A New Beginning

[sonofotho]

Everyone braces for the worst as Brother Wylo draws forth his mace and creeps to the water's edge. The cleric brushes the surface of the clear pool, sending small waves rippling across the surface. He pauses. No reaction.

He then edges further into the pool, towards a piece of fine coral just within reach. His mace almost touches the small treasure when the water suddenly begins to swirl around. The cleric stumbles out of the pool. Everyone stands at the ready.

A misty figure slowly rises up from the pool. It seems to be made of water and vapor, slowly swirling and coalescing into a vaguely human shape.

"You disturb my pool and seek to rob me of my offerings. Strange behavior when such danger is all about you." You try to move but realize that you are unable to do so, held in thrall by the otherworldly voice.

"A great evil has been awoken on the island, a danger from beyond this world. It knows of your presence here. Act swiftly or it will be too late."

You try and speak, but cannot.

A watery appendage points to the villager lying by the pool's edge. "Waters of healing will remove the effects. Now go...."

The watery figure collapses, raining down into the pool. When the last ripple fades, you are released.

ooc: Actions?

[spanningtree]

Leena - Mage

Perhaps we try to give this villager some of this water? Pointing at the pool where the figure appeared.


Ragnar - Fighter

Aye, I don't see any other drinkable water. What's your take father?

[badams30]

Wylo

Wylo nods quickly at Ragnus' suggestion and stoops down to get some water for the man. "Good idea, perhaps we can wake this man and learn something."

Finton

Finton looks around nervously and says "Yeah, let's help this man, but if this bad thing is aware we are here, perhaps we should be seeking it out, or getting back on that boat."

Finton will keep a watch on the approaching trails, listening intently.

[sonofotho]

Wylo fills his cupped hands with the clear water from the pool. He pours some into the parted lips of the villager, and after a moment the unconscious man begins to waken. Wylo splashes a bit of the water on the man's face and he sits up, still quite groggy.

Suddenly he tenses and begins to leap to his feet? You are able to calm him, but he still looks about frantically.

"Where are the others? Am I the last one," he asks, looking at you all. "Have you come to aid us? To defeat the horrors?"

ooc: Actions? Feel free to fire away with any questions you may have for the villager, and I will answer.

[badams30]

Brother Wylo

Wylo stows his mace and puts his hands reassuringly on the man's shoulders. "Calm down, my friend. You are alive, and a handful of other men back at the village were seemingly asleep such as you. We awakened you with the water of the pond. When you leave us, I'd suggest you take some to your townsmen. But first, please, you must tell us what happened, EVERYTHING. And we will go tend to it. Now, what has transpired here?"

OOC: Wylo will try to be as calm and reassuring as he can, slowing the man down if he starts to get too excited. He'll listen to what the man says, then ask specific questions.

Finton

Finton listens intently, only pausing to say "What did this? What manner of creature or entity"

[spanningtree]

Ragnus and Leena will listen intently to what the villager has to say.

[sonofotho]

A look of hope crosses the villager's face as you mention that some of his kinsmen are alive in the village. "We must take them some of the Water of Lyss. I knew it would help. Please, may I have one of your skins?"

You hand the man a wine skin and he begins to dump it out to refill with water from the pool. He recounts the events of recent days, although he has no recollection as to when he lost consciousness. A few days, maybe a week?

"The Deep Ones, the fish-men, came from the sea and attacked us by surprise. They have done so before, but this time was different. Normally they attack quickly and for the purpose of stealing something - a raid, I would say. But this time they came with another purpose. They were here to slaughter us."

The villager finishes refilling the skin and looks up. "We fought bravely and pushed them back into the sea, but many men were lost. We regrouped, tended to our wounded and tried to make sense of it. Then, the Moon Things came from the woods. They are horrors from another world - a mass of wriggling tentacles for a face and four legs with wicked claws."

The man shudders as he recalls the monsters. "Many more of my brothers fell, but we slew the beasts. Then it was decided that our women and children would leave in the boats - to find help or at least to get away from this island! Sirik-an, our shaman, then had a vision. Something evil had awoken in the temple of Tsathoggua. That place has always been shunned, but nothing has stirred there for as long as any can remember. But now, clearly something is stirring and calling forth its evil servitors.

"It was decided that we would go forth and attack whatever was in the temple ruins. Sirik-an bade us fetch the Sword of Terik-an to aid us. Terik-an was a great leader of our people and he fought many evils of this world, and others, before departing us. His sword lies with him in our sacred burial mound."

"We were then attacked as we prepared to leave - more Moon Things. And some of these attacked our minds - some men were knocked out, others died horribly. Men scattered about. I must have staggered here to the Pool of Lyss before succumbing."

He then snaps out of his tale, a look of panic returning. "But we must return to the others and arm ourselves for the attack! You have come to aid us, yes?"

ooc: Actions?

[badams30]

Brother Wylo

Wylo glances at the others in the party and then back at the man. "We came here to explore the temple, but had no idea about this affair. We'll certainly aid you, but we need to learn more about what we are facing. Tell me, did one of your people retrieve this sword you speak of?"

Wylo goes to the party and says in low tones "This sounds beyond our plan. And we have a ship waiting on us. If we dally too long, they may depart. Perhaps we should take this man back to the village and then signal the vessel that something is the matter, eh?"

