Hearing sounds coming from the next room, Hakon rushes up to the door and opens it. He sees the party and nods to them.
"The room was empty."
heading thru he turns to look at where the unknown voice is coming from.
"I am Erasmus. Tell me my fortune, spirit."
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The creature places nine cards onto the table in a square and flips three cards at a time to perform the reading. From what you know about Harrow readings, this is the most common spread, the Tapestry. First it flips the left column (the past), then it flips the middle column (the present), and finally it flips the right column (the future).
In the left column: The Queen Mother, The Publican, The Eclipse:
“The Eclipse is strong in the past. This card represents loss of purpose. I see a curious creature that fell from its original path. Now it wanders blindly, far afield under shadows of the mind.”
Next, The Owl, The Lost, The Midwife:
“Ahhhh, The Midwife. She is a conduit of creation, but she does not create alone. I see a creature in the present that also creates many things. It dreams of strange places and uses its mind to make these places real. But The Midwife is misaligned. The world will not like what this creature makes.”
Finally, The Winged Serpent, The Carnival, The Mute Hag:
“The Carnival is a card of illusions and false dreams. Danger lies in your future, but it is not the danger you expect. The Carnival is the most important card for you because it is a card for fools. It was foolish to come here…”
The creature vanishes with a flourish, and, in unison, the six human skulls on the table rise up. Two of them burst into flames.
- Hakon
- Oloch
- Green
- Purple
- Rivani
- Orange (F)
- Crowe
- Blue
- Red (F)
- Kyra
- Erasmus
- Yellow
Hakon smiles as the skulls rise in to the air. He thinks on all the stories he has heard before. Hoping to know something of the skulls.
He turns his head to the side and blows into his horn.
"Hakon can give all allies who accept it a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus to Will saves, and a –1 penalty to AC. Allies can accept the bonuses and penalties on a round by round basis, but while accepting the song, they can’t cast spells, use abilities requiring concentration, or use Intelligence-based skills, Dexterity-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, and Ride), or Charisma-based skills (except Intimidate). Once this song is active, he doesn’t need to spend any action to maintain it but can end it at any time. He can use this ability for 11 total rounds each day, which need not be consecutive. Allies who have their own rage or bloodrage can use their own bonuses and penalties if they choose, but they can’t use any of their other abilities like rage powers or blood casting."
If accepted:
+2 Strength
+2 Constitution
+1 Will Saves
-1 AC
Can't cast, concentrate, or do most non-combat skill checks.
Hakon moves up to next to the bar.
Erasmus will accept the inspired rage. He'll then draw his starknife and swing at the purple head.
When her turn comes, and provided all the undead are in range, Kyra will channel positive energy to harm doing a whopping 1d6 to each undead where a DC 12 Will saving throw will halve the damage when it is her turn. If she has to she will move to get them all in range but it looks like she should be able to get them all when her time comes.
Add one to each of those due to Sun's Blessing.
Thanks, Kyra will channel if there are at least 3 left at that time, and no PCs are down.
Crowe steps up to one or the skulls and swings his mighty earthbreaker at it.
Rivanni lowers her crossbow and fires at the Orange Skull.
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One skull implodes when hit with Rivani's bolt.
Crow moves forward and obliterates another.
He gets another swing at a skull as one more flies at him. He misses, and it
Kyra unleashes a blast of holy energy, damaging all, but destroying none.
Erasmus shatters another, as the final one homes in on Kyra. Her quick work with her scimitar brings it down.
The candles all suddenly extinguish, though the harrow deck on the table remains glowing softly.
Erasmus has much interest in the harrow cards, and examines them on the table. If they look safe, he will take them.
Hakon stops his song.
He walks up and uses detect magic in the area of the harrow cards.
"What were those things?"
Kyra, also curious, approaches the skull remains and examines them.
Well, they didn't like the positive energy, that's obvious. Most certainly undead of some kind.
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They both recognized the skulls as Beheaded, malevolent flying skulls. The flaming versions are slightly tougher to kill and can be significantly more dangerous, lighting their victims ablaze.
The harrow deck appears safe to Mavaro, while Hakon detects divination and transmutation auras coming from the deck.
He's not sure what might cause the transmutation aura, though divination is to be expected from such a deck.
In one of the back rooms, you find a body, which has clearly been here for some time. The armored man holds a well-made rapier in one hand, and a Harrow card, The Demon's Lantern, in the other.
"This man must have not had a good fortune..."
Hakon nods.
