INTRO

The campaign begins in the year..863.  It is nearly 140 years after the fall of Redemption, and the last of the reign of  Duke Kaneada.  The world of Astoria has changed in the years that passed. Most significantly the lands once tormented by the Duke of Kaneada have been made a land of great peace.  The people of Astoria have however lost their way with their gods.  Even the most punishing gods of Astoria have fallen into atrophy, as the people have turned more and more to the world around them.  The only god still worshiped to any degree is Funter.  She is only regarded by a tiny sect, mostly in the remote regions of the middle-west.  Our adventure begins with 5 young souls, looking forward to the feast of Blood and Riga, as the fall approaches, and the warmth of summer fades.  Rumors are starting of a plague that has attacked the western regions of the Kaneada.  They speak of a MOBs forming of the infected and attacking those that have yet to be infected.  Branerton, the town the 5 youngs live in, have sought recently to protect their own community.  As it were, several caravans full of supplies have been moved from the community storage at the main farm sites, to the Sawyers Stand Keep in the east.  The town has also brought substantial amounts of their cattle to makeshift ranches within close proximity of the town.  There has been talk about extending the fence in town to make a wall barrier.  It seems almost in the last stages of approval.  As the feast is being finalized for the next fortnight, word is sent that the mountain pass of the ZAM river, has been closed.  The main militia of Zam was destroyed by a massive mob, and they are believed to be heading toward Branerton and Zima.  All men of the Clan are called for a meeting (in 1 hour).

-1 Hour later, at the meeting, the Mayor of Branerton Mr. Quimby, calls on an immediate evacuation of the men and women of Branerton, to be escorted by the militia and the student volunteer army.  This will commence right now in waves.  The first wave should be ready to leave in 10min, the second in another hour.  We hope to be cleared out by tomorrow morning.

Arriving at the keep

STORY

As you begin to arrive into the keep area.  You notice that the caravan ahead of you is stopped. It contained 25 people in total, a total of 50 less people then your own crew of 75.  The caravan looks to be in shambles, with the people laying dead on the ground in the seats of the wagons.  Orcs appear to be ransacking the bodies.  The lead militiamen, all (10) charge ahead, ordering the rest to stay put.  There seems to be 25 orcs or more clearly outnumbering your crew of fighters.  2 militiamen stay behind and order the rest of the caravan to swing around the stalled out wagons ahead and charge up into the keep as best as can be done.  They ask you to hang on the sides and guard the wagons as best as you can. 

This actually works pretty good.  The caravan horses and oxen move as fast as they can, and bypass the fray, and the militiamen seem to handle the orcs pretty well also.  The militiamen are using mostly spears, and the orcs are using mostly axes but the militiamen hold their own.  As the main group of the caravan arrives into the keep, and the last surviving militiamen alive begins to climb the ramp, he is struck down by arrows.  More orcs arrive (10) and begin to climb the ramp.  The 2 lead militiamen run down the ramp and attack. 

Murder Mystery

After the rest of the Wagons arrive the news of the mayor Melosa Quimby (of the Melos Clan) being killed is starting to spread.  It becomes common knowledge the killing was done by a Takahan farmhand named Ghangis Takahan. The Constable Monahan (Takahan) also believes the killing to be of his own clan.   He was seen walking away from the Mayors Wagon encampment late that night.  The knife found in the body of the mayor was a special family knife made by the Takahan clan.  It was well known that the mayor was not liked.  He was in fact hated by the Takahan clan.  The execution of Ghangis will proceed after the effort to with stand the attack by the Horde is repelled.

The Paladin is approached by Ghangis’s father, Mintar Takahan, who tells you that he knows his son did not kill Ghandis.  No one believes him.  He tells you to seek out the real killer, and he will pay you 350gp, and he will owe you his son’s life.