Croak and Dagger
Croak and Dagger is a collection of the coolest, oddest, most inappropriate heroes the realm could ask for. Started some time post Age of Heroes by former adventurer Craig Firebrand, Croak and Dagger started out taking every day odd jobs from apple-picking to pizza delivery, and have moved up to demon slaying and cult extermination. This motley crew of misfits were the first recognized adventuring party since the Sankofa Accord.
Its current members include:
- Clymene
- Omerók
- Andol the Magnificent
- Maribelle Blackpyre
- Aiden Thorin
- Aileen
- Craig Firebrand
- Hildr Firebrand
- Skulk Greymind
- Sayrax
Former or deceased members include:
The Adventures
A chronicle of all of Croak and Dagger's adventures.
Heroes for Hire
...and so the page turns to a new tale. With adventure just on the horizon, five individuals from across the realm answer the call of renowned adventurer, Craig Firebrand. After the Sankofa Tragedy, adventuring parties were banned and in their place new factions of power fight for control in their absence. Craig looks to defy the world powers that forsook heroes and show them how much the world needs its heroes. Five adventurers, five stories, one purpose. Adventure is calling...
Bad Apples
The soon to be founders of Croak and Dagger met on the docks of the capitol of the Human Kingdom, Meadowcraft. K'jalis, Clymene, Omerok, Barbatos, and Robyn all gathered at the address provided on the bottom of a crumpled piece of parchment paper with a poor illustration of one, Craig Firebrand. They were a little underwhelmed to see that Craig has been forced to rent out a room at a local fishery as his base of operations. Nobody said starting an adventuring party was going to be easy. During the meeting, a well-dressed, very well-groomed knight is in the midst of scolding Craig, before leaving with a huff. Craig reveaed the knight to be Roland Castille, an officer in the human military and the son of Edgar Castille, Craig's old adventuring buddy. Craig introduced the group to Quoruk and Dennis, a rough looking Aarakocra and a Firbolg in need of a bath, who helped Craig secure the room at the fishery. The daring, high-octane adventuring party that Craig promised is only eight people strong. Craig promised the five recruits that if they stuck around long enough, run enough dirty, gritty jobs, that their labors would be very well rewarded. They just had to trust Craig and his process. This is when their first contract comes in from the small autumnal town of Oakvale.
Mayor Tobias Fillmore greeted Croak and Dagger outside the town hall and explained to them that Oakvale has a yearly Cider Festival that brings in tourists and gold that keeps Oakvale afloat for the frigid winter season. More than that, it's an Oakvale tradition to have sweet, freshly-pressed apple cider made readily available. Newton Tell, the only cider maker in Oakvale, hasn't been seen in days and nobody has had the time to check on him. Mayor Fillmore feared the worst and sent Croak and Dagger to check on Newton Tell and bring back at least six casks of his delicious cider. On their way to the orchard, Croak and Dagger are intercepted by a group of no-good bandits that had just come down from the orchard in a hurry. Rather than explain themselves like good law-abiding individuals, they ordered Croak and Dagger to relinquish their weapons and they'll be allowed to past. Not seeing this as a legitimate business practice, Croak and Dagger decided to relinquish their weapons into the skulls of the bandits. The two surviving bandits, the leader and his recently vine-wrapped associate, immediately surrendered and thre down their weapons. Croak and Dagger let the associate go with a harsh warning, but question the bandit leader. The leader explained that he and his men were hired to rough up Newton Tell on account of the debt he owed. When they arrived however, the orchard came to life and attacked them. Croak and Dagger decided to explore the orchard and bring the bandit leader along, promising to free him once they completed their contract to Oakvale.
At the main entrance of the orchard, Croak and Dagger were immediately attacked by possessed strawmen with a fear of fire. Things inside the eerie orchard weren't much different. The trees came to life and attacked them as well. The Awakened Trees proved to be formidable foes as they battered Robyn and broke his leg with one good slam. After handling the trees, Croak and Dagger were able to proceed to Newton's cottage where they found ingredients for making cider, and a few possessed apples that gnashed at them with razor-sharp teeth. Amongst Newton's possessions was a strange drawing of a large black figure covered in shadows with "the Black Blade" scribbled all over the back of the paper. It seemed whoever this Black Blade was might have had something to do with the hauntings and possessions at the orchard. Assisted by the ghost of Newton Tell, Croak and Dagger brewed more than enough sweet cider to fulfill the contract. With the cider in tow, Croak and Dagger gave Newton Tell a proper burial and released the bandit leader as promised. Back at Oakvale, Croak and Dagger celebrated with the townsfolk and drank pints of sickly sweet apple cider. During the celebrations, Clymene bumped into a large Fallen Aasimar with a thing for black attire and black makeup. She looked eerily familiar...
Bleeting Around the Bush
After successfully completing their very first adventuring contract, Croak and Dagger received another one in the form of a strange goat knocking at their door. Omerók used his Druidic abilities to speak with the goat who revealed itself to be Finethir Shinebright, a self-proclaimed Master Polymorpher whose student stole his wand and turned him into a goat. Fearing that his student had gone mad with jealous power, Finethir tasked Croak and Dagger with finding the wand and returning Finethir back to normal. Before they could leave Meadowcraft for Finethir's school in the woods, they were stopped by Ugo, a large Orc hired to find Finethir and bring him back to the school. Seeing that only the worst awaited Finethir if he was taken, Croak and Dagger did the only reasonable thing when faced with an Orc and his attack dogs. They called the city guard and had the Orc arrested.
Upon arriving at Finethir's makeshift wizard school, (WIP)
Dhor' Dash
Croak and Dagger's third contract came from a pizza shop owner in the Dwarvish town of Dhormire by the name of Oroku Saki. The middle-aged Kobold explained that every other day he received a delivery order for six pizzas, and every delivery they refused to pay and recently rough up one of his delivery boys. Oroku has since refused to deliver pizza to the address, but wanted the outstanding debt settled by any means necessary. Croak and Dagger went to the address and were perplexed to see it was the entrance of the sewers. They navigated the foul smelling sewers and found a large sealed door that led to a hideout beneath Dhormire. There Croak and Dagger met the debt-accruing culprits, four Tortle brothers dressed in blue, red, orange, and purple ninja garb. A fight ensued and the Tortle brothers proved to be quite agile and adept at avoiding Croak and Dagger's strikes while preventing them from entering their home. It was revealed that the Tortle brothers had kept a hostage underneath their home, a red-headed Dwarf named Lydia Redfort whom they insisted on calling "April". Once freed, Lydia ended the fight with one well-placed Eldritch Blast that disintegrated the head of the orange Tortle brother, scaring the rest into surrendering. The debt had been collected, and a damsel was saved. The eldest Tortle brother swore this wouldn't be the last that Croak and Dagger saw of them. He would avenge his brother's death...