The Sunless Citadel
Played on June 22, 2018
22 Flamerule, The Year of Twelve Warnings (1494 DR)
Village of Oakhurst, Neverwinter Wood
Ziri Basha, a druid member of the Circle of Swords, had been tasked with tracking down Belak the Outcast.
Belak was a member of the druid order based in Neverwinter Wood. He left twelve years ago for Oakhurst, a small village at the edge of the great forest. It was thought Belak was drawn to a buried citadel outside of Oakhurst twelve years ago, following stories of oddly enchanted fruits to their source, the Gulthias Tree. It was rumored that a fruit from the Gulthias Tree, when eaten, would enhance the eater’s vigor, health, and life. However, the druid order believed Belak’s interest in the tree’s fruits relates to Belak’s thirst for eternal life.
Fearing Belak may have turned into a dark druid, one who cares more about personal power than the balance of nature, the Circle of Swords sent Ziri Basha to Oakhurst and discover what happened to Belak the Outcast.
Landen Downeye, a fighter Ziri found in the woods some time back, traveled with her to Oakhurst. When they arrived, they spoke with the villagers.
Ziri and Landen learned that the entrance to the citadel, known locally as the Sunless Citadel was located seven miles from the village. They would just have to follow the overgrown Old Road as it winds through rocky downs, near stands of old-growth oak, and past abandoned farms.
Ziri knew that in order to successfully find Belak and survive any creatures that may inhabit the Sunless Citadel, she would need to form a party of brave and skilled adventurers. She visited the 0l’ Boar Inn, owned by a local human named Garon. There Ziri and Landen met Brad Yorik, a halfling bard, who was performing as a standup comedian for the locals. Ziri also hired Skylar Kiltrin, a dragonborn cleric of Bahamut, who was watching the halfing bard perform.
While enjoying themselves at the tavern, Ziri heard about a human rogue named Edmont Patch who had been arrested for stealing from the tavern’s patrons. Edmont was being held at the local jailhouse, ran by Felosial, a female half-elf who led Oakhurst’s militia. After meeting with Felosial, she released Edmont to Ziri’s care, provided the rogue swore never to set foot in Oakhurst again.
Ziri also heard about Kerowyn Hucrele, a matriarch of the Hucrele family and was urged to speak with the old woman. Kerowyn Hucrele offered salvage rights to the adventurers if they could find and return with two lost members of her family– or at least return the gold signet rings worn by the missing brother and sister, Talgen Hucrele (a fighter) and Sharwyn Hucrele (a wizard). She also offered a reward of 125 gp per signet ring, per adventurer. If they brought back the Hucreles in good shape and in good mind and body, she offered to double the reward.
The party learned that the other adventurers included a paladin of Pelor, Sir Braford, and a ranger named Karakas. Sir Braford was not a local, and he reportedly had a magic sword called Shatterspike with him at the time of his and the other’s disappearance nearly a month ago.
Supplied and ready, the party of five made their way to the Sunless Citadel.
Following the Old Road, they eventually arrived at a large ravine. They saw several broken pillars juting from the earth where the ravine widened. Two of the pillars stood straight, but most leaned atop sloped earth. Others were broken, and several had apparently fallen into the ravine’s dark depths. A few similar pillars were visible on the opposite side of the ravine.
A sturdy, knotted rope was tied to one of the leaning pillars on the side of the ravine where the adventurers stood.
Landen was the first to climb down the rope. At a sandy ledge some fifty feet below, he fought off three giant rats until the others could make their way down. When the rest arrived, Ziri cast a spell on Landen’s sword providing enough light to see by. They then followed a roughhewn stairwell that zig-zagged down the side of the ledge, descending into darkness.
The narrow stairs emptied into a small courtyard, apparently the top of what was once a crenellated battlement. The buried citadel had sunk so far into the earth that the battlement was now level with the surrounding floor! To the west loomed the surviving structure of the Sunless Citadel. A tower stood on the west side of the courtyard.
More giant rats emerged to challenge the adventurers. During the fight, Landen fell into a pit trap near the tower’s door while Ziri injured herself when a slab of masonry below her shifted, dumping her into a debris-lined cavity where she fought off another giant rat.
After defeating five giant rats, the adventurers regrouped, healed themselves and entered the citadel’s tower wondering what types of dangers they would face before facing Belak the Outcast, if the dark druid still lived.
Dramatis Personae
Brad Yorik (Male Halfling Bard)
Edmont Patch (Male Human Rogue)
Landen Downeye (Male Human Fighter)
Skyler Kiltrin (Male Dragonborn Cleric of Bahamut)
Ziri Basha (Female Half-elf Druid)
Plot type
Chapter
Parent Plot
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