Keep On The Borderlands Chronicles
The History of the Order of the Cleansing Fire, as recorded in the IC threads for this game.
In which the King of Khazan summons adventurers to the Keep on the Borderlands in the hopes or establishing security in the area and eventually opening the trade route east. Among those who answer the call: Knuckle Sarnie, the halfling; Brother Milak, the cleric; Richie Lemons, the thief; Athrella Finas, the cleric; Dayrell Goldenbrow, the dwarf; Gnaarl, the mage; Joe, the mage; Edward, the thi-- erm, scout; and Seb, the fighter. They establish a quick semi-rivalry with Pharis, the elf, who gets her own crew together for the same goals.
Our heroes head to the Caves of Chaos and tangle with some goblins (where Edward procures his lucky dice) and learn that fire is a great tool for fighting goblins in caves. They also fight a massive ogre, and parley with the remnants of the goblin tribe to get out of the caves. After encountering a sleeping bear, they discover that it was just a bear skin draped over an ogre's bed, and return home with their loot and to mend their wounds (post #201).
While back in town, they are joined by Pearl, Knuckles's Moth... erm, 'Sister'. They set back out again (#258) and deal with kobolds, the group rallying to save Edward after a stupid idea. Knuckles falls into a pit. Joe is struck by an arrow as the group meets the bulk of the kobold clan in their lair. After some arguing, they let the women, children, and a few males flee to find a new home. In exchange, they gain information about the other inhabitants of the caves. While looting the kobold cave complex, the group fights some rats, and then some orcs before returning back to the Keep (#419).
The second week begins (#433) with a return to the caves to finish exploring; they find the goblin chief's quarters and loot them. They also encounter hobgoblins, a running battle that ends in a wild, fiery melee that leaves Seb near death and claims the life of Gnaarl, the first of the group to die. After the battle, they loot the hobgoblin armory and find a number of prisoners, whom they free and escort back to the Keep (#597).
Pharis tries to join the group, but is rebuffed. Brother Milak and Seb both leave, Milak deciding to stay at the temple and Seb not enjoying his brush with his own mortality, but they are joined by Elgar, a dwarf who was among the rescued captives. The group returns to the Caves (#612), continuing their exploration of areas that they think are somewhat cleared out. They encounter green slime; Dayrell calls for fire, and Edward responds with "Oh, come on now, that can't be our solution for everything!" They also encounter a peaceful tribe of neanderthals. The group earns the neanderthals' trust by helping them defeat an owlbear, and Knuckles is disappointed when he is not rewarded with a mate. More peaceful exploration occurs, during which time they group notices Pharis' crew entering another cave. Heading into an orc cave, the group is taken by surprise by a net trap, but still survive an orc ambush mostly unharmed until a second wave nearly kills Elgar. Felling run down, the group returns to the Keep (#738).
While at the Keep, the group learns that Pharis' crew was ambushed; all but Pharis herself were killed or taken prisoner. The team heads back the next day, presuming it's best to strike while the ambushers are still healing their wounds. This is also the first time the phrase 'cleansing fire' is used (#750). They encounter some large spiders, signs of battle, and ambush some orcs. Once more, the group decides to negotiate, allowing the tribe to leave with their women and children. Another tribe is encountered, and put to sleep. Looting occurs, along with a small skirmish with beetles. Edward makes the first dramatic boast: "We burn ogres and owlbears to their deaths. We put armies to sleep. We move unseen unless we wish to be seen. We are the Cleansing Fire. To oppose us is foolish. To take up arms against us is death. Drop. Your. Weapons." (#882) On their way out after dealing with the orcs, the group encounters spiders; Dayrell nearly falls to poison, but is able to fight it off. The group returns to the Keep, and discover they have found a magical climbing rope (#898).
While recuperating, the group is joined by The Red Walker, an elf, while Elgar stays behind. They decide their next goal is a bit of a break from cave-diving, and go to seek lizardmen in the marsh. The group builds a raft to cross the river, and finds the lizardman lair -- but realizes it's a dark water-filled hole, and they are wearing heavy armor and have no way to keep their torches dry enough to use once inside. After this bit of a let-down, they return to the Keep and have some drinks and bond over backstories before deciding to escort Yeadon, a local cleric, and his two acolytes to the Caves to seek out and destroy an evil altar.
They set out again (#962) and discover a cave with recruitment signs around the opening. They enter and encounter bugbears, who offer them food before attacking.
The bugbears are handily defeated, and Knuckles claims the dinner gong as loot. After getting a chance to stage an ambush of their own, the Order takes a large room of bugbears by surprise; but they Order is betrayed by Yeadon, and the ensuing battle finds several of them injured... but still triumphant. While recovering, they are able to ambush the bugbear chief and his bodyguards without taking a scratch (#46). They find some captive hobgoblins, and a single captive bugbear, along with a human warrior: Sverre the Mighty (#66). All are freedy; the monsters allowed to leave and never come back, Sverre joining our merry band. Sverre leads the group to more captives, who are also freed. More exploring and looting, and the group decides to leave. They discover the bugbear they freed has been killing the other captives who left. They also learn that bugbears love catnip. Also, the caves they have yet to enter include a minotaur lair, gnolls, and an evil temple (#103). The group returns to the inn to consider this new information.
While in town, Edward ransacks Yeadon's room and discovers that the evil forces of the temple are taking notice of their activity, and the group decides to use a secret entrance to the Minotaur cave. Pearl remains in town, having taken a bad hit to the head during Yeadon's ambush and barely surviving. They quickly become lost in the lair, as the Minotaur's magic plays with their minds. They dispatch some beetles, only to be attacked from behind by the minotaur, nearly killing Athrella and Red before behind paralyzed by Joe's wand. They quickly dispatch the minotaur, and begin working their way through the maze that was his lair, only to stumble into a grey ooze -- literally, nearly killing Sverre (#131). They attempt to burn the ooze, only to find it has no effect. Knuckles is able to use sausages to lure the ooze out of the minotaur's lair; after learning it can be hurt, they dispatch it.
