Session 1 – Nov. 16, 2022
Yawning Portal/Dragonlance

Four Adventurers begin in a prison. Each has their own reason for why they find themselves behind bars:
Artimax (Dwarf Sorcerer/Divine Soul played by Richard) “The Unforgiven” stands accused of theft,
Mobrukk (Half-Orc Fighter played by Mitch) is arrested for causing a disturbance after he was cheated on a bounty contract,
Onyx (Warforged Warlock/Hexblade played by Stephen) was not told why he is being imprisoned—perhaps prejudice towards his dark, Warforge appearance, and
Tallon (Half-Elf Ranger played by Jesse) was found brutally beating an orc he claims was being a bully.

As they stew over their current predicament, a purple miasma gathers outside the bars of their communal cell. From the mist steps a shadowy goblinoid with a proposition. He needs someone to procure a magical apple for him. If the four take the contract, he promises their freedom in exchange of them acquiring the apple.

Upon giving their oaths to complete the contract and being magically sealed to their word, the four finds themselves teleported to a hamlet. They decide to try and gather some information at a nearby tavern called The Ol’ Bore Inn.

They are given a free round of drinks by the innkeeper, Garon, and find out from him that there is a legend behind the magic apple that involves a cult of dragon worshipers. Tallon recognizes that the innkeeper must be referring to the Sunless Citadel, a fortress built to venerate Ashardalon. Long ago the citadel fell to a cataclysm and it sunk into the earth.

Garon then tells them of a strange drunk, a few days passed, stumbling in, lamenting the disappearance of his niece and nephew. Apparently, the pair followed an adventuring party out to some ravine and never returned; The group of adventurers did, however, and they were somehow altered by their experience.

Knowing that the mythical citadel lies in ruins supposedly marked by a ravine, Artimax, Mobrukk, Onyx, and Tallon decide that this would be a good first place to investigate. So, they begin casting about the hamlet for provisions and some final information on their destination. After Artimax finds a map at the village temple, grousing about never being listened to, the four start their journey.

They follow the map through abandoned homesteads and rugged wilderness, barely touched by travelers in some time. After defeating some twigblights, the group follows the map to some nearby mountainous terrain and the ravine along with some ruined columns. There is some evidence of an abandoned camp here.

Tallon is fortunate enough to find some narrow, switchback stairs cut into the side of a cliff that leads down into the ravine in time to save his companions from descending into a treacherously deep hole on an uncertain rope. The four begin climbing down the stairs, crumbling stone and scree sliding under their feet.

As they climb down the stairs, three rats ambuscade them from the shadows, but with quick action, they manage to overcome the starving rodents. After dispatching the rats, Artimax expertly skins and dresses the small corpses and stows the skin and meat in his pack. After this, the group continues onward until they find yet another abandoned camp. It is here they decide to rest for a bit.

Until next time…