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Breachill’s local government has a long and proud history of hiring adventurers to tackle any challenges its residents face that fall outside the scope of the town guard’s duties. The merchant whose expected shipment of goods hasn’t yet arrived, the shepherd whose herd of goats mysteriously died in the night, the farmer whose entire season’s harvest was ruined or stolen—investigating and resolving any of these matters are considered good jobs for adventurers, and so Breachill’s town council uses its resources to hire heroes as needed. These monthly meetings, known as the Call for Heroes, are distinct from the council’s normal regular governance meetings, a tactic that separates such matters from regular municipal business and shows the townspeople that the council indeed allots sufficient time to the issues that are often most important to them personally.
Spending public money on hiring adventurers to help the townspeople serves several purposes, as far as Breachill’s leadership is concerned. First, it provides the townspeople with an official and fully funded way to seek help when they’ve exhausted all other options. Second, it allows the salaried town guard to focus on run-of-the-mill crimes and mundane threats to the townspeople’s safety. And third, it provides experience to local adventurers—and allows the council to vet out-of-town heroes—whose presence and talents the council considers boons to the populace, harking back to the hero Lamond Breachton, Breachill’s original patron who saved the town’s founders.
The council holds a public Call for Heroes once per month expressly to hear petitions from residents who wish the town to hire adventurers on their behalf. At the end of a resident’s address to the council, the council members discuss the petition before voting whether to expend public funds on it. For petitions that are approved—and most of the one or two requests per month are approved—the council then opens the floor to adventurers in attendance at the meeting who wish to tackle the challenge. Heroes looking for work often attend these meetings with a prepared list of qualifications, and the council hires an appropriate number of candidates who are well suited for each job. After the meeting, the adventurers are expected to follow up regularly with the petitioner and with the council. Those heroes who resolve their assigned challenges are paid handsomely in gold pieces and receive preferential consideration for future official work that might use their demonstrated talents.
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Today is the day for the monthly Call!
For one reason or another, you, alongside other hopefuls, have been drawn to Breechill; whether it is looking for coin, some cheap thrills, or simply the knowledge that you are helping those in need, it matters not. What is certain is that there will be something worthy of your attention!
Outside the town hall, there is a small crowd milling around, waiting for the appointed time (noon). In all, about 40 townspeople are congregated outside the building, chatting and passing the time until the meeting starts.
It appears that the event is something of a family affair; some people have brought young children with them, who gaze up in awe at potential adventurers!
You also notice that there is a well-dressed goblin woman pacing right outside the front doors of the building. This studious‑looking goblin has her hands clasped behind her back, and she’s mumbling to herself, oblivious to all those who stand nearby, whispering to herself: “My Bumblebrashers,” she laments in a distraught tone. “Why haven’t I heard from my Bumblebrashers? Are my people trapped in the citadel?”
Jean-Pierre is a tall, lanky half-elf, dressed in comfortable leather armour, with a longbow on his back, and a longsword at his hip.
He moves with practiced grace, looking around him as he travels, always keeping an eye out for trouble.
At his side, frolics a small brown bear (named Archibald), barely more than a cub, which he regards with open affection, although he makes sure that the children gathered around the town hall don't play with Archibald; it wouldn't do to have any accidents...
Jean-Pierre looks curiously at the Goblin, but minds his own business.
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When the clock on the town hall strikes noon, the gathered crowd filters into the building while the children who have gathered run off to play. When you enter the town hall, guards positioned at the front doors direct you to the council chamber, the entrance of which is just past the main hallway. Just before the meeting begins, the guards move to stand outside the chamber’s southern door.
Once inside the council chamber you see that the room is set up as an uditorium, with a carpeted walkway separating several rows of benches into two sections. The carpet leads to a small set of steps and a raised dais. On the dais is a large desk separated into five parts, where the Breachill Town Council’s five members are seated, talking quietly with one another as they wait for the meeting to start. On the desk, situated in front of each chair, are tarnished bronze plaques bearing the names of the council members. From east to west, the names are Jorsk Hinterclaw, Melma Ann Sendari, Greta Gardania, Trini Sprizzlegig, and Quentino Posandi. (Melma, Greta, and Quentino are humans, Jorsk is a dwarf, and Trini is a gnome.)
With a sharp rap from her gavel onto the desk, a stern, dark-haired woman with a deeply furrowed forehead and kind eyes brings the assembled crowd to a hush.
