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 Defenders History-in-Brief

HISTORY OF THE DEFENDERS IN BRIEF

in the mode of the Stone Soules "History-in-Brief"

You might also take a gander at Joel Green's brilliant attempt to synthesize all of the Defenders' plot lines into one (what I am now calling) "History at a Glance"


 

The Adventures are Divided:

I.  Bandits and Early Flailing About on Lendore

II.  Abbey Isle

III.  The Mystery of Captain Nbod

IV.  Return to Abbey Isle

V.  Burrow Worms

VI. Hafney Hill and the Seapoint Lightning

VII.  The Fall of Garroten

VIII.Treasure in the Sarkian Wilderness

IX.Ruins in the Northern Swamp

X.Goblin Island

XI.Trek in Petethal, Lord of Pondscum

XII.Orc Island

XIII.Fifteen Ogres and a Fire Giant

XIV.Dancing Fairy Creature

XV.Revenge of Traywick

XVI.Mini Missions

XVII.Castle of Diamond

XVIII.  The Hand of Hindus and the Queen of Grottoes

XIX.The Grandfather Attack

XX.Under the Abbey

XXI.The Second Clearing of Hafney Hill

XXII.Bone Hill

XXIII.Demons in Trun

The Defenders met on March 15, 2172, in the Teft Blue Star Inn.

Set sail for Lendore Isle.  Arrive in Barnacus.  Set out on tour of the isle.

Leaving Barnacus the Defenders defeat a group of bandits.

Arrive in Garroten and talk to Lord Mayor.  Set out for Dead Wood.

Kill stirges and a giant centipede.

Kill a locust.

Enter Dead Wood by side path.  A skeleton is killed, and the Defenders find a 3% mithril dagger.

A giant spider nearly kills the entire party.  Grison drives it off.  The Defenders leave.

Arrive in Restenford.  Set out to hunt bandits.

Annwvyn is killed by fungus beetles.  They get away with his body.

Defenders kill a bandit group led by a wereboar.  Acquire magic short sword.  Find cursed (?) dwarven battleaxe.

Morgan and Ethan join the party in April.

Kill a large squad of bandits, and a bandit leader is captured.

Ambushed by main bandit force of the Green Diamond.  A bandit cleric in full plate is killed.  Ethan, Soldan, and Grison are slain.  The Green Diamond's fortress is taken and the merchant Thaddius is rescued.

Darellon scares off a bunch of elves while returning from the fortress.

Baron Grellus rewards the Defenders, as does Thaddius.  Quentin and Drew recover in Restenford.  The party builds a house near Peltar's place.  Actual wealth gained.

In July, Celeste joins the party and buys a log.  Felix joins the party and is given the magic short sword.  The Defenders set out to track for more bandits at the fortress.

Encounter trio of people, who run away when Darellon greets them.

Ogres attack at night.  Darellon and Celeste are killed, though the ogres are slain.

Giant rats are killed and driven off with torches by Morgan and Felix.

A trio of bandits robs the party of 200 gp and the magic short sword.

Stumble back into Restenford and recover at home.

Set out for Benct.

Tricked into a assassination attempt by the Green Diamond remnants on the road.  Slay assassin, get magic items.

Arrive in Benct in August-- Tyveris and Gaston join the party.  Shop around.  Return to Restenford after refusing offer of a haunted room at inn.

Quentin and Morgan train (to 2nd level) in Restenford.  Accept mission to Abbey Isle.

Land on beach at Abbey Isle in October.  Fight off skeletons, but are forced to withdraw due to injuries.

Huge sea monster attacks the Eagle 13 while sailing back to Restenford.  Driven off.

Drew trains to 2nd level.  Heal injuries over rainy season in Restenford.

2173 begins.

Return to Abbey Isle in March.  Land on beach, fight through skeletons.  Are captured by Ozymandius, cleric of Hindus.  Tyveris is released for ransom.  Others escape with Odeon's help.  Kill spiny beast.  Gaston is badly injured.

Sail to Teft for healing.  Quentin remains to help druids there.  Rest of party returns to Abbey Isle.

Land on beach with 8 marines and Major Ursa.  Bribe Bayleaf (elven fighter/mage) to betray Ozymandius and company.  Sends scouts to us to get captured.  During the night, Ozymandius and two clerics make a break for it, but are dashed against the rocks.

Rewarded by Petethalian navy and taken back to Restenford.

Felix and Tyveris train to 2nd level.  Gaston retires as a dog trainer for the Baron, due to massive injury.

