-8 days resting to recover from injuries-
Sir Lesher had sent word to our liege that I was among the injured still in his village and that I would return to duties as soon as I could walk.
Q: Make any friends? NO
Gathering, 1002, Moon Day 16th , 45 degrees modest wind, leaves and small twigs in consant motion, flags extended
Looking in the mirror, there is a horrid scar along the side of my face, and the flesh along my jawline is sunken like a dry creekbed. I gather my possessions and set foot on the road back to Coronal.
Q: Anyone else on the road with me? YES Q: Other soldiers? YES
Two other soldiers are returning with me. They were both at the battle of Red Stones and tell me how the baron ordered the tunnels down below sealed after the goblins retreated within them. They agreed that any captives they’d had with them were certainly doomed by that decision.
We pass by a group of shepherds grazing their flocks on the fallow fields alongside the road. My travelling companions pause to flirt with a couple of shepherdesses, to the irritation of the young men present. On seeing me, the girls avert their eyes. I look away from them as well. “I’m going on ahead. You two can catch up later, or not.” I say as I continue on my way.
Q: A friend on duty? NO
I reach Caroval by lunchtime, the gate guards wave me inside, and are shocked at the sight of my scar. I recognize them, but we don’t know each other well. I head over to the barracks to find Sergeant Tiboran.
On the way, I pass by a couple of Thornwooder’s yelling at a customs officer about the taxes on the hides they seek to trade. I ignore the dispute.
In the barracks, I see that my brother’s posessions have already been cleared away and sent home. I find the sergeant, and tell him that I am leaving as well.
Q: Does he try to dissuade me? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Did Maisy say yes? EXCEPTIONAL YES
“I understand. We’ve got a lot of promising recruits. Good luck to you,” he nods tersely. I pack my things and plan to clear out in the morning, spending one last night in the barracks so that I can set off immediately after breakfast to my home village.
I caught up with Nestor, and learned that Maisy had eagerly accepted his proposal. He said that he had helped lay my brother to rest in Woodglade, giving my granmother the coins and gems I’d entrusted to him. I thanked him, and then we talked about what I might do after I leave. I told him I would visit my brother’s grave, and then probably seek my fortune as a sellsword. I told him about Rosamund, and how I’d left her bracer in Leshen. Heput his hand on my shoulder and and told me that if I ever wanted to come back, he’d be here. I thanked him. It’s hard to leave a friend behind.
Gathering, 1002, Lord’s Day 17th , 53 degrees modest wind, leaves and small twigs in consant motion, flags extended
Q: anyone heading my way? NO
Scene #16:
I am glad to leave town. People who’ve known me for years are staring at me, taking note of my scar, or looking away in disgust or pity. And without my brother at my side, I feel ill at ease.
I walk alone down the familiar road towards Cabbat, and then through fields and pasture to Woodglade. I run into a group of shepherds who ask about events in Coroval, and on learning I am a soldier, they ask about the fighting at Lesher. I tell them what I know and they express worry about goblins raiding their lands as well. I tell them that it’s unlikely goblins will raid so far from the woods, but they are unconvinced. We soon part company as I continue on my way home.
Q: Do I reassure the farmers? NO Q: Are people glad to see me? YES Q: Does she try to stop me? NO
At Woodglade, people I’ve known all my life are glad to see me, having helped my grandmother bury my brother just a week earlier. Several ask about the scar, and what happened to my brother, but I am reluctant to talk. Instead of talking to them, I just head to my grandma’s shop.
She is overjoyed to see me and is so grateful to learn I have quit the army. When she learns I don’t plan on staying long, it saddens her, but she tells me that I must find my own way, but that I can always return home when my heart longs for peace. We then go to my brother’s grave. It is next to the marker remembering my father. She asks how my brother died, and I tell her of the battle with the troll. How he saved our lives with his courage. Then we go back home, eat some stew, and I sleep on the same straw pallet I’d used growing up.
I stayed for four days.
