Vraath Keep
We proceeded down the trail and came across a pile of leaves beside the road that attack us. Eventually, we made the road and reached the keep by mid-day. We held back some distance to observe: there was a moss covered footpath leading to the keep with a broken tower; evidence of humanoids and large boar. We climbed the hillside and spiderclimbed the tower where I was spotted by a minotaur. I grabbed its horns through the window and jumped to the ground to fight. We were spotted and I climbed back up. Inside a glowing room a human was lashed to a frame. Wyrmlord Koth called up the stairs for us to give up. There were several undead creatures, and we learned that to the south there is a Lich that resurrects creatures. Zera sneaked down the outside of the wall and fireballed the lower room. The fight continued to the courtyard where we captured Koth. We looted 9 jade (100g ea.), 8p 216g 251s, gold necklace 250g, silk cloak with silver and gold 250g, and a piece of paper…battle plans.
We found a trap door leading 40ft down to a vault with three chambers. One with a large trunk, one with small iron coffers, and one with a desk with books and papers. There was a skeleton holding a large great axe with a magic aura; the chest also had a magic aura. Inside the coffers: 250g 250s, 500s, 250g 1750s, a 500g diamond. In the desk chamber we found a the history of the keep with the last entry from Avery Vraath about the final battle with forest giants. The large chest had a large skull of a black dragon, 12 forest giant teeth, silver mithral +1 armor, a white oak unicorn staff of life.
Before we returned, we took down the corpse. Jor identified him as Aruin, a local farmer. We started back to Drellin’s Ferry, but camped the night. The return trip took most of a day. I ‘send’ a message to Thayne, he responded, “Avoid North Road, look for his soldier in Drellin’s Ferry.” On the road back, came across two hulking figures, Trolls. When we arrived in Drellin’s Ferry, we took Koth to the cells in the Tollhouse.
A dark-haired woman, Thayanee, Lion of Brindol, said that Thayne needs help clearing roadblocks along North Road and that the North Road and West trail are shut down completely. We are told that Skull Gorge Bridge a key piece of road for commerce to the West and that we need to know the numbers on Cinder Hill.
Interrogating Koth, we learned that there are more than orcs under Azarr Kul’s command, many great beasts: manticores, minotaurs, giants, trolls. The Ghostlord provides allies. Chimeras, dragons from the sky. A green dragon, Azuradian, is the power of the Dragon Queen behind Azarr Kul. He has several Wyrmlords. Azaar will not lead initial charge, that will be lead by Wyrmlord Kharn. Azarr in Temple of Tiamat. He didn’t know much more about the Lich: was once a proud druid, built a lion of stone. Took Wyrmlord from (?) Ulwai Stormcaller, she’s a Wrymlord bard; doesn’t know where she is. Nyett Toothsharp is a commander, works with the hoard. They are on day three of the invasion plan. We must destroy the bridge because it will delay them several days.
We head to a meeting with the town council to discuss strategy, emphasizing that we should tell small towns to flee and destroy any war material they may leave behind.