Conquest of County Redgold

**The Conquest of County Redgold** was a concentrated push to explore, secure, and control Redgold County in the name of the Kingdom of Stormwind. This would fulfill the first command of King Anduin Wrynn to Lord Jeremaias Auromere, and establish a home base for the Knights of Ashfall.

During the course of the campaign, new allies and contacts were made, including--to everyone's great surprise--the people of the Barony of Pinehold.

## Prelude Events

The Order of Ashfall had, for the month prior, meticulously laid the foundation for the main push into the county.

*For further information, see also:*

* Cinderwatch Reclaimed
* Good Fences, Good Neighbors
* Of Murlocs and Men

## What Lies Beyond (event)

On March 12, scouting efforts began beyond the Snowborn River, into the Flint Hills.

A party led by Lord Auromere rode out from Ironwall Keep, to the mountain range that makes part of the county line between Redgold and Emberwind. There, the party discovered an unexpected structure that appeared to be of human architecture.

Observation, and then cautious scouting on foot by Neapolitan Butterchurn, revealed that the mine was occupied by gnolls and kobolds. These were engaged in operating the mine and extracting unknown ore.

It was determined at the time that the party of four would be severely outnumbered should they attempt to approach the mine, and that a return should be made with reinforcements and better preparation.

The party went wide east as they rode south, and encountered a large gathering of gnolls. The gnolls were observed celebrating something around a campfire. It was not possible to draw near enough to distinguish any of the voices without alerting the enemy. Again, the enemy population was too large for a scouting party to attack successfully.

Finally, upon arriving at the coastal mountains, the party was surprised by an ettins, which was throwing rocks with significant force at birds. Lord Auromere was struck dead-center of his breastplate, suffering a cracked sternum and several broken ribs. Tayluur Welch promptly attempted to use the Light for healing, with success. The party then, concerned for the safety of other parties and also feeling rather vengeful, attacked the ettins and slew it in a mighty battle.

The party then returned to Bel Lonn to seek medical attention. Lord Auromere was discovered to have significant bruising over his chest, due to the continuing pressure of his breastplate. He was unable to fight properly for several days, as it healed.

## What's Mine Is a Mine (event)

On March 16, Baelthane Anvilmar led a strike team against the gnolls occupying what would come to be known as the Candlemar Mine. Against this team were twelve gnolls and a currently uncounted number of kobolds. Daevanne Giltcastle assessed the situation and returned a report to Mr. Anvilmar. Considering the information, Mr. Anvilmar sent Tayluur Welch to provide a distraction while the rest of the team moved to the personnel entrance of the mine (upper level). Miss Welch performed this valiantly, challenging the gnolls to a fight. A rope was lowered to assist Miss Welch in rejoining her team through a trapdoor, and the team met the gnolls at the entrance and engaged them in combat.

The kobolds had retreated into the mine, where they overturned several carts in an effort to create a barricade. However, a gnoll overseer gathered a group of kobolds and drove them to attack the team.

All of the gnolls were slain save one, which fled. No kobolds had been harmed, and as soon as the gnolls were dead, they surrendered at once. Their tribal chieftain, Reezik, came out to meet the team and parley.

Reezik, who speaks Low Common, explained that the kobolds, known as the Dirtgrubber tribe, had lived in the mine for several generations (which, unfortunately, could mean any length of time, as kobold generations are notoriously short; however, it is likely that they migrated to the mine some time after the First War). A short time ago, the local Flintfang gnolls attacked and confiscated the Dirtgrubbers' supply of candles, forcing them to dig up ore in order to receive a ration instead. According to Reezik, this ore was handed off to "orcs".

The team went apart to discuss, and arrived at the consensus that they should attempt to negotiate rather than driving the kobolds out of the mine. The final arrangement is that the kobolds will exchange ore for food and candles to fulfill the needs of their community, as well as supplies such as mining equipment and clothing.

Overjoyed by this arrangement and by their freedom, the kobolds renamed their tribe the Candlemar Tribe, in honor of the team's leader.

## Scrapheap of History (event)

A scouting party located the probable den of the ettin slain on 12 March. Tayluur Welch led a team to investigate and scavenge for possible assets and information.

