Path to Essembra Part 2) Asbravn Extortion

The Darkhold-based Zhentarim have a scheme going with several farmers that come to Asbravn to sell their crops. The farmers are in debt beyond their means to pay with several years of harvest and the Zhents have begun to threaten property damage or worse (take children to sell for slavery) for the interest payments.

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On the Dusk Road

The adventure begins as the party was several miles from the outskirts of Asbravn, a small hamlet that serves as the market for farmers of the Shining Plains to the south.

We rescued a caravan bound Westward from Zhent scum. But one wagon remained, along with its last mercenary guard and owner, Jervis. Jervis Prefit was extremely grateful for the rescue and explained what has been happening in his town for the past 6 months:

“Times ‘a been hard in Asbravn. Chauntea didn’t bless our harvest last fall, an many of us ran into money trouble. Some folk been so desperate, they’d borrow from folk I’d never look in the eye, let alone owe coin to. Latha, Emra an myself decided to head fer Hill’s Edge about a ten-day ago. I have kin up there that woulda lent me some coin. Figured we’re too broke for any highway bandits to be worth a trouble, an too old to end up as Zhent slaves. But Beshaba’s brats, we were kidnapped just ‘a same, by beastfolk outta them woods. Turns my stomach the things they did to my friends, same as wouldda happen a me, but Ilmater heard my prayers and sent you fine folk. When we get back, my wife Dora is gonna fill your stomachs up with the heartiest beef this side of the Innersea she will. Oh yes, an corn an gravy an pumpkin pie. We also got ‘re hands on some sweet Saerloonian Glowfire* that we’da saved for special occaision, just wait tillit hits your lips. Umm-mm.”

*Saerloonian Glowfire: Pale charteuse wine, renowned for its faint luminescence, neither sweet nor very dry and has a taste reminiscent of pears.

We welcomed the caravan guard into our group, not much to say about him 'side from his being from "The Moonsea."

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Not a few hours later, we spotted a wyvern or drake high in the sky, with what appeared to be a a rider. Then, in the distance, a messenger upon horseback rides towards the party. The horse stumbles and lets out a loud noise of pain as it crashes to the ground, the rider is thrown fast and hard.

As we approached, we saw a group of 3 men wearing the garb of soldiers around the fallen rider. Although the rider looks seriously injured, the men appear to be robbing him.

The man is Maxer Tolan, a hired hand of an Asbravn mill worker on assignment from the mayor. He carried a note addressed to Lady Rhesajan Ambermantle, ruler of Scornubel, requesting aid. The note explains that the town is being threatened by Zhentarim out of Darkhold to repay debts. The mayor uses the word extortion several times and warns the Lady and her merchant advisors that the price of Asbravn crops will have to be doubled this harvestide if something is not done about the situation.

Upon realizing these soldiers were Zhent, we eliminated them.

We past one last caravan before entering Asbravn, and inquired what they'd seen on the road. They described man that must have been possessed by demons. They speculate his caravan was attacked by troops, and they passed him hastely instead of offering help. They described the picture below.

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Rumors & News

1) Zhentilar soldiers out of darkhold have been harassing farmers

2) Red Shield mercenaries have asked about the party

3) A stranger was in town a few days ago, asking about a party meeting the description of the characters. Neither Red Shield nor Zhent, this man gave everyone the creeps. Spiked armor as black as pitch, silver hair greased back with a widow’s peak and a long, jagged scar running down the right side of his face. His eyes were black and without pupils. Headed East toward Iriaebor.

While in town, we encountered Zhentilar soldiers are harassing a farmer and his daughter while in town. We overheard:

Farmer : “By all the watching gods, that is too much ! I cannot hope to pay that in 5 winters worth of sales!”

Zhent: “There are other methods of payment to be sure.” He eyes the daughter, who cowers behind her father.

Farmer: “I’ll see you in the 9 hells before you touch her scum !” the farmer shouts. Zhent backhands him

Zhent: “Watch your tongue pig-farmer lest I remove it. You have one day to figure it out or we’ll figure it for you.”

