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Chapter 12: At the Marshes of Madness

The Abandoned Windmill (NW of 24)
Village of Briarsgate, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eight. Early morning. Sunday, October 23nd, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy





The heroes intend to follow the evil priestess' secret map out of Briarsgate into the swamp of the Rushmoors.

The old hermit and the three villagers thank them and say their farewells. "May blessed Merikka watch over and keep you," one says. The blessing sounds more like a eulogy.

Carrying their unconscious friend, the heroes skulk northwest through the grey fog, giving the dawning hamlet a wide berth.




They pass through the wall of thorns and roses for which the village of the damned is named. They eventually arc southward toward their final destination, not knowing if they will ever see Briarsgate again.





The heroes tread through a small wood for cover. When it gives out, they steal across the countryside.




They pass through the outer farms, encountering no living soul nor detecting anyone following in their wake. It is as if this forsaken land has emptied out.

They skirt the perimeter of the Dim Forest, following it south. Within that haunted wood, a sepulcher of overhead growth creates a spectral realm of permanent twilight. In these hushed territories, the common sounds of squirrels and birds are painfully absent.




As they approach the borderlands of the vast swamp, the ground grows wetter and the trees change.




They travel all day through regions as eerie and silent as the tomb.

At sundown, they locate the cultists' trail at the edge of a broad and fetid marsh. Rushes, twisted trees and stagnant water extend as far as the eye can see.



The heroes believe another full day of walking lays before them. But further advance involves wading through two feet of black water. The trail remains clear, however. Dead, grasping branches and weeds are pushed back.

The shadows grow longer and the distant grey sun begins to descend into its nocturnal grave.


Actions?


Map:

Red trail is the cultist map's path. Red X is that trail's destination.
White trail is the heroes' path from Briarsgate. White X marks their current location.





PC Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 7/10, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 14/15, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 9/16, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl and 3/3 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 3: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 16/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 1/1 3rd lvl
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(0), HP: 22/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 25/28
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 5/6, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl

PC Magic:

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

PC Resources:

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

"We'll have to rest before we get there or not at all,"says Telkis, "It might as well be here. I, for one, won't be lying down in that," he adds, pointing to the muck. "Probably giant turtles in there, Garl only knows."

Bo is actually glad to be back in his outdoor element, even if it is just a nasty old bog.

"I agree, Telkis! We definitely cannot camp in the muck. Let me check out the trees here at the edge of this forest. Perhaps we can find some that will be sturdy enough to make a few raised platforms from dead branches. At least then we can rest without swimming and being eaten by all the wonderful swamp critters."

The druid lets Sephus take a lap around the area while he looks for a suitable spot to set up a camp.

"We will need to be away from this trail a good ways, and wont be able to make any fire, unless we want to draw more unwanted attention to ourselves." A quick glance at the half-orc isn't missed by the others.

"I will have Sephus keep an eye out for us from above when he returns. Once we are set up and watches are determined, I will cast the rest of my healing on whoever needs it the most. If we survive the night, we can heal even more once the sun rises again."

Ingrid Esthof

I am pretty sure Hoom would benefit from your healing skill the most, Bo. If we make it through the night with no issues- asking a lot in this location, I know- we can distribute healing to the rest of the group. I'm glad we are stopping here for the night. I do not fancy trekking through the swamp in the dark, or sleeping there unless necessary.

OGRE MAGE wrote:Bo is actually glad to be back in his outdoor element, even if it is just a nasty old bog.

"I agree, Telkis! We definitely cannot camp in the muck. Let me check out the trees here at the edge of this forest. Perhaps we can find some that will be sturdy enough to make a few raised platforms from dead branches. At least then we can rest without swimming and being eaten by all the wonderful swamp critters."

Urdur helps Bo make platforms from dead tree branches. When everyone is ready to settle in for the night, he says, "I can take first watch."

Interlude:

Elsewhere and earlier...

In the Flanaess, Autumn draws nigh, a sudden and unwanted reminder of the long, cold death of winter to come.

Two adventurers, Brevos the forester and Pip the disciple, are readying to set out from Hochoch, a dull, rigid city of fat merchants at the rainy borderlands between Geoff and Gran March. In Hochoch, the tongue-wagging classes are already tiring of last week's favorite rumor:

“Sinister and mysterious evil is at work in Briarsgate. The village itself is somehow being altered.”

