Last Days in Ravengro...
The power of the ghosts of Harrowstone had been broken, there ability to cause harm to the living forever curtailed. It had taken a week for the small band of warriors called to Professor Lorrimor's grave to defeat the ancient prison, leaving three weeks as part of his Will.
Some used the time to pray and mediate. Others used it to conduct buisness, buy equipment and prepare for where life led next. For Grimrod Guthook it proved to be the chance to become a local legend. Imbibing several of the highly potent Wailing Banshees served at the Laughing Demon Inn (and carted home by his buisness partner and friend Zhen Halfblood) eventually he built up enough resistance to the brutal local spirit to drink it relatively freely, although the long term damage to his liver can only be guessed at.
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To the surprise of few, as there last days arrived and they prepared to travel to the city of Lepidstadt and to both complete the Professor's final Will and receive the reward promised to them Kendra Lorrimor declared her intent to travel with them, having grown attached to the group and Zhen especially (much to the amusement of Grimrod and the confusion of Zhen himself) and with no further ties to Ravengro, decided to travel with them.
The Journey to Lepidstadt
There month done, the group set out for the week's journey to
Lepidstadt. They learned quite quickly that there was a trial going on for some kind of local monster that had been captured, but as they approached the city and the land turned to march they were more concerned with not being picked off by a bandit band.
A few days into the journey they ran into a band of unusual folks, which they quickly realized was a travelling freakshow led by Kaleb Hesse named the Crooked Kin. Intruiged by running into someone as big as Zhen, the party stopped to see what the commotion was about.
One of the performers, a member of the Pinhead Sisters act named Aleece had gone missing. The Kin were not fighters or warriors and survived the roads mostly because they had nothing worth stealing. Instead, they begged the help of the party, with Kaleb offering up a prized magic dagger if they could find the missing girl.
Leaving Kendra and Amarisa to guard the wagon in case the Kin weren't as innocent as they first appeared, the rest of the party followed Aleece's tracks into the swam with very little trouble.
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It quickly became obvious that the swamp was badly hindering there movement. Worse, screams of pain and cries for help started erupting from different locations. Although they came from different places they sounded very similar, however, and Dee's sharp hearing picked out the fact that the screams didn't seem quite human.
Drawing together on an island in the swamp, the party refuses to split and search out the voices, quickly becoming convinced that it was a trap. There caution was proved justified when a large beast warped from nowhere to bite Zaira. It vanished again before the party could retaliate, but now on guard, they waited for it to strike again.
As it did, Dee used her magic to Hold it, hoping to prevent it from escaping again. Unable to move it was quickly and viciously despatched by the rest of the party in a flurry of swords, axes, hammers and arrows. Upon it;'s death the party identified the beast as phase spider, explaining how the voice came from different locations.
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Loot from the Swamp
A Potion of Fox's Cunning A Gold Handled Magnifying Glass A small box containing brass weights hiding; Three Silver Ingots A Travelling Case containing masterwork locks and keys. |
Now safe, they continued there search, and soon found the body of Aleece hidden away where the spider's venom had been allowed to do it's work. Dead before the party had even met the Kin, there was nothing to but gather some additional items other victims of the Psider had left behind and return her body to the Crooked Kin and her sisters.
Unnerved by the loss of one of there number, the Kin asked if they could travel together, which was fine by the party. It allowed them to find a little more about the trial of the Beast and extra numbers on the road would make them a less attractive target to most bandits.
Arrival in Lepidstadt
Arriving in Lepidstadt and parting company with the Kin, the party decide to take the first set of books to the university first. The streets are on the verge of a carnival atmosphere, as people are over joyed about the forthcoming of the Beast - they regard it's trial as little more than a formality.
Upon reaching the university they the building in the process of being cleared up, apparently having been the site of the Beast's capture and a theft. Meeting Dr Montagine Crowe and returning the books to him, they found out more on what happened - the Beast was found raging within the building after apparently stealing a single item, the Seasage Effigy, which has yet to be recovered. The guards were able to subdue and chain the monster, and now his fate seems certain.