Gathering, 1002, God’s Day 20th SKYFALL, 45 degrees modest wind, leaves and small twigs in consant motion, flags extended
Scene: I leave home the morning of Skyfall, not wanting to join the celebration without my brother. I head back to Coroval as it is the nearest town. I quickly run into a group of farmers still hard at work in their fields, even though the rest of the village is celebrating the holiday. They ask for news, but I have nothing new to tell them.
Q: Is Cabbat under attack? NO
Then as I approach the village of Cabbat, I spot what appears to be a large company of soldiers at the nearby forest’s edge. Stopping to look, I quickly realize it is a band of hobgoblins…with woman and children in tow, so not a war party. But what are they doing here when they should be in the deeper woods? I quicken my pace to warn to village.
Q: Do they sound the alarm? EXCEPTIONAL YES
As soon as I tell the village guard what is happening, word spreads like wildfire and the celebrations grind to a hald as the alarm is sounded. Villagers take up arms, and the tiny garrison is soon formed up for battle. The signal bell is soon echoed back from other villages and from Coroval itself, meaning that help will soon be on the way.
Q: Do the hobgoblins retreat? YES
Ascending one of the watchtowers, I observe the hobgoblins retreating back into the woods, and I wonder if they were hoping to lure out pursuit. Or if they were testing for another invasion. I look at the nervous villagers, and know that most of them would have no chance facing such foes. I myself am lucky to be alive.
I climb back down the tower and head over to the village gate, “Let me out,” I command.
Q: Will the guard let me out? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Hells, no!” says the sergeant on watch, “Everyone stays at the ready until His Lordship gives the order to stand down.”
I sigh and sit on the ground, leaning up against the palisade. If they need me to fight, they can holler and I’ll stand ready. Otherwise, I might as well just relax.
Q: Do they stand down after a few hours? YES
E: New NPC: the Arrival of Joy (generate using UNE) (Ricar the Curious Brute, obtain strength, communicate allies, overthrow religions, speaks of reputation regarding previous scene) Q: freelancer? YES
After awhile, the guards begin to relax and the “all clear” is sounded. A large swordsman, a few years older than me, spies me leaning against the wall. “So you are the one who sounded the alarm, eh?” he laughs. “I guess it’s better to keep us all on our toes than to let a bunch of heathen goblins ruin our celebrations.”
I nod in agreement as I rise back to my feet. “I suppose that is true. I’ll be on my way now.”
“Where are you headed, friend?” the swordsman asks, “I too am on the road, and it seems we both trade in steel.”
“I’m on my way to Coroval for now, but I’ve resigned from my liege and have yet to find a new path,” I warn.
“Well, I hear that Baron Coroval pays well for goblin ears, and I’m not above taking bounties against them. Plus, there may be more to find here on the frontier than serving as a guard in Halmfort,” he laughs. I agree with him and we are soon on the the road towards Coroval together. The man introduces himself is Ricar of Colwood.
-Encounter-ruined cottage
On the road back, we notice that one of the frefholder farm houses that can often be seen from the roadside looks odd. There is nobody about in the fields, the livestock are gone, and the door hangs loose from hits hinge.
Ricar and I look at each other, then back up to the farmhouse. I lead the way towwards it.
Q: Is dead livestock visible? NO
Drawing close, I see that the chicken coup has been broken into, and the pen around it has been shattered. There is dried blood and scaattered feathers lying around.
Q: bodies in the house? NO E: Negative for Reder Fane: an Agreement about Extravagance Q: Any survivors? NO
I look inside the house. There is blood everywhere, some torn clothing, a broken spear, but no bodies. Ricar bends over and picks up a silver necklace and brooch, “mind if I take thie?” he asks. I shrug my shoulders.
I look around outside for tracks, but not seeing any, I suggest, “I’m guessing goblins must have done this.” Ricar nods in agreement and mutters a few profanities against the race.
Seeing no signs of survivors, we continue our journey into town arriving about an hour later. I tell the sergeant on watch about the farmstead, and about the hobgoblins sighted earlier. Then Ricar and I head into town.
Scene 18: Immersion-see something written clearly and visiblty
Ricar and I head into town to look for lodging and figure out how to make a living as free swordsmen. That’s when we see a large sign posted just inside the entry gate offering a bounty for goblin and hobgoblin ears, and an even greater bounty for the head of an ogre or troll.
Ricar slaps my back, “I knew this was the place to be!”
Staggered, I take a second to catch my breath, “Well, that’s new,” I reply. Now wishing we’d taken the heads of those two trolls we’d killed a week and a half ago. “Let’s find some lodging.”
-Encounter-
As we head into town, I notice a customs officer with a couple of soldiers harassing a dwarven merchant. None of it is any of my business to I carry on.
Soon Ricar and I come to the Wanderer’s Inn. It is a fairly popular boarding house among merchants who overwinter here. I speak to the proprietor, Olaf, and secure a room of my own by paying him in advance with two of the gemstones we found in the troll’s lair.
Ricar’s eyes light up, “Where did you get those?” he asks excitedly.
I tell him about Llethy wood and the troll’s lair. “Do you think the goblins found them and paid them to the troll? Might there be more out there?”
I shrug my shoulders, uncertainly, “I suppose there are all manner of treasures in the ancient ruins around here.”
Q: Does Olaf offer a rumor? NO
Ricar rents a room for a couple of nights. This town not being his home, I suppose he is less certain he will stay, or perhaps he simply lacks the sort of wealth I recently came into. We agree to meet for dinner across the square at the Rusty Tankard.
I go upstairs and secure my room. Not that I really own much that I need to keep in there. Then I go into town and purchase a sturdy longsword like Tibaran carries, and some additional clothing suitable for travel. That way, I am not so easily confused for one of my lord’s men, now that I am no longer beholden to him.
-Encounter-Q: Is the barbarian successful? NO
While in the market, I notice Thornwilder harassing some of the local woman, boasting of his manhood and inviting them to lay with him instead of these soft farmfolk as he calls us. A few of the women giggle as they pass by, many more scoff at him or look embarassed. None of the men dare to challenge him for he is a rough looking fellow, as all his kind are.
I eventually make my way to the Rusty Tankard to find Ricar. Maisy brings me a plate of grilled sausage with sour cabbage, a ladel full of stewed onion, patato and carrot, and a large roll. I thank the girl and ask about Nestor. She giggles and shows me the slender golden ring he gave her. I nod in admiration.
-Taproom event-
Ricar joins me for my meal and we talk about the recent goblin raids and what they might mean. Just then, a member of the watch comes in and nails a proclamation to the wall of the tavern before stopping to get a drink from the bar.
Q: Is it about the bounties? EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: A mission? NO Q: wanted poster? YES
I walk over to the proclamation and see that it is a bounty for the capture of Avid and Wine, a pair of robbers. Wine is also a suspected witch. They apparently led a gang that attacked several caravans between Colborn and Kleinhold and are believed to have fled somewhere into the Bleak Bog.
Ricar joins me. “Three hundred fifty crowns?” he whistles, “That’s a hefty sum all at once!” he grins enthusiastically.
I regard him warily, “You’ve not been in the bog, have you?”
“Pah! We’ll get through it alright. If a couple of common thieves can manage, then so can two stalwarts like ourselves!” he boasts. His confidence is reassuring, but his sense seems to be lacking.
I shake my head, “It’s not so much a matter of getting through it, it’s about finding two criminals who’ve hidden in it. It’s a massive swamp. If they fled there, and haven’t gotten eaten by trolls or crocodiles themselves already, they could be anywhere! But all the wealth in the world won’t do them a bit of good in a swamp. They need to come into a town to spend it. That’s why this notice is posted here, one of the largest towns near the swamp and likely the only one that they might not immediately be recognized in!”
