The arrived at the Keep in the Pass once again….

The wind howled alone through the break in the rugged knife ridge that ran the length of the hillrange. The southern side of the pass dominated by the fractured remains of the keep. The smashing sound of the waterfall being carried on the wind.

Larsin strengthened his grip on his morningstar and looked over at Adro and Ruselin, whom passed a large bottle back and forth between each other. Ki-Amarr mindlessly polished his orb as he leaned against the large rock on the edge of the forest.

Cerberus stood facing the door, his back to his companions. Silent and determined. His mind wandered back over the seemingly endless failures and bumbles. Without turning he strode forward toward the crumbling doorway and to the stairway beyond.

Adro snatched his bottle from the tiefling’s hands and trotted after Cerberus, the world titled slightly back and forth and a curl of a smile played at his lips…

The party reentered the dungeon to find the way they had originally gone being blocked. They went to the left and found zombies and other foul undead. They forged through them and discovered a secret door leading back into the room they had encountered the orks in.

They made their way back into the depths of the dungeon and the entrance of the dragon’s lair. The sound of the waterfall seemed to follow them wherever they were within the halls of the keep’s lower levels.

To the dismay of all the dragon was not in, but he left his treasure. The gathered up their reward and moved on down the long hall. Entering another room they were ambushed by some type of apparition and two ghouls. Cerberus fell to the foul undead, followed by Adro, and then Ruselin.

Larsin’s chest puffed forward his morningstar gripped firmly in his hands. Sweat ran down his brow, he glanced to his left at his Ki-Amarr.

Ki-Amarr was slightly crouched his orb tucked back and to his side swirling in between his hands, eldritch energy lighting up his silvery skin. The apparitions back was to them, a shadowy mass of swirling smoke and glimpses of bone. The skull like face lit with icy blue orbs materialized in its back as it began to float down the hall toward the two.

Behind it Cerberus pulled himself up on his sword, his face contorted with a feral wolflike quality. His rags had fallen and lay loosely about his neck, his hood thrown back. His teeth barred, canines extended…

The party managed to defeat the shadow creature and headed further into the dungeon. They next encountered several metallic dog-like constructs and an imp. Compared to their near deaths at the hands of the ghouls, they managed to dispatch the iron dogs with ease.

They entered the mystical glowing archway, “End it with Valor”. Up a flight of stairs they ascended to a peculiar room lined with spikes. One by one they entered the room.

Adro sprinted to catch up with his companions, the strong western winds blowing at his back. He glanced nervously over his shoulder would that black dragon follow? As the rest of the group pulled Cerberus down the pass and into the edge of the forest, Ruselin turned and waved to his old friend.

It was Larsin whom remembered the old hermit Natres of the Wild. A man estranged from the village long ago, the reason Larsin could not recall. That was not all he could recall, the location of the hermits residence was yet another thing.

The party needed supplies and a life could possibly be in danger, especially since the group had encountered and failed to defeat a menacing black dragon. They still had no sign of Ashn Nites, Larsin’s younger brother.

The party traveled out into the countryside bound to find some sign of Natres. Perhaps he could resupply them. After a day of following the wrong trail, they hapless adventurers stumbled upon a warband of Hobgoblins. They dispatched them, leaving no survivors and rested, making sure to keep watch.

The following day the party took up the hunt for this wild hermit. Nearing the end of the day they came upon a clearing dominated by a large rock formation jutting from the sloped hillside. Upon entering the clearing the jumble of rocks atop the large formation appeared to be a makeshift home.

Natres after much reluctance offered to help the group resupply with what he had…. for a price. Natres had decided it was time to move on now that Mistgrove had been destroyed.

The following morning the group parted company with Natres as he headed east to the river and the ruins of Mistgrove. The group determined to defeat the dragon and claim some clue as to Larsin’s missing brother.

Ruselin had been outriding in the north with Gabrius’ men when Larsin in a fit of passion headed south. Adro and Ki-Amarr managed to catch up to him before he got to far.

Adro and Larsin struggled against the heavy currents of the snow-engorged river. Ki-Amarr noticed smoke around the next oxbow, he reached down and rested his hand upon Larsin’s shoulder. In expectation Larsin turned and a shudder wracked his body as he laid his eyes upon the twisted and charred ruins of his home.

Mistgrove was destroyed and all but one of the towns inhabitants had been accounted for, Larsin’s younger brother. Following the tracks the group ventured west into the hillside to find the culprits. They discovered an abandon keep in the knife ridge pass.