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Part of the job done, they continued on to the home of Judge Embreth Daramid, returning the final book and receiving there reward. After this, she asked if they could stay a moment and hear a request for another job. Curious, they did so.
As one of the three judges assigned to the trial of the Beast, she didn't feel the creature was getting the trial any sentient being deserved and worse, she suspected it wasn't guilty to begin with. She knew that it had committed acts of kindness, and many of the tales of it's crimes were simply false, but no one was brave enough to stand up for the creature to friends, neighbours and family baying for it's blood.
As a neutral party with no history within Lepidstadt or pre-conceived notions of the beast, she wanted them to assist the Beast's lawyer - an inept, stuttering man named Gustav Kaple who was assigned to the trial more as a joke than anything else. So long as they found evidence one way or another of it's guilt or innocence the Judge would happily double the money they'd received from the Professor.
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With no better plan after receiving the reward and some personal motivations within the party, they agree to look into the guilt or innocence of the beast and help Barrister Kaple accordingly. They were told to head to the court house and register, then meet Kaple.
After much stuttering, they learned that the Beast was charged with three crimes - an attack on the marsh village of Morast a year ago, the death of several children in Hergstag seven months ago and attack on a Sanctuary on Karb Island four months ago. The university theft, as such an open and shut case, would be lumped with the Morast attack. The next three days would be when the evidence for each would be presented - with Morast starting at ten the next morning.
Surprised at the deadline, the party moves on to interviewing the Beast. The sullen creature, bound by a dozen chains in a cage. Dee uses a Calming Spell to help open it up, and they quickly find the hulking brute has the mind of a small child, despite it's size and power.
The Beast is clearly confused as to what is happening, but quickly judges the party to be friends. Equally quickly, it becomes apparent the Beast has no idea as to the crimes it's charged with - as far as it was concerned it was sleeping in it's home and awoke inside the University, and has no idea what or where the Seasage Effigy is.
It also seems clueless about Morast. It does, however, know something about Hergstag, and claims one of the murdered children was it's friend. According to the beast, she was killed by a ghost with many eyes. It starts to laugh manically, but the party quickly spots that it is, infact, crying....
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Despite it's friendship the Beast is unwilling to speak of it's creator, not wanting him to get into trouble, so the party heads to the University. It becomes clear that the Beast did break in, smashing through an alarm spelled backdoor and heading straight to the Seasage Effigy. But the story starts to fall apart, as the beast clearly only went into a rage after handing the statue to a third party outside a window - the only one dust free and with footprints outside the window. Zhen comes to the belief that something used the control usually built into a flesh Golem such as the Beast to use it for the robbery, and drove it into a rage to help cover there own escape with the statue.
Case One - Murders at Morast
With time not on there side they get the guards to take a lime mortar cast of the odd footprints outside the window, and attest to the window being clear of dust. They then move onto Morast. Unfortunately, the odd looking folk are abbrasive and quickly rub Grimrod the wrong way by calling him 'city folk', earning the headman a punch. Restrained by Zhen the party manage to get the headman's story.
The Beast showed up around a year ago, killing and taking members of the village until they formed a band to drive it out. They drove it into the swamps near the Boneyard, where a Blood Caymen attacked and bit it on the shoulder. Much to there amusement it cursed and screamed worse than a Lepidstadt harlot before being dragged beneath the water, killing it to the villager's mind - until the headman was summoned to the trial.
The party quickly spotted several oddities - the headman described the Beast as being nearly a foot shorter than it truly was, rather than larger as one would expect, and the Beast spoke in a child like voice. It also didn't have a wound or scar when such a wound should be.
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Arranging to be boated to the now abandoned boneyard, as the villagers feel the Beast's blood has forever tainted the resting place, they quickly spot the nest of a creature. Even as they attempt to get close a shriek from the sky alerts them, and Zhen is peppered with the darts of a Manticore hovering above them.