Ricar slowly nods in agreement. “Alright then, let’s keep our eyes out then. These birds might just fly into our net after all!”
Q: Any rumors about Amden? NO Q: Any rumors at all? YES
Gathering, 1002, Market Day 21st, (Lodging at Wanderer’s Inn (Coroval) paid through Vingrow 26th)38 degrees modest wind, leaves and small twigs in constant motion, flags extended
Immersion Sound-Rumbling
Scene #19: E: Positive for Hobgoblins afoot: the Breaking of a Dispute
At breakfast the next morning, I try to ignore the people staring at my scar. Men mostly, the women at the inn tend to look away. The serving girl can’t even meet my gaze as she puts a bowl down in front of me. I look down at my meal and try to enjoy it, but it doesn’t sit well, and soon my stomach is rumbling and I have to race to the chamberpot.
Olaf, the inkeeper, is very apologetic, for he prides himself in his food. I have to assure him that it wasn’t the food, it was my own troubled mind that got my belly in a knot. Unfortunately, I can’t convince him of that and he throws out everything he cooked that morning to start fresh for lunch.
Q: Does he believe me? NO
Fortunately, before I had to leave, I heard a few rumors. A man at the next table were saying that the Custodians would no longer allow people to visit the graveyard at night. That strange shadows had been seen moving about in the dark and that whispering voices could be heard between the tombstones. So the Custodian’s had decided to keep people out from dusk til dawn. His companion said that strange shadows could also be seen about town at night, perhaps the fiendish necromancer, Tarcenue, had returned to seek his revenge. Or perhaps, it is a vampire lurking among the people, seeking his next victim!
After emptying by belly and my bowels, I decide to go find Ricar, which is easily done. I tell him what I have learned and he is surprisingly excited at the rumors.
Q: Had he learned anything about Avid or Wine? NO Q: Have I heard of Tarcenue? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Well, maybe we should wander around at night and look for this Tarcenue fellow. If he’s a wanted criminal, there’ll be a bounty on him. After all, nobody’s heard anything about Wine and Avid. Unless you want to come with me into the swamp, I don’t think we’ll find them just waiting here in case they might show up.” the burly man says.
“Well, I’m sure that sitting around isn’t going to bring us any great wealth, but I don’t know anything about this Tarcenue fellow. I know I’m not interested in fighting a necromancer, but he’s connected to the weirdness at the cemetary, perhaps we should put a stop to whatever he’s doing,” I concede.
Then the alarms sound, and after a bit of an initial panic as men muster for battle. When we reach the town square where the militia is gatherning, we learn that a signal was sent from Lesher. Apparently, they are under attack by goblins again, and the baron is once more mustering a force to deal with them.
Ricar looks at me, “Three attacks in a month? What’s got into these goblins?”
I shake my head and suggest, “Perhaps you and I should volunteer to find out.”
He grins, “I’ll volunteer to get paid to kill goblins! Let’s talk to the Captain and see what they’ll pay.”
I nod, adding thoughtfully “We’ll need a good scout though.” Ricar agrees.
Q: Are we able to find the sergent? EXCEPTIONAL YES
Sergeant Tibaron is easy enough to find, “Reder Fane? I thought you had left,” the officer exclaims as he sizes up my companion, “Have you come to reenlist? We could use more men.”
“Not exactly. We are wondering why the goblins are growing so vicious. After Red Stone was destroyed, I thought they would settle back down. We were wondering what the Baron might pay if we were to find out what’s causing the attacks, and a way to put an end to them,” I suggest.
The sergeant nods, “I think we’d all like that, if you are up for the challenge.” He leads me over to Captain Teslov.
“Commander, this is Reder Fane, he was the man whose brother was killed by the troll and then helped Lesher against the hobgoblins, he wants to find out what’s behind the goblin raids and if the Baron will bankroll an expedition against it,” the Sergeant summarizes.