Colin joins the party.  Defenders head back to Green Diamond fortress.

Driven away by a will'o'wisp.  Morgan takes heavy injuries, and Colin retires due to deafness.

Head to Benct in July.  Accept mission from Nevronian Church to clear out haunted room in the inn.

Perry joins the party.

Conduct massive investigation, and eventually capture the fake ghost, Zune Quog.  Take his items.  Find treasure map of Captain Nbod in room.  Find Leviathan, an evil relic dagger with a Kraken intelligence in it.

Morgan is thrown into the portal in the room and left on Moon Isle atoll.  Defenders follow two days later.  Meet headhunters.  Rescue Morgan and test dagger. (15)  Sea witch Brinea sends the Lurker in the Shallows to kill us.

We run underwater to make suicide attack on Brinea, leaving Morgan in a shed.

Kill two harpies.  Heal up.

Attack Brinea-- everyone is killed: Felix, Tyveris, Quentin, Drew, Perry, and Brinea.

Hand of Fate (Nevronian party) enters portal and rescues Morgan.  Find our bodies and Raise all but Tyveris.  They keep Nbod's powerful scimitar.

Tyveris is buried.

2174 begins.

Quentin trains to 3rd and 4th level.  Felix trains to 3rd and 4th level.  Morgan trains to 3rd and 4th level.  Perry trains to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level in Koralgesh.  Drew trains to 3rd level.

Balinor (2nd level) and Cassian (1st level) join the party.

Party heads to clear out Abbey Isle's traps.  Balinor kills three golems, and is level drained by a wight.  Perry disarms many traps.  Felix is crushed under a door, but lives.

Big treasure is recovered.  Petethalian navy congratulates us.

Return to Restenford.  Balinor trains to 2nd and 3rd level.  Cassian trains to 2nd and 3rd level.  Drew trains to 4th level.  Perry spies on the bait dealer in town.  Suspicious.

Kill three burrow worms for druid Almax.

Perry trains to 5th level in Koralgesh.

Donald Collins joins the party.  Join with remnants of Sam'n'Friends (Hecht, Kerr, and Auburn) to take back Hafney Hill.

Drive off a burrow worm, arrive at Hafney Hill.  Quentin blasts three halflings.  Cassian kills one with a Dust Devil.  Go through secret entrance.  Balinor and Felix fight off two wraiths, and Balinor avoids being level drained.  One was once Larry, a halfling member of Sam'n'Friends.

Unfortunately, the halflings had escaped into the wilderness.  The party loots the place and carts the stuff back to Restenford, through a hurricane at one point.

2175 begins.

Upon arrival in Restenford, the Defenders trade with Baron Grellus for credit and salvage tax exemptions.  Perry continues spying on the bait dealer.  Capture encoded message.

Quentin trains to 5th level.  Cassian trains to 4th level.

Baron Grellus disappears during the night and possibly dead.  Party heads to Garroten to find his body in time for Raise Dead.  Talks to key people in town, uncovers the assassins' guild.  Discover that the Baron's body is in the Lord Mayor's castle.  In one brutal night, the Defenders wipe out the entire guild and capture the castle.  The Baron is Raised and recovers while Duke Haermond of Barnacus sorts things out.  The Defenders are given their pick of the town's treasure and sent back to Restenford.  The Lord Mayor is executed.  The Abbot of the Phaulkonian Church in Restenford commits suicide for his part in the affair.  Cassian temporarily runs the church while waiting for replacements from Teft.

The message is decoded, and the bait shop owner is merely a spy from Benct.

Party returns to Restenford and Barnacus for training.  Felix trains to 5th level.  Morgan trains to 5th level.  Balinor trains to 4th level.  Cassian trains to 5th level.  Quentin trains to 6th level.  Perry trains to 6th level in Koralgesh.  Donald trains to 2nd and 3rd level under Wicker.

Perry and Drew leave Defenders on good terms.  Perry goes to Koralgesh, and Drew retires to Restenford.

Party is given a treasure map by Baron Grellus.  Travel to Port'o'Carse and investigate area.  Kodo, Narahn, Lynore, and Alduin join the party.

Travel to Tulan-of-the-Isles, resist temptation to buy quality weapons.  Will get them upon return.  Set out in October for destination on treasure map.

Head south of Sark's northern border.  Kill a hill giant.  Chased by weird illusionist.

Discover ruined village.  Old man warns us to leave.  Claims a sphinx is harrassing the party.

Mules are assassinated.

