| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
You return to the office of the sour clerk and he nods acknowledging your arrival, huffing slightly-Yes, I supposed you would return; adventurers have a knack for courting trouble, but that does sometimes prove useful.
Over the past few weeks the farms on the northern edge of our municipality have reported attacks on their livestock from wolves or some other menace. Yesterday we received a report that one of the most distant steadings has been completely abandoned; no sign of stock or steaders. The patrols we have sent out were completely ineffective.
We suspect it is the work of goblins that have moved into the hills in that area. There are several old ruins nearby that they could have taken up residence in and they are hard to catch with a large force if they don't want to be found.
Go out and discover where the marauders are operating from and you will be rewarded with one-hundred gold crowns. There may be additional and greater rewards depending on your actions.
"Fair enough. I will see what I can do to find the marauders and put an end to the attacks."
Assuming he has given sufficient directions or a map, Ang will head out, stopping by the Temple of Erastil on the way. He will ask for Ildris Ruvarra.
Feeling confident he can find his way to the area of concern, Ang heads over to the temple of Erastil and meets with the high priest Ildris Ruvarra who meets with him willingly once he has a moment.
Ruvarra looks at you sagaciously-You are clearly not a follower of Erastil, but a son of the Forge is always welcome in these halls especially one of his holy warriors. What can I do for you my friend?
“Thank you, that is much appreciated. Do you know anything about the attacks north of the town? I suspect they may be due to the influence of what I can only describe as an evil green stone or gem, have you heard or seen anything that might confirm this?” (Provide him brief overview of struggles involving the green stones and how they can control or influence those that come in contact with them. Also the possible connection to the plague in Gillamoor.)
“My last question is more personal in nature, I was recently slain trying to recover one the gems. I was resurrected by an assuredly evil mage who made some bargain with infernal powers to do so, he means to use me for his own ends. The manner in which I was resurrected…does this mean I am cursed?”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The smile and warmth slowly drains from the man's face as you relate your tale-I have heard nothing of these stones of which you speak but they sound like a horrible evil and I pray that you will bring them to an end. Anything that can cause such sickness as I hear abides in Gillamoor is a tool of evil that will not rest until it is destroyed.
The northern reaches have indeed been troubled as of late and I would have traveled there myself but my adopted daughter Nolaria Wintren insisted that I stay here and let her see to the nature of the disturbance. She is young, proud, and strong willed. I should have told her no, but she is the center of my heart and I have a hard time denying her what she wants. She is strong in the faith of Deadeye, but a loving father's worry knows no bounds. If you are to head to the north, please look for her and give her my love. I wish nothing more but for her return.
He focuses in on you, clasping a rough wooden symbol of bow and arrow-Your personal tale is as disturbing as the rest. Holy faith has the power to restore life cleanly and properly. What you describe is much more fraught with perils. If you will allow it, I will cast some divinations on you to see what I can learn?
“Please do.”
Ruvarra takes you back to his private chambers and prepares several items and a takes out a few wands. After about twenty minutes of intense focus and concentration, a sheen of sweat building on his brow, he looks at you a little sadly-I don't think you are cursed, but there is definitely something infernal lying upon your soul. I deem that the normal channel of faith that flows from Torag into your soul is still there, but something else is there as well. Something external and diabolical. It seems as if this mage of yours melded fragments of a devil's essence to yours in order to keep you from your final rest. Obviously you are clearly alive, but there is a part of you that is NOT you. Almost like you have an infernal hitchhiker attached to you. I'm not sure if there is any cure, but I will research it while you travel north. If I am lucky I may divine some way to split this foulness from you, although there is a chance that the attempt may cost you your life.
“Hmmm, unpleasant news, but hope remains. I best be off, the evil to the north will not sit idle.”
Travel north.
The first few days of travel are pretty easy. The countryside is quite tamed with farms and steadings having been long established and regular patrols from the town keeping anything frightful at bay. People are still quite standoffish and you get the sense that folks here tend to stick to themselves and there is little sense of community.
By the fourth day you can tell that you are approaching the edges of Saringallow's reach. The land is much more rough, the steads smaller and more coarse, and you catch no sign of patrol or other travelers. Camping that night you hear the cries of wolves in the distance and wonder what creeps in the night here abouts.
On the fifth day the land starts to rise as hills occupy the horizon. You see the first steading since lunch of the previous day and notice buzzards circling the area. A troubling sign indeed.
