Campaign Intro
Welcome friends! Warm yourself at the fire while I share with you a tale of adventure, daring and death in darkest Chult!... You may THINK you know the truth behind the Death Curse and the role of Syndra Silvane’s hired mercenaries but what paltry tales you’ve heard barely scratch the surface. Please take a moment to grab a refreshment from our fine servers here tonight.
Lesser so-called Masters of the Art would begin such a tale with the outbreak of the Death Curse or even be so crass as to explain its cause. No! I say no! For you noble patrons understand the truth of any tale can be seen at its beginning. So tonight, I shall begin before the common tales back before the wasting death came to those who returned from beyond the Vale of Death.
So tonight, I begin at the true beginning of… well back at the start of their journey they did not have a name, let alone one spoken with reverence all along the Sword Coast. Indeed, they were little more than strangers hired to deal with a village witch.
Seven Strangers hired to kill a Witch? Oh, you know of whom I speak, marvellous, so shall I stop and listen to you tell the tale? No? Good now please remain quiet and allow me to continue. These were not the magnificent Seven Heroes you are expecting in fact many of these fresh-faced adventurers would not live to the end of their first mission together as is often the way with such folk, you hear only of those who live on to greatness and not the poor fools betrayed by the people they seek to help.
So, Seven Strangers arrive at Manor’s Privy at the behest of Duke Saberhorn. Their mission simple enough, track down the Witch living in the woods and avenge the missing travellers. A modest pouch of coin offered by the Duke for this service but even great heroes of legend often begin with such modest affairs. These Seven Strangers took to the task with only meagre amount of professionalism as while a few went about asking questions of the fair folk of Manor’s Privy seeking information about this Witch, her habits, location or any magics she had been known to cast, the rest of the group ended up in the local Tavern Brunhelga's Benchwhere where they proceeded to get into a fight with locals over the quality of their ale and the transaction based nature of the innkeeper’s daughters.
Thus, the Seven Strangers became Six as Durn Sal’tar the towering goliath proved that despite his size his skull was no match for a barstool. Some quick talking heartfelt apologies later the Six Strangers left Manor’s privy quickly without taking issue with the Innkeeper, as all agreed that uttering such words as Durn spoke constitutes an act of suicide rather than murder. Traveling through the Weeping Woods they came upon the house of the Witch…
Sneaking around to the Witch’s garden the Six Strangers laid an ambush. Moments bled into hours as they waited, now some may say that ambushing a foe is dishonourable but these Six Strangers had heard many a tale of the Witch’s power over the minds of mortal and neither wished to be enthralled or transmuted into an amphibian based lifeform.
Red waited perched upon the thatched roof… oh I see you heard this name? Yes, I speak of THAT Red but this is a tale of beginnings and Red’s skills had not yet been honed to such legendary heights. As I was saying, Red waited perched upon the thatched roof when the Witch known to the townsfolk as Duerdre Nightshade stepped out into her garden. This was truly as hideous a creature as the townsfolk said, bent back and limping forward this wart-ridden creature moved about her garden with gnarled twisted fingers did she pluck the plants that pleased her most.
It was at this moment where one of our Six Strangers had a flash of insight, stood up and called out to the Witch... It seems I don’t need to tell such astute listeners to whom I refer. After a quick parlay with the woman Duerdre Nightshade it was quickly discovered that she was a simple widow and herbalist who has had problems with the village due to her appearance. Duerdre claimed to have seen what happened to the travellers who had gone missing while out collecting herbs, she had seen none other the Duke Saberhorn walking among robed figures as they were sacrificing the passing travellers to Gods unknown. Duerdre thought that Duke Saberhorn had seen her but when the town watch failed to show up she believed she was safe.
Our Six Strangers were told of an old abandoned copper mine that the Duke had been seen sneaking into at night so they set off to see if any of the missing travellers still lived and were held prisoner within the mine. Arriving near dusk it seemed like the place was truly abandoned but at the last moment one of our brave adventurers called out a warning and a vicious battle ensued with robed figures and the walking dead! These worshipers of the Dark Powers had called upon their deities to make the dead rise once again and in that brutal battle our Six Strangers became Five as Sur Albert was ripped apart by the un-living.
The cultists fled into the mine and the Five Strangers gave chase and learnt another lesson of an adventurers’ life… never run blindly into a dark tunnel! For they had made it barely 12 paces into the mine before the floor dropped out beneath them. But they did not die, as the first among them dropped they were caught by those behind, and as often the way with such things the first bonds of friendship were forged.
Creeping through the mine our Five Strangers passed safely through more traps and came upon the shrine to the Dark God whose name I dare not speak, this Whispered One’s shrine was being visited by Duke Saberhorn himself and his loyal acolytes. Sadly, our Five Strangers learnt another lesson that has proved all too often fatal. When traveling with stranger’s betrayal is always a risk as Allegra turned on her four companions for the promise of coin. But our Four Strangers defeated their once companion as well as the Duke and his acolytes, saving the last of the travellers from a gruesome death by sacrifice… a halfling gentlemen named… Vrol Cinderspark… yes good sir, the very same! This Vrol Cinderspark was traveling back toward the coast collecting mercenaries for his employer Syndra Silvane for an expedition to the mysterious land of Chult!!!
