The Adventures of Berred, Ranger of Shadow Deep

While out on a mission with only three of my regular companions with me I happened upon a small group of auxiliaries camped around a fire. As we drew up a tall man in stripped trews and a loot stood up with a smile of relief on his face, 

He explained that he needed our help as they are all that is left of a small garrison set to defend High Rock, a little village just over the hill. Last night a pair of werewolves descended on them and tore through the village and their company. There might still be survivors and the werewolves were last seen near the large inn.

Even though it was dusk and the full moon was rising we offered our help at once.

-From the Journal of Bered The Ranger.

As our heroes headed around the large pond a wolf leapt out from some trees and was felled by the young Orla and her bow, one of the auxiliaries that had joined our heroes. Reflecting in the moonlight, Bered the Ranger, reached down near the pond and low a behold, a silver sword, very useful.

Two nearby giant rats both died with arrows in them as Bered and Trotter (the tracker) headed towards the trees.

Meanwhile Halleck defended himself from a giant fly, but helped by Nicolan, another auxiliary, they soon killed it. Off to their left two more giant flies charged Seb, a bear of a man, and another of the auxiliaries, killing both with ease. Behind Halleck Merlin the wizard, casts a healing spell soothing Halleck’s fly wounds.

As they moved around the pond yet another fly appeared next to Halleck but Orla quickly charged it and found herself in trouble. It was Halleck’s turn to assist and he helped kill it.

The last of the auxiliaries, Covin, a retired soldier, had spotted something in the pond and quickly swam out to find a small boat floating in the centre. He got in and rowed it to the edge. Merlin met him and searched the boat. The expression on Covin said it all, there’s a body in the boat and it wasn’t pretty. Tucked behind the body Merlin spots a bottle, a potion of slow fall, he took it.

Suddenly a wolf’s howl sounded somewhere ahead. Both Halleck and Trotter looked spooked. 

Trotter spotted something in the woods and quickly went to investigate. It was a horribly mutilated corpse, another werewolf victim.

Next to an old wagon Bered found a similar body, but with a giant fang stuck in its shoulder.

The group approach the house with the giant Seb and Merlin at the main door. Seb started to break down the door and they all noticed movement in the upstairs window, one of the werewolves.

Finally the door give out and Seb rushed inside, Followed by Merlin and Nicolan. Bered and Trotter saw this and started running for the house. 

Inside the entrance Merlin opened a cupboard and was greeted by a body which almost fell on top of him.

As a strange red light seems to shine momentarily from the moon, the shadow of the werewolf appears through a doorway. Suddenly a loud flash erupted from Merlin’s fingers and the smell of singed fur and a loud yelp.

Almost straight after an arrow whistled past, through two doorways into the werewolf, and Trotter winked. The werewolf disappeared further inside, only to find Bered and Covin waiting. The werewolf slashed out with its claws and Covin went down in a spray of blood. Suddenly it was chaos in the darkened building. A light was struck and the bodies of Nicolan and Orla were seen, as they tried, and failed to help, but also Halleck is there standing over the dead werewolf.

Softly a wolf then padded in through the backdoor.

Seb was suddenly there with Bered helping. Meanwhile Trotter has entered the building upstairs and has found something disturbing, a big bloody handprint missing three fingers, along with a silver dagger. One of the auxiliaries is a werewolf and he knew which one. He grabbed the dagger then rushed through a hatch and down the ladder to the downstairs room to warn the others he saw a now transformed Covin, which others had presumed dead, was attacking, with Halleck on the ground with a nasty gash across his chest, and the others had multiple injuries. Trotter charged, flashing his silver dagger, severely wounding the monster leaving Seb to behead it, a dead wolf lying behind him, near the backdoor.

Both werewolves were dead and the area secured.

Halleck groaned as he got up. Apparently it was only a scratch, he was fine. It was strange now that he needed a shave, and that full moon made him dizzy. He was sure it was nothing.

As the last rays of the setting moon glinted off the pond water, something emerged. A zombie dragged itself out of the water and headed towards the house.

Having pushed through the swamp, the land becomes firmer and the gnarled trees less dense. The rolling black clouds above still cast everything in a perpetual twilight and ash and smoke still drifts in the air. For the most part, the land is quiet. No birds sing, no insects call out. Occasionally, a small animal twitters from the shadows or scampers through the dead leaves. Twice you have spotted small patrols composed of gnolls and masked men, but both times you have been able to find cover and remain undetected. 

