Chapter 22: The Horror at Vicar's Head

[wolfpack]

Brevos fights back the urge to feel relief.

Hopefully but things do not tend to work out for us like one would expect.

[Urson]

Jerome

Jerome sighs in annoyance. I have been patient, waiting until we were in a safe location to ask my questions. We now seem to be in that "safe place"- or at least as safe as we will be granted. I must insist that you tell me everything about your "condition"- NOW.
He doesn't raise his voice, and a half-bald teenager is none to threatening, but it's clear he's not going to take no for an answer.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Well, it's like this, Jerome," begins Telkis. "We've been through a lot together, most of us. Saved a village called Briarsgate from an evil that was takin it over, or what was left of it anyway. Lost a few good party members, doin it, too, including the paladin we had before you came along. Buried under a million tons of mud in a swamp, the same mud that smashed that godsawful Abomination flat." He takes a breath. "Those harrowing times were the good days, it seems. Because we couldn't let well enough alone, we had to try to save some girl disappeared from a village in the foothills. Got lost in a blizzard, attacked by wolves. Only they weren't just any wolves, if you catch my meaning. Basically, we're infected with a curse. It has yet to fully take hold, though, so before it does, we aim to find the source of all the trouble, the big evil, and put it down once and for all." He glances at Urdur."Only now it seems we might of found a cure? Though if you ask me it seems a bit too good to be true."

"Anyway... we're werewolves. Does that answer your question?" he says matter of factly.

[Urson]

Jerome
The paladin takes a step back, reaching for his sword. But- werewolves are inherently evil creatures- and you people have no tinge of evil around you... How can that be?


Jerome paces a bit, trying to resolve what he knows.

[rredmond]

"Well," says Rudolf the unseen hobbit, "as Telkis says, it hasn't quite taken hold yet. Thus the urgency to find a cure for this curse!"

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

And we have died twice, but returned to life due to this curse. The first time was at the fangs of the wolves, and the second was from the undead back in the village. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, this was just before the full moon, which forced our transformation and returned us to our current state. When in werewolf form, we lose all our possessions and have no memories of what occurred while transformed. We end up far from where we were, but this time the more woodly oriented of our group were able to lead us back to the black altar where we were first set upon, enabling us to recover our original gear. When we entered the village the first time, we had nothing and scrambled to find any gear we could- a few pieces of armor and some basic weapons- but it was not enough to fend off the teeming dead. Especially since I had no holy symbol and could not call upon holy Tritherion to force the monsters back so we might have escaped.

Ingrid looks around to see if anyone else has anything to add before she concludes. I think you now know most of our story. The most important parts, anyway. If you no longer wish to travel with us, we understand. Death and misfortune have been constant companions of ours for far too long.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo awakens with the others, his old bones still shivering for some time.

"We have all but given up hope that there will be a happy ending to this story of ours. But yet we all still remain in the fight. We need to find the source of evil that taints this land and do away with it like we did the abomination under the swamp. Only then do I believe that we will be rid of this curse for good. All we need do is survive, together."

The druid gets right to his meditations and praise of the Shalm, hopefully before anything else stops in to say hello. After that, a quick breakfast of rations and anything else he can scrounge up from the dismal land around them.

"So, now you see Jerome, why we are in such a hurry to find this evil and snuff it out. It is because our very lives are dependent upon our success."

[wolfpack]

the next full moon the curse takes hold, we have only a short time left. A cloud of doom encircles us and we prefer to go down in a whilwind of violence to those that haunt us rather than quietly into the night.

[Inferno]

The Mountain Pass, The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eight. Dawn. Saturday, November 19th, 576 CY
Cold, damp, overcast.





Dawn imperceptibly brightens the bleak grey sky.

On the mountain pass through the looming peaks, the doomed heroes answer Jerome's questions about the terrible events they had witnessed and survived. They are certain more dread horrors await them on the eastern side of the dark mountains, where lies the source of the unspeakable Evil that plagued poor Briarsgate, and seemingly oppresses this entire region.

Urdur reviews the journal discovered in the secret library in Vicar's Head. A formula professes to cure the curse that afflicts all of them but Jerome. The potions requires one fresh sprig of wolfsbane per sufferer. The party possesses but two dead sprouts.

The grey druid and the grim ranger both know that wolfsbane is native to windy mountains. It grows along streams, in damp, shady fields, and in mountainous meadows.

Long Bo believes the elixir they hope to concoct will be more potent if the wolfsbane is harvested with a silver sickle beneath the light of the moon, and caught in a bowl before it touches the ground.

They share their disappointing news with the other accursed heroes.


Actions? Plans?


Area Map:

The red X marks the supposed location of an ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.
The heroes are one hex northeast of Vicar's Head.





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: 15/20, 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)

[wolfpack]

We must decide do we detour and take time to look for wolfsbane in the mountains or just accept our fate and continue on.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur says, Seven of us are infected. We currently have only two sprigs of wolfsbane. I propose that we make the first two doses now, and use them immediately. We can then hunt for more wolfsbane in the wild.

I don't have a silver sickle, and I suspect that no one else does either. Perhaps a silver dagger is close enough that we can try collecting samples at night, with a bowl.

But we must make as much of the antidote as quickly as possible. Once we are cured of our affliction, we can set out again at full strength.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo adds in his 2 copper pieces.

"Urdur, you are wise beyond your years, and I have appreciated you as a highly valuable member of this group. But I must respectfully disagree with your suggestion. I don't think the wilted plants are going to produce a concoction strong enough to do away with our afflictions."

"I believe that we must continue on, into the mountains, and seek out the source of the blight upon this land. Perhaps during our journey, and with the help of my magic, we will locate fresh sprigs of wolvesbane that will suit our needs far better."

"Lest we forget that time is not on our side. I don't want to spend valuable searching hours making something that we aren't even sure will work for us."

"Though, as always, I will defer to the majorities decision."

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome was by turns dubious, horrified, and frightened as the others told their tale.

My oath requires me to aid the downtrodden and destroy Evil wherever it appears. Your situation almost demands that I stay with you, and help you cure this curse.

He studies the dried sprigs of wolfsbane, trying to fix their look in his mind. I am no herbalist- Father Tryon finally gave up on me- but I will do what I can to help find the fresh plants.

[rredmond]

"Keep our eyes peeled as we continue on into the mountains. Only eradicating the evil will help the process," sighs the unseen Rudolf.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

I feel that we should search for fresh wolfsbane. The detour we take should not take us significantly off our path, especially since we don't know exactly where we need to go. You are correct, Bo, in that time is against us. If we cannot effect a cure- or find someone who is able to cure us through alchemy or spell- we have only until the next full moon. At that time, the change will be complete and any hope of our ridding the land of evil will be lost. Not to mention that poor Jerome would soon join our number if he is anywhere in the area when we turn.

[ChubbyPixie]

"We're trudging through the mountains now. We're bound to come on a stream on the way. Towards the evil is as good a way to go as any, since we don't know where we'll find the plant anyway. Let's continue on," adds Telkis.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser, no longer concealed in shadow, nods with continuing on. “We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t- let’s keep heading up. We’re as likely to find our weed that way anyway...”

[Inferno]

The unrelenting horror continues in... Chapter 23: Genesis of Evil