HARROW
Dr. Quolorum from the Sincomakti School of Sciences hired you to assist in his investigations to unlock the secrets of these occult incidents in the south of Ustalav. Dr. Quolorum sends you to the village of Dunhob to interview the locals and investigate a tavern that
is supposedly haunted.
This brings you just outside Dunhob, a small village with two rows of thatched roof buildings. Every building in town has a horseshoe nailed to the front door. Dunhob rarely receives visitors, and a crowd quickly gathers around the group when you arrive.
Men, women, childrens, the whole town leaves to receive you. Many voices are listened and mix together in a loud noice. You can understand phrases like: "Mom, who are they?", "What are you doing here?", "Welcome to Dunhob", "Why are they here?", "Are they dangerous?" "Are you hungry?". The town is curious.
Adowyn keeps Leryn, her wolf, close at her side so as not to frighten the children (or their parents!). Also, she knows she cuts a formidable figure and isn't the most charismatic of folks, so leaves it to another to explain their presence here.
Mavaro, clearly a man with an over-healthy appetite, steps forward. "We are here about the tavern." He smiles in a friendly way.
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"Indeed" Rivani says nodding at Mavaro's words. "We are here to investigate that establishment. Surely you can point us towards its location?"
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Kyra looks at the spate of horseshoe's on the houses, wondering about their significance.
Realizing she cannot recall the importance, she asks one of the villagers.
Good day to you. My name is Kyra. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me, if you please. What is the reason for the horseshoe on the doorways in town? Is it a local custom? A seasonal farming tradition? I am curious as to the origin of it.
An aristocratic-looking young man, clad conservatively in black, in a style just out of fashion in Caliphas, nervously closes with the rest of the party, although it appears that it is not the crowd that disturbs him, but rather, something that only he can see...
I need allies, but whom can I trust? My brother has had me labelled mad, but I dare say that my continued existence is still a thorn in his side... Could some of these townsfolk work for him? A handful of gold would be a fortune to these people...
Erasmus shudders, and then focuses on what the others are saying.
Good. Someone else is talking to them; that should take attention away from me...
He then slinks behind Kyra, fingering his starknife as he does so, frowning when he words are not especially moving.
With a sigh, he reluctantly speaks.
"We want to learn what we can of this strange phenomenon. Please, share with us what you can..."
I hope that this doesn't get me killed...
Suddenly, the town is in silence, a silence that you can compare with an empty tomb. A crotchety village elder, parts the crowd and approaches to Kyra, the person who asks many questions. She is carrying a bag from where she takes a horseshoes and throws it to Kyra. “I cast you out, evil spirits!”
People is perplexed watching the reaction of his wise elder.
Mavro looks at the elder, then,at the hprseshoe, clearly perplexed.
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The elder woman looks at Kyra, and how she holds the horseshoe with her hands. "Well, well... it seems you are not an evil spirit, after all. So, who are you? Who are your friends? And, what are you doing here, in Dunhob?"
Amiri frowns at the all the people, not in the mood to be harassed by the local villagers.
She scowls at the old woman, clearly trying to decide if she is a threat or just senile.
She keeps a wary eye on the rest of the townsfolk, in case any of them start getting ideas as well.
I think I want that horseshoe.
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The elder woman looks and scowls at Amiri. "So... You come to my town in a defiant attitude. Tell me... Why are you here?" She takes a new horseshoe from his bag.
Amiri continues to scowl right back.
"Be careful elder." She says. "I do not think you want to throw that at me. I might be inclined to relieve you of the entire bag."
"My companions have already said why we're here." She adds, nodding towards the others. "To investigate your haunted inn." She is a little dismissive about the truth behind that particular aspect.
A young man comes next to the elder woman... "Grandma Maricella, they said they come to investigate the old tavern. They want to know where it is... Unfortunatelly, you weren't here when they spoke."
Maricella turns his head to the young man and smilling she says: "Well my son, I can assure they aren't evil spirits, maybe a little bit bad-mannered, but not evil." Then, talking to the town, "Friends, go back to your rutine, I will show where the old tavern is to these outsiders." And so, the people return to their rutinary activities.
"Follow me" She starts to walk slowly but firmly through the town.
"Madam, can you explain what the horseshoes are for?"
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"Of course, good man. You seems to be a little bit more polite than your friend." She stops for a moment and scowls at Amiri. Then she continues, "The horseshoe protect us from evil spirits." Then, she smiles at you.
"Ah, yes, but how? Why?"
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"Don't you know that the iron burns evil spirits and forces creatures back into their true shapes?"
Adowyn follows, listening intently to the conversation.
Erasmus remains sceptical, but refrains from uttering a quip.
Normal iron? If that were the case, wouldn't evil spirits be very easily vanquished? There might be a grain of truth to the rumour, but I doubt that it is quite that simple...
"Iron, eh?" Mavaro asks, a little skeptical. "Just plain old iron? What kinds of evil spirits are we talking about here?"
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"Yes, good man. Just plain old iron, but plain new iron is good too... You know, all kinds of evil spirit have fear of iron. That's why we all are safe here in Dunhob." She keeps walking, she doesn't stop to answer to Mavaro.
