Khûm – Chapter 20

“Spring of 68, Second Age. Timberhall.
Spring. You know, I been calling it spring because, for most of the rest of the world, we’d be fist-deep in summer by now but up here? First day of Mutson and winter’s still got us by the short hairs. Still, though, you look out on the trees and the hillsides and what do you see? Snowmelt.
Winter ain’t immortal up here. Neither were that dragon.
Feels fortuitous, don’t it? Maybe the gods of this place, of my people, really did bless Dûnya and her dragon-slaying. Maybe the Mystriarchy’s got it all backwards. Yet maybe, spring were gonna happen anyway and it were only dumb luck made the two coincide. Tell you what – spend as long on the campaign trail as I have and you come to respect one god and one god alone.
Dumb luck.”
 – Beholder's Log, 1st of Mutson, Year 68 of Ondûn's Second Age

On the first day of spring, the Menagerie mustered forces and marched from the smoldering ruin of Timberhall, through the Kobold-haunted Firewood, to the smoldered ruin of Cloudfall in the Flagstones. Leaving the dwarves of Clan Axebite to lick their wounds, they were accompanied by Khosava Bracebow and her new-made scorpion, specifically for the company's use. 
Along the way, Remorhaz talks to Chimera about Umber's prospects as a potential commander. Mouse asks Invisible advice about how best to disappear. Griffon tells Harpy about his parentage only to discover that the ancient worg always knew. Umber, meanwhile, plays a game of mtraka with the young Blink.
Along with their new siege engine, the mercenaries brought Xerk, the captured pine-devil, now loyal to Mouse. They served as the company's guide, pointing out traps that might prove deadly to the marchers. He was quite successful in this, failing only to notice thick streaks of pitch underfoot that a flaming pinecone ignited. As they marched, Xerk reacted to how strange it was to see Chimera, not Mouse, in command of the company and reflected on the nature of autonomy.
After three days of marching, the company arrived at the foot of Cloudfall, the centerpiece to a scorched countryside, withered by the dragon's presence. The castle itself – broken from its ancient fall and inverted on the mountainside – was the abode of the few remaining kobolds that survived the battle. Their leader, the winged kasdah called Kuvna, informed the mercenaries that all the gold was moved and that, if they retreated, they could earn a small portion of the treasure. While the Menagerie did not fall for this bluff, Griffon suggested the bulk of the company play along while the Commander's Tent snuck in and confirmed the gold's presence. Chimera, eager to see her son take action, went along with this plan.
This plan did not go so swimmingly, however, thanks to a sharp-eyed kobold sentry in the crumbled ruins. When Mouse was pinned down by poisoned arrows, their companions leapt to the rescue. Umber and Griffon battled one handful of guerillas, while Mouse and Remorhaz took another. When the battle turned against the kobolds, they fled, running back across the inverted ruin and towards safety within Cloudfall. While Mouse and Remorhaz captured their fleeing kobold, Griffon and Umber stumbled into the sights of two dozen kobold fighters, arrows nocked to their strings – and the army nowhere to be seen.

Campaign: The Menagerie
Game Date: Mutson 1, 68 2A
Starting Point: Timberhall
Characters Present:

• Griffon
• Mouse
• Remorhaz
• Umber