1st day of Flocktime (May), 584 Common Year

The dwarves of the Flinty Hills are fighting an unexpected orcish incursion in the tunnels below their fortress of Mistwatch. Dwarven Thane Flandeld Soughdriver has asked Baron Wiston to assist on the surface by sending a scouting party to the out post of Glaneven. The party volunteers without question. Glandeven is about sixty miles east of Shukendale through the Ogrebolt pass, which traverses the Flinty Hills east to west. The party sets out early in the morning. Their walk to Glandeven is uneventful.

The stone walls of Glandeven loom into sight after three days of walking. Camp fire smoke rises from behind the outposts walls, a sure sign of life. However, a band of orcs is seen ascedning the stone stairs that lead to Glandeven's front gate. The party quitely makes its way to the stairs behind the orcs and launches a surprise attack. Strangely, no alarm is raised and the party easily ascends the stairs and pushes the gate open, whichis not secured in any fashion - a bad sign.

The courtyard is a carnage of dead dwarf and orc bodies. It's impossible to tell which side was the victor. So, the party warily approaches the keep to the north of the gates, which also has its main doors ajar. Inside, orcs are observed picking over and fighting for the loot from dead dwarves, whose bodies litter the interior of the keep. Spurred by angry indignation, the party immediately attacks the invading orcs. The party's surprise attack gives them an edge over the unprepared orcs and they make short work of the looters.

More carnage exists in the keep. The dwarves were apparently attacked in a surpirse assault and the fighting was fierce. Judging by the evidence, the orc assault was sudden and fierce. The dwarven defense was just as fierce, but the orcs attacked in such numbers that they overwhlemed the small outpost's garrison. The party decides to search Glandeven's tunnels to see if there are any survivors. But, it's a grim notion, as the trapdoor leading down is broken open and plattered in blood.

The shaft from keep's floor descends a hundred feet. The party can hear the snarls and grunts of orcs before they get too far down. Again, orcs pick at the bodies of fallen dwarven warriors. The party leaps to the attack the pillagers. But, these orcs are more organized and aggressive. They put up a tough fight in the large, underground dwarven barracks. It's not enough, however. The party gains the upper hand with their own brand of magic and might. Even though the prcs fight with military precision, they cannot outmatch the party's power.

The orcs have perpatuated a slaughter in the dwarven barracks. The carnage in this grand hall is obscene. Dead dwarves, some still in their nightclothes, litter the floor, blood painting the gray stone tiles, walls, and columns. The party goes to great lengths to lay the fallen dwarves into a pyre to send them to the halls of Moradin. Then, they move to the halls only exit in the east to search for survivors.

The flagstone floor of Glandeven's upper subterranean hall gives way to an unworked stone pathway which travels for several hundred feet. A series of switchbakcs descends into the Flinty Hills. Eventually, the sound of a blazing fire can be heard. After a few dozen more feet of walking, the heat of an underground fire can be felt, as well as the pull of a slight wind as the fire sucks oxygen from the corridor. After rounding a bend in the corridor the blazing fire comes into view. So does the silhouettes of the orcs gathered near it in a wide natural cavern. They seem intent on something on the opposite side of the room, where you can hear grunts and shouts above the roar of the flame. A dwarf is being beaten by a hulking orc warrior. The orc is demanding, in broken Common, that the dwarf reopen the tunnel.

A couple of the orcs on the periphery notice notice the party, and shout in alarm. Immediately, all of the orcs' attention is turned to the party. Battle is joined as the combatants collide in the hot, smoke-filled cavern. The heat from ther flames licks at everyone, but everyone is able to avoid the fire. Og, the huge orc that was beating the dwarf, and his lackeys are able fighters. Og in particular packs a walloping blow and he scatters the party woth is huge club. An orc priest complicates things by using dark magic to vex the party. But, Alagosson and Archon counter the priest's meddling and eventualy kill him. Meanwhile, Astranom and Fargrim hack their way through orc minions and fight Og. Eventually, Og is alone, but he fights to the death. It takes the combined focus of the whole party to bring Og down, but he finally falls.

