Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Heirs of Blood

Episode 1: Acolyte of Saradyn

14 Ches 1479DR
Algarond, a valley in the Dragonjaw Mountains

Characters
Reynhart the Worthy – Marshall
Jain Fairwood – Bounty Hunter

The two have been hired to guard a caravan of monks to their monastery.
Unfortunately the monks did not know this and they left Milvarune the previous day.
By mid day on the following day the two see smoke in the distance and a small boy is
standing motionless in the road. Reynhart and Jain are too late, the attack is over.
As they approach the wrecked caravan the see movement, the boy runs to a fallen
clergy, but at that moment a large four legged animal erupts from the brush, Jain
steps in front of the boy to protect him and fires off a quickly loaded arrow. It hits
the beast, but it does not fall. Behind her, Reynhart rushes a goblin who attempted to
sneak up behind. He attacks and with one stroke kills the goblin, but behind him are
two more goblins.
It is a furious battle, Reynhart is hit three times and is weakened, but he
continues the fight. Jain killed one of the barghest’s, but another, stronger one steps
up and takes his place. Jain falls to the ground when the barghest jumps on her, she
feels herself blacking out. She pulls herself together and with a thrust of an arrow
she hold, she pierces the hide of the animal on top of her and kills it. The final goblin
in combat with Reynhart sees this and screeches with terror and runs deeper into the
forest.
The remaining clergy, the boy and the two adventurers pack up the spilled
supplies and continue on their way. The wrecked caravan will not move, so it will be
a long two day hike to the monastery.
By the end of the second day after the attack, the sun retires beyond the Cliffs
of Saradyn. It is learned that the boy is an acolyte and will spend the next 20 years
learning at the monastery.
Helena, an elder-priestess of Saradyn greets the heroes at the gates of the
monastery. After a hearty meal, a restful sleep, they awake the next morning
refreshed.
After breakfast, Helena takes the two into a large room, where a handful of
scouts, militia, and warriors are gathered. She tells of the darkness that threatens
the valley and how the gathered forces can help beak the darkness. None of the
gathered leave.