After defeating orcs and some kobolds the party rested for the night outside, only to be joined by Cerberus and Ruselin in the morning. Cerberus explained that he had been kidnapped by a drow woman and hauled off to Isca where a large jawed man with one eye interrogated him. He gained his freedom from a two-faced dungeon assistant. He fled east and ended up bruised and battered in Lynd where Ruselin recognized him before Ruselin set out for his fellows.

The party ventured back into the abandon watchtower’s lower levels. After defeating several more kobolds they matched forces with a black dragon. The battle was looking good when it turned for the worst for the hardy adventurers. They were forced to flee the dragon, dragging Cerberus from the dungeon.

The party headed back to Briarwood to discover that Cerberus had disappeared after returning Akalum. They also discovered the favorite watering hole of the locals, The Floating Tankard had been whisked away in the night. Low on funds the party accepted a job from Melwes Albyea, to find her missing tavern.

Opting out of heading north were crusaders for a Kord/Pelor Lightbringer sect had ambushed the Harkunian Ambassadors and scattered the small group across the countryside. Or heading east were rumors where emanating that Merl’kuri emissaries had taken up residence in Narakia Pass.

West the stalwart group headed. As they traveled the lightly forested plateau gave way to moist and thickly knotted forested foothills. Following the Iscurn River the group scoured the riverbanks and investigated at settlements hoping to discover the whereabouts of the missing tavern.

A tall lonesome spire rose away from the river bank up ahead. It must be the town of Lynd, ruled by Lord Gabrius of Lynd Tower. The party trudged forward toward the town, scanning the river and the docks for the missing barge.

The cobbled stone walls surround Lynd were a mighty fifteen feet in height. As the group approached the eastern gate they found themselves waiting in a small line of farmers and fishers.

They spoke of the crusaders in the north. People missing in the night. Raids in the south. Strangers all about in the night. As they reached the gates they were greeted by a watch-weary guardsman, “State yer business.”

The party proceeded inside heading straight for the tower and the manor of Lord Gabrius. The town was small, tall and clustered for hiding behind such impressive walls.

Lord Gabrius’ son Jenic met the group in the courtyard, “ Welcom travelers to my father’s home and the town of Lynd. What news do you bring?”

After settling in the small town of Lynd the group discovered that Larsin’s home in the southern vales had been attacked.

They traveled back to the edge of the wild lands and left Cereberus with young Akalum.

Larsin washed his hands in the icy waters of Broude’s Creek. Adro, Ruselin, and Cerberus stood near to Akalum, whom was huddled beneath blankets on the ground.

“I cannot go south to Reydjen’s manor,” Cerberus said flatly as he turned his gaze south down the dirt road.

“Not after stealing his horses,” Ruselin chuckled.

“You should take Akalum north to Briarwood,” Adro stated as he pulled the cork free from his ale jug. Larsin walked from the creek bank to Akalum and dabbed his forehead with a wet rag.

“We should decide soon,” Larsin said as he looked up at his companions. Cerberus knelt down and scooped Akalum from the ground. They watched as he forged the shallows of Broude’s Creek.

They headed to Reydjen’s manor to serve the Charter of Summons.

Adro, Ruselin, Ki-Amarr and Ruselin stood in the Great Hall of Lord Reydjen. Finally there was to be a quiet moment in the bustling manor. A long dark table dominated the room, covered with maps and documents, a blazing fire warring against the cold radiating from the stonewalls.

Talos stood gazing at the fire his hands crossed behind his back. Reydjen leaned over the head of the table staring down at the wonderment of papers his lips pursed. His eyes focused on the parchment that had recently been handed to him. Reydjen scratched his red scruff and ran a hand through his hair. He turned away from the party, looking up at the ceiling.

The crackle of the fire breaking the silence, as he one again turned to face the party. Talos had also turned to face the party his arms folded across his chest, his nose turned up as he looked on.

“I cannot go. There are matters of grave import that I must attend to.” He fell into his chair picking up the parchment and looking over it at Adro and Ki-Amarr in turn.

“I will send Talos in my place. He is a good friend and trusted advisor; he knows my wishes and will represent me fairly. This is all on the matter.”

They arrived to find the manor a hub of activity. Five Nobles had set up their tents around the lord’s manor. Once inside they served the Summons and Reydjen balked at them. After staying for dinner the players were allowed to take Talos back in Reydjen’s place. After asking around they learned that the soldiers were mustered to fight bandits in the foothills in the east.

Ki-Amarr put on a wonderful show for the court and was offered a job working for Reydjen, he initially excepted, but got cold feet when he was faced with the prospect of a 2 month contract. He promised to return and work for Reydjen.

