Evelais (Saints' Day), Malarous 20th, 838 IDAfter parting temporarily with Private Teckle, the PCs travel briefly to Halehusk to begin their search for Schnoo the Sorcerous in the Crown Pasture. They arrive to find a village somewhat deserted, with a few survivors having returned from the 'safety' of Floivin Keep to repair their homesteads and businesses. Mudgol asks around and gets a few hints from a farmer named Old Man Jilliver, whom he pays a chunk of silver. The PCs head off in search of the Bletch residence, passing Old Pager's Farm en route, where Mudgol and his earlier companions once did battle against the Skull Collars. At last they arrive at the run-down Bletch farmhouse, which is covered in herbs and trellises. They find an abandoned hound's shed and note that a steel post is buried in the front yard with two chains attached that are also buried in the dirt.
Mudgol and Slab approach the front door while Luz circles around back, the rest of the group waits by the road. The pair are unnerved when they find a scarecrow-like figure on a rocking chair on the front porch, but the door is soon answered by the widow Bletch herself, who they question about Schnoo's location. She points them in the proper direction, after selling them a small pot of tea to use as a bribe. She also informs Mudgol that he should allow one of his human companions to speak with the hermit, since he's a bit of a bigot towards everyone else. How the old lady can see Langston and Baro from the road isn't clear. Slab begins inquiring after curatives and antitoxins that the old woman might sell them, but Mudgol goes and botches it up by insulting her. On their way back to the road, they get the impression that the scarecrow with the pig's head is still watching them, but Luz discerned that it was not in fact magical...
Soon the PCs arrive at the overgrown two-story manor of Schnoo, and find a fat crow on the roof which constantly caws out 'E's not home' in a grating tone, and spits bird feed and corn kernels down on Langston when he approaches. Langston somehow manages to convince Schnoo to come to the door and answer, and endures the cracks at his companions. Once Schnoo learns that the half-orc on the road, Mudgol is a member of the Arkana Arkiva, he makes a deal with the PCs: if Mudgol quits the Arkiva, Schnoo will return and assist Mistlethroe. To everyone, or no one's surprise, Mudgol gives up his guild membership right there... Langston returns to ask a followup question and Schnoo informs him he can make his way back to the Arkiva without help. As they leave, they notice the fat crow familir, Peckerwouldn't following them for a bit.
They return to Halehusk in order to procure a wagon and horses, and Mudgol returns to ask Jilliver where they might find one. He points them out to Old Man Breel, a charismatic, obese and tall man constantly squinting his left eye, who eventually bargains with them for his wagon and two horses. By now, Jilliver has received more cash from Mudgol, enough to fix both his fence and shutters on his house. The PCs hit the road, Mudgol and Baro planning to exchange spells while Darkahn meditates to find himself another animal companion. En route, they pass a number of civilians heading back to Livenoak and Littlewolf, and a pack of wolves loose and running up and down the Great Westermarch, though there is no confrontation. Eventually, they arrive at the opening of the pass through the Vernal Wall, and find a troop of Wizards Elite and Fourth Eidolorn survivors clearing the rubble from the avalanche and retrieving their fallen companions' remains. The PCs decide to spend the camp here.
Aric, Malarous 21st, 838 ID
As the PCs prepare to traverse the pass, they decide to leave the wagon and horses behind to aid the Fourth Eidolorn troops in their task. One of the Wizards Elite warns them that an ornery old man wearing ragged splint mail and wielding a scythe was seen entering the pass before they arrived, and after traveling a few miles, they encounter the man, who introduces himself as Myron, the Last Defender of Livenoak. He seems quite suspicious at the presence of Luz, but nonetheless agrees to join the PCs in their assault on the Skull Collar mountain hideaway. They make their way towards the obscured entrance and up the stone steps to the lift platform, which they find is still missing after they set it on fire. Mudgol uses his clairvoyance to scout the top of the lift shaft, and notes that there are a good number of rough looking ogres and bugbears above, so it's decided that they will try and surpass the stone slab further up the mountain corridor.
When they arrive at the slab, they note a dried blood trail. Obviously Chizel was not lying that there must be a dragon above, and sacrifices have been made here to feed it. Using Luz's magic for enhancment, five of the PCs combine their strength to budge the slab enough that they can pass it, and discover a huge pile of bones and charred corpses beyond. They make their way up and hear a serpentine breath echoing above, and eventually come to a circular ayrie chamber in which the young red dragon, Cindran rests on a pile of gold. The chamber is strewn with refuse and there is a fire lit from some uprooted timber, while several large openings to the East look down over the Skull Collar stronghold below. But first, they decide to parlay with the creature. Mudgol speaking in draconic saves them from an instant struggle, but eventually the PCs decide that the dragon's asking price to ignore them is too high, and so Darkahn, fueled by his hatred for the scalykind, initiates a battle. It's fairly brief. Cindran knocks out Baro with his breath weapon but the PCs' combined ranged spells and attacks prove too dangerous, so it decides to flee the chamber. But not before warning the Skull Collar remnant below...
The PCs gather up the dragon's hoard, including a pricey looking jeweled crown, and plan what to do next.
PCs: Baro, Darkhan, Langston, Luz, Mudgol, Slab
NPCs
Cindran (young red dragon): An opportunist dragon who claims an ayrie in the dwarven ruins that make up the Skull Collar Hideaway. The mercenary humanoids feed it victims and cattle while it guards its treasure and has open access to the Hideaway courtyard and the Vernal Wall. Though it does seem open to parlay, the PCs end up fighting and driving off Cindran from its lair.
Lardy (thing): A scarecrow dressed in farmers' garb with a necrotic, rotten stuffed pig's head atop its hay-packed chest and limbs. The PCs encounter Larty when seeking information from old lady Bletch in the Crown Pasture. Luz determines that the pig-thing is not necromantic, but Slab and Mudgol had the strangest feeling it was constantly watching them.
Old Man Breel (human male): A swarthy man of his 50s who constantly squints with his left eye. Breel is tall and wears the overalls popular with many farmer folk of the Crown Pasture, and weighs approximated 300 pounds with graying, brown hair. He speaks in a confident drawl, and drives a hard bargain when the PCs offer to purchase his wagon and horses, claiming that he must ask a high price to ensure he remains economically more sound than his peers in Halehusk. Some of the players accused Breel of possible war profiteering, but Langston decided against taking action.
Old Man Jilliver (human male): A thin, scabby faced elderly farmer and handyman with flecks of messy white hair. He manages to bilk coin out of Mudgol to repair his fence and shutters in Halehusk, after accosting the PCs for considering looting burnt timbers from his neighbor's house (the McCotticutties) to construct a funeral pyre for Anemone, whose corpse is still being toted around by Slab.
Peckerwouldn't (crow male): An enormously obese crow that looks as if it can barely fly, the PCs determine quite quickly that this must be the familiar of Schnoo the Sorcerous, who lives in an overrun manor in the Crown Pasture. The crow is usually perched on Schnoo's rooftop, and will shower corn and bird-chow down on unwelcome visitors. It knows a few words 'He's Not Home' and repeats them constantly to the annoyance of everyone.
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