With the monster above them Zeria, Drigo and Dee opened fire with long rage weapons and Grimrod, who did not believe in long ranged weapons, yelled loudly. Zhen, however, chose to unveil a secret weapon - an amulet that allowed the already large half-orc to become even bigger, that he'd had made back in Ravengro.
Now in range of his sword, Zhen attacked the Mnaticore in return for the hideous injuries suffer. Dee moved forwards to heal him, but the Manticore attacked her - riddling the Cleric with enough spikes to drive her to the ground in a pool of blood. Fearing the worst, Zeria poured a potion into her to keep her alive.
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Knowing they needed the killing power of Grimrod to and his axe to shorten the fight and possibly save Dee, Zhen did as the full Orc was demanding - he picked him up and tossed him at the winged monster. Sadly, the Manticore dove aside and Grimrod landed in a tree behind - which he dived out of in another attempt to attack the flying foe, who once again dodged.
However, it stumbled into another brutal blow and Grimrod, enraged beyond all reason, hurled his axe at the creature with a scream of hate. The spinning weapon took the stunned beast between the eyes, killing it and bringing it's body down to the floor with a crash.
Healing Dee futher, they examined the nest and found the corpse of a dwarf traveller. It was obvious both the dead dwarf and the nest were more recent than the supposed attack by the beast, however, and so they moved on.
A thorough search revealed several things - that six bodies had been stolen from the Boneyard was the first. Soon they found a boat similar to the ones they'd travelled in, which contained a vial with a strange powder (identified as a dried up potion of Dark Vision by Kendra - something the Beast did not need) and what appeared to be a mask made of flesh, which the locals identified as a poacher that went missing about the same time the Beast was 'killed'.
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Loot From the Boneyard
Manticore's Nest Contained; Oil of Keen Edge Package of Bodybalm Silver Hip Flask with Brandy Masterwork Short Sword A purse containing 31pp and 22gp A Wand of Ghost Sound |
They also found a box with some impressive looking tools in them. Upon returning to town they spent the rest of the time before the trial, with only a short break to sleep, hunting down the owner - a man named Vorkstag, the part owner of a local Chymic works.
With moments before the trial began, they made it back and turned in there evidence. With the charismatic Paladin Drigo taking Keple's place, they made there case - that by the headman's testimony, the Beast was wounded and cursed. Yet the Beast talked as a child, and had no scars. Futhermore the man described him as being shorter than he was.
They therefore proposed that someone, stealing the bodies of the locals who are renowned to be exceptionally healthy, had pretended to be the Beast to cover there tracks. Once they ran out of fresh corpses they started on the locals. They supported the theory with the empty graves, all people who died before the 'Beast' started attacking people, and the equipment found at the site - things the Beast did not need.
They also spoke of there theory that, as a Flesh Golem, the Beast could be controlled - citing the terrified reaction of the Beast whenever this was mentioned as proof, and showing the evidence that someone else had taken the Seasage Effigy from the Beast before his berserk rage. They also noted that despite his terrifying strength the Beast did not try to kill the guards who caught him, nor had he tried to escape - an odd act for a supposedly insane killer.
Leaving to the crowd's jeers and cat calls, they decided to head for the village of Hergstag next, during the light of day - and to look into Vorkstag and his Chymic works that night.
Case Two - The Children of Hergstag
There was no time to rest, as they had less than a day to prepare for the defence of the next crime - the murder of six children in a village called Hergstag. This time, there were three sisters who bore witness, and after securing some Oils of Magic Weapon in case the ghosts mentioned were real, they went to interview them.
The three were happy to tell what they'd seen - that the Beast had come into the village, a manic grin upon it's face carrying the corpse of Ellsa, a child the Beast had claimed was it's friend.