With few indications of the passage of time, you are forced to rely on your own reckoning and the growl of your stomach to know when to call halts, rest, and eat. You have passed several streams, which seem to contain fresh water, though you remain wary of drinking from them.

Just as your companions are starting to tire, and you are considering calling a halt for sleep, you spy a broken structure in the gloom ahead. Crawling forwards you can see that it is a partially collapsed stone farmhouse, of a kind that is common in both Alladore and Lorenthia. Creeping closer, you see shifting shadows within, and, closer still, you hear whispered voices. There are several people inside, definitely humans. As you focus on the speech, you begin to pick up the lilting accent of Lorenthia, and although the words are still obscure, you can hear an undercurrent of fear.

Making up your mind, you call out softly to the house ‘Lorenthia’.

The voices go silent, but you hear a shuffling from inside. You call out again, ‘Lorenthia’. 

A moment of silence, and then a reply comes from within, ‘Friends’. 

Standing up, with your hands open before you, you walk slowly towards the door of the house. A man is standing there, in the tattered remains of a Lorenthian uniform. A battered and notched sword is in his hand.

 ‘We are friends. From Alladore.’ You say.  

The man lowers his sword and grunts, ‘We’ll take friends from anywhere.’

Inside the broken house, you see several more soldiers as well as a group of women and children. 

The man in the tattered uniform speaks again. ‘I don’t know how long it has been since the world ended, but for all I knew, we were the only survivors. There are things out there, gnolls and worse, hunting us.’  

‘Lorenthia is destroyed,’ you reply, ‘but the world endures. Alladore still stands. We can take you there…’ But even as you say the last word, a horn sounds in the distant gloom, and your companions come running.

Everyone draws their weapons and prepares to face the onslaught.

Halleck nodded and grinned. The boobytrap was set. While he was setting the trap Berred tried to marshal the three Lorenthian soldiers. While the two archers nodded in agreement the man-at-arms, who went by the strange name of Beowulf, had his own ideas. Let’s hope he was a good fighter.

For nearly a full day, you and your companions carefully climbed down the broken stairs. Day eventually gave way to a murky twilight as the sun was blotted from the sky by the thick, dark clouds of the Shadow Deep. Most of your party have covered their faces to block out the ash and stink of the place. Finally, the stairway came to an end in front of a boggy pool, dotted with broken ruins and a few trees. The water nearest the stairs is too deep to wade, but it appears to quickly become shallower further on. If you want to carry on with your mission, there is no choice but to swim through the dark waters until you reach solid ground. Still, it is not a decision you take lightly, for who knows what could be living beneath the surface of the dark water?

Mission 3: Descent into Darkness

While the battle against the Shadow Deep rages along the line of the old beacon towers, you and your companions have made a huge discovery. Scouting the area behind Tor Varden, you found a long, deep fissure that runs down into the gloom of the Shadow Deep. Within this fissure is a rough and broken stairway. It seems too purposeful to be a natural occurrence, yet its rough surface and uneven, sloping steps argue against it being made by the hands of men. Reporting your find to your superiors, you quickly receive new orders. You are to lead your team down the stairs and penetrate as far as you can into the Shadow Deep. You will be the first warriors of Alladore to enter the cursed realm and any intelligence you can bring back will be of huge importance. Take any opportunity to strike against the enemy, but your primary goal is reconnaissance.

Scenario 1:  The Broken Stairs

Laden down with provisions (for who knows if there is food or even drinkable water below?), you start the treacherous descent of the stairs. In some places you move quickly, in others, you must step lightly, checking your footing with each movement, as cracked and broken rocks crumble away. As you get lower, the air thickens and breathing becomes more difficult. Black ash floats in the breeze, filling your nostrils and stinging your eyes. You are just about to call for a break, when you hear a loud buzzing noise, first from one direction and then from the other. You ready your weapons, just as the first bloated body comes flitting into view.

Your party is battered and bruised, but the fight is not over. Whatever now rules in this tower is likely on the upper level. While it is tempting to leave now with the gains you have made, it would then be left to some other group to come and finish the job, and who knows what evil might be done here in the meantime. Readying your weapons, you advance up the stairs.

The shadow knight looked down at these so-called heroes ready to end them. It paused as if in thought then suddenly turning it walked calmly away toward the man in chains on the wood pile. In the distance another fire lit, again with a green ghostly flame. With one smooth action the chained man died, his blood soaking the wood. Then with a hissed word the entire wood pile burst into flame, the same green as the others.