-Intimidation 17-
The Captain looks me over, “You’ve certainly got enough fight in you. Just you and your man here?” he looks up at the brutish Ricor, “Five hundred crowns, in gold, if you can put an end to these raids and bring us the head of whatever is leading the tribes against us.”
Ricor is grinning in anticipation, but I suggest, “We need another man or two, could we get some coin up front to hire some people, or could you assign a couple of soldiers to help us investigate?”
-Persuasion 4-
Captain Teslov laughs, “If I give you money in advance, you’ll leave for Estkap and drink yourselves into a stupor. If I give you men, then I’ve lost them as well. See to it yourselves or get out of my way.”
Sergeant Tibaron shrugs his shoulders, “Five hundred crowns for nothing less than the impossible.”
Ricor and I then leave the square to look for additional help. Someone who knows the wilds.
-Sight-Something disgusting nearby -Town encounter-thief bump-
Scene #19:
Ricar and I leave the muster and head over to the Rusty Tankard. Perhaps we can find someone willing to join us there. Along the way, I notice a dead dog, its body bloated with maggots, lying in the corner of an alleyway. Rats gnawing at what remains of its flesh. I turn my head in disgust. Just as a passerby bumps into me, “Hey, watch where you’re going!” the young man warns.
-Sleight of hand-4 vs my passive Perception 15-
His hand on my purse, I try to grab his wrist, but he is too quick. “Ricor, get him!” I shout, but the man slips away. My purse is still on my belt, and Ricor is ready to give chase. “Hold up, we know what he looks like. He didn’t get anything.”
-I pull a tavern customer from Urban Dressing, then roll for mercenearies from KOTB and random adventurers- good thing I pulled the guy from UD, no other rolls panned out-
We soon arrive at the Rusty Tankard, and Maisy is pouring us ale and serving a plate of roast chicken and potatoes. I look around to see if there are any interesting patrons who might be the sort of people I need and my eyes fall upon a Sultari man. “Maisy, who is he?”
Q: Does she know? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“I don’t rightly know,” she says, “mum brought his food to him. He’s had his nose in that book all morning.”
After eating, Ricar and I walk over to the Sultari’s table with an extra tankard of ale in my hand, “Mind if we join you for a bit?” I ask.
(Persuasion -3)
The man looks up surprised, and recoils at the sight of my scar, he stammers, “No, please go away, leave me in peace with my books.” He looks down.
“It’s rare to see a Sultari this far north, what brings you here?” I press.
“Please, go away, I insist that you leave me in peace,” the man demands.
Ricar and I shrug our shoulders and walk away.
We pay our bill and leave, I suggest to Ricar that maybe we’ll have better luck at the Dragon’s Lair.
-event-mud splash-
Along the way, I am splashed with mud by a passing wagon. I yell at the carter, but he doesn’t stop or apologize.
We soon arrive at the Dragon’s Lair.
E: Ambiguous Significance: a Celebration of Failure
Scene #20:
On arriving at the Dragon’s Lair tavern, I quickly spot four young men complaining that the muster had left them behind. One boasting that he’d put more goblins to the sword than anyone given half the chance.
“Well, with any luck, maybe the Baron won’t stop them and we’ll get the chance to prove ourselves!” one of the men says, and the others tip their cups to him.
“Or perhaps, you’d like to join us and put an end to the next goblin war before it begins,” I offer as I walk over to their table. “Are any of you lot any good in an actual fight?”
-Intimidate 19 vs Intimidate 20-
One of the men gets up, “Good enough not to have a nasty scar across my face,” says a curly blonde haired tough as he gets up to answer my challenge.
I notice one of his companions has a scar similar to mine, only not so deep, so I’m amused by his answer. “You the leader of this merry band of sots drinking away your courage?”
Q: Does he want the job? NO
“Yeah,” he sneers, “this is my gang. You want to join or something?” he challenges, puffing himself up.
“I want to hire your men to help me hunt down the goblin leaders and put them to the sword, if you have the guts for it,” I offer, fixing my gaze at each of the men in turn.
