Ok, first off a list of the characters:
King Titus Stormhawk, a dethroned Barbarian king attempting to wrest his kingdom back from his evil brother. Played by Saul
Priam Hakkon, half-orc champion of Titus who also speaks to the Red Knight. Played by Brandon
Zamiraj, a Tiefling Monk who was resuced from the drow by the Stormhawks early in their adventuring career. Played by Jess
Faurgar Dyernina, Warpriest of Tempus and Titus' general. Played by Steve
Xandos Heldeon, Titus' court magician and arcane devotee of the Red Knight. Played by Rob
Havay Shavalesh, Drow noble recently met by the Stormhawks. Played by John.
The Stormhawks also have a group of men who follow them. They are:
Shaumar Ulmolcina, cleric of Tempus and Chaplain to the Stormhawks.
Madislak Chevgoba, Lieutenant in charge of the men.
Boldivar,
Dexim,
Axl,
Shadowmar,
Reth,
Seth,
Perith,
Hobovol,
Halomain,
Croaker, and
One-Eye round out the enlisted men.
Dorn Everwood Armorsmith, and
Grim Tallstag, Weaponsmith
And now on to the recap:
After many years of adventuring, the Stormhawks had finally settled in
Battledale at the temple of Tempus. Using this as a base of operations they continued to gather the men and resources necessary to wrest control of Titus' kingdom from his evil brother
Caliban, a Mystic Theurge of Cyrric.
As the adventure begins the PCs receive a notice from
Lord Randal Morn of Daggerdale asking for assistence in investigating drow raids in the area. Having some experience in this matter, the party leaves Battledale and rides out for
Daggerdale. Once there they learn that a small party of drow has been raiding some lands 10 miles out of Daggerdale, on the western edge of the Dagger Hills, in the vicinity of the
Dordrien Crypts. Intelligence gathered points to the drow acting in strange manners. They have taken no loot, and have not taken any slaves. Their raids seem to have only one goal: wanton destruction.
The Stormhawks agree to help Lord Morn, and while Titus enjoyed the hospitality offered by their host, his men worked out the final details with Morn, and had their last few questions answered. What was learned was this:
-The drow have only recently begun raiding. Previously no drow have been seen in Daggerdale for at least 200 years.
-The drow have raided only twice in the past week. The first was 7 days ago, the most recent was 3 days ago.
-All of this activity has taken place near the Dordrien Crypts, the final resting place for a noble family that settled the area nearly 1500 years ago. The crypts lie 10 miles to the south of Dagger Falls.
-The Crypts are rumored to be haunted and to also be an entrance to the Underdark.
Before leaving for the Crypts the next morning, the Chaplain prayed to Tempus asking for divine guidence. The reply was quick in coming: "Not all who walk the Crypts may be enemies." Arned with this information the Stormhawks set out for the Crypts with little fanfare. When they neared the Crypts, Zamiraj was sent to scout the area out. She returned with news that the area looked deserted, and that many of the Crypts looked disused and in a bad state of repair. However, one of the crypts looked promising. The Stormhawks then made camp outside the Crypts.
While the men set up camp, the Chaplain and Faurgar set up wards of daylight, warding, and electricity on the main door to protect against the drow. Xandos, Titus, and Zamiraj then entered the Crypt and using a Rope Trick spell known to Xandos they set an ambush.
Nearly 2 days past when Xandos and Zamiraj noticed a lone drow wandering below them. Zamiraj recognized this drow as one who had prevented her sacrifice to Lolth long enough for the Stormhawks to rescue her. Perhaps this was the one fortold by Tempus.
The drow introduced himself as Havay Shavalesh, a citizen of the Underdark city of Szith Morcane. He reported that followers of Kiransalee, the drow goddess of vengence and undeath had driven all non-Kiransalee worshippers from the city and put all Lolth worshippers to death. He and a small group of drow fled the city, although the drow he had travelled with had recently begun acting in strange ways. Before further questioning could commence, a noise was heard from one of the nearby tombs.
Preparing for the worst, Priam and Titus broke the door down. Seeing nothing obvious, Priam entered the tomb and was confronted by 2 vampiric drow warriors! Battle ensued with the undead fiends. Before long the Stormhawks noticed that another foe was in their midst as lighting bolts appeared from nowhere, striking many in the group, hurting some and felling Reth, one of Titus' followers.
Priam, Titus, and Zamiraj quickly came to blows with the drow vampires, noticing that the blood sucking fiends were impervious to all of their weapons except for Priam's holy falchion, and only Titus' great strength allowed him to harm the creatures. Meanwhile, outside the tomb, their new drow companion Havay quickly bandaged Reth, saving his life.
Before Xandos could unleash his awesome arsenal of spells he seemed to fall under some sort of spell and attempted to kill Priam! Luckily Zamiraj's esoteric training helped disable the spellcaster before he could do serious harm to Priam.
As this time, Faurgar and the Chaplain arrived in the tomb where they called on Tempus' aid in this battle. Faurgar geared himself for battle and the Chaplain called on Tempus to dispel the foul magics in this room. Once his divine spell was cast, a new enemy was rendered visible, this time a human vampire wearing clothes that appeared centuries out of fashion. However, before Priam or Titus could slay this fiend, he became invisible again.
Soon the drow vampires were killed and their gaseous forms had retreated to their coffins. As the enlisted men prepared stakes, the Stormhawks searched for the human vampire, using all of the tricks up their sleeve, including having their new drow companion use his innate faire fire abilities, as well as the same abilities inherent in Priam's blade. Although they searched high and low, no sign of the vampire was found.
When the stakes were prepared, the drow vampires were staked, and their heads removed from their bodies. However, the Chaplain and Faurgar had to wait on the morrow to ask Tempus for help in permantly destroying them. Xandos was still thought to be under the control of the remaining vampire and was therefore tied up and gagged, his belt of spell components removed from him. Even though he professed his innocence and freedom from the vampire, he wasn't believed.
The party then settled into camp and waited for the next morning, when more explorations of the Dordrien Crypts was sure to bring more excitment.
Until next time true believers!
