Exploring the Grimdowns (Ancient Blood rec)

Overview of the Athla Hill Country

World Location: Duchy of Dunstrand, Riverdans, Riverdan of Bondeu, Athla Hills

Total Population: 1,650 approx. Only about 400 in scattered farmsteads on the other side of the river from Athlapoole total since the Grimdowns effect the last 50 years. Currently on the east side of the river it is down to about 150 – almost all in Athlapoole – as more people leave each week.

Athlapoole – Hub of the Athla Hill Country

Population: 480 approx. Only about 140 in town itself now, since the Grimdowns effect has driven people out for the last 50 years.

Rulership: Mayor (Semits family)

The Athla Hill Country has no “capital” per se, but all trade flows down to Athlapoole. It is a small town at the confluence of the Ruada Spur and Athla rivers, just south of where the spur joins the Athla, which is spanned by the Rudrae Bridge. There was a modest sized pool formed by the currents, which was expanded somewhat by the residents (before the Nanford changed course) to create a small harbor with a couple docks for trade traffic to send to the Nanford. Now it is only for the river tributaries. Boats are available for rent – but expensive in case they are not brought back. There are three roads that converge in an open market area (now virtually unused) on the west side of town. The river road over the bridge enters through an open gate in a basic wooden palisade. The small town can hold a population of about 500.

The Grimdowns

No one goes into the Athla Hill Country much any more. For the last couple generations, it’s slowly been claimed by strange occurrences, all beginning with the dead walking. Monsters, fogs, terrifying sounds, and dire portents have ensured the population dwindled and its relevance has been negligible for a decade, though the area affected has not grown during that time either. Now it is referred to as The Grimdowns. Only Athlapoole is left, most of the rest of the population is gone.

Up the Nanford River/Never get off the Boat/Apocalypse Now

Note to the Party from Sponsors: Careful study and decryption of some of the ‘relevant materials’ has yielded the location of something very important to our shared tasks. Please proceed to the village of Athlapoole and meet with a halfling named Harper Greenwain; he is a trusted guide, and further information will be delivered to him prior to your arrival. Please use your usual excellent methods, and discretion, to recover this item as it is of the highest urgency.

Note #2 to the party: Our sage has pored over numerous of the previously found documents, as well as old records from the Lower Vale. This allowed him to unravel a coded message in a single sheet letter that belonged to a branch of the family in question, a message that indicates a magically preserved vial of blood from a family ancestor was left at the temple in Kindredale. This town is now known to be abandoned and the temple in ruins, but the preserved blood would prove invaluable in our investigations. Please proceed to Kindredale and make every attempt to retrieve this item; included here is a writ for 100 SP redeemable with Grud Longbeard for your travelling expenses. Harper is an able river guide and has already been contracted to assist you.

Letter from sponsor – vague (given to Belim); Recover an item that will help us in our mission. See the Halfling Harper Greenwane in the Village Athlapoole (pop 75 human + halfling + 20 farmsteads, river boats, small harbor). Historical note = nearby there was grazing land lost to encroaching wilds + nastiness; goblins and such are the rumors. How can they sustain a presence there in the last 50 years?

Rabat has dysentery – must have ate something bad.

The Coming of De’vosa and Delyth

[From Eric Swanson Notes] Introduction of Devosa to the party for this iteration: The party has been on the road for a couple hours since leaving Zerburre when they come across a holy man sitting beside the road. He wears the symbol of [Malek] and is arrayed with weapons as a holy warrior. He hails the party: “Friends – a word if you please.” [Have the player RP this part:] You immediately begin describing how you have been crisscrossing the Vale of Dunstrand, seeking the source of some evil that needs to be rectified. Lately you’ve been powerfully drawn down the river road, toward a small hamlet by a lake or pool – the ‘vision’ of that isn’t entirely clear; but last night as you were walking this road you were suddenly cast to your knees by the presence of your patron and heard their voice telling you to wait on this very spot for an ‘unusual’ group of travelers that would bear the standards of the king and the duke. You immediately stopped and bivouacked right beside the road to wait. Moreover, when you awoke you found in the ashes of your campfire a single unburned branch, knotted into a symmetrical pattern. You feel that this token will mean something to the party – perhaps a vouchsafe of some sort. Beedel and Tazia both see that this is an oak branch, and know this knot work as one of the symbols of Nandha/Nerislan – the Seer of Dunstrand.

