When an annoying dwarf goes missing, nobody in Ruinspoke really cares. Well, nobody except a fellow dwarf, that is. But it takes more than just one dwarf to mount a rescue mission… A Living Forgotten Realms adventure set in Tymanther for characters levels 1-4.

DM: Mike (DnDTeacher)
Players:

• Callidus – Human Rogue, Level 2 (Chris – Nuke)
• Patrin – Dragonborn Fighter, Level 2 (Scott – ssevener)
• Nereth – Elven Cleric, Level 1 (Brett – khyron)
• Magnus – Human Wizard, Level 1 (Russell – Russell the Muscle)
• Bardryn – Dwarven Fighter, Level 1 (Perry – pgfrix)
• Vaga – Drow Assassin, Level 3 (Mark – DeadmanwalkinMarko)
• Quinaro – Elven Ranger, Level 1 (Chris)

A simple journey through the Tymanther region saw itself become a rescue mission of sorts as just inside the city of Ruinspoke, the party was sought out by Dirnth, a dwarven ally to some from a previous adventure, in hopes that they could help him locate his missing friend, Melnar.  It didn’t take long while scouting around the city to learn that nobody really much cared for Melnar, with the exception of Dirnth, of course, and thus after obtaining a few meager clues to get a possible bearing on last known whereabouts, the group set off into the nearby ruins with little but some overpriced holy water and many a harsh word in search of the wandering, old dwarf…

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Coming upon an old graveyard, the party discovered tracks of a dwarven nature leading up to a mausoleum, which they suspected might lead them one step closer to Melnar, however first they would have to defeat a horde of zombies and rot hounds that had sprung forth as they ventured into the ancient burial grounds.  The group made light work of their assailants, only to be overcome by even more vile creatures – this time consisting of a myriad of rats, large, small, and swarming – just inside the crypt.  These proved to be a bit more of a challenge, however with the blessing of cleric’s holy protection early on in the battle, our heroes were able to down the disease-ridden beasts with little more than a few scrapes and scratches.

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Unfortunately, however, the final ordeal turned out to be much more arduous as the party discovered a hidden passage into what they soon learned was the lair of an evil necromancer who had captured the dwarf when he had been discovered pilfering onyx elsewhere in the crypt.  While the group raged forth to save Melnar and at one point victory seemed almost certain, the tides soon turned in the necromancer’s favor and one by one our heroes began to fall to his demonic minions.  The leader cackled as what was left of his horde swarmed the fallen and began to pick away at the remaining heroes, now also benefiting from the assistance of his necrotic powers to stop the intruders dead in their tracks…

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Although they fought long and hard, in the end the room went dark for our heroes and it can only be assumed that the necromancer then proceeded to finish the ritual that he had previously started with poor, old Melnar.  The party, of course, will miraculously go on to fight another day, as somehow adventurers always seem to do, however as to the fate of the dwarven explorer who had clearly wandered into the world of the undead well over his own admittedly short head … well, it’s tough to say if anyone, save his one friend, Dirnth, will even notice his untimely demise.

(Additional Photos Available Here)
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Living Forgotten Realms is a 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons shared-world campaign played Wednesday nights at Anthem Games, among hundreds of other locations around the world.

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