We shall take a short brake here for dinner is about to be served, remember to tip your servers.
Lesser so-called Masters of the Art would begin such a tale with the outbreak of the Death Curse or even be so crass as to explain its cause. No! I say no! For you noble patrons understand the truth of any tale can be seen at its beginning. So tonight, I shall begin before the common tales back before the wasting death came to those who returned from beyond the Vale of Death.
So tonight, I begin at the true beginning of… well back at the start of their journey they did not have a name, let alone one spoken with reverence all along the Sword Coast. Indeed, they were little more than strangers hired to deal with a village witch.
Seven Strangers hired to kill a Witch? Oh, you know of whom I speak, marvellous, so shall I stop and listen to you tell the tale? No? Good now please remain quiet and allow me to continue. These were not the magnificent Seven Heroes you are expecting in fact many of these fresh-faced adventurers would not live to the end of their first mission together as is often the way with such folk, you hear only of those who live on to greatness and not the poor fools betrayed by the people they seek to help.
So, Seven Strangers arrive at Manor’s Privy at the behest of Duke Saberhorn. Their mission simple enough, track down the Witch living in the woods and avenge the missing travellers. A modest pouch of coin offered by the Duke for this service but even great heroes of legend often begin with such modest affairs. These Seven Strangers took to the task with only meagre amount of professionalism as while a few went about asking questions of the fair folk of Manor’s Privy seeking information about this Witch, her habits, location or any magics she had been known to cast, the rest of the group ended up in the local Tavern Brunhelga's Benchwhere where they proceeded to get into a fight with locals over the quality of their ale and the transaction based nature of the innkeeper’s daughters.
Thus, the Seven Strangers became Six as Durn Sal’tar the towering goliath proved that despite his size his skull was no match for a barstool. Some quick talking heartfelt apologies later the Six Strangers left Manor’s privy quickly without taking issue with the Innkeeper, as all agreed that uttering such words as Durn spoke constitutes an act of suicide rather than murder. Traveling through the Weeping Woods they came upon the house of the Witch…
Sneaking around to the Witch’s garden the Six Strangers laid an ambush. Moments bled into hours as they waited, now some may say that ambushing a foe is dishonourable but these Six Strangers had heard many a tale of the Witch’s power over the minds of mortal and neither wished to be enthralled or transmuted into an amphibian based lifeform.
Red waited perched upon the thatched roof… oh I see you heard this name? Yes, I speak of THAT Red but this is a tale of beginnings and Red’s skills had not yet been honed to such legendary heights. As I was saying, Red waited perched upon the thatched roof when the Witch known to the townsfolk as Duerdre Nightshade stepped out into her garden. This was truly as hideous a creature as the townsfolk said, bent back and limping forward this wart-ridden creature moved about her garden with gnarled twisted fingers did she pluck the plants that pleased her most.
It was at this moment where one of our Six Strangers had a flash of insight, stood up and called out to the Witch... It seems I don’t need to tell such astute listeners to whom I refer. After a quick parlay with the woman Duerdre Nightshade it was quickly discovered that she was a simple widow and herbalist who has had problems with the village due to her appearance. Duerdre claimed to have seen what happened to the travellers who had gone missing while out collecting herbs, she had seen none other the Duke Saberhorn walking among robed figures as they were sacrificing the passing travellers to Gods unknown. Duerdre thought that Duke Saberhorn had seen her but when the town watch failed to show up she believed she was safe.
Our Six Strangers were told of an old abandoned copper mine that the Duke had been seen sneaking into at night so they set off to see if any of the missing travellers still lived and were held prisoner within the mine. Arriving near dusk it seemed like the place was truly abandoned but at the last moment one of our brave adventurers called out a warning and a vicious battle ensued with robed figures and the walking dead! These worshipers of the Dark Powers had called upon their deities to make the dead rise once again and in that brutal battle our Six Strangers became Five as Sur Albert was ripped apart by the un-living.
The cultists fled into the mine and the Five Strangers gave chase and learnt another lesson of an adventurers’ life… never run blindly into a dark tunnel! For they had made it barely 12 paces into the mine before the floor dropped out beneath them. But they did not die, as the first among them dropped they were caught by those behind, and as often the way with such things the first bonds of friendship were forged.
Creeping through the mine our Five Strangers passed safely through more traps and came upon the shrine to the Dark God whose name I dare not speak, this Whispered One’s shrine was being visited by Duke Saberhorn himself and his loyal acolytes. Sadly, our Five Strangers learnt another lesson that has proved all too often fatal. When traveling with stranger’s betrayal is always a risk as Allegra turned on her four companions for the promise of coin. But our Four Strangers defeated their once companion as well as the Duke and his acolytes, saving the last of the travellers from a gruesome death by sacrifice… a halfling gentlemen named… Vrol Cinderspark… yes good sir, the very same! This Vrol Cinderspark was traveling back toward the coast collecting mercenaries for his employer Syndra Silvane for an expedition to the mysterious land of Chult!!!
We shall take a short brake here for dinner is about to be served, remember to tip your servers.