Sunday 1 August 1280, And After (The End)

Duran calls to Karnak and feeds him from his pack. He then goes and checks on Almo to see if he can be of any help. Fortunately, the darkness spell begins to fade. Though Almo doesn't have full sight back, he is beginning to make out vague forms and shapes, and seems to be improving by the minute.

Gaven goes over to Filbert's body and cleans him up as much as possible. Gaven says a prayer to the Light in Filbert's honor.

Oloc listens at the north door, but hears nothing on the other side. Opening the door, the mage sees a tunnel leading north – no doubt a secret passage heading onward into the dungeons beneath the keep as you originally expected.

All three leaders of the party proceed to examine the altar. As you look at the altar's surface, you can see several lines of wicked-looking characters carved into the altar's surface by Rottblood.

Oloc is able to make out the gist of the ancient evil language. Evidently Rottblood was carving a spell that would draw on the spiritual energies of those buried here and corrupt them. The corrupted spiritual energy would then be channeled into Rottblood himself so that he could – it appears – transform himself into a lich.

Examining Rottblood's body, you find that he was no ordinary mage. He was in fact a ghoul – already undead and, not content with his station, trying to move up in the underworld.

You also find upon him a gold ring, a diadem set with multi-colored gems, and another iron amulet with a symbol just like the one you found previously on his minions.

The rock-scraping you heard earlier – and which you still hear – is emanating from the stone of the altar itself as the wicked lines of text slowly fill themselves in and fade away. With Rottblood's death, the altar is repairing itself.

The iron chisel Rottblood used to carved the symbols still lies upon the altar's surface. Before your very eyes, it begins to dissolve as if it were bathed in acid. The process of the chisel's destruction leaves no mark upon the altar.

As you search the bodies of the skeletons you find little of value except for the gear they are carrying.

However, giving a closer examination to the altar, you find a secret compartment underneath. Within is a medium-sized coffer with Rottblood's symbol on it. Opening the coffer you find a substantial mixed assortment of gems, jewelry and gold.

All told, your haul from Rottblood's chamber – gear, gems, jewelry combined – is easily worth a total of 5,000-6,000 gp.

After the room is looted and secured, it is obvious that Almo is still quite shaken and cannot go on. You deem it would also be better to head back to town to bury Filbert and Wally. And of course Hazel will have to be told.

*****

As you make your way back through the catacombs, you note that the puddles of red liquid have almost all disappeared. When you pass through the chamber containing the Mirror of Blessed Souls, you find the water perfectly clear, still and placid. When Gaven looks into the water, the reflection of a face appears therein – not his own face, but the peaceful face of some old abbot.

The face whispers to Gaven: "Thank you." The image then wavers for a moment, smiling, and disappears.

When you make your way to the top of the stairs into the chapel, your comrades there are overjoyed to see you alive, but saddened to see yet another of the halflings dead.

All together you travel solemnly back to Fairbrook. The journey is without incident.

*****

Hazel breaks down and cries hysterically for hours when she sees Filbert's body. However, you eventually manage to calm her and console her as much as can be done, and you ensure that both Filbert and Wally get a proper burial. With Filbert's share of the treasure, Hazel will be able at least to have material security for some time to come. Almo, now fully recovered from his blindness, escorts her back to her family's home.

Captain Belloc crosses paths with you and is glad to hear that you've cleared such a great evil out of Blackwell. "We had no idea there were undead taking over the catacombs beneath the chapel. Clearing them out should make travel at night along the road past the keep at little bit safer, at least for a while," he says.

Abbot Cuthbert is overjoyed that Gaven has recovered the Way of the Light. "This tome," he tells Gaven, "is one of the great treasures of the Church, and was long thought to be lost. No one knew if this copy even still existed. It is a miracle that you were able to recover it!"

Back at the Red Tankard, Big Sadie welcomes you warmly and is more motherly than ever to you. She stuffs you with Sal's cooking until you can't eat anymore, and hovers over you to ensure your every comfort for the first few days you're back.

As much as you enjoy her attentions, it becomes clear that you won't be staying at the Tankard indefinitely. Blackwell and other places of peril and fortune await you, and Sadie knows as well as you do that your destiny lies there.

"One thing's for sure, though" says Sadie. "Wherever your adventures may take you, you'll always have a home here at the Tankard!"

*************************

OOC: I'm going to call a close to the game here guys.

I've been wrestling with a touch of GM fatigue + some RL obligations for a while now. I had hoped my three-week break earlier this spring would let me get over that, catch my breath, and re-charge my creative batteries, but it just didn't seem to work out that way. So with a new school year about to start and with you guys having just put down a major villain, it seemed like a good time to stop.

I do want to say that I really loved running this campaign for you. You were a great group to run a game for. This was my first time back in the GM's chair in 20 years, and I was lucky to have players that operated so well together and brought such good energy to the game. This game was fun for me mostly because of your play.

