Chapter 8: Against the Cult of the Reptile God

[Starbeard]

Moogeye ponders the possibilities.

"The Hochstrecht abode is close, but we are already winded, and we may not find anything there beyond more cryptic clues about the Hochstrechts themselves. The hermit may have more concrete and complete knowledge, but also needs convincing. I suggest we see him first."

"Unless there is a secret entrance we missed, then our presence here will remain secret until someone comes to call on their fellow conspirators, or misses them at some rendezvous. I feel we are pressed for time and should see the hermit now while it is still dark, and keep our wounded away from the front and rear of the party as we move. But then, I am not wounded. Sleeping here should be safe if we keep watch."

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis hefts one of the fancy daggers to see if it would be good for throwing or if its function seems purely ceremonial. He puts one in his pack.

[Inferno]

Day Six.
The Abandoned Foaming Mug Inn (16)
Just before midnight. Friday, October 21st, 576 CY
Full moon, cloudy, damp, cold, misty





The investigators remain in the seemingly haunted, abandoned inn where nigh-invisible horrors lurk unseen in shadows darker than the frail hopes of forsaken Briarsgate.




Grothnak and Telkis gruesomely behead the reptilian abominations. Severed arteries vomit forth arcs of inhuman, black blood.



Telkis keeps one of the ghastly sacrificial daggers even though it isn't weighted for throwing.

The heroes move to the dusty beds on the upper floors, away from the disgusting stench of the cellar lair.



They set watch, say their prayers and try to sleep.

No diabolical, scaled hand slits their throats in the night. No flaming bottles burn the building down around them. Hours pass and no attack comes.

A murky smudge begins to lighten the oppressive sky. Mouser peers out between the slats of the boarded up windows and spies a light burning within the widow Hochstedt's farmhouse (18):




Soon the village of Briarsgate will be awake and full of light.




Actions?


Please read:

It's morning:

• Please roll vs. Healing Rates.
  Casters, your spell 'slots' are refreshed.
  Ingrid, you had one spell slot left over, that could've been used for CLW if you wanted.
  Pelias, your healing powers are restored.

Area Maps:

SE Briarsgate Map 6.jpg (241.04 KiB) Viewed 578 times

Unabridged Briarsgate Map.jpg (801.23 KiB) Viewed 578 times

The PCs are at 16.
Map key is here.

Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/2: AC 7, HP 5/10, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 5, HP 9/10, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: AC 4, HP 24/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 5/16, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl and 3/3 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 3: AC 6, HP 12/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 1/1 3rd lvl
  Moogeye Comcra, Human Monk 2: AC 8, HP 11/11
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 15/19, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: AC 0, HP 15/28

Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.

Resources:

• Map of Briarsgate
  NPC List for Briarsgate
  The Story So Far (in words)
  The Story So Far (in pictures)

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, footpad

Grey carves "Grey Mouser was here, this cursed place" in Thieves Cant into the window frame trim using one of the reptile daggers he took.

"Hochstedt's light is on," the sharper from Lankhmar says in the pre-dawn hour. "Shall we make our way there before morning light stirs the village?"

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis, Gnome Fighter

Telkis stretches his aching muscles after the night's rest. He hurts all over.

Extra Healing (20% chance): [1d10] = 6

"Perhaps we should, as long as we are here," he replies to Mouser. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Mouser. It's just... well... this place... you know." He trails off and goes to gather his things and make ready to leave.

[hedgeknight]

It's morning:
Please roll vs. Healing Rates.
Casters, your spell 'slots' are refreshed.
Ingrid, you had one spell slot left over, that could've been used for CLW if you wanted.
Pelias, your healing powers are restored.

Before she settles in for the night, Ingrid will offer healing to the druid, Long Bo > CLW: [1d8] = 7

When morning breaks, Ingridis up and putting on armor, getting ready for the day. She ignores her grumbling stomach and instead focuses on spreading Trithereon's blessings. She kneels beside the sleeping Avril and prays for healing for the cleric who helped nurse her back to health. CLW: [1d8] = 5

She then approaches Telkis and asks,"How are you feeling this morning? I can attempt to heal your wounds if you like."

Ingrid will then go off by herself and call upon Trithereon's grace to heal her own wounds. CLW: [1d8] = 2
She also heals up 1 pt for the night's rest.

Nibbling on a somewhat stale biscuit, she listens to Telkis and Mouser make plans to visit the Hockstedt place. Without a word, she gathers her things and prepares to depart.

[Zhym]

Grothnak rises, the look on his face sourer than usual. He oils his armor and weapons as the casters ready their spells.

"Though I do not like to slink about like a thief," he says, "we must be careful moving through the town at daylight. We are known enemies of the forces keeping these people in slavery. We will be watched. I would avoid visiting anyone in daytime who cannot defend themselves."

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis, Gnome Fighter

She then approaches Telkis and asks,"How are you feeling this morning? I can attempt to heal your wounds if you like."

"Thank you, my dear, but perhaps you'd best save it for a more dire emergency. I intend to try to stay out of melee combat today if possible. I'm a fairly good shot with this," he says, patting his bow. "Hopefully I'll be able to put it to some use."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo is appreciative of the graces bestowed upon him by Ingrid. He wakes to his usual meditations, thanking The Shalm for his powers and grace.

