Ashen Frontier
Characters
Ashen Frontier
Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Gold:
452
Species:
Human
Class:
"Bard"
Completed:
8
Most recent:
2 days ago
Kejora is a traveling minstrel, who wanders from place to place, wishing to spread songs of valor and praises of good deeds.
(Where)
The party exits Dawnport from the northwest gate and traveled southwest to a crossroad clearing. So roughly west-northwest of Dawnport.
(Who did the party meet)
(What happened)
Subjects 1 met up with the coachman outside of northwest Dawnport gate, and traveled roughly in the southwest direction.
Subjects 1 came across an empty caravan. There were signs of violence, but no struggle (there were only a small amount blood compared to the tallied number of people on the caravan; and horse tracks appear to be evenly-spaced instead of panicked or spooked, trace of necromancy magic in the air). This indicates the attack is premeditated, carried out by trained personnel, and possibly a necromancer with spells that can subdue subjects 3.
Upon further investigation, subjects 1 also found an uprooted tree that appears to be thrown from above a small hill. River's familiar Tressym found tracks of an Ogre on the hill.
Subjects 1 followed the tracks on the winding road, and finally found the cart carrying subjects 3 somewhere north of subjects 1. Subjects 1 found that Subjects 3 are heavily guarded by the subjects 4.
After a grueling battle where even Morban the Barbarian dared not to be reckless despite his rage, Subjects 1 eventually managed to defeat Subjects 4. Obiana in particular, boasts of her protective gears. She landed several critical hits, and even had time to "fish and reel" Kejora from a particularly deadly situation to relative safety. All this while, River transformed and duelled one of the enemy Wights, toe-to-toe.
Kejora's Ballad #7 - The Ballad of the Northwest Road
From Dawnport's northwestern gate they rode,
With Bram upon the winding road.
Southwest they went through field and glen,
Six stalwart hearts, six valiant friends.
On their path lay a caravan, silent and bare,
With little blood yet death in air.
No panicked horse nor desperate flight,
All but tricks pulled from a necromancer's blight.
An uprooted tree blocks the way,
Hurled from a hill in savage display.
A Tressym spied with watchful eye,
An Ogre's trail beneath the sky.
The valiant friends followed tracks through bend and vale,
Until they found the grim blood trail.
Lo, the see two horses with stolen prey,
Guarding the lost they'd dragged away.
Wights and ghouls and skeletons pale,
An Ogre fierce from dreadful tale.
The battle raged both hard and long,
Against a legion grim and strong.
Yet Obiana stood like iron-clad stone,
Her shining armor all her own.
Her blows struck true, and with hook in hand,
Reeled Kejora back from death's dark strand.
While River changed in beastly guise,
And met a Wight with fearless eyes.
Toe-to-toe the two contended,
Until the undead threat was ended.
Though Morban's rage burned hot and bright,
Even he trod careful in that fight.
And when the final foe was slain,
The captives saw the sun again.
So sing, O friends, of Dawngate Road,
And of the friends who bore the load.
For where the restless dead would reign,
Their courage broke the darkness' chain.
(Where)
The adventure took place in several settings:
A) Dawnport Street's coachhouse.
B) Dawnport's Wilderness.
C) Hakon's Dent (Yes, with a T).
D) Raxxom, the Black Merchant's shop (It's the title of his occupation, no racism intended. Somehow this black market merchant has an established shop - to be investigated further in the future. The target was riled up by Takashi upon inquired about the origin of his clothing apparel).
E) Forest northwest of Hakon's Dent.
(Who did the party meet)
(What happened)
Subjects 1 received dreams about a person clad in heavy armor (Henry) asking for help while being attacked by a shadow dire wolf. Recurrence frequency of dreams are unclear, with some subset of Subjects 1 claiming they received the dreams multiple times. The only other thing that stood out in the dream was the name Hakon's Dent (see Setting C).
Somehow Subjects 1 (sans Henry) showed up at Setting A at the same date and time, managed to rent a coach (steed is supplied by the ritualist Takashi) from Subject 2, and makes their way through Setting B uneventfully, reaching Setting C.
Setting C appears to be mainly populated by Lupins, under the leadership of Subject 3. Subject 3 appeared to be busy when encountered, leaving with what could be described as a pack of Lupin warriors, but not before exchanging brief words with Nara, his niece.
Nara made straight to Setting D after meeting Subject 3. Subject 4 indicated Shadow Dire Wolves in general can be found in Setting E as the veil between the Material and Feywilds planes are thin there.
The party spent the night for free, courtesy of Subject 3, and left for Setting E on first light.
Reaching Setting E, the party found Henry's head (without any other body parts, but Henry was still alive) surrounded by subjects 5. Subjects 1 also realizes they were being observed, but unable to pinpoint the observer.