Some promising new gossip, about recent shocking events in Hookhill, the capital city of Gran March, has supplanted the tired, old whispers about Briarsgate.
But Briarsgate is on the way to Hookhill, so the two men set forth for the village.


Dotted white trail is the road to Briarsgate. Men may walk 2 hexes per day on a dry road.

Neat, orderly, handsome farms slowly dwindle away. The pace, the noise, and the stench of the city are behind them now and they soon settle into the slower rhythm of nature, with long stretches of quiet on flat, grassy plains sparsely dotted with large cottonwood trees just starting to shed their leaves.

They approach the haunted wood of the Dim Forest when suddenly a terrified local road warden on horseback bursts into view from the southeast. A girl holds on behind him for dear life. He reins his exhausted steed and, after introductions, tells the adventurers his tale.

"I was searching for this runaway girl when... They were flutes, I tell you. Mad piping! The music was mesmerizing… It echoed from all around. Enticing us to come closer, come deeper into the swamp. If I hadn’t grabbed the girl and spurred my horse on when I did, we would have been doomed! I am sure of it!”

The shaken road warden will take the runaway back home, to the west. The adventurers get directions and set out southeast to investigate, wondering if this has anything to do with the strange rumors of Briarsgate.

They walk the haunted hinterlands between the Dim Forest and the Rushmoors.



This land is eerily silent; devoid of birdsong.

The trees change the closer they get to the fell bog.



On the second sunset, having found nothing yet, the men ready to make camp when they spy a black crow circling overhead; the first avian they've seen in days. They cautiously move toward the center of its radius and find what appears to be a party of adventurers making camp at the edge of the bog... here, in the middle of nowhere.


To be continued, below...


Map:

Dotted white trail marks their path. '1' is where they met the road warden. 'X' is where they are now.

The Rushmoors, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eight. Sundown. Sunday, October 23nd, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy





In the eerie territories between the haunted wood and the dismal fen, stygian shadows begin to take hold.

The heroes, weary from their journey from Briarsgate, retreat from the edge of the black stagnant water, ascending to higher ground.



Bo, Pelias and Urdur collect dry dead wood to fashion into raised platforms upon which to rest for the night. Avril and Grothnak stand guard. Mouser tends to the still unconscious Hoom. Sephus circles overhead, the only living thing in the darkening sky.

"CAW!" the ebon crow suddenly warns.

Two young men cautiously emerge from the choking vine tangles 100 feet to the northwest; travelers or adventurers to judge by their appearance.

"CAW!"

Weapons sheathed and hands open, the pair slowly approach the haggard, worn party. One of them, a bearded swordsman, says wryly: "We're coming over. Don't kill us."


Actions?





PC Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 7/10, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 14/15, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 9/16, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl and 3/3 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 3: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 16/22, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 1/1 3rd lvl
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(0), HP: 22/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 25/28
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 5/6, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl

PC Magic:

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

PC Resources:

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

Grothnak snorts and gives the newcomers a narrow-eyed look. Knock one maybe-a-spy elf unconscious with a halberd to the head, he thinks to himself, and suddenly every stranger you meet is begging you not to kill them.

Pip, a short, stocky bald man, is dressed in simple traveler's garb. His gear is stowed, hobo-style, in a bag attached to a staff slung over his shoulder. He wears no armor, and is wearing no sword or other obvious weapons.

With his free hand, he waves to the party. "We're travellers, on our way to Hookhill. We mean you no harm. We both chose the same spot to make camp, is all. Would you share your fire with us?"

Brevo stands back taking in each memebr of the party noting their position and what weapons they carry, in paticular the orc.

I am Brevos Ranger of the Bramblewood.

Urdur stays toward the rear of the group. He will let the more ... charismatic members of the group handle the parlay with these two newcomers. He mentally prepares one of his spells, just in case things turn ugly.

Bo has randomly run into plenty of folks out in the wild, and he's never been killed by one yet. He steps forward to greet the strangers, hoping they aren't lizardmen.

"A ranger you say? And from the north no doubt?"

The tall grey haired druid looks down his crooked nose at the bald, pudgy man.

"You sir, must have great taste in traveling companions."

He waves for them both to come closer to the fire.

