Craig's Crags, The Drunken Tale of a Deadly Adventure

notes from a DnD campaign I planned to run prior to this world being created. I have incorporated these events to my world, but not updated the notes. Eventually, I will write this story.

Craig’s Crags – A group of old adventurers sits at the front of the bar talking to the crowd in the bar; it’s an anniversary of sorts.

“It was this day, 50 years ago, that we escaped the crags! This day, we celebrate survival of those sitting here who survived. And we remember the one who gave his life to give his companions the chance to survive. To Craig! May his bravery ne’er be forgot!” And a toast goes up throughout the crowd.

They tell you the story of how Craig’s grandmother told a story of a Raptoren that had flown over The Crags, and discovered a cave, but was nearly burned to death by a huge ball of fire that erupted from the cave as he approached. The Raptoren barely made it back to a small village, where he collapsed by a young Dwarven girl, and told her of the cave, and then died.

The Dwarven girl spread the story, but few believed, but rumors spread anyway. Rumors spread, of a cave in the middle of the most deadly country, which no humanoid had ever adventured through, but somehow a rumor of vast treasure that could be found there rose up. A few tried, but no one made it very far before either dying or running away in terror from the beasts that inhabit The Crags.

Craig, the grandson of the young Dwarven girl, wanted to find the cave. He spent years training, and found a group of nine others who were willing to go with him: two clerics, a wizard, a sorcerer, a ranger, a paladin, and three other fighters. The ten of them trained for ten years. And when they thought they were ready they set out.

The clerics prepared every healing spell they knew, while the wizard and sorcerer prepared spells to fend off the hordes they would be facing, magical walls to keep the hordes at a distance while they slowly worked on killing a few at a time, and giving them time to rest through the nights and regain strength and health.

For two months they fought their way through The Crags. A good day consisted of 25 kills over the course of the entire day.

Finally they found the cave, and there, waiting for them was a beastly dragon. After attempting to fight it for several hours, they realized there was no hope.

One of the clerics had prepared Mass Sanctuary that day, and used it to give them a moment of breath from the dragon. They decided they had to run, but knew that someone had to keep the dragon occupied, Craig volunteered. He had gotten them into this mess, and he was going to do what he could to provide a way for them to get out. He stayed and fought as the others ran for their lives, trying to stay alive as the hordes of beasts chased them day and night. And with no way to rest to reprepare spells, they had to fight by hand, and hope they didn’t get hurt too badly.

After two days and one night, they managed to escape The Crags. As they did, a small army of dwarves was there to ensure safety of the rest of the country. The Dwarven army held their line against the beasts, and drove them back into The Crags.

The remaining nine rested, and were healed, and then went to the King to report on what happened. They asked the King to rename The Crags to Craig’s Crags in honor of their friend who gave their life so they could live.

After that adventure, the only adventure left for them was the great adventure of life itself.