After defeating Subjects 5 and recovering Henry's head, Subjects 1 realizes they are still being observed. Henry collapsed from relief.
Kejora went on to investigate the observer's tracks, when a fog clouded over the Subjects 1, and soon find themselves split into party:
>Subjects 1a - Kejora, Takashi, Viliarra, River and Henry.
>Subjects 1b - Nara, Clotheshilde, and Gorbathor.
Subjects 1a was confronted by Subject 6, which later summoned Subject 7 when near death.
Subjects 1b was confronted by more of Subjects 5, and later on Subjects 7 joined the fight. However, Subjects 7 soon left them alone as they were summoned by subjects 6.
Throughout the fight, Henry's body managed to find their way to Henry, reattaching and reassembling themselves.
Upon defeating the enemies, Nara brought their corpses back to Dawnport with help from the party.
Kejora's Ballad #8 - The Fangs of Shade Lupus
In dreams there came an armored knight,
And Shade Lupus in the night,
The knight whispered clear through fear and mist:
"Seek Hakon's Dent, lest hope be missed."
From Dawnport's coachhouse seven rode,
With Takashi's steed along the road,
Through wilderness both wild and vast,
To Hakon's Dent they came at last.
There Hakon led the Lupin folk,
With niece Nara he briefly spoke;
To a curio dealer the party sped,
To learn where shadow wolves were bred.
At dawn they sought the northern wood,
Where veil and Feywild thinly stood;
There Henry's severed head they found,
Still living on the forest ground.
Dire wolves were slain, the head reclaimed,
But unseen eyes upon them remained;
A creeping fog then split the band,
And split friends through tangled brush.
Takashi, River, Henry too,
With Kejora and Viliarra drew
The wrath of a Deathless Troll at bay,
Whose two-tailed minions then joined the fray.
Elsewhere Nara, Clothilde, and Gorbathor stood,
Against more lupus shade within the wood;
Upon steel and and fang their foes shred apart,
Henry's body found its missing parts;
Bone and flesh to head were bound,
And once more whole the knight was found.
The victors gathered corpse and spoil,
Then left behind the haunted soil;
Back to Dawnport's streets they came,
With tales enough for lasting fame.
(Where)
The party was teleported into a dimension inside a bottle. The bottle was originally found in one of Dawnport's streets, but shattered after the encounter.
(Who did the party meet?)
Adam Bemathol - he acts like some sort of MC for a reality TV show.
(What happened)
The party (Kejora, Takashi, Morban Groll, Wan, and Ariana) received flyers about a funeral rite for a fox. Upon meeting up at the location, they found the place nondescript, except for an empty bottle. Upon investigating the bottle, the party was teleported to a desert terrain and was told to survive the fight.
The desert sinks gradually, revealing quicksand that grows bigger as time passes. The party have to survive the attackers while avoid sinking into the ground.
The first wave was defeated by the party effectively working together to defeat the enemies.
However, the second wave proved to be more difficult due to lack of stable ground, and enemy's strong defenses. Luckily, Takashi's poison managed to buy the party enough time to survive, and the party was eventually teleported out of the bottle back to Dawnport streets.
Kejora's ballad #5 - The Desert Clash
When dread beast rose with rage untold,
Brave Morban Groll stood firm and bold.
He faced the fiend with might alone,
And nearly claimed the fight his own.
Fair Ariana raised blessings bright,
To shield her friends through darkest night.
Her sacred grace and radiant light,
Gave strength to all who joined the fight.
Wan's keen arrows sang through the air,
Each deadly shot struck true and fair.
From distant range his foes would fall,
Unseen before they heard the call.
Sweet Kejora's enchanting song
Wove courage where hearts grew not strong.
Her melodies entranced the field,
And bent the tide that would not yield.
Takashi's poisons, swift and sly,
Brought silent doom as foes drew nigh.
No wound seemed great, no strike seemed grand,
Yet death still followed close at hand.
And Aiden, grappled, bound, and pressed,
Still would not yield nor seek for rest.
His shadow blades flashed dark and grim,
As victory's edge danced with him.
(Where)
A village 30-40 minutes north of Dawnport.
(Who the party met)
(What happened)
A man stumbled into the tavern where the party was whiling their time. The man was quickly patched by Yen'Sen, and led the party to where the villagers were taking respite after being chased from their home. The party was informed that their village was taken over by skeletons. One of the skeletons are clad in white and seem to issue commands by speaking. There was also description of big horned skeleton.
After making sure everyone is alright (the villagers are unnaturally unscathed and only sport a few bruises), the party moved onto the village.
