Adventure in the Astran League

Adventure in the Astran League is a campaign in the Vayan setting.

Players

• Laura Higgins as Catya
• Chris Everett as Chalk
• Kim Roberts as Fayra
• Alex Perkins as Rees Golondwy

Timeline

• Session 1: 17th of Mystrir 863 PCA

Links

Session Log at AitAL Log
Detailed Planning at AitAL Planning

Recent happenings

"The village of Lonstrem is a small farmer’s town of about 200 on the Embraweave Plateau east of Suhder. Its mayor, Marwan Rosebelly, has called for aid from the Order of Dawn after almost a quarter of the population has fallen ill almost 3 weeks ago. You are to deliver a wagon with supplies to these people, and assist the local priest of Lathender, Zinfi Goldrest, with finding out where this sickness has come from, and hopefully put an end to it.

Minister Elreak from the Order of Dawn - part of the Church of Pelor - has promised you 100 gold pieces each for your efforts in delivering the cart of goods to Lonstrem, of which you’ve been paid 25 when you left Suhder. You have also been given 3 weeks worth of rations each, enough to get you to the village and back. The wagon is pulled by two donkeys and contains:

• A chest of dry, herbal medical supplies
• A small barrel of liquid medicine
• A chest of bandages
• 4 flasks of strong alcohol (meant as a disinfectant) in a crate.
• A small, locked chest containing scrolls (1 person was given a key to be kept separately)
• A barrel of feed for the donkeys

The wagon has room for 2 people to ride in the front, and two inside (among the goods). The donkeys are called Hilk and Bitty, and are of calm demeanor (they are affectionate and like to be pet on the head).

By now you’re about 2 days away from Lonstrem. You’ve traveled the Godsroad Highway for a good while, before leaving its relative safety and well kept road surface to travel on the Embraweave Trackway - a much less traveled path leading through the Embraweave Plateau. The journey has been relatively uneventful, save a thief trying to rummage through your goods and wild animals being attracted to the smell of food cooking over a fire. Now, however, bad weather is headed your way as deep blue and gray clouds are blown north-east from the Inmer.

Planning Summary

Session 0.5 It's been a good week since the four of you left Suhder now, and some 2 days since you took a left onto the Emberweave Trackway - which is more of a packed dirt road than anything else. The journey has been uneventful, with fair weather and only minor disturbances along the way the largest issue would have probably been the sore bottom those sitting on the cart have the endure.

Beats

• Opening
• Introduce yourself and why you took this mission
• Perception check; Old man sitting on the road side, he asks the players for some food and water, then where they are going and why.
• Survival check, bad weather coming. Easily hits before they reach Lonstrem.
  • Perception / survival checks: Low will not have them find a trail leading to the (strangely, seemingly abandoned) house with a fire still burning.
    • The house will contain information on rituals to summon the Dragon Queen tiamat herself
    • Rituals described as needing many souls
  • An hour after the storm hits someone will enter the building, who will immediately be upset about them being here.
• End (ish?) Arrive in lonstrem

DM Notes

Notes intended to guide the adventure.

Adventure Intro

The village of Lonstrem is a small farmer’s town of about 200 on the Embraweave Plateau east of Suhder. Its mayor, Marwan Rosebelly, has called for aid from the Order of Dawn after almost a quarter of the population has fallen ill almost 3 weeks ago. You are to deliver a wagon with supplies to these people, and assist the local priest of Lathender, Zinfi Goldrest, with finding out where this sickness has come from, and hopefully put an end to it.

Minister Elreak from the Order of Dawn - part of the Church of Pelor - has promised you 100 gold pieces each for your efforts in delivering the cart of goods to Lonstrem, of which you’ve been paid 25 when you left Suhder. You have also been given 3 weeks worth of rations each, enough to get you to the village and back.

The wagon is pulled by two donkeys and contains:

• A chest of dry, herbal medical supplies
• A small barrel of liquid medicine
• A chest of bandages
• 4 flasks of strong alcohol (meant as a disinfectant) in a crate.
• A small, locked chest containing scrolls (1 person was given a key to be kept separately)
• A barrel of feed for the donkeys

The wagon has room for 2 people to ride in the front, and two inside (among the goods). The donkeys are called Hilk and Bitty, and are of calm demeanor (they are affectionate and like to be pet on the head).

By now you’re about 2 days away from Lonstrem. You’ve traveled the Godsroad Highway for a good while, before leaving its relative safety and well kept road surface to travel on the Embraweave Trackway - a much less traveled path leading through the Embraweave Plateau. The journey has been relatively uneventful, save a thief trying to rummage through your goods and wild animals being attracted to the smell of food cooking over a fire. Now, however, bad weather is headed your way as deep blue and gray clouds are blown north-east from the Inmer.

What is going on?

A warlock of the dragon, a Half Orc named Hunozur, has been tasked with robbing the village of whatever riches it might have and bringing it to its master: A red Dragon named Viosephit. Additionally, once all the riches have been taken, the village is to be destroyed in in honor to Viosephit.

Hunozur has used his Firelight Pendulum to lull the villagers to sleep, slowly. Every day he is able to put 5 people to sleep.
He does this by sneaking into the town at night, and using a disguise self spell to make himself look like the local priest. Once he has gained the trust of people, he uses his Firelight Pendulum to put them under the suggestion spell and tells them to sleep until they are given a command ("Rise for the Queen").

• While he is inside people's houses like this, he will also rob them of their (meager) possessions.

Once he has about 75% of the villagers put to sleep he will move in with his compatriots and set the town ablaze, forcing the priest of Lathender to watch as his "Punishment" for serving a false god.

"The Firelight Pendulum"

• The Firelight Pendulum is a rare magic item that allows the user to cast "Suggestion" on a target that can see the pendulum swing for at least 30 seconds.
• The item has 5 charges, and one cast consumes one charge.
• The effect of this suggestion spell lasts for up to 30 days, or until dispelled by a "dispel magic" or "dispel curse" spell. The spell reads as enchantment on a detect magic spell.

On the road

Leave some room for the players to introduce themselves.

Once getting started

• The storm is starting the get close, it will hit within the next few hours.
  • A DC 12 survival check makes it clear it will be an intense storm and the cart alone won't provide enough shelter. 20+ will make it clear it will be here in 4 hours.

Steven

• An old man sits below a tree, looking bruised. He asks for the player's help, for food and transportation to the village.
• The man is called Steven, a human man in his sixties. He is dressed in simple farmer's garb and carries a, now broken, walking stick with him.
• He comes from Lonstrem and tried to make it to Merrock, several days south of here, but was robbed by a group highwaymen.
  • If pressed, he will say the highwaymen likely went up to the House on the Hill, which is only an hour from here.
  • Steven will also tell the House on the Hill is likely to be close-by enough to reach before rainfall, but he believes the highwaymen went in that direction.

Lonstrem is still a day away at this point.

=== House on the Hill ===
[Lonely_Cottage map]

• The house is owned by one Zinberos Rainvale, a rather reclusive Elf. Steven knows the name, but nothing more about him.
• The house is entirely empty, the doors locked, and the shed empty with evidence of someone having been tied up there.

Outside

• A DC 15 investigation check around the house reveals a fresh, hurriedly dug grave. Inside they find a naked, elven man.
• A DC 20 investigation check will reveal remains of tracks leading away from the house. A DC 15 survival, tracking check reveals these tracks to be about a day and a half old, and to be at least 3 people.