The Wild Men of Bisk Bay

While traveling, the adventurers come accross a man on horseback riding fast. He has with him a dead man on his horse. The man introduces himself as Beltrian and says that he must get his companion back to town to be raised before it is too late. However, Beltrian himself is badly wounded and falls into unconciousness before the adventurers. If the adventurers choose to take him back to town he is regognized upon the adventurers's arrival and several clerics rush to aide him and his fallen commrade. Beltrian regains conciousness soon after and his companion is raised. Beltrian says that he is a minor lord who was dispatched to investigate the heavy activity of Bugbears north, past the borders of this country. He found the Bugbears were active around Bisk Bay, several days north. On Bisk Bay dwell a group of 'wild men' who refrain from contact with the more civilized lands tot he south and are believed by most to be savages. Beltrian did not, however, manage to reach Bisk Bay before he and his companion were attacked by Bugbears. Although most people could care less about the Wild Men, Beltrian fears for their safety. He says that he cannot get any force from the King due to lack of interest in the Wild Mean. However, he wishes to attempt to locate the Wild Men and check on their safety as well as investigate the reason for the increased Bugbear activity. He says that he will be traveling north with another two companions of his who have agreed to help him on his quest. He wishes that the adventurers will aide him and says he will pay them handsomely for their aide.

If the PC's agree, Beltrian says they will leave as soon as his companions arrive. Two days later his two friends arrive and the party sets out north. On the journey north, the PC's observe that Beltrian is a very kind man and he does indeed seem to be a noble lord. He informs the PC's that he believes the Wild Men are not as savage as everybody believes. Beltrian seems born to lead, but is also quite reasonable and will hear out anything the PC's have to say. He is very open with them about himself and their mission. His two friends are a paldin and a mage who are known as Nelakar and Hodink, respectivly. Nelakar is very stoic and speaks little to anybody with the exception of Hodink with whoom the speaks much. He seems nice enough and his willing to help the PC's in anyway he can. He will answer any questions as best he can, but rarely gives away his own opinion. Hodink is more inquisitive, questioning the PC's frequently. His knowledge is great as he seems to know something about every subject the PC's bring up. He rarely answers any questions the PC's might have, especially about hiself. Beltrian frequently consults with Hodink about their journey and course of action.

As they travel north they are frequently accosted by wandering troups of Bugbears. The party must remain vigilant as they are attacked many time, both night and daytime. Whever they are attacked, Hodink seems to know beforehand and the party is always ready. Beltrian is skilled with both ranged and melle weapons, Nelakar fights with great skill at close quarters. Hodink generally uses magic on the Bugbears as they approach and then tends to withdraw more as they get close, though he will still engage them if forced. He sometimes casts a spell when the battle is tough that causes several of the Bugbears to flee with terror. Nelakar heals as many of the party as he can after battle.

As the party reaches the shore of Bisk Bay they find the simple huts of the Wild Men abandoned and the village sacked. They find a Wild Man hiding in the village, who introduces himself as Quey. Quey tells the party that the Bugbears have destroyed his village and what is left of his people have fled west towards the very dabgerous Great Blue Forest which is occupied by Dark Elves. He says that his people had always posessed 3 magical stones known as Moonstones that protected their lands. These stones, in conjunction, had prevented all non-humans from entering the area, thus protecting the Wild Men from the various beasts and vile creatures of the wild north. Quey says that two days before the Bugbears laid waste to the village, a man arrived claiming he wished to learn the ways of the Wild Men. He was humble and gave many gifts to the village elders. But it was all a trick, as the man made off with two of the stones and left the Wild Men unprotected. As they have had magical protection for as long as they can remember, they Wild Men have few warrior and were easily overrun by the Bugbears. Quey says that it was odd that the Bugbears would attack so soon after the loss of the stones as they live further to the north and never approach the lands of the Wild Men, knowing they cannot enter. Beltrian says that he will find the stones and resque the fleeing Wild Men. Quey then gives the final of the Moonstones to Beltrian in hopes that the party might save his people. Beltrian directs the party west in an attempt to find the refugees of the village and find the man who stole the Moonstones.