A search of the cave revealed a spring of fresh water, three to four feet in depth, a valuable source of water for future settlements in the area.

There was also a collection of assorted odds and ends, which it is assumed came from the ettin's many victims over time. The following were recovered and brought back to Bel Lonn:

* A small bag of lightweight ore, unidentified;
* A black crystal;
* A bag of moldy, rubbery balls, six in number (one was lost in the cave);
* What appears to be the depleted core of a fire elemental;
* A blank libram;
* A scroll case containing a map of an unidentified region;
* A box of assorted empty vials; and
* A scroll case containing a letter from Baron Alistair de Stopham of Pinehold.

The crystal was identified as a black diamond, possibly pristine in condition. These were prized by the Shen'dralar for their versatility and their capacity for channeling mana.

The letter from Baron de Stopham indicates that he himself was traveling to Stormwind City. He never arrived. The remainder of the documents within the scroll case are a series of letters, some sealed and some not, from his young daughter Isobel.

## Don't Split the Party (event)

After observing the gnoll camp from afar for a week, Lord Auromere determined on March 21 to take a closer look. To date, the camp had been lively, with an unusually large population and constant activity, including a massive bonfire around which the Flintfang gnolls gathered each night.

With the aid of Tasima Schliefen and her well-crafted disguises, a party was dispatched to infiltrate the gnoll camp. Prior to the mission, Scuff Flintfang informed the party that, with the death of Chief No-Tail and High Shaman Hark on February 2, there was a vacuum of power left. Yipyowl, apprentice to the shaman, was the most likely candidate to fill that void. According to Scuff, Yipyowl had been attempting necromancy in lieu of proper resurrection and healing, with which Scuff said he lacked skill.

The party applied their disguises and departed from Bel Lonn, with Scuff in company. Upon arriving at the gnoll camp, they attempted to infiltrate via the woodpile, under the excuse of taking more fuel to the bonfire.

However, the camp appeared to be deserted. As the party moved further in, they began to discover the remains of gnolls, and hear movement and chewing. Lord Auromere called a retreat. Scuff was grabbed by an undead gnoll, and his cries of alarm alerted further undead, which promptly moved to attack.

The party destroyed a dozen of the undead in order to clear a path to retreat, and escaped. Upon their return to Bel Lonn, a strike team was dispatched to intercept and destroy any pursuing undead. After the incident, strike teams continued to carry out containment maneuvers.

## Bring Out Yer Dead (event)

After two days of continuous containment, Lord Auromere led a party to finally purge the camp.

The plan was determined thus: Two noisemaking devices provided by Tasima Schliefen would be deployed to the camp, to attract the attention of the undead and cause them to gather. Then, the noisemakers would be silenced and their attention drawn to an animal carcass, which would be used as bait to draw them into a "gauntlet" of marksmen and firebombs.

The plan was enacted, with Lord Auromere and Ragnar Blackburn deploying one device, and Tayluur Welch and Baelthane Anvilmar deploying the other. The first device was managed without difficulty, and the first team joined the remainder promptly. The second team encountered technical difficulties with their device, but it was made irrelevant when Blackburn shouted, rousing the attention and ire of the undead.

The bait was then dragged by Schliefen and Daevanne Giltcastle to the intended location. Schliefen's foot was caught, however, and Anvilmar and Neapolitan Butterchurn rushed to her aid. The gauntlet marksmen began to fire--later claiming not to hear Lord Auromere's order to stand down--and Schliefen and Butterchurn were lightly injured. Fortunately, the three escaped, and the undead were entirely terminated by the ensuing fire.

Once the undead were confirmed destroyed, the inspection of the camp proceeded. Discovered in the camp were two relics: a shaman's staff confirmed by Scuff to belong to Yipyowl (indicating that Yipyowl did not escape), and a crystal orb infused with Shadow or Void energies, suspected of orcish make. The two artifacts were transported to Stormwind's Mage Circle for inspection and testing.

The marksmen who fired upon their own were severely reprimanded and placed on final warning.

## And the Horse That Brung Ya (event)

On March 28, a forward base on the Willowswift River was completed, and the Knights advanced to inspect it.

As Lord Auromere, Tayluur Welch, and Nellea Lennon were inspecting the camp, a scouting party arrived from the north and reported the presence of a goblin caravan at the crossing between the four counties. A team was dispatched to investigate.

