NCY 775, Octus 12: The Tale of Two Keeps

Rising early the next day, our band of intrepid heroes sets out to gather what information they can on the kobold troubles. The little they have already heard sends them toward the Lord Warden. Setting out on the most direct path, they soon discover, to their annoyance, that there is a toll on the Five-Arch Bridge. After a short bit of grumbling, each heroes coughs up their copper, under the watchful eyes of Sergeant Thurmina, and heads East across the bridge.

The group makes its way to Moonstone Keep, where they are able to secure an audience with Faren Markelhay, the Lord Warden. Informed that the heroes are interested in helping with the recent goblinoid troubles on the old King's Road, Faren quickly meets with the heroes, sharing what information he has and inquiring about news from beyond Fallcrest. The exchange goes well, and the Lord Warden tells the heroes the standard bounty of 25 gold per kobold can be claimed by collecting their scalps. He also tells them he will pay each of them a bonus of 100 gold coins if they can provide some evidence that an end has been brought to the kobold threat. Faren then turns the group over to one of his councilors, Emmon Smythe.

The councilor seems somewhat impatient to be away from the adventurers, but he does try to be helpful. He manages to pull his eyes away from the Lord Warden and the business of state long enough to inform the heroes that the head of the Mages' Guild, the High Septarch, has expressed some concern about the overly organized of the kobolds over the last few months. Smythe then answers a few more trivial questions for the Heroes, but it becomes apparent to Caelyn that Luxa's attention is wandering, dangerously, toward silverware and chalices. Additionally, something about the councilor is giving Leeandra a cold chill - she can't quite put her finger on it, but something about the man troubles her instincts.

The heroes leave the Keep, discussing the option of going to see the High Septarch. Maxim, however, talks them out of it, expressing his desire to prove himself on this challenge even if something more sinister and arcane is motivating the kobolds. In the end, the group heads South into Lowtown (joyfully avoiding the toll on Five Arch Bridge) to purchase a few additional supplies at Sandercot Provisioners. They decide to take a quick lunch on the Market Green before gathering their packs and heading out of town, heading West on the old King's Road.

The party leaves Fallcrest in the early afternoon, cheerful enough to be setting out and doing something, despite Autumn winds carrying the chill of the North down into the Vale. After about three hours of travel, Kaedir and Leendra find signs of a trail heading South into the Cloak Wood. Kaedir believes this is the path the Kobolds use to haul their loot back to Kobold Hall. After a quick once over of their gear and weapons, they party heads South, falling to their planned marching order (Caelyn, Maxim, then Luxa, with Leeandra and Kaedir bringing up the rear to form a triangle).

A little more than two hours later, our heroes reach the ruins of an old castle, certainl they have found Kobold Hall. A brief survey of the area shows only a few sections of the ruins are still intact, most of the remainder having been destroyed in some ancient seige, reclaimed by the wilderness, or scavenged and hauled off. Almost immediately, Kaedir is able to determine that most of the tracks in this area head in or out of the largest section of ruins, what once would have been the Keep proper.

Cautiously approaching the keep, the heroes are pleased to find they have gone undetected so far, likely thanks to the predominantly nocturnal tendencies of the kobolds. Once within the ruins of the keep, Luxa discovers a simple, stone trapdoor in the back corner of the room. After Luxa inspects it for traps and finds none, Leeandra decides to try and open it, using her dagger to pry it up. The trapdoor reveals a cut stone corridor below, and a few minutes later our heroes have slipped quietly down into the warren of tunnels beneath the old keep.

NCY 775, Octus 4-11: Food for Thought

Our party of intrepid heroes has spent the last week in Fallcrest, staying at the Nentir Inn. During that time, they have taken care of various and sundry mundane and menial tasks, but after running into each other repeatedly, they began to take meals together at the Inn, and the comfort of familiarity has begun to give way to the bond of friendship.

During that time, the heroes have shared some of their stories with each other as they became better acquainted.

