Journal of Borimak, Day 1: A Fateful Encounter The road to Oakhaven was supposed to be straightforward, a simple escort of supplies for coin, nothing more. My divine purpose, to spread the light of Shem, god of light, bounty, and happiness, often intersects with such mundane tasks. Yet, even in the most ordinary journeys, the gods have a way of weaving extraordinary threads. I had joined up with a peculiar group: two towering goliaths, Kit and Harrington, whose immense stature was matched only by their quiet steadfastness, and a human wizard named Manhig. Kit, a warrior through and through, carried a formidable axe. Harrington, a goliath of surprising grace, wielded a pike with an almost artistic flair, often humming an old tune as he marched. He spoke with a bard's charm when it suited him, but his muscles bespoke a fighter's might. Manhig was our de facto leader, his mind sharp, his spells potent. He spoke of navigating the minor city-states with ease, and for a time, our travel was indeed uneventful. Then, the ambush. A pack of orcs, their guttural war cries echoing through the quiet afternoon, burst from the treeline. It was chaos. Manhig, noble soul that he was, was at the forefront, his arcane energies already crackling. But the orcs were many, and their fury, unbridled. I saw the blow land, a brutal axe strike that cut him down before he could even utter a final incantation. Our leader, gone in a flash of violence. A cold dread gripped me, but then, a surge of righteous fury, a divine spark ignited within. I called upon Shem, and the Radiance of Dawn burst forth from me, a blinding wave of holy light. The orcs shrieked, their crude forms scorched and seared. Many fell, their numbers thinned significantly by the raw power of my deity. Kit and Harrington, meanwhile, moved with a practiced, brutal efficiency.
Kit's axe sang a deadly tune, cleaving through hide and bone, and Harrington's pike swept through the remaining ranks. The fight was over as quickly as it began, leaving only the silence of the forest and the lingering stench of blood and ozone. As we searched the bodies, a few notable items came to light. Among Manhig's possessions, we found a magically locked box and a staff containing several stored spells. Most crucially, a crumpled note in his pocket indicated we were to meet our employer, who would be wearing a symbol with an engraved "M" on it. We pressed on, the weight of Manhig's death and these new discoveries heavy in the air. My heart ached for him, a good man gone too soon. As we neared the village, a small detour led me to a peculiar discovery. While foraging for some much-needed herbal supplies, I stumbled upon an old, overgrown path. It led to a small, abandoned hut, clearly once home to a druid. Inside, amidst dust and cobwebs, I found a few rare herbs I hadn't seen in years, and just beyond, a druid circle, worn and silent, as if waiting for a presence that would never return. We finally reached Oakhaven as dusk settled. The warmth of the tavern, the clatter of plates, and the murmur of voices were a welcome respite from the day's grim events. But as I settled down with a mug of ale, my eyes caught an old, faded poster tacked to the wall. It depicted a kindly face, a druid by the look of it, and underneath, the words: "Missing – [Name Illegible] – Circa 10 Years Ago." Could it be the druid from the hut? And what of this "M" symbol and our mysterious employer? Shem works in mysterious ways, and perhaps this journey is not just about spreading light, but uncovering truths long buried and fulfilling a purpose we're only just beginning to understand.
Oakhaven bustled with the energy of its monthly market festival, a stark contrast to the grim events of yesterday. Despite the lingering unease of Manhig's death, the practicalities of our situation demanded attention. Kit and Harrington moved with purpose through the crowded stalls, selling the orcish scraps and claiming the bounties on their heads. It felt... odd, to profit from such violence, but the coin would be necessary for our journey. It wasn't long before we found him, the man wearing the unmistakable "M" symbol on his tunic. He was unremarkable in appearance, yet his words carried a chilling weight. His organization, he informed us with a sneer, had orchestrated the ambush. It was a "warning" for Manhig, and a clear message to us: keep our noses out of their business if we valued our lives. The audacity of it, to openly admit to such a heinous act! My divine fury flared, but I held it in check. Retribution, when it came, would be guided by Shem's light, not by rash impulse. Shaken but determined, we continued to explore the market, trying to make sense of this new, unsettling layer to our predicament. Our ears soon caught whispers of a unique amulet devoted to Shem on display at the local temple. A beacon of light, perhaps, amidst the gathering shadows. We hastened there, my heart eager to witness such a holy relic. What we found, however, was far from the joyous reverence I'd expected. The temple priest lay sprawled, grievously wounded, a dark stain blossoming on his robes from a poisonous blade. The amulet was gone. I knelt immediately, channeling Shem's divine energy, and managed to stabilize him, though barely. With a raspy breath, he confirmed my fears: a masked man had ambushed him. Kit and Harrington, with their usual efficiency, went for the local sheriff and attempted to track the assailant, but to no avail. The masked man had vanished like smoke.
_ The sheriff, a portly man with tired eyes, offered little help regarding the amulet. He had no leads, he claimed, but then he mentioned something curious: several local farms had been attacked by a strange creature. This piqued my interest. With Harrington's friends spell, we were able to speak with two surviving children from different farms. Their stories were eerily similar. They described small demons, dretch, attacking their homes after a strange man (or men) had attempted to buy their farms. They believed these men were behind the attacks, trying to drive the families out. As I spoke with the children, offering them comfort and some small coins from my purse, one of them, a brave little girl, confided in me privately. She had seen the sheriff speaking with these men, and she believed him to be corrupted and working with them. My heart sank. The tendrils of darkness were reaching further than I had imagined. Before I could press for more details, the uncle of one of the children arrived, a stern man who quickly ushered them away, declaring curtly that the attacks "have been dealt with and are no longer our concern." I couldn't help but notice his wife's rather nice jewelry, far too ornate for a simple farm wife. It seemed suspicions were warranted. After sharing some gold with the children to enjoy the market, we regrouped, the weight of our findings heavy on our minds. Consulting with Kit and Harrington, we identified a growing circle of attacked farms. The pattern was undeniable. We decided to investigate one of the destroyed farms ourselves. Kit, with his remarkable tracking skills, quickly located a cave within the forest, unmistakably the lair of the dretch.
_ The air inside was foul, thick with the stench of brimstone and decay. Using one of the stored spells within Manhig's staff, a brilliant fireball erupted, scorching the darkness and sending the dretch scrambling. We rushed in after it. Harrington, with a whispered word, cast a sleep spell, momentarily stunning two of the creatures. Kit's axe descended, cleaving one in half, while I brought my warhammer down on another, smashing it into oblivion. Harrington, quick as a viper, finished off the third before it could even get into range. The cave was silent once more, save for our heavy breathing. Our path now seemed clearer. The uncle's words, his wife's jewelry, and the children's fears all pointed to a deeper conspiracy. We resolved to travel to the uncle's farm. It was time to discuss the "problem" that was so conveniently "dealt with" and see what other information we could glean. Shem's light would expose the truth, no matter how deeply hidden.
I am look to add one player to a group of three.
Dnd 5e and 5.5 characters allowed.
Homebrew universe.
Discord game- link is https://discord.gg/hDNB8YvX
Below is the first two recaps. I have more if people want to see them just ask.
Recap 1
recap 2
Nice recaps. I jumped into the Discord link and started looking around.