Dragonbane: Alone in Deepfall Breach Session 1- A Hesitant Start


Aleric climbs from the valley below towards the ridge. The wolfkin making his way up the ridge stood at average height, broad shouldered with bulky muscles protected by chainmail armor. He carries a small shield and broadsword sheathed and slung onto his back. He held his dark worn traveling cloak tight across his body to keep out as much of the rain as he could.  It had begun as a only a light mist, but had formed into a torrential downpour. The wolfkin was worried that he’d lose sight of his destination, the lone stone structure built at the summit of the valley’s edge. The rain had beaten him back, but Aleric pressed onward. Finally he could make out the silhouette of the small building against the light of the pale full moon. “I’d be lost as a duck in the ocean if it weren’t for that full moon tonight. Luck is on my side for this last climb,” he thought to himself as he  crested the ridge and hurried along towards the building. As he approached he saw no lights inside. The stained glass windows of the once chapel were smashed in, though the rest of the building remained sturdy. The door swung open without protest as he pushed inside the dark room. He cursed quietly to himself as he began to wring out his cloak and shake off what water he could. Only moonlight through the broken windows lit the interior, Aleric was startled for a moment as a match was struck at the other end of the building. An elderly wolfkin sat cross-legged upon a sturdy table, a match lit in one hand and a candle carefully held by the other as he brought the flame and wick together. 

Aleric took in the full measure of the lone inhabitant. A grizzled old wolfkin with coal-black fur, ratty worn robes draped loosely over his body. A wickedly spiked two-handed mace leaned against the table within his reach, though to Aleric he was unsure if the old wolfkin would even be able to lift such a weapon. Scars covered his body and a stone sphere that gently glowed with ominous red light sat in place of his missing left eye. “And what do I owe this intrusion upon my vigil over the breach?” The other wolfkin spoke as he lit the candle. Aleric eyed the wolfkin, trying to match the description he knew in his mind to the gruff old wolf sitting in front of him. “Are you the fabled warrior? Ingolfr? If not then I will leave you in peace…” Aleric asked hesitantly. The other wolfkin chuckled a low gravelly laugh, “Aye, I am he. Though I have not gone by that name in many years. Stone-Gaze suits me better nowadays.” He motions to the faintly glowing stone eye before continuing. “And so my next question is… Why have you come to find old Ingolfr? Are you here to delve into the breach?”

Aleric looks at Stone-Gaze confused and at a loss before Stone-Gaze continues. “The breach. Down below this building, deep into the ground are a labyrinthian set of tunnels and rooms. Unmappable, ever changing. There’s strong magic here, and I’ll bet my life its fueled by some kind of demonic presence. I was drawn here too many years ago and have tried to divine the breach’s secrets. It’s only left me old and scared. But it's been more active of late. Things are happening down there. If you have come seeking me out, then maybe you have been sent here to help me finally solve the mystery of the depths below and stop whatever demonic force is stirring before it brings havoc onto the Misty Vale!” 

Aleric stands, dumbfounded by the revelations of Stone-Gaze. “Uh… No, that is not why I have come,” he stammers out after a brief moment, digesting everything that Stone-Gaze had said. “I was hoping to entreat you to train me as your squire to better equip me to deal with the dangers of the forests outside of my home. A wolfkin village, it has been tormented by demons and monsters of the forest. I know nothing of this breach, and it seems you have taken to madness in your idleness here.” Stone-Gaze cuts him off quickly. “I assure you I have not been idle! Though I have grown frail in my time watching over the breach, my mind and my ability has never been sharper! Listen, the rain has grown strong and you will not be easily making your way back to Outskirts in this storm. I’ll give you a room and a cot. Sleep on it and decide in the morning. I will train you in battle, but your proving grounds will be the breach. You will learn in the crucible of that nebulous underground! Give me your answer in the morning when you are rested…” Abruptly Stone-Gaze turns and motions for Aleric to follow. He leads Aleric to a small room with windows boarded up against the weather. A small cot resides in the center of this small sleeping room. “Give me your answer in the morning. There is firewood in the closet there, and each room contains a hearth to warm any inhabitants. I will leave you now and speak with you once you’ve had time to think.” He leaves Aleric to the spare room. Aleric starts a fire with the wood he finds stored in the closet and lays out his clothes to dry from the storm. “Crazy old man has lost his marbles it seems! I’ll entertain his idea of demonic labyrinths on the morrow, but at the first sign that his claims are false, I’ll need to leave and find some other warrior to train under.”  Aleric settles down to rest and sleeps through the night, disappointed over finding the legendary demon slaying warrior Ingolfr in such a sad state…

In the morning, Aleric awakes with thoughts of the previous night. His encounter with the famed Ingolfr seemed like a fever dream from his journe. He enters the common room to find the grizzled old wolfkin preparing a hearty breakfast. “I know that my request was made in haste last night. Please, I would gladly train you. And you’ll find that there is no better training ground than that of the breach. Embark on at least one journey for me and you will see that it is well worth your time.” Aleric thinks for a moment, taking a plate of stewed oats and fresh fruit that Stone-Gaze hands to him. After slowly finishing his meal in contemplation, he finally nods to Stone-Gaze. “Fine. I will follow your request, at least for one delve into the depths of the breach. Only after that will I deem it adequate for the training I require. Now before I set off, what can you tell me of this place.”

Stone-Gaze smiles at the younger wolfkin’s acceptance as his stone eye begins to glow brighter and brighter in the morning sun. “Good, you will not regret following my request. Now come, I have worked out your first task already. My eye has been active this morning and I have seen much that will guide you!” Stone-Gaze moves over to a table covered in hand drawn maps that he quickly brushes aside. Aleric follows hesitantly, as the other wolfkin sets about mapping out his first task. 