Caelyn revealed to the others that she is on a quest of self discovery, searching the land for challenges to be overcome. She has also confirmed that she has traveled to the natural world from the Feywild, though she has not delved into the specifics of her history or House.

Kaedir has told his new comrades that he grew weary of the isolation that weighed on him over the last several years, and that he is now traveling the realm in search of companionship and adventure. He also mentioned his training with the Rangers of the Harken Forest.

Leeandra told her new friends that the village she grew up in was attacked, and that she traveled South in search of Douven Staul, a long time teacher from her youth whom she refers to as an uncle. She seems hesitant to talk about the subject in depth, but it is obvious that the tragedy still weighs heavily on her heart.

Luxa has proven to be the most talkative, and perhaps to have the most to tell, despite being the youngest by several years. She shared sketchy details of her young childhood, when her family was attacked by shadow-men, both while they were staying at the Rangers' Lodge in the Harken Forest, and then a second time when they were returning to the same place - which is when she was separated from her family. She spoke little of the last few, troubled, years in Hammerfast, but she did reveal that she had run into some trouble with the local Guild Thieves there. Like Leeandra, she grows quieter when asked about her family, and it is apparent the shadow of her parents' absence has not faded.

Maxim, who seems to a confidence somewhat beyond his years, has only spoken briefly of his youth, telling the others he grew up in a fairly quiet area raised by respectable parents with little trouble. His manner and speech indicates a thorough education, and his accent tells of Southern heritage.

Amidst the pleasantries of good company and the counterpoint doldrums of running errands, some of the heroes have just discovered a few interesting bits of information that seem sure to influence the future course of action:

Caelyn and Luxa ran into the merchant they rode into Fallcrest with, Myrond Benethil. Myrond was clearly disturbed by something, and Caelyn inquired. She soon learned that he had lost one of his clerks to the foul kobolds that have been attacking travelers on the western road. Caelyn learned that the Lord Warden has been looking for someone to help him deal with the problem permanently, and Myrond's distress over his business and the clerk seems to have provided just the impetous she needs to take up the challenge.

Maxim heard stories that appear to be related to Myrond's trouble. The sorcerer learned of the ruins of an old castle located within a day's ride of the town. The ruins, known as Kobold Hall to the locals, has been overrun by the little beasts for years. More interesting than that, however, Maxim learned that Nimozaran, the High Septarch of Fallcrest, has expressed an interest in the situation. Rumor has it the Guildmaster Mage feels the kobolds are too organized, and that some dark force must be at play within the castle. Certainly if the most powerful mage in Fallcrest is interested in what is happening, something in the ruins will be worth Maxim's time.

Finally, Leeandra found a merchant that remembered having sold Douven some digging gear and provisions. According to the merchant, he was headed West out of Fallcrest three months back, headed back to what he called The Burial Site. Leandra is very pleased to have found some clue to her old teacher's whereabouts and hopes her new friends will help her look for him, now that she has some idea where to search.

That evening, back in the Nentir Inn's dining room, the party gathers for its supper, eager to share the news of the day. Before the meal is finished, the decision to look into the kobolds is unanimous. Plans are laid out to seek an audience with the Lord Warden on the following day, and then to equip themselves for the journey.

The Nerathian Calendar

Calendar structure

The Nerathian Calendar was established 775 years ago, shortly after the founding of the Empire. A Nerathian year is 364 days long, the same time it takes The World to complete one revolution around its Sun. It is comprised of twelve months, each of which is 28 days long to match the cycle of the moon. Each month has four 7 day weeks. The year is divided into four quarters. Each quarter ends with a 7 day festival. Because of the 7 day offsets created by the Festivals, the months of each quarter begin on a different phase of the moon:

