|
|
|
Return to Shadow Ridge
Overview
A few months later, on a cold snowy winter night of Hammer (January) in 1358 DR, the Ashaba Heroes are called in to a meeting inside Ashaba Tower by Mourngrym Amcathra, Lord of Shadowdale. During their absence, while they were off exploring in Aghazstamn's Lair, the son of one of the farmers of the village, Ruldor Ulphor, disappeared. Patrols from the Tower have searched for him, to no avail. They did however find what could be a clue : a flask of fresh drow sleeping poison near Shadow Ridge. Also, for the last few weeks, there have been new reports of attacks and ambushes made by drow warriors against the farmers of the village, during the night. The Lord of Shadowdale asks the Ashaba Heroes to find the missing son of Ruldor Ulphor.
Before starting their searches, Captain Thurbal informs the adventurers that he recently sent a patrol of soldiers led by Berkley to investigate the area around Shadow Ridge. The patrol still hasn't come back to report in and he thinks that something might of happened to them. He suggests that they start looking around Shadow Ridge for clues. The Heroes decide to go back to the entry cave they found that led to the old drow complex but they discover that the entry point has been blocked off by rubble. By looking around more, they eventually discover another entry cave. Inside the first cave, they discover the bodies of the soldiers from the Tower. Berkley, however, is no where to be found...
The Ashaba Heroes discover another new underground drow complex but this one is also populated by orcs, goblins and various other goblinoids. The adventurers eventually arrive to a room with a black throne made of granit. A large tapestry with the Zhentarim symbol (the Zhentarim are an evil organization of spies and mages) is hung on the back wall. A dwarf sits on the throne and the Heroes recognize him : Simon Stonebreaker, the duergar they met during their first adventure. He claims to have been sent by High Priestess Levior to get rid of the Heroes. He goads the adventurers to approach him to fight but suddenly, he flicks a small lever on his throne arm and a trap door opens under the adventurers feet and they fall into darkness...
The adventurers come to each inside a different cell. They eventually manage to escape with the help of a half-orc named Mordack. The Ashaba Heroes free other prisonners and find the son of Ruldor Ulphor among them. When they attempt to exit the complex, the adventurers end up in some huge underground arena. Simon Stonebreaker and another human male are sitting on thrones located far up in the balconies of the arena. The man is none other than Berkley, the soldier they freed from the drow fortress under Shadow Ridge a few months ago.
Berkley reveals to the adventurers his true name : Korolius and that he also is part of the Zhentarim. He had been sent by the Zhentarim to the village of Shadowdale to spy and the Ashaba Heroes provided him with the perfect opportunity when they freed him from the fortress. Like Simon Stonebreaker, he claims he's allied with High Priestess Levior and that she's the one who wants the Heroes to die. He says he had no problem with them whatsoever, that is, until now. Now, they've become too curious for their own good. He personally admits having kidnapped the son of Ruldor Ulphor, knowing that the Heroes would be the ones that tried to rescue him. Korolius orders the battle to begin and the Heroes have to face various deadly creatures in the arena, while Korolius and Simon look on. After the adventurers slew all of the creatures, the two traitors escaped.
The Ashaba Heroes eventually manage to catch up to one of them : Simon Stonebreaker. However, before they can start the fight, the duergar enters a magical portal. The Heroes follow him and they find themselves inside one of the rooms in the old drow fortress they had discovered a few months ago. Simon had taken the magical sword that had belonged to the leader of the fortress, the drow Kalius, to fight the adventurers. After a vicious fight, the Heroes finally managed to kill Simon Stonebreaker.
They discover a scroll on Simon's body that gives the history of the magical sword of Kalius. The sword's name is Dragonbane and it possesses two opposed alignments, one good and one evil. It was forged by a dwarf called Grulto three centuries ago. Grulto was killed by a drow mage called Carlitosus. The drow mage managed to corrupt Dragonbane's essence so that it became an evil sword. Thankfully, the scroll also indicates how the sword can be brought back to it's original state. The Heroes perform the necessary ritual and Dragonbane returns to it's former self, a weapon to fight evil black dragons. Balrog, the fighter, becomes the heir to Dragonbane, a weapon he still wields to this very day...
The Ashaba Heroes eventually return to the surface with the son of Ruldor Ulphor. The adventurers are welcomed back as true heroes and Lord Mourngrym organizes a huge feast in their honor. They are named the most worthy band of adventurers Shadowdale has seen since the dissolution of the Knights of Myth Drannor.
Back to Ashaba Heroes Main page
|
|