At the entrance, the party found two skeletons at the gate who seemed bored. The skeletons let the party through after a performance from both Kejora and Yen'Sen, under the pretense that they calm down the skeleton boss' fury with a soothing performance.
During the performance in front of the boss, the party heard a sound from the front gate. The two skeletons on the front gate was smashed. The party sees Ogres and goblins from their position. Later in the battle, a Giant Eagle airdropped the Goblins from the gate into the village, as the gate was successfully fortified by Kejora's spell. The Giant Eagle also carried a hobgoblin into the fight. The Giant Ogres were only successfully stalled.
After a grueling battle between Subjects 1 & 2 vs Subjects 3 (only two of the skeletons managed to stay standing, and a party member was knocked out once) - Subjects 3 decided to bring the knocked out Ogre and Giant Eagle (Yen'Sen seem to have a strict principle against killing) with them back to their graveyard.
The party went back to Dawnport as the skeletons have vacated the village.
Kejora's Ballad #4: Awakened Bones and Goblin's Descent
At noon a man came, weary from flight,
He spoke of his village in desperate plight.
The party gave aid, with Yen’Sen’s healing hand,
And the man led forth to the elder’s stand.
The elder bald, with voice forlorn,
Told of a giant, horn-adorned.
And skeleton ranks, both fierce and grim,
A skeletal lord, clad in white, commanding them.
North of Dawnport, the village lay,
Where the party makes the way.
Kejora’s song rose soft and bright,
While Yen’Sen danced in joyful light.
The party thought to entertain,
A skeletal lord, not to be slain.
Yet battle broke with goblin rain,
Air-dropped fury, chaos reigned.
One hobgoblin, ogres three,
A great eagle, soared with majesty.
When clash was done and quiet lay,
The minotaur led eagle and ogre on their way.
Returned to the graveyard — the skeletons’ home.
Thus ends the tale of clash and roam.
(Where)
The party's ship crashed onto a shore near Dawnport during a freak low tide. The party sees a cave between the beach and Dawnport at the distance. There is a thick forest to the east that is non-traversable by cart/wagon.
(Who the party met)
(What happened)
The party was sent as vanguard to clear the path towards Dawnport. The party arrived at a cave that looks recently abandoned (i.e. there were signs of campfire, abandoned worn out backpacks, burnt out torches, etc.) The party deduced that there was a path through the cave as they saw a breeze moving the trees which could have only came through the cave.
Moving north into the cave, the party came upon a large cavern that narrows down to sort of a hallway towards the east north-eastern end. There is also a hallway blocked by spiderwebs to the west, and two chambers to the north and south of the narrowing hall-like cavern (which is directly east from the entrance).
The party revealed a secret room containing two locked chests in the northern hall. After much effort and some mishaps, they managed to recover a potion of healing and 25 GP from one chest. There is also 12 ingots of iron in the other chest. The party decided to leave the animal pelts that were also found in the chests.
The room south of the hall by was basically empty except for an empty chest and a goblin's corpse stuck to a cobweb. The corpse was burned with the cobweb.
The western hallway leads to two other hallways leading directly east and north-east respectively. Along the northern branch of the western hallway, another room filled with cobwebs and humanoid corpses could be seen.
The party encountered a lair of spiders in the room attached to the northern branch of the western hallway (Subjects 2 above). Resuming their search after dispatching the spiders, the party found that both hallways were caved in.
The eastern hall narrowed in to a corridor which leads to a goblin settlement (Subjects 3 above). After being charmed by Viliarra, the Goblin negotiated for the return of all the items found in the cave thus far (except the iron ingots), and and additional 50GP per person passing through the cave.
At this point, the party split into two groups: Obi, Vili, and River (OVR party) waited by the cave exit. Kejora, Omii, and Yen'Sen (KOY party) backtracked to meet the caravan halfway and ensure their safe passage.
Obi found a secret passage containing a blank scroll +2, shield scroll and a map of the underground cave network, which leads to a stronghold. She also found some massive loot, which Vili and River helped to move out of the cave.
During the caravan's travel through the cave, the merchant who employed the party remarked that the construction within the cavern network shows signs of Dwarven work. The charm wore off as the caravan was passing through the cave with KOY party. However, the party managed to negotiate for safe passage by:
======================================
Kejora's Ballad #3 - The Merchant's Vanguard
Ballad of Dawnport’s Vanguard
The vanguard marched on Dawnport’s way,
From beach to forest, they make their way.
A cave they found its silence deep,
Yet hidden gust betrayed a secret deep.
Locked chests revealed both gold and steel,
A healing draught, iron’s appeal.
Yet goblin dead in webs were bound,
A warning carved in cavern ground.
The spiders struck with fangs of dread,
The party fought, the lair was bled.
