The Road To Freehold

This short adventure covers the parties journey to Freeport from Pitchel on the way they will camp near the ruins of Cragstone Tower. The events that follow happen during the night.

Structure

Exposition

The party have left Pitchel and are traveling along the coastal road to Freeport the journey will be pleasant an uneventful. Towards the end of the second day they will see the old ruin of Cragstone Tower jutting up from amongst the tree line, they end up making camp nearby and settling in for the night. They will hear the occasional howl from a mile or so away.

Conflict

During the middle of the night Bert will send a group of Gnolls to assault the part as a distraction while he cast darkness and makes his way to steal the parties chest from the wagon. Once the fight is over the part discovers that hard earned loot has been taken.

Rising Action

The part follow the scent of the gnolls back to the lair where they are confronted by another pack lead by a large ogre know as Grut.

Climax

After fighting there way into the underground lair they will finally confront Bert in his chambers and retrieve there chest if all goes well.

Falling Action

The party search Bert's chambers find some useful items and continue there way to freeport

Resolution

The part finally arrived on the outskirts of Freeport make there introductions to the guard and our sent onwards to Freedom Manor to seek an audience with Artemes Scott.

Relations

Protagonists

The Party

Allies

None

Adversaries

Bert and his gang of gnolls and ogres.

Backdrops

Encounters

The Ambush

While resting for the night who ever is on watch is ambushed by bert and his gnolls, the gnolls will attack the party if detected.

Out of the darkness you hear growling and almost dog like barking, followed but what sounds like some sort of harsh barking language. Suddenly you are rush by half a dozen dog like creatures that stand over seven feet tall with dog like faces and reddish fur, they growl menacingly with drool dripping from their many fanged jaws. As one they hurling spears at you and bark frenziedly...

At this point the gnolls will engage the part there are five in total and they will hurl 2 spears each before using the third in melee. they will attempt to skewer weaker targets first.
During the chaos Bert will cast darkness on the camp and make for the chest, he will then cast expeditious retreat and disappear with the chest back to the lair, he will use web or grease to slow opponents.
The gnolls will continue to fight the party till half their number is dead and then flee.

Rivals

5 Gnolls

Rewards:

100xp (20xp each) per gnoll killed Each: gnoll has rough 18sp on them + any remaining weapons.
The party soon learn that the chest has been taken, whether or not dink is inside. if dink is inside he has two choice either hide in chest or slink away, he may also decide to follow after to see where they go. The party can pursue the fleeing gnolls towards the lair.

The Old Keep

Before you stands the crumbling remain of an old watch tower, its cracked wall covered in sprawling vines and it crouches upon looming up out of the trees, a thin whisper of smoke rises from within the walls and the surround area is covered with overgrowth. From in side you catch the sound of a deep rumbling laugh, followed by a few cackling yips followed by a scream that end abruptly with a harsh snapping sound.

Rivals

5 Gnolls (CR 1/2) 1 Ogre (CR 2)
The ogre will rush the party attack the weakest looking creatures, gnolls will rain arrows from longbows until the ogre is engaged then they will try to surround the party focusing on weaker character first.

Rewards:

950xp (158xp each) Small Pouch containing: 70cp & 13gp

The Cellar Entrance

Your descend the crumbling moss covered steps, the air is musty and a flickering light ahead cast flickering shadows behind you, ahead it looks like the stairs open out in to a room u can make out a rickety table and chair, beside which you see a one of the dog like humanoids licking at its wounds. Seeing you it lets out a low grow and reaches for a long bow on the table.

Rivals

1 Gnoll (CR 1/2) 1 Gnoll Fang of "Morgesh" Yeenoghu (CR 4) (Elite)
The Fang will start stealthed and attack from behind when the party enters the room, the second gnoll will attack the moment they enter room.
The fang is an elite mob and has the additional ability to attack once per turn after a single player attacks.

Reward:

1200xp (240xp each)

Main Storeroom

Before you is a solid oak door, bound with rusting iron its looks solid and does not appear to have a lock, from inside you can just make out the harsh guttural language of the creatures you have been fighting.

The door is not long but does creak loudly when open alerting everyone in the room to the party's appearance.

The room before is large and strewn with filthy furs and a large blood stain table. Across the room you see a group of the gnolls group around a much larger gnoll see you he barks an order and the gnolls begin hurling spears towards you. The leader is roaring at you in open anger and also hefts a spear towards you.

Rivals

5 Gnoll (CR 1/2)

1 Gnoll Pack Lord (CR 2)

The gnolls will fill the party with arrows when they enter the room

The gnolls will then drop weapons an charge the part the pack master will stay behind them

and attack with his glave which has a 10' range

he will incite the gnoll nearest a caster.

Rewards:

950xp (190xp Each)

All Fall Down

The corridor leading to Berts chamber is trapped, when he enter's the room he enables the trap via a leaver on the wall. resetting/locking the trap is performed by pulling the lever down.

Trap: Covered Pit

DC 15 Perception Check to spot Works via torc cogs, max weight is 140 lbs
This pit has a cover constructed from material identical to the floor around it. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discerns the section of floor that forms the pit's cover. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check is necessary to confirm that the trapped section of floor is actually the cover of a pit. When a creature steps on the cover, it swings open like a trapdoor, causing the intruder to spill into the pit below. The pit is 20 feet deep . Once the pit trap is detected, an iron spike or similar object can be wedged between the it's cover and the surrounding floor in such a way as to prevent the cover from opening, thereby making it safe to cross. The cover can also be magically held shut using the arcane lock spell or similar magic.
A creature falling into the pit takes 2d10 piercing damage from the spikes, in addition to any falling damage, (2d6)

Confronting Bert The Magi

Rivals

Bert (CR 4) 1 Ogre (CR 2)
Bert will cast sleep the moment the party enter the room The ogre will attempt to stop the party entering the room once the party kill the ogre he will cast grease on the floor if any player gets close to bert he will launch them away, if bert can he will attempt to launch them down the hall into the spike trap

Reward:

1400xp (250xp)
2100 cp 1300 sp 50 gp
4 x Moonstone (translucent white with pale blue glow) (50g) 5 x Star rose quartz (translucent rosy stone with white star-shaped center) (50g) 2 x Quartz (transparent white, smoky gray, or yellow) (50g)
+1 Weapon, Longsword: Scaled Hilt which is warm to the touch. Spell Scroll, 1st Level - Magic Missile Spell Scroll, 2nd Level - Darkness Spellbook containing: Invisibility, Grease, Web, Jump and Expeditious Retreat.

Gnoll Patrol:

During the time within the ruins there is a chance that a gnoll patrol will return and report to the Gnoll Packlord, this can be used at the GMs discretion to throw the party of balance.

Plot type

Travel & Dungeon Confrontation

Related Locations

• Crescent Island
• Freeport
• Pitchel