[From Eric Swanson Notes] [This section is for play with Harper as a player character] “In the early afternoon you encounter a halfling riding toward you on a donkey. He’s more ‘martially’ equipped than your usual halfling farmer and hails you, asking if you were referred to a ‘Harper Greenwain’ via letter? He is Harper, and shows you a ring with a familiar symbol on it. He came out from Athlapoole to meet you “On this fine steed loaned to me by the Surefoot Merchant Coster” as he gives the donkey a friendly slap. “He’ll accompany you on the rest of the trip to Athlapoole.” Thus does Harper join the party.

On road 2 hours, meet holy warrior and priest traveling together (of different faiths). Devosa – had a vision of evil and was instructed to be here in order to deal with it. Delyth cam seeking a similar draw.

Beedle is drawn to a Vine chocked tree, beedle kneels and screams and writhes after he clears it = transforming (ears, horns) [[loses fighter level, adds druid 1]].

9142, Month 10, Day 23; We arrive at the Merry Elven Lass (1 story) where Duward is the innkeep. Also of note is Grugs Longbeards trading shop. Our mission is to travel to the ruins of Kindredale (abandoned), retrieve a Vial of blood, and it will help us in gaining further knowledge dealing with our mission of tracing ancient lineages. We hire a boat to take us up the Athla river, tributary river of Nanford. The hills were once a Great area – bountiful grazing and small valley farms.
Boat Travel: +1 night = 2nd day, 10 miles a day = 2+ days

Monkey/Goblins in trees, skeletons hanging in trees. Floating Hobgoblin with Gem in its mouth.

Hail of stones, our river guide falls out of boat.

Fight the aging hill giant at bend i the river.

Stone bridge over river where we entice the goblins to fight hobgoblins. All under high fog and umbrellas.

Sneak past, arrival, exploration, triggers goblin and skeleton attacks

Pull out before town.

Brass plaque found that the temple ruins at Kindredale:
I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more — the feeling that I could last forever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to vain effort — to death; the triumphant conviction of strength, the heat of life in the handful of dust, the glow in the heart that with every year grows dim, grows cold, grows small, and expires — and expires, too soon — too soon before life itself.
– Zturahk the Old

Fallen temple, strange mural, Rivkin and group in mural and torch; we fight large 10′ skeleton with vial on necklace – Take the vial, other creatures stirring – party leaves.

The Return Trip Down the River

We left off with the boat drifting away from the ruined ferry dock at Kindredale, back down river. The goblins bowed down to the skull and iron crown of the skeleton king, in order to get past them. But, in a clever twist the party killed them in their moment of vulnerability – they are goblins. Going downstream we could get all the way back to Athlapoole in a long day, but we all know that’s up in the air, with all the other strange events transpiring. As we pass by the stone bridge, everything is eerily quiet. Nothing moves and you risk making a run for it. Just as you thought you would make it past unharmed, a hail of stones and spears comes out of the fog. One stone breaks Tazias leg, and she screams out. The rest of the party begins rowing to get back down river as fast as possible.

A fog seems to encase the boat as you begin the trip back home, almost pulling at the boat, holding it back. The boat is traveling SLOWER than the current, and you know that there is still something… evil, afoot. Tazia is insistent that the group return to a search for rare flora that may yield healing balms, purgatives, and who knows what mystical and expensive ingredients. She found species that clearly indicate their presence in the ecosystem. Despite her wound, she can tell you what to look for. Its been several hours, but the diffused light through the fog does not seem to diminish when dark should be coming on. And you swear that you heard a horse nicker from the fog shrouded banks a couple times.