Some of the more brash members of the group decided to burst into the cottage and attack. During the battle, the mercenary turned on us and nearly slew Amiar from behind. We defeated him and the Zhents, and when it was finished, the merc put a dagger through his own heart rather than become our prisoner.

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We made our way to Asbravn's mayor, Turko Breem, who explained to us the Zhentilar representative, M’Laeral Ozamedye, was trying to get the town to pay a tax to Darkhold to cover the farmer’s debt. The tax will not only cover the debt interest payments, but also pay for protection against any outside aggressors.

He had learned both his messengers to Scornubel and Iriaebor were intercepted and either killed or captured. Now he was uncertain how much longer they could go without help.

Our conversation was interrupted by no other than M’Laeral herself, flanked by 4 Zhentilar soldiers.

“My, my….adventurers. I can think of no better an occupation to pay homage to the Black Bess. What say you hirespell? Kneel before me and proclaim Beshaba the one true goddess of fate, lest you seek the ire of the Maid of Misfortune!”

All of us kneeled and admitted Beshaba was indeed the goddess of ill luck:

“You are wise. Always remember who controls your destiny, less an unfortunate accident end your careers prematurely.”

Ovak however, refused to kneel, causing a toothy smile to slowly form on her face. “Watch well your backs fool, for accidents happen even to the well prepared.”

“And you Breem , I expect payment upon my return at highsun tomorrow or we will no longer be able to garuantee the safety of this village.” She and her accompanyment departed.

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Our plan was to make a deal with the garrisoned soliders in the town. Seemed they really hated and feared this woman, so perhaps they'd stay out of the way when we took her down. Turns out we were right, only 2 soldiers were by her side when we invaded the windmill she had taken for a base.

She proved a terrible foe, and before the battle was over, the mill burned to the ground and the life-force of Ovak was snuffed out forever.

The funeral was brief, for we had to move on before the troops decided to alter our arrangement.

With Ozamedye out of the picture, the Zhents had no leadership for the time being, and we could warn Iriaebor of the troubles here before the Zhents could send a new captain.

With heavy hearts, we moved on toward Essembra.

The Path to Essembra Part 1) Through the Reaching Wood

“Kythorn”, 6^th month in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR.

The party learns that a group matching their description escaped from prison and is wanted by the Red Shields for questioning relating to an incident in which several monstrous-sized spiders are believed responsible for the deaths of 3 people. A 200 gp reward has been offered for information leading to their capture.

This situation has made travel via the River Chionthar and the Uldoon Trail unsafe. The ranger Evendur suggests a path through the Reaching Wood that is not well known. Once out of the wood, the group can pick up the Dusk Road and continue south to Asbravn. We estimated it would take us about 8 days to cross the wood.

It’s hot and humid, even in the forest shade (90^oF daytime/82 ^oF night).

By the middle of the 3^rd day of travel, the party spotted a dirty-looking man standing on the trail ahead of them. The man is in bad need of both a bath and a shave and wears tattered brown rags with many stains. As we approached he asked our business in the Reaching Woods. Though we explained our desire to pass in peace, he will explained that the woods belong to the People of the Black Blood and that all passage required a toll to guarantee safety…..all of our gold. When we refused, he issued a stern warning and walked into the woods.

Several hours later, we came across the body of a ravaged male human corpse. Appeared to have been a farmer or peasent in his early 30’s, his torso has been opened, ribcage cracked apart and most internal organs had been removed. Both hands have also been removed at the wrist. A look of wide-eyed terror remained on his face as well as a beast-claw shaped symbol painted in now-caked blood upon his forehead.

The morning of our 4th day, we heard the sounds of something rushing towards us through the forest. A young man in dirty, tattered clothes burst through the trees and continues running down the trail. Upon his forehead was the symbol of a beast-chaped claw painted in the man’s own blood. He was scared out of his wits and was beyond communication. We soone discovered what he was running from…….a Black Blood hunting pack intended to sacrifice him to Malar, and decided we would be more appealing to their god.