The party immediately helps the stricken dwarf, who identifies himself as Kalad. He wears the armor and emblems of a follower of Moradin. Regrettabley, he appears to be the last surviving dwarf of Glandeven. Upon rescuing Kalad, the party learns that he sealed two of the three possible routes through the mountain. However, there is one more problem - the Nexus. The Nexus is an underground chamber at the foot of the Rakers Mountains. Six other underground tunnels converge there. The dwarves use the Nexus as a safety mesaure, becasue it can be flooded, rendering the tunnels unusable until the Nexus is drained.

Kalad, having collapsed the other two tunnels under the hills, suggests going directly to the Nexus to open its valves, flooding the underground tunnels, blocking the orcs from using them, and forcing them to the surface.

In the meantime, he and the rest of the party need to rest. They move back to Glandeven's upper levels to finish taking care of dwarven dead and rest for the night.

23rd Day of Planting (April), 584 Common Year

The hobgoblin leader of Pelleur keep was dead. The slaying stone was recovered. So, on the morning of 23 Reaping the party planned to make one more foray into the ruins of town to recover some of Treola's arcane books. Astranom had promised that he'd recover them for her. However, something was amiss.

Fallon was not in camp this morning. He had volunteered for the last watch. Upon waking, the party discovered his absence and all of his were possessions gone. The slaying stone, too, was gone. Fallon was either abducted and the slaying stone stolen, or something worse - he betrayed the party.

Clues were discovered by Alagosson in the form of foootprints, Fallon's footprints. He had taken a circuitous route back into Pelleur. The party followed his prints, which were cleverly obscured. But not so well that Alagosson could not follow. When the prints did finally go cold on the flagstones of Pelleur's streets, Hoyt Kiris helped. Hoyt said that he saw Fallon walk to the keep, Hu-jat's old lair. The party went to the keep straightaway.

A vualt door that was untouched on their previous visit had been opened since the party was at the keep last, two days ago. Scrape marks on the stone floor inidicated the door had been opened. Fargrim and Astranom opened the heavy granite door to discover narrow vault. The back wall of the vault was open. Beyond the back door a stairway descended and faint light rose from below. The party crept down the steps and saw Fallon, with a viscious looking dog, at a table, gathering items into a sack.

Astranom hailed Fallon, and the latter replied with a thundering bolt of magical energy. "I did not want to kill you," Fallon says. "But, I am leaving with the stone. No matter what I must do."

"It must be destroyed, Fallon," Astranom screamed. "It's a danger to all those near it. Look what's done to you. Look what greed for the stone has driven you to do."

"Actually, the stone be mine," Lanzar said from behind the group. He slashed at Alagosson and darted toward Fallon, intent on taking the stone for himself. He began to slash and stab at Fallon, who fought back. Astranom and Fargrim jumped into the fray, and a confusing melee ensued, wherein Lanzar made attacks against them too, in his efforts to obtain the stone for himself.

From the stairs, Alagosson added his own primal magic to the fight, to help Astranom and Fargrim. Archon also used his magic to aid his allies. lanzar fought savagely against everyone, and dealt Fallon a mortal blow. But Fallon, with his last breath, released a magical blast that killed Lanzar and severly wounded Astranom and Fargrim.

The last order of business was to kill Fallon's rapid dog, which was easily accomplised. The party recovered the stone and left Lanzar and Fallon's bodies in the keep's vault.

Among Fallon's possessions were notes indicating his relationship with group called the Severed Hand, an orc tribe from the Bone March to the northeast. The Severed Hand was tasked to recover the stone by someone known as Wyrmlord Koth of the Red Hand of Doom. Fallon, who worked with an orc named Tusk, was to receive a handsome reward in gold and land in Nyrond for betraying the elves and humans of the north.