The next day after leaving the village an owl lands on Hodink's shoulder as the party is travelling. He stares at it for a while and then it flies off again. Hodink then has a whispered conversation with Beltrian. Beltrian informs the PC's that the owl was Hodink's familiar and that it is always flying ahead to scout and giving advance warning of the area ahead. The owl has spotted a group of Bugbears camped out, seeming unaware of their approach. The party sneaks up on the Bugbears and kills them, but Nelakar is able to subdue one and tie it up. Hodink then places a charm on it. It becomes magically compelled to talk and infors them that the Bugbears as a group were hired by three men. These three men had told the Bugbears they could attack the village of the Wild Men without fear of magic on a specific day. This attack would allow the men to escape freely witht the Moonstones. One of the men matches the description of the man who stole the two Moonstones from the village. However, the Bugbear says that the man who stole the stones convinced the Bugbears to turn agaist the other two and that they were forced to flee west to the Great Blue Forest. That man is supposedly directing the Bugbear chase of the Wild Men and hsi two former chohorts. Beltrian has the party continue west at all speed. They encounter several more bands of Bugbears and engage in many battles. This area is so full of Bugbears that the party has to constantly change course or hide as per Hodink's instructions to avoid as many of the Bugbears as possible.

After a few days of travel the party reaches the edge of the Great Blue Forest. Hodink's Owl appears again and guides them a short way into the forest where they come across the bodies of two men filled with arrows. Hodink idntifies the arrows as Dark Elf arrows. Upon searching the bodies, one of the Moonstones is found. However, before the party can depart several Dark Elves emerge from deeper in the forest. The Dark Elves approach slowly as if to speak with the party. Beltrian, Nelakar, and Hodink stride out to meet them and Hodink begins to speak with them in their own language and the elves make no moves of hostility. In the middle of the banter the elves pull put daggers and stab Beltrian, Hodink, and Nelakar without warning. They quickly fall down, shaking violently. The elves engage the PC's in battle and once the elves are defeated, Nelakar begins to stand shakily. He bends over Beltrian and Hodink, healing them. Once he has finished, he falls to the ground. He sits up and manages to heal himself but seems unsatisfied. Nelakar then turns to the PC's and mumbles something about poision and sleeping for five days. Then he says to get out of the forest and carry the three of them and looks to say more but he falls unconcious. Once out of the forest, the PC's spot a large group of people in the distance. They then see Hodink's owl swoop off towards them. The group turns out to be the refugees of the Wild Men village who are very welcoming to the PC's once they show the two Moonstones they carry. The refugees are exhausted and many are injured, they say that there are Bugbears in all directions but they dare not go into the forest. The Wild Men elders say that they need all three Moonstones in order for the magic to work. They ask that the PC's go northeast from their present location which is where the elders believe the man with the final Moonstone is. The Wild Men offer to care for Beltrian, Nelakar, and Hodink while the PC's search.

The PC's travel a few days northeast before they come across a band of Bugbears along with the a man who seems to be commanding them. Once the band of Bugbears is defeated the man draws his weapons and boasts that he can destroy them all. Once the man is defeated the Moonstone is recovered from his body. Upon return to the refugee camp of the Wild Men the PC's notice that Beltrian, Nelakar and Hodink are all concious and inform them that the Bugbears seem to be in chaos without direction and are figting amongst themselves. The party acompanies the Wild Men back to their village where the Moonstones are set in place and the magical barrier is established again. Hodink and Nelakar say that they will remain behind to help clear out the Bugbears that do remain inside the magical barrier. They bid the PC's farewell and tell Beltrian they will see him soon. Beltrian accompanies the PC's back to the town where they started their quest and invites them all too feast with him and the King that night. The King seems uninteredsted in the story of the Wild Men, calling them savages. However, Beltrian congragulates them on a job well done and gives them their handsome reward. He says they may visit him anytime at the court.