It soon became obvious that there was more to the story, however. Other than identifying the grin as the Beast's tearless cry, another child was killed in her bed - after the villagers drove the Beast from Hergstag. Worse, the children themselves returned as spirits to torment them, eventually forcing the village to be abandoned, something the Beast could not do. It was clearly time to go and visit the village and see what could be found there.
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They reached Hergstag an hour or so before dusk, but the overcast sky was quickly creating a shadowed twilight. Quickly finding a need to be weary, as there were a vicious number of traps scattered around the village, the party investigated the home of Allen. His shade, appearing as a small child wreathed in black fire, appeared and attacked but despite inflicting wounds on the adventurers he proved unable to stop them breaking the curse around him.
As the approached Ellsa's house, her spirit attempted to confuse and separate them, inflicting negative energy damage on several party members before being destroyed. Changing tact, the party went to the graveyard to contact her now freed spirit with the spirit placnette, hoping to avoid too much more. Her spirit answered, quickly confirming the Beast had been her friend and had tried to save her from the Wraith that killed her, but before she could go futther the remaining children attacked - led by Brother Swarm.
Faced with five Wraith the party realized they were in trouble. Zhen activated his amulet to grow larger and increase his reach and damage, while the rest laid about them as they could. Never one for subtlety Grimrod attacked the Wraith head on, his huge and temporarily enchanted axe bludgeoning the creature down..
With the shocking onslaught causing significant wounds, Brother Swarm broke and ran, the remaining children of Hergstag following - but the party went after, wounded as they were. Two more of the Wraith children were defeated before Brother Swarm was destroyed in a sickening buzz and smell of honey. Released from his control the pair of Wraiths grew to adults - and fled, causing Zhen to swear to hunt them down when time allowed.
Re-grouping, the party examined the home of the child that had died after the Beast had been driven away, finding that her room was difficult to reach and the window bolted from inside, assuming the Beast could squeeze through to begin with. With no other resported sign of damage it was clear this was the Wraith's handiwork again.
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They also located Brother Swarm's lair - and the location of four of the Children's bodies. Rather than move them themselves, they summoned Clerics of Pharasma to deal with the bodies of the children, and to take there testimony via Speak With Dead for the court case the next day.
Hergstag's evidence collected to the best of there abilities, they returned to the city and rested until early in the morning, before heading to the Chymic Works before dawn.
The large building was clearly still in use, acrid fumes pumped from the building even at this time of day. Zhen helped Grimrod get over the wall into the courttyard (E1), where he was faced with a hideous, patchwork dog that absorbed his blows with ease and nearly killed him before he could open the gate and allow the rest of the party entry. Although the hideous guard dog did a lot of damage they were able to defeat it and, cautious as possible, headed for the main building (E4).
The fight with the dog had not gone unnoticed, and the owners of the building were waiting - with Mongrelmen workers. A chemicle wave caused the party to choke, not helped by poisoned axes thrown by one of the owners, Grine
His partner, Vorgstag, also bombarded the area with Alchemist's bombs. The area they'd entered was the Alchemist's vats - and the boards connecting them, leaving little solid ground. Zhen, quickly spotting he would never fit on them, went a different way to find another way in (E2, E3). He was ambushed by three Mongrelmen, but they were quickly dispatched beneath his huge blade. Finding no entrance he battered his way through the thin internal wall to make one.
Things were looking difficult. The party was pinned by the door with the exception of Zeira, who moved to the floor of the vats and was ambushed by Grine. Vorgstag continued to pound them with bombs and the Mongrelmen shot at them. Finally the Mongrelmen were killed and Zhen, moving to the lower floor and growing to Huge managed to capture Vorgstag. Grine, now alone, used a Darkness spell to bolt deeper into the building.
With Vorgtsag now bound hand and foot, they hope to get some more answers about what happened at Morast and how they were able to frame the Beast...and if they've done it more than once.
