on its own, they decided to hunt a dragon hatchling that local kobolds may be serving. On the way Orianna fixed (and Calaban sabotaged) another groups wagon, before scouting the terrain for six caves nearby. The group decided to pick a path that had many tracks, but no party wagons nearby.
Inside they came upon some resistance by Kobolds and Dragonborn. The last dragon born decided to abandon the fight and speak reason to the party. His master had not hatched yet, he very well could be the last of his kind, the legendary Dracca of old, one of which, the Red Lord, had besieged the country of Parlas a few years before. It was his assertion that his master would put the natural order right, and punish the gods for their arrogance in creating this mess.
The party had a choice to make.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment