Sub-prelate Ondun Rutsk has a problem….

Years ago, a small group of monastics under the leadership of “Brother Fydel” built a chapterhouse on the windswept hills outside of the village of Burchelm. The monks and the villagers had little to do with one another aside from the odd bit of trade and seeing the occasional brother walking across the highlands lost in prayer or contemplation. But three years ago, a traveler seeking refuge at the monastery found it closed, its gates bolted and its windows shuttered. Affiliated clergy in nearby communities were alerted, but an ill-timed plague and subsequent invasion of mountain giants from the northwest kept the region too occupied to follow up. Now, an enthusiastic new sub-prelate of the order has discovered the notes regarding the curious monastery and its closure from society, and has taken it upon himself to set aside a small sum of money to be paid to any to wish to venture to Burchelm to investigate. What’s more, the sub-prelate has also found some reports from Brother Fydel’s past appointments that are somewhat troubling…

With one kid about to leave for college in the fall and another coming home from college for the summer, we all decided it was a good time to launch a “home game” composed of my children and a couple of their friends. After a quick discussion of options, we settled on the perennial favorite D&D 5E, and I quickly put together a 1st-level adventure, “The Monastery in the Mists.” It’s a little trope-heavy (like a lot of my stuff) and more than a little influenced by some old radio dramas that I have been listening to lately, but the first session was pretty fun and I finally got to bust out some of the gaming accoutrements that I have been creating over the quarantine. I’m calling the new campaign “The Hides of Aestel.” I’ll see if this has any legs to it, and whether it can continue once the kids are off to school.