Prologue - Peldan's Helm

[Sellsword]

Mistledale, the Village of Peldan's Helm

15 Tarsakh, 1369 DR (The Year of the Gauntlet)

The festival of Greengrass fast approached, yet the inhabitants of Peldan's Helm found little to celebrate. Normally, villagers would be stringing together garlands of flowers to decorate posts, doors and archways throughout the village as children run through the village square playing, glad to finally be outside after months cooped up indoors during the winter. In Peldan's Helm, however, no flowers could be seen, nor any children heard. Villagers instead huddled in their small houses, keeping their children protected, with axes, pitchforks, and anything else that can be used as a weapon kept close at hand. Children were disappearing in the night. Just one to begin with, but then another, and another, until almost a dozen had been mysteriously taken. Nobody knew who or what was responsible and the village was in a state of panic and dread. The village of Peldan's Helm was cursed.

At this time three small groups all happened to be in the village; two just by coincidence as they were travelling through, but the third because Theoth, paladin of Chauntea, had heard of the strange disappearances and was determined to find out what was behind it and stop any more from being taken. He spoke in the local inn to try to gather help, and so impassioned were his words that the others decided to offer him our help. A plan was formulated to set up a network of watchers over all the remaining children, and when someone noticed something amiss, gather the rest to follow and deal with it. True enough, that very night another child was taken, but this time it was witnessed. A skulking creature crept into the child's room and stole it away in a sack. The watcher was a thief, Jack, and he followed the creature back to its lair, a secret opening in a nearby rocky canyon.

Returning to gather the rest of the party, we went back to the secret opening and found a way in, where we discovered a small tribe of grimlocks with a shaman preparing to sacrifice the dozen children to their abominable god in a ritual deep in the heart of their caves. After a heroic battle we slew the monsters and rescued the children, returning them all safely to their families and the acclaim of the whole village.

Word of their deeds spread throughout Mistledale, and the adventurers were called to a meeting by Haresk Malorn, High Councilor and commander of the Riders of Mistledale. Commendations were granted for their heroic actions, and in recognition of their contribution to Peldan's Helm they were granted honorary status as Riders of Mistledale, with guarantee of sanctuary and aid should any trouble befall the group. An enameled pin is granted to each of you bearing the symbol of the Riders of Mistledale.

Several weeks later, the group was tracked down by a rider from Shadowdale bearing missive from Lhaeo, scribe to Elminster, the infamous sage of Shadowdale. Requesting a day to resupply and manage your affairs, the rider is sent back with word that you will answer Lhaeo's request for aid.

Edited January 29 by Sellsword (see edit history)