Chapter 23: Genesis of Evil

[Urson]

Jerome

Snowshoes are good for deep snow- especially if it's flat. I suspect we'll encounter a lot of drifted snow, though.

[Inferno]

Banemourne, Beneath the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Nineteen. Morning. Wednesday, November 30th, 576 CY
Cold, raining.







Watched by eerie wards of protection, Telkis doesn't want the weight of yet another death upon his already beleaguered soul. Tucker the mouse is crestfallen. Nevertheless the plucky rodent promises to set a watch upon Banemourne with his kin and kind. "Oh yes, sir! We'll be ever so happy to do it! Ever so happy indeed!" he squeaks with as much cheer as he can muster as the heroes depart the rented hovel.

The freezing rain has melted the snow in the hamlet.




High above the forlorn village, the diurnal owl waits for them in the bleak grey sky.




It wheels south, leading the heroes through the downpour, into the thick woods.

Perhaps an hour passes until, at the foundation of the largest peak, they find steps from some bygone age carved into the living rock.



The owl will go no further.

The ancient stair leads up the forbidding mountain. Up, up, up...



...to the doomed heroes' dark fate.



Actions?


Map:

The heroes have left Banemourne and move toward the red X that marks the supposed location of an ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• Invisibility x2 (Urdur): Targets: self and Rudolf.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome knows he is no scout, but feels obliged to be near the front. He'll be second man up the stairs, right behind whoever is scouting.

[rredmond]

Rudolf lightly touches the ranger's arm, to get his attention. "Elven heritage aside, your chainmail makes you a bit noisier than I'd like. I'll scoot ahead about 20' or so to check things out... and come right back if I notice anything awry," he says quietly, "go slowly, your legs aren't as long as mine."
How is the rain affecting the steps? Are there any other noises, wind, smells or anything else that might obscure any of the senses?

[ravenn4544]

Mouser can follow quietly with his magical boots. "What about the sleds? Can we drag them up there do ya think? I doubt we can quietly..."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo looks around the area for wolvesbane and mistletoe as the others decide what to do about scouting and the sleds. He contemplates using his detection prayer to see if there are any natural traps here at the base of these steps, but he waits to see what the others do first, so he isn't wasting his precious magic.

Ho bows low to his majestic owl friend and nods his head in thanks for delivering them here, waving to the animal as it departs. Looking around to see if there are any signs of animal activity here, he mumbles under his breath.

"It is as if nature itself has decided to abandon this place. That concerns me greatly."

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric will help search for wolfsbane. The presence of evil must be very powerful if even the wild creatures refuse to enter the area. We must be on the right path, at least.

[wolfpack]

Very brave little one, however my training makes it nearly impossible for me to be surprised by our enemies. If you wish to move ahead be weary

Brevos will search for wolvesbane as well.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur joins Bo, Ingrid, and Brevos in the search for fresh wolfsbane.

[Inferno]

The Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Nineteen. Morning. Wednesday, November 30th, 576 CY
Cold, raining.







Ignoring the desperate warnings of the villagers of Banemourne, the heroes ascend the dark mountain. They seek the ancient shrine that is the source of the Evil that plagued Briarsgate, and the little girl taken there by a coven of vile witches.

They climb stone steps worn smooth by the footfalls of centuries uncounted. Before midday, they find a small clutch of wolfsbane; enough for three of them to take The Cure.

They climb above the snowline into a landscape increasingly unnatural, and don't see the ground again. There are no birds, no animals, no signs of any life at all aside from dead trees, still standing, casting warped shadows on the untouched snow.



A painful, admonishing wind presses against the heroes as if trying to warn them, stop them from going any further. They ignore it as they did the villagers.

As the sun sets, the temperature plunges and the freezing rain that bites their faces turns to snow.



Exhausted, they press on through the cold, wind and snow. Then the the trees give out. By moonlight, they scale the stone stair higher and higher into the strange desolate realm. Far above the treeline, in an eerie terrain not fit for man or beast, they reach the site of the ancient shrine of the death cult.

Then things suddenly change. The snow stops. The wind dies and in the sudden silence the demihumans notice an otherworldly, barely audible, oddly-penetrating noise. Like the low constant screech of a fingernail being scraped across a chalkboard.

There is a luminous white field of unmarked burial mounds smothered in mist, and beyond it looms the ominous black shadow of a gate on the mountainside. At long last, the heroes have reached their final destination. May heaven help them now.





Actions?!



Map:

The heroes have reached the red X that marks the ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• Invisibility x2 (Urdur): Targets: self and Rudolf.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome bows his head and prays, loudly.

Cuthbert of the Cudgel- Protector of The White and Guardian of The Way. We thenk you for your aid in reaching this place, and ask your protection from whatever Evil may come!

He then begins the process of clearing a spot to build a fire. I assume we will rest here- before we venture against whatever may wait inside?

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis glares warily in the direction of the black opening."I suppose we should rest, and perhaps some of us should take the Cure now, I'll wait til we have more supply of the era, but I don't know that I cherish the thought of resting here in the open, so near to the source of the evil," he says.

[SocraticLawyer]

Invisible Urdur chimes in. Let's not waste any more time. I'll prepare The Cure for Ingrid, Bo, and, Brevos. Then we should enter, and confront our destiny.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser listens to the invisible voice and challenges, "Well, why are we picking those three? Shouldn't we draw straws or something?"

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome works to get the fire started and burning well. He has nothing to contribute to the discussion, but listens carefully. These folks are good people, he can tell- but terrible things happen when good people are in terrible situations.

[SocraticLawyer]

Mouser listens to the invisible voice and challenges, "Well, why are we picking those three? Shouldn't we draw straws or something?"

They're the three with most healing magic and durability.

[rredmond]

"They are also the folks that can find more ingredients for the cure," sighs an unseen Rudolf in agreement. "No matter what, if we break here tonight, we need a double sentry through the night. Why does there have to be a cemetery? What is it with you people?"

[ravenn4544]

Mouser 'humphs' to himself with a grumble and cinches his pack tighter.

[Inferno]

Burial Ground of the Ancient Shrine of Evil, the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Nineteen. Night. Wednesday, November 30th, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear.







Atop the frigid mountainside, in the middle of the night, the heroes stand at the edge of a vast burial ground of the ancient cult of evil and death.

Jerome starts a fire which Urdur will need to brew the wolfsbane potion.

Long Bo looks out across the snow covered field of burial mounds without number. Each holds no tombstone, and is large enough to be a mass grave.

The heroes debate whether they should rest here upon this unhallowed ground or proceed onward to terrors unknown.



Actions?!



Map:

The heroes have reached the red X that marks the ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• Invisibility x2 (Urdur): Targets: self and Rudolf.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

I do not feel I should be given any special treatment. I am in favor of drawing lots.