A motley crew consisting of a leaf, a dwarf, and a mercurial elf stumbles into the troubled town of Townington. Each member of this gang of misfits is driven by unique motivations which have temporarily aligned their paths in life, which have now converged on this beset town. Gilli, the dwarf craftsman looking for riches. Ephraim, the mysterious winged elf with an ominous looking raven. And a leaf.
Gilli, with Leaf and Ephraim in tow, stumble into the local tavern for working folk, hoping to find rumors of riches or well paying jobs. The rough and tumble bartender, eyeing the winged elf, the dwarf, and a leaf, demands a King's ransom for a single beer. Sensing they are not welcome, the motley crew jaunts across town to the more well-to-do tavern, where they hear tell of children missing in recent weeks. The conversation in the tavern is cut short by a series of screams. Following the sound of the screams, the team happen upon a crime scene whereby the daughter of a local was kidnapped by a dark shadow emenating death. Leaf spots a blood trail leading into the woods and up to the creepy and supposedly abandoned house on the nearby hill. Gilli presses the distraught townfolk for a hefty sum of money for help, but the poor town can afford very little in the way of reward. Ephraim and Gilli prepare to leave the town to their fate, when Leaf refuses to abandon the town - sensing a great evil presence disrupting the natural balance that must be restored, and convinces the rest of the team to join him.
Leading the way, Gilli enters into the cellar of the creepy house, and is immediately overwhelmed by the stench of rotting flesh and is suddenly accosted by a pair of undead Owlbears. Letting out a terrifying shriek, the owlbears charge into combat and attack Gilli. Terrified witless, Ephraim runs far away from the creepy keep and into the woods. Leaf summons a protective tree that protects Gilli from harm, and forms furious winds and lightning swirling through the room - shocking the owlbears. Unphased, the owlbears attempt to OHKO Gilli, who manages to remain alive through the combined defenses of their shield and the conjured tree. Leaf manages to use the swirling wind to infuse Gilli with a bit of health to keep them alive just a little longer - but all seems lost as the owlbears continue to pummel Gilli.
Just in the nick of time, Ephraim runs into the room and fires a phase bolt that passes through the oblivious Gilli and crumples the first owlbear to the ground. Relieved of having to fend off two owlbears at once, Gilli caves in the undead husk of the second owlbear.
Not sure what they have just got themselves into - the team take a moment to patch eachother up and refocus before moving on.
Pressed for time, in an attempt to save the townsman's daughter and purge this area of destabilizing evil, the team push on further into the basement of the keep. After moving down the hall, they pass a door to the left, but decide to ignore silly distractions and move toward where the girl was obviously taken to. They eventually hear ritual chanting coming from down a stairwell, but first unsuccessfully attempt to open a secret door on the way. Giving up on the door, Ephraim notices that the chanting seems to be a ritual sacrifice chant, and points out that the townsman's daughter is likely about to be sacrificed. The team prepares to enter the closed door and confront what lays beyond.