Session Report: Keep on the Shadowfell - Chapter Four

WARNING: spoilers for Keep on the Shadowfell abound in this post. Stop reading now if you plan to play this module.

Having cleared the second level of the dungeons under the ruins of Shadowfell Keep the heroes pressed onward. Delving deeper into the passages below they found a room with curious statues: a massive stone man wearing plate armor and wielding a greatsword, two dragons and four cherubs decorated an otherwise empty room. Venturing in they quickly triggered the traps! The great swordsman statue swung its weapon in a massive arc and knocked Berro to the ground. The rest of the party more cautiously charted a path around the statue and pelted it from range. A final shot from Moob dashed the statue into rubble on the floor.

In the deep south of the room Kahlashtar triggered the next trap in wide alcove cornered by the four cherub statues. A wall of force sprung up blocking him into the alcove as the cherubs began to pour water into the place. Once it reached about five feet deep it began to swirl in a great counterclockwise motion slamming the paladin into the statues. As this happened Moob used mage hand and great deal of direction from Rik to disable two of the statues. Kahlashtar managed to get a grip on one of the statues and topple it to the floor. The wall of force vanished and the water rushed out into the larger room, pushing the heroes across the way. Berro, again the target of a trap, fell too close to one of the dragon statues which blasted him with a wave for force and knocked him across the room.

The heroes licked their wounds and moved onward. In the next chamber they encounterd a horde of undead. Moob's blasts of fire, massive strikes from Kahlashtar, cleaving strikes from Berro and a well timed prayer on the part of Stadir felled the evil creatures, but not before the small clay construct that lurked in the place made a mad dash for a still deeper level.

Thinking it unwise to wander into the lower level with an enemy sentry ahead of them, the heroes checked one last passage on the second level that they had thus far avoided. It was nearly their undoing. A large gelatinous cube swept up more than half of the party and nearly destroyed them, but Kahlashtar's sword, Rik's dagger and a mighty blast of fire from Moob destroyed the thing. In the meantime, two creeping zombies ambushed Stadir. He managed to turn them and the heroes pursued and laid them low. Collecting their breath the heroes decided to call it a day and return on the morrow. They made the trek back to Ford uneventfully.

In Ford they learned from Lord Paedrig that the dead were walking in the nearby graveyard. A quick sweep of the place cleared it of the weak zombies and netted a bonus: they killed the elf ranger, Ninaran, who appears to have been a spy for a leader of the cult worshiping Orcus. The leader, Kalarel, was at work on some ritual beneath the ruins of Shadowfell Keep. The heroes determined to put a stop to his evil once and for all.

Setting out the next day they quickly entered the keep and made their way to the lower levels. Beneath the rotting room of undead they had dispatched the day before they found a temple with great streams of blood and a mass of enemies. The adventurers laid into the priest and his underlings with abandon. There was a mighty struggle for a bit as the evil priest landed wicked blows of necrotic energy and his minions fought with an unimagined bloodlust, but the heroes won the day . . . or did they? As the evil priest fell the sole remaining enemy, a creature of shadow, vanished from their midst with a cry, "I must warn the master!."

Having mistaken the underpriest for the true leader, the heroes bravely pressed onward. In the center of the temple was a pit into which streams of blood flowed. Chains slick with gore descended into the depths below. The heroes plunged downwards, some literally, who slipped on the chains and fell into a deep pool of blood.

The priest of Orcus, Kalarel, and his underlings launched an immediate attack. Two skeletal warriors and the priest laid Khalashtar low while a dark wight immobilized Mizz. The heroes moved to Khalashtar's aid, got him on his feet and began the counter attack. Things seemed to be going quite well. The evil priest, bloodied and fleeing, made his way towards the dark portal in the north of the room. Stadir called on the power of his diety to turn the skeletons away while the warriors knocked Karlarel to the ground a surrounded him. That was when things turned.

The dark wight, no longer content with pelting the heroes from a distance raced across the room with unholy speed and revealed its horrid visage. Terrified of this evil being the heroes dropped their guard and fled away from it. That was the chance that Kalarel needed. Leaping to his feet he raced to the unholy circle in front of the portal to the Shadowfell where his defenses were stronger and the unholy energy infused him and his followers with power. The skeletal warriors, recovered from the power unleashed by Stadir pressed foward. The heroes made their way to the unholy circle of power.