He finds Sephus and gives him something to eat, leaving him to rest in his hood afterwards.

I agree that we must not be seen again in town. We are beginning to decipher this diabolical scheme, let's keep our heads about us until we can learn more.

A quick jaunt over to that house this morning may show us something.

He motions to the bag of lizard heads.

I definitely think we should see the hermit as well, if he yet lives.

He gives Pelias and Grothnak a concerned look.

[AleBelly]

Pelias 2nd HP from rest 1-yes 2-no [1d2] = 1

Pelias gathers a couple of the heads and spears he would have helped with the beheadings, sorry I didn't make that clear.

He will follow whatever course of action the others suggest. Just before they leave, he will impale two of the heads on the tips of the spears and display them in the lawn of the inn. "Let us give hope to those that oppose this evil" he remarks gruffly.

[dmw71]

Avril thanks Ingrid for her divine blessings and, after an uneasy night of sleep, feels back to full strength. "I have no experience with the Hochstedt’s," she admits, "But I do suspect the hermit had more to say, and I imagine we'll have earned his trust by now."

"I agree with Bo that he is worth paying a visit to... whether first or second is of no consequence to me."

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, cutpurse

Telkis, Gnome Fighter

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Mouser. It's just... well... this place... you know."

"Think nothing of it. I wouldn't trust much in this town. Actions speak louder than words."

[Starbeard]

Moogeye rises, adorns her usual stoic face during her stretches and breathing exercises, pats her arms and breast up and down vigorously, and helps to display the monstrous corpses out front.

Back inside, she wanders over to where Mouser is spying on the lighted window at the Hochstedt home. "The house is occupied, certainly. The hermit may be alive, and he may not be. I have changed my mind: if we hurry we will surely find clues next door, while we know someone is there."

[Inferno]

Day Seven.
The Abandoned Foaming Mug Inn (16)
Just before dawn. Saturday, October 22nd, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, misty





Pelias Blanchflower decorates the front of the Foaming Mug Inn (16) with the grisly, severed heads and cruel alien spears of the reptilian abominations. Their unnatural blood dyes the harpoons as black as the fear that grips Briarsgate.



Ingrid Esthof prays for healing magic; a glimmer of grace and mercy in a world gone terrible and dark. (Bo +7 hp, Avril +5 hp, Ingrid +2hp)

The investigators emerge from the abandoned, ruined hotel into a mist shrouded, predawn gloom. They cautiously survey their surroundings.

To the south, a goat path leads from the crossroads to the charred remains of the barn that burned down around them, from which they narrowly escaped with their lives. (south of 17)



To the north is the Gade Family Farm (19), an open wound on all their souls.
North beyond that and up the hill is the Holy Church of Merikka (21) about which, the strange old hermit had warned them.

Church of Merikka.jpg (462.7 KiB) Viewed 519 times

Due west is the Blacksmith (15), still shut from the night.



To the southwest is the Carpenter Shop (14), also closed.

And across the lane, due east, is the Widow Hochstedt's spread (18).



All is quiet.


Actions?


Area Map:

SE Briarsgate Map 6.jpg (241.04 KiB) Viewed 519 times

Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/2: AC 7, HP 10/10, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 5, HP 10/10, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: AC 4, HP 25/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 8/16, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl and 3/3 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 3: AC 6, HP 20/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 1/1 3rd lvl
  Moogeye Comcra, Human Monk 2: AC 8, HP 11/11
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 17/19, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: AC 0, HP 16/28

Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.

Resources:

• Map of Briarsgate
  NPC List for Briarsgate
  The Story So Far (in words)
  The Story So Far (in pictures)

[AleBelly]

Pelias will not offer suggestions to their next course of action. Confidence in his judgement has been badly shaken since the fall of the Gades.

As they walk (to wherever they're going), he finally speaks to Mouser. "Was it necessary to burn down the inn? With us inside? I trust you will be more careful in the future."

[ChubbyPixie]

"Should one of the sneakier amongst us try to observe what goes on in there first?" whispers Telkis, looking at the Hochstead's place, then in Mouser's direction. "Knowing what they are about before we arrive could be useful in knowing which side they're on." He keeps his bow ready to hand.

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, thief

Pelias ... "Was it necessary to burn down the inn? With us inside? I trust you will be more careful in the future."

"Aye, it was that or face another crowd of men, which would've ended badly," says Grey. "With that smell in the tunnel, I knew it would lead out to the graveyard."

Grey nods at Telkis and silently moves into the predawn shadows to case Hochstedt's house.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo heads out with the others. He carefully pulls Sephus from his hood and gives him the sign to do his recon trick. He then points at the Hochstedts home, hoping that the crow can do a quick fly-by on the windows and return with any news.

"Shall we have our sneaks watch while some of us go see the hermit with these heads? He is the one who told us about the dangers of the Foaming Mug in the first place".

[Starbeard]

Moogeye Comcra, monk

"I will volunteer as a 'sneak.' I do not like sitting still too long."

[dmw71]

Avril will join the others and pay a visit to the Hochstedt estate first. The hermit will wait.