The Silver Blades
Adventure: The Wayward Wood
DM: Craig
Party Members:
Maxine Firebright: human, female, Evoker 8, N
Eron Greenshade: half elf, male Ranger 6/Druid 7, NG
Ogre: human, male, Fighter 7, N
Talesian, half elf, male, Bard 8, NG
Lexar, human, male, Conjurer 6, N
Ruald, human, male, Paladin 9,LG
August 7th 1994
The party find themselves in a forest. They soon find a trail and after a couple of days find themselves on the edge of a great plain. In the distance they see a city and head towards it. They find themselves in the city of Drudan. Here they rest and train for several weeks.
Eron is introduced to Ruald a paladin of the Knights of the Watch who has asks them to help him track down Widowcross, an ancient longsword stolen by the adventurers Leah Ravenlock and Thorn Glitterbrook several years earlier. The party agrees to accompany the holy warrior.
They travel south-east along the border of the Elgon Forest and are soon approached by two young druids, Moc and Rana, who have an unusual request- they want the party to help them stop their wood from marching and overrunning a nearby village!
Entering the forest the party is soon attacked by a roving band of trolls. A while later they meet the treant Acorn who takes them to meet a reclusive firbog clan. There they meet with Duncan the leader of the firbolgs and after learning of an ongoing war between the firbolgs and trolls agree to help him.
August 14th
Together with Acorn and Duncan the Silver Blades march to the Boiling Cauldron Inn and attack the trolls that currently inhabit the inn. All but two of the humanoids are killed in the battle. They rescue the sole survivor of the inns staff and stop the wood from marching.
The party then purchases the Boiling Cauldron for half price and begin their first business venture.
A few days later they continue their journey leaving the inn in the safe hands of Elena, surviving bar wench.
A few days later they arrive in Ravenscrag in the foothills of the mighty Ironpeak Mountains. From Ravenscrag they head east and locate a pass through the mountains. near the top of the psss they spot a Gnoll war party and attack. The gnolls are routed.
· Beyond the pass is a verdant valley which they begin to explore. They make camp in a copse and late that night are attacked by 40 gnolls. Talesian is knocked out in the skirmish but the gnolls are eventually routed.
They move camp and ambush 12 ogres killing them all. August 21st 1994
Eron polymorphs and flies over the valley on a scouting mission. He spies a castle at the far end of the valley and beneath it a village of gnolls. He also spies a couple of giants on the battlements of the castle.
The following day the party decides to investigate the ruined keep. Eron becomes invisible and levitates Ruald and Lexar onto the battlements. Eron then flies away then returns to the keep, this time on foot. At the gates he seeks admission . Two giants escort him to their leader and he is then interrogated. The giant grows suspicious of this "slaver" and has the guards strip him and throw him in the dungeons. Eron then polymorphs into a rat and flees the dungeons. He makes his way back to the battlements and is reunited with Lexar and Ruald.
Maxine meanwhile has joined he companions on the battlements and the four of them decide to recover Eron’s stolen equipment. Making their way to the giant’s reception hall Ruald graciously opens the door while Maxine steps forward and drops a fireball in the room. A huge battle erupts and Ruald is almost killed by the giant’s leader but eventually the Silver Blades triumph and there are 6 giant bodies and three cave bears carcasses scattered through the still smouldering ruins of the chamber.
Unfortunately more reinforcements arrive and the hard pressed Silver Blades flee. Ruald is knocked out by a well aimed rock but Eron casts a Cure light Wounds and revives him.
Exiting the keep they escape down a stream bed and into a copse before making their way back to their camp where they meet up with Ogre and Talesian and decide to leave the valley.
11th September
Having rested up and recovered sufficiently the party decides to return to the giants lair and deal to the troublesome creatures- mainly because Eron is pissed at losing his magic items.
Sneaking through the pass under the cover of invisibility spells the Silver Blades return to the valley undetected. Avoiding several patrols of ogres they reach the keep undetected and scale the outer wall.
They attack a guard post but the guards manage to let out an alarm and soon reinforcements begin to arrive. Several giants turn up and engage but retreat to let an ogre mage cast a cone of cold, then they resume the attack. Ogre, Maxine and Lexar hold off the giants, killing 3 before the others retreat into the keep.
Exploring the upper ruins the party is harassed by a score of gnolls but the gnolls are quickly dealt with and the survivors turn tail and flee.
Half a dozen giants defend the dungeons from the intruders and another battle develops. Ogre, Lexar and Maxine ae all protected by stoneskin spells and the giants are unable to injure them. Eventually however the spells run out and the party starts taking damage. A general retreat is sounded and they return to the battlements where they are ambushed by 2 more giants. Ruald kills them both in a single round by decapitating them with his vorpal sword.
The Silver Blades scale the walls and escape into the darkness and back to the mountain pass. They use the last of their spells to rout the humanoids defending the pass and they flee into the night, carrying the unconscious Ogre who fell in the last battle with them.