Madness at Gardmore Abbey -session 1

played: June 18

WinterHaven

'Have you returned from Gardmore Abbey?'

That's what they say in the Vale when someone starts acting strange. It's a byword for eccentricity, or madness. But no one returns from Gardmore Abbey nowadays.

How did that noble structure get such a reputation? Gardmore was one of the earliest settlements in the Vale, and the large monastery overlooking the town and Gardbury Downs was a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Dedicated to Bahamut,  Gardmore was the base of  a militant order of paladins that won great fame in Nerath’s distant crusades. As the story goes, the paladins brought a dark artefact back from the Infernal Bastion far to the south for safekeeping at the Abbey. Perhaps that artefact was the cause of the fall - who knows. Sinister forces gathered and Gardmore fell, and the ruins of the monastery have lain uninhabited for over one hundred and fifty years.

Until now.

Recently, orcs have been raiding merchants and travellers along the king's road near the abbey. People are saying that the orcs have taken over the ruins of the ancient monastery, and are raising an army to attack Winterhaven, or perhaps even Fallcrest.

-Lord Padriq

“Travelers on the King’s Road of late have been attacked by orcs,” Lord Padriq said. “The attacks mostly occur in the vicinity of the old ruins of Gardmore Abbey, so I suspect the orcs are using the ruins as a lair. If I could, I’d raise a militia to go root out the monsters, but the good folks here can’t see past the village walls. If it’s not a direct threat to Winterhaven , they don’t think it’s our problem. But the orc attacks affect merchants and traders coming here, so it is our concern, after all, and I need to deal with the monsters. To start, I’d like to hire you to scout the abbey and find out whether the orcs are lairing there. Come back and tell me what you find— as complete a picture of their lair and defenses as you can.”

We don't want your investigations to lead to the orcs improving their defences. We need to get an idea of the enemy numbers and positions, and we need it quickly. We don't want you to risk trying to deal with the problem yourselves at this stage. We are looking for reconnaissance, not a siege.'

'And as for the matter of the reward, while it is true that six hundred gold is no king's bounty, this is only the first stage in a larger project, for which you will be compensated 

Gardmore Abbey - first approach

You leave Winterhaven immediately, and begin the journey along the King’s Road to the Gardbury Downs. The Abbey is only 18 miles from Winterhaven as the crow flies, but the road winds through the hills and it takes all day just to reach the turning off to the Abbey. As you approach, you pass broken and burnt trade wagons, carcasses of dead horses, even dead travelers or merchants. Those wearing Heavy armor push themselves hard but by nightfall can take no more, and you set up a small camp off the King’s Road.

The following morning you wake and make a hearty breakfast  and proceed down the overgrown road that leads to the Gardmore Abbey. At about nine o’clock you hear the thundering of hooves behind you on the path and hide in the bushes as six horsemen charge down the lane towards the abbey. You take a look at them as they fly by, and recognise them as the elf mage/ dwarf cleric/ drow rogue/ half-orc barbarian/ human fighter adventuring party from Wrafton’s Inn yesterday morning. The half-orc is riding a huge war horse that towers over the other five animals, and the sixth horse is riderless, carrying instead many empty leather sacks.

They pass and you step back onto the road, following in their dusty trail. By late morning you reach the top of a low rise and see the defended ruins of Gardmore Abbey ahead of you, about a mile/twenty minutes away.

The overgrown path that leads from the King's Road ends in a gate flanked by squat, square towers. To either side of the gate stretches a curtain wall showing signs of its age, supported by occasional towers and buttresses. Above the wall, on the summit of the dramatic defended outcrop is the great mass of the ruined abbey.

To the left of the gate (south), the abbey's outer wall is draped with ivy, and the canopy of a thick forest is visible beyond. A tall watch- tower stands at the far left (south) end of the hill, marking the end of the curtain wall. This wall extends halfway around the hill, and nature has taken care of the rest. The hillside is so steep on the left side (west and south) that a military assault would be impossible, though a smaller force might be able to scale it.

You see no sign of the five riders. Smoke rising from the ruined buildings along the right (north) side of the hill behind the walls suggest that there is some life within, but you are too far away to see any figures guarding the defences.

Gardmore Abbey Main Gate

4 orc reavers

2 orc archers

1 Ogre