FELMONT 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.