Session 1 - A New Hope

09.12.2018

It's spring. The first after the world-changing grwoth and flooding of the Abyss. Wounds are mending, scattered forces of good and evil can be found everywhere. Meanwhile, the life in the League od Rhordia continues as always. Patrols and borderguards have increased, but the life on the cities and especially the little settlements goes on with the most important question beeing: "what do I want as second breakfast?". One such town is Talbot, a middle-sized city located in the north of the Ardovikian Plain, northeast of both the Forest of Galahir and Letharac. While only a day away from the mountains to the north, a river flows through the city and the nearby Wolfpine Forest into the likewise named lake just after running through the little 60 soul settlement of Myrehall.

Many travellers, coming from north and south alike, take the Talbot Road through this fruitful landscape. This day, a mighty baremuscled and oiled human from the North is standing on the marketsquare, drumming and chanting tales of brave men and women defeating horrors spewn out of the Abyss. His good looks, long blond hair, booming voice and rythmic drums mezmerize all around him. Even though the stories seem to tell of Varangur heroism, the deeds and performance of the storytelling earns him much applause. Between the many Halflings and Humans, a few individuals are standing out: a broad Dwarf with orange hair, a mighty axe on his back and only wearing trousers, a huge battlescarred human woman, clad in heavy armour and equipped with an even taller longaxe and an Elven woman with blue hair and red robes, ornamented with various furs. Engaged with stories of heroism, they enter a nearby tavern, where they get to know each other, drink massive amounts of ale, even winning (with a few intoxicated members) a drinking challange against the local guardsmen. After that, this newly formed group seeks work in Myrehall the next day, as a wizard left a posting in the market looking for advenuturers and skilled people.

Halfway through the forest they stumble across a smoking, overturned cart, which bears signs of a fight. The only thing they can find is a magic letter appearing blank, addressed to Chariz the wizard of Myrefall. As they find tracks leading north into the forest, they follow them, ending up at an hillside with a little opening. They make their way through the tunnels crouching, only to be ambushed by four Ratkin hurling javelins in a cave full of trash! After a few minor injuries, they continue through another tunnel, which was hard to find and above that even trapped. After beeing harassed by stinky fumes, they come to another opeing in the forest. There a joung man, Fared, is bond to a tree lying between sticks and vegetables. He points out the direction other Ratkin took in panic just moments before and makes his way back to his master, the wizard Chariz. The group decides to first handle the Ratkin problem and follow the tracks leading further north. Between more rockier hills they find another opening leeding undergound and to a little cave system. There they get attacked by another 3 Ratkin and a big fat giant rat. After dispatching these enemies, the Dwarf charges forward into a bigger tunnel after hearing screeching sounds coming from that direction. In this last cave, a Ratkin wizard stands in front of an altar, guarded by two more soldiers, hurling curses and magic missiles at the incoming party. But even such a mighty foe couldn't best them, as they kill all Ratkin in sight and look for loot and hints. They find a strange necklace and a trapped chest, which explodes in the hands of the Elven mage, shooting coins in all directions! They decide to make their way to Myrefall and get some reward for their hard work after all...

They meet the wizard, get supplies at the market and get convinced to stay a bit longer as they could handle a few more things for Chariz - for a fair reward. So they spend three more days in the tavern, everyone doing and exploring in the meantime. On the third morning their adventure goes on...