It seems that Aric's attempts at affection are finally reciprocated, at least on some level, as one of the cats lifts its head to receive the barbarian's offer. It purrs loudly and entwines itself about the giant's tree-stump legs.
Brother Favin listens to the group's questions and looks slightly embarrassed by their accolades,
"Well met one and all, and thank you for answering our summons; however, I am afraid you are mistaken. I am not the Father here; that would be Father Halbrick. I am but a lowly disciple." He clears his throat somewhat nervously and turns to Osprey,
"Yes, Master Osprey, in regards to my clandestine actions last evening, I hope you do not take offense. It was necessary to remain in the shadows, for what is to be asked of you must remain secret for now. I know you all have many questions, so if you will please follow me, I will escort you to His Eminence at once.”
Favin leads you into a building at the back of the church that opens into a long hallway lined with doors. At the end of the hallway, he stops at a door, knocks lightly before entering, and announces the arrival of your group.
The room is austerely furnished, and lying in a small four-post bed, propped up by several pillows, is an extremely elderly man being attended to by a few priests. He is obviously in very poor health as he speaks to your group between hacking coughs,
“Hello, I am Father Halbrick. Welcome, and thank you for answering our summons. I have asked you here to address a matter of great importance. Our order has lost a religious artifact to the darkness that now envelops the Dimwater Monastery. This sacred item is a relic of tremendous power known as the Crook of St. Othin, and if it falls into the wrong hands, the results could be catastrophic for the world as a whole. The crook was last known to be buried within the crypt of St. Othin somewhere deep below the old monastery.” He abruptly stops speaking as a series of coughs wrack his body, and one of the attending priests offers him a cup of water.
He drinks deeply from the cup and apologizes for the interruption before continuing on in his labored breath,
“Dimwater Monastery was built over 100 years ago in dedication to Lunia, goddess of the moon, and the monastery is named after the fact that it is nestled on the banks of the Dimwater River roughly 20 miles away to the northeast.
Under the benevolent guidance of St. Othin, Dimwater Monastery prospered and flourished for many years, serving the surrounding communities by providing healing for the sick and ailing and alms for the poor and destitute; however, about 50 years ago, St. Othin abruptly passed away under mysterious circumstances. He was replaced by the high priest, Ulthain, a vile and wicked man who led the monastery into ruin and corruption after turning away from the light of Lunia and polluting the ideals of the church.
One fateful evening, Ulthain and his supporters brutally murdered all of the followers of Lunia living in the monastery. They usurped the grounds to serve the purposes of their own twisted serpent god, Sai’reth; however, Ulthain and his cult eventually brought about their own demise after performing unspeakable rituals that unleashed abominations they were unable to control or contain.”
Again, Father Halbrick is suddenly seized by a violent coughing fit, and he clutches at his chest with arthritic hands. His coughing subsides after a moment, and he continues on in his strained and raspy voice
“Following this catastrophe, the monastery fell into complete ruin, and it has remained abandoned ever since. The place has been shunned for years as a reputed haunt of foul creatures that lurk among the shadows; however, passing merchant caravans and local hunters have recently reported seeing strange lights at night and hearing eerie noises coming from within its walls. About a month ago, we enlisted the services of another group of explorers to venture forth and retrieve the crook, but we have not seen or heard from them since their departure.
If you agree to help us recover the crook, you will be generously rewarded. Each of you will receive 500 gold pieces, and with the exception of the crook, you may keep whatever treasure you find in the damned place.” He stops speaking, looks at each of you in turn, and gravely asks,
“Will you embark on the journey to Dimwater Monastery and help reclaim our sacred artifact?”