Episode 2: Siege of Skytower

18 Ches 1479DR
 While exploring at the monastery, Reynhart sees that it has seen better days.
He learns that it is called Kethiri and ten days ago the darkness that Helena talked
about destroyed much of the monastery.
“What is the darkness she keeps talking about?” He asks one of the clergy.
“The Farrows of Blackholt have long been a respected family, with generations
of Knights, heroes, and scholars. Lord Varradin Farrow had two sons, Merrick and
Alric, both of whom fought at the Battle of Yitharn.”
“I’ve heard of that battle. The battlemages of Kastellion won the day, right?”
Asked Reynhart.
“They did, but many died. One of those was the Merrick’s brother Alric. We do
not know the full story, but there is evil brewing in the area. The battle that took
place here, undead rose from the graves of the cemetery, attacked and were led by a
man in golden armor with glowing red eyes.”
After the talk, Reynhart is escorted into the “command center” where Helena
is talking with Jain. “Ah good, thank you Clergy Jon, you may leave.” The Clergy
bows to Helena and leaves. “I hope you rested well Reynhart?” Asks Helena.
“Very nicely thank you.”
“Well let me tell you what I have planned for you. Overlooking the valley is
Skytower. I’ve got militia up there now as guards, but I’d like you two to go up there
and see if we can’t strengthen the defenses. Since we lost Kethiri, that's our last
strongpoint in the area.”
The two arrive at the bastion that overlooks the southern border of the valley,
the keeper immediately escorts them in inspecting the troops and defenses. The
structure is expansive and runs deep into the mountain. It over looks the Falls of
Caladen and a company of forty guards and staff maintain the tower.
They are two floors from the top when the clamor at an alarm echoes up
through the stairwells. The keeper draws her blade and charges back the way they
came. Reynhart and Jain follow the keeper to the gate chamber. A number of guards
lie wounded nearby and the gate mechanisms lay in shambles across the floor.
“Greetings mortals,” says a dragon hybrid. He is about 6 feet tall, red wings
flapping and keeping him about a foot off the floor. “I am Belthir, Scion of Gryvorn.”
He scans the faces of the troops, “No one know of Gryvorn? Ah well, soon my name
will be feared. He flies backward through the gate, while more of his forces pour
through the door.
“Get me an engineer, we need to hold this level until we can get those gates
closed again.” Yells the keeper to her troops. The battle begins.
Jain steps back and fires arrow after arrow. Reynhart steps forward and
attacks the goblins pouring through the doorway. “Reynhart look!” Yells Jain pointing
through the gateway. Reynhart sees the grassy field below and leading a group of
goblins is a tall golden armored figure. The figure then moves off into the battle and
they lose sight of him.
Reynhart immediately goes to the gate house to attempt the close all the open
doors. But standing guard are two large barghests. The beasts lunge for him and
Reynhart moves left to avoid the claws of one creature, but is bitten by the other.
Belthir enters the fray against Reynhart, but is wounded badly when Reynhart swings
his massive war hammer.
 Meanwhile Jain is firing arrows into three large spiders that clacked their way
behind her. Belthir, moves back to the open door to the waterfall flies up into the
air. Reynhart killed both barghests, but he had to retreat when Jain yelled that
goblins entered the left door. He had to decide, does he take precious time pulling
many of the levers to close the doors, or reinforce the left side. He ran to the attack,
quickly slew one of the quick goblins, but another scampered away deeper into the
fortress. From outside the door, Reynhart heard the flapping of wings. It was Belthir,
carrying a goblin closer to the exit that leads deeper into the tower. After dropping
off the goblin, Belthir flies off again. He was too far away for Jain to fire off an
arrow, but one of the advancing goblins was shot through the head. Reynhart
backpedaled down the hall making it more difficult for the quick goblins to pass him.
While doing this two other goblins got by him, he was able to swing is weapon and
cleaved the head of one goblin.
Belthir returns with another goblin, but striding toward Jain and Reynhart is
the large golden armored figure. Belthir says, “Ah meet Sir Alric Farrow, he will put
an end to your pathetic attacks.” He flies off, the wound that Reynhart gave him still
bleeding. The silent knight lumbers forward with unabated momentum. Arrows that
Jain fired had no effect. Reynhart swung, struck the armored figure, who seemed to
brush off the attack. Alric ignores the attacks and continues down the hall deeper
into the tower. Following him are many goblins. Reynhart knows, Alric died at the
Battle of Yitharn, this Alric must be a lich or undead Alric, raised after the battle.
Reynhart and Jain kill those that attemp to pass, but Reynhart thinks to himself, I am
so grateful not to be the focus of his attention.
All at once the gates to the town rumble close. The attacking foes see the
tower is secure and begin to retreat to the north. Belthir yells, “I will make you pay
for this!” And he flies north up the valley following his defeated force.
Hours later the goblins who entered the tower are found and slaughtered, but
there is no sign of Alric Farrow. The keeper tells the two that he may have escaped
when he saw his forces retreat, but we will keep a lookout for his presence in the
tower. For now, Skytower will hold.

