Dragons of Autumn

 

with

Zentharious the White

Zentharious, once of Silvanesti, arrived in Solace in the spring of 321 AC. With him came crates of books and scrolls—tools for the small but noble goal of establishing a library and spreading knowledge among the townsfolk. He also brought a wailing infant of remarkable size, whom he called Grendel.

In time, Zentharious earned the respect of Solace’s mostly human citizens, and Grendel—half-ogre and wholly devoted—grew into a thoughtful and well-regarded young man. Together, they made a quiet life of study, reflection, and service.

But the world was growing colder, dimmer. With darkness rising, Zen—so called by his friends—joined a band of trusted companions on a quest across Ansalon. Their goal: to seek any remaining trace of the old gods. Where others saw only ruin and silence, Zen held fast to hope—convinced that somewhere in the shadows, a spark still waited to be found.

  Grendel

Grendel, adopted son of Zentharious, grew up in relative peace beneath the vallenwood trees of Solace. Yet his half-ogre blood ran hot and wild, and the quiet rhythms of village life often left him feeling caged. When the pressure of polite society grew too great, he would retreat into the surrounding woods, seeking the solitude only nature could offer.

In those deep and shadowed glades, Grendel found not just peace, but purpose. He learned the ways of the wild—tracking game, reading signs in bark and soil, and listening to the voice of the forest. There, among the trees, he honed his skill in woodcraft and lore.

It was also in the wild that he met an unlikely companion: a mischievous raccoon whose antics never failed to draw a rare, rumbling laugh from the usually stoic half-ogre. The two became inseparable, bound not by words, but by quiet understanding and shared freedom.

"Ser" Reginald Whispermouse IV

"Ser" Reginald Whispermouse IV, known to his friends simply as Mouse, grew up wandering the wilds of Abanasinia with his Kender family, a lively band swept up in the joy of endless exploration. But it was in the treetop town of Solace that Mouse first felt something unexpected: home.

Amid the branches and bustle, Mouse heard tales of the Knights of Solamnia, noble protectors who were sworn to defend the weak and uphold justice. Their stories stirred something in him. He had seen enough hardship on the road to know that the world needed more protectors. The vows and pomp didn’t interest him much; they seemed overly serious. But the spirit of the thing? That he could get behind.

So Mouse took up the title “Ser” for himself. No one had knighted him, of course, but he didn't let that stop him.

Now, Mouse stands as a stalwart companion, a fierce warrior, and a valiant defender of those he calls family. With mischief in his eyes and courage in his heart, he charges headlong into danger not for glory, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Cassia of the Kagonesti

Cassia of the Kagonesti is a druid whose quiet strength and deep bond with nature have made her a guardian of the wilds surrounding Solace. Born among the wild elves of Southern Ergoth, Cassia lived close to the land, steeped in the ancient traditions of her people.

That peace was shattered when the Silvanesti laid claim to Kagonesti territory. While many of her kin prepared for resistance, Cassia chose a different path. Rather than spill blood in a war she believed would never end, she set out alone to seek a new beginning.

Her journey led her across forests and plains, until she arrived in the heart of Abanasinia, where the mighty vallenwood trees stood like ancient sentinels above the land. Their quiet power called to her. Cassia knew she had found the place she was meant to protect.

In time, she grew to love Solace, not just for the trees, but for the people who lived among them. To her own surprise, she even formed a close friendship with Zentharious, a Silvanesti mage whose compassion and curiosity set him apart from the pride of his kin.

For decades now, Cassia has walked the woods around Solace as a silent protector, tending to the health of the forest, guarding the vallenwoods, and standing watch over the community that has become her home.

NPC Companions

Zorniphoperil“Zorn” Brackenthall Whistlethorpe Sprockenvindle Gearwright Thalricsson IV

The town’s eccentric gnome inventor, Zorn ran a cluttered workshop beneath the Inn of the Last Home. Known for his wild ideas and inventive spirit, he was a trusted friend and ally to the adventurers, often providing strange but useful devices for their quests. Well-liked by locals, his workshop was a small hub of curiosity filled with ticking gears and half-finished contraptions.

Lucky

Zorn's loyal Clank servant, Lucky was a dependable construct with a dry wit and uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. He assisted in the workshop and on expeditions, serving as protector and steady companion. Though mechanical, Lucky was a familiar and quietly respected presence in Solace.

Chapter One:  Despair

Part One:  Solace

Session 1a Recap

After five long years scouring Ansalon for even a whisper of divine truth, Zentharious the White—elven sage and seeker of the old gods—returned to Solace, empty-handed in his quest but not unchanged. During his travels, Zen had taken the fabled Test of High Sorcery, emerging not only alive, but recognized for his devotion to order and balance. In reward, he was entrusted with the Staff of Arkadius, a relic of law and clarity said to shine brightest in times of chaos.

At his side trudged Grendel, his loyal half-ogre ward. He too had found something sacred: deep in a forgotten tomb, he unearthed the long-lost blade of a famed Solamnic Knight. The sword, known as Brightsteel, once symbolized honor in a fallen age. Now it rested in the hands of a new champion, its gleam renewed by purpose.

Together, they had witnessed the worst the world had to offer: false prophets, broken temples, powerless relics, and prayers swallowed by silence. If the gods had ever watched over Krynn, they no longer did.

As the pair descended the familiar wooded slopes toward Solace, trouble found them first. A band of hobgoblins—poorly armed but full of bravado—stepped from the trees to block the path. Their leader, a grotesquely smug brute astride an overburdened pony, demanded to search their belongings. Pressed under Zen’s sharp tongue, he revealed their target: a blue crystal staff.

Zentharious, weary in both spirit and bone, wasted no time. A whispered spell sent three hobgoblins tumbling into enchanted slumber. But the rest surged forward, and Zen was dragged down beneath snarling blades and cruel laughter.

Grendel did not hesitate.

With a thunderous cry, he drew Brightsteel, its edge gleaming with remembered valor, and carved through the ambushers. Bloodied but alive, Zen rose in time to see the hobgoblin leader turn tail and flee. With a final gesture, he conjured a shard of ice that struck the coward in the back—not fatal, but enough to leave a scar.

Solace was close now—but no longer familiar.

A Seeker checkpoint had been raised at the edge of town, its guards stopping every traveler in search of that same mysterious staff. Though wary, Zen and Grendel allowed themselves to be searched and were granted entry into a town no longer their own.

The once-quiet tree-lined square had become a military encampment. Tents crowded the roots of the great vallenwoods. Hobgoblins in Seeker colors strutted through the streets, barking orders like they belonged.

Recognizing danger, the companions acted. While Zen wove distractions with prestidigitation, Grendel moved unseen, lifting a set of Seeker uniforms from a line strung between two trees.

Before seeking shelter, they turned toward a place of old comfort: the gnomework shop of their dear companion, Zorn the Gnome, who had once quested beside them with his sapient construct, Lucky—a marvel of gears and heart.

But what they found was devastation.

The shop lay in ruin.
Graffiti screamed HERETIC across its walls.
Zorn’s inventions were shattered. His life’s work, erased.
There was no sign of Zorn. No trace of Lucky.

Grief settled over them like fog.

There was only one place left to go.

And so, weary and wary, Zentharious the White and Grendel the Strong stepped beneath the boughs of the Inn of the Last Home—unsure what they would find inside.

But certain, now, that something had changed in Solace.

The gods may be gone—
But a storm was coming.