Campaign II Summaries

This campaign began in the year 314 IV. The story of the heroes of Helmstadt Valley ended in victory and tragedy. It's a tale of a group of travellers and fortune seekers, brought together by the threat of vicious thieves and savage armies.

Relations between the countries of Thessan to the North and Findle to the South are colder than the White Wastes. Disagreement over the ownership of the Helmstadt Valley and townships therein has resulted in both nations retreating from the region. Cultists and sinister forces gain influence in the vacuum left by the retreating nations.

A cabal of blue cloaked cultists of Vis begin a campaign of terror in the Eastern forests of Yod. Villages are burned and children are abducted. One such village is nearly wiped out, with only a handful of survivors, including the young warrior Na'Azel-leth. Na'Azel-leth leaves the survivors and follows the cultists to seek revenge.

Gangs of thieves set up on the outskirts of the townships, taking advantage of the lawless region. The Prairie Dog bandits go to war with the Viper's Guild over territory and an orphaned Jodando Legault is initiated into the life of a bandit.

Traveling bards, seeking epic tales are often drawn to conflicts, and the conflicts in the Helmstadt Valley drew more than a few. One such bard is the gnome minstrel Arco Vonovich. Arco's records are some of the most detailed historical catalogues of the time.

The priesthood of the region struggle desperately to provide for the suffering people. The priestess Erin Greenwood shepherds the faithful in the name of Danu, spirit of life.

The mystic thurge, Geshran of Herat senses an opportunity and travels with his bear companion Gustav from his homeland of Herat Isle to bring order and find wealth. His dark countenance obscures a true desire for peace.

A cabal of hermetic mystics send their scion, a young girl named Sandals into the chaos to learn and grow. Her powerful psionic abilities will be tempered by the conflict that seems inevitable.

This group find themselves standing shoulder-to-shoulder in defence of the region. During their adventures, They overthrow the Viper's Thieves Guild, rescuing Jodando from torture. The young man pledges himself to Geshran as a servant. The two claim the Viper's base as their own, discovering a vein of platinum in the caverns that makes Geshran wealthy beyond expectation. Geshran uses the wealth to bolster the village of Illden. He is made sheriff and eventually Governor.

Sandals has been watching Na'Azel-leth, impressed by his imposing physicality and strength of will. She uses her psionic abilities and a potent poison to drug the warrior. He has no memory of the night they spent together, or the child he will father.

While in Illden's tavern, Jodando is hired by a strange one armed man to recover a ring from a minotaur. He learns that the minotaur is leading an army of gnolls that have been raiding the village of Harvastveil. Upon learning of the plight of Harvastveil, Erin insists they help, as Harvastveil is the location of the temple of Danu. The party rush to Harvastveil's defence. Ushering all the villagers into the temple complex, they fend off dozens of gnolls and manage to repel the slavering horde.

The gnolls flee into the Houndswood and are pursued by the party. The gnolls fortress is formidable and the party attempt to draw their leader out. Autumn is fast approaching and the gnolls are getting desperate for supplies. The party come up with a plan. They disguise themselves as a trade caravan and draw out a gnoll attack. The plan works and the gnolls are lead into combat by their leader, a massive minotaur. Na'Azel-leth charges the minotaur and deftly delivers a near-fatal slash with his warblade. The minotaur counter attacks with his giant axe, slaying the Forest Folk warrior in a single blow, before ordering his minions to overwhelm the caravan. The battle is long but the party manage to drive-off the gnolls and pursue the minotaur through the autumn forest. The minotaur is unable to escape Sandal's psionic senses and is hunted down by the party eventually being slain by the bear, Gustav.

Erin crafts six cups from the minotaur's horns. Back at the temple, the companions entomb Na'Azel-leth and lift the cups in celebration of their victory and in mourning for their friend.

Erin, now the most powerful surviving priestess in Harvastveil, becomes the new high priestess of the Temple of Danu. She works for years to protect and cultivate the flourishing township.

Geshran and Gustav return to Illden with his newfound wealth. His wealth and power put him in a generous position and he releases Jodando from service. Geshran retires from adventuring and becomes a beacon of order in the region. After many years the Empyrean Church canonizes him as Saint Geshran the Temperate and he is entombed in the ancient burial mounds of Radith.

Jodando, having secretly recovered the ring from the minotaur, sells it to the strange man in the tavern. The man thanks him and puts on a blue cloak before vanishing before his eyes. Jodando shrugs and takes his five hundred gold back to the Prairie Dogs.

Arco Vonovich gather's a handful of followers and begins a small bard's college in the now abandoned gnoll fortress. One of his first students is a young elven exile named Arundel.

Sandals returned to her cabal, now brimming with psionic power. Her fate, and the fate of her unborn child are not known.