A voice as cold as death washed over the heroes 

“You have failed. Go and return to your doomed homes. Spread the word that death is coming and there is no hope. Live in fear and know that we control the border of your land.”

The heroes survived but failed and were indeed left without hope.

For now.

After the encounter at the bridge, you and your companions were able to slip past a couple of other gnoll patrols and reach Tor Varden. There were no guards posted outside, and very little indication of anyone inside. Then a muffled scream came from somewhere in the tower. It was a sign both good and ill. There is at least one man alive in Tor Varden, but you might already be too late to save him. You will need to move fast.

Our four heroes quickly patched up the worst of their wounds and made ready to head up the stairs and face the Shadow Knight that they knew would be waiting for them. Sadly the wounded soldier could not be revived, another casualty of the shadow deep. Berred had heard rumours of Gnoll shamans raising fearsome flesh golems but thankfully none were in this tower. They were all weary but they had a job to do.

Only hours after you arrived back from destroying the nest of spiders, you received a message from your commanding officer. Contact has been lost with the beacon tower of Tor Varden, and it is presumed to have been overrun. You are commanded to round up what men you can and proceed with all swiftness to Tor Varden to ascertain the truth. If the tower has fallen, learn what enemy forces now occupy it and harass or eliminate them as opportunity presents.

Scenario 1: The Bridge Guards

As you make your way towards Tor Varden, the gentle, rolling hills slowly give way to rocky plains, and finally into the boulder-filled maze known locally as ‘the Scree’. It is a barren, unnerving place – a perfect site for an ambush as the large rocks cut lines of sight down to just a few yards in most places. Proceeding cautiously, you eventually hear the Enthel River, which you must cross to reach Tor Varden. As you approach, however, you hear other noises as well, nearly drowned out by the river. Voices, of some inhuman type, a language filled with whines and barks.     Climbing to the top of a large boulder, you get a clear view down to the river. There, standing astride the old stone bridge is a pack of gnolls. Judging by the large cooking pot they have set up over the fire, these gnolls are camped here, likely to guard the bridge. The only other place to cross the Enthel River is a ford, in sight of the bridge, otherwise, it will take at least half a day to reach another crossing. There is nothing for it, the gnolls will have to be eliminated, as quickly and quietly as possible.river.

Examining the bodies of the zombies, along with the other clues from the village, left little doubt. The village had been attacked by some horrific species of giant spider, whose venom reanimated the dead. Thankfully, such creatures move slowly. Likely, they will have retreated to the nearest shelter to slowly feast upon the missing villagers. Your duty is clear. Taking just enough time to patch up your wounds, and make a quick pyre for the dead, you set off after the spiders, following their faint, but unique tracks. After nearly a day’s pursuit, the tracks lead into a small forest. Chances are the spiders are not too deep in the woods. You must find them, destroy them and any nests they might have made, and, if you are lucky, rescue any survivors.

With parts of the forest burning, our heroes and the lone survivor departed to report to the king. Halleck recovered from his poisoning, the spiders were all dead and our heroes had completed their first mission. The first strike against the Shadow Deep had been won.

Mission 1: The Missing

It has been less than a week since the destruction of Lorenthia and the appearance of the Shadow Deep but, in that time, the world has seemingly gone mad. Reports of strange creatures, and evil, robed men are flooding in from all along the new border. Even with every soldier, ranger, and volunteer mobilized, the kingdom is stretched thin. Three days ago, a veteran ranger by the name of Aventine went out to investigate reports of an attack on a nearby village. He has not returned. Determined to find the missing ranger, you have gathered what companions you can and set off for the village. It’s an eight-hour hike over difficult terrain.

Scenario 1: The Deserted Village

As soon as you came within sight of the nameless village, you knew that something wasn’t right. There was no sound of man or animal, no movement except for the gentle swaying of the trees in the breeze. Closer in, you could see bodies lying in the dirt and smell the stench of death. Undaunted, you covered your face and carried on. Whatever happened here, it was your duty to try to discover the truth, and, if possible, determine the fate of Aventine. You had just reached the centre of the village, and were about to split up to search, when a horrible moaning sound came from all around.

Once away from the village the party sorted themselves out. Trotter the tracker patched up his injuries with no lasting problems, had a smoke on his pipe and they all looked into Trysten’s chest. It was full of gold and jewels. Much to some disappointment Berred said it was all to go to the war effort against the shadow deep. 

Now it was onwards, to follow the tracks into the forest.

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