Test+Drive

The Heroes (noted by their Heroic tier level one status) grew up together and learned the ways of their classes from a Guild of sorts, similar to the Harpers in purpose. Individuals brought into this guild be they runaways, orphans, or related to senior members were split into teams and trained in the ways of adventure and heroics. Our heroes in particular, Fangren, Valkon, Tsoi and Mae were trained by a Dragonborn spelunker named Douven Staul. Douven Staul was an encouraging teacher who primarily used polearms in combat, but also dabbled in magiks. Around three months ago, Douven bid his pupils fairwell and headed out into the world seeking a town called Winterhaven, and the burial mound of a long forgotten dragon. The trip was to take two months, but as another thirty days passed stories began to fly about and words were spoken of Douven's disappearance. Concerned for their mentors well being, the Heroes geared up and set out along the King's Road towards Winterhaven to gather clues of Douven's whereabouts.

A long trek down a worn out road seems insignificant when it's coupled with good weather and your closest friends and although they lugged all their gear on their backs and traveled by foot the team finally caught sight of the walled village of Winterhaven. About two miles out from the cities walls the scurry of little reptilian figures about some roadside bolders caught the parties attention. Without warning several creatures, five in number and each covered in copper-red scales brandishing spears sprang forth from the rocks. With little pause both sides sprang into action. A heated battle took place, a true test for these fledgling adventurers. While these first reptiles fell under the sword, maul, spell, and invocation rather easily, it was the three that joined in later that gave real trouble. Two such creatures were decked out in leather and carried a dragon scale in the shape of a shield, they brandished short swords and proved more resilent to the parties attacks. All the while the group was harassed by the third creature who darted from rocks to trees, looking for cover and tossing sling bullets into the foray. While Mae used a Burning hands spell to burn out the rest of the little creatures (and deal damage to her companion in the process) Fangren and Valkon busied themselves with this pair of dragonshield wielding vagabonds. The creatures were almost responsible for the premature death of Valkon (Yes, somebody almost died, even though it's 4th Edition) Meanwhile, off by the rocks and woods Tsoi had his own battle to handle. The sling tossing reptile hit him with a ceramic pot filled with glue and it held him in place long enough for the creature to take up a new position. Things looked grim, but with the guidance of their Warlord the team pulled through and after a short rest, the revival of Valkon, and the looting of their foes bodies the team proceeded down the road and finally reached Winterhaven.

Upon reaching the gate the Heroes were greeted by two guards, who quickly refered them to the Wrafton Inn, the only place into to get a drink and a room. Not to mention the fact that surely somebody in this inn had to notice a Dragoborn in this primarily human town. After numerous drinks, a few short jokes at the Dwarfs expense, and an encounter with a rude female elf who appeared to be an adventurer, the team met with a handful of Winterhaven's more colorful residence. The first they spoke to was the owner of the Wrafton Inn, Salvana Wrafton. She was a comely women in her late thirties and seemed to know exactly who Douven was. She claimed that she had given Douven a room in her Inn and was even able to point the adventurers to the direction of a more useful source of information, Eilian the old. Eilian, a farmer from just down the valley seemed to have a broad knowledge of the area's history and explained that Douven was indeed in search of a Dragon's burial tomb and he knew right where it was! He also seemed convinced that the party had encountered Red Caps on the path, though he'd never heard of any such attacks until now. After drawing a map of the surrounding area and marking the location of the burial mound he bid the adventurer's a fairwell and left them to confer with themselves over at their table. After agreeing to set out in the morning the party paid for rooms for the night and split up to get clean and ready for dinner. Once it was dinner time they returned to find Eilian sitting with quite possibly the best dressed person in the room, a man the villagers tipped their hats to and addressed as Lord Padraig. The heroes conversed with this man for some time and eventually agreed to do something about the areas Kobold problem (not redcaps, silly Eilian, you drink too much) the Kobold lair was marked on their map, a good half-mile from the burial mound, located behind a waterfall in the valley. With that the party finished up their meals and drank through the evening as night rolled in....