Though halls collapsed and paths were lost,
Their courage held despite the cost.
A goblin tribe then claimed the cave,
Demanding tolls the vanguard gave.
Viliarra’s charm secured the way,
Though gold was paid to pass that day.
The party split, two paths were drawn,
Where one held the cave till dawn.
The others held the cavern gate,
Insurance against a turn in fate.
Obi found a hidden trove,
Scrolls and maps in secret alcove.
With River’s strength and Vili’s hand,
They bore the loot from cavern land.
The caravan passed, the charm grew thin,
Yet words of peace prevailed within.
Job and home in Dawnport’s light,
The goblins swayed, and spared the fight.
Thus sang the tale of vanguard bold,
Of iron, scrolls, and hidden gold.
Through cave and web their fate was cast,
And Dawnport’s road was cleared at last.
Kejora's Dirge #1 - Fallen Goblin
I walked among the ashes gray,
Where goblin songs had passed away.
Their laughter lost, their hearths undone,
I sing for those whose time is done.
Remember them, the fallen kin,
Whose voices fade, yet live within.
No vengeance now, no battle cry,
Just memory’s flame that will not die.
Their stories silenced, dreams unmade,
Yet in my song they’ll never fade.
Remember them, the fallen kin,
Whose voices fade, yet live within.
Hold their names, their stories true,
The goblin heart still beats for you.
No justice found, no peace restored,
But memory is its own reward.
Through song I mourn, through song I pray,
The goblins gone, remembered today.
(Where)
The party was briefed in Declan's office, but was shortly escorted towards the Morgue, retracing Sir Declan's steps.
(Who the party met)
(What happened)
Sir Declan briefed the party in a state of distress about his lost Ruby. The party also met a hologram of Henry. The party suggested for Sir Declan to retrace his steps on the day the ruby was lost. He led the party to the morgue.
Once at the morgue, Sir Declan and Doc Pip were immediately occupied with some important discussion. The party took their time to investigate the morgue to no avail. Vili amused aloud how a hologram was able to follow us from Sir Declan's office to the morgue without any visible source of magic. This caused Sir Armada to interact with the hologram. During the interaction, Armada got sucker-sliced! The hologram was in fact an unidentified man in red robe!
After the fight, it was revealed that the man might have been controlled by the cute pink worms that flew out every time the body was damaged. A ruby was found left behind, presumably by the red robed person.
Sir Declan, upon seeing the red stone on the floor, declared the case has been solved and sent the party back on their way.
=Kejora's Ballad #2: The Premonition from the Red Gem=
<Random scratches and marks were seen. Apparently, Kejora hit an artist's block for this mission>.
(Where)
Party was directed to search between the forest area starting two hours north of Dawnport, but less than a cave four hours from Dawnport. Search objectives were 2 woodcutters missing one day ago, and 1 lumberjack missing two days ago.
(Who the party met)
(What happened)
The Tressym led the party to an area of the woods littered with cobwebs. Upon investigation of the surrounding cocoons, the party met Subjects 3 & 4 above. The party also found a dead body (estimated dead 2 days ago) that possesses a carpenter's tools - presumed to be the lumberjack.
During the search effort, the party was attacked by a group of 5 spiders. Fighting while escorting subjects 3 & 4 out of the woods, a loud shriek was heard. The party glimpsed a giant spider, escorted by even more spiders, as they were leaving the area. Seeing as the party was already short on resources, a tactical decision to retreat was made.
Kejora's Ballad #1 - A Giant Spider's Ire
The Guild’s command, a quest was laid,
Through northern woods the path was made.
Two hours past Dawnport’s gate they should roam,
Yet no farther than a cave four hours from home.
The VLNS four, steadfast and true,
Obiana, Kejora, Arthus, Viliarra too.
Sir River joined, with drunken guise,
Yet hidden strength and cunning eyes.
Tressym, River's familiar,
Tracked scents with subtle cheer.
Woodcutters trail made,
And led the heroes deep into spiders' lair.
Kejora spied a man entombed,
In silken threads, unconscious, doomed.
The party pressed their quest with zest,
Till spiders struck from hidden nests.
Arthur’s blade in fury burned,
With slash and stab the tide was turned.
River cursed with sailor’s tongue,
His savage strikes both mind and lung.
Viliarra fell to venomous bite,
Yet music pulled her back from the light.
Phobus appeared, and loosed his bolts with might,
Granting the party a moment’s respite.
River freed an elder bound,
While for Phobus, a vagabond found.
For spider’s feast his fate aligned,
As he was left lying, all tied.
Taking stock of gear and blade,
The party fled, their choice was made.
Their spirits dire, but their hearts burned afire,
They fled the dread of the giant spider’s ire.