We slew several of the beasts, and then gave chase into the thickets to finish off the rest. Beshaba be cursed however, as we believe at least one escaped to warn the rest of his tribe.

We continued onward, and bedded down for the evening and among a small copse of shadowtops. After but a few hour, we were startled by a rather loud voice emitnating from the air itself. The voice was a deep baritone, spoke chondathan and wanted to know what we were doing in the Reaching Woods. The source of the voice, as we discovered, was what at first had appeared to be a shadowtop tree. The treant, which calls itself Deeproot, hadn’t spoken with humanoids in many years and was curious for news of the world beyond the wood. Deeproot knew of the Black Blood cultists but payed them little mind since they respected the trees. He gave us the location of their fortress and bid us well on our journey.

Realizing that we would be continually hounded by these cultists throughout the wood, we decided to strike at the heart of their forces. Though challenging, we destroyed the group leaders in their woodland fortress, chased away the cowards that remained, and continued our journey through the rest of the wood in peace.

Scornubel, the Caravan City. Part 3

We had been beaten bad in search of T’lainith but succeed in locating his body. It is not known what caused his death exactly, but on his body is a suit of elven chain and the sword, Aruteth Tell’Quesiir. It’s blue flames die down when M’ssema holds it.

When they reach the surface, Bronwyn announces to the party her decision to leave in pursuit of her destiny. Barrekh also departs however, he agrees to meet up with the party in 20 days.

Before we can leave the city, we were attacked by 2 giant spiders. A long-bearded man with spectacles rushed out shouting: “ Don’t hurt them!” This man was Ikenythosis or ‘Ike’, a sage and expert on arachnids. He pleaded for the adventurers to subdue the creatures only, and then requests their aid in rounding up his other escaped specimens. We agreed.....can't remember why exactly.

The spiders have been on the loose for barely 20 minutes and haven’t gotten very far. There are about 15 of them within a ½ mile radius, most have crawled into residential houses or storage barns. Many citizens started shouting and screaming for help

Red Shields. The Red Shields responded to the alarm and began to exterminate the spiders where they found them.

Chaszmyr the Arachnomancer. At the root of the problem, we found a drow elf in the basement of one establishment, along with 4 of the escaped spiders and 2 of his own. He was interested in keeping the specimens and tried to kill us.

Scornubel, the Caravan City. Part 2

The Seekers

Mirtul, 5^th month in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR.

M’ssema, Amiar, Ovak, Bronwyn, Barrek

We began our search for the horse merchant. The city was huge and shifting, without many permanent structures, and much time passed as we slowly narrowed down the suspects. Bronwyn returned to aid us, with her was a seedy warrior from the south. The two made an interesting pair.

We found a shopkeeper who seemed unusual. He invited us inside and when in private, explained who he is and why M’ssemas family was murdered. He suggested that they leave as a group on the morrow and head toward the Tower of Life.

That night, a pair of lamias attempted to assassinate the uncle, the merchant owner, Senma Quickfoot and several guards. They succeed in all save T’lainith, who escapes into the underground passageways. A third Lamia also attempts to assassinate M’ssema by disguising as a party member.

The Lamias then assumed the form of the Merchant and Senma and accused us of killing their guards. The Red Shields had arrived on the scene quickly arrested us. We were tossed in a local prison and were told in a few months, we would be put before a magistrate. We decided not to stay and escaped into the underground beneath the prison.

We returned to the ranch that night, and confronted the creatures still posing as the merchant owner and Senma the stable hand, they immediately attempted to flee. We eliminated them.

Following an entrance to the now familiar underground, we tracked T’lainith to where his mortally wounded body lay. He presented the sword and bid farewell. Getting out was another issue entirely, a nasty roper nearly made us into a light snack.

