Getting started
The adventure begins in Kelven, a riverside town within the Duchy of Karameikos. Here you meet Stephan, who offers work on behalf of his brother Pyotr.
Pyotr owns Sukiskyn, a prosperous homestead in the Dymrak Forest to the east.
Player information about the area is found in the player handouts.
More information about the inhabitants of Sukiskyn.
Pyotr recently caught a small herd of pure white horses, which they hope to sell at Rifflian, to the Callarii elves (the white horse being the symbol of their tribe).
Stephan offers 100gp per character to guard the horses, but is negotiated up to 130gp per character. Stephan then leaves and promises to meet the party in 1 week at Rifflian.
Leaving civilisation behind
At first, the river is flanked by rolling downs on both sides, but a few miles upriver from Kelven the forest closes in on the southern bank.
Suddenly, there is a thud and the boat lurches to a halt, momentarily throwing you off balance!
There is a chain across the river, and the ambush is sprung. The party defeats the ambushers, recovering a Dagger +1, 3gp, and has a captive - a "Hound of the Iron Ring".
Misha's Ferry
By late-afternoon the boat reaches the jetty at Misha's ferry. As the crew help you off with your baggage, Kalanos calls out to Misha, but has no reply.
"Don't worry," he says, "Misha often goes off hunting with that flea-bitten old bear of hers. She'll be back before night and won't mind you making yourselves at home. Good luck!"
Kalanos gives the order "Cast off!", the boat pulls away from the jetty, and continues upriver.
The bear returns soon after your arrival, pines for Misha, but moves on.
The howling of wolves keep you in the cabin for the night, but the next day is fine and sunny.
The party arrives at Sukiskyn shortly after sunset.
Flames at sunset
It is past sunset. A twilight hush has settled over the forest, and there is no movement amongst the shadowy trees on either side of the trail. The world seems at peace, perhaps a little too quiet.
Then the silence is broken. A faint cry drifts on the evening breeze which also brings a whiff of woodsmoke. Ahead, you catch a glimpse 0f flames rising beyond the trees. The sounds grow louder; shouts of men mingle with harsh, guttural warcries and the clash of battle, while all the time the flames grow higher, bathing the forest in a pink glow.
The forest ends on the bank of a fast flowing river spanned by a wooden bridge which leads to the gate of a palisaded homestead. The buildings are mostly intact, but are lit by flames leaping from a barn to the left of the bridge. In a clearing on the far side of the burning barn, you can see the attackers — goblins, or possibly orcs, and from your right, beyond the main part of the homestead, come the cries of frightened horses.
"Look out!" cries a man's voice from the gatehouse across the bridge, and, through the smoke, you see a squad of goblins counted on huge wolves charging wildly along the riverbank towards you. "Quick, before they cut you off!", the voice continues, and the gate starts to swing open. There is not a moment to lose.
As you hurry through the gateway into the smoke-filled yard beyond, spears, hurled by the mounted goblins, thud into the timbers behind you. To your surprise, the gate is held open by a young woman, who quickly shuts and bars it once you are all through.
For a moment you are safe, but the flames from the nearby barn are already starting to spread to the wooden tower above the gate, and beyond the barn, a group of scarlet clad goblins has broken through the palisade and is rushing towards you.
Some fall to missiles fired from the main building, but the rest press on regardless. Unmoved, the woman waits until a man wearing leather armour makes his way down the ladder from the smoke-filled tower. Then the couple make a dash for the main buildings, calling on you to follow.
The long night
Once the party reaches the main building and the door is shut behind them, any surviving Red-blade in the yard fall to the defenders' arrows and slingshots.
There is then a lull in the attack as the goblins withdraw and wait for the barn, the gatehouse and the northern part of the palisade to burn down. During this time, Pyotr hastily greets the adventurers and jokes grimly about the warmth of their welcome.
He then explains their predicament:
- there are two clans of goblins attacking the homestead: the Red-blade (or Gnhasska), and the Wolfskull (or Kloss-lunk), who ride wolves
- there was a third clan, the Vipers (or Jaggadash), but these have run off with the horses from the pens, after killing two of the clan (Novannes and Hakos)
- although the barn, the gatehouse and the northern stretch of palisade are on fire, the main building and stables are intact
- with the party's help, the defenders have a good chance of holding out until dawn, when daylight will force the goblins back into the woods
- with so many goblins hidden in the woods it would be suicidal to leave the homestead before dawn
- this is only one of several goblin attacks on human homesteads in recent weeks.
Next instalment...what happened at the siege...
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