Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

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Zhym
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Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#1 Post by Zhym »

Vorkath Tsaridian,* Hero of the Realm, Defender of the Faith, Bastion of Good, Scion of Law, Friend to All Children, is dead.

The killer: Old age. Time did what the minions of evil could not. The great man who had defeated vampire dragons and witch queens, the bane of all that is evil, finally succumbed to the most Neutral of enemies. Three weeks ago he took ill. A week ago, he died. The day before he died, he asked the priests not to resurrect him. It was time to go to his well-deserved final reward.

To Hallagad, he was a mentor even though he worshiped Neheod, the Two Who Are One. To Odilo the Reborn, he was the one who found him a body and reoriented him gently back to the world of the living. He found Xale and Malibran wandering the desert after they had slain the demi-lich, trying to find a way back to civilization. He spoke to the new royal family on their behalf. Others of you knew him in your own ways. All of you called him "friend," and you were honored and proud to know that he said the same of all of you.

Because of your friendship with Vorkath, the high priest of Neheod invited you to Vorkath's funeral. It was to be a small ceremony. Only the local priests of Neheod and a few friends such as yourselves would be in attendance. Vorkath, humble to the last, did not want a fuss.

Your arrival at Estborg, where the Temple of Neheod crowns the highest hill overlooking the city, was delayed for reasons beyond your control. First there was the remarkably intractable cat Hallagad had to help a small girl retrieve from a tree in the town of Willowdale. Then there were all those little old ladies who needed help crossing all those streets in Bucky's Crossing. Just past Hartsfield Abbey, a Master of Summer picked a decidedly inconvenient time to challenge Khogeki, the Unseen Servant and Master of Spring, for his position. And—well, suffice it to say that you had unintentional adventures and did good deeds. You approach Estborg in early afternoon, several hours after Vorkath's morning funeral.

As you ride over the crest of the last hill before Estborg, the city comes into view. Its stone walls and ivory towers rise from the green countryside. The south gate is about two hours ride away. The parapets of the keep shine in the midday sun. And on the highest hill, above all—

—is a gaping empty space where the Temple of Neheod should be, as if the temple were scooped out of the very stone of the hill.

You push your mounts to run as fast as they can, wondering what could have become of the church. Khogeki arrives well over an hour before the rest of you, of course, though no one sees him. A heavyset man in a white hooded robe and green sash meets you at the gate. He breathes heavily, suggesting that he just ran here himself (though much more slowly than Khogeki, you're certain).

"They're gone!" he exclaims breathlessly. "It's all gone!"

* Any resemblance to former PCs living or dead is partly coincidental.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#2 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Odilo The Reborn looks amazed at the gigantic gaping hole of where the church should be "What happened here? Did anyone see what happened? Where did they all go? And the church too? Khogeki do you know what happened?"
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

ravenn4544
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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#3 Post by ravenn4544 »

Malibran, allowing a brief moment of somber reflection, strides purposefully to the newly arriving man "You there, what did you see!? Speak quickly - lives must be in danger!!"

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#4 Post by Inferno »

The Unseen Servant, Khogeki:

"I do not, Odilo the Reborn," the humble master replies.

As ever, the Unseen Servant softly counsels calm: "My friends, do not cloud your minds with anxiety. If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it cannot be solved.
"Let us attempt to solve the problem.”


Then the serene sensei traversed the gate and advanced to the hole in one swift motion. There, he placidly inspected the newly made pit.
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#5 Post by max_vale »

Xale Mav; Dwarven Warrior-Priest of Dalt


Xale had raced up with his companions, looking incredulously at the missing temple and wondering about the fate of his poor good friend's spirit. Upon seeing the man in the white robes and green sash, he calls over; "Hello there. I am Xale Mav; warrior-priest of Dalt. Do you have any idea what happened here?"

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#6 Post by AleBelly »

"Perhaps this is Neheod's doing" surmises Hallagad aloud. "His ways are mysterious to me."

He says this to calm the others, but his own words ring hollow in his ears. The paladin is suddenly much less annoyed at the Neheodite custom of wearing full battle dress to an esteemed follower's funeral. Gallahad fears it may come in handy.

A shame, really. He was rather enjoying his brief retirement.

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Urson
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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#7 Post by Urson »

Tanner

The dark-skinned man has been quiet on the trip- to the point of being dour. He speaks when spoken to, but seldom initiates conversation.

When he sees that the temple is missing, he spits out the wad of pipeweed he's been chewing and gallops to the city gate. Bad enough to have missed the funeral- but to ride into trouble like this is worse.