M’sema learns the person responsible for his family’s murder is Aravilar Starshadow, an elven mage who resides in the Eldreth Veluuthra base known as “The Tower of Life”. This base is reported to be in the woods of Cormanthor, and M’ssemas uncle draws them a map of the approximate location. They will need a scout of some kind to find the tower, as it is cloaked in magic.

With this knowledge, M’ssema decides he must travel to Essembra in the Cormanthor Forest. Bronwyn left the group to seek her destiny in the Old Empires. Only the gods can say if our paths will cross again one day. Barrek too had business elsewhere, but agreed to meet us in Sembia. We made preparations for an overland journey east.

Scornubel, the Caravan City. Part 1 "Ovak's Rescue"

Ovak’s Rescue

Alturiak, 2^nd month in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR.

M’ssema, Amiar & Ovak. Phoon (NPC).

Ovak learns he is in debt 250,000 gp + interest. A powerful merchant family in Westgate has put a bounty of 2,000 gp on his head. His captors wonder as to the possible punishment, for the family is said to have ties with the infamous Night Masks thieves guild.

Murroh scrys the location of Ovak. Within hours he confirms the location of a portal that will lead into the Nightshade Nightclub in Scornubel. A sister base, long abandoned, lies in the hills NorthEast of Goldenfields. A portal exists at the foot of a rocky outcropping. The Priest-Librarian has also found a reference in an adventurer’s journal that claims holding a lit candle in one’s left hand will allow access. This is not without danger, for portals are powerful wizardry. There are stories of portals leading into extremely inhospitible places and sometimes instantly fatal. There is but one way to be certain where this one leads.

Phoon Bel’Akash of Calimshan
LN Monk 6 of the Sunsoul Order. Air Genasai.

Guild of The Secondstory Men

Well hidden, this thieves guild and hideout is often used by bounty hunters in the employ of the Night Masks. The guild is an interesting organization of three semi-independent thieving groups. Each group is housed on one of the floors, with a master thief residing among his/her brethren. The Secondstory Men operate only in Scornubel and have no ambitions to expand beyond the city. Under the leadership of Redref, the guide has prospered for the past two winters, the guildsmen have had full purses and each branch operates in tolerance of the other. Redref coordinates with Pelindar to keep the Nightshade staffed with security and he also collects rent from the other two operations in the base, Kemen’s Bounty Hunters and the Yuan-Ti slavers.

The age of the complex is unknown, but is said to have been constructed by the Wondermen (see pg 107 of Volo’s Guide to the Sword Coast). It has been warded to prevent the spread of fire and contains many portals, not all of which are known.

The party appeared through a large rock that acted as a portal, much to the surprise of Kemen. This room also contained two other shackled prisoners, one human beaten to within an inch of his life and Phoon Bel’Akash, diplomatic prisoner and powerful monk.

Despite the surprise, the group barely survives the fight with their lives. A silver-tongued Ovak makes a deal with the Second Story thieves guild to let them pass unharmed.

Secomber part 2: The Color of Ambition

Hammer, 1^st month in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR.

Bronwyn, Amiar & M’ssema.

Pickpocket Peddlers – A gang of thieves masquerading as street peddlers picks the pockets of people who look over their wares in a street fair. A trinket shop owner provides the wares in return for a percentage of the stolen money. The group puts a stop to the gang, after discovering they are wererats.

Kizzaf, a minor wizard in Thayan Enclave, makes coin on the side by selling victims into slavery. She tries to do this to M'ssemma and Bronwyn. Fortune however, was with the group and they ended the Red Wizard's little enterprise.

True to his word, Murroh revealed our destiny. Bronwyn is to seek the council of her Step-father, Amiar will benefit from reading the tome Unique Mageries and M’ssema must find and speak with his uncle in the Caravan City. Bronwyn departed for Golden Fields and agreed to meet us in Scornubel in three Ten-days.

Before M’ssema or Amiar left Secomber, the Priest-Librarian informed us that Ovak is in danger. We were made aware of a Portal that will take us near Ovak’s location and make haste to use it.