They enter the Minotaur's main lair (#152), and encounter some troglodytes. They loot the lair, but Edward fails to notice a trap on a chest and is poisoned, nearly killed if not for the quick actions of Red and a healing potion. The group returns to the Keep (#169). Red has gained magical armor; Athrella a new healing staff. Milak lets the Order know that Yeadon is a follower of Babak, a demon. He has a large temple to the south, and a smaller one in the Caves of Chaos. The Order accepts the holy mission to destroy the temple in the Caves, and then are joined by Marvo the Magnificent, a mage (#177) as well as hirelings Kelp, Anor, Bist, and Chas.
The group decides to use the gnoll cave as a backdoor to get into the temple (#189). They avoid a trap intended to burn them alive, and kill a many orcs. During their exploring, they encounter a large number of orcs and gnolls -- who are all running away from them (#230). There is more looting and exploring, Knuckles finds a pair of elven boots he gives to Edward, and the group enters the secret door into a storeroom for the temple (#250). While the party ponders a gelatinous cube, they are attacked by three ghouls from behind. It's a minor inconvenience.
The group explores the temple, finding the dungeon area. An encounter with a captive medusa turns Red into stone. The group negotiates for an antidote, wondering if it's worth letting a medusa free to get their comrade back, only for Marvo to put the beast to sleep and kill it. The antidote is recovered and Red is restored. More exploring, and the party encounters acolytes of the church (#324). They are quickly dealt with, and their robes used as makeshift disguises. They use the disguises to lure other cultists into ambushes. An encounter with wandering zombies (#374) proves that the robes can even confuse the undead for a moment, and Athrella's holy righteousness proves too much for them. More exploring, and the party finds a large room with a throne (#397) and become surrounded by skeletons. In the ensuing fight, Kelp is killed, but the skeletons are all felled. Kelp is given a makeshift funeral pyre on the remains of the skeletons (echoing Gnaarl's corpse being burned in the aftermath of his death) before they return to exploring the temple.
More cultists are found and killed, and a large pile of evil books are burned. The party finds the main room of the temple (#448), an eerie, unholy room. Skeletons and zombies appear again. Joe unleashes a mighty fireball from a scroll, and the largest threat the party has faced yet simply vanishes into ash. Afterwards, we learn Red's true name is Triall Caradrana (#464) and our heroes cast off their disguises, ready for whatever awaits them. They encounter a priest who attacks with the air of a silence spell and snake staff, but he is woefully outmatched. Feeling their work done, the party burns a variety of evil implements and returns (#504).
Ogoul Snake-Charmer and his companion Drazheng arrive with messages from the scribe and castellan of the Keep (#507) and meets the party. The Castellan tasks the Order with retaking a keep to the east, Khazad's end of the trade route through the mountains. There are rumors of a goblin king and a great dragon. Red arranges for the foundation of a Mage's Guild (#541). They also meet Muerte, who causes Marvo to faint, and are told more details about the evil temple to the south. They also learn that Pharis has dealt with the lizardmen, and she has recruited Sverre, Richie Lemons, and Seb to her side. The party also oversees the final construction of their new guildhouse, and the beginning of an adjoining tavern. (#587). Orrin and Dima, dwarves, join Dayrell.
After nearly a month, the party heads off again to the Caves of Chaos to make sure they have taken care of everything. Along the wya, they run into wounded guardsmen who encountered a hydra. The return to the evil temple in the Caves, exploring the last bit of it they hadn't gotten to before. They discvoer a burial chamber and loot it, dealing with it's undead residents. When done, they find the Castellan has sent them provisions, horses, and wagons (#677). They deal with the hydra, using a wagon of oil-soaked hay and mules to draw it out. After a pitched battle, the beast is felled, and it's lair cleaned out to be used as a stopping point on the road between keeps.
While recovering from that, the party is stumbled upon by a small contingent of dwarven refugees, driven from their home in the mountains by goblins. They are told of the Caves of Chaos and how it may be useful as a place to regroup. The party then turns their attention to their goal: The old keep on the trade route. They also see, for the first time, the great dragon that will become known as Rayna the Red (#755). Due to the sound of drums in the mountains, and the dragon, and party decides to escort the dwarves to the Caves of Chaos, and then returns to the guildhouse to plan their next moves, and Edward reveals that not only are there harpies in the keep, but that a goblin army, ten thousand strong, is forming and heading down from the mountains. "We can take 'em," says Dayrell.
Plans are made, and while they are being made, the new tavern is completed and christened The Serpent's Nest. Construction begins on a new chapel. The party finally sets out, accompanied by soldiers (#791). Sneaking into the keep through an old sewer tunnel, the party encounters a swarm of giant rats and stirges. They use a silence spell to bash down a door without alerting anyone inside, and get into the keep. They find several harpies held captive (#834). The harpies inform the party that the keep is currently held by were-rats. They also find some goblin captives, who the were-rats were holding as hostages to prevent King Garbaga from bringing his army down upon the keep.
The party explores, loots, and kills some were-rats. There is blood, steel, magic, and fire. The rat-men try to set an ambush with a net trap and an overturned table, but the party is able to overcome them. Edward, using a newly-acquired elven cloak, scouts ahead (#964), tries to ambush some were-rats, but is seen and retreats back to the others. The party discovers the were-rats are willing to use fire as a weapon, and the Cleansing Flame is now in danger of being burned. The party uses one of the freed harpy captives to draw out the were-rats, ending their threat.
