| The campaign starts in the war-ravaged land of Umbria. Once a mighty kingdom, it was devastated in the Great War 20 years ago and is only a ghost of its former self. It lies between the Giant�s Run Mountains and the Orcish Wastes. In the small town of Hope, built upon the ruins of the capitol city of Avalon, a new generation of adventurers has come of age. In the early summer, after a spring of mountain thunderstorms, Ignatius was interrupted from making ink by the sound of something running across the roof of his �house� (a boarded over cellar). Just as he was contemplating investigating, a starving dire rat burst in and attempted to eat him. With a bit of luck, Ignatius defeats the rat and barricades himself inside. Meanwhile the rest of the rats attack the town. Jack and his employer Hank manage to save the Crazy Stag Inn, though not all of its customers. Jack steals a horse and rides to his friend�s house. While there they investigate the rodent corpse finding a large carnivore tooth in its stomach. Later finding the town still intact they go to the makeshift hospital to heal and get over filth fever. They find a man named Jeffrey has been sent to the stockade (he was on guard duty when the attack occurred) and learn that the rats have all been killed or dispersed. A couple of days later at the inn, they discover the nature of the tooth from Old Tom, the mysterious and strangely knowledgeable man who keeps the town supplied in liquor. It is a dragon�s tooth. Spurred by this information, the legends of dragon wealth, and the fact that the dragon is dead, the duo decide to set forth to loot the horde. Portia, a halfling bard offers to help them by letting them use her horse to pull the cart that Jack buys from Watt�s widow (in exchange for 25% of the horde and none of the climbing, hauling, etc.). The trio set out the next day. Other than a close encounter with a giant bee, nothing happens until they find the dead end canyon where the dire rats came from. While they are surveying the canyon with rotting rats and a well-gnawed dragon skeleton, a dire vulture attacks nearly killing Jack. While searching the dragon, they discover that it was killed by cannon balls probably a few months ago. Also they found a small emerald. The next day the party headed back to town but with a broken wheel they were over taken by a thunderstorm. They took shelter in an abandoned fort (inhabited by a very dead soldier). During the stormy night a band of goblins attacked. Initially the battle was a stalemate but when moments later, skeletons began to pour up from an old grate the battle was turned on its head. The goblins were quickly defeated, with the leader being battered off the top of the tower�s stairs and then having a horse land on him (the horse was being followed by a skeleton). The PCs were also defeated and they and the corpses of their foes were tossed out the door into the rain. The next morning they returned to the tower and bashed the skeletons the pieces and looted the basement (which included a large amount of gold). They also found a mysterious silver ring. |
| The Plague and the Storm |