“Welcome, neighbors and friends...” the dark-haired woman begins, her rich voice washing over the room, “...to the Breachill Town Council’s monthly Call for Heroes. I am Council President Greta Gardania, at your service. On behalf of my colleagues beside me, I promise you all that we will hear and consider today’s petition with the utmost discretion and care. There is no existence without community, as our town charter says.
Today, our agenda includes one petition. Miss Warbal, our very own ambassador to the Bumblebrashers of Hellknight Hill, requests the help of heroes for a matter of utmost importance. Let’s hear her concerns in her own words, shall we? Miss Warbal?”
At that, the well-dressed goblin woman makes her way to the foot of the dais’s steps. She clears her throat and begins her address to the ouncil.
“Esteemed councilors,” Warbal says, with a frazzled tone to her voice. “It has been more than a month since I’ve been able to contact the Bumblebrashers. I fear that something terrible has befallen them. What’s more, I have seen my people’s distress signal coming from the top of Citadel Altaerein—”
Before the goblin can continue her petition, the door on the western side of the room flies open, as a young man, his eyes wide with panic, runs in shouting and waving his ink-stained hands. Billowing black smoke and flames follow him into the room: “Fire! There’s a fire! Everyone flee!”
At that, everyone starts to panic!
Jean-Pierre
THF
FM
Alright! Looks like there is a 'warm-up' task, before things get under way...
Jean-Pierre strides over to the side closest to the fire, and starts corralling panicked townsfolk.
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Jean-Pierre manages to calm down six frightened villagers, and get them out the door.
The fire starts spreading into the main chamber...
Cackling with laughter, a small, winged, red-skinned humanoid flies through the burning doorway, and starts frolicking in the flames, before flying over to one of the pews, and breathing fire upon it, setting it alight!
Jean-Pierre
THF
FM
Jean-Pierre frowns.
Well, I guess that explains where the fire came from in the first place...
He focuses upon getting the remaining people out of this side of the chamber, but makes a mental note to deal with the fire-starter ASAP.
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Jean-Pierre manages to corral the remaining four villagers on his side of the room.
Both fires continue to spread...
...and the northern doors burst open, revealing yet *more* fire!
The flying firebug, cackling madly, flaps over to the other side of the room, and starts a small fire there.
Jean-Pierre
THF
FM
Damn it!
Jean-Pierre draws his bow, moves over to the other side of the room, and declares the firebug to be his Prey.
"Stop doing that!"
Jean-Pierre Commands Archibald to go over and harry the flying humanoid, then starts shooting the firebug!
He then tosses an Electric Arc at the little terror...
...before casting Shield, which causes a tracery of golden scales to glow across his skin.
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Jean-Pierre's first arrow strikes true, significantly injuring the flying firebug...
...but his second and third arrows go wide.
Giggling, it dodges the blast of electricity.
The fire continues to spread, and the smoke starts to be a real irritant.
The little beast, evidently deciding that Jean-Pierre and Archibald are a threat to its fun, starts trying to bite Archibald...
...badly lacerating (and burning!) the poor bear.
Jean-Pierre
Archibald(-19)
THF
FM (-13)
Scheisse!
Jean-Pierre focuses on getting some more people out of the chamber.
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Jean-Pierre manages to rescue another six panicked villagers.
The fires continue to spread, and the remaining four villagers fall unconscious...
The flying firebug continues to rip into Archibald...
...dropping the poor bear into unconsciousness!
Jean-Pierre (-4; 1d6 smoke inhalation at the end of your turn)
Archibald(-32; Unconscious; Dying 1; 1d6 smoke inhalation at the end of your turn)
THF
FM (-13)
Casting a worried look in Archibald's direction, Jean-Pierre tries to haul the remaining villagers out of the building inferno.
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Jean-Pierre manages to drag the last four villagers out of the chamber.
The fires continue to spread...
...whilst the mephit wings over, and starts a new fire!
Jean-Pierre (-7; 1d6 smoke inhalation at the end of your turn)
Archibald(-32; Unconscious; Dying 2; 1d6 smoke inhalation at the end of your turn)
THF
FM (-13)
Jean-Pierre races over to Archibald, and tries to bind his wounds...
...waking the bear up!
He then Commands Archibald to get the heck out of dodge.
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Jean-Pierre successfully restores Archibald to consciousness with a cold compress.
Archibald staggers to his feet, and, still smoking, staggers out of the chamber, to safety.
The existing inferno worsens, whilst the flying firebug starts another fire!