Party kills huge group of disgustingly powerful bandits.  Lynore is slain on a scouting mission prior to the attack.

Scout out bandit hideout-- being used as a base of operations by four people.  Leader and assassin friend escape us.  They had hired a group of miners to dig out an ancient dwarven treasure in this underground fortress.  Unsuccessful, and we slew most of the guards.  The remainder escaped after giving Defenders information.

Party nearly loses magic items to a group of weird darkness/ magical beings the size of halflings.  The things return what they stole and we leave them alone.

Felix finds secret door while Waterwalking.  Opens it.

Defenders explore area, and find magic door with lightning trap.  Try to open it.  Unsuccessful for a week.

Finally figure out how to open door.  Attacked by weird wraith/guardian thing.  Kill it with silver weapons only.  Tunnel opens.

Spend a week doing tests with other side of tunnel.  Send in expedition-- Balinor, Cassian, Donald, Morgan, and Alduin.

Trapped inside, they are forced to fight a black pudding.  Balinor is killed, but the pudding is defeated with soap and torches.

Balinor is raised by scroll.  Discover nice treasure hoard.  Travel to nearby Canterbury in Sark, negotiate with leader there.  Head back to Lendore at the end of November.

Balinor trains to 5th level.  Narahn trains to 2nd level.  Kodo trains to 2nd level.

Donald's deafness is cured by an Elixir of Health!

2176 begins.

Alduin and Donald head off Lendore for training.  Alduin trains to 2nd and 3rd level.  Donald trains to 4th level.

The party receives mithril and adamantite from Relkin (from the genie bottle).  Head to Carse and Tulan to trade away mithril for nice magic items, and store adamantite for later.  Haladir joins the party.

The Defenders research Khargish ruins on the north end of Lendore, and then head out there.

Travel up to Rog, kill 2 volts.  Travel through Argo Forest into swamp.  Kill big lizard (30' long).  Kill sentient lizardman (12' tall), though Balinor is nearly killed.  Thick mist in swamp reduces visibility greatly.

Talk to wildlife, try to negotiate with evil stork people in the area.  Bargain for safe passage in, though it seems unlikely to get safe passage back out.  Enter ruins of Khargish city, spot building.   Haladir attempts to determine height of building by tossing a rock up, and killed by the stone gargoyle head that falls on him.

The party enters the building and finds an "evil philosopher."  Skeletons appear on the stairs behind.  Party must decide which to fight.

Try to negotiate with grey philosopher, but fails.  Stop huge skeleton guardians with Web, and kill the grey philosopher.  Break his staff, at least temporarily.  Wall of Thorns kills at least a hundred skeletons and stops skeleton guardians from killing the Defenders.

Drive off stork people, kill beetle and troll.  Return to Restenford.

Cassian and Narahn retire to Restenford.

Phoenix joins the party in Barnacus.

The party joins the Petethalian navy for an assault on a goblin island fortress.  Party lands in a longboat, and with the Horn of Valhalla takes out ballistae and catapults and trebuchet, also slaying about a hundred goblins.

Phoenix retires due to unprecedented massive permanent damage and loss of combat abilities.

The party travels to Teft, along with Drew, at the end of the season.  Kain joins the party.  Travel to Depwood and remain for new year.

2177 begins.

Party travels through Petethalian wilderness.  Stalemate attack with 6 worgs, no losses on either side.  Worgs retreat.  Kill 3 ticks.  Encounter Lord of Pondscum, some sort of shambling mound, at a river crossing.  Barely able to affect the creature, and escape barely after Confusion affect hits.

Return to Teft.  Kodo trains (to 3rd level).  Alduin drills and trains (to 4th level).  The party travels on the Belle Venture to the island of an orc tribe.  Trekking through the jungle, the party discovers ruin inhabited by white gorillas.  Stopping just before reaching an orc outpost, the party is attacked that night by shadows, who are driven off.

Trashing an outpost, the party travels up to the village and scouts the area.  Trekking behind the the volcano, the party finds a back entrance to the temple.  Bypassing several traps and solving a trio of puzzle doors, the party slays a group of ghouls and elder ghouls, as well as a pair of gelatinous cubes.  The level drains from the ghouls are temporary, and the party heals up.  Down the tunnel the party emerges near the ceremony of the orc village.  The pig avatar is sitting on a throne nearby.  In an attempt to find a closer position to view the proceedings, the party attacks a resting shaman/chieftain with his servants.

