Graakhalia AC 1004
by Gilles LeblancFELMONT 19, AC 1004: Hule Agents Discover Graakhalia
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: A group of 4 thieves/scouts from the forces of Hule were sent to investigate reports from creatures living in the Plains of Fire. Their mission is one of reconnaissance and not one of combat. The group searching throughout the Plains of Fire find a crack in the earth. Following it they eventually find caves leading to Graakhalia. At first the scouts think they have stumbled on a Gnoll settlement but are soon surprised to see elves mingle among them.
What This Means: The Master of Hule is preparing is invasion of Sind. Early scouts reported by followed by unknown humanoid creatures at night ( elves spying on travellers ). The group while remain a bit in Graakhalia and then return back to Hule.
What The PCs Can Do: If the PCs are Graakhalians, they can find the scouts who of course will try and pass themselves as normal travellers. After some brief contact the scouts will excuse themselves and pretend to continue their journey while in truth head back home. If the PCs kill the scouts have Hule send more without the PCs knowledge. If they are Huleans they can be part of the scouting party.
FELMONT 21, AC 1004: Hule Agents Discover Graakhalia
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: The group of Hule scouts makes contact with some Graakhalians and try to learn as much as they can about their culture. They appear non-threatening and after 2 days leave Graakhalia.
What This Means: The scouts will now return to Hule where the master will plot to have humanoids from the Black mountains attack Graakhalia. He will convince the humanoids that rich plunder can easily be had by ransacking Graakhalia. He will convince the humanoids that Graakhalians gnolls are prospering in Graakhalia while they leave their cousins in the Black Mountains suffer from poor living conditions. Many humanoids will start thinking they should have a part of the riches ( greatly exaggerated by the Master ) of Graakhalia.
What The PCs Can Do: If the PCs are Graakhalians, they can meet the travellers. If they are Huleans they can be part of the scouting party and try to learn as much as they can about Graakhalian society. Spying on a nearby village, stealing possessions, etc.
AMBYRMONT 26, AC 1004: First humanoids raiders attack Graakhalia
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: The first raiding parties of the humanoid army is reaching Graakhalia, humanoids begin pouring in through cracks and caves. At first the Graakhalians are doing well in repulsing these invaders but it soon becomes apparent that the flow of humanoids is far from being stopped. The first attackers are mostly goblins and hobgoblins.
What This Means: These raiding parties are only the wave of attack. Many of the attackers will in fact leave the battle and report back to their supervisors; orcs and bugbears. At first villages thought these were simple raids until raid after raid followed and news of other villages came that they were under attack.
What The PCs Can Do: The PCs can do several things here. Including fighting off humanoids, sending messages back to other villages requesting help, only to find those village under attack as well. PCs could also be sent to the surface to assert the humanoid threat and report to the Graakhalian's leaders the strength of the enemies.
SVIFTMONT 3, AC 1004: Humanoids forces attack Graakhalia en masse
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: The main army of the humanoids, which consists of orcs, ogres, kobolds, goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls and bugbears has arrived on the Plains of Fire and are starting to enter the earth trough any opening available. The Graakhalians since the attacks have barricaded and trapped most of these. Many Graakhalians archers, both gnolls and elves, are well hidden and waiting for the invaders. Unfortunately for the Graakhalians, the humanoid forces outnumbers the whole population of Graakhalia, children and elderly included. All in all, counting the first raids and the very last reinforcements which will arrive next year, the humanoids will have sent about 30 000 warriors to the Plains of Fire.
What This Means: The Graakhalian army is overwhelmed, although it has precious knowledge of the dangerous terrain and powerful elven magics, the defenders are soon tired and then over-run. The Graakhalians are fighting a loosing fight. Their current hope is that they will have an advantage over the humanoids in the deeper and more settled caverns of Graakhalia.
