The Red Hand is gathering at Cinder Hill, preparing to march on Drellins Ferry. The horde includes several thousand goblinoid warriors under the fanatical priests of Tiamat.Four wyrmlord commanders lead the red hands. Koth (now dead), a goblin ranger named Saarvith, a hobgoblin bard called Ulwai Stormcaller, and a hobgoblin Talon of Tiamat named Hravek Kharn. Koth knows that Saarvith has been sent to a ruined city called Rhest on a special mission, and that Wyrmlord Kharn commands the the horde itself, but isn't sure what Ulwai is up to or where she is. The high wyrmlord is a draconic humanoid named Azarr Kul, a powerful cleric of Tiamat. He dwells in a temple somewhere in teh wyrmsmoke mountians but Koth didn't know where.
The horde contains dozens of goblin, hobgoblin, bugbear and ogre tribes from the mountains.
Several dragons serve Azarr Kul as advisors and subcommanders.
Drellins ferry was the inital attack on conquering the vale and Koth was looking forward to leading the attack himself but was guessing he'd have little to do with it.
From the notes and the map you can figure out the horde was originally planning on being at Drellins to attack in 4 more days. The bridge being out will delay this most likely to at least 6 days.
Take great care with the enclosed Phylactery. I need not explain to you what
the Ghostlord would do if he knew where I had sent his little bauble for
safekeeping. Hide it somewhere safe..perhaps it could be entrusted to your
dragon friend's keeping? Keep it hidden until Brindol is taken. Should it fall
into the hand of someone that could return it to it's owner, the consequences
for our effort could be dire indeed.
-Ulwai"
An adamantine necklace (chain with lion's teeth and claws) detected as
magical and evil. This is presumably the phylactery. Note that "Ghostlord"
was marked on the map captured from Koth.
In Brindol, the PCs find out the following about the Ghostlord:
After capturing Ulwai, she has this to say:
The High Wyrmlord is using magic and religious ceremonies to call for
Tiamat's aid. A long and arduous process that he's doing in a place in the
Wyrmsmoke mountains called the Fane of Tiamat. The Fane is guarded by
numerous dangerous creatures, including a powerful blue dragon, devils,
the high wyrmlords' chosen priests, spwan of Tiamat, and several monsters
from the surrounding mountains with which the Wyrmlord has made alliances.
She knows the dragons by name: Ozyrrandion, regiarax, Abithriax and
Tyrgarun. Then the Behir Varanthian. (Speaking with her further she can
verify that the first two dragons are ones you've already killed and the
behir as well. This of course shakes her up abit and verifies your luck
and skill)
The main entrance of the Fane is protected by a powerful trap and
several magic locks. Entrance to the temple by this route without the
proper password (which she doesn't know) will be extremely difficult if
the high Wyrmlord has engaged the traps and locks.
Letter found at Rhest ruins
This was found after searching the flooded buildings at Rhest (in Goblin):
Saarvith-
The ghostlord was a druid that lead tribes of nomads in the plains south of
Rhest a few hundred years ago. The nomads were said to have built a massive
stone lion out in the plains somewhere in honor of the druid who taught them
the ways of the lion and how to live at peace with the proud creatures. Yet
when dark times fell upon Rhest, so too did they fall upon the plains. Nobles
from Rhest went south and were greeted and befriended by the nomads to the
south. Yet that friendship was betrayed when the nobles hunted the great
lions. They slew the nobles to a man. Rhest answered in kind with its
armies and the nomads were not able to withstand the numbers despite the
fact the lions joined in their defense. The warriors of Rhest slew the
druid in between the paws of the great lion statue. The night after the
warriors returned to Rhest, doom followed them to their city. Ghostly lions
prowled the city and killed all they came across. Rhest never recovered
from that night..and the plains to the south slowly became a thorned
wasteland.
Ulwai
High Wyrmlord Azarr Kul does not travel with the horde. He plans on
joining the horde after it takes Brindol, at which point he hopes to have
an infernal host from Tiamat's court to augment its numbers for the
subsequent assault on Dennover. (Dennovar being the next larger human city
and last human strong point in the vale)
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