Book II: The Sword of Valour
The battered crusader army remained encamped in the ruins of Keeper’s Canyon for several uneasy nights, licking its wounds beneath sheer stone walls that seemed to press in closer with every passing hour. On the first night, the tension proved well-founded. In a flash of sickly light, an incubus assassin attempted to teleport directly into the heroes’ camp, blades and malice aimed straight for the heart of the crusade. Yet vigilance carried the night—guard rotations were tight, wards were strong, and the fiend was driven off before it could claim a life. The message was clear: the enemy knew who truly led this army now.
By the following day, a different threat took root. Whispers of despair began to spread through the ranks—quiet murmurs that Drezen was lost, that the crusade itself was doomed, that marching north meant nothing but death. Tracing the rot to its source, the heroes discovered it was Arles Jhestander, a weary paladin whose faith had cracked under the weight of recent losses. Rather than punish him, the party confronted him with resolve and conviction. Through a rousing speech and a reminder of his sacred vows, they reignited the spark he had nearly lost. The rumours faded suzuki, and with them, the creeping sense of hopelessness.
Two days later, the army was strong enough to move again. The march resumed, cautious but determined. Less than a day on the road brought them to the canyon’s edge, where broken stone and toppled pillars marked the ruins of an old crusader chapel. Aron Kir confirmed what many suspected—such chapels were once stocked as supply caches for armies pushing north. With that in mind, a small detachment was formed: the heroes themselves, joined by Sosiel, Aron, and Nurah. Together, they climbed the treacherous canyon walls, stone biting into fingers as the wind howled below.
At the chapel, danger revealed itself swiftly. Statues lining the courtyard stirred, shedding stone skins to reveal gargoyles poised in ambush. A well-placed fireball shattered the trap before it could close. Pressing onward, Frod scouted ahead and uncovered the chapel’s true occupants—a mass of ghouls lurking within the ruined church. Their shrieks echoed as they poured out to attack, only to be met by another eruption of fire and steel. When the smoke cleared, the courtyard fell silent once more.
The chapel had been partially cleared—but like everything on this march, it came at a cost. Supplies might yet be found, but the road to Drezen was proving relentless, and the shadows ahead were growing ever more watchful.
Rewards:
Exp: 3000 each
Quests:
- March to Drezen, take the Citadel and reclaim The Sword of Valour
- Clear the chapel and find supplies for the march
suzuki