Rodania S2E01 Summary: Growfest Reckonings
Campaign: Restoration of Rodania
Date: Growfest, 995
Setting: Silver Keep to Frusenholm, on the edge of the reclaimed Duskwood frontier
Main Characters:
- Jornan Eastward – Halfling Paladin and Baron, seeking to reclaim his homeland and honor.
- Ciaranna Lyndis – Half-Elf bard and exiled heir of Erven, clever and composed.
- Darius Quarterling – Half-Halfling, Half-Dwarf Rogue and spymaster of Eastward.
- Eldrous Pith – High Elf necromancer, agent of the Ghoul Lord and keeper of arcane knowledge.
Episode 1 – Growfest Reckonings
As peace returns to Rodania following a catastrophic war with Agathania the White Broodmother, captured nobles are released from Silver Keep, a remote Dragonborn prison fortress. Among them are Baron Jornan Eastward and Ciaranna Lyndis, the exiled heir of Erven. The two had formed a bond during captivity, granted privileges like shared access to the keep’s library by their dignified warden, Jorvik. Their imprisonment was marked by respect and stability, yet undercut by the grim knowledge that both were presumed dead beyond the keep’s icy walls.
The episode opens with a flashback to Ciaranna's ambush and capture—her loyal guards slain by Dragonborn forces as she attempted to reach Silver Spire Keep. After her arrest, she adjusted to captivity with poise, building rapport with Jorvik and finding quiet comfort in routine. Jornan, similarly measured, had also found solace in the keep’s structure, despite mourning the loss of his ancestral blade and barony.
With the war officially ended through a multilateral treaty ratified by the Council of Wyrms, the Estellians, the Sumir, the Dwarves of Hammerdeep, and others, both captives are formally released with their effects returned—though Jornan’s heirloom weapon is missing. In recompense, he receives Frostbane, a magical longsword. Before departing, he swears a grim vow to spare three of Jorvik’s kin, even as he declares his intent to wage a personal war against those who destroyed his homeland.
Ciaranna and Jornan set off for Frusenholm, where they are to reunite with their remaining allies. As they leave the frostbitten walls of Silver Keep, they step not only into freedom but into a Rodania still fractured and ripe for conquest. With identities presumed dead and new alliances uncertain, their path toward reclaiming power and legacy begins anew.
Back in Frusenholm, Ciaranna and Jornan reunite with Darius Quarterling and Eldrous Pith. The party reflects on their year of imprisonment, delving into a tense debate over morality, honor, and politics. Jornan refuses to support the Estellians, holding them responsible for the fall of his people, while Ciaranna defends her alliance with them as her only path to reclaiming her throne. Despite clashing philosophies, they reach an understanding—each driven by different visions of justice and restoration.
Darius shares troubling intelligence from his spy network: the Trial Woods are controlled by remnants of Eastward’s former military and bandit forces; Elderhearth lies in ruin, now crawling with undead; and the Dragonborn still occupy Bogwood, ruling with cruelty. The undead plague is identified as the work of the Spawn of Kyuss—a horrific, worm-based affliction that spreads quickly and violates the Ghoul Lord’s strict tenets. Eldrous warns against any thought of harnessing such power, reinforcing the divine prohibition against necromantic exploitation.
The group debates strategy, protection, and personal roles. Ciaranna requests a bodyguard, fearing assassination; Jornan promises to seek one from among the clans. They join a caravan headed for the Moving Mountain Clan, where Jornan has deep personal ties. The group aims to build a base of operations and slowly reclaim their former lands, starting with allies from among the Goliath barbarians and Dwarven kin.
As the caravan approaches the mountains, old bonds are rekindled and new alliances begin to form. Though fractured and outnumbered, the companions press forward—each step a march toward vengeance, justice, and the restoration of Rodania.
Upon arriving at the Moving Mountain Clan’s encampment, Ciaranna experiences a surge of paranoia. She realizes that her magical amulet has allowed someone to scry on her, breaking the protection she unknowingly enjoyed while imprisoned in Silver Keep. With help from Eldrous, she undergoes a ritual of non-detection and begins planning her disguise—choosing to blend in physically rather than relying on illusion magic. Darius offers fashion advice and clothing from his spy network, and the group prepares a more secure identity for Ciaranna.
Meanwhile, Jornan is formally welcomed back by Allcaster, leader of the Moving Mountain Clan. He is presented with his ancestral totem and banner—symbols of the enduring alliance between their peoples. Though overwhelmed, he reaffirms his commitment to protect the Duskwood and fortify Eastward’s borders.
Darius meets with Gralden Stonehands, a respected Goliath elder, to negotiate future trade routes. Gralden confirms that while the roads are mostly safe, rumors of growing banditry persist. Supplies like salt, metal, and wood remain in high demand, and Darius promises to restore these trade flows through the Eastward estates.
As the party splits to make connections and plans, discussions turn toward reinforcements. The group arranges for the Moving Mountain Clan to send warriors to assist them in retaking the Barony. The Axebreaker Clan, a mercenary group with long-standing trade ties to Eastward, also remains a potential source of support.
By the end of the episode, the party has secured a foothold in the north and is preparing to reclaim their homeland. A new bodyguard is being selected for Ciaranna, warriors will march with Jornan, and the bonds of kinship and strategy deepen across the fractured frontier.
The party journeys east and returns to the long-abandoned estate of Baron Jornan Eastward. They are accompanied by warriors of the Moving Mountain Clan, led by Alcaster, who camp respectfully outside the ruins in deference to the many dead who once filled the grounds. The estate itself is a grim shadow of its former self—ravaged by elemental warfare and decay, its stonework and timber scavenged by survivors in the wake of the Dragonborn occupation.
Inside the estate, the party discovers an uncanny stillness. One section—the upper servants’ quarters—remains untouched by time or destruction. There, they encounter Olythrae, an Echoborn and greater fey presence. Her form is entwined in vines, moss, and fungal overgrowth, yet she speaks in riddles and portents rather than menace. Olythrae serves as a living mirror of the land’s condition—a being caught between ruin and renewal. Her cryptic visions warn of burdens to come and the cost of restoring what was lost.
Interpreting her presence as more than symbolic, the party debates what she means for their reclamation. They begin restoring the estate, discovering untouched remnants like the family table in the kitchen—still pristine, perhaps preserved by deeper powers.
That night, each party member suffers strange dreams involving moths and silk—visions laced with guilt, legacy, and fate. Darius, Ciaranna, and Jornan each experience personal illusions conjured by the enigmatic Mothkeeper. Though shaken, they wake to find the trees surrounding the manor coated in fine silk, and know the dreams were no accident. Something old and watching has taken notice of their return.
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