Session 3: Of Soldiers and Old Bones.

15th day of the Thaw, 519 AE. (28-Mar-2026)

Much has happened in the last week! The day after returning to town the group was approached by the town Reeve, Hadrick Fariborne, enquiring about their progress in clearing the chambers beneath the tannery of dangerous inhabitants. The group boasted that their work had gone well and the chambers were nearly clear. They mentioned dog-like reptilian creatures, orcs and a hobgoblin, who did not seem evilly inclined but desired to be left alone. They were thanked and Hadrick took his leave. A couple of days later two full lances of armed and heavily armoured fighters, more than 100 strong, left the town and stormed the chambers. These overwhelming numbers quickly cleansed the chambers without loss of men, with only a handful suffering minor injuries. The following day the triumphant force returned with the bodies of orcs, reptilian dog-like humanoids and one living but shackled hobgoblin. The hobgoblin was marched within the castle walls and the bodies of the other humanoids hung from the town walls. Two days later a pair of guards, led by a squire, came to ask Jewel if she would meet with the hobgoblin Grulnor. The squire asked her to simply engage Grulnor in conversation and talk over his state of affairs with the aging hobgoblin. She agreed and the creature asked why she had not championed it to the town, as they had previously discussed. The discussion was short but seemed to go well. Meeting up with Hadrick again Jewel asked if anything could be done to free Grulnor, but he indicated that this was in the hands of the young baron Aldric and his brother Darion.

The remainder of the week passed uneventfully. Most of the group rested up, however Kratos spent his time learning the basics of running the local forge, Ironwright’s Smithy, and Lyra connected with the party in the Map’s End Inn. She had been spending the last fortnight in the company of her new friend Althirion Quell, mage, sage, scribe and proprietor of the Scriptorium. Having recovered sufficiently from their battles the group decided to return to the chambers below the tannery to search out the secret room Grulnor had previously mentioned.

At the cave entrance they discovered a pair of masons operating under the supervision of two guards to seal the cave entrance with a sturdy steel door. They were bidden to be about their business quickly as within a couple of days the place would be sealed off.

Within the chambers the group identified a stretch of tunnels they believed might hold the hidden chamber, thanks to Dimrock’s map, and quickly located it. The secret doorway swung open to reveal a room containing an ancient sarcophagus and four skeletal guards, standing unmoving in the corners. Dorcus entered boldly and poked at one of the creatures, causing all four to immediately attack. Seeing events unfold Lyra immediately cast her Sleep spell, only to watch agog as Dorcus dropped into magical sleep… and the four skeletons continued unaffected! During the ensuing chaos Kratos also collapsed due to his wounds and things looked dire indeed for our heroes. However, Dorcus awoke after being attacked by a skeleton and the tide of the battle turned. In the nick of time the group was able to stem Kratos’ bleeding and drag him out of the place. Jewel located two magical rings in the stone coffin and checked Grulnor’s abode, which had been stripped bare of all but an old cookbook. She took the cookbook with her in hopes of returning it to the aging hobgoblin.

Back at Thorneford the group brought Kratos to Alira and Dimrock, realising that it would have been wise to ask one of them to join them in their endeavours. Alira is able to revive Kratos and perform healing prayers over the injured. Resting overnight, Jewel visits Grulnor in the morning… to discover that he is temporarily out of the dungeon and talking in the great hall with an unknown person! He indicates to Jewel that all is going well and thanks her for bringing him his cookbook. Visiting Alira and Dimrock for more healing the group then finds the herdsman Lewel Cowlan, who claims to have discovered a previously unknown dungeon several hours walk from town. They negotiate for him to show it to them, bargaining down to the price of one crown each. With Dimrock unavailable they invite Alira to join them and she accepts. The group sets out and shortly out of town realise… They cannot keep up Lewel’s pace. It is likely to take until dark for them to reach the location. They agree to set out first thing in the morning. Back in town the adventurers purchase some supplies for spending the night in the wilds, should it come to that.

Setting out again shortly after sunrise the group made good time along the road. Shortly before departing the road a group of a dozen heavy riders halted their travel. Led by a black-robed priest named Velric the warriors demanded to know our heroes’ business before continuing on their way to Thorneford. Departing the road the group made their way up some rough and broken cliffs to a plateau. Being led south of a small wood where local giant eagles nest, Lewel led the group to a rockslide where he had been pasturing cattle. The rockslide had revealed a rough tunnel entering the rock face.

