The Red Dragon Ashardalon escaped the clutches of the Dormani empire and while fleeing sunk a citadel into the earth. The Citadel became home to a vampire who was staked through the heart in the depths of the fort. The stake then rooted and grew with the blood of the vampire. The tree that grew bore one fruit in summer and one in winter. A red, summer fruit, that could heal any ailment. A white, winter fruit, a deadly poison. A curious druid, Belak, began to tend to the tree learned that seeds of the fruit could birth twig blights and that the carer of the tree would receive excessive power. This power turned Belak into an archdruid but corrupted his mind. Kobold dragon priests moved into the citadel, greenskins inhabited the upper levels. The greenskins bought the fruits from Belak and sold them to the local villagers of Oakhurst. Any villagers who tried to plant the seeds of the fruit for their own business venture would be killed or captured by the twig blights that spawn from it. Xhin and Chang Fhurt were two noble adventurers - and twins- who ventured into the citadel. Belak captured them and turned them into his minions.
The Sunless Sin (1)
The Dragons Den
Michael Landrum goes missing after planting seeds of the Gulthias fruit. Shortly after Geremiah goes missing. Pardus and Kotanmaru prepare to adventure into the Sunless Citadel; An old fort sunken into the earth, the home of the local goblin band. They plan to ask questions there as all the clues point to the goblins being responsible. Before they depart, Pardus learns that two locals from a wealthy family (Xhin and Chang Fhurt) are missing also. The pair descend into a menacing ravine, down makeshift steps, fending off the giant rats as they went. They arrived in a round chamber. It appeared their path had led them into one of the citadels towers. Inanimate skeletons littered the floor, the scent of death was everywhere. In the next chamber on, a frail, elderly Kobald was weeping beside a fire and a broken cage. this Kobald was named Meepo, he told the two of the citadels draconic history. He told them that he was there to raise and tame dragons, but his last wyrmling had failed, so he mourned and waited for death.
The Sunless Sin (2)
The Failed Dragonpriest
Kotanmaru and Pardus discovered a dwarf and a high elf chained to the wall of an off-chamber. They are Hjar and Dramour, criminals in the same network of Geremiah, they claimed that the three of them were ambushed during a parle with the local goblin band. Kotanmaru set them free, under the condition that they help him find Michael and Geremiah. Hjar used his Smithing skills to craft himself a flail and forge a spear for Dramour. The now stronger group fought of rats and Greenskins (that Dramour had a particular dislike of). They came to a most peculiar room, accompanied by Meepo. Kotanmaru picked up an ornate silver orb that seemed to hum and give off a little light. Kotanmaru dropped it, smashing the orb and became possessed by the light within it. The party then fought each other as the light moved between them. Kotanmaru blinded Pardus using magic - whilst he was possessed- trapping the foe, but Pardus could not see. During this fight, Hjar made an effort to save Meepo, something he was opposed to doing, prior to this. The group then moved into the next chamber, it was a tomb, for a failed dragon priest. Inside the sarcophagus in the middle of the room was a dead troll clutching a key in the shape of intertwined dragons.
The Sunless Sin (3)
The Gulthias Tree
With this key and with the Dragon fire of a white wyrmling, Kotanmaru saw a magical animation carved into the mud. It depicted two towers, blackness falling over them, a dragon flying away and a man disappearing. The group found a shape-shifting cloud that took the form of Geremiah whilst imprisoning him in a cage suspended and magically hidden behind an illusionary ceiling. With only Michael missing, the party proceeded deeper into the citadel. They discovered a cavernous opening, that gave off a disturbing and sickly feeling of chaos, madness and hate. The party moved swiftly on, only to find an underground grove, at the centre of the grove, was the Gulthias tree. An archdruid named Belak was guarding it and upon seeing the party released a mass of blights and the local twins (now bark-skinned minions of his) upon the group. The group were only able to find victory after Meepo gave his life and Kotanmaru unblinded Pardus releasing the light into Belak. The twig blights fell apart after this and the barkskinned twins fell dead. Michael was intertwined in the roots of the tree and with the strength of Hjar, was pulled from it. The now local heroes, returned to Oakhurst to recover.