After clearing out the Cultist cave, Stormwatch returned in glory to Greenest where Governor Nighthill provided you with horses to ride on to Elturel.

A red-bearded paladin in full plate armour

Onthar Frume

At Elturel you met with with the paladin Ontharr Frume from the Order of the Gauntlet, and reunited with the monk Leosin Erlanthar who represents the Harpers. Both organisations — along with the less well known Emerald Enclave — have been working to uncover the plans of the Cult of the Dragon.

They brief you on what they know — the Cult has shifted focus to the Sword Coast in recent times, and has a new emphasis on living dragons & Tiamat in particular. The evidence of black dragon breeding you found was of great interest, as was the news that the cult is amassing treasure and shipping it north. Stormwatch is requested — and handsomely paid — to answer two questions: find out where this hoard is going, and what the Cult plan to do with it.

On the road North

You travel to Baldur’s Gate, get hired as wagon guards, and the next several weeks are spent escorting the hoard shipment on it’s journey north.

You quickly establish that they loot is being shifted at least as far as Waterdeep, and possibly beyond. During the trip you encounter a Harper who has been buried to his neck in the road and left to die. After saving him, he confirms that he too was attempting to track earlier shipments, though with obviously less success.

A shadowy figure cloaked in deep red

Azbara Jos

You also meet a couple of notable characters on the wagon ride: a Red Wizard of Thay who goes by the name of Azbara Jos and a elusive gnome named Jamna Gleamsilver. Jos proves hard to unravel, and is clearly an ally of the Cult. Gleamsilver on the other hand is all friendliness, even apparently saving Jorin from a porridge assassination attempt.

A wily rogue in leather armour perched on a barrel

Jamna Gleamsilver

She does however seem to set Jorin up as the murderer of one of the Cult guards — he is found dead, and his sister is quick to accuse Jorin of the deed. Tempers flare, but surprisingly Jos comes to your defence and defuses the situation. There is no love lost between Stormwatch and the Cultists as you complete the journey to Waterdeep.

The Carnath Roadhouse

In Waterdeep you hear rumours of a half dragon matching Rezmir’s description passing through several days earlier. The wagon train is moving further north, as part of a detail heading out to rebuild the road between Waterdeep and Neverwinter. A group of enterprising businessmen led by Lord Neverember are attempting to re-open the trade route that was destroyed when Neverwinter was engulfed in the volcanic eruption of Mount Hotenow.

The journey takes you through the spooky sounding Mere of Dead Men, a swampy tangle of trees, bogs, frogs and marsh. Your first destination is the Carnath Roadhouse, where the roadworkers decamp.

A hidden figure looks down into the roadhouse courtyard

Carnath Roadhouse

The roadhouse also turns out to be the destination of the hoard, which is unloaded into a secure storeroom under the supervision of camp manager Bog Luck. Some sleuthing by ‘Mister’ Marko determines that you need to get into that room, but it’s not going to be easy.

At midnight your watch reveals that something is afoot in the store. Jorin is accosted by the deads cultist’s sister on the way across the courtyard, and together with Donald they finish the family off. Donald then assumed her guise to defer the attention of further Cultists, and the internal guards were cut to shreds by Ash, Bally and Martmaal.

In the locked storeroom you caught sight of several koboldy-lizard types, who scarpered before you could detain them. A search of the room uncovered a secret trap door in the floor that opened to a dank and uninviting passage. This was how the loot was being moved!

The Mere of Dead Men

After a brief debate, Stormwatch headed off down the tunnel and emerged in the thick swamp of the Mere of Dead Men. A few hours travel along a marked path took you to an abandoned campsite.

While resting, a group of lizardfolk approached the camp in canoes, and most were slaughtered before one scaly fellow begged for help.

A ferocious swamp-dwelling Lizardfolk

Snapjaw

He called himself Snapjaw, and asked for your assistance in overthrowing the ‘stupid’ Bullywug’s who had chummed up with the equally stupid but not quite as bad humans in nearby Castle Naerytar. If you help them, they’ll help you, and the Bullywug’s can rot in the swamp for all he cares. Sounds like a plan…of sorts.

Map of Carnath Roadhouse

Map of Carnath Roadhouse. Buy the map from Jared Blando here

Rewards

  • For the hatchery information, Erlanthar rewarded you with 150gp each (900gp total).
  • For the escort to Waterdeep, the Harper’s handed over a Ruby valued at 1200gp — and 300gp was provided for ‘expenses’ on the trip.

You also all LEVEL UP! Which should make you level 4. Good job.

Sessions played: 9 February and 22 March 2016