Adventures of Jade Rosethorn, Miriam 22-23, 1181 EC

Miriam 22

After ending the previous day lost and alone in the woods near a country road, Jade started off with a lucky break: a pair of King Reeve's soldiers on patrol. The two set her on the right path and in a few hours she made it back to Briarglen.

There, Jade returned to the Pie Hole and fell to talking with some fellow adventurers at the bar. She spent the rest of the day drinking and reminiscing with two of them, Thomas and Edmund, who had lost a friend recently to a battle with goblins in the briars.

Miriam 23

The next day, the three met again, and more soberly decided to seek revenge together for their slain friends. They set off together and went to the home of Suko, where they found he had survived. With his directions, they found the goblin lair in the gully.

With another illusion-roar, Jade sent goblins scrambling across the rope-bridge. Some well-placed firebolt cantrips cut the bridge out from under them, sending three goblins to their deaths.

Although the other side of the chasm remained unexplored, Jade seemed content with this retribution and asked Thomas and Edmund to show her the spot where they had lost their comrade. The more seasoned adventurers thought it strange to leave without any loot for their troubles, but she convinced them, and the three spent the rest of the morning and afternoon trekking south, into the briars.

On the way they happened upon a lone elf, singing and dancing through the forest. The elf's song taunted them with the deadly path they had chosen, and he went away laughing.

Finally in late afternoon they arrived at the location of the ambush that had killed Thomas and Edmund's companion, Mirelda. They had been attacked at the entrance of a cave. This time, it appeared deserted. Lighting torches, they entered the cave.

Sadly, the elf's warning was about to come true. About forty feet into the tunnel, they came across three old human corpses, one of them left with a gaping circular wound and propped against the wall. Jade somewhat rashly went ahead of her companions to inspect them and tripped a tripwire, triggering a falling log trap. In an instant, the unlucky wizard was impaled! Her luck had run out, and the Novalia campaign claimed its first PC victim.

The Story Continues

Our intrepid player is not to be deterred by the sad demise of her poor wizard. A new character has immediately been rolled. Will loose ends be tied up nicely by this new hero (who incidentally rolled way better stats)? Or will poor Edmund and Thomas be left mourning a third companion? Only time and the dice will tell.