Red Wizard Gambit: The Fall of the Standing Stones & Flight to the Earth Motes

What began as a desperate attempt to unravel the schemes of the Red Wizards of Thay quickly spiraled into a nightmare. Outmatched and surrounded by a deadly coalition of enemies, our heroes found themselves fleeing from a relentless Red Wizard strike force, a ravenous xorn, and an otherworldly Ri’all whose motives remain shrouded in mystery. In the chaos, one of their own paid the price.

Ezzik was captured.

Broken, exhausted, and carrying the weight of failure, the franchise returned to town to face the consequences.

For Whisper, the drow Gloom Stalker who walks Faerûn disguised as a high elf, the defeat reopened old wounds. The same Red Wizard known as Alyis had once destroyed his settlement and slaughtered his family. Every escape by Thay is another injustice left unanswered. His quest for vengeance has never felt so personal.

The burden weighed heavily upon Zorri, who sought guidance from the spirits, searching for meaning in the party’s failure. But the spirits offered no easy answers. The townsfolk now understood the scope of the threat facing them, and the reality became impossible to ignore: the Red Wizards were winning.

Yet hope arrived from an unexpected source.

A spy returned with vital intelligence. Ezzik still lived, imprisoned somewhere among the mysterious floating Earth Motes. Against staggering odds, the party resolved to mount a rescue.

Leading the charge is Elias Runebow, the Arcane Archer and legendary archivist. Once a hunter of magical artifacts for Thay itself, Elias knows the ambitions of Red Wizards better than most. Having served Alyis in years past, he carries secrets that make him uniquely qualified to navigate the dangers ahead. His knowledge could be the key to finding Ezzik… or the reason the Red Wizards want the party dead.

Beside him rides Ploeim, servant of Oghma and unlikely cleric-criminal. Accompanied by his faithful mule Quixote, Ploeim continues to prove that wisdom can emerge from the strangest corners of the Realms. As knowledge and faith collide with the ambitions of Thay, even Oghma’s teachings may be tested.

The battle at the Standing Stones ended in disaster.

Hovering on the edge of every conversation is Malefort, the elegant and dangerously ambitious warlock. A nobleman of the Bejewelled Conclave, Malefort is never quite as altruistic as he appears. Armed with eldritch power and a taste for luxury, the foppish aristocrat walks a careful line between ally and opportunist. One cannot help but wonder what secrets he hopes to uncover among the Earth Motes… and what bargains he might make to obtain them.

Then there is Ms. Susan, granddaughter of Death itself. Part rogue, part sorcerer, part fighter, she defies easy categorization. Her unusual heritage places her between worlds, and her custom sage training has given her insight into mysteries others would never dare investigate. As darker powers gather around the Red Wizards’ schemes, Susan’s connection to mortality may prove more important than anyone realizes.

And of course, there’s Maldurson, whose courage continues to carry him into increasingly dangerous situations despite every indication that survival would be the wiser choice.

With their destination identified, the franchise took to the skies aboard a flying vessel, setting course for the floating Earth Motes and the prison holding Ezzik.

They never made it there peacefully.

High above the world, amid clouds and ancient floating stone, disaster struck once more. A monstrous dread giant vulture descended from the heavens, joined by a savage manticore eager for blood. Claws, wings, and barbed tail spikes turned the rescue mission into a desperate aerial battle where one wrong step could send a hero plummeting to their doom.

As steel clashed, spells erupted, and arrows flew through the sky, the fate of Ezzik hung in the balance.

Can the franchise survive the journey?

Will they reach the Earth Motes before the Red Wizards enact their plans?

And what waits in the prison built by Alyis, a ghost from multiple heroes’ pasts?

The next chapter of the Red Wizard Gambit begins now.

⚔️ Prison Breaks.
🧙 Red Wizards of Thay.
🦅 Sky Battles.
💀 Family Vengeance.
📚 Ancient Secrets.
🎲 Chaotic Franchise Management.

Welcome back to High-Energy Nerd’s Acquisitions Incorporated: Red Wizard Gambit.

#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #AcquisitionsIncorporated #RedWizardGambit #ForgottenRealms #ActualPlay #HighEnergyNerd #TTRPG #RedWizardsOfThay #Faerun #ArcanaUnearthed #DnD5e #FantasyAdventure #TabletopRPG #Manticore #FloatingIslands #EarthMotes

Characters

Brett –Elias Runebow – Neutral Good – Human – Fighter – Arcane Archer – Archivist – Hunted artefacts for Thay – worked for Alyis
Brian – Ploeim – Human – Cleric – Criminal – Oghma – Mule named Quixote
Bryan – Malefort – Neutral Evil – Human – Warlock – Vestige – member of the Bejewelled Conclave – nobleman – foppish
Cody – Maldurson –
David – Ms Susan – Neutral – Human – Rouge / Sorcerer / Fighter – Custom Sage – Grand daughter of Death
Ivan – Whisper – Chaotic Good – Drow (Disguise Self as High Elf) – Ranger – Gloom Stalker – Settlers & Family killed by Alyis

RIP

Cody – Maldur – Lawful Good – Cleric of Kelemvor – collect the Crown of Thorns from Szass Tam

Rules Questions

Q – Bless – Can you rule bless die every round of encounter? How long does Bless spell last?
Q – Advantage – Gloom stalker ranger wants advantage every time? Adjacent ally?