Jean-Pierre (-7; 1d6 smoke inhalation at the end of your turn)
Archibald(-19; Wounded 1)
THF
FM (-13)
Jean-Pierre stubbornly tries to drop the cause of the destruction.
He then tosses an Electric Arc at the little terror...
...before casting Shield, which causes a tracery of golden scales to glow across his skin.
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Jean-Pierre's first two arrows strike true, dropping the little beast!
He is then able to retreat out of the smoke-filled building, which gradually starts to collapse.
The mood amongst the surviving crowd is subdued.
Greta Gardania looks around, hugging some of the townspeople next to her, while others wearily clap her on the back in thanks for their lives. “What manner of madness just happened?” This can be no accident! Did anyone see anything?”
One of the guards who was stationed outside before the fire began raises his hand, then his voice. “Aye,” says the wearied, uniformed man. “The clerks saw everything—it was Calmont, that cad of a bookseller’s apprentice. He lit the fires in the halls next to the chamber. He also set that fire monster loose on the crowd!”
The second guard shouts in assent. “Indeed!” says the grave but steely woman. “And witnesses outside the building saw him run toward Hellknight Hill!”
A surprised and worried wave ripples through the crowd at this information, including Warbal’s distinct voice: “The citadel! My Bumblebrashers!”
Greta raises her hand authoritatively, and the crowd begins to calm. “Friends, we’ll get to the bottom of this,” she assures them. “But we can’t do it alone. Who is the Hero in attendance today? Hero, are you willing to investigate Hellknight Hill?”
Jean-Pierre wearily nods his assent.
"A brief period to rest, and bind our wounds, wound be appreciated, however..."
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Greta nods.
"Of course! Speaking of healing, as thanks for your assistance with saving the townsfolk, please, take these," she says, handing over two Minor Healing Potions. "We will give you 10gp to find out what happened to the Bumblebrashers, and 10 gp for tracking down Calmont, and bringing him back alive, if at all possible."
Jean-Pierre accepts the vials, and nods.
"Then we have an accord."
He spends some time binding Archibald's wounds...
...then both of them take a 1 hour rest.
After that, the two of them start the journey to Hellknight Hill!
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Rising from the hilltop above is a looming structure of crumbling stone and still-imposing battlements, though verdant nature is reclaiming the site. Plumes of red smoke—which ambassador Warbal believes to be distress signals from the Bumblebrasher goblins—rise from the roof of the keep’s central tower. This place can only be Citadel Altaerein, the infamous former home of the Order of the Nail Hellknights, now fallen into ruin. The gate-like doors in the center of the keep hang ajar—not surprising, since no one has maintained this facility in years...
Battered, reinforced doors hang ajar at this main entrance to Citadel Altaerein, once the headquarters of the Hellknight Order of the Nail. Above the doorframe, a tarnished seal depicting a sunburst made of nails stands out in relief on the keep’s stonework. Under the seal runs a worn but clear line of carved text.
Jean-Pierre notes that the door hinges are rusted and dented; opening them quickly wound create a lot of noise!
Jean-Pierre, bow in hand, cautiously opens the gate...
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The large room beyond is a cluttered amalgamation of a formal receiving parlor and a ruined husk. Dented, rusted, and otherwise ruined suits of outdated Hellknight armor line the north and south walls; each display is leaning or entirely tipped over and missing its helmet, gauntlets, boots, or other pieces (these still-functional elements were looted long ago). Broken furniture is scattered about the area, as are what look like the half-chewed carcasses of several small prey animals.
A wide but dirty stretch of black carpet leads to two large doors, one to the northwest and one to the southwest. Scuffs on the walls indicate where valuable paintings or framed documents once hung.
Prominently displayed on each wall is a seal depicting a sunburst made of nails, carved in relief and identical to the one above the front doors to this area. Toward the ceiling, running the length of each wall, is the same motto, but this time presented with a line in Common underneath it: “Savagery must be quelled in the land, home, and mind.”
There are also three hairless, human-sized rat-like creatures lounging about the room...
...which raise their heads to look at you disinterestedly, but are not obviously hostile.
Jean-Pierre gives the room a quick once-over...
...then cautiously moves to check the door to the South.
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This narrow corridor stretches around the octagonal center of the keep, and is divided into segments by doors leading through this level of the towers or into interior rooms. Here and there, a few remaining paintings of dour-faced Hellknights still grace the walls between high, narrow windows that let in limited light.
Jean-Pierre heads for the south-eastern-most door.