"We should turn this body over to the town and tell them this place has been cleared. Maybe they will know who he was."
He looks to the table.
"And then we can find out what else the doctor needs. Hopefully our next battle will be more epic. There was little to tell in this tale."
Kyra exits the tavern to reassure the villagers, knowing that they must be apprehensive.
I bear good news. There was indeed a haunting inside the tavern and it has been dealt with. I do not expect any more issues, other than the more mundane sort, for your village.
It is with regret, however, that I must inform you that the man with the rapier and leather armor has indeed been killed, most assuredly at the hands of the undead evil that we successfully eliminated. My condolences.
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A man responds, "He weren't one of us. He was one of those hoity-toity Rozenport types. Wulfer or Wulfric or something like that. We told him not to go messin' around in there. Guess y'all have more sense than him if you made it out alive. We'll see if whatever you did worked or not, I suppose.
[b]Part II: Lightning
You leave Dunhob with a psychically charged Harrow deck, and more questions than answers about the nature of the unusual phenomena Dr. Quolorum is studying. Luckily, you're scheduled to meet him soon, to study some unusual meteorological event.
For recovering Lady Illirigarde's Harrow Deck, you receive the Draw From the Deck boon. This boon may be used once per quest for the remainder of the adventure.
Part Two: Lightning
Tonight the sky is clear, and the stars are out, which helps provide ample light to view the blackened hilltop that Dr. Quolorum marked on his map. A scorched crater sits at the summit of the hill surrounded by a ring of tortured earth. Agonized faces and grasping hands are formed in the dirt around the crater, as if the ground itself were once alive and in great pain. Stunted shrubs covered with red thorns are scattered across the hill.
A gnome, with dark blue hair and a mustard yellow mustache, wanders around the hillside, fiddling with some sort of unusual machinery. He doesn’t seem to notice you.
Crowe looks at the deck.
"What's this for?" he asks, as he draws a card.
Erasmus pulls a card as well, curious to see what the fortunes have in store for him.
The Mountain Man (Chaotic Neutral, Constitution)
Erasmus feels his body gain some inner strength as the Mountain Man lightly posesses him. Luckily, the Mountain Man's objectives do not stray far from those of the Champion he already channels, and the two spirits seem as if they will work very well together.
Krya, seeing Crowe draw a card and not get incinerated, tries herself
- Constitution
"Hmm this suit does not appear to be in my favour, Is it a sign?" Rivani ponders the harrow.
"Odd is the magic in this deck."
How do the rest of you feel? I feel invigorated.
"Agreed, this has made me feel a bit healthier, it would seem."
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Crowe pulls The Forge (LN STR). It represents strength through diversity, or strength from many sources united against a single trial
Kyra gets The Teamster (N CON). It represents a external force that drives the subject on.
Rivani also draws The Forge.
Oloch draws The Winged Serpent (LG WIS). It does indeed have a pretty picture of a couatl, the bridge of understanding between the towers of knowledge and judgement.
Hakon gets The Uprising (CN STR). It represents overwhelming strength that catches the subject up in something much more powerful.
"The card is readying me for some great trial. It looks like not all what the doctor has asked of us will be so easy."
Hakon looks to the hill and thinks on what dangers could be coming.
Hakon yells out to the gnome.
"Hay gnome! We are looking for Doctor Quolorum. He asked for our services.
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Oloch notices that the thick bushes seem completely undisturbed, except where your group and Doctor Quolorum have been. An owl approaches, but its flight path suddenly veers away from the hill. It is clear wildlife avoids this location at all costs.
Doctor Quolorum appears surprised at your presence. "“Hello! Good to see you’ve arrived. Make yourselves comfortable because the next strike shouldn’t occur for a while yet. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions.”
What DO you know about this odd lightning so far, if you don't mind my asking?
"It sounds like this lightning strikes in a pattern? Have you learned of this pattern yet?"
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After a little while helping the Doctor align his resonators and calibrate his capacitors, a bolt of red energy strikes the ground not far from you. The Doctor takes off towards the crater, trudging through the underbrush as fast as possible.
This is it, people!
The large crater glows faintly with a strange red glow. In the dim light, you can just make out three vaguely humanoid shapes beginning to coalesce.
- Oloch-We are here
- Red
- Blue
- Kyra
- Rivani
- ???
- Erasmus
- Green
- Dr Q
- Hakon
- Crowe
Kyra will be casting bless when her turn comes and moving to protect the doctor, saying "Bound and determined to get some of that ectoplasm stuff are you!".