Month/Festival	Days
Janus	28	New Moon
Februs	28	New Moon
Marcus	28	New Moon
Festival of Dawn	7	Marks the Planting Season
Aprilon	28	Waxing Half-Moon
Mayet	28	Waxing Half-Moon
Junor	28	Waxing Half-Moon
Festival of Moon	7	Begins on the Summer Solstice
Julius	28	Full Moon
Augustus	28	Full Moon
Septembril	28	Full Moon
Festival of Evening	7	Marks the Harvest Season
Octus	28	Waning Half-Moon
Novus	28	Waning Half-Moon
Decemon	28	Waning Half-Moon
Festival of Midnight	7	Begins on the Winter Solstice
	____
	364

The months are named for various lords or heroes cited by the founders of the Empire as important to the history leading to its creation - some were real, while others were myth. All have been forgotten to all but the most dedicated of Historians. At this time, most of the civilized world reckons the year by the founding of the Nerathian Empire and its calendar, or NYC (Nerathian Calendar Year).

Setting the Stage

Everyone has to start somewhere... and though our heroes are destined to walk the streets of Sigil, the City of Doors, and sail the Astral Sea, they will begin their questing a little more down to earth, exploring and taming part of the Natural World, or more simply, just The World. What little information is available to the scholars and sages of the present day place the region in the northlands of the northern landmass. In particular, there are three regions that will concern the heroes early on. These are: Nentir Vale, The Southreach, and The Wastelands.

Fallcrest, where the characters have been gathered at the outset, is one of the most influential settlements in Nentir Vale, though in the present day it is little more than a small town built on the ruins of a large city. It is, nonetheless, representative of settlements in these regions. Within the walls of the town, order is kept by the Lord Warden and a half-score of armed men, but his real influence runs little further than a day's march into the surrounding countryside. Beyond that, the wilderness is ruled by the strongest hand or claw.

In the Southreach, it is only slightly better. The larger port towns of the southern coast attract more trade and more coin, and this has enabled them to patrol the short stretches of road between the handful of settlements, but only once or twice every week or two.

The Wastelands, on the otherhand, are completely beyond the influence of any order imposed by lesser nobles or barely-trained soldiers. The Wastelands are the very epitome of dangerous terrain... and the goblinoid clans that dot the Ogrefist Hills and the Stonemarch are as hard and dangerous as they come. Only the very foolish would dare the Wastelands... or, perhaps, the very brave.

Our Cast of Heroes

At campaign start, all characters are Zero XP Level 1 characters who have been fully equipped for travel. Each player was provided with a background applied to the campaign setting per their stated preferences in story direction. Each player was also provided with a hardcopy of the relevant Geography & History knowledge for their character, to be expanded upon as the campaign progresses.

The group of characters will enter the story in Fallcrest, having become casual acquaintances over the last week of story-time. Each character has already been supplied with Adventure Hooks in their background information, some of which will carry the group to different encounters. These characters are:

Caelyn Silverflame

Female Eladrin Warlord

Caelyn is a tall, athletic Eladrin with striking violet eyes, warm coffee skin, and brilliant silver-tipped, golden hair. A classic Eladrin beauty, her good looks are not the only thing that draws attention to her. Her bearing shows pride and confidence, and her step speaks of military training. Most often, she wears a finely ringed hauberk of chainmail over leather & mail leggings, trod with a pair of well-fitted reinforced leather boots. At her hip is a well-maintained longsword, slung easily in its scabbard. When prepared for battle, reinforced leather gauntlets protect her knuckles and wrists, and her steel light shield will be held to her left arm. Fitted for travel, her shield is likely to be slung over her back, atop a fur-lined, oiled-leather cloak. When traveling or adventuring, she also carries a crossbow with her, generally strapped to her pack along with a case of steel-tipped bolts. Caelyn meticulously cares for her gear, and it shows.

Kaedir of the Woodsinger Clan

Male Elven Ranger

Dark of hair with tanned skin, Kaedir's Woodsinger heritage is immediately visible. His eyes are a brilliant blue that deepens with his mood, or pales to match the sky when he laughs. He moves with the easy grace of his people, and even when resting he seems ready to pounce should need arise. Kaedir is almost always found clad in his leathers, ready for his next adventure. His tunic, bracers, breaches, and boots are all tanned a rich brown and tooled with patterns of leaves and vines. He wears a longsword sheathed at one hip and a dagger on the other, and almost always has his bow in his hand. A fine quiver of broad-bladed arrows hangs just over his right shoulder, and his cloak of browns and greens will be turned over to reveal it when he is ready for battle. Slung just next to the quiver is a well-sharpened handaxe, kept there just in case an enemy is near enough to prevent him from drawing his next arrow.