It's unknown what possessed Lanzar. Perhaps he sought personal gain, too. His attack on the party and Fallon was unprovoked, and it only became evident he wanted the stone when he saw Fallon. It'a mystery that Lanzar took to the afterlife with him.

By now, the party had enough of Pelleur. The slaying stone was once again in their possession. They visited what was left of Treona's library, receovered her arcane writings, and headed to Shukendale. Six had departed Shukendale over a week ago. Now, only four were returning. As they traveled north, they could see the armies of Nyrond skirmishing with the Great Kingdoms' hordes in the far distance to the south. For now, Shukendale and the north were untouched by the war, except the many, many men and women conscripted to fight.

Upon their return, they were greeted with anxious relief. The party surrendered the stone to Treona, who immediately destroyed it. It would no longer prove to be a threat, or vice, to anyone.

An entourage of dwarves of the Flinty Hills were in town. Baron Wiston introduced the dwarves to the party. It turns out that they were emissaries from Thane Flandeld Soughdriver of the dwarven keep Mistwatch. Orcs and hobgoblins had been seen in the ogerbolt and Snake passes. Flandeld and the dwarves of Mistwatch were busy with a rash of orcs in the tunnels below the Raker Mountains and the Flinty Hills. So, he sent word to Baron Wiston on the surface, asking him if he'd send a party to Glandeven to make sure the dwarven outpost was still secure.

The party readily agreed to accept this call. They rested one night, gathered their gear, and headed east into the Flinty Hills to Glandeven, to learn of its dispostion and report back.

15th Day of Planting (April), 584 Common Year

Baron Wiston felt heartened to see trusted locals gather for this most important meeting. A month ago, refugees from Pelleur Keep came to Shukendale after a monstrous army from Bone March overran the keep and the town that surrounded it. One of the refugees, Pelleur's resident arcanist named Treona, told Wiston that an important magical item was left somewhere in Pelleur Keep.

Thankfully, Shukendale's finest had responded to the call to seek this item, which Treona called the slaying stone. His own squire, Astranom would lead a party to the ruined keep and search its environs for the stone. He'd be accompanied by one of Sheriff Soranna's able deputies, Lanzar. Morlin, Shukendale's resident blacksmith, recruited the services of his nephew, a young dwarf named Fargrim. Even the elves of the Gamboge, who'd somehow caught wind of this affair, sent two of their own to join the search - Archon and Fallon of the Tiri Kitor tribe of elves.

"Find the slaying stone and bring it to me to be destroyed," Treona charged them. "An army of hobgoblins and goblins controls Pelleur Keep. If they stumble across the stone they could use it against Nyrondese armies in the south," she said. "We cannot allow that. Find the stone, bring it to me, and I'll destroy it."

A simple enough task, the party thought. Infiltrate Pelleur Keep, find the stone, and return it to Treona so that she can destroy it. If a few hobgoblins and goblins are killed during the process, all the better.

With that charge, the party headed southeast towards the ruins of Pelleur Keep. They encountered a few ravenous wolves and other scavengers picking at the remains of recent battlefields. However, they arrived at the Pelleur Keep within five days. The town and the keep were a shambles. The battles with the Overking's armies last year and early this year had reduced Pelleur Keep to rubble. But, many of the outlying buildings in the town surrounding the keep remained intact. They were just inhabited by hobgoblins, goblins, and kobolds. It was disappointing to see the town in the hands of these vile creatures.

The party swung east, skirting the northern fringe of the town, and then south to set-up an observation point east of the keep and the town. They observed the movement of the town's monstrous guardians and decided to begin their search for the stone among the ruins of Pelleur Keep's former temple grounds. A hot spring flooded the area, but the temple area was one of three suspected locations of the stone.

Archon and Fallon surreptitiously crept into the grounds of the former temple to Heironeous, where only a few pillars still stood. Archon unrolled his ritual scroll that would allow him to determine if the stone was nearby. He drew his arcane circle, intoned his magic, and presented the necessary components to activate the scroll's magic. A mental pull, magically produced, confirmed to Archon that the stone was below him, somewhere in the hot spring's water. He and Fallon saw a submerged opening near the bottom of the pool. After reporting to the rest of the party, they decided to investigate the underwater opening.