“Go after a goblin warlord, are you nuts?” the man responds increduously.
I job two gemstones on the table, and eyes widen. “The four of you talk about glory and about missing the fight. Here’s your chance for glory, gold and a fight to boast of. Are you in?”
A tall man with a scruffy beard and a scar over his brow stands up, and says, “We all gotta die someday. I’d rather die from a quick cut through a full belly than starving to death on the streets. I’ll go with you if it means steady pay and a chance for plunder.”
The others shake their heads and return to the drinks, but their bravado is gone. No longer boasting of their courage, they instead mock our folly and that of their former companion.
“Reder Fane, and this is Ricar of Colwood,” I offer. The man introduces himself as Jarek, and soon we are out in the market looking to trade those two gems for some equipment for the man.
Q: Any difficulty finding equipment? NO
A couple of hours later, Jarek is fitted with chainmail armor, a shield, longspear, and a pack full of field supplies similar to what all soldiers carry.
Q: Is he satisfied? YES
“I was hoping for a crossbow as well, but this is good enough,” he says somewhat bitterly, but it seems all of his words come out bitterly. I tell him to meet us at the Rusty Tankard in the morning. We’ll set out from there. He nods in agreement.
Q: Does Ricar still want to investigate the cematary? YES
“Well, he seems pleasant enough,” Ricar laughingly complains. “What say we head over to the cemetery and see what the Custodians have everyone afraid of?”
I look at him skeptically, “We just agreed to set off after goblins in the morning. Wouldn’t you rather get a good night’s sleep?” I suggest.
The big man shakes his head, “Nah, goblins ain’t nothin to worry about. But a necromancer with a 350 crown bounty on his head? That’s interesting!”
I shrug my shoulders and follow him to the cemetery.
(Evening Encounter-Poor Quarter-Band of Adventurers-5 1 Warrior, 1 Mage, 1 Cleric, 1 Rogue, 1 Ranger-Boasting about a recent adventure) Chat GPT tells me who the bandmembers are and what they are bragging about-
Walking down the streets as night falls, we overhear a heavily armored man boasting to some youths about having killed half a dozen bandits single handedly in the village of Greenmeadow. “They had taken the village elders hostage, hanged the manor lord, and were demanding a ransom from the tenants. That’s when we showed up to save the day! Elara unleashed hellfire on them, scattering them before us while Brother Marcus and I laid into them with hammer and blade! Those who tried to flee were brought down by Finn and Lyra’s arrows. We struck like a thunderbolt and scattered the band to the winds!”
We pause to listen for a bit, and I notice a dark haired woman, apparently Elara, kind of roll her eyes at her companion’s recounting of these events. The custodian, Marcus, also seems less than enthusiastic about the warrior’s boasts. I walk over to the woman and ask, “What really happened in Greenmeadow?”
-Persuasion 3 Q: Does she tell me? Very Unlikely-YES- Q: Could they track them? NO
With a frustrated sigh, she whispers, “The gang leaders had already left, with hostages, by the time we arrived. We caught a few stragglers and put them down, but the damage had already been done.” I ask if they had been able to track where they had gone, but with a heavy sigh and a shrug of her shoulders she says, “no, they had fled towards Grosweal, but we lost track of them when they reached the grasslands, so we gave up and returned home.”
-Persuasion 23 Q: Does she accept that comfort? Very Likely-YES-
“Well, you did what you could,” I offer.
She offers a half-hearted smile, and says, “I suppose that’s true. It could have been worse had we not shown up.”
“Hey, want to help us catch a necromancer?” Ricar interrupts.
-Persuasion 4 Q: want to help us catch a necromancer? Unlikely-NO-
The boasting man barely glances our way before continuing his story. The others seem to blanche at the suggestion while Elara demurs, “We’ve heard the rumors of dark happenings in the cematary. If Brother Marcus’ order forbids us to enter at night, we will not violate their curfew and I’d recommend you don’t either.”