When the priest begins talking-babbling might be a better word, Tanner snaps,Take a breath, man! Take a deep breath and tell us what happened- no polish, no guesses, just the story from the beginning.
Expect Nothing, Appreciate Everything.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#8 Post by Norjax »

Rool Diov, Boss of the Magna Guild

Upon hearing of Vorkath’s death, Rool was overcome with regret that he hadn’t seen his old friend in nearly 5 years. Vorkath had once attempted to guide young Rool in the ways of good and law, but Rool had already been exposed to the realities of the greater world and could not blindly follow the faith. Rool would constantly question the doctrine of Neheod to the point of annoyance. It was clear that the young boy was more of a disruption than an initiate, so he was asked to leave the School of the Teaching.

Although he chose a different path from the acolyte, Rool would seek advice from his former teacher on life’s struggles, and the two developed a student-mentor bond. Rool suspected that Vorkath hoped he would eventually submit to the ways of Neheod, so the former initiate would string the scion along to keep the relationship active. Rool used the foundations of Law taught to him by Vorkath to achieve his goals in the underworld of Jutegun. Unlike the doctrine of Neheod, Rool used both benevolent and malevolent ways to advance his profession and rise to the top of the Magna Guild.

Now, still processing what force could have scooped the temple into a nether-world, he briefly succumbs to grief as he realizes there will be no last respects to his lifelong teacher. Rool quickly recovers, dismounts and peers into the crater of the stone hill, looking for any clues to what may have caused this unholy excavation.

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Zhym
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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#9 Post by Zhym »

The man wipes his forehead and takes a moment to catch his breath. "You're right, this is no time to panic," he tells Tanner. "Well, it's actually a great time to panic; it just won't do any good. I am Brother Maercal," he introduces himself with a bow of his head. "Please come with me."

He leads you through the gates and into a wide cobble-paved thoroughfare that leads toward the temple hill. City folk stand about, most of them looking fearfully at the space where the temple used to be, though more than a few gawk at you. As you walk, Brother Maercal tells you what he knows—which turns out not to be much.

"The whole temple just vanished," he says. "It was during Vorkath's funeral. One moment the temple's there, then boom! A bright flash of fiery light and a clap of thunder like when a storm is right on top of you, and the temple is gone. My ears are still ringing."

"We don't know what happened. Or why. Or how. Most of my Brothers and Sisters were in the temple when it disappeared. Brother Rhichal"—you recognize the name of the high priest of Neheod—"was there, of course, officiating the funeral. Only a handful of us are left, those few who were outside of the temple when it disappeared. Acolytes and adepts, mostly. No one who is trained in the higher divination prayers, alas."

You reach the temple ground. It would be quite lovely if its central feature were still present. A low stone wall, washed white, forms a rough circle at the crest of the hill perhaps two hundred yards across. In the center, amid a well-manicured lawn, near lovingly tended gardens and a small cemetery, is a black, smoldering crater. The crater is about 250 feet wide. It smells of brimstone.

"Stay clear of the black," warns Brother Maercal. "Living creatures that touch it wither and die in seconds."

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#10 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Odilo gives a quizzical look "That is interesting, what such substance would cause that effect to the living? Upon touching decay that is very intriguing, though terrible as well. Though I digress we must find the church, save the people that were within and give our dear friend a proper burial. But where to start? It smells of brimstone I would suppose that is a clue, though the only places I know would smell of that are the hells and perhaps areas around a valcano or I suppose I forget some dragons breath smells of it." becoming a bit lost in his rambling out loud thoughts then stopping for a moment "Though I would suppose of all those things only the hells would leave behind such a substance that would cause living things to decay and wither upon touching so perhaps that is our clue?"
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#11 Post by Inferno »

The Unseen Servant, master of spring:

"How fortunate that we were late to our friend's funeral," the humble master notes serenely.

He gently plucks a blossom on the edge of the smoking crater and intently regards its petals. Then he observes the crater, murmuring to himself, "The obstacle is the path."

He turns back to his friends, at peace. "Opinions only cloud clear seeing and understanding," he counsels softly.
"Gleaming Light of Pholtus, can you clearly see the truth of this matter?"
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#12 Post by ravenn4544 »

Malibran, reviews the scene before him with a profound silence. The power to rip such a structure from the earth is powerful indeed.

"If what you say is true, the Hells are a vast place indeed to try and locate a lost temple. Blindly venturing forth without a focused place of arrival is not a smart move. It is not a place to simply explore as you well know..."