After entering the tunnel the group discovered that it gave way to a seamlessly carved stone tunnel with side passages. The side passages (four in all) end in rooms containing coffins and clay statues of snake-men. Navigating several poison gas traps the group recovered a small amount of jewellery and stones.

Reaching the end of the main passageway the company found the way blocked by a stout door barred with a large piece of stone set in a pair of steel hooks. Several of the group combined their strength to lift the bar… which triggers a great stone hammer! Most of the group jumps clear but Kratos and Dorcus are injured, with Dorcus losing consciousness and requiring urgent medical care. Stabilising the barbarian, they drag her to safety in one of the chambers they previously cleared.

Pressing forward the heroes investigated the large chamber lying beyond the door. Within they discovered three coffins painted with snake people along the northern wall, while an opening in the southern wall provides an exit from the area. The centre coffin was clearly larger than its neighbours and, after briefly studying the coffins, Jewel tries to slide the lid off one using a pole… only to have three animated skeletons emerge from the coffins and attack. The group briefly defends against their advances until Alira calls upon the power of her faith to drive them back. The creatures return to their resting places and pull the coffin lids on behind them.

Through the southern opening the group found another chamber, containing a large idol that looks like a cross between a toad, a snake and a heap of intestines. They saw that water had eroded the floor, revealing a hidden passageway beneath the idol.

Realising that their time was now short, they retreated to where they left Dorcus and rested overnight, taking turns on guard. During Jewel’s watch a large cobra approached, stared her in the eyes for several long moments, then left. All other watches passed uneventfully.

In the morning Dorcus recovered consciousness and the group returned to Thorneford. Finding Lewel at the Drunken Goose, Jewel learns he has drunk away much of what they paid him to guide them. Jewel extracts a promise from him to keep quiet about the dungeon he led them to, in exchange for one of the amulets they recovered from the place.

Session 2: Unexpected Orcs.

8th day of the Thaw, 519 AE. (14-Mar-2026)

After the hanging of Zana, the town watch searched Thorneford for several days in an effort to find the halfling Gor’bmp. No trace of him was discovered, and it is now widely assumed that he escaped the town. During this time Dimrock the dwarven cleric, Jimothy the warrior, and Lyra the elf were each questioned several times by the authorities.

Soon after, the weather turned harsh. Wind and snow swept across the region and have continued without much relief.

During the following days Dimrock devoted himself to duties at the temple, strengthening his ties there and mastering a new prayer of faith. Through his time among the clergy he learned that Sir Brothik and his men have been campaigning southeast of Thorneford, hunting outlaws and monsters in an effort to make the wild lands there safe for settlers.

Dimrock also became friendly with a young acolyte named Alira, who had known Morningstar. She was deeply troubled that Morningstar’s remains had been left behind in the chambers beneath the tannery.

The borough reeve also sought out Dimrock. He expressed concern that a dungeon lay so close to the town and asked whether the adventurers intended to return and deal with it. The town could not offer much payment—only twenty-five crowns each—but the reeve promised that the paperwork required to establish a formal adventuring company would be drawn up free of charge if the group would undertake the task. Such registration is required for adventurers operating in the region. Dimrock told him he would see what could be done.

On this day a ship arrived in port, and several new adventurers disembarked. They soon found their way to the Map’s End Inn: a half-orc barbarian named Dorcus, a halfling scout named Jewel, and an elven warrior-mage known as Kratos. Dimrock sought them out there, and they agreed to enter the chambers beneath the tannery with him in exchange for an equal share of whatever was found. Dimrock also asked Alira if she wished to accompany them, and she agreed.

The party decided to locate the second entrance to the underground chambers. With the aid of Dimrock’s dwarven senses they eventually discovered it—a narrow crawlway that opened into a larger passage where they could stand upright.

Jewel scouted ahead of the group. As she crept along the corridor she caught the smell of smoke and roasting meat. Moving as quietly as possible, she discovered a group of orcs gathered in the entrance chamber, feasting on what appeared to be roasted elf. The party attacked and defeated them. Grim examination of the remains revealed that the orcs had been eating the body of Morningstar. Her head, however, was missing.