When next I run a PBB, I'll definitely be inviting you guys!

Tuesday 3 July 1280, Night (Speaking to a young couple, Mrs. Miggins, and Bob Barley)

Big Sadie steps into the back to give Sal some last-minute instructions.

Gaven approaches the young couple and says, "If I may interrupt, do you know Elsie Miggins and Bill Barley?"

The couple, who appear to be around eighteen years old, look at each other before the young man answers.

"I don't know any Elsie Miggins, but I know Bill Barley. We're not really friends, but I know he's a real ladies' man." The young man smiles devilishly, then his face goes dark. "Of course, I sure hope he didn't take this Elsie to the Lovers' Grove. He takes girls up there a lot. But there's been some strange happenings up there. Unusual noises, odd shadows, creepy things like that. A lot of our friends are too scared to go up there any more. Us too, honestly. We've kept our courting in town lately."

The young lady nods, confirming her boyfriend's statement.

"If Bill was brave enough, or dumb enough, to take a girl up to the grove, who knows what might have happened? You might look up there if you're trying to find them. It's about a half mile north of town, on a small hill east of the road. You can't miss it. There's an old farmhouse near the top where a lot of young folks go to watch the sunset."

As Gaven and the young man close their conversation, Sadie comes out with a cloak wrapped around her shoulders. "Let's go then!"

**********

Sadie leads you to Mrs. Miggins' home not too far away. Once inside, Mrs. Miggins recapitulates much of what you've already heard, adding:

"I know my Elsie. She's not always been a perfect girl. There've been nights when she's come back later than she ought. But she's never been out more than one night at a time before. That's how I know something's wrong! I'm offering a reward of 500 gold coins to any group who brings her back to me. I've got my nephew out posting the placards as we speak."

Other than that, you can't get anything more out of Mrs. Miggins. She knows nothing about Lovers' Grove, when you mention it, but she agrees it's as likely a place as any. When you bring up Bill Barley, she becomes positively apoplectic, going into a rant about how she told Elsie time and again how bad he'd be for her. Realizing that's all you'll learn from her, you gracefully say goodbye and depart.

After seeing Sadie back to the inn, you make your way to the stable master's.

**********

The stable master, Bob Barley, is disheveled, and his long, unkempt hair drapes crazily over his shoulders. As he opens the door, you can smell the reek of drink.

"My boy, Bill? Why yes, just last night he says to me, 'Dad,' he says, 'can I borrow the horse? I want to take Elsie up to the grove.' All the girls are sweet on my Bill, you see."

When you ask him if he's sure it was last night, and not three nights ago, he stops to think. "Why, you may be right..." Bob rummages around the empty bottles on his table, seeming to count them. "Hmm... All these were full when Bill left with the horse. It was a brand new case." He nods at the now empty crate on the floor. "It has been three days. Something must be wrong. Not like my Bill to stay out this long. I sure hope he's alright."

Like Mrs. Miggins, he doesn't seem to know anything else you've not already learned, despite the additional questions you ask him. As you leave, he seems genuinely unsettled, pacing back and forth.

***************

The night is getting on as you head back to the Red Tankard. On your way, you see a few of the reward notices Mrs. Miggins' nephew posted. Sadie waits for you to return before locking up for the night. The next morning you wake before dawn and Sal serves you hot coffee and a hearty breakfast. When you finish, the sky is starting to brighten, and it promises to be a clear warm day.

OOC: Actions?

Tuesday 3 July 1280, Just After Nightfall (Speaking to Sadie and Dagwood)

You find Sal's mutton stew delicious, and Sadie's crimson ale is exquisite. As you consider your options, everyone seems to agree that finding the missing girl is the course to pursue.

When Sadie returns to see how you're enjoying your dinner, Duran asks her: "Might you happen to know where we could find the kin of this missing girl?"

"Why of course!" says Sadie. "She's the daughter of Mrs. Miggins, the pie shop owner. I spoke with Mrs. Miggins yesterday in the market. Very distraught, she was! It seems her daughter Elsie went out for a ride three days ago with that young lothario Bill Barley, and never came back. Mrs. Miggins is at her wits end! Ooh, she'd like to see that Bill Barley hanged, I daresay!"

Sadie looks around at the relative dearth of customers. "You know, things are slow in here right now. If you want to speak with Mrs. Miggins this evening, I could introduce you to her myself. You think it over while I quickly check my other clients. Then I'll be back and you can let me know if you'd like to speak to her tonight."

Gaven meanwhile, approaches the man at the bar. As Sadie passes near the bar on her rounds, Gaven signals Sadie to fill the man's drink, then says to the man: "If I may ask, good sir, what news in the gazette?"

"Mostly those awful bandits down by Ham's Fork. Another merchant cart has been robbed, and its owner killed. That's the third one in a month. I tell you, the situation down south really has the Mayor concerned. A fair amount of our food supplies come up that way, and no small quantity of goods leave Fairbrook by the same route. Not at all good for business."