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With the ground floor covered, the party chose to head down into the lower levels and work there way back up. A lower storage room (E11) gave up some treasures, but through a secret door the party found a disturbing chamber (E12) full of bodies, and body parts , as well as access to the city sewers showing how they moved the bodies in and out. Most damningly, they found the account ledger for the seedy side buisness.
Moving down the other passage, they found a locked door which Amarisa deftly picked. Inside was a large room (E13) full of bodies floating in chilled water, but Dirgo's Detect Evil ability picked up something, prompting them to investigate. Grimrod's interigation of Vorgstag was of no use, and resulted in the alchemist being knocked unconscious by the irritable Orc.
Eventually, two undead rose from the water. Wrongly identifying them as zombies, the party was caught off guard by brutal flurries of blows that cause significant damage. Despite that, the monsters fell quickly.
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Using some spells to recover from the worst of the wounds taken, the party head up to the second floor. They quickly searched through the loading bay (E5) and moved the next room, a blood drenched mess of a room (E6) that had apparently been used by Grine. Locating the strongbox, Amarisa was also able to find the key - in acid. She poured the acid away and used Mage Hand while Dee used Create Water to wash it before opening the box and looting it's treasures.
The next room was, in some ways, even more disturbing. Realizing it was Vorgstag's room they searched him and located his keys and a blood caymen bite on his shoulder.
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After searching his rooms (E7) they looked in the cabinet - a disturbing mass of stolen skin's and face, including one that matched the description often given for the Beast. Taking the contents with them as additional evidence, they quickly finished the Chymic Works, exploring the tower and dispatching the strange Snapjaw Homunculi within.
Chymic Works Loot
10 vials of liquid ice 10 smokesticks 10 smoke pellets 12 vials of acid 12 vials of nushadir 5 tanglefoot bags 3 Thunderstones 4 vials of anti-toxin 4 cloudy diamonds 5 pots alchemical grease |
With the evidence collected and there prisoner they returned to the courts, washing and preparing for the day ahead.
The day went poorly for the prosecution. Presented with the evidence from Hergstag, including the testimony of Ellsa delivered by a Cleric of Pharasma, and the evidence of the Chymic Works along with Vorgstag's willing testimony, it was becoming increasingly clear that the case was built on a poor foundation.
This did not please the people in the court, who had come to see the Beast damned and burned. The party recieved a great deal of abuse, and in the streets were followed by dark stares and whispers, much to the irritation of Grimrod.
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Case 3 - The Sanctuary
Despite the irritation of the public, the party head to the home of the witness from the Santuary, Karl, who was blinded by the event. He told of how the Sanctuary was set on fire and he couldn't get back in, and how the last thing he saw before the head destroyed his eyes was a huge, shambling figure. Zhen described the Shambling Man skin they'd located, and Karl agreed it sounded very much like what he'd seen.
Giving him several gold coins in thanks, both for his hospitality and his information, Karl added that there are several Ghasts now living in the Sanctuary's remains.
Although confident in the case, especially with Vorgstag once again testifying, they decided to investigate anyway. Before they leave, however, word reaches them that tonight a mod will descend on the courthouse, as they fear justice has not been done and won't be. They must be back before nightfall...
Forewarned, the party moved cautiously into the broken, burned down ruins of the Sanctuary that had been burned to the foundations. The only place that seemed to remain was the basement, the entrance to which had been suspiciously cleared...
With Grimrod in the vanguard, they climbed down into the basement. Dee slipped and fell but was relatively uninjured. Caught in the day and offguard, the Ghasts did not last too long.
Within the dank basement they found two things - a warped lockbox that made mention of Vorgstag and Grine, but was too fire damaged to read, and the head of Dr Brada, the former owner. With the head they could used Speak With Dead and were able to find the Doctor's story.
Desperate to help the people in his care, and needing to experiment, Brada turned to the body nsatching pair to secure specimens to examine. In return he gave them contacts across the country who could use there special services and a cut of the profit.
