8/24/2013 @ Bud’s Place

The Village

You continued north after your encounter with the dire wolves. After finding a suitable place to make camp, you awoke refreshed and ready for anything (or so you hoped). After several more hours of trekking, you came upon a clearing with an unexpected sight: a farmhouse being tended by an orc farmer (blasphemy, according to Mork) and his half-orc son. The son was sent away to defend the home while the father questioned the party’s intentions. Despite Mork and Slippery Jim’s desire for bloodshed, Barbones and Asteria managed to smooth things over enough that you were able to pass without incident. You soon noticed that there were several small farms in this cleared area, and after talking to another farmer confirmed that there was a village up ahead. A village where outsiders were shunned, but you were told you might have better luck with “The Mayor”. Consulting the maps, you were able to confirm that there was no record of such a large settlement in these woods.

As you approached the village proper, the first thing you noticed was a large tower, at least three stories. The village itself was surrounded by a wooden palisade, and inside was a market area complete with a smith, a carpenter, and a wainwright. Tia and Slippery Jim approached the smith. While a bit standoffish, he at least seemed willing to do business with them, but didn’t have the proper size scythe in stock. After promising to make a suitable weapon, he directed the party to the meeting hall where the mayor would likely be found. On arrival, you witnessed the end of a meeting of the town elders. As the elders filed out of the room, many of them turn to glare, and even taunt in the case of Barbones, at the new outsiders. The taunting gave Barbones the idea that there might be eligible young women (or men) looking for a body to keep them warm. After a quick discussion with the mayor it was determined that there was indeed a local wizard. Not an evil wizard, but rather a decent sort named Durlang who provided protection for the town in exchange for a third of the village’s production. The wizard doesn’t have time to meet with outsiders (he’s busy doing wizardly things that you probably wouldn’t understand). However, if you were willing to join the community as productive members, a meeting would be arranged to welcome you to town!

The Wedding

With a meeting scheduled for the next morning, you had time to get to know your new neighbors. The first to approach you was a middle-aged elven man named Respen who expressed joy at having new neighbors. He was a bit lonely due to his children growing old and moving away, as well as his wife, Sarah, growing old and dying. To add to his joy, Respen was to be married that very evening to his new wife Sarah, and he hoped that his new neighbors could join him at the ceremony. When asked, the elf admitted he had been married six times, each time to Sarah. He expressed some confusion when the party questioned why all of his wives would be named the same, explaining that his wife’s name was Sarah. What else was he supposed to call her?

Later that evening, at the wedding, the party noticed something exceedingly strange. Respen’s new wife Sarah looked almost exactly like a painting seen in his home of his previous wife, Sarah. The wedding was a very festive occasion, with many of the village folk indulging to excess and turning in later than farmers should. No one else in the village seemed to notice anything odd about Respen’s new wife…

The Wizard’s Tower

Taking to the farmer’s life, Barbones worked the fields all night making dirt angels, learning to converse with the native fowl, and deciding where to plant his first crop of bone flowers. Disgusted with the idea of the farmer’s life, Mork complained until Tia challenged him to a wrestling match. Somehow managing to defeat the larger warrior, or at least annoy him until he gave up, Mork’s urge to fight was sated for a time. The rest of the party woke early, looking forward to finally meeting this mysterious wizard they had heard so many rumors about. Meeting the mayor, you were escorted to the Tower where you were met by Durlang’s apprentice. He showed you all to the banquet hall where an extravagant breakfast had been prepared for you. As instructed, you began to enjoy yourselves until the host arrived. Durlang, an elderly man walking with the assistance of a staff, made his way to the head of the table and welcomed you all to the village. Trying to find out why you would give up a life of adventure to become farmers, he was surprised to be met with questions about a long abandoned temple to the south, near the town of Yrlaphon. Seeming to grow agitated at the direction the conversation was turning, Mork leapt up and accused you all of betraying his god Gruumsh and the Earth Temple! By this time the wizard had had quite enough, and cast a spell that paralyzed most of the party. Mork was taken away by the young apprentice while the wizard continued his discussion with Barbones and Asteria, the only two not affected by his spell.