He suddenly looks up from the Fairbrook Gazette as Sadie refills his cup. "Ah, thank you!" he says, "I'm Dagwood, secretary to Mayor Adsul."

He pauses as Sadie heads off again, then adds quietly. "You know, Mrs. Miggins came to the Mayor's office two days ago, screaming and wailing like a banshee. I'm not unsympathetic but, with the deaths on the Ham's Fork Road, we just don't have the manpower. And frankly," he lowers his voice still further to make sure he's not overheard by Sadie, "I'm not entirely certain the girl didn't just run away. It's not the first time she's spent the whole night out with young Bill Barley."

He takes a sip from his drink. "If you do look into Elsie Miggins' disappearance, I suggest you also talk with Bob Barley, the stable owner, to see if his son Bill ever came back from his assignation with the young lady."

Dagwood drains the rest of his ale and puts on his hat to leave. "I thank you again for the drink. If the Miggins affair doesn't work out for you, come by the Mayor's office. I'm sure Adsul would welcome your assistance with the bandit problem."

He pauses and turns just before he heads out the door. "Oh, and if you go out to Blackwell for any reason, do be careful. I hear it's not a place for the faint-hearted."

OOC: Actions?
See Mrs. Miggins this evening (or in the morning)?
See Bob Barley (this evening or in the morning)?
Swing by the Temple (in the morning perhaps)?
Other?

I realize this is my second post in just a day, but remember you don't need to feel rushed to respond – our "official" posting rhythm is once every two days, and you are entitled to take that time. For myself, during the work week I'll likely post closer to the once-every-two-days cadence, while during the weekend I'll tend to answer your posts a bit more quickly.

Also: I forgot to shut off word verification for comments earlier. They should be off now. Let me know if they are not.

Tuesday 3 July 1280, Evening (The Game Begins)

There are strangely few customers sitting in the common room of the Red Tankard inn, as late afternoon makes way to evening. A couple whispers quietly to themselves in a corner, while a group of four men laugh raucously at a table to the side. One man sits alone, near the bar, reading what appears to be some sort of local gazette.

Seated at your table are:

Duran Halmar, who won the Ashwood village archery contest for the first time at age fourteen and has won every year since;

Oloc Argrim, the ward of a witch, whose guardian was killed by a hazing gone wrong at the hands of some narrow-minded locals, and who only very luckily escaped their clutches himself;

Varros Blackwater, who, after an affair with the daughter of his former mentor, was attacked, on orders of his teacher, by three fellow students, managing to kill one and barely escaping the region with his life;

Gaven Bonecrusher, who was "called by the Light" one stormy day near North Stagwood to defend his friends against a group of skeletons, earning the surname "Bonecrusher" which he now bears.

Also at your table, though far less invested in your conversation, are two hired hands – Stan, a mercenary soldier, and Ollie, a torchbearer and porter – both content to let you four do the thinking and planning.

The four of you have shown, through talent, or adversity, or both, that there is something about you that makes you more than an average villager or townsman. Leaving home behind, you struck out into the larger world, coming to Fairbrook, in search of glory and fortune. In short order, you made the acquaintance of those now seated with you at this ring-stained table on the inn's first floor.

As the summer sun sets outside, several lamps illuminate the room with a warm glow, casting shadows into the corners, and you discuss plans for your newly adopted career path as adventurers.

Lodged for some days now at the Red Tankard, you have already heard rumors of potentially heroic and lucrative opportunities that might make a fine start to your new profession:

1. There was quite the ruckus two days ago, as a woman burst into the Mayor's office, screaming hysterically that her teenage daughter had disappeared the evening before, and that none of the King's men had been able to do anything about it. It's said there might be a reward for the daughter's safe return.

2. Bandits have been harassing folk on the Ham's Fork Road, and the King's men patrolling there have been unsuccessful in quelling their activity. The bandits no doubt have a tidy amount of coin built up, just there for the taking by anyone who might have the courage and skill to put an end to their marauding.

3. There is a ruin, called Blackwell, a short way north of town on the Woodfield Road. No one knows its origin. Legend says it has deep dungeons filled with danger and treasure. Enough adventurers have gone in and come back with sufficient loot to substantiate the rumors of wealth to be found. But tales of their struggles and scars seem to keep too many others from following in their footsteps.

As you discuss your intentions, a cooling evening breeze wafts in from the open windows of the inn's first floor, bringing with it the occasional sound of footsteps hurrying home for the evening meal, or the wheels of a cart on the cobblestones, punctuated by a horse's hooves.

Big Sadie, the tall, plump proprietress of the Red Tankard, brings dinner to your table. "You lads seem awfully serious tonight." She wipes her hands on her apron and shakes her head back at the kitchen. "My husband Sal reckons you'll soon be leaving on some grand adventure. If so, you'd better eat hearty while you can – nothing gives a man courage like a full stomach!"

OOC: Actions?