Campaign Chronicles

Day Three of the Odinsleep – 9:40 am   In the aftershocks of Ra’ziir’s earthquake, Raven’s magical boots automatically adjust to compensate for the tremors.   The oncoming Svartálfar are not so lucky and tumble to the ground.   The front skirmishes make short work of three of the dark cavalry riders while the remainder struggle to their feet and switch to weapons more suited for hand-fighting.   Raven plants Nightwatcher point first in the ground, its adamantite blade easily piercing the rocky tor on which he stands and takes up his bow once more.   He knocks and fires four arrows in rapid succession, moving from left to right.   Each arrow strikes home, burying itself in a shoulder here or a leg there and distracting his targets so his allies on the field can press their advantage.   Arthur races left, raising Lawbringer.   The paladin glows almost as brightly as his holy blade as he slashes across at the dark rider.   He shouts...

In 1987 the Forgotten Realms grey box was released.   As far as I know it was the first product to include a calendar and more importantly, for purposes of today’s story, a listing of “current events” that could be used as adventure seeds.   One of the events mentioned was the death of the wizard Cholandrothipe, the wizard of Feather Falls .     His murder was blamed on the Red Wizards of Thay.   But what motive did the Red Wizards have for this crime?   No “canon” answer has ever been provided so I would like to present the following scenario…   The Red Wizards killed Cholandrothipe – this is accepted as fact.   Again, we ask why.   What reason could they have had? An investigation into the murder leads us to the first possibility once we look into what is known of the victim.   Cholandrothipe was a powerful magic-user.   We know this because he was able to cast spells allowing him to shrink riverboats down to a...

Day Three of the Odinsleep – 9:40 am With the darkness provided by the thick storm clouds overhead, the dark elves race toward the wall.   The horses leap rocky berms and slip past boulders and fly across the open craters left from previous battles.   The adventurers respond instantly, years of experience lending speed to their actions as they brace to receive the charge.   Hansuke drops from Raven’s shoulder as the elf leaps to the top of the stony ridge where he took cover from the Jotun’s crushing axe blows and fits an arrow to the string of Luican’s Bow.   His hands move swiftly and surely as he fires one arrow after the next into the leaders of the cavalry charge.   Each shaft flies true, piercing arms, legs, or shoulders as the riders bear down on the party’s defensive line.   As soon as his last arrow leaves the bowstring, he is in motion again, sliding down the face of the ridge and drawing Nightwatcher. Arthur, still floating above the...

This short story was intended to serve as an introduction to an NPC my players' party of adventurers were supposed to meet up with while they were adventuring in Nehwon.  A DM's plan being what it is, the group never showed any interest once they met the character and I was obliged to change my plans to avoid railroading them down a path they weren't inclined to follow. - Chapter 1: Qi Tam - The jingle of buckles on a horse’s harness outside drew Qi Tam from his meditation.   As the elder shrine guardian rose from his kneeling position before the altar, he heard the sounds of more men and horses join those of the first rider.   He picked up his cane, a battered wooden stick with the elaborate carving of a hawk’s head, and walked toward the open door of the single-room shrine.   The roadside stop was dedicated to the God of the North Wind, an aloof deity who ruled over the steppes and the people who lived and traveled upon it. He emerged from the min...