Again the dark wight faced the heroes and its twisted, demonic heritage struck them with terror. They raced away . . . towards the dark portal. A great groping hand lashed out and seized Kahlashtar, pulling him into the void. The skeletons, the wight and the priest then concentrated their efforts on single enemies until each fell or was forced through the portal to feed the hungry beast that waited beyond.

Finally, only Moob and Stadir standing, they turned to flee. The skeletal warriors flanked Stadir and cut him down in the pool of blood. Moob managed to make it to the chains and begin his ascent, but a final bolt of dark energy from the evil priest struck him down and he fell to his doom.

The heroes failed to stop the dark priest of Orcus in his unholy rite. What evil will he unleash on the world? What will become of Ford and the surrounding area? The Oshland Empire has long since crumbled, and no army awaits the undead that will surely flow from the Shadowfell this time. Who will avenge the fallen heroes and right these wrongs? Who will defend the people?

Who indeed . . .

Session Report: Keep on the Shadowfell - Chapter Three

WARNING: spoilers for Keep on the Shadowfell abound in this post. Stop reading now if you plan to play this module.

Having defeated the goblins in the upper level under the ruins of Shadowfell Keep the heroes set off to find what's going on farther underground. They freed a goblin prisoner who told them to watch out for undead and a human who was running things as well as hobgoblin soldiers.

Heading for the lower levels the party met with a pack of zombies. Initially things went very well, but when another group of zombies showed up from behind the wizard things looked grim. Stadir's ability to turn undead saved the day.

They then ventured further south into a crypt. The crypt held numerous sarcophogi with symbols of Bahamut on them. As they made their way down the hall the coffins opened up and skeletons sprang forth. The skeletons fell quickly to the heroes, but more continued to pour out of the sarcophogi. After two such waves of skeletons, Kahlashtar moved to an altar of Bahamut and offered a prayer. No more skeletons attacked after that.

Venturing deeper into the tomb they found a single coffin resting on a raised dais. Inspecting the place Moob discovered that it was the resting place of Sir Keegan, the last commander of the keep. As the heroes turned to leave the place the coffin burst open and Sir Keegan demanded to know their business here! After some tense moments, the heroes managed to convince the skeletal warrior that their mission here matched Sir Keegan's goals. They will work to stop the cult of Orcus who has invaded the keep. Sir Keegan gives to Khalashtar his magical sword to aid him in his battles against evil.

North of where they met the zombies, the heroes find a maze with numerous fear ward traps. After triggering several of them, they manage to find a way through the place. Rik finds a secret door in one corner of the maze behind which they find an armory guarded by zombies. A fierce battle ends with the zombies lying in a heap and the heroes looking over the contents of the armory. A magical voice speaks to them and asks a riddle. Without a moment's hesitation Stadir answers the riddle correctly and the heroes receive a magical suit of scale armor as reward.

A long flight of steps downward takes the heroes into the hobgoblin domains. They fight a long and fierce battle against a large band of hobgoblins and their spider pet. It was a tough battle, but the heroes prevail. They decide to take a rest from battles and return to the hidden armory room where they rest overnight.

Venturing back into the hobgoblin domain they find the entry room where they fought the first hobgoblins fortified. A mass of hobgoblins hides behind tables and other gear and pelts them with arrows as they make their way down. The heroes win another hard fought victory.

Continuing onward they make their way to the hobgoblin warchief's chambers. Their they fight the warchief and his minions. The fight goes poorly for Mizz who the warchief seems to take a particular disliking to, but otherwise things work out well. Afterwards the heroes loot the place and recover a mass of gold and a magical short sword.

Well ready for more adventuring the heroes prepare to make their way past the hobgoblin domain and to whatever horrors wait below near the Shadowrift . . .

XP Earned: eh, I don't remember; you're all 3rd level
Loot: a goodly amount of gold and Sir Keegan's +1 longsword called Aecris, a +1 vicious short sword and a suit of +1 blackiron scale armor.

Session Report: Keep on the Shadowfell - Chapter Two

WARNING: spoilers for Keep on the Shadowfell abound in this post. Stop reading now if you plan to play this module.

Having rescued Douven Staul from ruffians, the heroes return to Ford for a night of rest. The next morning they set out for the keep. They head east down the old dwarf trade highway. The road, little used in the last many years, is overgrown in places and the trees tower over it menacingly. Some miles and a couple of hours east of Ford they come to a narrow track the branches off of the main road to the south. According to their information this is where they will find the keep.

