Life in neither easy or fair in Ustalav, will the players attempt to ease the suffering of many or join the ranks of those exploiting the masses for their own gain?
Baron Ioan Gelou, local noble rules from his fortified manor house, Gelu House, just north of the village.
Orn'Tos, Dwarf smith
Antal and Yamira Swiftfeet, Tavenkeepers
Bayan the dour, local priest of Pharasma
other buildings of note include
tannery
mill just south of town
Summary
Act 1 Silvam
Scene 1 The Tavern:
Brought together by the first winter storm in the month of Neth to a tavern in the village of Silvam in north eastern Caliphas, a county in Ustalav, the adventurers get acquainted, while the travelling priestess of Desna, Calistria the Courier helps deliver a baby in the tavern's backroom. Not only the baby is born of that night's storm. So is the company, as the day after, the adventurers decide to form a party, when Calistria suggests the others help her check out a cemetery near an old mill for Bayan the Dour, the local priest of Pharasma. The party includes Sir Rois Grave, a knight from Lastwall who has come to Ustalav to search for clues as to why recruitment rates from the area has dwindled, Garekk, a half-orc barbarian on a spirit quest to find out the nature of good and evil, Vorelloex Vaecaesin Ledir, a half-elf kellid mammoth hunter who has just lost his brother, Swift-Palm, a wise monk with a mysterious past, Hailey Besh, a gnome priestess of Nethys who is very interested in Ustalav's undead, Calistria the Courier, a priestess of Desna and member of the Order of Sacred Couriers, and Voryn Chaldov, a local huntsman with a badly scarred face.
Scene 2 The Old Mill:
Before they set out on the long walk east, they decide to stop by the Gelu House, the manor of Silvam's baron, to enquire about work and deliver a letter. Josep, the baron's representative, asks them to deal with some bandits that have supposedly taken up residence somewhere out by the old mill, coincidentally the same place that Bayan wanted them to go to. The party travels east for many hours, making a short stop on the way by Voryn Chaldov's hut, before they take a shortcut through the forest to the old mill. As the party attempts to sneak closer to the mill, Voryn manages to step on a dead piece of wood that snaps with a very loud crack and the three bandits holed up in the old mill notices them. Sir Rois manages to talk the bandits into surrender and upon interrogation, the leader of the bandits claim that there are more bandits who are currently out hunting, so the party sets up an ambush and waits...It turns out it was just a ruse, and the party sets up camp in the old mill for the night.
Scene 3 Back to Town:
The next day the party goes to the cemetery which lies right next to the old mill to check it out, as they were asked to do by Bayan. Upon investigation, they discover that the graves have been emptied and they suspect a necromancer might be afoot. With this knowledge, the captive bandits and the stolen loot, they return to Silvam.
They arrive in Silvam as the village is getting ready for the last big market day before everything shuts down for the winter. Fearing for the safety of the village people, they decide to bring Bayan to the baron's house, so that the matter of the undead can be discussed with both him and the baron present.
Scene 4 Gelu Manor Again:
After the prisoners has been handed over to Sviato the jailkeeper, the party informs Josep that they have an urgent matter to discuss with the baron, and Josep brings them into the baron's manor, to a sort of meeting room. After some waiting and coversation about such things as the nature of good and evil and some sharing of background from the adventurers who have come to trust each other a bit more by now, Josep enters the room with the baron, Ioan Gelou. The party lets Hailey Besh explain their findings, and they propose to help the village by hunting down the necromancer. The baron suggests that the necromancer is probably to be found in the Glittering Grotto on the shores of the Lake of Sorrows, north of the old mill, more than a day's travel from Silvam, and he offers them a pair of horses and a wagon, so that they can get there faster. They arrive at Voryn's cottage about 2 hours after sunset and spend the night there.
Scene 5 The Glittering Grotto:
The next day, after some dancing, yoga and coffee, the party travels to the Lake of Sorrows. When they get to the Glittering Grotto, they find a skeletal bear guarding the entrance. They manage to slay it and venture into the grotto to face whatever evil hides inside...