Passing through the refuse-filled chamber, the group killed a lone giant centipede. They then moved on to the pit trap passage, though they could not determine how the traps were triggered without risking a fall themselves. Continuing onward, they reached the room where the dungeon had first been entered. There, mounted upon a spike across from the original entrance, they found Morningstar’s head. Alira wept at the sight.

Pressing into unexplored territory, the party opened a door and encountered an ancient hobgoblin who called himself Grulnor. The creature appeared intelligent and surprisingly personable, showing no immediate inclination toward violence. Grulnor seemed to possess considerable knowledge of the dungeon’s inhabitants. He explained that many of the creatures now dwelling in the complex were recent arrivals, displaced by other monsters further south and west. He also revealed that two secret doors existed within the dungeon—one of which the party had already passed several times. In exchange for revealing their locations, he asked that the adventurers intercede on his behalf with the town authorities. The party left him for the time being.

Retracing their steps, they eventually discovered one of the secret doors. Inside they found a glowing golden chalice and the desiccated corpse of a cleric bearing a fine silver holy symbol.

Continuing their exploration, they briefly searched a chamber filled with old paintings and graffiti but found nothing of note. Soon afterward they entered another room where six glowing skulls were embedded in the walls. A group of orcs was attempting to pry them free. The adventurers launched a surprise attack, killing most of the orcs while one managed to flee. The party succeeded in removing two of the glowing skulls, though the others broke apart during the attempt. They also discovered a concealed panel in the north wall containing a small bag of coins.

The group then mapped much of the remaining complex. Eventually they returned to the chamber where, only a week earlier, the children had been rescued. Opening the door, they discovered the escaped orc speaking with several of his companions. The orcs demanded that the adventurers drop everything and leave.

Instead, the party attacked.

The fight went poorly at first. Several members of the group were injured and fell unconscious. At a crucial moment Dimrock managed to heal one of his companions, and the tide of the battle shifted. In the end the remaining two orcs surrendered.

Under questioning they revealed themselves to be members of the Bloodmaw Horde. They had little useful information to offer beyond the claim that they had taken treasure from nearby dog-like reptilian humanoids. This treasure consisted of two heavy bags of coins tied to a stout pole for carrying.

Deciding they had pushed their luck far enough for one expedition, the party chose to withdraw. They gathered the coin, recovered the remains of Morningstar, and made their way out of the dungeon to fight another day.

Session 1: Trouble at the Tannery.

1st day of the Thaw, 519 AE. (28-Feb-2026)

The first day of the Thaw marks the beginning of the adventuring season, and on this day five strangers found themselves drawn to the town of Thorneford, gathering at the Map’s End Inn. Their meeting, though coincidental, would quickly prove fateful.

Before long, a desperate man arrived, pleading for aid. He was the husband of the local tannery owner, and his children had gone missing from the cellar beneath their home. The strangers agreed to help, determined to locate the missing children.

In the tannery cellar, they discovered a hole broken through one of the walls. This opening led into a series of nearby subterranean chambers.

The party entered the first chamber, navigating a single crude trap. However, in a passage beyond, Morningstar fell victim to a hidden spiked pit trap. Pressing on, they passed through a chamber filled with refuse and foul slime before reaching another chamber with a second entrance and multiple exits. There they encountered a human fighter named Zana, who joined their company.

Further exploration brought them to what appeared to be an unoccupied bedroom. Behind a tapestry, they discovered a concealed entrance leading to a catacomb stacked with old bones. Exiting the catacomb, they found a passage in which a door stood on the north wall. Beyond it, they discovered the missing children imprisoned in a hanging cage, guarded by several small, dog-like reptilian humanoids speaking in an unknown language.

A fierce fight ensued. Jimothy fell unconscious from his injuries, but the party persevered. At the fight’s conclusion, the elf Lyra magically put everyone in the room to sleep. With the creatures subdued, the children were rescued. The adventurers dragged their unconscious companion from the chambers and took the tapestry with them, leaving the remainder of the passage unexplored.

The children were returned to their grateful parents, who offered their entire life savings as a reward. The party, however, accepted only a modest amount of coin.

Later, the adventurers attempted to sell the tapestry to a trader in town. Dissatisfied with the price, the halfling thief Gor’bmp and Zana attempted to rob the trader at weapon point. The trader’s screams brought the town guard. Gor’bmp slipped away into the streets, but Zana was captured and swiftly executed by hanging from the castle gate.

For several days afterward, the guards searched Thorneford for Gor’bmp, but the halfling was never seen again.