They whole party returned to the hot springs and slid into the water. The submerged tunnel traveled for twenty feet, angling downward, then there was a sharp upturn to an air pocket. A glittering, copper dragon rested on a pile of coins and other valuables. The party identified themselves, and honestly indicated they sought the slaying stone. The dragon, identifying itself as Tyristys, said that it had the stone in its possession. Tyristys suggested that the party bring it the head of Hu-jat, the hobgoblin commander of the ruined keep and town above. If the party presented Hu-jat's head, they'd prove they were not in league with the Overking and he'd surrender the stone. The party eagerly accepted this challenge.

They spent the night outside of town, to the east, at their original observation point. The next morning, they decided to make a bold interest into town to formally challenge Hu-jat. The winner would be in control of the town - the loser would perish. The party marched toward the town's ruined southern gate, where goblins watched their approach. The party indicated they were sent from the Overking himself, to check on Hu-jat and his administration of the captured keep. Most of the goblins cowed before the party. But one named Krayd, whom the goblins called "The Butcher," refused to be bullied by the party. A fist fight broke out between Krayd and Lanzar and Astranom. Weapons were soon drawn and a bloody fight ensued. Krayd proved to be an able combatant and he laid low a couple of party members. But, he was outnumbered five-to-one and none of the goblins at the gate jumped in to aid him. He fell under the combined efforts of all the party members after a harrowing melee.

The party gathered their faculties and pressed on to what remained of Pelleur Keep and Hu-jat's headquarters. They found Hu-jat there, with his closest guards and an enormous pet drake. Hu-jat knew their intentions, as he'd faced many other would-be challengers before. He wasted little time talking, and he and the party quickly engaged in a fight in the ruined keep's corridors. Hu-jat and his guards went down easily enough, but his drake was an almost impossible creature to kill. Blows bounced off of its scales and it viciously bit at the party members, nearly killing Lanzar and Astanom. Archon's magic and Fallon's arrows were a saving grace against the tough drake, which was eventually slain.

Astranom tied Hu-jat's head to his belt, where Krayd's hung in a gruesome display of his trophies. They made their way back to Tyristys's lair, but saw a curious thing. A human man dressed in fine, but disheveled and soiled clothing, crept around a garden looking for food. He identified himself as Hoyt Kiris, a member of the Kiris family. The Kiris family were founding members of Pelleur Keep and Hoyt was believed to be dead. As the party was having this discussion with him, a bold goblin attacked with many of its kin. "Kill the rat-man," they cried as they attacked. Fargrim and Astranom aided Hoyt in his fight against the goblins, while the rest of the party waited to see how things developed. During the fight, Hoyt changed into a hideously grotesque wererat and savaged the goblin attackers. The goblins retreated after their leader, Triflik, was slain.

Hoyt was compelled to admit his reason for staying near Pelleur Keep - he had nowhere else to go. Having contracted lycanthropy months ago, he cold not join the family as they fled the monstrous army that captured the keep. He decided to stay here where he could have a chance at survival, knowing that he'd be killed if he and his condition were discovered in more a "civilized" environment. He begged the party to report he was indeed dead, or perhaps not even mention him at all. It was not much of a life for him now, but it was still life. The party, out of pity, agreed to keep Hoyt's secret and left him to his own devices.

Eventually, they returned to Tyristys and presented Hu-jat's head. As promised, the dragon traded the stone to the party. Tyristys indicated he'd stay here to guard the wealth of the keep until the humans returned. He bade the party to depart.

They party returned to their familiar camp on the eastern outskirts of town. They were exhausted. But, they had another item of business in the town - recover some arcane writings that Treona begged them to find in the town's library. This was not a critical task, but Treona promised a handsome reward if some of her books were returned. The party would enter the town again on the morrow to see what they could find before returning to Shukendale.