As our group of heroes return to set up an observation post on the raiders camp, they find it abandoned. They make their approach and encounter a group of hunters, who were hired by the cult to provide food for the cultists.
The hunters tell that most of the camp packed up in a hurry after discovering some prisoners had escaped. The raiders hauled crates and sacks of stuff to wagons, from the cave and appeared to have headed west. They also say some kobolds, purple wearers and others stayed behind in the cave.
After some discussion, the group decides to go into the cave and see what can be found or what information garnered.
As they enter the cave, Nizitz and Callie quickly sniff out an ambush and the group springs into action. They quickly defeat the three Dragon Claws who were on guard duty. After the battle the two rouges discover a hidden passage, leading to a tunnel which forks into two directions.
Nizitz takes the fork to the right and discovers a guard drunk and asleep. He quickly dispatches him and finds an empty treasure room. He does find three bundles, containing almost all of their missing gear. It would appear someone has their magical items.
Callie, having taken the left fork, finds a barracks full of guards and cultists. The rest of Magnificent 7 link up with her and attack the barracks. After a heated fight in tight quarters, the heroes defeat the guards and secure the room.
Back at Greenest some of our Adventurers seek out new equipment, as they only have the clothes on their backs. The Governor provides them what he can.
Leosin then prevails upon the Magnificent 7 to perform a mission for him. He is willing to pay them 150 gold each, if they will go back and spy on the camp. Then report to the city of Elturel with any information they might have. If they arrive after he has departed this city, his friend Ontharr Frume, a Paladin, will pay them and take the information.
Upon their return to the camp, they find it deserted and abandoned. They see a small group of hunters, who relate most of the cult left off to the west, with heavily loaded wagons. The
The Magnificent 7 looking at each other and hoping some of their gear is still here, set off for the mouth of the cave.
As night falls across the camp, Nizitz uses magic to free himself. He devises a plan and frees the rest of the prisoners. Then quickly casts an illusion which makes it appear that they are still tied up and being held. They sneak away and manage to climb up a rope that Callie and Zatara lowered for them. The guards don’t realize they have escaped, till morning.
Pete, hanging out near where his friends are being held captive, decides to investigate the cavern at the end of the camp. He sends Pickles, his unseen servant, into the mouth of the cave. Pete learns that there are guards in the cave and it would appear to be where the cult keeps treasure.
Hadrar finds Pete and they find a secluded spot of the camp and using the Black Spider’s Staff, he captured in a previous adventure, climb up and out of the camp.
A small group, dressed in captured cultist clothing, made up of Arthur, Hadrar, Helja, Nizitz and Pete sneak into the raiders camp. They are able to bluff their way past the guards, claiming they are returning from a raid and being led by Hadrar…who Nizitz refers to as Sleg Flamerath. They then split up into the crowd of the camp, to find the missing monk.
The cultist has set up their camp in the hollow of a rocky plateau that’s shaped roughly like a horseshoe. There is a definite segregation to the camp, cultist in one area, kobolds in another and mercenaries in yet another area.
As they move through the camp, they group garners serval tidbits of information. They learn prisoners are used as slave labor, that the group is led by Rezmir a black Dragonborn, the group has raided all over the Greenfields collecting treasure and that Rezmir has a special interest in the Monk prisoner.
Meanwhile Callie and Zatara are skirting around the edges of the camp, watching and waiting. They spot a cave entrance at the rear of the camp and it would seem to be wear the “Higher Ups” are staying.
Several hours pass by as our group of infiltrators, move through camp. Suddenly a group of three half ogres walk up to Arthur and yell, “Dragon slayer!”
The entire camp seems to focus on Arthur, Nizitz and Helja who have come together. They realize they are surrounded, captured and led away to face the leader of the camp.
Arthur and his fellow prisoners are led to Frulam Mondath, who runs the camp for Rezmir. She smirks at the group and says “Well Arthur seems I get to finish what my Anti-Paladin couldn’t. They will be executed tomorrow and there will much celebration.”
Led away and stripped of all their equipment, the group is tied up to Xs made up of tree trunks, next to a monk.
The monk, severely dehydrated and beaten looks at Nizitz and says, “Let me guess…. you are here to rescue me.”
The Adventurers set off across the Greenfields following the path of the raiders. It is not hard to follow as the raiders cut a large swath across the rolling hills and it would appear they took quite a bit of loot from the tracks they leave.
Nizitz and Callie soon come across a group of stragglers from the group of raiders. The stop in a small depression and began cooking up some prairie chickens. The group is made up of Kobolds and Human Cultist.
Our heroes quickly decide to ambush the stragglers and dispatch them with quickly, since Pete Lightmagic uses magic to disarm them. During the fight the heroes discover one of the cultist had a bag of holding. The group quickly repurposes the bag for their use.
After a few more miles the group comes upon the rear guard of the raiders and spies their camp. Sizing up the enemy, the Magnificent 7 decide to split up, one group will scout the edges of the camp and act as over watch element; while the second group would infiltrate the camp.