Leeandra Darkmoon

Female Shifter Druid

Leeandra's bright yellow eyes... the eyes of a wolf... are the first thing one notices when meeting her. Her olive skin makes her eyes stand out even more, and it suits her raven hair perfectly. The feral features of her Longtooth blood do not detract from her human beauty, but the sudden flash of her canines when she smiles might give pause to the weak of heart. Then well-stitched, soft-cured hide armour that she wears seems to add to her her untamed look, while the carved wooden toggles, leather ties and, small ivory bits decorating her attire lend her a mystical air. She does keep a sling over her belt near a pouch of stones, and she carries a spear when traveling, but when set for combat she prefers to have her hands free so she can use her claws.

Luxa Shadowfox

Female Eladrin Rogue

Luxa's youth seems magnified by her fine-boned Eladrin heritage. At first glance, her slight figure and short stature make her appear even younger than she is - a tool she has learned to use to her advantage over the last five years. If one manages to look beyond the deceptive innocence, Luxa is a very pretty young woman just coming into her own. In no time at all she will be using her long lashes, turquoise eyes, and captivating smile to talk the unsuspecting out of trinkets she might otherwise have to resort to cutting purses for. When one settles in and takes a good look at her, Luxa's very, very long golden hair will often catch attention. Unbound, it reaches nearly to her ankles, but she usually keeps it braided and tucked into her belt to keep it out of the way. Everything about Luxa's usual attire is kept simple and flexible. Her leather armour fits her well, though careful observation reveals that it was likely scavenged over time. Every piece is in good repair, but it was obviously not originally a set. She wears dark, neutral colors to help her blend into the background, and the shortsword and dagger sheathed on her back are tied down snuggly to keep them from rattling around. She can produce a sling quickly if she has a need for one, but, like everything else, it is kept pocketed tightly away. Young she may be, but years of taking care of herself has made her cunning and sharp. When she wants, she can practically vanish in a crowd or fade into the shadows... and when she moves, there is no sound at all.

Maxim of the Southreach

Male Human Sorcerer

Tall and broad of shoulder, Maxim is every inch an athlete, physically. He carries himself with dignity and pride that tells the tale of his education and quick mind, and his manners tend toward the courtly. His olive skin and slight accent betray his Southreach heritage, while his yellow-green eyes speak of something beyond that deep in his blood. Maxim tends to come across as quiet and reserved, but when he does speak, his rich, deep voice and charming personality make it a trivial matter for him to make friends or convince others to see things his way. His long jet hair and well-groomed beard seem to be a perfect match to his finely-embroidered robe and cloak, and he is almost never without his ebonwood staff, which is intricately carved and capped with bronze and crystal. Additionally, a well-made dagger hangs at his hip, next to an oiled leather pouch.

And so it begins...

The Age of Fate & Destiny of is a 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign that is set in a home-brewed derivative of the default 'Points of Light' campaign setting featured in the 4th Edition Books and Accessories. I plan to use only official 4ed material from the books and D&D Insider tools, complemented exclusively by my own overactive imagination. This campaign is being run here at home primarily as a game for my family to share, with the possibility of providing a backdrop for future games with other groups - namely with my old crew back in the New Orleans area. Yes... you know who you are... and you've been warned ;)

This campaign is intended to encompass adventures and settings ranging from the surface of the natural world to the depths of the Underdark, from darkest paths of the Shadowfell to the brightest beauty of the Feywild, and from the deepest regions of the Astral Sea to the very core of the Elemental Chaos. It is my intention to take these characters from level 1 to level 30 in as rich a roleplay/story environment as I can render.