Chapter 23: Genesis of Evil

[rredmond]

"I'd prefer not to be surrounded by the dead, been there, done that," pipes up the unseen Rudolf, shall we look for more ingredients after the potente potion is brewed and ingested?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo

"Yes! I feel like that is a very good suggestion, master Rudolf. I don't like the looks of this place one bit, and we would be putting ourselves at a huge disadvantage if these dead were to rise like the last dead we faced did."

While the concoction is being brewed, Bo lends his botanical insight wherever it may be needed. He looks over the area a little closer, trying to determine if he can see any signs of recent movement through this area, through the snow, or further along the path they will need to take to get to the mountain's entrance ahead.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome sits on a stone near the fire, mostly asleep. The warmth is helping, thawing out his bones so that he's more willing to press on in the darkness. He snores occasionally.

[wolfpack]

Brevos scouts around the area outside the mounds looking for tracks as if the dead rise at night

[ChubbyPixie]

"I'm in favor of pressing on once we're ready," says Telkis. "We'd might as well get it over with."

[ravenn4544]

Mouser will do either, "With that fire burning, it may be best to wait as anyone - or anything - watching from up there will probably have seen it."

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur prepares The Cure by the fire. He provides a dose to Ingrid, Bo, and, Brevos.

After they drink it, he says, Let's go.

[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.







The witching hour approaches atop the icy forbidding mountain at the site of an ancient burial field to unspeakable Elder Gods.

The subconscious scrape unrelenting in his ears, Urdur the invisible dark gnome conjurer begins to concoct a magic potion.




Carefully following the alchemical formula discovered within the secret occult library of doomed Vicar's Head, the unseen sorcerer brews the Wolfsbane Elixir atop the roaring campfire to break the dread Curse of the Beast.




As Urdur's concoction simmers, the paladin snores. The ranger and the druid look for footprints in the newly fallen snow at the edge of a vast graveyard, to no avail.

Near midnight, the conjurer's weird recipe is complete. As Mouser looks on sourly, Urdur's disembodied voice offers the strange potion to Brevos, Ingrid and Long Bo only.



Actions?



Map:

The heroes are at the X, the ancient shrine to the source of 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 jerks awake as he nearly falls off the boulder he sat on.
I apologize, friends. Long days and cold nights are exhausting to us all.

He begins prowling around the lighted area, keeping watch for trouble in the darkness.

[rredmond]

Rudolf keeps an invisible eye on the half-elf and says a quick prayer to Brandobaris, if ever they needed a little halfling luck, now would be the time. While they wait he scans the skies and horizon, every couple of minutes making sure nothing about the mounds have changed.

[wolfpack]

I'll try it first, if I drop dead the rest of you will know it didn't work.

brevos downs the potion

[ravenn4544]

Mouser watches them drink it, then rolls over and tries to sleep. "You guys have watch the rest of the night.."

OOC: he'll sleep assuming they stay there, otherwise will follow.

[SocraticLawyer]

UnseenUrdur watches as his companions drink down the cure for their terrible affliction. We still need more wolfsbane for the rest of us, but at least this way we won't all succumb to the effects at the next full moon.

Now, let's see what awaits us in there.... He points to the entrance, forgetting for a moment that no one can see where he's pointing.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Thank you, Urdur, but I must decline. Someone more worthy than I should be among the first to receive the cure. I have put this entire group at risk too many times. In fact, if I hadn't pushed so hard to leave when we did, we would not have gotten so terribly lost and may have avoided contracting the curse in the first place. I will take the cure only after everyone else has been cured. You should drink it yourself, or offer it to Telkis or Rudolph if you do not wish to partake at this time. Ingrid will rebuff any attempt to hand her the cup.

[Urson]

Jerome
As he walks, Jerome picks up bits and pieces of conversations- and is still troubled by what he hears. But he knows these folks are good people, and stays.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur shrugs, again unseen. We'll all need it eventually. To Telkis, he says, Eiríkr sagði þeim, at hann ætlaði at leita lands þess, er Gunnbjörn, sonr Úlfs kráku, sá, er hann rak vestr um haf, þá er hann fann Gunnbjarnarsker.

Here, drink this.

He enters the dungeon whenever everyone is ready.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo snaps out of his deeply entrenched thoughts and takes the steaming cup from the unseen Urdur.

Being no stranger to such concoctions, the druid sips it down as if it were a nice cup of Earl Grey, hot.

He looks back at the others to see if they notice any physical changes in the tall hairy human.

[Inferno]

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







Near midnight, upon unhallowed ground beneath the winter moon, all seems still.

Unseen Urdur brews a sorcerous concoction and offers it up to Brevos, Ingrid and Long Bo. Ingrid refuses the Wolfsbane Elixir. At the priestess' invitation, Telkis reluctantly takes her place and the three drink the strange bubbling potion.

Then they scream in agony.

With mounting terror and dread, they feel themselves once more convulse, contort, change!



Their howls pierce the silence of the graveyard and their fell, hungry voices are no longer remotely human!



Actions?! (Brevos, Long Bo and Telkis: Please roll 1d100 to Save vs System Shock Survival in order to act.)



Map:

The heroes are at the X, the ancient shrine to the source of 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)

[rredmond]

Rudolf draws his magic sword and dagger and hides behind any rock nearby that isn't close to the burial ground and stays silent. He wants a view of what's happening, but he stills his breathing and remains as quiet as possible.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Shocked by the events occurring in front of her, the cleric can only whsper a stunned, I didn't know. I didn't know. I'm so sorry, I didn't know. Realizing she refused to drink the concoction has resulted in the torment and suffering that Telkis is undergoing in her stead, she stands awaiting judgement and retribution.