As the group travelled north they encountered Umberto, the Dragonborn fighter that had lost to Cerberus’ sister, staggering down the road that parallels the river. He was alone and confessed to being attacked by gnolls in the eastern foothills.

The Group returned south to Teofilo’s lands with the news that they had acquired the Charter. Outraged Teofilo sent them once again to Reydjen’s lands and off the group went.

First to the Lightbringer Monastery to find some trace of Akalum. Into the depths the players went, they explored the Monastery itself only to find traces of its former inhabitants but no survivors. Heads with spider legs coming from them assailed the party. Ruse located some red hairs in one of the bed chambers. Finally they found a secret passage into a hidden catacomb. They ventured forth into the catacombs, meanwhile their new Harkunian Genasi Friend, Ki-Amarr was busy trying to uncover the ground beneath the lifting platform on the far side of the complex.

After catching up with the party they reached a large room at the end of a long hall dedicated to the Reydjen Family. While attempting to desecrate an ornate sarcophagus Ruselin disturbed some twisted flying heads that where hanging from the ceiling. They descended upon the party. They found nothing inside the coffin. They ventured forth. At a turn in the catacombs Adro lost his footing and slipped into an underground stream. It swept him away underground. The remainder of the party fled down deeper into the catacombs. While searching for Adro they heard another voice from beyond the stream, coming from a dark crack. After recovering Adro they went forward to discover….. Akalum cowering in the dark. They tended to him and turned to leave. As they were exiting the heavily warded crack, the torches flickered and the light dimmed.

Inside the catacombs the remains of all those skeletons were animating and trying to kill the party. Their new member, Ki-Amarr, blasted his way through the halls with his powerful Harkunian magic.

Ki-Amarr sifted his feet into the ash of one of the monasteries burned outbuildings, the hole next to him leading to the vaulted loading chamber below. Adro and Ruselin huddled ner the entrance watching the main doors of the squat stone monastery. From within the inky black darkness of the doorway movement was hinted at.

A tattered skelton shambled out onto the veranda, following behind another skeleton and another. Soon the darkness beyond was a twitching mass of ragged yellow bones.

Akalum moaned and curled into a tighter ball at Cerberus’ feet. He reached down and scooped him up into his arms, “We have to get him out of here.”

Adro stepped into the courtyard and loosed an arrow into one of the skeleton’s head, it staggered forward and fell down the stairs. The veranda was completely covered in skeletons. An arcane bolt slid another skeleton back into the tangle of undead, Ki-Amarr stood alongside Adro holding his orb in his grasp, the air around it alive with magical energies.

Larsin called up from the darkness of the loading chamber below. Thinking quickly the group began operating the ramshackle loading platform, cranking it up as the skeletons crept closer.

Adro fired another arrow into the mass of skeletons, the army of skeletons was almost upon them. Ruselin reached down and hoisted Larsin from the loading platform. Cerberus smashed through the flimsy fire-battered wall in the back of the building. The party followed into the night.

Outside the party thought it best to flee the skeletons rather than fight a losing battle. They turned and ran into the countryside.

The Group recovered from their wounds and headed north back to Briarwood to try and gain an audience with Spearnum of Briarwood.

Ruselin tugged at the tight fitting tunic emblazoned with the twin horses of the Teofilo heraldry. The crowds moved and shuffled around and through the tents and pavilions arrayed around the town of Briarwood. The people had gathered for the Fall Festival…

…A wild haired water genasi woman approached them adorned in a heavy white and blue toga, her traveling companion a tall and well groomed gnoll. The party stared as they passed by…

…A man put the green flaming sword into his mouth point down and began to swallow the weapon…

…They watched a puppet show with an actual fire breathing dragon puppet torch another of the puppets…

…Talos stood near the stands laughing with a group of lords; both northern and southern… …Cerberus pulled his scarf up further and his hood down a little further as the dragonborn fighter Umberto walked past holding his belly and laughing, “the girl is a devil. Wicked magic at work my friends, Wicked!”

Cerberus walked into the circle his eyes on his father standing behind the young girl. A master stepped forward between to the two combatants. He waited a moment and eyed the two and announced as he stepped back, “Duel”

Cerberus stepped forward and to the side his blade flying true toward its mark. As it neared its home he heard the master call out “Point” He looked down to see the girl’s wooden blade pressed into his stomach. Anger surged over him, he could feel the animal nature begin to take hold, he held it back as the crowd roared around him.