It became clear that something was up, as the wizard became quick to agree to anything the party asked. Until, that is, the mines below town were brought up. Pleading with the party not to go below, the wizard followed worriedly as you all followed the apprentice into the basement. Seeing nothing below but supplies and a looming dark shaft, you again questioned the wizard to find out what secrets he was hiding. A rumbling from deep within the hole, as well as the appearance of several tentacles (some ending in snake-like jaws) cause the wizard to cry out in despair and prostrate himself on the floor. “It’s too late. Too late. Too late.” was all he would say as an immense, grotesque form levered itself out of the hole. Everything went dark as the full weight of what you were about to face overwhelmed your senses…

The Village, Abandoned

Stirring to consciousness what felt only moments later, you found yourselves alone in the tower basement. Mork was there, but had no recall of what had happened. The more you tried to focus your thoughts, the more you remembered a single image: A large golden orb held aloft by a skeletal hand, and a deep desire to return to the temple and finish what you started. Despite his earlier protests, Mork was happy to help you in your task to defeat those who now occupied the temple, including his former allies of the Earth Temple.

Searching the village, you find it completely abandoned save for a fresh coating of dust. Mundane tools, money, hidden caches of weapons and food were there for the taking, more than you could possibly carry. The entire wealth of a village, but not a creature to be found anywhere. The only sign that anyone had ever really been there was a small-sized masterwork scythe propped up outside the smithy.

Return to the Temple

Not wanting to spend another night in the cursed town, you made haste back to more familiar enemies. By the end of the second day of travel, you had made it back to the safety of your tower. Although there were signs of someone trying to force through the secret trap door, there was nothing amiss with the tower itself. Mork, especially, was overcome with the strength and daring of his new allies, telling tales of the orcs slaughtered in a failed attempt to breach the tower defenses. Barbones, still determined to hone his skill at farming, used the remains of the slain bandits (picked clean after these several days) to make a bone flower garden in homage to the Great Fire Mage. The rest of the party sleeps fitfully, having similar dreams about the same golden orb as well as the monster that attacked you in the village. There was also a fleeting vision of a similar monster, but more bloated and ravaged by disease. Although you all shared the vision, you were still unable to decipher what it might mean.

Deciding to avoid your “allies” for now, you decide to clear out the west side of the temple dungeon. The first room you enter is filled with grateful prisoners: A merchant and his wife promising gold and riches they clearly do not have, a bandit and his men promising to serve you for as long as they live, and some commoners who seem to be resigned to whatever fate awaited them. After being warned that there were ghouls in the rooms ahead, the party wasted no time clearing first one, then two, then quickly four rooms of the ghouls and ghasts that had taken up residence. There were a few close calls when a stray claw would cause muscles to seize, but strength of arms prevailed with Kadriann, Tia, and Slippery Jim finally having a chance to shine. Barbones managed to infect one of the ghouls with his tainted blood, hoping to create a bride to help him around his new farm.

Deciding to adventure further into the unknown depths, you came across a wide hallway littered with the bones of a previous battle. As you carefully made your way along, several of the bones animated and attacked! Mork rushed in but found himself in over his head. Kadriann and Tia shattered bone to dust as Barbones and Bee landed some solid blows. Asteria summoned a floating representation of a spear to attack her enemies as she saw to the wounded. After putting down over a dozen skeletons, some the size of ogres, you’re barely given a chance to catch your breath as an actual ogre enters the hallway and raises his club, bellowing a challenge at the weakened party…

tl;dr- Plot, plot, plot, followed by more plot. Then ghouls, and ghasts, and skeletons, OH MY!

Treasure:

•  A completely furnished, completely abandoned village. Includes outlying farms, a wooden palisade, a meeting hall which can double as a barracks, and a defensible tower.

• Gold and abandoned equipment equal to 6,000gp per person. No one item worth more than 3,000gp.

• Barney, Debbie, Missy, and Lisa earn 2xp reaching 4th level. Belinda also earns 2xp, reaching 3rd level. Mikie, because of a good roleplaying bonus, earns 3xp reaching 4th level. Daniel and Wendy are awarded 1xp and remain 3rd level. XP totals are listed on the Character page.