Chapter 23: Genesis of Evil

[rredmond]

Guessing where Urdur is by the tiny empty footholes in the snow, Rudolf will whisper to him as the taller folks talk, "just going to check around back of this tavern, I'll be back in two shakes of an orc's tail. Don't worry, I'll be careful, you know me." He'll make sure no one inside has a chance of hearing him, maybe just the druid, for fun.

Rudolf will just walk around the building, noting windows and doors. Just to get a closer look. He won't stop unless anything out-of-the-ordinary catches his eye. Anything that doesn't belong, or that might hide anything secret. He'll go carefully trying to cover his foot tracks behind him if he can. He looks around corners, and any sign of danger he heads straight back to the group.

[Inferno]

A Settlement Beneath the Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eighteen. Dusk. Tuesday, November 29th, 576 CY
Cold, damp, overcast.





Outside the humble tavern, Rudolf the hobbit invisibly scouts the building's ramshackle exterior and finds nothing amiss.

Neither does Long Bo as he examines the forlorn settlement. Footprints have mashed the fresh snow into a grey slush near the alehouse transom. He hears an owl in the distance, and that which is spoken within.

Inside, looking for warmth in the rustic public house, the heroes find only a cold welcome strangely unmoved by Ingrid's offer of a round.



Beneath the glare of suspicion, Telkis wishes he too was invisible.

Blessing himself in the name of St. Cuthbert, Jerome detects no great evil within the modest tavern. But from somewhere outside it, the pious warrior does.

The stony barkeep replies to Jerome, "'Traveled for days in the snow an cauld?' From where have ye come, lad?"

"An where are ye headet?" asks a stoic, motionless patron with a weatherbeaten face.

On the long wall behind the bar is painted a large strange symbol.





Actions? Replies?


Map:

The red X marks the supposed location of an ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.
The green X is the heroes' position, in the settlement.





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)

[rredmond]

Rudolf waits and listens to the exchange between the party and the unfriendly townsfolk.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Having been rebuffed in her efforts to make the locals a bit more friendly towards them, Ingrid will wait for someone else to speak up.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur wonders whether he should have stayed outside. The gnome waits, as quietly as possible. He doesn't want to give away that there is an invisible party member.

Does Urdur recognize the occult symbol?

[ravenn4544]

Mouser sighs at the chilly reception and offers up a bit of truth - but wisely choosing to leave most of it unsaid. "Nothing sinister, my friends, but we agreed to find a lost girl from a village not far from here - before we became the lost ones in the storm. Wolves plagued us and almost did us in if not for the storm itself to protect us. It's been a cold and trying road of late.."

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome lets his companion speak. He studies the symbol, hoping he might recognize it- or at least some portions of it.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis remain silent, merely nodding in agreement as Mouser speaks.

[wolfpack]

Brevos moves to sit at the bar

I'll take an ale.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeing only a slushy mess outside, Bo puts his back to the building and continues to listen to the conversation inside, all while trying to attract the attention of the distant owl.

The grey druid whistles and hoots softly in hopes of getting the owl to come a little closer to him.

[Inferno]

A Settlement Beneath the Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eighteen. Dusk. Tuesday, November 29th, 576 CY
Cold, damp, overcast.



Outside, in the wind and the cold, Bo hoots an owl call and the nocturnal predator silently takes wing, soaring over the grey druid to investigate.

Inside, the heroes are met by a reception so chilly it makes the mountain pass seem warm in comparison.



"From where have ye come, lad?"
"An where are ye headet?"

Jerome doesn't answer, almost as if he had something to hide. The villagers watch Jerome's eyes take note of the symbol behind the bar.



Unseen Urdur doesn't recognize it. Jerome has never seen it before either but aspects of its strange geometry follow the holy axioms of a ward of protection. Against what, he cannot tell.

Mouser the wily rogue answers the questions, almost. "Nothing sinister, my friends, but we agreed to find a lost girl from a village not far from here - before we became the lost ones in the storm. Wolves plagued us and almost did us in if not for the storm itself to protect us. It's been a cold and trying road of late..."

Brevos moves to the bar and orders an ale. The barkeep is slow to serve it. Instead he asks Mouser, "A lost lass? From whit village?"
"Wolves almost did ye in? Were any o' ye bitten?"
"An where did ye say ye were headet?"

The patrons' mouths remain shut and their eyes remain fixed on the strangers.


Actions? Replies?


Map:

The red X marks the supposed location of an ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.
The green X is the heroes' position, in the settlement.





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 relaxes a fraction, seeing that the symbol is likely a protective ward.

He smiles at the locals. I am sorry- I may have dozed for a moment, thanks to the warmth of the room. Did you ask me a question?

[ravenn4544]

Mouser tries to appear at ease as he continues the conversation with villagers - not wanting to incite them or cause suspicion, and not one to typically jump in, "The name of the place we came from? Oakwood or Ashwood I think. Yeah - Ashwood it was called. It was a small village of good and honorable folk from what we could tell. One of their own was taken by something in the dark. Dark times it seems. We have but rumors to follow to find the child from what the Pastor could tell us - it's hopefully not far from here and perhaps some folk here would know other rumors they could share to guide us?"

And he adds, "The storm indeed was raging and we were surrounded by the wolves. We used up what remaining wood and items we could to start a fire - the storm drove them off in the end - and no one was bitten fortunately. Tough to find rest and healing in such weather...

He looks at the bar to see if Brevos got his drink as he is getting thirsty - and hungry - himself.

[OGRE MAGE]

If Bo can coax the owl to within 30 feet of his calling, he risks casting a quick spell to attempt communication, but not without visually searching around for any nearby looky-loos first.

Once he thinks the coast is clear, and he cant be seen by any of the folks inside the tavern, he begins casting.

Speak With Animals

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric continues where Mouser left off. The storm wiped out any tracks we may have used to find our way back. We got turned around and have wandered for days, so were quite happy to find somewhere warm where we might sit and eat a cooked meal.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur regrets not waiting outside. He remains as still and quiet as he can, not wanting to spook the villagers. If the door opens, he ducks outside.

[wolfpack]

As to where we go form here, if we can;t find any trace of the child we will return from whence we came to let the villagers know.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis tries to appear as non-threatening and friendly as a dirty, frozen, muscle-bound gnome can. He makes no move to the bar or to sit, but waits first to see if the trust of the villagers can be won.

[rredmond]

After quietly letting Bo know he's back, and not wanting to be stepped on Rudolf waits outside with the druid, listening to the conversation inside, but keeping his eyes open for any danger creeping their way from the outside.

[Inferno]

A Settlement Beneath the Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Eighteen. Dusk. Tuesday, November 29th, 576 CY
Cold, damp, overcast.





Outside the humble tavern, in the biting cold beneath the black gulfs of endless night, Rudolf watches unseen as Bo utters a prayer to the God of Nature Itself and converses in the ancient venerated tongue of owls.

The silent airborne predator regards Bo and hoots, "Whoo.... art thou?"




Actions? Replies?





Inside the public house...



...through steady perseverance and a mixture lies, truth and half-truths, the heroes earn a small grudging trust from the villagers, and the frosty reception thaws slightly.

The barkeep puts a foaming ale before Brevos and asks the others, "All right. Whit'll it be then?"


Actions? Replies?



Map:

The red X marks the supposed location of an ancient shrine; the source of the evil that plagued Briarsgate.
The green X is the heroes' position, in the settlement.





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: 5/6 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.
  Speak With Animals (Long Bo): Duration: 7 rounds

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)