As they head down the track the woodland sounds fade and the area becomes deathly silent. They come to a clearing where lies the ruins of the old keep. In the clearing bare earth lies exposed to the sun. Not a single blade of grass grows in the area, and the fallen walls and towers of the keep look like the playthings of giants tossed aside. Someone or something has cleared a narrow trail through the wreckage to a hole in the ground in the center of the rubble. A set of stairs heads into the darkness below.

History

Moob recalls stories of old about the keep. Centuries ago a temple of great evil stood at this very spot. The temple guarded a rift to the Shadowfell. A cult dedicated to the Demon prince Orcus performed dark rituals to open the rift into a part of the Shadowfell controlled by Orcus. Hordes of fell undead poured forth from the rift and ravaged the land. For months the foul creatures slaughtered without mercy.

Eventually the king of the Oshland Empire sent a legion east to deal with the undead menace and to destroy the cult. After hard fought battles and many lives lost the men of Oshland prevailed. They drove the cultists underground and sealed the Rift. They built a mighty fortress, the Keep on the Shadowfell, over the site to guard it and prevent others from ever opening the Rift.

Some time later, still over two hundred years ago, the Oshland Empire collapsed during the Purge. No one knows exactly what happened, but the Keep on the Shadowfell was abandoned. Over time the place fell into ruin.

Into Darkness

From signs of footprints in the area the heroes discover that some creatures have entered the chambers underneath the old keep. What foul creatures wait beneath the earth, and what evil plans do these creatures have?

The party makes its way down into the ground. Rik sneaks ahead and scouts out the entry chamber. He comes on a large room with great pillars holding up the ceiling. On the far side of the room a lone goblin stands alert. Rik stealthily makes his way over to the goblin and plunges his dagger into the creature's back. The fight is on!

Other goblins approach from the south and east as the heroes charge in to Rik's side. Berro falls into a hidden pit in the center of the guard room and is set upon by a swarm of rats. Stadir quickly pulls Berro out of the pit and the heroes fight a running battle down the southern and eastern hallways. They make quick work of the goblins except one who escapes down a passage to the east.

The Excavation Site

After a quick rest the heroes follow after the fleeing goblin. Down some stairs and farther east they find him and some more of his comrades with guard drakes in a huge chamber that has been dug up.

A dramatic fight occurs as the heroes plough into the enemies. Things look grim as the pair of guard drakes corner Berro and bring him down. A bit of healing and luck gets him back on his feet. Mizz, Rik, and Kahlashtar leap off of the platform at the entry to the room and engage the goblins on the ground. Moob blasts a lot of them with fire. Within a minute or so the goblins and their pets are down.

A quick search of the place uncovers a bit of gold and silver coins, some mining tools and a dirt-encrusted +1 Symbol of Battle that is holy to Bahamut. Stadir takes the holy symbol to aid him in his battle prayers.

Maze of Caves

Heading back towards the entrance, the adventurers make a quick detour to the south, down some stairs and into some roughly hewn caverns. There they encounter a large pack of giant rats and a ghastly ochre jelly. The heroes down the rats with relative ease, but the oozing jelly nearly undoes them. It breaks off into two separate pieces and things look pretty bad. Some well-timed attacks and a masterful Lead the Attack by Mizz saves the day.

The heroes poke around for a bit, but abandon the area, and the keep entirely, after recovering from their wounds. They return to Ford to rest for the night and consider their plans.

The Goblin Chieftain

The next day they return to the keep. As they move into the entrance a goblin guard spies them and runs off to the west. Several of the heroes attack, but only Mizz can land a telling blow. The goblin escapes . . . but to where and to what end?

The heroes pursue can come to a long chamber with three doors going north, east and west. The quickly search what appears to be a trash heap to the west and then head east.

Rik attempts to sneak down the passage east, but he stumbles and alerts the goblin guards ahead. One of them calls out for aid and a fierce fight begins as nearly a dozen goblins, including their chief, Balgron the Fat, spill into the room.

Coordinated action and working together the heroes win the day, but not before Balgron and one of his lackeys runs off farther to the east and disappear. A search of the area turns up a locked chest which Rik manages to open. They recover several hundred gold coins and a +1 Magic Wand which Moob claims.