A falling out over money, however, left Vorgstag in fear of being found out. Using his abilities to take on the Shambling Man's skin he attacked the Doctor, but a lantern was knocked over and the fire started...with everyone still inside.
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Returning to the city, they found a crowd preparing to storm the courthouse. Zhen, Drigo and Grimrod, through a combination of diplomacy and intimidation, convinced them they should allow justice to run it;s course, because otherwise they'd find out just how harsh justice can be. The crowd, especially it's leaders, resisted at first but the party spoke well and eloquently and soon the few who remained deicded they didn't want to risk Grimrod' ire.
Conclusion of the Trial
The final day saw Vorgstag's evidence once again turning the tide, as forced by the testimony of Karl and the late Dr Brada, he was forced to give an honest account of what happened at the Sanctuary.
The time for evidence had past. The three judges left to deliberate in a solmen procession while the court waited there verdict. Soon they returned, and Chief Justice Khard announced the verdict.
“We have heard the evidence presented before us, and thank Pharasma that we did so, for without this trial there would have been a most terrible miscarriage of justice. There are many cruelties in the world, but to lie and blame another for one’s crimes is the most terrible of sins. We have asked ourselves a question—who is the monster here? Is it this creature before us, with its broken body and terrible form, or is it we, the people of Lepidstadt, with our bigotry and lies?
The Beast is innocent!” |
The crowd goes berserk, and within minutes a crowd baying for blood is outside the courthouse. Unwilling to see mod justice done, the Beast is led through the tunnels beneath the city and let free, but not before inviting the party to come and meet his father at Schloss Caromarc.
The party spend the rest of the day re-equiping and enchanting several of there weapons, trading items found during there quest in exchange and keeping there steadily growing pile of cash ready for an emergency before heading after the following morning.
Schloss Caromarc
Travelling on the narrow path to the castle, the party was not especially surprised to be attacked by troll hounds as they approached the castle. Nothing ever seemed to go simply. While not especially dangerous of themselves the narrow passage meant only Grimrod, who'd taken the vanguard position, could ring his weapon to bear. With some supprt from Zaira, who was a potent enough shot to hit them even with several others in the way and Amarizsa using her spells it wasn't soon before the beasts were defeated.
Sadly, the howling of the hounds had drawn in there masters- several trolls were guarding the gatehouse, which they'd sealed to entry. A rain of rocks and crossbo bolts met the partie's approach, but focusing fire on a single troll at a time, with Amarisa's Acid Splash spells negating there ability to regenreate wounds several went down. Zhen, using his Huge form, boosted Grimrod up to allow him to open the doors from the inside which he managed to do, despite the presence of a Troll and Hound guarding the door. This allowed the melee-orientated warriors to give it there all.
The final enemy, there crossbow wielding chief, chose to escape over the edge of the bridge rather than continue fighting, trusting his regeneration would prevent his death.
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Now in control of the gatehouse, the party discovered a trio of terrified goblins wishing to barter information for freeodom. They revealed that the trolls, looking to take over the castle, had been able to get past the gatehouse as the bridge beyond was patrolled by a flesh golem hound. Remembering the punishment they'd received at the fangs of the last such creature they'd faced, Grimrod wanted more information, obliterating one goblin with his axe to show his conviction. Even more terrified the Goblins revealed that others had gotten past by wearing the uniform of the guards here.
Letting the remaining Goblins go, the party found an old uniform which they repaired with Amarisa's Mend spells. Given that she was also useful at backstabbing, Amarisa was chosen to wear the uniform over her armour in the hope that, if it attacked anyone not wearing it she could get behind and backstab it.
It proved unnesecery, as the construct ignored the party with her present. After disarming a trap and entering the castle proper(G3), they encountered a second strange creature of metal and flesh, but after a moments observation it too ignored them. It was worrying to see how many of the strange creatures were in the castle, however.
Exploring the rest of the building took time, and revealed a great number of interesting items which the part chose to leave in place for the time being (as they had no idea if the Count or the Beast was still alive inside the building) and crossed the bridge (H1) over to the next section (H2).