“Pah,” Ricar scoffs, “scrawny little bandits are no test of courage. Glory comes from challenging the unknown! Come on Redar!” He says, dragging me along, “We’ve got no use for that lot.”
Q: Are they offended? Very Unlikely-EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Is the cematary inside city walls? Unlikely-NO Q: Is the shrine adjacent to it? Unlikely YES Q: Are custodians and soldiers visibly guarding the gate? Likely-EXCEPTIONAL YES Q: Faciing inward? Unsure-EXCEPTIONAL NO Q: Anyone I know? Very Likely-YES
We soon arrive at the cemetery just outside the city walls. There are two custodians and half a dozen men at arms guarding the cemetery gate seemingly very intent on keeping visitors out! I spot Filip among the guards and decide to approach.
“Hail, Filip! I thought they’d send you back into the Dire Woods for round two against the goblin raiders,” I jest.
“Reder, what happened to you? I thought blundering into a bunch of thorns was bad, but that scar on your face tells me I had it easy!” he replies. We catch up for a bit, and then I get to the point.
“What’s going on that people can’t come pay their respects at night anymore?” I ask.
Q: Does he know? NO Q: Does a custodian interrupt? YES Q: Friendly? Unlikely-NO
“Reder, is it?” one of the Custodian interrupts, a young man I don’t know, “This is not your concern and you’d best move along.”
“Why not?” I ask, “everyone has kin buried here since when can’t we leave them offerings and memorials, especially in these times of unrest?”
He looks me over, and notices I am not carrying any flowers or soul cakes. “What are you really doing here?” he demands.
“My companion and I thought we’d take a look around. If there is something dangerous happening, its better we put a stop to it than simply hope that it doesn’t grow worse. They say the dead whisper amongst themselves at night. That spirits are walking the streets at night, and the necromancer Tarcenue has returned. I’d like to put these rumor to rest,” I say firmly.
-Intimidate 22 Q: Does he stand down? Very likely-YES-
He scoffs and gestures towards the gate, “Be my guest. If your bodies lay cold in the morning, at least we won’t have to carry you far to bury you.”
“Right!” nods Ricar, as the big man follows me inside the cemetery gates.
New Scene-Chaos reduced 1-Immersion-Sidekick-Skin to skin contact-
Scene #21:
Ricar and I enter the cemetery as the guards open the gates for us to pass through. I hear the big man draw his heavy blade and I reach back, grabbing his arm in warning, “Steel might not harm spirits, but if these are our ancestors, and not the forgotten, I’d rather not anger or disrespect them.”
The man nods and returns his blade to its scabbard.
-Perception rolls 14, 9- Q: Do we notice anything awry? Unlikely-YES Q: The whispering voices? YES (Chat GPT gives me a dozen lines to choose from)-
As we tread further into the shadows between tombstones and mausoleums, we begin to hear voices quietly whispering around us, quiet, almost as though random sounds carried by the wind, but yet, they are real words. “Whispers of sorrow and regret, eternally bound to this place…” “Beware the shadows that dance with the moonlight..” “The necromancer’s presence taints the air, a blight upon our souls…”
“What shadows?” I demand.
Q: Do the spirits answer me? NO (Roll a 1 on a d6 for an encounter, so yes, we find someone-A CR 1 specter seems interesting. I roll a d4 for numbers, get a 4, which is a TPK for sure, so I cut it to 2, which is still likely a TPK. We’ll see)
We move deeper into the graveyard, our nerves on edge, for the rumored whispers are true. Suddenly, there is movement behind us and Ricar cries out as a ghostly woman, her face contorted with rage flies at him from a nearby tombstone. The big man leaps aside as it tries to grab him, and I draw my blade, swinging it through the specter’s arm. It’s like passing through smoke and has seemingly no effect!
“Father, guide my hand and guard me in this battle!” I implore, hoping that my father’s valor will see me through this fight.