The Torture Chamber

A search of the chieftain's lair reveals a secret door that leads into a passage south. It makes a great loop back to the guard room. The heroes return to the room with three doors and make their way into a chamber of horrors. Evil torture devices, a massive fire pit and goblins fill the room.

Balgron, the goblin chief, several of his followers, and a big hobgoblin brute await them. Khalashtar and Berro guard the door as the rest of the heroes take shots at the goblins from behind them. Things begin to look pretty bad for the adventurers when Khalashtar falls to wounds from Balgron and the hobgoblin. A bit of healing and some mighty blows win the day. The goblins, including the great chief are slain.

The heroes search the place and discover a bit of gold and magical +1 Bloodcut Hide Armor on the hobgoblin. Mizz takes the armor and they split the gold.

Heading west the heroes find three cells. In one of the cells they find a goblin named Splug. He thanks them for saving him and shows them all about the goblin lair, which the heroes have already seen. He is most impressed with their skills and is gratious for them rescuing him. He tells them of the rats and the ooze in the maze and is further impressed when they tell him they killed the ooze.

Splug also tells the heroes of a man with dark hair, pale skin and pale eyes who came to Balgron and brought him here. The adventurers surmise that this man is a servant of some evil power, most probably Orcus. Splug says the goblins never go deeper into the caverns, but he warns them of undead and hobgoblins who protect and serve the human.

Session ends. We'll resume here next week as the heroes venture deeper into the caverns beneath the Keep on the Shadowfell.

XP Earned: 650 (level up!)
Loot: 175 gold each; +1 Symbol of Battle, +1 Magic Wand, +2 Bloodcut Hide Armor, Potion of Healing.

Session Report: Keep on the Shadowfell - Chapter One

WARNING: spoilers for Keep on the Shadowfell abound in this post. Stop reading now if you plan to play this module.

King Mark Winland II, interested in expanding the influence of his kingdom, hired a hardy band of adventurers to seek out information in and around the village of Ford many leagues to the north. He had previously sent an envoy, Douven Staul, to see what he could learn. Douven should have returned long ago. Now brave heroes make their way to Ford to learn of Douven's fate and to continue his mission.

The Heroes

The heroes include:

• Stadir: half-elf cleric of Bahamut (Jon)
• Rik: halfling rogue (Jeff)
• Mizz: tiefling warlord (Zach)
• Moob: human wizard (Michael)
• Kahlashtar: dragonborn paladin (Matt)
• Berro: dwarf fighter (Rozanne)

On the Road: Kobold Brigands

The party has been on the road for weeks traveling to the village of Ford. They have a general idea of its location and expect to reach it late in the afternoon. About mid-afternoon Rik calls a halt to the band as he spots some rusty-skinned lizard-like creatures skulking about in the rocks and trees near the road. Seeing that their ambush has been foiled the kobolds leap into action.

The dragonmen march forward toward their foes. Two slingers hang back a bit as the warriors charge forward. Moob fires off a spell and fells one of the weaker warriors and Kahlashtar charges forward. A bloody mess ensues. The kobolds hammer at the dragonborn as his comrades pick their way forward to his aid. Berro and Mizz crash into the kobolds as Rik manuevers into an advantageous position.

The mass of kobolds surrounding the paladin bring him down, but a prayer to Bahumut from Stadir and an encouraging word from Mizz get him back on his feet. A bloody minute later and kobold corpses litter the roadside.

The heroes take a brief break to tend to wounds, loot the bodies of their fallen enemies and then continue their journey.

Ford: Questions Answered

The heroes arrive at the tiny walled village near dusk. Dozens of farmhouses dot the country side near Ford. The town proper sits on a prominent hill overlooking the road running east and west and a river that flows north to south. A spur off the road at the bridge leads up the hill to the open gates of the village where two guards greet the travelers amiably and advise them to seek Wrafton's Inn where they can find food, shelter and information.

At Wrafton's Inn the heroes quickly arrange a meal and bed for the night and set to finding what they can about Douven. The innkeeper, Salvana Wrafton, a heavyset middle-aged woman, tells them that Douven stayed in her inn, but just up and disappeared a few weeks ago. She hasn't seen or heard from him since. She's unsure of his interests, but seems to remember he spent a lot of time talking to Eilian. She also tells them that Valthrun might be able to help them out as well.