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This dingy room is littered with toppled bunk beds and broken furniture, and doors to small but more private bedchambers hang open along the western and southern walls. In the room’s center, bed frames are stacked upon each other to form a sort of fort, with filthy and ripped bedding draped over the top to form its ceiling and walls.
Sitting just outside the 'fort' is a shaggy humanoid, currently engaged in sorting piles of viscera.
It does not appear to have noticed you...
Jean-Pierre quietly designates the beast as his Prey, then tries to work-out what it is...
...then sends Archibald in!
Gulping, Jean-Pierre directs Archibald to harry then beast, then fires a volley of arrows at it!
He then tosses an Electric Arc at it...
...before casting Shield, which causes a tracery of golden scales to glow across his skin.
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Jean-Pierre's first arrow strikes true, dealing a nasty blow!
However, his subsequent shots go wide.
The shaggy humanoid jerks spasmodically in the electricity blast, then takes out its frustration upon poor Archibald!
Luckily, only its first strike is true, but it is still a nasty blow, leaving a great rent in the poor bear's flank.
Y (-22)
Jean-Pierre (-)
Archibald (-31)
Gulping, Jean-Pierre frantically fires more arrows, and another blast of electricity!
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Jean-Pierre's first shot goes wide, but his second goes straight through the shaggy humanoid's left eye-socket!
Searching the body reveals a bastard sword, three javelins, and a suit of rather rank leather armour.
Searching the rest of the rooms here reveals a wooden shield, and two flasks Holy Water.
Breathing a ragged sigh of relief, Jean-Pierre starts treating Archibald's wounds...
His first attempt is less than stellar, but over the course of a couple of hours, he manages to patch his ally up.
Patting his companion on his uninjured flank, he then heads for the southern door out of this chamber-complex.
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A dust-covered, black wooden countertop runs along the walls of the southwestern end of this galley-style room. It clearly was once a kitchen, but its cupboards and shelves were stripped of most tools and provisions long ago.
As you explore this chamber, you disturb several swarms of spiders!
The spiders swarm over Jean-Pierre and Archibald!
SS (-, -)
Jean-Pierre (-1; DC 14 Reflex; on a fail, Fort save)
Archibald (-1; DC 14 Reflex; on a fail, Fort save)
Both Jean-Pierre and Archibald are only mildly annoyed by the stinging bites.
Jean-Pierre Steps out of the swarm, then directs a gout of flame at both, narrowly avoiding Archibald!
He then directs Archibald to harry the swarm, whilst he designates it as Prey, and shoots at it!
Cursing loudly, Jean-Pierre fires off another gout of flame!
He then directs Archibald to harry whatever is left, and lines up his own shots!
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Jean-Pierre dodges to worst of the spider bites, whilst Archibald proves to be too tough to be overcome by their venom.
Jean-Pierre's swarm takes the full effect this time, whilst the swarm on Archibald is burnt to a crisp.
Jean-Pierre's second arrow strikes true, but it is not as effective as he would have hoped; similarly, Archibald's harrying proves to be wholly ineffective.
Jean-Pierre's swarm continues to swarm all over him!
SS (-10)
Jean-Pierre (-2; 4 damage - DC 14 Reflex; on a fail, Fort save)
Archibald (-2)
Once again, Jean-Pierre proves to be too quick for the spiders.
Channelling the last of his Draconic Fury for the day, Jean-Pierre directs another gout of flame at the last swarm!
He then backs away, and directs Archibald to do the same thing.
Breathing a shaky sigh of relief, Jean-Pierre opens the door to the West.
Relieved to have a simple 'loot recovery' without anything trying to kill him, Jean-Pierre pockets the coins, and heads through the secret door.
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This well-hidden closet holds dust-furred tables covered in jumbled but ominous accessories: pentagram-covered tomes, heavily melted candles, scattered pieces of loose chalk, vats of mouldy incense, moth-eaten robes, and several empty and dusty weapon racks.
Jean-Pierre does not really know what the contents of this room were used for (although it seems religious, and undoubtedly somewhat blasphemous, in nature), and is beginning to search the room, where there is click, and he sets off a trap!
A spear fires out of a hidden wall-socket, punching straight through his torso!
After that, he finds a few useful odds and ends - specifically, a low-quality silver longsword, and sealed lockbox!
"OWWW!"
Relieved that the blow didn't kill him, Jean-Pierre frantically tends to his wounds.
Feeling a bit better after a couple of hours, he then takes a rest.
Following that, he goes through the door to the North.
Wanting to avoid retracing his steps, Jean-Pierre heads through the door to the East.