Riverguard Keep.. Taken over by Fishmen?!?

Loot
No time to loot! Running for their lives!

Summary
Giub and Phyre join a group leaving Red Larch to go to Riverguard Keep, led by a creepy guy named Coal, who had an odd Australian accent... After 2 days of travel, Coal starts to approach a young woman named Rachel with menace in his eyes.. Rachel runs away from the campsite and Coal chases her. Giub and Phyre decide enough is enough and give chase as well.

Rachel

Then Rachel stumbles upon another campsite, which includes Orerk, Bolger, Stringfellow, and Donny. This causes an odd confrontation with Coal, who decides 6 adventurers is too many to argue with and runs off. After introductions everyone decides to go back to the other campsite and retrieve their gear, but they find out it has been stolen!

The next day the party continues on their trek to Riverguard keep, eventually spotting Coal up ahead running to the keep.

Coal

They get to the keep and are allowed inside by a sketchy group of guards.. One of the guards is named Two, who doesn't seem to have a full deck upstairs..

They are brought to Jolliver Grimjaw, who questions each of the players..

Jolliver Grimjaw

Lady in blue

They are then allowed to spend the night, in which they decide they may not survive the night. So they pretend to sleep for an hour, and then get up and kill 3 out of the 4 guards.

Guard the party questions and charms..

Fishy looking guards with shark swords...

Feathergale Knights - Bunch of posers!

Loot

Gauntlets of Ogre Strength - Grav'don (Donny)
Quiver of Many Things - Stringfarrow
Scroll of Gust (Spellcasters can learn!)

Summary

The party members are all now level 3! And Orerk meets up with 2 new members of the wild bunch! Grav'don (Donny) who was a gladiator in Baulder's Gate. In which he learned the crafts of sword and stealth! And then also Stringfarrow, who likes to play his musical instrument.

And so they head off for Beliard (Bee-lard?!?) on the Larch Road, which cuts through the Sumber Hills. After just a half days ride, they see the Feathergale Spire off in the distance. But just as they see it, they are attacked! By 3 mounted riders! Who don't appear to be all that great at fighting mounted..

After killing the trio, the party decides to investigate the Spire, since they see other mounted riders off in the distance.

They meet Savra Belabranta and the leader of the Feathergale Knights, Thurl Merosska. They are invited to a banquet in the evening.

During the evening meal, they are stopped by an announcement of a Manticore found in the valley. So all the kngihts leave the banquet and hunt the Manticore that is in the Sighing Valley...

They make short work of the Manticore, and then go back to the Spire. The leader is impressed with the parties support of the hunt, and gives them a scroll to Gust cantrip spell to learn.

Thurl recommends that the party investigate the Rivergaurd Keep, which is just east of the Sighing Valley, right next to the Dessarin River.

HPK - House of Death - Lorgoth the Decayer Eats Half the Party!

Loot

Nothing! So close..

Summary

Bolger and Orerk had to shake their heads! Rue and Cheery get replaced with Rumble and Epitome! It wasn't a sweet goodbye, but times change...

Rumble and Epitome had traveled from Waterdeep to Red Larch, but when they arrived in Red Larch, constable Humburk told them that the town was full of refugees and didn't have any place to keep them. Telling them that if they have time they should help a group of adventurers that he assigned to go to the town of Beliard, which along the Larch Road. They then quickly left Red Larch and found the trail of Orerk and Bolger.

Rumble and Epitome find the parties horses tied to a tree and do the same. Then they find an old Victorian house that appears the party had gone into.  Following the open doors they find the party in the basement. After fighting 2 groups of undead creatures they then go back upstairs and get a short rest. Then they go back down and find a large room with a blood soaked alter. After going up to the alter they awaken Lorgoth, who chases them out of the house.. But they also tried to fight Lorgoth as well...

The party starts to run from Lorgoth the Decayer

Bolger has just woken up after being engulfed by Lorgoth! Scat man!

Lorgoth got 2 player characters.. Here is their torn up character sheets...

Now Orerk and Bolger are tired and wondering if they should continue on to Beliard...

Orerk and Bolger leave Red Larch, and fall into a Trap!

Loot

140 GP from previous loot!

Summary

Orerk and Bolger spend the next day learning about who are all the members of 'The Believers' in Red Larch. Which comprise mainly a group of the leaders of Red Larch who have lucrative businesses. Halburk interviews all of them and decides they are all banished from the town. He suspects that outside forces were involved in corrupting them in some way.

That evening more refugees enter the town, in which they have trouble communicating the horrific ordeals they had dealt with to make them flee to Red Larch. But most of the stories are all very similar, in which crazy weather patterns take place, causing their homes to fall apart. And then groups of masked fighters attack them. Orerk and Bolger hear stories of masked fighters who have no armor and use their hands to kill people indiscriminately. As well as masked cultists like the one they dealt with in the Tomb of Moving Stones...

The next day Halburk asks the party (Rue and Cherry included!) to go investigate the recent activities on the path to Beliard, a town North East of Red Larch. Since all of the people that work for him and that he trusts are busy with keeping the town in order.

They are given horses for the trip, as well as any outdoor gear they may need.

Once they set off on the Red Larch road, which has a gradual uphill route into the Summering Hills. But as they go they see strange weather, lots of clouds and fog. And then once they traverse a large hill, they find a family on the side of the road. In which the father appears to be severly wounded, with a mother and daughter. The mother asks for their help to heal her husband, while the daughter appears to be very sad and detached...

They decide to camp at that spot, and shortly after nightfall they are attacked by a couple of Ghouls. Then the next morning they find that the parents are missing, and the daughter says that her Mom chased her father, who ran off. The party decided to explore and find out why the parents ran off. As they go down a side path from the road they hear a scream in the distance. Also forgot to say its super foggy now, with very little visibility.

