The day he was born Roscoe’s parents had said he would be going places, and go he did. Every chance he got Roscoe went with his friends and neighbors to see different places. Learning on the fly was how he acquired his skills. Picking up different abilities and developing natural talents was a daily thing for him. He never exhibited any fear; it was like the idea was foreign to him. Life was his playground and nothing was going to stop him. Recently coming of age to permanently leave home, he promised he’d return with wealth and fortune. No one doubted his ability, but they were worried about him anyway. After traveling for a bit he ended up in one of the Border Kingdoms near the Lake of Steam area. With Midsummer’s Eve being tomorrow, Roscoe has decided to hang around for the festival.

Character sheet: Roscoe Hilltopple [Strongheart Halfing Rogue]

Cause of death: He touched the altar anyway.

Character sheet: Ghost of Roscoe

The first seventy years

Bryrgar Stonefist was born into a proud and strong family: a family with some prominence, in the finest dwarven stronghold in over a thousand years. Bryrgar, in fact, is even great nephew to King Harbromm. True, Bryrgar was born 25th in line for the crown, but in reality he will never feel the weight of that crown (and the relation is from his mother’s side). Not that Bryrgar could never make a good king some day, but the mantel of king in a dwarven stronghold does not change hands very often.

Tarin, Bryrgar’s father, is a well respected member of the Squashers. The Squashers are men of great honor in the Citadel. The Squashers are not completely unlike the famous Gutbusters of Mithral Hall, except that the Squashers have been known to use tactics from time to time. In fact Tarin has been ripping and tearing orcs and their kind apart in the name of Citadel Adbar for over 120 years.

Tarin’s battles over the years are probably why Bryrgar and his older brother Davin both turned out to be clerics. Bryrgar’s earliest memories are of sitting around the family table as Tarin retells the stories of the day’s battles. Davin and Bryrgar would often bandage up Tarin as he explained what the “silly orcs tried this time.” It was the boys’ job to help their father ever since Isaron, their mother, was killed only 5 years after Bryrgar was born. Isaron was part of an envoy on its way to Silverymoon that was ambushed. The group had been traveling above ground to appease the moon elves that were traveling with them. Trolls attacked and killed nearly every member of the party. Two of the elves and one halfling survived to tell of the ambush. The battle had been swift and Isaron did not suffer. After that fateful day, the word “elf” took a sour tone in the Stonefist home.

Bryrgar showed exceptional talent at healing, even from the young age of 15, a skill that earmarked him for a life in the front lines, near his father and brother. By the age of fifty, Bryrgar had also shown a traditional dwarven lust for battle and would sometimes have to be reigned in by his superiors from joining the Squashers in their duties. All and all, Bryrgar was making a little bit of a name for himself.

More than a few troops had made it home only to the bravery of Bryrgar to charge into the thickest of battles to not just heal, but to also stand over and protect a badly wounded comrade. On one special occasion Bryrgar noticed a small band of orcs slipping around the lines and trying to sneak up on a key fortification. Bryrgar knew what would happen if any key link to a line was broken, so without anyone else near enough that could help or get there in time, Bryrgar took matters into his own hands and launched himself at the seven orcs with reckless abandon. His screams to Clangeddin could be heard for miles, and it also may have saved his life.

Bryrgar ran up a downed tree and launched himself into the orcs. Two orc heads hit the ground before his feet did. After that the real battle of the day was on, two Squashers were limping their way to the backlines to see the clerics when they heard Bryrgar’s call to his god. They looked in time to see his brave attack on the orc band, and they also saw the battle turn ugly for Bryrgar. Within seconds of his assault he was disarmed and fighting with his fist. At first this was no real advantage to the orcs, but it was only time until their weapons began to wear him down.

Bryrgar did manage to fell another of the orcs before he was bore to the ground. As the light and sounds of the day began to fade from his consciousness he got a glimpse of feet and beards fly past his face. Later that evening when he was able to be revived, his two newest-best friends were sitting by him. Croyly and Soren were at his feet sleeping.

