Chapter One: Bronce

Goblins Attack!

The campaign opened with a nice little technique that I like to call "Roll Initiative!" The players had no idea what was going on, but each knew that s/he was one of several people standing in a group when a handful of goblins attacked.

The group managed to stay alive and dispatch their foes, although it was a bit touch and go for Rumus, the elven wizard, as he bore the brunt of the attacks from about half of the goblins. Had Rygorh, the human cleric of Firina, not been there to keep him alive, Rumus would likely have died.

The goblins fell to bow and blade and vanished in whisps of smoke or fog into the chill morning air . . .

Flashback: Arrival

Each of the PCs arrived on the Tump at the Stones of Heakun. These massive monoliths represent the sacred stars of the sky. The PCs have no memory of what they were doing or where they were before the moment that they realized they were standing in a fog . . . the fog slowly thins a bit and each can see the others and the massive stone megaliths.

For a few minutes they investigate their surroundings and each other. Names are exchanged and expressions of puzzlement at their sudden appearance in this strange, but familiar place. There is a sense of peace and comfort . . . almost like a baby must feel in the arms of his mother.

Voice of the Goddess

A voice rings out clearly in the minds of each of the PCs as they stand among the stones. The voice is achingly familiar, but none has ever heard it before. It is comforting and calming and reverberates in their minds as if the stones are amplifying the voice inside their heads:

The time of the Equinox is come. My children . . . I am sorry. I have done what must be done. You deserve answers. I am far . . . too far from you. You must learn who you are. The land is yours. The people are yours. This place is sacred to you. Sacred to the stars that you are. There are other places like this. From the time when people remembered. Heed me now. If any of you should fall, then bear him to the stones, and the soul will be able to enter the flesh . . . once again. But make haste, for flesh that is spoiled can never be made whole. Know this. There is a force against you. Already it gathers, already it senses your return. Seek the sword of Starkweather John… it lies near, waiting to be claimed . . .when that is found, you may begin to understand, to remember.

Shortly after the voice speaks to the PCs, goblins begin to materialize in the mist and attack . . .

To Bronce

After the attack the PCs discover that they are on a hill on a tiny island. To the south is a small land bridge leading to a larger land mass. Casey determines that they are on the north end of the island nation of Chillhame. The group heads south towards the tiny village of Bronce which they can see among the hills and sheep pastures on the larger island.

In Bronce the PCs are met icily by most of the villagers. With a bit of determination and smooth talking they learn a great deal about the place:

• The village of Bronce has fallen on hard times since the failure of the gold mines nearby. This happened many years ago and since that time people have moved away and village has dwindled to the tiny, miserable place that it is now.
• Starkweather John was a great hero of the ancient past. He died from poisoned wounds suffered in a clamatic battle against an evil elven wizard among the Stones on the Tump. His body was buried nearby.
• The village headman is Murphy Goodchild. The PCs met him, and he seems an unremarkable, but likeable fellow that does his best to keep order in the village.
• The local priest is Father Tobias Bronson, an outsider who moved to town about four years ago. He seems most friendly and offered the PCs help and information while they are in town. He expressed his gratitude for the gifts of gold that the PCs gave him to help rebuild the sanctuary in the Temple of Blediwesse, his patron and that of most of the inhabitants of Bronce.
• No one goes to the mines anymore . . . they have been haunted for years by the dead spirits of miners who drowned when the mines collapsed. Some of the PCs suspect that this is not entirely true . . . some of the villagers seemed evasive about the mines.
• Before he died Starkweather John asked the villagers to keep his sword in town . . . his sword would provide them protection after his death. It seems that this is true. Other towns and villages in the area suffer semi-regular attacks by goblins, orcs and worse, but Bronce has always avoided this fate.
• Starkweather John's tomb is an unimpressive affair of stone blocks laid over his buried body on the outskirts of town. There is an inscription on the tomb (see below).
• Jim Oakenbough and his friends (Hal Batram, Tom Cucksmere and Jacko Fenn) bully other people in town. They are often drunk and don't ever seem to work at anything. Several weeks ago Jim stopped allowing people to use his windmill . . . he said he didn't have the time. About the same time Jim and his boys began to drink and carouse more than usual.
• Davan Gaskell, an older man of fifty-five or so, is the town constable. His duties consist primarily of poking about and making sure "everything's alright." No one really expects him to do much if things are not going well. Morton Gimbert is Davan's deputy. He is a young, gawky boy of sixteen or seventeen that seems more of a joke than a deputy constable.
• Starkweather John's sword is not buried with his body. He said that his successor will come for it one day but until then, the village will be safe so long as it stays here.
• The stone circle on the Tump is old and very powerful. Nobody is quite sure what it is for but they think that the elves put the circle there, long ago, to watch the stars. The townspeople leave it alone, because Starkweather John told them to.

The inscription on Starkweather John's tomb:

Stranger, trouble not xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx beneath these stones xxxxxxx one of mortal xxxx xxx held xxxxxxxwithin his xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxcome that came before xxxx Stars shall fall to xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx against Her might xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx conspirators assail xxxxxxxxxxx then these xxxxxxxxx xxxxx cast from his exxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx bears a dead king’s xxxxxxx

The Temple of Blediwesse

The PCs investigated the Temple of Blediwesse several times. The first time Neil, the halfling priest of Old Heakun, and Tilk the barabarian entered to poke around. The place is badly in need of repair. The roof has collapsed, the windows are all broken out and the furniture has rotted into ruin. While in the temple Tilk felt a sense of belonging and peace . . . like he had found something that he never knew he had lost. He spent a long time in the temple contemplating this feeling.