Episode 3: Archive of Arrizon

21 Ches 1479DR

The next evening fires glow softly. The keeper of Skytower is long past due,
and Jain begins to worry. At last she enters, Kethiri, dismounts her horse and
approaches Jain and Reynhart. Tyrus, the boy they rescued ten days ago, scampers
closer to the group to hear the latest.
“I’ve learned from one of my guards that just before the battle started one of
my soldiers, a man called Arrizon deserted.” Says the keeper. “I fear he is a spy and
a traitor. He fled northeast, across the river. If you can track him down. Capturing
him may reveal more than any of the other captives can.
On the way Jain becomes sickened when crossing the river. (She gains
diseased)
They also help a burning farm, the owner has died and they stop to give a proper
burial. (Overlord gains 1 card)
 Two days travel and searching, but at last they find him at the north end of the
valley at the entrance to a cave. With marble blocks holding open the entrance,
Reynhart could tell that the cave was built by intelligent hands. The two search the
cave, with it’s smooth walls and large rooms. They find Arrizon, the defector, in a
room, standing hunched over a pile of scrolls, hiding at the bottom of an ancient
archive. Reynhart and Jain cautiously approach him.
Reynhart orders “Arrizon! Give your self up, and we will show mercy!”
Reynhart and Jain approach slowly.
“You have to understand, I had to leave. I had to destroy the records.” Says
Arrizon.
“Records, what records?” Asks Reynhart, while Jain knocks an arrow. Arrizon
stands in a pile of ash. Suddenly a clatter from deeper in the cave. A two headed
ettin emerges from a corner rolling a boulder.
“You were followed! Come, hurry.” Jain rushes forward, grabs the key and
locks Arrizon inside the room, as she and Reynhart rush the ettin.
Jain says, “This way.” She pulls Reynhart into a room, “The boulders too big,
we have to come around him.” Jain remembers that at the back of the second room,
there is a door which leads behind the ettin. Spiders attempt to stop them, but they
are no match for the quick flying arrows from Jain’s bow. In the other room, they are
stopped by a large ogre blocking the door. The tall, strong ogre makes it difficult to
get past and through the next door. Reynhart and Jain both attack, but although
large, the ogre is giving no quarter. They are losing precious time, the ettin is rolling
the Boulder down the hall in order to crush the door that Arrizon is behind.
“Jain! Go!” Yells Reynhart. Finally, there is a space, Jain quickly rushes
behind the ogre and through the door. She sees the ettin turn a fires off an arrow. It
bounces harmlessly off the ettin. The ettin is not far from the door. Jain fires her
bow repeatedly, some strike, some do not. Shortly before the ettin lets the boulder
roll she carefully aims, and the arrow strikes through one of the two ettin heads. It
slows, she aims and fires again. The second arrow kills the ettin.
She returns to Reynhart. The ogre is dead, but Reynhart lies, very wounded.
She rushes to him. “Here drink this.” She says pouring a green liquid down his
throat. The healing potion begins working. Groggily he stands, “We have to get to
the defector.” Slowly walking back to the locker room. Jain unlocks the door, but
Arrizon is gone. There is one exit that is open.
Following the halls, they find Arrizon standing between two foes. In one hand
he holds a dagger, with the other he swings a torch- and in a third hand he holds a
scroll. Jain says, “He’s a flesh molder, one able to shapeshift. What other secrets
does he hold?”
“Quickly! Aid me.” The flesh molder yells to the two, “We must destroy the
truth.”
A mocking laugh erupts behind them. They turn to see an imposing woman
standing in the entryway. She smiles and bares bloodied teeth. “Well that’s
something I never thought I’d hear from your kind. Come, stop this nonsense and I
shall allow you to leave. She enters the room, steps aside, offering a clear path.
Arrizon sweeps another pile of papers into the growing fire, never looking at
her. “You have no claim here Eliza.” He says.
 “You’re wrong. My claim is just, and it’s time you submitted to it.” She nods
and the room erupts into chaos.
“Stop the vampiress, while I continue.” Arrizon says. Between the two evils,
Jain and the not fully healed Reynhart attack the vampiress and her minions.
Eliza convulses and her body dissolves into a red mist that settles into pools of
blood. As she dissolves, whispered words say, “Very well,, you have made yourself my
enemy and I will not forget this. It will be your blood and lives I will come for when I
am restored to power.”

Episode 3: Rise of Urthko

26 Ches 1479DR

The valley is quiet for a few days, but the camp of the enemy continues to
expand beneath the eastern mountains. This morning, just before dawn, a small
force raided the village taking a number of prisoners. Jain and Reynhart track the
raiders up river and slip into their lair.
Jain holds up her hand and they hear, “Most of the captives have already been
eaten, and the rest are being prepared even now. The beasts are groomed for an
assault against the monastery.”