The arrived in Briarwood to discover the Fall Festival was in full swing and they where to represent Lord Teofilo. There where many things to see; civilized gnolls, Genasi, sword-fighting youths and many knights fighting. The Harkunians where there as was the Southern Gratian Lords including Cereberus’ father. The Group also noticed Talos was in attendance in representation of Reydjen.

The party meant with Heladio to inform him they still hadn’t discovered the whereabouts of Akalum and they requested their audience with Spearnum. Cereberus found he had a young sister that was a master swordwoman at the young age of 5, even he was unable to get a point on her. Defeated and disappointed Cereberus returned to the camp. Cereberus determined to go out and find more about his family was ready to leave when the party was waylaid by Alcander the Harbinger and a group of Lathasian Shadowblessed. The party was able to dispatch the Shadowblessed but Alcander managed to escape.

Spearnum, very weary from so much, met with the Teofilo’s Representatives. After hearing their story he allowed them a Charter of Summons to bring Reydjen to Spearnum’s court for a proper hearing.

Cerberus decided it would be best to get the wounded to the Scholar Antonio back at Reydjen’s manor. With the some quick thinking they wrapped Ser Damen’s face with bloody bandages to keep him from being discovered by Reydjen. After a days ride the group arrived at Reydjen’s modest manor, a squat two story keep surrounded by a dried out wood picket fence. Inside three sellswords were buys readying themselves for outriding.

Antonio, the master, was eager to help and promised not to mention anything of Ser Damen for a small price of 25 gold pieces. Talos the knight in charge of the sellswords arrived in the doorway to Antonio’s hovel and informed Cerberus that he would need to have a full report ready for Reydjen.

Damen and Adro were lying on filthy cots in a small hovel outside of Reydjen’s Manor house. The Master Antonio, Cerberus and Ruselin were standing in the doorway discussing a plan quietly.

The master walked back and stuck the purse beneath Damen’s cot. Ruseling rested his hand on his sword hilt as he looked at his long time friend. Cerberus wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The room was suddenly overwhelmed with a new presence.

Standing in the doorway was a tall perfect Gratian specimen of warrior; olive skin, long straight black hair, a muscled build and not a hair or thread out of place. “Outrider. Lord Reydjen demands your presence immediately,” his voice a rich and dark tone. He glanced down at the two men lying wounded, he turned his nose and exited.

Ruselin and Cerberus formed an elaborate lie to tell to Reydjen and went before the lord. Reydjen heard the story out and decided to put Ruselin and his two remaining companions up at the smithy’s shop and sent Cerberus directly back into the field on an outriding expedition. It was good for Adro and Damen to have a few warm meals and some warm straw. But Ruselin couldn’t keep well enough alone and when a group of nine riders arrived in the village he felt compelled to see what the riders were all about.

An hour outside the village to the north Cerberus awaited the arrival of his new friends in a small copse of trees alongside the road when he was found by one of his fellow sellswords. It was from this man that he discovered that Reydjen had uncovered some mine in the foothills out past the monastery.

Back at the manor Ruselin was listening at the door of the keep, where he heard a heated argument between a woman and Reydjen. From the story you heard, it sounds like Reydjen went back on a deal and after some threats the woman burst into the courtyard. With anger she went to the stables were her and her eight men mounted there horses. Ruselin caught a glimpse of them, all seemed to be heavily armored with huge shoulder pads and the woman had the pale skin and fiery red hair of the Korven people of the east.

He rushed back to the smithy, rounded Ser Damen and Adro up and fled to meet with Cerberus. The four met up and exchanged stories while the road north toward Teofilo’s lands. They were met by another sellsword rider and informed that the small village the adventurers had originally stayed in when they crossed into Reydjen’s lands had been attacked by gnolls and razed. Too wounded to offer any assistance, the adventurers fled north across the ford and back to Teofilo’s lands. Ruselin and Adro helped Damen up the flagstone steps to the large wooden doors of his ancestral home. His sandy blonde head hanging low as the door creaked open. He raised his head to gaze upon a familiar face, but to no avail, before him stood a tall cleric wearing the robes of the Lightbringers of Pelor his gaze an intent one on Damen.

The young man smiled down at Damen as he reached out and helped him through the doors. He introduced himself, “I am Larsin Nites, Lightbringer of Pelor, hailing from the town of Mistgrove in the west. It is good to meet you Ser Damen of House Teofilo.”

They arrived safely and Teofilo was glad to have his son returned. They recounted their tale and told of the burned monastery and all that they had learned south of the ford. Teofilo hired them as his personal scouts to find out more of what was happening in the south. First they had to return to Briarwood and inform Heladio and hopefully Lord Spernum of the dealings in the south.