October 2015
THE COMPANY
Orhan, a Wry Alfarn Spellsword
Osric de Mandeville, a Reckless and Fell-handed Dreaman Warden
- Urien, a Weallack Oblate (Normal Man) of Carlton
Oswald, a Scarred and Rheumatic Geating Fighter --> Mortally Wounded Again, This Time by Acid!
- Demoleon, an Ellasene Thief --> Lost!
Zephyros, a Scarred but Silver-tongued Ellasene Mage
- Ansger, a Loyal Dreaman Fighter
- Dudda, a Cheerful Geating Thief
- Guilbert, a Sickly and Hollow Dreaman Fighter
- Xenocrates, a Cautious Ellasene Mage
NPC: Agapetos, a Horse-headed Beastman of the Sunken City, a Liberated Prisoner
NPC: Athelwine, a Geating Hunter (Normal Man) of Acworth, Former Servant of Maurice
NPC: Fraegr, a Brimman Warrior, a Liberated Prisoner --> Charmed!
- NPC: Mauger, a Dreaman Warrior, a Liberated Prisoner --> Mortally Wounded by Poison!
NPC: Godric, a Geating Canon, a Liberated Prisoner
- NPC: Emyr, a Geating Hunter (Normal Man), a Liberated Prisoner
NPC: Haakon Halfdansson, a Brimman Berserk Favored by the Maker
RETURN FROM THE WIDDIGMAN'S LAIR
From the Diary of Urien of Carlton, a Weallack Oblate Attached to Osric de Mandeville:
Most of us made it out alive and burdened with treasure, but not without more slain, and not without discovering many of our mercenaries killed in a zombie attack. But, one after the other:
After we returned with Bigarm’s head to the big hall, Mauger told us that we owed him a full share of the treasure. This led to some discussion because Zephyros apparently promised that to him before we were nearly overrun in the mirror room. The discussion was heated but led to a compromise everybody seemed to accept.
Then, they talked with Agapetos. The horse-headed beastman seems to hail from an enslaved village of his kind that is still under control of the green, four-armed giants. It certainly would be the Maker’s work to lead them out of bondage, but the giants are quite powerful as we have seen…
Osric and Oswald went into the water below the destroyed bridge to find more treasure, but they found a dangerous water snake first! It bit Osric and Mauger. At least Osric survived. Maybe the Maker is still holding His hand over him. I at least hope that is the reason… I never heard Osric recite the Maker’s words with such a lack of passion and concentration. Maybe it was the bite of the snake or this swan-winged devil. Who knows?
Fraegr was incensed at the death of his friend, Mauger. I thought blood would be shed. Somehow, though, Zephyros calmed him down. He was much friendlier after that. Truly, Zephyros did the Maker's work in soothing Fraegr's anger.
After that, we managed to open the big chest, nearly killing Oswald with acid. It looked worse than it actually was at the end, though, and the soap washed away most of the corrosive agent on his face. Inside, there were quite a few expensive things, some lead toy soldiers, and raunchy paintings on wood.
We returned to the two pools. Oswald lifted a mystery from the blue pool, but even after solving the child’s riddle, we were confronted by a vision of a weird apparatus consisting of a long cylinder with a cube at each end. We finally gave up trying to understand it and decided to call it a day, departing the Hellhole once and for all.
The remaining widdigmen awaited us outside, but between the trophy of Bigarm’s head and the hailing of two new widdigman kings, Strongsmell and Splitclaw, we managed to slip away without further problems. There was no sign of Demoleon; we never saw him again after he went exploring... We took the boats the captured caravan guards told us about and escaped before further trouble found us.
Returning to our camp on the island of the menhir, we found much in disarray. While we explored the widdigman tunnels and slew Bigarm, our camp was attacked by zombies. Many of our swords-for-hire fell. Oswald’s behavior remained unusual: his prayers over their bodies were mumbled and without sincerity.
Before leaving the camp, Osric spoke to Agapetos through a translator:
“I know that your people are suffering, and that you need all the help you can get. But we are only a few! We cannot wade into a village of these giants and slay them all to free your kin. We need more information and more men! We will return to Hewflore now, but it may be that you cannot join us. We may have to meet again after we hire more mercenaries. Even then, we need a plan and good information on where we can strike best to free some more of you.”
Later:
“I found a teacher — Ralf d’Arcy — who was willing to speak to Osric and examine the mace. When I brought Osric to him, he looked a bit odd, but he told me he wouldn’t ask any further questions. It might require some trickery to do this, but I am convinced I can find a way…
The curse is undone! The teacher was swift and Osric rather befuddled as he threw the mace from him like an iron pot too long on the fire. With great care, Brother Ralf took the mace to the Maker’s House of Hewflore where the canons there destroyed it on the altar. The power of the foul demoness Turana broken. They assured me that the metal would be used for alms.
Glory to the Maker!