"Come warm yourselves and rest with us. Tell us news of your recent travels. What do you seek in Hookhill? Surely you must have heard that things are not quite right around these parts?"

Brevos relaxes at Bo's words and comes closer to the fire.

Aye I hail from the Bramblewood in Ket originally. I traveled south becuase of rumors of evils happening in Briarsgate. However in Hochoch we heard new rumors of strange happenings starting in Hookhill. We decided since Briarsgate is on the way would stop there first.

Earlier today we ran across a warden and a young woman who seemed to be fleeing for their life. He told us the girl had been a run away he had hunted down, but as he found her in the swamp he heard mesmerizing pipping that seemed to be drawing the girl in so he grabbed her and fled. We decided to investigate and happenined upon you lot.

Telkis listens quietly as the stranger relates his story, glancing at the others for their reaction when he gets to the part about the piping. "Mind stuff," he says, narrowing his eyes and nodding meaningfully. After a moment he somewhat wearily gets up and goes over to greet the newcomers. "Name's Telkis. I have a gut feeling about you two - not sure why - but that doesn't mean I trust you. Things are not what they seem around here you'll soon discover. Mysterious swamp flutes are probably the least of it. If you mean to travel on to Hookhill, I'd recommend steering well clear of Briarsgate. In fact, I'll tell you flat out: don't go there."

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric greets the newcomers. Telkis is right. You should avoid Briarsgate at all costs. It is very dangerous to travel near the village. People have a way of...disappearing...in the vicinity. It is worth a day or two extra travel time to swing wide by several miles.

Hoom Feethos:

"SEE! SEE!" Hoom Feethos lifeless body springs from the ground, full of energy and animation. "I told you so! I told you so! But Noooo! Don't listen to Hoom. He's a spy you say. Stand idle while old grumpy" gestures to Grothnak "over here hit me over the head with his halberd. Knocks me out while my back is turned. Don't let me retrieve the hard evidence to prove the Bertram was expanding into Hookhill. I told you so! But none of you would listen! Fools, the lot of you! Fools I tell you!" The energy on Hoom's outburst starts to decline. He movement slows and his voice lowers to it's normal level. His chest continues to heave as the elf tries to regain the breath that he just spewed forth. "Why? We went north anyhow. Close enough to retrieve my pack and the papers. Why not gather them?" Hoom out of energy plops down next to Mouser and casual says to him "What's for supper?"

Pip is confused by the awakening of Hoom, concerned at first that the manic elf is a prisoner of this band. When Hoom's outburst settles down, Pip relaxes a bit.

"This track we're on will take us straight to Briarsgate, I think. The alternatives don't look very promising, if I understand the area. We could wander into this spooky forest here, or into this vile swamp over here. Or, we could backtrack completely and go around everything. I'm not looking forward to any of those. Where did you gentlemen come from, if you don't mind me asking? Maybe we could go that way...?"

Telkis considers the newcomers steadily. Finally he says, "Look, if you want to investigate strange goings on in Hookhill, I recommend you join us as we venture into the swamp, as odd as that sounds. We have good reason, hard evidence even, pointing in that direction as the source of trouble... though I'd be hard pressed to describe to you exactly what the trouble is. Suffice it to say there's evil mind control of whole towns going on, human sacrifice... and the worst interior decorating crimes imaginable," he shudders. "We aim to put an end to it at it's source. ...It'll be dangerous." He eyes Pip and Brevos for their reaction.

brevos furrows his brow
Human sacrifice? Mind control? what do you believe is behind this? Those things sound like a demon worshiping cult or black magic of some kind. Over the years I have hunted many monsters from goblins to giants, but even those vile creatures do not strive to command whole villages.

Bo is glad to see that this pair means no harm, but he still isn't about to let his mental guard down around here.

"Brainwashing common townsfolk doesn't seem all that difficult a thing to do, but when you start talking about entire populations of people, that is extremely worrisome to me. Some of the things we saw in Briarsgate would melt a stout heart. I agree with Telkis. If you two want to do some good around these parts, then you could do much worse than teaming up with us to see this through. I assure you that we mean well, despite what you may think of our appearance. You probably wouldn't believe what we have been through already, but I will tell you our tale if you are willing to listen."

Bo continues filling in the details of the groups latest journey, not leaving out any of the gory details concerning the town, church, and the despicable tunnels under the earth.