A handful of locals lounge about in the common room of the inn, taking in a bit of conversation, games of chance and a lot of ale. The heroes notice an elf woman watching them while trying to hide the fact. Rik and Stadir wander over to talk to her. She has no interest in speaking to them, and leaves abruptly when Rik tries to buy her a drink.

Later in the evening as more locals trickle in to the place, Salvana points out Eilian to the party. Eilian is a strange bird indeed. He speaks in sharp, staccato phrases and seems lost in his thoughts and those of others. His mind quickly wanders from topic to topic and his mouth quickly follows. He is most excited when he learns that the heroes seek Douven. "You knew Douven?" he exclaims. "Knew?" responds Stadir. "Well, know . . . I guess. You know Douven?"

After a great deal of wandering about in the strange world that is Eilian's thought process the heroes make an appointment to meet with him in the morning; but not too early! He is fascinated by Kahlashtar's prayer book and begs to take it with him to read, agreeing to return it on the morrow.

The heroes call it a night.

In the morning Moob, Berro and Rik make a run of the town and check things out. They discover there is not much to see. A stable, smithy, general store, some modest houses, a large tenement and a church take up about three fourths of the walled part of the village. An inner wall separates the rest of the village from Lord Paidrig's manor house, the guard barracks and warehouse.

The heroes speak briefly with Valthrun. Valthrun calls himself a political advisor to Lord Paidrig, the local ruler. Valthrun suggests that he can arrange a meeting with the lord, and the party agrees. Valthrun knows of Douven as well and tells much the same story as the innkeep.

After first waking Eilian around 11:00 AM the heroes finally meet with him around noon. He invites them to his modest home. They learn that he has a bit of a library of some thirty books and that he spends most of his time reading and advising Lord Paidrig on history, astrology, astronomy and other subjects. He stayed up the entire evening before reading Kahlashtar's prayer book and bores the party to tears recounting a parable from the book.

The adventurers finally manage to get some information of use out of Eilian. He tells them of a dragon burial ground nearby that Douven went to investigate several weeks ago. He draws them a map detailing the location of both the burial ground and the ruined keep which he claims is a pile of rubble and likely haunted.

Later in the evening the party makes a meeting with Lord Paidrig. This stately middle-aged fellow invites them to his manor where they are treated to fine drink and after dinner snacks. He seems interested in their exact relationship with Douven Staul and King Mark Winland II. When it becomes apparent that they do not have the power to negotiate on behalf of the king he seems to lose interest and redirects the conversation to helping them to find Douven.

He also offers to pay them to rid the village of the kobold menace. It seems the kobold activity in the region has picked up in recent months, and the ambushers have started to impact the well-being of the village. Merchants have gone missing and one of the scheduled Traveling Carnivals has not arrived as expected. If the heroes will track the kobolds to their lair and dispatch them he will pay them 50 gold crowns from the old Oshland Empire.

Kobold Ambush

The party agrees to take the job and will seek out Douven. It seems likely that he had a run in with the kobolds since both the burial ground and most of the kobold activity mostly are to the west. Using the map given by Eilian they set out west. On the road another band of kobolds attacks them. A fierce battle ensues, but the heroes manage the day with little trouble. Two of the kobolds flee the battle.

In looting the bodies they find an obsidian dragon necklace. Moob looks it over and discovers a crude ram-headed skull etched on the bottom of it. He recognizes this as the symbol of Orcus, the demon prince of the undead. The thought of kobolds worshiping Orcus unsettles them and they are even more determined now to wipe out the potential threat.

Scoping out the Lair

Moob manages to track the fleeing kobolds into the woods. An hour or so later they find themselves at a small clearing where a stream tumbles over a steep cliff face in the forest. Over a dozen kobolds mill about near the waterfall, obviously alert for trouble. After looking over the situation for a bit they decide to look for the dragon burial ground instead of facing this large band of kobolds. They will come back when better rested.

Burial Site

Using Eilian's map the party makes its way to the burial site. Once there Rik sneaks ahead for a look. He sees several men digging about in the place, a halfling skulking about nearby and another creature that he doesn't immediately recognize. The slender, gray-skinned creature is a gnome, as Stadir tells everyone once he sees it.