Stopping to take out a shaman and some guards, the Defenders explore the temple, free orcish prisoners and disrupt the ceremony in the volcano, dropping the bridge.  In pursuit of the false Pig avatar, the party navigates a maze of weird rooms.  Freeing two displacer beasts, the party slays shadows and then another party of three, finding all sorts of items.  Naku-maru joins the party as Felix's henchman fighter (2nd level).

Realizing that their escape route has been compromised by the reconstruction of the bridge, the Defenders explore the weird caverns in pursuit of the Pig Avatar.  He has escaped through a gate, however, and they cannot pursue.  Seeing all sorts of bizarre rooms, the Defenders press on, even to the point of talking with a weird lizard/ fire creature.  Apparently passing to the other volcano, the Defenders search for an exit.

Searching through the rest of the complex, the Defenders realize that their escape routes are suicidal.  Some examination of the rooms reveals the presence of robes that allow the party to use the three portals.  Finding an escape route, the party is about to leave, when they discover that the woman they had rescued has betrayed them to the false avatar, Kaal Na Ka.  The party chases the wizard through a portal and after a huge fight slays Kaal Na Ka.  The wizard was a former employee of Skylltor Rhune, and embezzled funds from him to continue research on the island.  Massive treasure is recovered.

Massive training occurs.  Balinor trains (to 6th level).  Kodo trains (to 4th level).  Nakumanu trains (to 3rd level).  Felix trains (to 6th level).  Morgan trains (to 6th level).  Quentin trains (to 7th level).  Alduin trains (to 5th level).  Donald trains (to 5th level).  Kain trains (to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th level).

2178 begins.

The party decides to take a trip to the ArchDruid of the New World to recharge the Rod of Thorns.  Some trading is done in Carse.

The party travels through the city-state of Kelburn and into the Greate Olde Woode.  Stopping at the Wild Wood Inn, the party continues through a tunnel under the Dragonteeth mountains and, dodging several ambushes, reaches the Court of the Archdruid.

A mission to slay an ogre tribe leader is undertaken.  The party takes out a hunting squad of five ogres, then sneaks into the main camp and slays the fire giant leader and his greater ogre bodyguard.

The Defenders set out on a quest to defeat an evil faunlike creature.  Passing by the trail of the Behir(?) the party reaches the faun's territory.

The creature is dispatched, but Felix is killed by the creature's golems.  With Quentin's connections and the loss of the Rod of Thorns, Felix is saved and is waiting for the party back at the Druidic Grove.

The party returns to Carse and does some trading.  The party travels to Restenford, to discover the house has been destroyed by planted explosives.  Narahn and Gaston were not in the house at the time.  Although nothing valuable was lost, this and several threats on prominent Restenford citizens spur the Defenders to action.

The Defenders set off to take out a bandit group.  Gaston, who has gained 2nd level (12 hp), joins the party for the adventure.  Quentin scouts the area and is nearly killed by a disease contracted off a half-dozen bodies found in the wilderness.  He cures himself, and finds a hideout under construction.  After 20 men leave the area (leaving about 20 men), the party sneaks up and enters the hideout.  Dodging traps the party takes out a few guards but warns the rest of the compound.  Pursuing the men, the party discovers the compound is quite large underground.

A trap seals the Defenders inside.  Traywick threatens to slay the party unless they hand over Morgan and Thunderstruck.  Felix is slain by laserbats in a desperate charge, and most of the party is sleep-gased.  So much time is wasted that Almax and Peltar scry on the party and come to the rescue.  Traywick is captured and later released to die in the Trenhurst Forest, while the bandits are slain.

Felix is Raised by the Archbishop of Nevron in Barnacus.

Bandits set up camp on the opposite side of Bald Hill.  Gaston leaves to continue his service with the Baron.  Cassian rejoins the party, and the Defenders head out to destroy them.

Bandits are taken out by failed ambush on Defenders posing as a caravan.  3 young grotto beasts are taken out.  A nest of stirges in the orchard is cleared.

2179 begins.

A wrecked pirate ship is found.

The party travels in Petethalian navy transport to intercept a mysterious crystal citadel on a cloud.  When it stops over Barnacus, the party invades the citadel stealthily.  The party takes and questions prisoners and discovers that the ship was taken over by Irinia, a student of Alarius, high wizard of the Realm.

The party plans to save Alarius by returning the six crystals to the central tower.  The party kills Irinia in her sleep, as well as her high guard.  The party kills several demon creatures and captures the rest of the guards. 

In the audience chamber, an epic battle results in the killing of Caxathoros, a demon of considerable power, though Kodo and one of the allied guards are killed in the fighting.