"I will attempt to divine what I know. Contacting Pholtus directly is something I would save for-" a truly dire situation he was about to say. Is this not that? he thinks to himself. Perhaps it is best to still refrain until we can glean additional information to what has evilly transpired here!

Malibran will find an out of the way place in the devilish scene to quietly mediate on the tragic events - to learn something, some clue, that can help guide them to what should be done next....

Pray for Diviniation

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#13 Post by Zhym »

Malibran prays for knowledge.

And, lo, he knows. The prayer he has said many times before now grants a vision of such clarity as he has never seen.

He knows that a spell transported the temple to Hell. He knows that although a mortal had a part in the deed, the Lords of Hell themselves were the power and motivation behind the dreadful act. He also knows that the gods of law and good are seriously pissed off about the Lords of Hell interfering so brazenly with one of their temples. He knows that unless someone can find a way to travel to Hell and reverse the spell that was cast, thus returning the temple to its rightful place, all those within the temple will be doomed to eternal damnation in Hell.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#14 Post by Scott308 »

Risdac Egargi

I'm not so sure it was fortunate that we arrived later than we wished. Had we been here, we would at least know exactly where the church and its inhabitants are, and we would not have need to figure a way for us all to get there. Had I used my magic, I could have been here in the blink of an eye, ensuring that I was in time for the service. I would have been taken with everyone else, and would have a head start on solving this mystery. Instead, I chose to accompany my friends on an overland journey. Do not get me wrong, I do not regret this decision. I cherished the opportunity to spend time with dear friends, some of whom I have not seen in many years. Still... The mage picks up a stone, tossing it into the area where the church once stood.
Sometimes this summer I will most likely be participating in another 24 hour game of Dungeons & Dragons as part of Extra Life. This organization uses gaming to help raise money to donate to children's hospitals. I'm raising money for Marshfield Children's Hospital in Marshfield, WI, and all money I raise will go to that hospital. All donations are tax-deductible. Please take a moment to check out my donation page below. Thank you.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#15 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Odilo shakes his head and grips his staff with a clenched fist then relaxes his hand a bit and clenches again until his knuckles are white clearly frustrated at the current situation then relaxes his had a again and lets out a sigh. "Clearly we would be in a bad spot if we showed up on time or late either way we have a clear mission. Though I wonder how well our things will last as it appears my friends we are destined to go to hell to get the church back as well as save all of the folks that are within it from a destiny that is not their own."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

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Urson
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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#16 Post by Urson »

Tanner

I've told many people to got to hell in my life. Never thought I'd need to go. Do any of you have a good idea of how to get there? Without dying first, that is?
Expect Nothing, Appreciate Everything.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#17 Post by Norjax »

Rool Diov

Rool stands silent, listening to his companion’s speculations. Although he has experienced many strange things over his lifetime, a brazen intrusion from the nether planes is almost beyond his comprehension. The thought of traveling from this world into another dimension makes Rool uncomfortable. His natural stages are the cities, towns and tombs of worldly cultures, not the realms beyond the natural perceptions of man.

The Boss of the Magna Guild waits and sees if there is an opportunity to offer his assistance.

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#18 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Odilo shrugs his shoulders putting both his hands in the air "I know of spells that can open a portal to other dimensions though one to hell is a bit out of my scope, some of my spells are practical, others are a bit in the realm of bizarre, being that my former body before my spiritual entrapment was into the strange, I've still managed to maintain some of that mentality. But I don't have any such spells in my possession."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#19 Post by ravenn4544 »

Malibran contemplates what he has learned from his prayers. "My good comrades. Clearly our destination, as vile as it may seem, has been identified through Pholtus' blessing. Getting there is one thing - I have prayers that Pholtus has seen fit to grant me should his service require such a journey. The question, however, is where exactly in the vastness of this nether plane is our destination? How do we find this needle in the vastness of Hell?... Suggestions? The Light of Justice does indeed seem to be angry at this slight - perhaps the Light will continue to be generous in the knowledge that can be provided to set us on our quest!"

Malibran continues to meditate and pray. Both hands clutching his revered holy symbol, a whisper can be heard like the wind waiting for a sail, "Semita iustitiae luce videri potest permittere - Vorkath"

Pray to Find the Path to Vorkath

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Re: Ch. 1: Funeral for a Friend

#20 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Odilo replies briefly to Malibran "We might use a locate object spell to locate the church or our friends remains that would give us a good indication on the path we need to take through the hells to reach our destination."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

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