Later the entire party approached the place in the company of Father Tobias Bronson. He showed them about the place and told them about the previous priest who left Bronce to its own devices after the mines failed. Father Bronson took up the mantle of village priest when he heard that these people were without a sheperd. He has lived here for several years and often tries to get money from the villagers to repair the temple. He holds services in his home for now. He was most appreciative of the party's donations to repair the church.

In addition to Tilk, Rygorh and Seebo the Knife felt the sense of well-being and belonging while in the temple. This seemed to irritate Seebo to no end, and he fled the place shortly after arriving. (note Raj has changed Seebo's star from the Reaper to the Great Wolf.)

Discoveries

Later that day the party gathered in one of their rooms at the Golden Nugget Inn to discuss matters. They began to realize that their mysterious appearance at the Stones was not a random thing. Each of the PCs has a birthmark that represents the star under which s/he was born. They further realize that Tilk and Rygorh , Rygorh and Seebo all share the same star . . . and all both of them felt the sense of belonging while in the sanctuary.

The group determined that they were brought together for a purpose . . . and while it is mysterious and frustrating not to understand there is little doubt that the purpose is one of good. The message from the voice said to retrieve the sword of Starkweather John. They believe the sword is in town . . . and they think it might be in the temple of Blediwesse.

Children Missing

Early in the evening as the PCs eat dinner a young lady rushes into the Golden Nugget crying hysterically. Her two sons, Jed and Callum, have gone missing. They were picking berries on the edge of the eastern forest and have not come home. Several search parties form up, including one made up of the PCs, to find the lost boys.

Casey manages to find the boys' tracks near some berry bushes that have been picked clean. She also finds booted tracks of some others that the group follows towards the abandoned mine. They inform Constable Davan of their intentions to follow the tracks to the mines. The constable will not go with them and seems most apprehensive about anyone going to the mines.

The Abandoned Mines

As the party reaches the mines the weather turns bad and a light rain begins to fall. They briefly investigate the fallen outbulidings around the mine and then plunge in to find the lost children.

In the mine they discover a working cart track that leads deep underground. They wisely avoid taking a ride on any of the mining carts and make their way on foot. They find a sleeping and drunk hobgoblin that Seebo ensures will not awaken anytime soon with a couple of well-placed blows to the head with his sap.

Deeper into the mines they find and bypass a trio of hobgoblins that seem to be standing guard . . . poorly. Beyond the guards they find a ghost! The ghost does not speak, but seems to want them to go deeper into the mine. As this was their plan all along, they oblige the spirit.

At the extreme depth of the upper mine level the party finds a working lift. They decide not to use the lift and instead climb into the shaft.

The Lower Level

Much to the halflings' dismay the heroes discover that the lower level of the mine is flooding. As they progress deeper into the mine the water gets deeper . . . Casey and Tilk each take one of the halflings on their shoudlers to see them through.

Not far from the lift Tilk trips over a dead body in the water. The PCs quickly determine that this is the body of the ghost they met above . . . the body bears the same gaping wound on his throat as the ghost. They also discover a badge that indicates this man was a tax collector from the city of Saragost. They decide to take his body back to town with them after they find the children. For the time being they tie the body off to the lift.

As they progress through the flooding mines Rumus manages to drop a hobgoblin guard that appeared ready to make off to warn others. The PCs make haste and discover an area that is not completely flooded and is inhabited! A quintet of hobgoblins stands ready . . . one of them holding a small child with a knife to the boy's throat. The hobgoblin demands 2,000 gold pieces as ransom for the boy.

The PCs attempt to bluff and Tilk and Neil manage to get close to the hobgoblins. Rumus casts sleep on the hobgoblin leader, but only manages to put the boy to sleep. The heroes join battle with the hobgoblins and manage to dispatch them. Luckily the leader dies before he can execute the boy.

Casey, Rumus and Seebo head farther north seeking the other missing child. Tilk, Neil and Rygorh stay behind to guard a pair of hobgoblin prisoners and console the child, Jed. To the north Seebo discovers a passasge that goes underwater. Rumus follows this passage alone where he finds the other lost boy, Callum.

While in this chamber Rumus hears muttered and whispered voices which the boy Callum says have scared him all the time he was here. Callum holds tightly onto Rumus and sobs pitifully. Rumus does not recognize the language, but the voices are fairly clear from the other side of the east wall.

While Rumus is consoling Callum a wall in one of the side passages below breaks, and the water begins to drain away in a rush. Seebo is nearly swept away, but Casey manages to hold on to him. The heroes wait for the water to drain away and begin making their way out of the mines with the two boys, the body of the murdered tax collector and two hobgoblin prisoners . . .

XP Award (per PC): 300

Treasure

• 20 sp; studded leather armor, light wooden shield, longsword, 2 javelins (hobgoblin drunkard)
• 450 sp; studded leather, light wooden shield, masterwork greatsword, 2 javelins, dagger (hobgoblin leader)
• 80 sp; 4 suits of studded leather, 4 light wooden shields, 4 longswords, 8 javelins (hobgoblin guards with leader)

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