“Another one!” Ricar yells as a second spirit flies at us from across the graveyard, it’s hands stretched out towards me! Ricar’s blade swings through the first one’s neck, but as smoke coils in its wake, it seems to do nothing to the wraith.
“Give me an idea,” I say as we square of against our foes. They seem to circle us warily for some reason, and as I duck ones outstreched arm and swing my blade through its chest, I realize, the apparition becomes less visible where our blades pass through. As though, somehow, the cold steel, the spirit of our courage, or something weakens them though there is no flesh for steel to bite.
Emboldened, Ricar and I strike true at the first apparition twice more, and its misty form dissolves before us just as the second on wraps its cold hand around my wrist, and I feel my will to live begin to ebb from me…a vision of horror an despair filling my soul. I break free from its grasp and see a spark of delight in the spirits vacant, hateful eyes.
I stagger backwards, Ricar and I slashing at the greedy fiend as it eagerly, recklessly lunges after me over and again. Each time its hand touches my skin, I feel my soul grow colder, and as it reaches for my neck, I feel a chill that seems to overwhelm me even as its own form begins to dissolve from repeated strikes of our blades. I hear Ricar’s swords clatter against a stone, and then it is his dagger that plunges through where the spirits heart would have been, could it possess such a thing, and the apparition slowly vanishes, its eyes upon mine, as though I were peering into the abyss itself.
-Reder ends the fight with a 10 max hit points reduction, and 8 hit points left, Ricar is unscathed, oddly enough-
I slump to the ground against one of the tombstones and try to catch my breath while Ricar collects the sword he dropped. I take a few swigs from my waterskin and eat a bit of bead, and soon I am feeling better.
Q: Anything attracted by the sound of the fighting? NO Q: Weapon in good condition? YES (Second wind used and short rest taken) Q: Is there a glow from the nearby mausoleum? NO Q: Does the whispering continue? EXCEPTIONAL NO
“Do you hear that?” Ricar asks. I shake my head, and he says, “The voices have stopped.”
“Do you think we just broke the curse?” I ask.
He beams, “That we did, my friend! And you didn’t want to risk facing some necromancer. It was just a couple of ghosts that cold steel and a bit of courage could vanquish! And those fools outside were too afraid to even try!” he laughs.
I laugh and shake my head as he helps me back to my feet. “Let’s get out of here then.”
-I roll a 3 on a d6 for wandering monsters, so it seems unlikely we encounter anything else, but Q: Any encounter on the way out? Very Unlikely-YES-Q: Necromancer? NO Q: Zombies? NO E: Positive for Jarek the Bitter: a Struggle for Pleasures (I quickly stat out some “lesser specters, and roll 7, which I know is entirely too many, but decide to see what happens. )-
As we head back towards the gate, the leaves begin to rustle and the branches on the scattered shrubs start to shake violently. “May the ancestors preserve us,” I mutter as Ricar and I draw steel and stand back to back, looking to see what may come.
Soon, there are flickers of white, like whisps of smoke fliting between the tombstones surrounding us. “Run for it?” I suggest.
“Through them? We are surrounded. Let them come and will do to these what we did to the others,” Ricar replies, grinning confidently.
The spirits writhe around us and soon swoop in towards us. They are slim, half formed apparitions that weave in and out as Ricar and I slash at them with our blades. We quickly disperse two of them before another two grab hold of Ricar and leave him writhing on the ground in agony. I disperse those two as they all turn their attention towards me. I am calling out to our ancestors, begging their aid, when I see Ricar stagger to his feet, and cut through another of the fiend
“Some dead wench ain’t going to keep me down!” he says, but then I feel chill hands around my neck and my vision fades to black.
(And that’s what happened! Whoops! Two nat 20’s on death saves and the duo survive to dispatch the last two, but I go back and forth on whether to continue the story or not. By all logic, they should be dead…so, maybe I’ll start a fresh campaign.)
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