Dragonlance - After the Dawning: Adventures 2 & 3

Here's the highlights from the last two sessions:

Varhauth (the barbarian of the Qlettaar tribe in Estwilde played by Jim), Auger Tambac (a hill dwarf from the Palanthas foothills played by Jay), and Raph Knotwillow (a kender played by Dan) were asked by the Knights of Solamnia (specifically Sir Nigel, an old knight) to head south and investigate the whereabouts of a caravan from Abanasinia. The caravan, including a good number of refuges, is overdue for arrival at Palanthas. 

The party agrees to take the journey south on recon. They are accompanied by Valen, a newly anointed Cleric of Paladine who seems very young and unready. Also along for the journey are Solamnic squires Boras and Horot. 

Once equipped, the group heads south through the mountain passes. Eventually, they come to a village called Goodheart, a relatively young settlement that straddles the pass south of Palanthas. The party heads to the village inn (as you do) and they receive a relatively chilly reception from the innkeeper, not to mention the cold stares of the locals (and not just because the party brought a kender with them). 

The party was still settling in when the inn door burst open and in strode a fat man in red robes, flanked by several large men with clubs. The fat man introduced himself as Highseeker Eldridge. It seemed the village of Goodheart was still steeped in the Seeker religion, even after the return of the old Gods.

The Highseeker demanded that the party leave the village immediately. The PCs didn't take well to being pushed around or threatened, and they launched into attack mode! The ensuing fight resulted in a chaotic scene that amounted to a fighting retreat. The took out the Highseeker and several of his henchmen (most likely killing them) and managed to set a portion of the village market on fire.

The party managed to flee the town and continue south. They had almost reached the High Clerist's Tower when they saw a red dragon in the distance, flying over a small stand of trees in the pass. The dragon breathed flame over the trees before flying off to the east. 

The party approached the trees and saw a figure in robes laying in the grass beyond the burning trees. The figure was a Qualinesti elf named Faeron (Player Pat's elven wizard) who had narrowly escaped being incinerated by the dragon. He told them he had been camping in the trees with the remnants of the caravan from the south that the party was sent to find! Now, he was the last of them...the rest having been burned by the red dragon!

The party decided to continue to the High Clerist's Tower to alert the garrison there about the red dragon attack. But, the party had barely been allowed entry into the fortress when a shadow loomed overhead. They looked up to see a massive flying citadel, one of the few that were used by the Dragonarmies during the War of the Lance!

The knights and the party scrambled to prepare for battle as flights of draconians (baaz and bozak) leaped from the citadel and dropped from the sky to attack. There was a desperate battle, with the knights being overwhelmed. The party fought well beside the knights, but they ultimately were forced to flee the fortress and escape back north, to bring warning to Palanthas...if they are able to make good their escape!

Dragonlance - After the Dawning: Adventure 1

It is six months after the end of the War of the Lance, and Krynn is still recovering. Representatives of the free peoples of Ansalon are converging on Palanthas, perhaps the brightest beacon of light in a time of chaos and lingering darkness. Three such ready souls are Varhauth (a barbarian of the Qlettaar tribe in Estwilde played by Jim), Auger Tambac (a hill dwarf from the Palanthas foothills played by Jay), and Raph Knotwillow (a kender played by Dan).

These three companions head to the great southern gate of Palanthas, seeking to lend their aid to the post-war recovery efforts. They see a ramshackle settlement growing outside the shining white walls of the city, built by an ever-growing tide of refugees seeking sanctuary. The beleaguered Solamnic knights are doing their best to keep peace and order.

Our party encounter a group of knights outside the gate. The knights were stopping would-be adventurers and assigning tasks to them. The Solamnics included three young men who are no more than squires, but treated the characters with disdain and acted as haughty as if they had been with the order for years.

These young squires are put in their place by a veteran Knight of the Crown. This older knight then tells the characters they can earn ten steel pieces each if they can find some evidence of four missing merchant women who have not been seen for several days. The party agrees and looks for a place to settle in for the coming evening.

As the autumn sun sets, the three companions find themselves wandering the shantytown outside the walls. Suddenly, there are screams nearby. The party runs to find people being attacked by robed assailants. The three run into the fray and begin to fight. Soon, the identity of the attackers is revealed: draconians! The characters are able to dispatch three of the creatures. Several Solamnic knights arrive to investigate as the characters find a place to bed down for the night.

The next morning, they set out in the direction of the foothills. There were only two leads the knights were able to give them: the women had been headed to a hill dwarf village to sell some wares, and they were last seen being approached on the road by robed figures.

The party comes across some caves, and they're scaling a rubble-strewn hill when they knock loose some boulders. The sound of the rockfall brings an ogre out of one of the caves. The creature spots them and begins to throw boulders at them. They avoid getting crushed, and Varhauth bravely attacks the ogre. Auger joins him as another ogre comes out of a cave.

Raph does his part by running into the cave to investigate, and he finds several goblins crouched over the prone figures of four women! The kender is able to attack and kill one of the goblins, causing the rest to rush him. Raph discovers that the two caves are connected, and decides to use that to his advantage. He begins to lead the humanoids on a chase, running out and through the legs of the ogres, causing distractions and disorder. The party is able to dispatch the creatures and rescue the women.

The characters bring the women back to Palanthas and turn them over to the knights. The party gets their steel, and the session comes to an end!

Dragonlance - After the Dawning: Introduction

I've waited a long time to get a proper Dragonlance campaign started. I tried once years ago (in OMG 2011!), but it never panned out. A big reason for that abortive start is my own rampant gamer ADD (with which I still struggle to this very day). But also, I remember feeling that I wanted to run the campaign with old friends, those who were around in my youth when I was in my roleplaying heyday and formed my deep and abiding love for Dragonlance through the novels.

Now, it seems that day has come, finally! I have reunited with my old friends at the gaming table, and we roleplay as much as busy adults can these days! I'm using the excellent Castles & Crusades rules for the campaign. I may use the Obsidian Portal page I created for the campaign almost nine years ago (!) if I can find the time and the energy (getting...old).

The campaign starts six months after the end of the War of the Lance (in the year 353 AC). The characters are a cross-section of the free peoples of Ansalon. Those of strong will and body have been called to Palanthas to aid the resurgent Solamnic knights in restoring peace and order to the world. 

This should be fun! Can't wait to share what we're doing on Krynn! Onward!