Rapid Riders

## The Rapid Riders

The Rapid Riders Campaign is a DnD 5e Campaign set in the FumbleFolks Homebrew world of Arglania on the Continent of Osasris. It follows the adventurers of the titular party "The Rapid Riders", a group of rebels fighting against the Calovian Empire.

The Rapid Riders consist of Dyanna Latersys, Zeek Boomdiggles, Dunston "Dewey" Fairfoot, Nia "Taxes" Mue and Halite. The party initially formed as part of "The Crowd" in Benilicia under the direction of Osnemesis in the Precursor Two-Shot "Bedlam in Benilicia".

### Ep 1-7: Escape and Resolve

A few months after the events of Bedlam in Benilicia, Osnemesis inform the Rapid Riders that they have received a message from the rebels in nearby Harling's Rest who have noticed their efforts and want to team up. After deciding that the riders will make contact and whilst performing a battle of the bands to celebrate, the concert is attacked by empire soldiers led by the terrifying River-Reeve Marrinae Ytebi. After some convincing from Osnemesis, the party escape Benilicia on the back of Project Rapid Rider with the gnome roadie, Splitlick.

At the side of the river, they stow the machine away before fighting a Bulette and meeting a strange pair in their fishing shack. After taking succour, Zeek forms a pact with strange ghostly figures and the party make a plan for the next steps on. They make their way on foot through Fenreon Forest encountering strange creatures, entering an old tomb and saying goodbye to a friend. After a final rest in a grove Dyanna knew from her youth, the party press on to Harling's Rest.

### Ep 8-16: Friends in Harling's Rest

Meeting the mysterious Harling's Harriers in the an inn the party finds an old face thought long left in the path, Garrick- Dyanna's childhood sweetheart. He is staying in her childhood home where she discovers an enchanted spell book that her mother left her there.

The Riders prove their mettle to the Harriers by dealing with an Imperial mage conscript, who turns out to be a tentative ally to the cause named Lelac Rence. He tells them about a masquerade ball of where nobles will gather and secrets can be stolen by the wily. On their return, the plan of the Harriers' leader, Vexation, is shot down in heated words and the Riders take control. To further their resources, and make some coin for the cause, the Riders fight wyverns and clear the ghosts of the last war from a tunnel.

With resources in hand and the approaching "Resolution day" festival approaching, the party create leaflets of propaganda and messages for the other rebel leaders in the Empire. After Dewey's swarm of birds drops them from the skies of Benilicia, the party rush back to Harling's Rest knowing their position is given up, and they have to move on.

### Ep 17-21: Riders Divided

Upon returning to Harling’s Rest, with the empire and a freshly embittered Ytebi in hot pursuit, the Riders find members of the Harriers have gone missing and that Osnemesis are dead, captured or being tortured. The party convince a grief-stricken Halite to stay the cause and they make their way to the Siege's mine- a fortified encampment on the mountain of Osnan's Mercy. In the emotions and hurried movement Dyanna tells Garrick to leave before Dyanna and Zeek immediately and independently sneak off themselves to find the missing rebels. The pair meet an angry Garrick on the way to find a hiding Vexation who suspects a mole in the rebellion and the four take a longer route to the mine.

Whilst in the mines, Halite struggles with his purpose and chooses to seek answers at the summit of the mountain. Taxes reconnects with ancestors she never knew she had and Dewey trains the troops. The remaining party members share an emotional night through songs but arrive just too late to see Halite before his pilgrimage. After a frosty reunion, and suspicions arising over Siege's plans, the party plan to set off to meet the other rebel leaders and infiltrate a masquerade, taking Garrick and Vexation but leaving Splitlick behind. At the summit of Osnan's Mercy, Halite receives disturbing visions of a raging entity beneath the mountain. Unsure of what it means, Halite rejoins the party just in time to travel with them and for Dyanna to take him to a side and end their relationship.

### Ep 22-28: The Meeting and The Masquerade

On an emotional journey to Or'Vinnin the party steel themselves to meet with the other leaders. The Riders divide themselves to travel on the "Sad Cart" with Halite or up front with Dyanna until they are able to sneak into the village and safely seclude themselves in an a tavern called The Crown. Laying covert messages about where to meet the party soon find the other leaders trickling in. After long talks from many divided peoples united in their hatred of the Calovian Empire, the united rebellion elect on co-ordinating to capture Benilicia and from that position of power make further demands.

That evening the party infiltrate the "Captanalis" masquerade of Alvor Pinat where the Hierophant Imperium, Alexus Tremmanis, is in attendance. The Dewey met with the daughter of the family that had kept him indentured, Coleen Faringham. She was as rebellious as Dewey remembered and expressed her gladness at seeng him again and her support of the riders cause. After covert and less-than-covert scouting the Riders determine which room is hers and how to safely access her secrets. Whilst the most of the party keeps guests distracted, Taxes infiltrates the priestesses chambers and obtains important information for the rebellion and Lelac.

Making it out without fully breaking their cover, the party reconvenes at The Crown. As taxes divulges the information gained, Lelac learns of Dyanna's Mother's involvement in his servitude and Dyanna reaches out to her, getting a warped but understandable response telling her to look for Telvalrion's locket and her friend Aildwyr and that she loves her. Amongst the gathered knowledge it is revealed that the mines of Burrafirth in the North West are in fact a causeway tunnel in the making to allow troops to move quickly north. Finding this the most pressing and dangerous issue, the party marches to Burrafirth.