Bronwyn

Bronwyn (Iset) 5^th lvl Paladin of Tyr

LG Aasimar Female Western Heartlands Tyr (Isis)

HP 53

Fort +8 Ref +4 Will +4

AC 19

STR 14 DEX 13 CON 14 INT 14 WIS 13 CHA 14

Languages Common, Chondathan

Items Mace +2 Undead Bane (+3, x2 dmg), breastplate, potion of healing x2, shield +1, holywater, neutralize poison, cloak or resistance +1, longsword +1

The young paladin returned to Goldenfields in the waning days of summer in the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR. Armed with the knowledge that her mother lives, Bronwyn was determined to extract the truth from the man who raised her, Darvin Trueseed. Darvin was a simple farmer who believed in the value of a hard days work. To his credit, he raised a fine daughter and instilled in her strong values and the will to stand up for those who could not do so for themselves.

This uncomplicated man however, had preferred to live a lie for so long that he believed it truth. When his adopted daughter returned home with the experiences of the road in her eyes and the passion to know who she was, Darvin Trueseed could lie to her no further. Although Bronwyn had been raised to remember her mother as Lhondrah, this was not a true name. The name ‘Bronwyn’ as well, was not the one given to her from birth. These names were masks to hide the mother & daughter from a violent and dangerous past. The true name of her mother is Sefris and the paladin’s true name is ….. Iset.

Here is the surmised history as closely as you can interpret from the understandings of Darvin:

(dates in parenthesis refer to the Mulhorandi calender, origin circa -2135 DR)

1330 DR (3463 MR) Birth of Sefris Hecate - Skuld, Capital City of the Mulhorandi Empire

Sefris is born in the City of Gods to aristocratic parents in the service of the god-kings. She is the great grandaughter of Isis, goddess of weather, good magic and love, and becomes a priestess dedicated to her.

1354 DR (3488 MR) Sefris Weds

Sekhemmet, a Paladin of Horus-Re, takes Sefris as his wife.

1357 DR (3490 MR) Birth of Iset (Bronwyn) - Unthalass, Capital City of Unther

Bronwyn born as Iset (meaning “Isis is beautiful” in the Mulhorandi tongue). Her parents lead an underground resistance against the Tyrant-King Gilgeam, supreme ruler and god of the lands of Unther.

1358 DR (3493 MR) The Time of Troubles

Gilgeam slain by Tiamat, chaos reigns in Unther as the country falls into civil war. Sekhemmet is slain by the personal assasin of Gilgeam, Sherrupak “The Reaver.” Sefris & Iset flee far to the west and take new names.

1359 DR (3494 MR) A new life in Goldenfields – Western Heartlands

Goldenfields is founded by Tolgar Anuvien, former member of the Company of Crazed Venturers. Attracted by stories of a walled compound devoted to the harvest, Lhondrah and Bronwyn join Goldenfields by years’ end. Lhondrah takes comfort in the arms of Darvin Trueseed, who welcomes the pair into his home.

1361 DR (3496 MR) Call of the Goddess

Sefris receives a vision from Isis which demands return to her war-torn homeland. She decides to leave her child in the care of Darvin and writes a letter to be opened upon Bronwyn’s 18^th birthday. Making no promise to return, Sefris leaves for the Old Empires. Darvin, never able to understand the decision, tells Bronwyn that her mother has passed away.

1371 DR (3506 MR)

Mulhorand invades Unther.

1372 DR (3507 MR) The Year of Wild Magic

Midsummer….campaign started. Bronwyn leaves Goldenfields. Age 17.

My beautiful daughter,

So long as the most dangerous servant of Gilgeam draws breath, your survival must be one of secrecy. Forgive me child, my love for you is boundless as the bounty at High Harvestide. Yours will be a life without war. My dearest Iset, take this not for granted.

My fate is the will of the Goddess.

With love eternal,

Sefris