They soon discovered this was the shatterd remains of an alchemy lab, and decided that it would be prudent to make an exception and take the wand of flame extinguish they disovered in the remains.
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As the party attempted to leave a trio of rust monsters attacked the party, much to the amusements of Zhen, who sheathed his sword to protect it and tackled them barehanded. His plate armour was made of alchemically treated stone. Amarisa, surprisingly, also had a field day as her claws proved equally impervious. Although Grimrods chainmail was damaged by the third the monsters were soon destroyed.
Moving across the rope bridge to the next building (1) turned out to be difficult. Although surprisingly agile Zhen's large size gaqve him a great deal of difficulty in crossing, and Grimrod was simply not very agile. The two warriors slipped and almost fell several times before managing to cross.
The party entered the lobby of the next building (j2) and began to explore. The building was filled with strange, preserved creatures in jars. In one room (J4), however, they were not alone. A strange, faceless abomination led by imp like creatures shambled around, and the imps quickly spotted the party. Amarisa tried to order it down, but apparently the guard's uniform wouldn't help them any futher and the monster attacked.
As the creature was obviously blind, the party attempted to fight it by destroying the creatures guiding it. This was not so easy, however, as the larger golem would move to block the blows and take the damage itself. It took several exceptionally accurate blows to defeat several of the smaller creatures, at which point the large monster had suffered a great deal of damage but was still fighting.
In desperation Amarisa used a spell from a scrimshawed tusk found earlier to blast both the creature and it's controllers in one shot, destroying them all in a spray of ice and cold.
In the next area the party discovered a pair of sarcophagus. Unwilling to take any chances, Zhen picks up one coffin to place, upside down, on top of the other but is quickly grappled as it becomes a mimic. The mimic, however, had some problems engulfing Zhen, who was notably larger than it was comfortably able to stretch. As the party tuned to deal with the mimic the second sarcophagus opened a mummy attacked from the other side.
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The fight did not last too long. Although both Zhen and Zaira were paralysed by the mummy, Grimrod's axe and Amarisa's fire spells inflicted a lot of damage upon the creature. Once freed of the mummy's ability, Zhen soon brokefree from the mimic and began pounding it in retaliation. Amarisa tried to help but became stuck to the creature. It even tried to grapple Grimrod, turning to fight it as the mummy finally crumbled to dust, which turned out to be a terminally flawed error.
At that point they decided to return to the previous building and rest in the bedrooms found upstairs, retrieving a spare chainmail shirt for Grimrod from there cart ain the morning.
Returning to a winding path (J11) the party were able to slowly but safely navigate it's heights and reach another section of the vast castle. Discovering a series of flooded holding pens behind a rusted door, and deactivating a pair of traps, they began to explore.
Entering the first room (K4) it became obvious that at least some of the residents were still here when a pack of Vargouilles attacked from above. They were dispatched in short order but it became apparent that the access to the higher level was destroyed in this room and blocked in the main passage. A quick peek into the next room (K5) confirmed no way up there either and the party backed out before it's resident, if any, could attack..
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Moving back and heading over to the next are, the party look into the next pit (K7) but, not spotting any threat, start to swim across. Suddeny, Grimrod is dragged beneath the water and sinks heavily to the bottom. The others quickly get onto and on to firmer ground to find themselves under attack from a strange version of a basilisk with oddly translucent skin. Knowing the danger it's gaze holds Zaira manages to put out it's eyes and allow them to defeat the creature. Zhen then retrieves Grimrod's petrified body from the bottom of the chamber and they use the basilisk's blood to cure him.
With no more obvious way up to the higher level the party retreated to the first chamber they entered and used a combination of Zhen's large form, grapples and time to get up to the next level (K9).