### Ep 29-36: The Steel Wall

After a road block on their path north the party seek refuge in a barn outside of the walls of Burrafirth. After a night of rekindled romance between Garrick and Dyanna, the party confront two indents and join them to the cause. Posing as indents and their masters, most of the party enter the town outside the mine and are marched up to the "Steel Wall" that surrounds the prison mine. here they meet the cruel Taskmaster Brelloxa as new quartermasters. They are surprised to find that the current quartermaster is Taxes' sister Leah Mue who is posing as Taxes to con the Empire for personal gain. Meanwhile Halite and Zeek are scouting out a mountain pass towards Siege's mine when Halite succumbs to the visions of the entitiy beneath the mountain and cries a prophecy in a voice not his own.

The party reconvene in Leah's home for a night of tense words and good wine. Taxes and Leah exchanged barbs over the state taxes had left the family in upon leaving and part in anger. At Dawn Brelloxa arrives to invite Dyanna's persona for a dawn tour of the mines. Accepting the request with Dewey in tow (and closely followed by Leah and Taxes) they enter the mines. Able to travel faster using engineered minecarts, Dyanna learns that Brelloxa knew well the engineer that the riders killed many months ago in Benilicia. Allowed freedom to explore, they find the rebel leaders of the mines, Gnorri the Elder and Gnorri the Younger, and learn of a path to the Shadow Roads in the north and a blood-adorned cult in the eastern caves.

On returning to the party that night, Leah and taxes reconcile and Leah rides away from the danger. The next dawn the party pull of a daring break-in to get the party inside the mines and on the carts to travel east to face the "Red Beard" cult. In the chaos, Zeek is left behind with only his ghosts for company on the long journey to rejoin the party.

### Ep 37-42: The Cult of Kila

Most of the party arrive to find a huge cavern that serves as the home of the Red Beard cult. On arrival they see the cult ritually fighting around fires to initiate new members and crying praise to a long forgotten Goddess, Kila. The group tail and follow a newly anointed member into a small tunnel. They see a large bridge spanning cooled magma with a giant iron golem called the Gwarchod serving as guard on the other side. They eavesdrop to learn that the cult are trying to get past it and unleash a beast trapped beneath the mountain, the same raging, red entity that has plagued Halite with visions. They also realise that Siege was a member of the Red Beards and is working to release the beast from the other side of the mountain.

The party are discovered and fight the cult off with Dewey realising his natural connection to birds seems to extend to bats too, or perhaps that the beast who protect him are more than just animals after all. Bruised from battle, the party rested and waited for Zeek, magically warning Splitlick about Siege and his plan. Once reunited (Zeek having used the carts to reach them faster), the party confront the cultist leader, Octa Stombr, and convince them to rally the cult do that they can cross the bridge and face the Gwarchod together. After a deadly battle with few surviving the cultists, the party press deeper into the mountain to find a trapped corridor with dioramas of the ancient dragon Algarog and her trapped daughter Merkatân. Subduing the remaining cultist, the party find Splitlick unconscious outside a heavy door. Rushing through, the party catch Siege about to release the beast and through a battle that brings many some in the party to the brink Siege is defeated. Merkatân makes one last attempt to compel the Riders to release her but they resist, recover themselves and recuperate before heading back to face the cult.

### Ep 43-49: Battle for Burrafirth

Having returned to the cavern of the Cult of Kila, the party decided to convert the cult to the cause rather than remain foes. Through a legendary rock concert and a speech to remind them of the true enemy, Dyanna is able to convince them to abandon their god and fight for the rebellion. Co-ordinating with the Gnorri's to meet in the middle and blow the entrance to the mine, the party march their army towards the central chasm with Zeek taking the role of the general. Garrick and Taxes scout ahead and learn that the Hierophant's right hand man is at the mine and Ytebi is only days away with her forces.

Converging at the Central cavern the party helped their forces push past the barricades and into an open battle. They fought for control of a cart launching station, witnessing Gnorri the Elder fighting and falling to Brelloxa in the distance. Rushing to close the distance the Taskmaster unleashed devastating fire whilst The Hierophant's Witchhunter loosed silvered bolts at lightning speed. As Taxes fell she saw an figure in her ancestor's hood who shoved her back to life allowing her to land the final blow and slay Taskmaster Brelloxa. As she lay dying, Dewey recited Osnan's prayer to her as she had made him do days prior.

With Brelloxa slain the battle came to a quick close and Dyanna announced their victory as the tunnel was blown behind them. As the dead were counted and prisoners were taken, Gnorri the Younger rejoined the assembled she learned of Gnorri the Elder's death and spent the night in vigil preparing cairns for a funeral. That night Taxes reconnected with her ancestor through meditation to learn some of their history and of a temple in Halcia to the East. Dyanna learnt of the location of Dusk, a missing member of Harling's Harriers, them being in Woodhurst to the South. The younger Gnorri took charge of a funeral for the dead and began the march of those gathered East through the mine. Meanwhile the party headed north to find a path through the Shadow Roads out of the mine and towards the Ruins of The Fallen Paths for answers about Dyanna's Mother, imprisoned mages, and magical knowledge.