Coldeven 1st, 591 CY

Aranthor, an elf druid, Flaxia, a human ranger, and Quisaadi, a human druid, are eager to make a name for themselves. The legend of the Sunless Citadel is well known locally, and stories indicate it is a perfect site for heroes intent on discovery, glory, and treasure! They reach the community closest to the dungeon, a small town called Oakhurst.

This is where they met Arton, a human wizard, who was looking to contract a group of heroes for a job. Another party of adventurers, locally based, delved into the Sunless Citadel a month past. They were never seen again. Two human members of that ill-fated adventuring party were brother and sister, Talgen Hucrele (a fighter) and Sharwyn Hucrele (a wizard). They were part of an important merchant family based in the town of Oakhurst. Kerowyn Hucrele, the matriarch of the family, offers salvage rights to Arton and his team if they can find and return with the lost members of her family - or at least return with the gold signet rings worn by the missing brother and sister. She also offers a reward of 125 gp per signet ring, per team member. If Arton and his team bring back the Hucreles in good shape (of good mind and body), she offers to double the reward.

After the group of druids and ranger accepted Arton's proposal, the heroes discovered the following additional pieces of information when they spent time in the local tavern:

• The Old Road run right past the old ruins (the Sunless Citadel), but fell into disuse because of goblin banditry. No one knows for sure what the Sunless Citadel once was, but old legends hint that it served as the retreat of an ancient dragon cult.
• The Old Road also skirts the Ashen Plain, a lifeless land.
• Cattle herders don't graze their stock too far afield these days. They're frightened by stories of new monsters that maraud by night. No one has seen these creatures, nor do they leave a discernible trail; however, cattle and people who have been caught out alone have been found dead the next day, pierced by dozens of needlelike claws.
• The missing adventurers include a fighter (Talgen), a wizard (Sharwyn), a paladin of Pelor (Sir Bradford), and a ranger (Karakas). Sir Bradford was not a local, and he had a magic sword called Shatterspike.
• The goblin tribe infesting the nearby ruins (called the Sunless Citadel, though no one knows why) ransoms a single piece of magical fruit to the highest bidder in Oakhurst once every midsummer. The fruit, apparently an apple of perfect hue, heals those who suffer from any disease or other ailment. Sometimes the goblins offer another apple at midwinter. This apple is corpse-white and utterly poisonous, even to the mere touch of the skin. No samples of either type of apple remain anywhere near Oakhurst.
• Garon, the human barkeep of Ol' Boar Inn, remembers the last time anyone, aside from Talgen and Sharwyn, asked questions about the Sunless Citadel. About thirteen years ago, a grim man named Belak stopped by, and he had a very large pet tree frog.

The heroes speak to "Corkie" next, the gnome healer of Oakhurst, who is also a cleric of Pelor, to learn information on Sir Bradfordss incentive to seek out the Sunless Citadel. According to her, Sir Bradford was interested in piercing the mystery associated with how wretched goblins could ever possess such wondrous magical fruit. The goblins have been selling the fruit to Oakhurst for the last twelve years. Usually, the fruit sells for around 50 gp, which is all the townspeople can bring themselves to pay a goblin. They sometimes plant the seeds at the center of each fruit, hoping to engender an enchanted apple tree. When the seeds germinate in their proper season, they produce a twiggy mass of twisted sapling stems. Not too long after the saplings reach 2 feet in height, they are stolen - every time. The townfolk assume that the jealous goblins send out thieves to ensure their monopoly of enchanted fruit. Sir Bradford also wanted to know how they steal every sprouting sapling grown from the enchanted fruit's seed. Morevoer, he wished to find this rumored tree of healing, hoping to heal his ailing mother.