Beedel’s Transformation

Beedel is restless – he paces back and forth, heightening the tension on the ship. Beedle demands to put in to shore, there is something about the feel of the earth that he is craving and it is driving him mad. The party needs to put in to get a better assessment of the shape of the boat and Tzias leg, and Beedle leads them to a small copse of mixed trees along the bank where the sun is shining and there is no fog – oak, holly, beech, etc. Beedel is unable to relax or settle dow; shortly, Beedel “You feel that something in the nearby copse is amiss, and is calling to you. It’s like a burr in your boot that keeps digging into your skin.” Upon entering the copse he finds a small oak tree (about eight feet tall) that’s being strangled by vines. Oak being a sacred tree, and particularly sacred to the Vale and Nandhe, he knows this must be healed. “Beedel, you feel something different about this moment – you feel energy in the earth beneath your feet and know instinctively that you can harness the magic of the land itself to draw off the choking vines and heal the oak. Looking around you spot mistletoe growing – in fact in your vision it’s glowing in the dusk.” Beedle bounds forward, and the entire party follows to protect him. Even Tazia is hauled along – leave no one behind being the motto. Tazia can see the draw of the land, and the tree, working on Beedel, and says so in hushed tones as a silence falls o ver the glade. “Taking a sprig of the mistletoe, you kneel before the stricken oak, close your eyes, and let your mind sink into the earth – letting go of control. You begin quietly chanting in a tongue no one understands; and as you do, the vines unwind themselves from the oak and crawl across the ground to climb old deadwood.” Beedel has used a spell (druidic cantrip) for the first time.

The oak’s leaves unwither and the tree straightens itself; from somewhere you hear a sound of relief from pain and words spoken in sylvan, for those who understand it: “Thank you”. Beedel falls to the ground moaning, then screaming and writhing in pain. “You feel a prickling and burning all over your torso and legs, pain around the crown of your head and ears, and a terrible pain in your groin (like being kicked repeatedly). You writhe, claw and grasp at your body.” A green light is visible coming out of the ground and moving over his body. The grass and plants within the light wiggle about and grow. After about half a minute Beedel begins to calm, then by the end of another very long minute the pain is over. For those who are highly perceptive, or choose to examine him closely: His body is somewhat transformed, though not obviously; he has much more hair on his torso and legs (not like animal fur, but like an extremely hirsute man); along the sides of his head, under his hair at the crown, small ridges of horn – reminiscent of a rams’ horns – have come out; he ears have developed a minor pointedness; and other ‘satyr-like reproductive traits’. None of this is obvious to anyone, though particularly aware observers will notice that his beard or stubble (or however he wears it) is quite a bit thicker and darker than it was.

Beedel is exhausted by this, and feels the lingering effects of physical shock and trauma, including aches in all the places transformations took place. He can feel that some of his prowess as a warrior has left him, but he’s also imbued with new abilities, able to draw on the magic of the land itself. (Fighter level reduced by one, druid level one replaces it.)

A Dangerous Fog

As night should fall, you get even more nervous. Everyone feels a hunger, an evil malevolence controlling the that the river that is trapping them, and the boat is almost standing still as the current flows past it. Something is drawing them to a point, and rather than fight, the group decides to make landfall and face the chilling feeling of dread. Strange sounds are heard in the fog all around, and a heaviness hangs in the air.

Once out of the main river current and hitched to a tree, no change is made in the boat’s position – as if the current has ceased to flow. It is drawn up onto shore in the thickening fog and a quick campsite made. Tazia volunteers to stay behind while the rest see if a tree can be climbed or a hill to get a better view. As you secure the boat, the river bank around you goes silent and the fog moves back to the edge of your firelight. Moving inland, the hairs on the back your neck stand up. You make your way further inland, no tree seems high enough to get above the fog. You finally push to the base of a hill, hoping to ascend and get a clearer view. Around you, nothing moves – no sound of birds, insects, or even a breeze.