It takes almost 20 minutes to cross all the small town, Marcella walks slowly. She stops 50 feet from a building that she points. “That’s where people coming to stir up trouble always go. That is The lucky lantern.” She doesn't wait for long time, she turns and goes away as quickly as she came.
An ornate lantern hangs from a post in front of this derelict building. The doors and windows of the tavern are all boarded shut. Dozens of horseshoes are nailed to the front door.
"Charming..." says Rivani, who stood silent for most of the conversation.
Then she continues:"Judging by the number of horseshoes they nailed on the building I'd say they consider thei place VERY haunted... Who shall do the honors?"
Amiri snorts derisively at the superstitious locals, and simply walks up to the inn and flings the door open.
Mavaro follows behind, but draws his one-eyed sword, just in case.
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Amiri tries to open the door, but it seems she needs more strength. The door has been locked. She pulled and pushed, but the door doesn't move.
Amiri frowns at the door, as if it offends her somehow, then leans back and kicks it with one booted foot without even asking if someone has a more subtle way to open it.
Amiri success. The door is opened. This musty common room is coated with thick layers of dust. Dozens of black candles, animal skulls, and occult idols are arranged as decorations through the room. One table near the center of the room is decorated with human skulls and a crystal ball. A spread of harrow cards lies face down on the table and two chairs are pulled up to it. One chair sits empty and the other holds a skeletal corpse.
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Kyra ponders for a moment.
I know cold iron is effective against demons and such...but regular iron. That is new to me. I will have to document this finding and pass it on to the scholars of the church. This could be valuable information. At least we know it is effective against regular people, as well... she muses as she rubs the spot on her head where the offending horseshoe hit her.
She readies herself as Amiri opens the door to the tavern.
Noting the rather macabre décor, Erasmus puts on his brass knuckles, and draws a chakram, before cautiously moving into the room behind Amiri.
Amiri stalks into the room cautiously, though she still has not drawn her weapon.
"You'd think if they were so afraid of this place, they'd just torch it and be done." She says, absently, as she looks around at the dusty furniture.
She stops in the middle of the room, not far from the table with the crystal ball, looking around.
"They are probably hoping that the building keeps the spirits contained, fearing that if they destroy it, that will simply free them to roam across the village..."
With a frown, Erasmus follows Amiri into the room.
Adowyn enters the common room and looks around, a bit startled at the scene with the skeleton, but if it doesn't move, she just stands near the doorway, Leryn at her side.
Rivani follows the others inside listening carefully before contributing her opinion:"Erasmus and Kyra are right, and besides if the villagers torched the Inn we would have very little to research, wouldn't we?" she states, matter of factly.
Then she adds:"Let me check... maybe I can get us some answers"
Adowyn has few skills that would help here, unlike some of the others, so stands ready with bow in one hand, club in the other, waiting to see if any trouble manifests...
Leryn stands at Adowyn's side, ready for trouble and alert as Adowyn seems to be so as well... His fur bristles slightly when Adowyn readies her weapons, as he knows what that means...
When no foe appears immediately, he whines softly, but stays alert.
Erasmus puts on his brass knuckles, draws a chakram, and comes into the room.
Amiri comes in and discoveres that no one has walked in this room since it was locked decades ago.
Kyra comes in and discovered magic auras in the room.
Mavaro comes close to the table.
Adowyn enters and stands near the doorway with her bow in hand. Leryn stands at Adowyn's side.
Rivani comes in and stands near the table.
Suddenly, candles all spontaneously light and a robed figure appears in the empty chair at the harrow table.
“Welcome, travelers. Have you come to seek the wisdom of my harrow reading?These are strange times and those without guidance risk great peril. Stand before my table and learn your fate.”
The robed figure places nine cards onto the table in a square and flips three cards at a time to perform the reading. 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).
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.”
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.”
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 robed figure disappears after interpreting the last cards, and the six skulls on the table animate and attack. Two of those are covered in flames
E1 to Erasmus
E2 to Amiri
E3 to Kyra
E4 to Mavaro
EF1 to Adowyn
EF2 to Rivani
Kyra, Erasmus and Mavaro are conscious that this is an illusion and can act in this surprise round.
Initiative order:
E3 Red
EF2 Red
Amiri
Rivani
E1 Blue
E4 Yellow
Kyra
Erasmus
Leryn
E2 Black
Adowyn
EF1 Blue
Mavaro
Kyra, Erasmus and Mavaro take your actions before start first round.
Surprise round.
E3 hits to Kyra dealing 2 damages.
EF2 hits to Rivani dealing 2 damage plus 2 fire damage.
Amiri and Rivani are surprised.
E1 fails its attack to Erasmus.
E4 fails its attack to Mavaro.
Kyra hold up her holly symbol to channel positive energy as a wave that hits all the skulls.
Saves:
E1
E2
E3
E4
EF1
EF2
Damage done:
E1 3
E2 6 Destroyed
E3 3
E4 6 Destroyed
EF1 3
EF2 3
Kyra destroys 2 skulls with her divine power.