Moving out of the building and across a long three foot wide bridge and into a tower high on a peek. Upon entry (L1) they were assaulted by a brutal four armed beast that tore through both Zhen and Grimrod in seconds, leaving the two warriors in a crippled state. With Amarisa's spells being ineffective against the Flesh Golem the party were forced to retreat back across the bridge as best they could, but the open door meant the huge beast could follow. Pummeled by arrows from Zhen and Zaira and charging headlong as it was, the monster slipped and fell into the dark waters below.
`The monster gone, if not defeated, the party moved back into the tower and discovered some notes detailing the existence of the a device called the Bondslave Thrall and its ability to control the Beast. Now they had the answer as to how the Beast had been controlled in the prison, although no idea as to where the device was.
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Moving up the stairs to the next level they encountered a small homunculus. Unable to speak it mimed out several facts - That the Count was trapped upstairs, that the Bondslave Thrall was on the roof and that something even more unpleasant had infested the labs above them. Duly warned, the party continued through the empty prison and up to the lab above...
The final chamber was a lab, now overtaken by cobwebs of monstrous size, looms up to the sky. The party moves to a large, adamantium bound idol from which a pair of terrified eyes peek out. Count Caromac. High above them, a rustling noise tells them another creature is stirring...a spiderlike Flesh Golem that one glance tells them they can't deal with.
The count quickly instructs them that the only way to defeat the creature is another - the Beast. If they can get to the roof and follow his instructions, the party can take control of the Beast and use it to battle the thing above, the Aberrant Promethean.
Yanking a lever to open the shutters above and waiting, the party use magic to zoom past the Promethean when it's almost at the bottom to give them the most time. Up above Amarisa quickly activate the power source for the Bondlsave Thrall before turning on the machine itself and Grimrod took control of the creature, directing it towards the battle with images of it's friends and it's father.
Zaira, Zhen and Amarisa stand at the opening, puemmling the Promethean with arrows as it ascends at shocking speed. Just before it reaches the party the Beast arrives with ferocious roar, climbing onto the roof and driving at the monster, driven by Grimrod's Berserker Rage and the desire to save it's companions.
Unwilling to allow the Beast to fight alone and unable to shoot at it without danger of hitting it, Zhen uses his amulet to grow Huge and join the fray below, slamming into the Aberrant Promethean with his Greatsword. Enhanced by Amarisa's spells, supported by Zaira's arrows, with Grimrod directing it's actions and Zhen at it's side the Beast tears into the horrific creature with it's own terrible strength.
Even so, the foe was terrible. Although it ignored Zhen the Beast took terrible damage at it's hands, the two monsters causing wounds that would destroy a normal creature. Still, out numbered as it was, the Aberrant Promethean was slowly overwhelmed and destroyed, it's final furious bellow shaking the tower before leaving all in an eerie silence.
Amarisa shut down the Bondlsave Thrall and the party met at Carmoac's prison, opening it. The Count explained his actions - the Beast was his son, and his experiments were leading him to try and bring his wife back. When it was pointed out that she could easily be raised by someone with his resources, he explained he didn't want to bring her back again and again until old age claimed her - he wanted to create an immortal, virtually indestructible body. Everything else, including the Promethean, was just research towards that goal.
But then, the Whispering Way came. They took control of the Beast via the Bondslave Thrall and used it to steal the Seasage Effigy, as the party has thought. But out of spite they also killed everyone in the castle by Caromac and released the various creatures he was using in his research.
The Count begs for the party to not reveal what happened here, promising them help with the Whispering Way in gold and information. The party agrees, after several moments of deliberation, although there motivation is more out of pity for the Beast then the Count. They do make him agree to destroy the Bondslave Thrall and to stop the research that led to Promethean, and to keep the Beast within the castle as people are hunting him. He agrees to it all.
Resting a night to recover, the party bids farewell to there friend and his father before returning to Ledpidstadt to continue following the Whipsering Way to a hunting lodge in the mountains. Rumours are rife that it's full of terrible creatures, including packs of Werewolves. Soon they'll find out...in Broken Moon.