Beginnings

The Cast So Far:
Characters which have been created so far are listed below.

Birel
played by John Hastings

Age: ???
Sex: Female
Race: Elf
Class: Guardian Druid [DEFENDER]
Paragon Path: Guardian of the Living Gate
Epic Destiny: ???

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Background: Far-Traveler (from Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide)
Why Are You Here?: Wanderer
Personality Trait: I express affection or displeasure in ways that are unfamiliar to others.
Ideals: Inquisitive. Everything is new. I have a thirst to learn.
Bonds: So long as I have my totem from my homeland, I can face all challenges of this new land.
Flaws: I have a weakness for the new intoxicants and other pleasures of this land.
Feature — All Eyes On You: My accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and even my appearance all mark me as foreign. Curious glances are directed me way wherever I go, which can be a nuisance, but I also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by far-off lands, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of my homeland. I can parley this attention into access to people and places I might not otherwise have, for both I and my traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, are often interested in hearing about my distant homeland and people.
Purposeful Journey: To sample all the wonderful intoxicants and pleasures of every land I visit.

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At-Will Powers: Chill Wind, Call of the Beast, Grasping Claws
Encounter Powers: Frost Flash, Elven Accuracy
Daily Powers: Fires of Life
Utility Powers: N/A
Feats: Primal Instinct
Rituals: Animal Messenger, Commune With Nature

Uhtred
played by John Gilbert Kemp

Age: ???
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Class: Archer Ranger [STRIKER]
Paragon Path: ???
Epic Destiny: ???

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Background: Hermit
Life of Seclusion: I was searching for spiritual enlightenment.
Personality Trait: The leader of my community had something wise to say on every topic, and I am eager to share that wisdom.
Ideals: Logic. Emotions must not cloud our sense of what is right and true, or our logical thinking. (Lawful)
Bonds: I'm still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion, and it still eludes me.
Flaws: I am dogmatic in my thoughts and philosophy.
Feature — Discovery: I discovered a hidden cache of alchemical documents in an abandoned cave near my village. I used the arcane knowledge in these documents to diagnose the terrible plague that is afflicting my people, as well as discover the cure. Unfortunately, the cure requires many rare ingredients, and I must journey across many continents to collect them all.
Purposeful Journey: My village is suffering from a terrible plague, and I must journey across the continents to gather the ingredients needed to brew a cure.

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At-Will Powers: ???
Encounter Powers: ???
Daily Powers: ???
Utility Powers: N/A
Feats: ???
Rituals: ???

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Maps and Setting:

This campaign will be a homebrew setting combining elements of The Nentir Vale, Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Oriental Adventures, and potentially Dark Sun, as well as any other random stuff we happen to like. We will be playing (mostly) by the 4th Edition rules, with the exception that we will be using the Backgrounds feature from 5th Edition. Features and/or rules from other editions may potentially be incorporated later on, at the DM's discretion.

The Nentir Vale

Harkenwold

Albridge

The only location in Albridge that was relevant for the first game session was a pub called þe Alde Bone Tavern (i.e. The Old Bone Tavern), a unique homebrew location created specifically for this campaign. þe Alde Bone Tavern is owned and operated by a dwarven brewmaster and alchemist named Paquil, an arrogant and independent loudmouth who often combines his two crafts with, shall we say, interesting results...

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Day 1 – 7/26/2017: Arrival in Albridge:

Birel and Uhtred arrive on the outskirts of Albridge, a small village in the barony of Harkenwold, located in the southeast reach of the Nentir Vale. Birel arrives by wandering in from the Briar Hills while in bear form, and Uhtred by hitchhiking a ride on a wagon traveling along the King's Road.

As he steps out of the wagon, Uhtred notices Birel, who is in bear form and catching fish in the White River. As far as Uhtred knows, this is just an ordinary bear, and so he draws his short bow just in case it decides to attack him. Birel notices, but does not engage. Uhtred experiences a strange sense of déjà vu, as though he has been in a situation like this before, but he can't remember any details. Uhtred backs away from Birel slowly and walks into town. Birel goes back to catching and eating fish from the river.

While in the town, Uhtred begins asking random people on the street if they know anything about an alchemical substance known as Powder of Green Fire, which is one of the ingredients he needs to brew a cure for the terrible plague that is afflicting the people in his homeland. None of the people on the street know anything about this strange substance, so Uhtred begins to believe he has come to the wrong village, and starts to leave to continue his search elsewhere. However, as he is about to leave the village, he notices a local pub called þe Alde Bone Tavern, and decides to ask in there first before moving on.

Inside þe Alde Bone Tavern, Uhtred meets Paquil, a Drawven alchemist and brewmaster who owns the tavern. Uhtred asks Paquil about Powder of Green Fire, and Paquil responds by informing Uhtred of a cave in the nearby Harken Forest. The cave has long since been abandoned, but it was formerly inhabited by a group of hermit alchemists, and it's possible there might be something of use in there. Paquil informs Uhtred that the village elders can lead him to the cave if he wants, but Uhtred says he can find the cave on his own, and heads off to do just that.

As Uhtred is walking across the plane towards the forest, a tremor shakes the ground. Birel – who is still in bear form catching and eating fish in the river – feels the tremor too, and looks around inquisitively. However, the tremor quickly ceases, and does not repeat, so Birel goes back to catching and eating fish, and Uhtred continues towards the forest, crossing the White River in the process.

As he crosses the White River, Uhtred once again comes near Birel, who notices him but again makes no move to engage. Uhtred also notices Birel, but ignores her and continues walking. Once Uhtred is a fair distance ahead, Birel transforms back into her normal elf form, and begins following Uhtred at a distance.

As Uhtred approaches the edge of the Harken Forest, he notices a foul smell in the air, like burning sulfur. Uhtred follows the smell through the forest, and it leads him straight to the entrance of the cave Paquil told him about. Uhtred enters the cave, while Birel hangs back at the entrance, cautiously observing from a safe distance.

Inside the cave, Uhtred finds a group of three goblins seated at a table. Luckily, Uhtred is fluent in goblin, and so he begins speaking to the goblins in their own language, asking them about Powder of Green Fire. He initially misspeaks, asking about Powder of Purple Fire instead, though he quickly corrects himself (presumably, the goblin words for “green” and “purple” are very similar to each other). Unfortunately, the goblins do not know anything about any Powders of Colored Fire (either green or purple), and they are upset at Uhtred for barging into their home uninvited, and they move to attack him. Uhtred draws his short bow and shoots one of the goblins in the leg, severely injuring it, but not killing it. Uhtred then runs out of the cave, and the goblins give chase as he runs back to Albridge. Birel, who has been unnoticed at this point, pulls her hood up over her head, pulls out her scythe, and begins following behind Uhtred and the goblins, gleefully mimicking a grim reaper.

And that's where we left our heroes this session.