The Crystals of Ero’Annellin
Session One
The adventure begins in the muddy town of Ravenrock on the continent of Ashbourne. Five strangers gather at the Ravenrock Tavern for their own murky reasons. A tiefling teenager with a cloudy crystal horn jutting from his forehead approaches the bar and orders and glass of milk. This is Kyan the Wild Sorcerer and he is searching for learned men who can remove the parasitical crystal growing inside his body. The bartender advises Kyan that a scholarly fellow is staying at the local lord’s house and the young tiefling decides to visit. A human monk standing at the bar overhears their conversation and asks to tag along, as he has run out of ink and parchment and hopes the scholar will have some to trade.
Rishekk the Monk joins the party!
Kyan and Rishekk walk from the tavern to the lord’s house. It’s only a short journey, but they are both soaked by the incessant rain. They wipe their muddy boots on the lord’s doormat before knocking on the door and asking to see the scholar. They are ushered inside and introduced to the wizard Imesh, who sits reading a book and drinking wine by a roaring fire. Kyan explains how he was raised in the sanctum of an evil warlock and used as a host/test subject to cultivate powerful crystals. The horn on his head is the only outward indication of the crystalline growths riddling his body like a cancer, but other children who also escaped from the sanctum are suffering from painful protrusions all over their bodies. The crystals also give their hosts unpredictable magical abilities; Kyan demonstrates by projecting an icy beam from his horn that freezes the wizard’s wine in his glass. Unfortunately, this demonstration also triggers a surge of wild magic and the floor of the room becomes treacherous with slippery grease. Rishekk immediately falls over and bumps his head.
Imesh is sympathetic but not particularly helpful. He hands Kyan a hefty tome of handwritten notes that the unlettered youth cannot read. Fortunately, Rishekk was educated at a monastery to the north and offers to become the young man’s designated reader. Rishekk left the monastery to explore the wider world and jumps at the chance to join in what sounds to be a grand adventure! Kyan gratefully accepts the monk’s help and remembers that there were other, vaguely heroic looking individuals lingering aimlessly back at the pub.
Aeneas the human Barbarian joins the party!
Glim Nackle the gnome Rogue joins the party!
Sabath Black the half-elf Druid joins the party!
Aeneas is a silent and sorrowful brute, wandering alone with his grief after his entire tribe was wiped out by a mysterious plague. Glim and Sabath are both attuned to nature and alarmed by a series of sinister disturbances in the wild places of the world.
Suddenly, the door of the tavern is thrown open and a wounded man staggers in, shouting abut goblins. Rishekk rushes outside and confirms that yes, the town is being attacked by goblins! The fellowship lurch into action and drive off the goblins. Unfortunately, several womenfolk from the town were abducted and dragged back to the goblin’s cave. The town guard seem disinclined to do anything about this situation, although the sheriff does offer a five gold reward for any goblin ears the heroes bring back. The heroes venture out into the dark to bring back the women (and the ears).
Glim tracks the goblins to their lair. The heroes find a pile of mutilated corpses, but none are fresh enough to belong to the missing villagers. Aeneas steps on a suspicious rock and is nearly crushed when a rigged stalactite comes crashing down from the cavern roof. Sabath spots a hidden pit trap and Glim manages to disarm it. Beyond, the heroes encounter the goblin boss and a couple of his bodyguards. After defeating the mooks, the goblin boss tries to flee through a hidden door in the back of the cave. Before he can escape, Aeneas swings his battle axe and lops off the boss’ head. Glim cracks open the secret door and finds the missing women and a large treasure chest. Glim and Sabath raid the trunk and find some gold, a masterwork rapier and an innocuous looking deck of playing cards. Sabath claims the cards, Glim takes the sword and the gold is split five ways.