The Rise of the Dragonforged: The Story So Far...

Prior to reading this synopsis of “The Rise of the Dragonforged” game which leads up to the serial conclusion, you must click on the following link and listen to what plays while you ride, for greater effect…

Carry On My Wayward Son

The Story So Far…

         It all started when the city of Treeside was attacked. Gray was a soldier with the Corvinian army, posted deep inside the Corvan border to recover from the wounds of her previous tour. Treeside was far enough into Corvinian territory, that no one thought it could be conquered, not after the war had lasted for so long with so little ground lost or gained on either side. It turns out, they were wrong.
         The story began with Asha and Tivor, a halfling druid and her animal companion, a snow-white lion with a silvery mane. Asha awoke in the middle of the forest a week’s journey south of Treeside with no memory of who she was or how she had come to be there. When she regained her senses some, she found a river and began to follow it, knowing that sooner or later she must hit a settlement. Perhaps someone there knew who she was.
         A similar decision was also made by Gray, a catfolk warrior of the Corvinian army. She was forced to flee Treeside when it became clear there was no hope for the city. She was bound and determined to travel to the next nearest city, Riverview, roughly 120 leagues to the south of Treeside. They had to know. It was here that she came across Asha and Tivor. There was little trust given or received, but since they were traveling in the same direction, they wound up traveling together.
         Along the way, they ran across Abassi and Adalai. Abassi was an ambassador, visiting Treeside from a far away land and Adalai was apprenticed to the City Mage of Treeside. Neither were versed in the ways of the forest, and horribly lost when Gray and Asha found them. Once again, there was not much in the way of trust, but they were all heading to Riverview and Gray seemed to know the way.
         They had traveled together for some days when they had their first glimpse of a dragonforged. It was circling high in the sky, and somehow had seen them. It swooped low and attacked. It was a tough fight, but they managed to survive. Upon study, they removed a piece of eyewear from the creature, which could detect magical auras and had a significant enhancement to sight.
         It was then that Asha discovered a mysterious rod in her pack. The origins of the rod were completely unknown to her, but then so was her identity, so that was no surprise. Adalai took the rod to study it while they doubled-timed it to Riverview. On their arrival, they discovered a long train of refugees from the area surrounding Treeside seeking entrance to Riverview.
         High up in the sky, Abassi spotted another dragonforged, but before they could do anything about it, it flew away. Gray used her military rank to gain entrance for herself and for Asha, who took the rod back from Adalai, with the intention of bringing Asha to her commanders.
         The commander seemed to recognize the rod, and informed Asha that he was confiscating the item. Asha was resigned to that fate and was on her way out when a large force of dragonforged attacked Riverview. Seeing the writing on the wall, the commander gave the rod back to Asha and gave Asha to Gray’s charge to protect and flee the city.
         Abassi and Adalai were eventually admitted and found themselves in a tavern where Abassi started asking around about what people knew about the dragonforged. He was in the midst of this when the attack came. Abassi managed to steal a horse and Adalai joined him on its back as they ran for the gate, but the dragonforged were already burning the city piece by piece.
         Gray caught up with them and together they fled to the sewers. On their escape, a human blacksmith named Miles helped to cover their escape and joined them below. After an encounter with a horde of rats, the group fled to the south, but while they were running the ground fell out from under them.
         After sliding down a steep incline, they found themselves surrounded by duergar. The duergar brought them before their leader, a barbazu devil they called the Great One. The barbazu went through their gear, eventually discovering Asha’s as yet unidentified rod. He orders the duergar and their mindless lemure pets to place the group into the prison ‘with the others.’
         The others were a mishmash of Yeonan patrols, including one captain and a paladin of Abdar, a good god of warriors. Eventually, the Great One ordered Asha be brought to him. When she was taken, she tried to trick them into bringing Tivor with her, but then they attacked the lion. To save his life, she pushed him back into the pit where they were being kept, an action which caused the lion to fall unconscious. Then, she was taken before the Great One.
         The prisoners got to talking, and when the rod came up, the paladin seemed to know what it was, but refused to divulge that information. Some of the political strain between the Yeonans and the Corvinians played into that, but an uneasy truce was met.
         Asha was brought before the Great One who asked her how she wound up with the rod. She told him the truth: She had no recollection. He then informed her that she would be his sacrifice and informed his men to kill the prisoners. Two duergar and a group of lemure went to drop vials of alchemist’s fire on the helpless prisoners and here our story continues….