The next morning as the Magnificent 7 begin to set out and track the raiders. A lone figure approaches them and meets them just on the outskirts of town.
He is a young man and is limping heavily on his bandaged left leg. He tells you his name is Nesim Waladra.
Nesim says, “I hear that you intend to follow the raiders and see where they’ve gone. I’d like nothing better than to come with you, but in this condition, I’d slow you down. In the midst of all this tragedy, there is no reason you would have heard about the fate of my master, Leosin Erianthar, but it’s important you know. He is a monk from Berdusk. He disappeared last night, after we fought a particularly savage battle against raiders. A few others and I fought our way to the keep, barely. Leosin didn’t make it at all. We went back to look for him this morning, but all we found was his broken staff and this choker, which he always wore.”
He relates that they were returning to Berdusk from the great library at Candlekeep. Leosin was there talking with librarians and researching the ancient writings on the dragon and cult folklore.
Nesim holds up the choker, it is a leather strap looking as it has been broken, by being ripped from some one’s neck. There is a silver dragon design chased into the leather.
Nesim then says, “Leosin has been investigating these raiders for months. I fear that he might have tried to infiltrate their group when they retreated, or worse, was captured and carried away as a prisoner. No one understands these bandits better than he does and his knowledge will be invaluable against them. When you find their camp, please look for any sign that Leosinis there. One of my brothers has already departed for Berdusk to bring back help, but it will be many days before help arrives. Anything you can do before then would be a godsend.”
The group makes it back to the keep and takes stock of their situation. They ascend the ramparts and look out over the town. It would appear the raiders are starting to withdraw.
From the darkness, a creature strides into the dim light of the dying fires around the keep. The creature is Dragon Born and covered in blue scales. A line of Kobolds fans out behind him. They prod four humans forward a teenage boy, a woman and two small children. All beaten and bloody.
The Dragon born hails the keep, “Defenders of Greenest! This has been a successful night and I, Langdedrosa Cyanwrath, am feeling generous. Do you see these four pitiful, useless prisoners? We have no need for them, so I will trade them back to you. Send out your best warrior to fight me and you can have them back.”
Arthur and Hadrar set out the gate to face the villain. Once outside Langdedrosa addresses Hadrar, telling him that he is on the wrong side and this is his chance to join the cult. Hadrar flatly refuse and Arthur steps up and draws his sword.
After several strikes the villain finds that he is not up to the challenge of Arthur and is slain. The Koblods depart leaving the prisoners.
Word reaches the heroes get word that a large group of villagers are trapped in the town’s shrine. The group of heroes sneaks off down the river and approaches the shrine. The groups see a small group of raiders in the rear of the shrine grounds and dispatches them. Then quickly lure the rest into an ambush and while getting the villagers to safety.
Once the have finished off this mission, Nizitz leans against the wall of the shrine and says “Surely there can’t be much left of these raiders. I mean how many Kobolds can there be?”
As the group releases a collective sigh of relief, Governor Nighthill again asks the group to come to the rescue of the town. Lookouts have spotted the raiders trying to put the local mill to the torch. The Governor implores the group to save the mill, as this is where most of the food and flour for the town is made.
The group took up the Governor’s request and set off to save the mill. Callie and Nizitz crept up and checked the lay of the land around the mill. They soon discover, it’s a ruse and the raiders are trying to a lay a trap for the Magnificent 7.
The adventurers quickly defeat the raiders at the mill and capture a prisoner, albeit after Arthur crushes one of them with his sheild. Helja and Arthur interrogate the prisoner and learn the name of one of the leaders of the raiders and that they know the heroes are here now.
The group feels they might have some time to rest inside the keep and come up with a plan. Nizitz after lighting his pipe hands it to Zatara and tells her to relax and take a few hits. Suddenly, the wound to Zatara’s throat is healed and her voice recovered.
A large ominous shadow passes over the keep. An adult blue dragon begins to threaten all the occupants of the castle. Helja thinking quick on her feat casts a spell of command on the dragon praying that it works. Luck is with her and it does, she tells the Dragon to land. Unfortunately for our adventurers the dragon chooses to land right in the middle of the keep. The large adult blue dragon fills the court yard.
Upon landing the Dragon looks at Helja, with a very perturbed look. The Adventurers are stunned and quickly try to come up with a plan. Some begin to steel themselves for the mother of all closes quarters combat, other think of jumping on its back, but Nizitz realizes he only has moments to act.
Nizitz attempts to open a dialogue with this large beast, realizing his crew would suffer greatly from a battle with this creature. He discovers that the dragon really doesn’t have his heart in this attack and is only here as a favor to the cult. The dragon doesn’t really care for the cult and is skeptical of their motives. Nizitz is able to convince the dragon to leave and the group is spared what would have been a bloody battle with a dragon.
We took the extremely compact and versatile 3-15x42 model and outfitted it with a large 50 mm objective. With its high magnification range and increased light transmission, this scope extends the hunting day and allows you to take full advantage of last shootable light.