Upon arrival, the team discovered six goblins, who had been encamped for well over a week. Their beasts of burden were missing, and their wagon's wheel irreparable. The leader of the caravan identified himself as Harvey Hexbolt of Hexbolt Enterprises, traveling from Fuselight-by-the-Sea to Redridge.

The goblins attempted to sell the remainder of their wares (and useless wagon) to Lord Auromere, but after these pleasantries, supplied information. They were initially raided by Blackrock orcs, who were traveling on a tangent from Emberwind to Seabreach. The orcs had very little interest in any activity south or southwest, continuing to pass through the area on their way to elsewhere. The caravan itself, having been raided by orcs and gnolls, had lost most of its stock.

Lord Auromere gathered the goblins and what supplies could be easily carried, and the team escorted them back to the forward base. On the way, the party was attacked by orcs--fortunately not an ambush, due to Lennon's quick ears and eyes. The orcs were swiftly defeated with the assistance of the Hexbolt caravan, and the leader of the orcs taken prisoner by Welch and brought back to base for questioning.

The Hexbolt caravan joined a supply group traveling west to Bel Lonn the following morning, which also carried a message to SI:7 regarding the prisoner. The orc leader was interrogated the next morning.

## The Prisoner's Tale

The captive orc, Akor, is a fairly low-ranking orc in the scheme of Blackrock things. However, after interrogation by Lord Auromere, he became a fount of knowledge.

The Blackrock orcs had, since mid-February, besieged the keep of Pinehold in County Seabreach. They believed that the humans they fought at Ironwall were from Pinehold, and had violated some sanction they had maintained against the people there--whence the comments about "leaving your place". The orcs had had no interest in Redgold as a result, believing their enemies to be in Seabreach.

Akor revealed that two hundred orcs were engaged in fighting at Pinehold, with no expectation of reinforcements for the humans there. They additionally had two ballistae.

Akor was transferred to Bel Lonn on the next supply wagon out, and was collected there by SI:7 for further intelligence gathering in Stormwind.

In light of this information, Lord Auromere called up the entire force of the Order to ride to Pinehold's aid as swiftly as possible.

## Gallantry (event)

The Order began at Fort Varian, and traveled east across the Willowswift River with all haste. They arrived at Pinehold in the evening. Upon arrival, Lord Auromere led the bulk of the forces in a charge at the Blackrock footmen, himself engaging the Blackrock commander, while a smaller team struck against the rear camp.

Using vials of spirium, the team set the ballistae on fire, ending the Blackrock attack on Pinehold's walls. After clearing the camp and defeating the guard leader, the strike team rejoined the main force. Upon the destruction of the camp and the defeat of their commander, the Blackrocks broke, and the strike team worked to scatter and demoralize them further.

Lord Auromere called upon the commander, whose wolf had been slain and who was at Auromere's mercy, to yield. However, the orc commander determined to continue the fight, knocking Auromere off his feet and attempting to kill him.

The quick thinking of Nellea Lennon and Sir Tolath Barthalomew prevented Auromere from being badly wounded. Sir Tolath shielded Auromere from injury, while Lennon slew the orc with a sword through the throat.

The forces of Ashfall approached Pinehold's gates, where they were met by Baroness Isobel de Stopham. They parleyed, and after some misgivings, she invited the rescuers of her people in to join them.

## Outcome

Pinehold had suffered greatly from decades of want and strife, and would require aid from Bel Lonn. However, Auromere expressed great hope that they will re-integrate with Stormwind, and prove a valuable aid as the Order continued to take Ashfall.

Due to the unexpected discovery of Pinehold's survival, the Order's resources and personnel were nearly overextended. Further conquest and exploration were placed on hold pending recruitment and population, and the Order's efforts turned toward developing the lands and availing themselves of the resources therein, including and especially Candlemar Mine.

## The Heroes of Redgold County

* Baelthane Anvilmar
* Sir Tolath Barthalomew
* Ragnar Blackburn
* Neapolitan Butterchurn
* Daevanne Giltcastle
* George Hallowell
* Nellea Lennon
* Tasima Schliefen
* Tayluur Welch