They find a tall house where the scream came from, they tie up the horses on a tree and go inside the house. In the house they find a lot of Black Earth Cult signs on the walls, etc.

As they explore the house they find the distraught Mother, who has been attacked by a Specter, which the father had turned into!

Now they have found a secret passage in the house, that leads down into a basement. And in the underground basement they hear drum beats off in the distance....

Orerk and Bowlger find out Red Larch is full of Corruption...

Loot

1 Heavy Crossbow
10 bolts in a quiver
1 Mace
6 Light Crossbows
6 Scimitars

Tomb of Moving Stones...

Summary

Orerk and Bowlger get multiple requests for aid from townsfolk and Rue. As they travel between village locations to determine which request has higher priority, a large sinkhole opened up on the Long Road. Bowlger fell into the sinkhole, trying to help children that had fallen into the hole.

Orerk and Bowlger found an underground tomb that they realize are tied to the requests town leaders were asking them to help out with. So they investigate these set of underground tunnels that are under the village of Red Larch.

As they investigate, they fight a number of cultists associated with something weird. And as they go through the tunnels they find more townsfolk who all have different stories to tell. They learn of a group of townsfolk that they call 'The Believers' and the Dwellers who have magical stones that should not be disturbed.

Finally an evil priest attacked the party, but after taking some damage, silently escapes the Tomb of Moving Stones...

Albeiri Melilho - Stoneworks - A Believer

Ilmeth Waelvur - Runs Wagonworks, but now banned from Red Larch due to murders..

Cultist Symbol found on a group of Bandits

Braelen Hatherhand - young boy found injured in the underground tunnels..

Ulhuro Luluth - Another Believer that was found guilty for killing townsfolk..

Sneaky Priest found in the Tomb of Moving Stones...

Orerk, Kibwe, and Bowlger get a real taste of death at Lance Rock

Loot

Strange Blue Globe!?!
Interesting magical wand!?!
185 Silver Pieces
78 Gold Pieces
4 Gems worth around 50 GP each
15 short swords
10 short bows
89 arrows

Summary

Orerk and Kibwe spend the night in the Temple in Red Larch, getting updates from Evan regarding what took place the previous day and morning. He tells them that a couple of the more senior fighters in the town went out and diced up the Half-Ogre and Goblin.

Once the two were well rested they went back to the Swinging Sword Inn and got caught up with the latest gossip. Kaylessa was all a flurry, racing around the bar while Orerk and Kibwe overheard a number of people very upset about the disappearances on the long road. Kaylessa giving Kibwe 20 Silver for the beer she had sold, then gave him his last keg of beer, half filled.

During this time, Kibwe and Orerk meet another adventure named Bowlger, a dwarf fighter, who likes to drink! Good times! Also they befriend a Dwarf Cleric named Cheery Littlebottom. Yet he isn't really that cheery, and his bottom wouldn't be considered little...

As the evening started Kaylessa approaches the group and introduces them to Rue. A mysterious little Female Gnome who is a dark cloak. Kaylessa says Rue has had a tough time and needs their help. Rue takes off her cloak to revial she is actually a Gnome Tiefling! A Teifome?!?

She tells the group a story about how her family had been killed, and she had been kidnapped and brought to a very disturbing cave. That was filled with undead and a crazy guy. After being down there for a couple of days she had escaped and wondered the country side for a day or two before getting to Red Larch. Rue wants the party help her go back and get revenge for her family!

The party goes to Lance Rock the following morning, with some magical items to help them out. They fight a bunch of zombies, skeletons, and one crazy guy who had a bunch of weird spells...

They return to Red Larch with a bunch of loot! And a story!

The party finds a mysterious blue globe!

Orerk and Kibwe meet in Red Larch

Loot

36 silver pieces

Summary

Apprentice Warlock Orerk came to Red Larch from Waterdeep. He has just learned the basics of being a Warlock and had been assigned to follow a group of Warlocks to a small village named Red Larch. Unfortunately for him a lot of the reasons why he had to go are a mystery. And his fellow Warlocks have been secretive as to the reasons they are going to the Dessarin Valley. The Warlocks have left Orerk at 'The Swinging Sword Inn' and have continued North, stating they will be back 'in a few days' to pick him up...

Kibwe was living at a monastery, learning the ways of a Monk, as well as learning how to brew beer! Once his initial training had been completed he has left the monastery to see about selling his beer and do some adventuring!

Orerk and Kibwe were in the bar area of the Inn, when a young man named Evan came running into the bar, looking very nervous and anxious. He quickly spoke with Kalessa regarding something and she just shushed him and walked off. Kibwe gave him some beer and he opened up to Kibwe and Orerk, telling them about a horrible nightmare he had regarding the town of Red Larch and everyone being on fire..

After a couple of drinks, Evan realized he had to go to the bathroom and ran out of the bar. As he was leaving Constable Harburk came in, looking for anyone that could help him with a situation. Kibwe and Orerk volunteered to help him. They were told to go a little bit out of town and help investigate some bandits that had stolen a wagon that a farmer had. They quickly found the bandits and killed them when they attacked.

Bringing back the wagon, dead bear, and bandits, Harburk awarded the adventures with some coin. And then the next day gave them another assignment to investigate the sighting of a Goblin in a field just south of 'The Market'. There they met their match with a Half-Ogre accompanying the Goblin! Kibwe and Orerk ran back to town after being seriously injured and told the Constable about the situation.

Will Kibwe continue to brew more beer and become rich in Red Larch?

Will Orerk's team of Warlocks come back for him soon?

These questions may be answered and more in upcoming game sessions of the Princes of the Apocylpse campaign!!!