Arena, Race, Rats, and Beer - 1st Session

The Initial Formation of “The Brigade”

One by one the individuals arrived at the 1st ever Heroes of Adventure contest that was promoted by “Lucky” Laxinilly Wylosum. They were whisked away to a side room while the adventuring group, “500 Fights” took to the arena first.

While in seclusion introductions were made, the following members were present:

• Un’goro Trollblood – a veteran half-orc sentinel, bastion of racial tolerance in the Lower Wards

• Logan the Huge – human cavalier and member of the Red Tribe on pilgrimage from his tribe, who studies battlefield tactics

• Baern Coldforge – dwarf warlord and member of Clan Coldforge, following in footsteps of great grandfather Kregnok.

• Xune D’Arqdae – female drow avenger, works with Church of Sehanine/Selune.

• Lendri Bologard – male halfling slayer, descendant of Lozigee.

Before they knew it the newly formed group was escorted to the arena for their turn. As they did, they spied the victorious 500 Fights group leaving, their tiefling having suffered serious injuries.

The fight began in, what was set up to be, crumbling ruins. Their adversaries were a group of goblins led by Boontah, goblin champion. The group immediately won over the crowd with a dazzling display of battle prowess and they won the fight in slightly less time than did 500 Fights. Later it was learned the third group in this contest, City Champions, submitted in the 5th round after two of their members were dropped.


Cross City Race

An announcement was made that the second half of the contest was to be a city wide race from the main gate to the top of the keep. This gave the newly named “The Brigade” time to prepare and try and learn the advantages and disadvantages of the various routes across their city.

With the race about to start Un’goro chose the Blackstone Street route, Lendri and Xune took the Main Street, and Baern and Logan selected the Temel Street Route.

The race was very close and the first team with three members across the finish line was to win. Lendri was the first individual, Krusk of 500 Fights was second, Un’goro was third, Therai of 500 Fights was fourth, and the race was won by The Brigade when Lendri came in fifth.

The crowd went wild as this motley crew, who just met each other hours ago, was able to win the contest. A strange man who seemed to be scouting the entire event, was seen later talking to the 500 Fights group. Possibly about hiring them.


Rats in the Basement

The following day Baern convinced the rest of the group to go with him as he checked in with Shagold Gatecrasher at the League of Fighters for possible work.

Shagold did have something for the associate that needed doing. Nelra Brenwell of the Temel Ward had come to him with mention of “strange scratching noises” coming from here basement.

Assuming rats, the Brigade investigated. And where there are giant rats there are dire rats, which brings upon rats swarms, and of course, a wererat leading them all.

The rats were all defeated, Baern was particularly beneficial to the group barking out commands from the rear of the group. As the wererat was dropped and reverted back to his normal halfling form, the group found 50 gp on his person along with a curious note:

Quote :

Franco,

Set up base and wait for orders. Do not fail us. You know how we are.

-T

The Brigade returned to Shagold and showed him the note (and later the church of Selune) and they both said they would look into the matter.


Stolen Beer Recipe

Baern remembered his brother Valddan asking him to look into something for him. He said that there was a robbery at the Nok & Nak’s Brewery, the recipe for their latest concoction, Nok & Nak’s Magic Potion…Yea! was stolen from their ice room/delivery room. After a series of questions regarding this incident the Bridge set their sights on the company that picks up and delivers their product across the Nether Mountains, Clan Oakbeard Trade & Cargo.

At the shipping warehouse the group met Conren, shipping manager and set off in a skill challenge. Xune noticed that during the conversation, Conren shuffled a paper on his desk to the side. The group managed to take a peek at it and it was a letter of resignation from Vorn Coldforge, who recently left the company and was employed less than a week.

The group was finally able to get Conren to admit that Vorn was a troublesome individual and a prime suspect. He is the lazy son of Uled Oakbeard and he could most likely be found at the Stone’s Throw Tavern.

Baern, Logan, and Lendri went in but found no dwarf present. A few coins to Layra the bartender led the group to a small residence in a alley-like area in the Amyria Ward.

The small house had a sign that read: Property of Rock Hammer Trade Coalition. As the group was about to enter, Lendri admitted some trepidation to interfering with a very strong guild that his family is closely associated with.

Eventually Baern and Logan entered to confront Vorn. After taking one look at Logan Vorn broke down:

Quote :

“Look, I was under a lot of pressure. They forced me to get that information from the lock-box, otherwise they would have done…horrible things.”

“I don’t know his name, just went by T. He seemed to know a lot about me. I dropped it off here and when I was back at the Stone’s Throw tavern, I found a key to this place and 400 gold. I did make a copy of the brew, was thinking of how to sell it back to the brewery.”

The brigade escorted Vorn back to his father’s residence and informed him on what happened. They also relayed the information to Shagold. The group’s next stop was to take the copied recipe back to the brewery to the grateful owners. Valddan asked that the group keep an eye out for the original and to find out who was behind this and possibly, who is blocking their attempt for a license to serve alcohol in Rock Hammer.


Cliffhanger

The group figured that Lucky Laxinilly probably had work for them by now, they went to see the halfling. On the way they overheard a conversation between the minotaur Terios Helm-Basher, of Rock Hammer Reclamation, and another individual. From what the party could learn, it sounded like the bounty hunter company had immediate need for help in the capture of a fugitive.

Un’goro approached Terios and struck up a conversation. Thanks to Un’goro work for racial tolerance in the Lower Ward and the fact that the Brigade just won the Heroes of Adventure contest, Terios agree to sub-contract the group to go after Treggar.

Quote :

“Tregger was brought in for questioning by the City Patrol four months ago about some questionable activities. During the interrogation Tregger attacked, killing one guard and injuring another as he escaped. He has been on the run since then.

“Tregger and his gang are in the neighborhood, he was last seen in Cholnudon heading north. They will no doubt be passing the monument of old Temel soon.”

Terios warned that Treggar was most likely to have cohorts with him, one of them was a bandit that favors the longspear. He offered a reward of 350 gold alive and 200 gold dead for Treggar.

Before leaving town the group stopped in with Lucky Laxinilly and indeed the halfling did have work for them.

Quote :

“Word comes from the farms and herders across the Everlund Pass, near the cemetery, of drake attacks. A hunter named Jarek nearly lost his life by a pack of drakes with glowing blue scales but not before he managed to kill one of them. After it died it developed weird blisters on its skin. He brought the body of it back here and I cut one of them open. Inside was a small amount of residuum. Find their lair, and retrieve all of the residuum that you can.”

Psst... "Brigade," not "Bridge".... stupid spell check...