Last Updated: October 6, 2025
Rako the Kobold Rogue - who is a trap lover with a great reflex save and Thak the Bugbear Barbarian, polar opposites in size, 2'-9" and 48 lbs vs 7'-1" and 311 lbs, but best friends.
Rako and Thak's background.
Rako donated 45gp toward a wand of CLW.
Messi Zarod Frostblood Half-Orc Exoticist Fighter.
Chapter 1
While in the hamlet of Roccatorre, Rako and Thak stayed in the barn behind the blacksmith's shop. "Honey" the barn cat stared at them, and they stared at it.
Chapter 2
During the last battle in the Kobold Caves, Rako and Thak had been bit by several diseased dire rats. Upon their return, Chery, Rako, Thak and Vivian went to the Temple of Chauntea. Ingrid, the senior priestess and Vivian's mothe took a look at Rako's festering wounds. At that moment, a Rat scurried down the temple wall, stopped and spoke. It claimed to be an extra-planar being possessing the rat and was actually the guardian of the local forest. It had followed them back from the Kobold Caves. The 'entity' that is possessing the rat is a force of nature and of high power. It originates from the ethereal plane. These 'spirits' embody the will of the land and all creatures in it. It is a benevolent and protective of the region that spawned it and of the creatures therein. These entities are referred to as Spirits of the Woods. It confirmed that Rako had been infected by the bite, however, it then cured Rako of the dire rat disease. It claimed that Thak was not infected from the rat bites they got in the Kobold Caves. It told them that it would return to the forest, as the Hamlet already had its own protector.
That night, as Rako and Thak were settling down for the night amongst the hay in the barn, a diseased dire rat that had snuck into the barn, emerged and prepared to attack the duo. Before the pair could react, "Honey the Cat" seemed to grow in size, killed the dire rat with a quick bite to the back of its neck, then flung the dead corpse away. As it shrank back to normal size, "Honey the Cat" winked at them, before disappearing amongst the hay. Could this be the extra-planar being and Guardian Defender of the Hamlet of Roccatorre that the Spirit of the Woods had told them about?
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
As the Wanderers of the Wyld walked down a narrow passage made of black rock and filled with annoying talking shadows, Rako triggered a hidden net trap. Fortunately, Rako, Thak and Cherry managed to avoid the net, but as Cherry moved out of its way, she fell down into a 30-foot spiked pit trap, which took her several rounds to climb out of. By the time she had climbed out, the battle in the statue chamber was well underway. Unfortunately, Thak had bull rushed his way in, but was swarmed and surrounded by a dozen red splotched kobolds that had hit him again and again, even after he had fallen and died from their ferocious onslaught.
The statue chamber had a statue of each member of the Wanderers of the Wyld, except for Thak. Instead, there was a statue of an unkown half-orc. The Wanderers of the Wyld noticed that their companion Rako now had red splotches all over his scales and see him "grinning evilly". Rako claims he is still himself, but he keeps hearing voices inside his head, to "join your brother and sisters".
When Rako leaves the Wizard's old library, there is a flash of light, and he has a vision. Rako's red blotches are now gone. Instead, he now has a solid white circle on his forehead, a mark that indicates Rako is a favoured-one of his kobold diety.
In a prison chamber in the lower levels of the Wizard's tower, the Wanderers of the Wyld find a half-orc prisoner, that resembles the statue from the statue chamber. Once released, he introduces himself as Messi Zarod and tells his story. He pledges to aid the Wanderers of the Wyld in their quest to stop the Unholy Trinity. The Wanderers of the Wyld offer to give him one of the black derro suits of chainmail, but he declines, as protective scales grow all over his body.
The Wanderers of the Wyld were able to grab Thak's corpse and carry it out of the Kobold Caves, just before they collapsed in upon themselves. Thak was buried in the Hamlet of Roccatorre.
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Rako climbed the statue of Gruumsh behind the throne and pried out the giant red pretty garnet from its one-eye. Ellie used her dragon sight and detected strong necromantic magic radiating from it. Ellie touched it to divine what other abilities it might have, but could sense nothing to justify the dark aura coming from it. Later, during the stress of combat with the orcs in the lower levels of the citidel, both Rako and Ellie would be overcome with dread as they felt Gruumsh's all seeing eye bearing down upon their souls, preventing them from taking any new actions (cursed: 50% of not being able to take any new action each round).
Rako doing the dancing kobold schtick to distract the guards in the lower level and again to distract the guards in the lower lower lower level.
Messi Zarod, the frostblood half-orc exoticist fighter died after being surrounded by barbarian orcs boosted by Gruumsh in the lower lower lower levels of the citidel
Chapter 8
Krax, the male goblin warlock tells the Wanderers of the Wyld his tale
Chapter 9
The next day, after a good rest, and not having touched the Eye of Gruumsh recently, the curse on Rako and Ellie appears to have lifted.
Chapter 10
Rako was killed when a shambling mound in the potting shed in the underdark forest grabbed, smothered and crushed him.
Chapter 11
Kiitaren Donovan is a deputy of Ovesta who was sent to Red Fork.
Renfield Donovan is the husband of Kiitaren and is dead.
Goodwife Rebecca, an aged human female, cooks at the Sugar Apple and does midwife duties in the town.
She was the last person to see deputy Renfield alive.
Kiitaren said she had been sent to Redfork to investigate the late supply wagon. She met Casher Startwist, a gnome, on the road who went with her to Redfork. They found Redfork in the same condition as the Wanderers of the Wyld did, and traced the tracks to the underground garden. Casher and Kiitaren were attacked by Bugbears, Kiitaren was captured, but Casher escaped from the Bugbears by suddenly disappearing. Unfortunately, Casher's corpse was later found in one of the cultivated gardens.
Chapter 12
The purple crystal in the Bugbear Chieftan's chamber pulsated in the ceiling, bathing the room in an erie violet light. The light was no doubt boosting the bugbears, making them stronger than normal. Cherry dropped "Noir" and her shield to the ground, as she drew "Icewind". As Cherry moved to engage the Bugbear Chief, she yelled at KRAX to take "Noir" and to use his "spider" invocation to crawl to the purple crystal and smash it with "Noir". Krax crawled back down the wall, grabbed "Noir" and crawled back up the wall and along the ceiling. When Krax reached the purple crystal, he plunged "Noir's" indestructable blade and shattered half the crystal, turning off the glow to half the chamber. In the battle below, Cherry and Dashiva had dispatched the Bugbear Chieftan and the remaining bugbears had surrendered. Krax took the moment to destroy the last of the crystal, ending its purple pulsating glow.
Chapter 13
Total Treasure