Croyly and Soren had been able to reach Bryrgar just in time. The two severally wounded men then decimated the remaining orcs. Still inspired by what they had seen, they took Bryrgar to safety and then went back to the battle lines where they had left. They told their comrades of what they had seen. The fifty man Squasher platoon then decided to dedicate the fight to Bryrgar. They charged into the center of the next orc wave and destroyed it with ease. Then instead of regrouping, as they are often told to do, they turned and charged the orc line. More than a handful of orcs turned to run; this left a one on one fight for the orc line. Odds that would not favor orcs, even if these dwarves were not the Squashers. Once the Squashers broke through they headed for the orc leaders.

And as any historian of orc battle tactics can tell you, once the chieftain is running, it is ok for all the orcs to run. And once all the orcs are running the battle is over. The names of Croyly, Soren, and Bryrgar were all toasted well and repeatedly in the Citadel that night.

After that day the three were nearly one, as you rarely saw one without the other two in tow. Over the years the three managed to get into and out of an amazing amount of trouble. And it was well known that if you were in an Inn and got into a fight with one, you were in a fight with three. In this time the three also had a chance to make a few enemies.

In particular there was an instance where Soren, the jokester of the bunch, had set Croyly up for a gag, but the gag went bad. It seems that Soren had gotten his hands on a potion that would make a beard turn green and had paid a bartender to slip it into Croyly’s ale one night at the Bleeding Knuckle, the three’s favorite drinking hole. The drinks got mixed up and Boerin Ironfist got the drink instead. Now as it happens Boerin was the source of the idea for a green beard. Boerin often made comments and followed them, “Or I’m a green bearded gnome.”

Well, on that fateful day Boerin who was no less than captain of the night watch, had made a similar comment of the likes “No thing alive has ever gotten past me on my watch, no flying, no walking, no crawling thing.” And then he said, “Or I’m a green bearded Gnome.” He followed this claim with a big swig of his ale. The laughter and tell of the tale spread through the Citadel faster than any breeze could have taken it. It took three weeks for the green to wear off. Boerin was completely humiliated. He found out about Soren and the ale about two days after the incident. To put it politely he beat the story out of the bartender.

Everyone waited for his fury. Many suggested that Boerin would kill Soren flat out, and both of his friends for being part of it, even if they knew nothing about it. Boerin spoke to no one unless he had to for almost a year. Some began to suspect that Boerin was just going to let it pass. They were wrong. On one fateful night Boerin Ironfist and twenty of his clan came into the Bloody Knuckle and arrested Soren. Soren was charged with treason. Boerin had five witnesses, all Ironfists, that claim to have been near by in the field of a recent battle and to have seen Soren give these details to a Dark Elf for a bag of gold.

Then Boerin and his men showed a rather large pouch containing over two thousand gold that they say they had just took from Soren’s home. Bryrgar and Croyly had heard enough and launched themselves at the Ironfist clan immediately. The boys however were not armed and the Ironfist were. The two were joined by a four Squashers who were in the bar. The fight was violent but short. For as soon as the boys attacked, twenty more Ironfists came charging into the bar.

When it was over Bryrgar and the four Squashers had been beaten into a slumber and Croyly lay dead. The Ironfist plan had worked like clockwork. The Soren was put into a cell so deep in the Citadel that it is said to be closer to the end of the realm than the surface. The other five had been thrown in jail for a week for fighting the “proper authority” all of most of which had been given the job of town guard only an hour before the brawl. Croyly had no family, so the only ones to fight for the crime of his murder were the Squashers and Bryrgar.

The Ironfist were able to prove to the king of a moment in battle where no one knew where Soren was. Soren claimed he and Croyly had been over a hill fighting Orcs, but Croyly was his only witness. The gold shown to King Harbromm had markings from the city of Cathyr in Dambrath. A place well known for its Drow history. The king did not believe Boerin, but was forced to accept the story for they had proof, and the boy’s side had none. One of the Ironfist went as far as to name the Drow, Tlir Der’Noth.