The fog begins to thin about 30 feet around you, and suddenly you hear the the sound of pounding hooves in the distance. Above you, the most beautiful elven woman’s face appears where the sun would normally be in the sky. Her voice rings out, like a whisper made with a sword cutting the air. “B’Hein An’das. Agent of the Queen of Air and Darkness. I invoke the pact, and call you forth!” B’Hein stands bolt upright from his place in Fayhl Forest, a thousand miles away, planning on ambushing some Umbakian pilgrims. “What!?”, he says… all the rest see is a faint form in the mist. “Let it be so!” says a voice that seems to rumble from the ground, and a cold wind blows the mist away from B’Hein. At the same time, a warm summer breeze pushes back the mist to the shoreline, and 8 elven riders on unicorns materialize, nearly dashing you all to the ground. The entire area seems to hold its breath, silent and still, and a minute later, the riders return, with Tazia upon one of the mounts – its rider nowhere to be seen. “Your days of playing both side are over”, says the Summer Queen. “B’Hein!” she angrily shouts, followed by a softer tone and she whispers “Beedel. Heed me.”

In a normal tone, she says “For too long has my envoy Eliash made his pranks long lasting. It is time to end the humorous, but entirely too lethal manifestation which you know now as The Grimdowns. Soon, undue attention will bring the shiny tin cans with their swords and frowns. Find Eliash, kill him. Close the Dew Gate he has created. When you have done this, the Queens give you many years of your own. Make some mischief, find love, dance with the devil under the pale moon light. Be kind to all the faerie.” Then the white unicorn’s legs vanish as they kick dirt and ride into deep mist. You can see the mist beginning to clear and have find this B’Hein person stands, confused, between two foes.

A band of a dozen or so goblins snarl and one shouts “We almost had them! Well Shabass, you were right about one thing- we eat well tonight!” and with that they charge. Delyth the paladin of Mizras, runs quickly and stands between the goblins and the person referred to as B’Hein. The rest of the group is bracing for a charge, and yell at him to come back – to no avail. The second rank of goblins throw their spears, and three hit him, the goblins in front crash into them, quickly overwhelming him and killing him. B’Hein and the rest seem to know they are facing a common enemy and come together, awaiting their next move. With blood in the air, the goblins shriek and charge again.

The Tower on the Hill

B’hein shouts attention to the mist ringed tower on a hill above the treeline behind the party. Belim shouts to make for it. Looking back, there is a strange goblin in a bandleader uniform blowing a whistle and putting on a parade march… all the goblins seem to hold back it his commend. They look pent up and twitchy, but all hold to the pace of the march. Two worg riders, a pair of hobgoblin longbowmen, and a rag-wearing shaman all come out of the mist, and a total of 15 goblins…

The PCs get to the mist line at double time, behind the goblin assault force that eventually charges them. The worg riders just manage to charge ahead and make a couple attacks before the party is enclosed in mist. It is wet, and cold. It freezes and could slow movement, but the PCs persevere. Beyond the mist, 30′ deep, is a treeline of 80’+ trees 100′ deep. They are attacked by things that look like branches and smell like pitch. They make it to the inner trrline and the snow covers a stretch of about 60-80′ open ground to the base of a hill with an iced ramp leading to the tower. Crossing in pairs, they are attacked by a tiny white dragon, nearly feezing them with its breath. They battle it to the death, taking damage in the process. Uncovering some of the battlefield, they see the open field is strewen with the bones and degraded armor of fallen adventurers like themselves, buried in the hard earth with only an inch or so sticking up… this feel like it has been here a long time.

