Episode 1
Cast:
Kalil, the Human Immolator
Shrike, the Human Ranger
Hanmar, the Human Masked Mage
Brockmoor, the Dwarven Cleric
Legosi, the Feral Cloak
On the road to the Slimy Gorge, the caravan slowed as it reached the entrance to the bridge over the old river. The adventuring party watched with interest as the soldier-clad wagon came to a halt and took note of its inventory and crew. The soldiers stood in formation around the wagon and their ogre in tow – clearly the muscle – stared aimlessly forward, waiting to proceed over the bridge. The ogres neck was chained and bound into the supply line, led by two of the soldiers.
A man on the bridge called out for a toll to be paid. Of course he did. It was all part of the plan. The informant would distract the soldiers and stop them at the bridge. As the parties discussed, our heroes neared the edge of the brush, weapons drawn. Whispers from the trees reached the ears of Hanmar, the Masked Mage, as they waited. Whispers… whispers of the mask he found in the home he now owned, once belonging to the famous man. The man without a name.
A failed ranger’s reading of the ogre’s stature led to its interest in the Human Ranger, Shrike, as it sniffed its big fat nostrils in his direction. A coy move to slip away from the ogre’s attentive snout led to an unfortunate discovery of Kalil, the Human Immolator, hiding in the thick, where Shrike had just duck away from. It was of no worry to Kalil as a fiery swing of the Immolator’s fist blackened the great creature’s face and sent him spiraling back into the wagon ablaze. The soldiers quickly took to their weapons, with the captain frantically coordinating their efforts to begin moving forwards again. Fortunately, Hanmar was able to halt the caravan with his illusions and prevent the enemies from escaping.
The battle lasted only moments with the blood of the caravan’s party soiling the ground around them. The ogre laid chained to a nearby tree thanks to Kalil, and Brockmoor, the Human Cleric, panted as he calmed himself, single-handedly releasing the souls of half the enemy troops from their bodies… with his warhammer. Much to his chagrin, Legosi, the Feral Cloak, failed to capitalize on his ability to maneuver the battlefield with fantastic speed, utilizing the darkness and environment, to his advantage, landing him in the muck of the river and sinking to what could have been his demise – a force pulling him deeper and deeper. With only a single hand protruding from the thickened sludge, he was pulled to safety by his comrades. The swamptopus would likely be seen again…
All was thought to be clear and safe. The group had the cargo they came for – the Stone of Dryness, which was planned to be used by the priest lords to dry up the great lake of the Slimy Gorge. It was less than a moment later that the group was approached by a group of bandits that Kalil inadvertently tipped off about their plans – likely to his loud boasting over a night of heavy drinking the night before.
With a fantastic attempt by the Masked Mage to create an illusion of heroism and grandeur, the party made a narrow escape with their cargo.. that is, until Kalil and Shrike exchanged words, providing Shrike with a need to prove his dextrous prowess and retrieve a lost bag of gold from the site of the caravan. His efforts were thwarted, landing himself and his wolf as prisoners of the dastardly rogues.
With an amazing feat of power and tactics, the group made quick work of the bandits and rescued their ranger thanks to Brockmoor’s amazing display of strength, the deftness and ferocity of Legosi’s bite, the sailing firestorm that is Kalil’s flame sword, and the now madly-masked illusory rage building within Hanmar – what, I didn’t explain the mask? Oh yes… well, you’ll have to wait to hear more about that next time!