What The PCs Can Do: The PCs can man the barricade or even launch attacks on humanoids camp on the ground. Fighters could serve as soldiers, clerics could heal the wounded and thieves could be spies or prepare ambushes. Other parties might also escort villages fleeing the village near to opening towards the safer cities in the caves situated a little deeper. These PCs could encounter humanoids which have broken through defences and are trying to kill villagers or plunder villages. The PCs could also help plan defences and fortify the lower caves.
SVIFTMONT 17, AC 1004: Humanoids establish footholds
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: Humanoids have established footholds in the villages closest to the openings. These villages are now serving as bases for the humanoids. They have already begun to amass supplies and weapons gained through warfare and trading and supplies brought from the outside world. The humanoids continue to lay siege to the bigger cities.
What This Means: Graakhalia is falling. Some of it's village have already been taken and the others will soon be overrun also. The humanoids have access to fresh supplies and troops from the outside world whereas the Graakhalians must do with the little resources available in Graakhalia. Many Graakhalians leave Braatmok and head further down to Lahnkrahl where the traditional planting season takes place.
What The PCs Can Do: The PCs can help Graakhalians move further down the caverns. On the way they could encounter monsters which normally wouldn't have been disturbed this time of year. Alternatively the PCs could be sent the attack the new humanoids encampment.
SVIFTMONT 19, AC 1004: Cave Crickets invade humanoids
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: Some of the larger swarms of cave crickets some common during this season have begun to invade the new humanoid towns. Although the humanoids first see this as an abundant food source they soon find their own food stores which were left unprotected eaten by crickets. The crickets have even killed some agitated kobolds.
What This Means: This is a natural occurrence in the Vraskrahl season in Graakhalia. The humanoids are just not used to it.
EIRMONT 4, AC 1004: Graakhalians strike back
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: Graakhalians mount a counter offensive. Elven magic-users and gnollish shaman join the attack parties, which poisons their arrow. The Graakhalians collect poisonous wildlife along the way, which they plan to use to contaminate the humanoids food and water supply. At first things seem to be going well for the Graakhalians and some even manage to get back a village, but reinforcements from the grounds, including many strong ogres and bugbears, quickly decimate the offensive.
What This Means: This is the first major counter-offensive mounted by the Graakhalians. It's failure will have strongly weakened the Graakhalians as most of their warriors are dead. In the following weeks the humanoids will be able to take all of Graakhalia.
What The PCs Can Do: The PCs be part of the offensive and try to do as much damage as they can. It should be clear at some point tough that they are never going to succeed and should retreat.
KALDMONT 5, AC 1004: Humanoids take upper levels
Location: Graakhalia, Plains of Fire. OW
Description: The humanoids have taken all the upper levels of Graakhalia. Most of the surviving Graakhalian population are the young, the elderly and the sick; those who could not fight. While some Graakhalians are staying in lower levels, most of the population moves deeper into the ground into territories hitherto unexplored.
What This Means: The Graakhalians are having are hard time. Apart from the humanoids invaders they are beginning to suffer from starvation. They know that they will in a few months leave these lower caves for the higher ones as the seasons changes. All Graakhalians know they won't be able to do so with the humanoids. All but the most stubborn, who wish to stay on Graakhalian soil or defend it to the death, stay behind. Most Graakhalians embark on a dangerous trip where they will have to face new dangers and relearn their way of life.
What The PCs Can Do: The PCs could help the Graakhalians with the evacuation, while moving these weaker Graakhalians into the lower levels, the PCs should face off attacks by native wildlife, new monsters unknown to the Graakhalians. The PCs could also hold the fort and try to delay the pursuing humanoids by blocking and/or defending the tunnels leading deeper into the Mystara. Other PCs could attack humanoids settlement. If the PCs are not Graakhalians they may see that the end has come. They could decide to leave Graakhalia, to leave by the way the humanoids entered they should have a hard time. This method of leaving will require brute strength, cunning, magic and thieving skills as the adventurers will have to pass by the humanoids. They could also hear of another way from the Graakhalians. The irrigation tunnels the elves are creating to drain the waters of Sind and use them. They could emerge in Sind after some encounters with cave wildlife and maybe some advanced humanoids positions.