“My eye, the stone eye that I was not born with. I found it on one of my own delves into the Breach. It gives me a certain… Sight into what happens below in the breach. Though it is not able to see everything that happens below, it shows me important things that you might face on your journey. Your first task will be to rescue a hostage orc that has been taken by demonic cultists. I know not why, but his survival is of the utmost importance to your success below. You will take this route,  which I have laid out for you. As I said, I cannot see all, but my eye has been able to foresee some of the obstacles that might face you. Your first task as my pupil will be to traverse along this path and find the captive orc. From there, rescue him by any means necessary and then bring him back here. Once we know what he knows, our next steps will become clear.”  Stone-Gaze eyes Aleric with his good eye, taking measure of Aleric’s response. “I know this seems like the rantings of a madman, but trust me. Once you have ventured below you will understand the importance of the tasks I set before you. Complete these missions I have for you, and you will grow in strength unimaginable.”  

He looks hesitantly at Aleric, who is lost in thought. Finally, after eyeing the maps made by Stone-Gaze for a moment, Aleric nods. “I accept. Though it is not the traditional way of training a pupil, I see that you are earnest. I will venture below and find this orc.”  With that, Stone-Gaze provides Aleric with a crude map that might aid him in his first mission. He pats the young wolfkin on the shoulder and nods affirmatively before Aleric retreats to his room and readies his gear. By mid-morning, Aleric makes his way to the depths of the chapel, finding an eerie staircase that leads down into the breach. “Do not hesitate to retreat if you need to. There are dangers down in the Breach far more dangerous than cultists. I will have a place for you to rest whenever you need. Be strong Aleric. I will see you on your return.”  Stone-Gaze pats the young warrior again before leaving him to venture down into the depths, Alone into Deepfall Breach…

Aleric takes stock of what information he has been provided by Stone-Gaze. 

The First Delve: Rescue the Captive Orc

Mission one: Rescue the Captive Orc!
Threat:  Stone-Gaze has informed Aleric that there is a band of Goblin scouts who have delved into the breach. They are looting and robbing whatever they can find. He may run into them and will need to deal with them appropriately if he does so. 

1. Plunging paths: Aleric will first face a sloping corridor that teems with dormant creatures. Take care to not wake those creatures that lay resting within these corridors.
2. A Charred Tomb: Fires long ago ravaged this once grand mausoleum. It holds five Sarcophagi that remain amongst the piles of ash. One of these coffins holds a secret path, while the others hold only danger!
3. The way is hidden to Stone-Gaze. There is no aid to be offered here. 
4. The way is hidden to Stone-Gaze. There is no aid to be offered here. 
5. Fiendish Altar: The cultists Aleric is seeking take refuge here where a demonic altar resides. Though the cultists have made the first move, Stone-Gaze can see that they are hesitant to carry out the final act and sacrifice the orc captive. Reach them before they find their resolve!

1. Plunging Paths 

Aleric makes his way below, down the stairwell in the heart of the chapel. The air grows hot and sticky the deeper he traverses into the depths. The stifling air becomes hot to breathe, he feels as if he is choking with every gasp. Finally the stairwell opens up to a large landing. Several large archways in the rooms' walls open into tunnels leading off into different areas of the breach. Aleric counts off three openings from the right, remembering Stone-Gaze’s instructions on which tunnel he will need to take.  A winding pathway leads from the landing deeper into the Breach. “Well, I suppose these are the plunging pathways that Stone-Gaze mentioned. I’d do best to move quietly. Don’t want to wake the neighbors!” He chuckles to himself, apprehension gripping him as he makes his way forward. 
Aleric steels himself as he moves forward, trying to do so carefully as to not clink and clank his way through the passageway in his noisy armor. 

Roll: Aleric- Sneaking (6; Bane from Armor)- 12; Failure

Aleric clanks his armor against the tunnel walls almost immediately as he begins his journey. He stops, grasping at his cloak and pulling the fabric tight around his body and chainmail and attempting to silence the echoing sounds that seem to reverberate down the tunnel. He waits, listening down the tunnel for the sound of any activity awoken by the sound. 

Roll: Creatures- Awareness (12)- 20, A Demon!; Whatever lurks in these tunnels seems too deep in its slumber to notice the noisy fighters' progress. 

After what feels like an infinitely long moment, Aleric breathes a quiet sigh of relief. Whatever rests in these halls is much harder to wake than Stone-Gaze made it sound. That being said, Aleric did not want to chance further noise. Having already made a ruckus, Aleric moves forward with extreme care. He inches forward down the tunnels, risking the extra time not to awaken whatever slumbers in these paths.
 
GM Note: Aleric will spend several hours moving extremely carefully down these tunnels. He does not wake the sleeping creatures, but his slow progress means the Goblin Raiders will have a higher chance of finding him before Aleric finds the cultists! Threat moves From 1 to 2 out of 6. Once the threat tracker moves to 6, the Goblins will spring their ambush.

After what feels like an eternity traversing through the passageways, Aleric finds the tunnels begin to widen. As he rounds a corner he finds himself nearing another larger room. The opening to a large cavern lies just ahead of him. Smoke still hangs heavy in the air, as if the room was just set ablaze recently. 

2. The Charred Tomb

Aleric steps into a room filled with the heavy smell of burned wood and acrid smoke. The room is a mess, rubble and burnt bits of decor litter the floor. Five sarcophagi are neatly arranged amongst the rubble, almost seeming to be untouched by the fire that must have blazed through this room. Aleric takes a moment, thinking to himself. “Well, one of these holds the way forward. The other four must be some danger. I’ve already bungled up the first challenge, that cost me precious time. I’d best get this one right.”  Aleric sets forth to study the room, hoping for any clues to be found amongst the burning remains…

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