The king ordered the Squashers to stay within the Citadel until the extent of this could be gathered. An insult that Tarin and the Squashers could not stand. In the following days every member of the Squashers began to get into fights in the inns. Everywhere they went to drink an Ironfist would be there. To say fights broke out constantly would be an understatement. Boerin convinced the king to keep the Squashers locked up in their barracks until the extent of their corruption could be found.

One night Boerin came to Bryrgar alone and gave him a choice. If Bryrgar would leave Citadel Adbar now and forever, he would tell the king that the corruption was only Soren. If he stayed and fought for his father and friend, “Well, I already have other proof to link your father to Soren’s acts.” Bryrgar was filled with a rage that was beyond anything he had ever known. Bryrgar pulled a dagger from his belt and was about to attack Boerin when Boerin calmly said, “Go ahead, kill me boy. That will seal your fate and the stupid Squashers too.”

Confused and desperate to help his father and friend he agreed to the terms. Knowing deep down what was called for. Bryrgar Stonefist was about to set out on a journey to prove the innocence of his friend and father. He knew where to start too. Tarin had once told him that the best lies are told with a little truth. So, if the Ironfists had a Drow name and gold from Dambrath, odds are there is the place to start. The next morning Bryrgar headed out of the Citadel for what may be the last time. He was no fool though. He camped about a day south of the Citadel for a week. At that time his brother came and met him to tell him that the Squashers have all been returned to normal duty and were beginning to be treated fairly.

Armed with the idea that Boerin was going to hold up his end of the deal, at least for now, he headed out for Silverymoon in hopes of finding a guide at least as far a Waterdeep. There he found renewed hope when a Dwarf named Tharn Orcslayer came to him and announced he was an old friend of Bryrgar’s father. Tharn arranged for Bryrgar to travel with a caravan to Waterdeep, and provided him a letter to give to a mage named Gritho Thiden. The letter would be honored and Gritho would provide a portal to Eartheart.

The journey to Waterdeep went smooth, with only minor skirmishes with orcs and one large wolf attack. Once in Waterdeep he easily found Gritho Thiden. Gritho said he would be happy to help but the cost for the portal was great, and while he knew Tharn, he did not know Bryrgar. He then told Bryrgar of a local merchant that would give him a good deal on his armor and shield. Determined to get to Dambrath he sold his armor and shield (each with his family crest on them) and purchased some locally made armor at a discount to continue his journey. Upon returning to Gritho with the needed funds, Gritho took him to a sewer entrance and then through a series of tunnels that came out to a room with a shining blue portal.

Bryrgar thanked Gritho for his help and stepped through the portal, right into the middle of a battle in what turns out to be the middle of nowhere. While ducking a great sword and dodging a pike, Bryrgar came to realize just how set up he was. He fought his way out of the battle that apparently did not mind if he was there or not, and headed off to the west in search of a town.

Character sheet: Bryrgar Stonefist [Shield Dwarf Cleric of Clangeddin Silverbeard]

Cause of death: Bought the farm.

Bad Medicine

Ughhh!!! Somehow I wound up with a woman. While traversing through the local jungle. The bad thing was she got stuck in my head. I couldn’t shake her image. Several trips to the local witch doctor; I even tried big medicine from the mainland.

Then I had a bad headache and the woman in my head. Several friends told me what to do. The only way to remove her was to have her with me. So off we whisked into the night. Upon extracting her from her tribe I found they were right and wrong. She is out of my head but in it at the same time.

I didn’t realize that women could talk so much. But she is soft, smells good,and cuddly I guess. Oh well, now I have no home, no job, and meandering around some lake of steam.

I wonder if I should have just stuck with the big medicine instead? Ughhh!!!

Character sheet: Charzth [Human Barbarian mate of Nosila]

Cause of death: Newly recruited into Pommeville’s town guard.

