D&D Campaign One: Scalebreakers - 011
The mountain's echo
The victory over the Anathema echoed long through the Wildwood. In the survivors' camp, tension and fear gave way to an exuberant celebration. While Jebeddo played alongside musicians from Ran's tribe, the newly appointed Guardian of the Forest mingled with his people, sharing stories of past adventures. Arrin contributed to the festivities in his own way, brewing a special elixir that lent the group an aura-like presence and significance for the evening. Keithara, meanwhile, devoted herself to the youngest of the tribe to distract them from the horrors of the past months. Together with Ran, she attempted to weave the recent events into a child-friendly tale. An endeavor that nearly failed, had Jebeddo not intervened at the last second to save the story and bring it to a brilliant conclusion. Inspired by these tales, the children bestowed a new name upon the group, one they would carry from that day forward: the Scalebreakers.
However, serious notes were also struck. Skarn met Thrum, a dwarf who also hailed from the Stormcrest Mountains. Thrum revealed that he, too, had been driven out by the Kuori Clan, suspecting that they were now wreaking havoc in Kraghammer and abusing the local smithing arts for dark purposes. He directed Skarn to seek out his brother, Balder, who was living there in exile.
After a long rest and bolstered by their newfound unity, the group set out the next morning. Before their departure, Livandra handed them a Sending Stone and asked them to investigate the ruins of the chapel one last time. There, the Scalebreakers found valuable gear to prepare them for the arduous journey ahead. Including a new shield for Arrin, a fang-like dagger for Jebeddo, a sphere of 'purified venom' for Keithara, and armor corroding arrows for Ran, an ignition device with Kuori-design was found by Skarn.
The path led them over the windy Greystone Pass, where, on the final day, they were ambushed by three invisible Duergar. Arrin managed to drive off the two smaller attackers through a clever ruse, but the remaining massive Duergar Despot put up a fierce fight. The sheer force of his attacks knocked both Jebeddo and Keithara unconscious before they could be revived by their companions.
Eventually, when the Despot fell, the exhausted group reached the massive gates of Kraghammer. Yet, instead of an open city, a strict lockdown awaited them. The guards denying them entry, and, for the time being, the gates remained firmly shut.
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