Chapter 1 of 2

[bloodymage]

Your task is to ascertain the nature of the calamity in Eddiston and to right it, if possible. You are also tasked with restoring the House of Succor, its Healers and its Bountiful Healer. Finally, the determination of the fates of Benjamin of Gentry and the six paladins is desired. You are warned to not enter the House straightaway, but rather to seek out James and gather as much information as possible. You are promised the gratitude of the Renowned Healer and a bounty of 1,000 merits apiece if successful. You are given a 100 merit advance each to aid in travel and any preparations you feel necessary before entering the House.

You have been instructed to find one Healer Sedecim James of Shield. You are told that James was visiting another House when Eddiston's was overthrown and he escaped the fate of his cloister members, returning to find the devastation and nearly losing his life. It was through a messenger from him that the Renowned Healer heard of the tragedy. Finding James may not be easy because since the fall, fell creatures have been roaming the streets, mutilated bodies have been found and people have gone missing. You are also told that the Renowned Healer suspects The Cudgel, also known as the Iron State, a nefarious theocracy just across the border from Eddiston, a regime dedicated to Baelcasineb, the god of strife and hate.

Before beginning their search for James of Shield, you must first enter the lone gate to Eddiston, an iron reinforced, wooden double gate braced by two 30' towers. The stone wall to the city is 20' high with additional towers at each corner and like most structures in Golanda, it is in good repair. The gates are closed and there is a definite stench in the air, which is immediately recognizable as rotting flesh. The gates are barred from the inside, so you will need to find a way into the city.