The ice ramp and tower take a while to navigate safely, but Rabat finally makes it to the top and helps others. Surrounding the small plateau the tower sits on are a series of 10x10x10 ice blocks forming a wall… unfinished in many parts. Only about 80% done. The ice is definitely chipped out from somewhere, and placed here… with 2-3″ of snow on it, keeping it from melting. Only about 1′ deep can be seen, then the light seems to fall away, but it is filled with cracks, fissures and warps that prevent anything deeper from being seen. The door is open. There are no tracks in the snow. Ice and snow cover all inside to the 60′ tall x 30′ tower. The lowest level is a feasting hall with a main chair, a left hand man chair and stairs going up. A kennel and kitchen is also here, with a massive hearth. The main chair can light the hearth and turn on and off the chandelier casting a strange bluish light. There is a strange tapping from the room above. B’hein casts Floating disk and 2 characters and the left hand man sturdy chair go up the stairs. The chandelier hides 4 ice mephits that attack half way up. In the wild battle, Belim leaps and grabs one, but crashes to the ground with his scalp flapping open and bleeding profusely… he never seems quite right thereafter (-1 INT perm head wound from fumble). The chair turns out to be a mimic, and between the insanity of fog cloud and ice breath, the party takes a serious beating from the flying mephits and mimic. Devos kills the mimic though in a massive wet chop that splatters it in half and sprays goo all over the stairs and wall. Afterward, nothing else attacks. The tapping is still going. The PCs light the hearth and rest, closing the frozen open door.

They next day they go up and meet princess Catherine, who seems to think Rabat is her betrothed and the rest of the party are wedding planners. She was promised a prince and wedding by a fancy dude who, it seems, imprisoned her here for princes and great knights to quest for and fight over. She is wearing a summer dress, but the entire area is frozen. She says she’s comfortable as long as she has it on, but the trees block her if she tries to leave. She is very despondent when she realizes there may not be a wedding. The PCs suss out that an old hag brings her food and things to amuse her, and Eliash visits her when she is most down. Somehow hes supposed to be making money on the whole setup as well… she hints. The PCs contemplate waiting for Eliash and jumping him… but B’hein points out he is a functionary of the faerie court, and liable to be quite powerful. And the party is beat up pretty good. They go searching for the old hag, and encounter the goblins and finally her chicken footed (its fake – meant to scare away people) cabin. They assault the cabin, there is a brief fight and a slop pen full of pigs squealing seemingly in excitement matching the assault. Using Unrollable Laughter, they finally catch the hag who has a stinking cloud breath with the force of a gust of wind. They bind her and prepare to question her. She has a glint in her eyes. After taking off the gag, she says “you know how this game is played… we barter and bargain. You ask, i’ll tell you my price. Or kill me, see what that gets you!”

The party convenes to update on what they know to best form a path of action. Belim says this feels right, he is seeking a landed station over a patch of land and its people, ridding the Athla Hill Country of the Grimdown effect seems like a great start. You are on good relations with the ruler of these lands, however absent they may be and this could go a long way towards getting that endorsement.

Rabat says that this is his first service to his new faerie connection and wants to press forward. Here in the Riverdans, the wall between the realms of man and faerie seem thin. B’hein repeats the faerie queen’s words and says that this satisfies his faerie bond for a long while too – he is all in. Beedel feels a strange fluctuation between the lands of men and the land of the fey… when the faerie queens conversed, they mentioned a Dew Gate… you can feel that gate and the “tunnel” thats connecting the 2 planes. He may be able to track it with his new found abilities. Devosa exclaims that the power of faerie B’hein mentioned may not apply. The oath of vengeance brushes such frivolity aside. B’hein says the world around is strangely comfortable, but off. I’ve have been to the Feywild and back once, but this feels… different. That familiar sense of the archfey, as if my queen were looking over my shoulder… its not there. No wonder she wants this situation taken care of… but who could have wrested this power from her? Thats a frightening thought.

SCRIPTED WRAP UP TO SIDE TREK: Honey Pot Tower

After talking to Eric, this Honey Pot Tower side Trek has gotten out of hand. I’m treating it like a full blown adventure (because my creativity and lack of impulse control runneth over) and we need to get back to the main plot. In order to do that, I’m going to take all the encounters and scenes left and script them out. That means I’m going to write them out as a story. Players cannot die when I do this (unless you volunteer to because you want to play a new character), but they can take permanent wounds. I will end processing this on 12/10/2021 and hopefully have it written up and send a link then.