The crystals are retrieved, and the archmage returns in time to save the party from the trap that brought a demon in to attack them.

Huge treasure is recovered.

Training begins.  Kodo is successfully Raised in Barnacus.  Kodo trains (to 5th level).  Cassian trains (to 6th level).  Kain trains (to 6th level).  Alduin trains (to 6th level).  Donald trains (to 6th level).

The adamantite +5 short sword Peacemaker is constructed for Felix by Alarius the archmage.  The party travels to the X in Petethal, then returns to Teft.

2180 begins.

The party travels to kill a sphinx for Drake.  Illegal loggers are arrested and tried in Jebel.  Drake so angers the party that they refuse the mission and head to Gesh.

The party makes a failed attempt to slay goblins with the help of the Koralgeshian navy.  Dodge roc and ghost ship attacks.  Goblins have abandoned the target island earlier.

Party takes on quest to stop the priests of the Queen of Grottoes from rebuilding a stolen cloaking vessel.  The party inadvertently sets up a look-alike party, the Flaming Fist, to walk into the Defenders' ambush.  Identities are mixed up, and the Fist are defeated.  The Defenders follow and save the Fist's thief, and decides to take the down the temple in retribution.  The party also learns that the Hand of Hindus paid to have them killed in this mission.

Party travels though compound and fights high priest and huge squid demonspawn creature.  Felix and Kodo are eaten and killed, but the creature is dispatched after a long battle.

The party loots the temple and buries the clerics after interrogation.  Felix is Raised off scroll in the compound.  The crew of the boat is rescued from the slavers' prison near Lantern.  A small warship is taken out and the party returns to Koralgesh.  Kodo and one of the dead Flaming Fist are Raised by Letier in Koralgesh thanks to Cassian's Raise Wind ability.

Chiaro trains (to 2nd level).  The party awaits another mission in Koralgesh.

Dunstill and Illic hire the party to take out the Goblin High Command at the Grandfather, the main naval base.  The party is Teleported by Illic to the fortress and sneaks into the central tower.  The goblin command is slain, except for one who escaped on the roof.

The party escapes the tower and returns to the ship.  A sea monster is defeated on the return trip.  The party splits for the rainy season.

2181 begins.

Chiaro trains in Koralgesh (to 3rd level).  Kain trains in Teft (to 6th level).  Quentin trains in Restenford (to 8th level).

Kain and Kodo are interrogated by a mysterious ambusher in Teft.  Kain attempts to meet with the Church of Hindus and ends up wasting money.

A huge storm hits Restenford.  The Phaulkonian Abbey and Druidic Grove are attacked by sea-devils, but the attacks are beaten off.  The catacombs under the Phaulkonian Abbey are explored when two bodies disappear before the embalming ceremony.  Weird undead creatures are killed.

The ruins are explored and looted by the Defenders.  The party rejoins in Restenford, then sails to Teft.  Chiaro and Nakumanu remain behind in Restenford, going into temporary retirement.  Cassian trains (to 7th level).

The party decides that the evil skull room in the ruins is bad news and leaves it alone. 

The party travels to Hafney Hill and is scared away by an illusionary gaunt.

Purchase a puzzle box and Auroran holy item from a peddler on the road.

Travel to Seapoint, visit Kerr the druid rune-user, and return to Hafney Hill.  Cast Divination, revealing multiple evil forces and a stable gate to Pandemonium.

Attack mysterious creature in Hafney Hill.  Ogre mage is killed but escapes in gaseous form, killing Balinor in the battle.  Treasure is recovered. 

The party goes to investigate the Dead Wood.  Visiting Bone Hill, the party stumbles onto a meeting between the Blue and the Gray and a gnoll group.  The party is trashed by Bogomel the fighter and the enemies escape, but Bogomel (3rd level fighter) joins the party as Cassian's henchman.

Quentin leaves the party.  Alduin leaves the party.  Kodo leaves the party.  Albee (4th level monk) joins the party.

The party travels to Benct, and then to Trun to deal with the demon-worshippers.  The party camps near the hill, and is attacked at night by a demon and the high priestess.  Nakumanu, Felix, Morgan, and Chiaro are killed in the combat, though all are Raised. The high priestess is killed and the demon is driven off, and the demon-worshippers are broken.

Donald heads to the mainland


kyle

All pages copyright Kyle Scott MacLea, 1994-2004, excepting works cited by others and artwork, which are copyright of the respective individual.