Finton

Finton motions with his thumb toward the direction the trail goes, then back toward the carnage of the village. "What are we supposed to do about THAT? He said they were things with wriggling tentacles and all that. How do we deal with that? If it killed that village, how ware WE going to stop it? This smells funny. Mark my words, we're gonna regret this." His gaze passes over everyone, lingering on Wylo and he says "C'mon Wylo. Can't you let this go? Or we'll be the next pile of dead guys."

Finton shuts up, shakes his head and starts pacing nervously, visions of horrible tentacle monsters in his head...

OOC: Oh boy. Well, if we go get a sword, then go see what this is about, the boat might leave. Then again, Wylo probably wouldn't think of not helping these dopes. Finton on the other hand, he'd prefer to get what we came for an leave with no entanglements.

[sonofotho]

Wylo glances at the others in the party and then back at the man. "We came here to explore the temple, but had no idea about this affair. We'll certainly aid you, but we need to learn more about what we are facing. Tell me, did one of your people retrieve this sword you speak of?"

The villager shakes his head. "No, we were attacked before we could set forth. Our burial mound is on the way to the temple ruins."

ooc: You don't think Captain Everett will leave until he certainly gives you up for goners - a week, maybe? Until then he'll likely gladly sit back and collect the 25gp a day he charges for his ship being out of port.

[badams30]

Wylo

Hearing what the villager says, Wylo turns to the group and says "We have to help these people, if for no reason other than to defeat this evil. Let's go collect this sword and have a go at it, shall we?"

Wylo asks if the villager can show us the mound, and what he knows of any protections on the sword, mound.

[sonofotho]

Wylo

Hearing what the villager says, Wylo turns to the group and says "We have to help these people, if for no reason other than to defeat this evil. Let's go collect this sword and have a go at it, shall we?"

Wylo asks if the villager can show us the mound, and what he knows of any protections on the sword, mound.

The villager will gladly take you to the mound, but first he is insistent on taking the Waters of Lyss back to the surviving villagers. He offers to go alone and return with them, or you can join him.

[spanningtree]

Ragnus - Fighter

Aye, let's get this... water back to the others. We can then take a look at this mound and see if the sword is still there.

Leena - Mage

With a small smile: I thought this trip was going to be boring...

[sonofotho]

You follow the villager at a trot down the path back towards the beach and the village. The four surviving villagers are identified and the Waters of Lyss are given. It has the same restorative effects on the men. The five survivors of the village massacre take a moment to grieve together at what has transpired, but soon harden to the task at hand.

There are no formal introductions, but the villagers acknowledge your presence and accept your aid without hesitation. "Let us be off to recover the sword of Terik-an. Then, to the ruins for revenge!"


ooc: Any other actions in the village or do you re-enter the woods straight away, heading for the burial mound?

[spanningtree]

Ragnar - Fighter

Aye, let's get a move on before we lose light.

Leena - Mage

Is ready to get a move on.

[badams30]

Wylo

As we start heading toward the mound, Wylo says "Can you tell me how the attack started? Was there any warning? How did these things fight?"

Finton

Finton follows along, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings for possible ambushers.

[sonofotho]

Clad in thin leather strips and loin cloths and armed with short blades, the villagers set a good pace which those of you in armor struggle to keep up with. They speak little and seem focused solely on recovering the sword and reaching the temple.

You don't learn much more from them as you make your way down the forest path. The Deep Ones and the Moon Things both attacked without warning and without provocation. There had been no sign of the foul minions of Tsathoggua for generations. As to why they had come now, there was no answer.

You reach the clearing with the pool and the Waters of Lyss. The villagers stop long enough to make a few gestures of respect, speaking under their breath.

Suddenly, you hear a horrible screech from somewhere ahead. The villagers stop to listen. Another piercing wail. "They come again. Let us go!"

You leave the clearing down another path heading to the southeast. You wind through the woods, dense bushes and low, gnarled live oak trees forming veritable walls on either side.

You finally reach yet another clearing, winded after the long march. In front of you is a clearing, maybe a few hundred meters in diameter. Groves of cultivated fruited trees and rows of other edible vegetation grows in clusters and rows here and there.

Another screech. Six horrors crash through the undergrowth and into the clearing, perhaps a hundred meters away. They crouch low on four legs. You see masses of wriggling, snake-like tentacles on their 'faces', although there is no other evidence of a face. They turn in your direction, tentacles snaking forward.

ooc: Actions?

[badams30]

Brother Wylo

Wylo hoists his mace up high and says "Well, let's give it to these things, shall we?" He'll pause, allowing the creatures to make the first move - once one is within range, he'll swing at it.

Finton

Finton, wide eyed, mutters "oh my." He then quickly casts a sleep spell at the things, hoping it works.

[spanningtree]

Leena - Mage

Leena casts the cantrip "moan" about 10 or so yards behind the creatures.

Ragnar - Fighter

Ragnar let's loose a bolt from his crossbow. Let them come to us. He will say quietly to his comrades.

[sonofotho]

ooc: The Moon Things charge. I will say you guys can get 1-2 ranged attacks in before the Moon Things are in melee (depending on their speed, which you don't know yet). The villagers, Orstad, and Dermox will all wait for melee. Leena's cantrip doesn't have the range to reach them until they are about 20 meters away. Does she still wish to cast?

[spanningtree]

OCC: Yeah, Leena will stay with the cantrip.