I don’t know why I feel compelled to write down my life; maybe it will help Zym, maybe it will help me, but it must be told.

At the age of ten, Ronyá was on a fishing trip with his father. On their return, they found an orc war party outside of their village. Dad was part of the town guard, and sent his son to get aid as he went to alert the village, but the orcs killed almost everyone. Ronyá went to Eliastraee’s temple for help; they came, but were too late. Ronyá found his dad headless.

He went to live at the temple. One of the drow priestesses took him in like a son; she also had a son that was a toddler. She taught Ronyá the language of Undercommon, and how to survive. Everything was good for five years. He learned to be a fighter, he frolicked, he fished, and he also grew attached to Zym, Shandel’s true son. Then, horror came back into his life.

One day while he and Zym were fishing, the orc war band attacked the temple. When they returned, they found the temple on fire. Ronyá hid Zym, then ran into the burning temple. Yelling for Shandel, he navigated the burning halls to get to the sanctuary. There, what he found still wakes him from his sleep in cold sweats.

Upon entering the chamber, he saw slaughtered men, women, and children all about, some burning, some headless. The altar was desecrated. He yelled out, “Shandel!” ...no one answered. He yelled, “Eilistraee, help me!” then heard a groan coming from near the altar.

He went over to the corner, only to see Shandel, the one he called Mother for years, lying with her gut slashed open, her entrails falling out, trying to call to him. Ronyá rushed to her side, not knowing what to do.

“Ronyá... you are safe. Where is Zym?”

“He is hiding,” replied Ronyá.

“Keep him safe.....” she said, as the life oozed out of her body. “Love, laugh, and live,” said the holy symbol on her neck. Ronyá took that symbol and rushed to Zym as the fire engulfed the temple.

As Ronyá emerged from the inferno of what used to be the temple, Zym was standing there, looking at an orc that was about to cut him down. He yelled, “Ronyá!” With that, Ronyá leaped at the orc in an instant. He pulled his kukri and slashed the throat of the orc. Dropping his axe and clutching his throat, the orc dropped to his knees. Ronyá stood and watched as the orc bled to death. Zym also watched the orc.

Ronyá looked the dead orc over; he found a symbol on his tunic and memorized it. Then, Ronyá grabbed Zym and ran to their safe place, a cave in the hills close to the temple. There they spent the night. Neither could sleep, so they talked. They have never told anyone what was said. In the morning, they set off to find the carriers of the symbol.

Ronyá hires himself out as a mercenary.

Character sheet: Ronyá [Human Fighter]
Zym [Half-Drow Child]

Cause of deaths: Newly recruited into Pommeville’s town guard.

They call me Darvin

I guess my story begins almost six years ago when my father died. My mom had passed away a few years earlier during a harsh winter, and I helped my father take care of our farm. We barely had enough to eat on a regular basis, and the winters were hard. I came home from tending to some fences to find him seemingly asleep on the chair. When I tried to wake him I found him cold and stiff. It was a week later that I sold the farm to a neighbor, and headed out on my own.

I traveled most of the land, and met many strange people. At a glance, the different stories about the races seem true, but as I traveled with them I noticed that no matter how different the races are, they are also very much alike. It’s odd to see how a halfling can manipulate elves and dwarves alike into a decision they wouldn’t not have normally made. I had to laugh when I watched an elf drink a dwarf under the table. That dwarf still insists that his drink was drugged. It still scares me when I see a gnome working on some invention or other. Those things always seem to explode, and someone always gets hurt from it.

I had heard there was some trouble brewing down by the Lake of Steam a few weeks ago, so I’m headed there now. Who knows, maybe it’ll be fun.

Character sheets: Darvin Dundragon [Human Fighter]
Hoar [Heavy War Horse]

Cause of death: Rolling down stone steps to retrieve lantern, catching on fire, being attacked by undead, eventually being rendered unconscious. Mercy killing by party member.