July 2013

Fallcrest stands amid the Moon Hills at the falls of the Nentir River. Here travelers and traders using the old King’s Road that runs north and south, the dwarven Trade Road from the east, and the river all meet. The surrounding ridges shelter several small valleys where farmers and woodsfolk live; few are more than six or seven miles from the town. In general the people outside Fallcrest’s walls earn their living by farming or keeping livestock, and the people inside the walls are artisans, laborers, or merchants. People with no other prospects can make a hard living as porters, carrying cargo from the Lower Quays to the Upper Quays (or vice versa).

Fallcrest imports finished goods from the larger cities downriver and ironwork from the dwarf town of Hammerfast, and exports timber, leather, fruit, and grain. It also trades with the nearby town of Winterhaven.

The surrounding hills hold several marble quarries that once produced a good deal of stone, but the area has little demand for ornamental stone these days, and only a few stonecutters still practice their trade.

A small town built from the ruins of a larger city, Fallcrest is the crossroads of the Nentir Vale.

Population: 1,350; another 900 or so live in the countryside within a few miles of the town. The people of Fallcrest are mostly humans, halflings, and dwarves. No dragonborn or eladrin are permanent residents, but travelers of all races pass through on occasion.

Government: The human noble Faren Markelhay is the Lord Warden (hereditary lord) of the town. He is in charge of the town’s justice, defense, and laws. The Lord Warden appoints a town council to look after routine commerce and public projects.

Defense: The Fallcrest Guard numbers sixty warriors (see the accompanying statistics block), who also serve as constables. Moonstone Keep is their barracks. The Lord Warden can call up 350 militia at need.

Inns: Nentir Inn; Silver Unicorn. The Silver Unicorn is pricier and offers better service; the Nentir Inn sees a more interesting clientele.

Taverns: Blue Moon Alehouse; Lucky Gnome Taphouse; Nentir Inn taproom.

Supplies: Halfmoon Trading House; Sandercot Provisioners.

Temples: Temple of Erathis; Moonsong Temple (Sehanine); House of the Sun (Pelor).

Fallcrest’s Story
Up until four centuries or so ago, the Moon Hills and the surrounding Nentir Vale were thinly settled borderlands, home to quarrelsome human hill-chieftains and remote realms of nonhumans such as dwarves and elves. Giants, minotaurs, orcs, ogres, and goblins plagued the area. Ruins such as those on the Gray Downs or the ring-forts atop the Old Hills date back to these days, as do stories of the hero Vendar and the dragon of the Nentir.

With the rise of the empire of Nerath to the south, human settlers began to move up the Nentir, establishing towns such as Fastormel, Harkenwold, and Winterhaven. A Nerathan hero named Aranda Markelhay obtained a charter to build a keep at the portage of the Nentir Falls. She raised a simple tower at the site of Moonstone Keep three hundred ten years ago, and under its protection the town of Fallcrest began to grow.

Over the next two centuries, Fallcrest grew into a small and prosperous city. It was a natural crossroads for trade, and the Markelhays ruled it well. When the empire of Nerath began to crumble about a century ago, Fallcrest continued to flourish—for a time.

Ninety years ago, a fierce horde of orcs known as the Bloodspears descended from the Stonemarch and swept over the vale. Fallcrest’s army was defeated in a rash attempt to halt the Bloodspears out on Gardbury Downs. The Bloodspears burned and pillaged Fallcrest and went on to wreak havoc all across the Nentir Vale.

In the decades since the Bloodspear War, Fallcrest has struggled to reestablish itself. The town is a shadow of the former city; little trade passes up and down the river these days. The countryside for scores of miles around is dotted with abandoned homesteads and manors from the days of Nerath. Once again the Nentir Vale is a thinly settled borderland where few folk live. This is a place in need of a few heroes.

In the previous game session the young villagers of Winterhaven had just defeated the Underpriest of Orcus. The blood is no longer flowing but the ritual was continuing below.

In this game session the players descend together using chains around the pit and some of the rope from your packs. Kitsune saves Quinn from a nasty fall by casting feather fall on him when he slips from one of the slick chains. As you make it to the bottom your eyes adjust to the nightmarish scene in front of you. Pools of blood are on several areas of the room. At one end stands a Deathlock Wight preparing to wreck some havoc and on the other end of the room stands Kalarel, Scion of Orcus. In between you and Kalarel are two Skeleton Warriors.The group starts attacking in multiple directions and defeat the Wight and Skeletons. By that time Kalarel has moved towards a wall containing a portal of ink like darkness. The group attacks Kalarel but the dark attacks those who get too close. Mathos falls to the ground overcome by injuries and Lavender has her dog pull him to safety while Splug jumps in with a healing potion. Kalarel is tough but the group defeats him and stop the opening of the rift.

After exiting the Keep Will informs you that he questioned a goblin that he captured and apparently a mercenary group from a slaving group called the Bloodreavers is in the area and decided to keep some of the captured villagers. Mathos needs rest so you wait for him to sleep off some of his injuries before heading out. After resting, you catch up to the Bloodreavers and find they were trying to get away with some villagers as slaves. After defeating the Hobgoblins and Human Bloodreaver group you free a merchant and two of his guards/workers. They were captured off guard by the Bloodreavers. The merchant tells you some of the Bloodreavers already left with some captured villagers before last night. The Bloodreavers normally come from some where East of Fallcrest but they have been operating out of a ruined watch tower east of Winterhaven while they have been working on contract for Kalarel. You decide to march back to Winterhaven to report in since it’s along the way and you might get support.

In Winterhaven you bring in your prisoners and report in and learn the news of what has happened there. Of the list of the dead are: Will’s Dad, Ninaran’s Wife, Ben Potter (Shawna’s Uncle), Thurgan and Stragan Redbeard (Dwarf residents of Winterhaven), Nina Littlefoot (a halfling farmer) and Jeremy Wolhed (a shepherd). The list of wounded is larger. While people in Winterhaven are happy for your success, the mood of the village is very somber with the losses. Even worse there are a few people still missing: Sage (Lavender’s Brother), Rena (Ket’s Sister), Dotty (Quinn’s older sister) and [insert name here of a sibling of Rodney’s character]. You piece together that the missing villagers with the slavers are those still missing. The village mobilizes to get supplies and mounts for your journey.

While waiting for the mounts you have an opportunity to make some purchases from Marcus and Ket’s shop before departing and to get a meal. In the shop you discover Splug had a bag of holding and a hoarding issue. It seems he picked up every common weapon left behind in the Keep and trades them to Marcus for supplies. Splug gets some herbs, spices, a bedroll and tent, Broy (a foul liquor he likes), 2 candles, chalk, a disguise kit (heavy cloak, wig, beard, spectacles and makeup), an everburning torch, drum, soap, oil, bacon, flour, cornmeal, pots/pans and nice outfit with a bow-tie.

While preparing to leave Will approaches Shawna and says that life is too short and asks her to marry him before you all depart on the rescue mission. Ket is given a diary by Marcus and told to read it after leaving the village.