The heroes make their way down into the pit that is the burial site and the gnome calls out to them to come look at what he's found. As they gather around him he hefts a large curved bone and tries to slam it into Stadir's gut. Quickly his human diggers move to attack and two dog-like dragon creatures join the fray. The halfling, having vanished from sight repears and lets loose a hail of stones from his sling. Kahlashtar breathes lightning on the assembled enemies. The gnome disappears in a flash of electricity, but reappears a moment later waving a great pick at Khalashtar's back.

Rik and Mizz make short work of the halfling while Berro, Stadir, Moob and Khalashtar take care of the others. The fight is over relatively quickly and the heroes are none the worse for wear.

On checking out the burial site they find not only the gold and silver that the people carried, but a magical +1 Amulet of Health, a wooden crate with a mirror in it, and Douven Staul who is bound, gagged and covered with a blanket nearby.

They release Douven and question him about the goings on here. He tells them that he has had no trouble with kobolds, but that these miscreants attacked him before he ever reached the burial site. He had come out here to see what he could aobut the place. He will return soon to report to King Mark about his findings and asks the heroes to check out the keep in his stead.

Mizz recognizes the scroll work on the mirror and advises everyone that it is an item of value to worhipers of Orcus. It is not magical and is certainly of great value. They decide to take it with them along with the amulet, which Douven identifies as his own, but he gives to them as reward for rescuing him, but not before he takes the picture of his wife from it.

The party makes its way back to town escorting Douven. They now have an idea of where to proceed and maybe a bit of news for Lord Paidrig. Certainly they have uncovered some wealth. Douven agrees to wait in town to travel back to Roth with them unless a merchant caravan comes through that he can ride with.

The heroes decide to rest again for the night at the inn and will get an early start on the morrow.

Rewards

XP Earned: 600 each
Loot: 40 gold each; +1 Amulet of Health which Kahlashtar has.
Items of Interest: mirror with gold trim of undetermined value that Mizz claims has some connection to Orcus; obsidian dragon figure with symbol of Orcus etched on the bottom

Keep on the Shadowfell - Player Background

Keep on the Shadowfell is the first published adventure for Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition. This preview adventure provides quick start rules and pregenerated characters. This adventure will serve as a preview to the Greyshad campaign.

Player Background

It has been 217 years since the Purge and the fall of the Oshland Empire. In the dark years since that time communication between lands, travel and trade has broken down. Warriors and wise men have managed to establish small pockets of civilization in the ruins of lost empires. One such point of light is the great city-state of Roth.

Once the eastern jewel of the Oshland Empire, Roth fell on hard times after the Purge. The people of Roth have suffered the ravages of war as armies sacked the city three times in less than a century. For a time the great city fell nearly to ruin and its walls hid the hollow husk that it had become.

About fifty years ago Mark Winland, a mighty warlord with a faithful band of followers, proclaimed himself King of Roth and the Eastern Marches. He ruthlessly destroyed would-be usurpers, real and imagined, and launched a campaign to bring peace and order to the land. He spent the last thirty years of his life fighting battles with goblin tribes, pirates on the Elba River, and politicians who would seek to tear him down. On his death his son, Mark Winland II, ascended to the throne.

King Mark Winland II proved himself a man of strength and honor and a great conciliator. He made peace with the river bands on the Elba, established trade with Port Eben, and managed to turn back the last of the goblin hordes near Roth with a pledge of non-agression should they remain outside the border of his kingdom. Since the first seven years of his reign Roth has been at peace and managed to rebuild. While not nearly the city of splendor it was in the glory days of empire, Roth stands as a beacon in a sea of chaos and danger. All of the lands within a day's ride of the city know peace and prosperity.

This time of plenty has awakened in the king a desire to fulfill his father's vision of a new empire with Roth as its capital. Several months ago he sent an emissary to the town of Ford far to the north. The envoy, Douven Staul, had orders to establish contact with the governing body of Ford and to learn all he could about the situation in and around Ford. King Mark has it in his mind to establish dominion over the lands north and east of Roth. Ford once held an important crossroad in the Eastern Marches. Tales speak of an abandoned keep of the old Oshland Empire nearby. If the king can establish a military presence in the keep it will make the task of ruling the Eastern Marches far easier.

Douven's schedule called for his return to Roth and a report to the king two months ago. Unsure of the fate of his representative, King Mark has called on a band of adventurers to travel to Ford and return with news of Douven. They have secondary orders to learn what they can about the old fort, including its location, disposition and current occupants, if any.