Under the eyes of the unnamable platinum one, not a horrible place to rest I suppose. Certainly not likely to find much better in the middle of a hobgoblin and undead infested old ruin.

Shadowfell Keep Catacombs lvl 2

• Brief rest, explore the initial area of lvl 2, find empty barracks.
• Moving deeper find another nest of hobgoblins (2 soldiery types, 1 magey, 1 archery, 5 rabbly)
• 20gp, 24sp (5g, 8sp each) <197xp> and Rhogar takes a heavy shield
• Rest in temple of Bahamut on lvl 1
• Head back to second level, explore a bit more heading down far tunnel. Portcullis drops, struggle to open it then move past into room with supplies and a table with papers. After a brief moment we are confronted by 8 hobgoblins coming out of the two doors in the room. A tall leadery looking one yells “Don’t kill them, we can sell them as slaves to the Bloodreavers!” (session ends)

Summary of da loots n’such

Total XP: 2943
Total money: 1255gp 6sp
Individual: 313gp 9sp each (Rhogar -2sp)
Party Pool: 1 SP

---

Ruined keep to the north of Winterhaven

• Fight 10 scrawny zombies and 4 hulking zombies (in waves)
• Weird symbol traps on floor, build bridges over them
• 220xp (2308, lvl 3)
  - session break -
• Sarcophagi room, Fight two buff skeleton warriors, and a series or regular skellies until we get to the end and kneel and offer praise to Big Platinum in the sky.
• Talk to Sir Kegan, who’s spirit is unquiet in the grave due to death. Challenges us and we convince him that we are against Orcus. He gives us his sword, Aecris(+1 bastard sword, special power, Rhogar takes)
• Head down stairs, kill hobgoblin guards and trapped spider
• 10g, 27sp, 635 xp (2943 total)
  - session break -

I’d not really considered the possibility that there are good goblins. There’s always been them and us, my side and the enemy. But are the enemy all deserving of death? Are some misguided? Philosophy was never my strong suit, really. I suppose it’s just as naive to think evil is black and white as it is to trust everyone to freely. All this stuff makes me grumpy… but I suppose the Raven Queen isn’t known for coddling though in her care.

---

Mid afternoon at Winterhaven

• Talk to lord Padaig. Give us reward (100g).
  • Inform him of potential spy, he seems upset. Intimates further rewards for further work saving the town from the troubles it is in.
• Eat lunch, go to see Valthrun the sage.
  • Keep to the north part of the old Empire of Nerath which built it over the rift to seal it after they destroyed the old cult.
  • Keep is abandoned, rumored to be haunted or hold goblins.
  • Was abandoned about 2 decades after the fall of the empire. About 80 years ago Sir Kegan went insane and started slaughtering all his soldiers. They were able to drive him into the catacombs under the keep and kill him.

Ruined keep to the north of Winterhaven (multiple sessions)

• Enter and engage goblin inhabitants. 4 goblins and a swarm of rats. (168 XP)
• 3 goblins and torturer (156 xp). 50sp, 55gp, Bloodcut Hide Armor +1 (Etheryne)
• Free Splug the goblin that is different
  • Does not worship Orcus
  • Tells us Balgorn the Fat is leader of the goblins. Gives general layout of the ruins. Goblin boss and bodyguards. mining goblins. Undead. Bitey things.
  • Promise to kill him if he betrays us. Give him two gold after combat where he does not betray us.
• Pit fighting with 2 lizard beasts and 3 goblins. 22gps, +1 Holy Symbol of Battle (156xp, total XP 1870)
• Kill Balgorn the Fat and his 14 goblin bodyguard. 560gps, Wand +1(Fallance) (218xp)

Even something as powerful as a dragon is eventually reduced to nothing but bones in the dirt. Lesser beings grubbing in your old bones, looking for magic and treasure. Though I suppose a more obscure death is no better, unmourned and forgotten in some tomb of stone? Bah, never a good day to be dead. Good days to fight, kill, but not be dead.

---

The wilderness SE of Winterhaven

• Pry out Fire Glow Gem
• Ransack room, open chest w/ silver key 420gp (105 each), +1 Dwarven chainmail (Rhogar)
• Desecrate alter to Orcus
• Talk to Druidic ghost. Blights on land to North and West. Asks us to do something about it.
• Etherenye takes seeds to plant
• XP: 100

The wilderness S/SW of Winterhaven

• Kill group of cultists(?) holding Douven Stahl captive
• Find statue of Orcus, destroy it
• Shadowfell Gate to the North, old cult activity (200 years ago)
• Escort Douven back to town
• Douven gives Amulet of Health +1 as reward
• XP: 462 (1390 total… Lvl 2)

A scroll written in Common, addressed to Irontooth and signed ‘Kalarel’:

“My spy in Winterhaven suggests we keep an eye out for visitors to the area. It probably does not matter; in just a few more days, I will completely open the rift. Then Winterhaven’s people will serve as food for all those Lord Orcus sends to do my bidding.”

A cave behind a waterfall. Makes sense for druids I guess. Not that I know much about them really… nature worship I suppose. Fairly defensible… wonder what happened to them. Surely these kobolds, even kobolds led by the toughest damn goblin I’ve ever seen, didn’t drive them off. Must be squaters. Well, that’ll be taken care of soon enough I suppose.

---

Winterhaven

• Breakfast

The wilderness SE of Winterhaven

• Encounter 12 kobolds near waterfall, kill them all
• Enter waterfall 10 more kobolds, followed by a goblin, a kobold and a caster kobold. Kill them all
• Rhogar is knocked down twice, but saved by Glorala’s healing
• Rhogar takes Irontooth’s iron tooth.
• We find a scroll that shows a connection between Kalarel (leader of death cult) and Irontooth (we assume the goblin leader of these kobolds). Spy in Winterhaven. Plan to open gateway to allow Orcus’ minions through, the townsfolk will be food for these minions.
• Site appears to have been a Druidic site in the past.
• 16 gp, 55sp, withered kobold arm on chain, sm. silver key, scroll (with da plan)
• 375 xp (728 total)

With a name like Winterhaven you’d perhaps believe that indeed, there would be some sort of succor from this northern weather. But no, just another town. Barely that, more of an outpost. A handful of buildings huddled against the hostile northern environs. I suppose there are more people here, in the farms in the area but that’s not the city. At lest it’s not caravan work though. Missions directly from the Lord Mayor of Fallcrest, and the high priestess of Erathis! This is where it starts. Glory, gold, companions to watch your back as you lay into your foes. Perhaps these northern lands won’t be all bad.

---

The King’s Road

• Another day to Winterhaven. Just as we reach the gate’s a young dwarf (Alric) runs up asking for help. We help, rescue his father (Terrik Sabanar), kill kobolds, enter the city.
  • 135 xp. 30sp (7 each, 2 to the Inn keeper), +1 resounding war hammer (to Glorala)

Winterhaven

• See Lord Padaig. Wishes us to investigate the Kobold troubles. SE waterfall lair? Promises a 100gp reward.
• Go to Inn. Meet Ninaran (stand offish elven ranger) who gives us a map to the waterfall. Speak to Eilian the farmer, who is an old human with many stories of the area. He tells us of the dragon’s burial site to the SW (supposedly). Talk to Valthrun the sage, talks of random books, the Lizard men to the north that are likely long dead.
• Douvan Staul was here a few weeks ago, supposedly headed to the dragon’s burial site.