Approach the steading.
Use divine bond to enhance weapon by +1 and keen.
You can see that there was a recent fight here, maybe as recent as last night. Two men, one older one younger, lie fallen just outside the main building/house. Buzzards peck at their corpses.
The door to the house has been ripped from its hinges and lies shattered on the nearby ground.
“Enough buzzards, find a meal elsewhere!”
Chase the buzzards off. Bury the bodies. Take a look inside the house and then around it. Ang will use detect evil as he moves about the area.
The buzzards fly up to the roof line and watch your activity with apparent hunger. The bodies radiate evil, but it doesn't seem "active" somehow? They slide into hole you dig easy enough.
Inside the house is a scene of further dread. The rest of the family seems to have met their end here; the corpse of a woman and three small children are scattered about, multiple bite marks apparent on their bodies.
Can Ang determine what type of creature caused the bite marks?
Bury the rest of the family.
Most of the bite marks appear to be from worgs, but mixed in are a few that appear to come from a sharp fanged humanoid. The remaining family members also radiate evil similar to the two males you buried earlier.
Anything on them that might be causing the evil?
The best you can figure is that their deaths were horrible and wracked with pain and fear, caused by some great evil, the residue of which still clings to the bodies.
Look for and follow tracks if there are any to be found otherwise continue north.
You try and make sense of where the assailants headed to, but the paw prints are muddled and confusing. The best you can make out is that the pack moved off deeper into the hills. You head in that general direction but night soon falls limiting your vision to just the 60' darkvision provides.
Settle in for the night, cast keep watch.
That night you notice three small humanoid figures (about 3-4') and another medium sized figure (over 5') trying to move stealthily towards you.
Use divine bond again to add +1 and keen. When they sneak close enough attack the bigger one.
As the figures approach, you realize that the stealthy figures are the dirt covered children and young man that you buried earlier! You hold still waiting...and then.... STRIKE! your elven blade slashing out savagely hacking down one of the small child corpses.
2d4 is negative energy
You slice through another of the child corpses, dropping it.
Maybe some positive energy will slay them.
to harm undead
The two 'wriggling' corpses stop wriggling and the two that are in melee are both hurt by your surge of positivity.
Just two more.
possible crit
You shred through the last child-corpse, but notice that it immediately begins to knit itself back together.
The corpse of the young man slams at you as you fight off assailants from behind.
on FF AC
on FF AC
-19
Only two left, learn to count fool!
harm undead
That’s a lot of 1’s!
You release a stream of positive energy, some for you and some for the foe.
-46
-14
Your channel deals some damage, but you think it is most effective in keeping undead dead foes dead vs. making them re-dead in the firstplace.
-31
Your blade shatters the young man's corpse; you know it will be more than a few rounds until it can knit itself back into fighting condition.
-19
You slash through the remaining 2 foes.
Ang channels energy to make sure they stay down. Afterwards he will detect evil on all the corpses. If no evil then he will bury them again. If evil he will gather wood to burn them.
You aren't quite sure what to make of the freshly recreated 'corpses' and they have a residual taint of evil; so you decide to be safe and gather up wood to burn them. As the first flame flicker, they eagerly scorch through the newly re-dead, consuming them in a few brief minutes leaving nothing but ash. In the remaining darkness you can hear the mournful howling of wolves.
Do you rest again to reset your abilities or......?
-19
-4
Ang will heal himself and then will move on.
-3 LOH
-4 channel
You spend the following day roaming the moors and discover a few more despoiled crofts, doors shattered, signs of violence, but no bodies. Dusk comes and a low fog develops blocking any light from the moon or stars and imparting an distinct chill to the air.
Did Ang get Keep Watch back? If so, cast it. If not, rest in most secure spot he can find.
Not sure how you would have gotten Keep Watch back if you didn't rest?
Ang struggles to find anything secure and ultimately decides to rest with his back against a large weathered boulder and hope for the best.
He is awoken from his slumber by the ripping pain of several sets of savage jaws.
Damage while sleeping
Several large worgs surround you with three being able to attack your position at the boulder.
-26
Stand and attack.
AC14?
Ruling no chance to trip because your back is to the boulder.
-34
-11
You hack down one of the wolves and another steps in to take its place.
-19
You badly wound one of the wolves as the pack continues to snap and snarl.
-36
-2