Welcome to Winterhaven

This is the first episode in the Keep on the Shadowfell adventure. It is largely introductory, allowing characters to meet and get a basic sense of the troubles that have befallen Winterhaven.

Summary
Ordaxon Shadowblade, a draw warlock, and Gragold Ironforged, a drawrven fighter, are heading westward from Tulgill, as they have learned of possible contracts for hire in the small town of Winterhaven. They are attacked by kobolds, and in the midst of battle, are joined by Nevarra Valenis, an eladrin ranger, and Lilac Sunstar, a teenaged half-elf cleric.

After the battle, the party discovers a young 6-year old girl captured by the kobolds. The adventurers eventually agree to escort the girl to Winterhaven, and there they discover the girl is Melindra Monerhan, daughter of Inget Monerhan, and is just the latest victim of a rash of child kidnappings that have plagued Winterhaven in recent years.

Inget joyously takes Melindra home, but insists that the adventurers visit her the next day. As the group unwinds in the Wrafton Inn, Salvana Wrafton, Eilian the Old, and Bairwin Wildarson supply helpful details about Winterhaven's recent troubles: missing children, a rash of kobold raids on farms that seem to originate from the south, and a mysterious name uttered by a fleeing kobold that the townspeople know little about: Irontooth. Eilian eventually passes out telling the tall tale of a monster that plummeted to earth southeast of town nearly 30 years ago--which nobody beleives--and the townfolk suggest that the adventurers visit Lord Padraig in the morning for more details about Winterhaven and the recent kobold raids.

Dates
Fallcrest 18

Detailed Playthrough
Ordaxon Shadowblade and Gragold Ironforged were recently escorted by a paid guide to Tulgill. Both are young adventurers who chose to leave their homes and families for the call of exploring Agrarnon... as well as for personal reasons. In Tulgill, they hear that there are adventures (and possible paid contracts) to be found in Winterhaven to the west. As the two near Winterhaven, they are attacked by a kobold raiding party.

As the two battle the kobolds, two other adventurers recover and join the battle: Nevarra Valenis and Lilac Sunstar. As Ordaxon destroys a large group of the kobolds, Lilac heals her new companions and Nevarra fires a deadly arrow into the back of a fleeing kobold slinger with her longbow. Lilac further cripples the kobold, and Ordaxon attempts to intimidate the kobold into revealing who sent the party. The kobold screams out the name Irontooth, but runs in terror, and is struck down by another speeding arrow by Nevarra.

After the battle, the adventurers find a large bag. Just as Gragold prepares to lower his giant hammer on the bag, Ordaxon convinces him to untie the knot. As they open the bag, a small silent girl emerges: a 6-year old so terrified that she refuses to utter a word. Despite a shoving incident with Gragold that the little girl very much loses, she gravitates to both Lilac and Gragold. However, a lengthy fight breaks out between Nevarra and Ordaxon; Nevarra refuses to travel with the loud, brash young men, and Ordaxon seems inclined to go his own way as well. Gragold implores the group to stay together, but Nevarra is unwilling to agree.

As two more kobolds attack the party and are killed by the adventurers, Lilac comes to the conclusion that she wants Ordaxon and Gragold as friends. She insists to Nevarra, and Nevarra seems to change her mind surprisingly quickly at Lilac's insistence. The party heads to Winterhaven with the mute girl in tow.

As they draw close to Winterhaven, the adventurers find a dirty, quiet  town with unguarded gates. Two different farms surrounding the city are smoldering, and sadness is in the air. Upon entering the city gates, Ordaxon seeks out the darker element of the city in the alleys. He discovers that young children have been disappearing for years, and that the farmers and the city as a whole are poor and close to starving. He also learns that the kobolds seem to be raiding farms regularly, but nobody recognizes the name Irontooth. He returns to the party as they visit the Wrafton Inn.

As the party enters the Wrafton Inn, the proprietor--Salvana Wrafton--faints in shock at the site of the young girl. An old man drinking in the inn is stunned and a younger man runs out of the Inn. As Salvana regains consciousness and introduces herself, she comforts the little girl, who begins to say, "Mommy!" over and over. The young man quickly returns with a weary woman who embraces the child: Inget Monerhan, reunited with her missing girl, Melindra, who has been missing for three days. Inget thanks the party over and over--refusing Gragold's repeated attempts to help her with the little gold he has--and eventually takes Melindra home. The little girl calls Gragold "funny" and Lilac "pretty," and Inget insists that the adventurers come see her tomorrow so she can thank them again.

As Inget and Melindra leave, the old man drinking introduces himself as Eilian (known around town as Eilian the Old) and the young man as Bairwin Wildarson. They are joined by two others, a farmer (Rond Kelfem) and Thair Coalstriker, the town smith. Along with Salvana, they treat the party to a meal (clearly all the food that the small town has to spare) and share what little information they have.

The party learns that children have been disappearing for the last several years, and Melindra appears to be the only one recovered. The town has been under a cloud of mourning, and a number of houses have hung teddy bears from their front doors to indicate they have lost children or support those who have. The farmers are suffeting as well, as kobold raids from the south have increased in frequency. The kobolds seem to consistently raze and burn the farms and then flee back to the south.

When the adventurers seem surprised that the townspeople have not risen up to attack the kobolds, only Bairwin seems willing to take action.