Main Parties Involved

———-
PCs = Party
OH = Old Hag
AJ = Aja (Old Hag’s daughter)
G = Genie

Operating Principles in Scripted Outcomes

———-
The party understands and is hip to the whole idea of “the bargain” in the dreamlands.
The party will try and get others to bear the brunt of the damage
The party will hold nothing back to survive

Possible Outcomes (will be determined randomly – welcome to the Dreamlands)

———-
1. Yes, fully positive outcome for PCs
2. Yes, but… fully intended outcome plus unintended negative consequences
3. Yes, and…fully intended outcome plus additional positive consequences
4. No, fully negative outcome for PCs
5. No, but… failed outcome plus unintended negative consequences
6. No, and… failed outcome plus additional positive consequences

SCRIPTED SCENES TO PROCESS (in order)

Scripted Scene #1: Beedel wants to study the mutable world (Orlec forming/control/Entrophy)
6 = No, and…
Final Result = Beedel loses 1 Sanity and gains a Chaos Feature: When Beedel falls asleep for longer than 5 minutes, he levitates 20m straight up, rising 5m per round unless blocked, in which case they rest comfortably as if they were on the surface they fell asleep on. When they awake, they have 1 round to orient and then drop 10m per round (DC 5 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or lose 5’ movement until a Short Rest is taken.
Scripted Scene #2: (bargain?) Can any character be swayed to sacrifice even a criminal to coven altar
5 = No, but…
Pulling on Belim’s genuine lack of belief of tangible consequences beyond the Steel Realms, Aja plies her seduction powers on him, causing him to want to make the same sacrifice Rabat did. The victim comes from the town – a jailbreak of a convicted murderer. The victim attempts to escape and is killed by Rabat before the sacrifice can be accomplished. Rabat had gone with, in order to help, but was secretly hoping for a chance to save Belim from himself [the player requested a redemption element].
Final Result = Belim gains a Black Mark upon his Essence but nothing else
Scripted Scene #3: (bargain) The genie will stand aside in exchange for only its release?
3 = Yes, and…
Final Result = It will stand aside in a fight against OH, and it is bargained with and agrees to grab hold of the OH hut to try and keep it out of the fight
Scripted Scene #4: AJ finds and takes 2 virginal sacrifices in town
5 = No, but…
Final Result = A full Long Rest of time passes on the OH side of the portal. While in town, AJ stops by several locations and watches for a few minutes, never explaining. While out of camp, Rabat sneaks in and finds her journals, in which she outlines her plot to replace 5 young girls in town with her spawn to be raised by humans until puberty when their nature is revealed. They took the place of the 5 little girl skeletons – names, dates, and names.
Scripted Scene #5: The PCs return to OH through gate
> The PCs make a deal with G against AJ if she does anything
2 = Yes, and…
Final Result = G agrees, and has secretly inventoried her belongings, and knows that she is carrying an ethereal escape ring and will use his plane shift powers to thwart it.
Scripted Scene #6: The PCs fight OH
2 = Yes, and…
Final Result = G stands aside and grabs the hut. OH is ready; OH and AJ slug it out, all of AJ’s minions are killed. The hut pulls G around the marshlands, causing the hogs to scatter and stomping fallen loot into the bog to be lost forever. However, G has the hut’s legs buried up to the deck and it cannot get away.
Scripted Scene #7: The PCs turn on AJ if vulnerable
3 = Yes, but…
Final Result = Aja and party decide to adhere to their bargain after her wailing causes a pack of four 2 headed Death Dogs to come out of the mist, but not G
Scripted Scene #8: G tries to provoke AJ; if so fights it out
2 = Yes, and…
Final Result = Elementals of earth and water are summoned, AJ is pummeled, no wounds taken by party. Only 1 problem, AJ journal is lost, Rabat cannot be proven right about what he read. Also, the group knows she was wearing a gaudy ring and her body has none – it must have been lost in the bog during the fight.
Scripted Scene #9: If all but G driven away, PCs might battle the OH hut
> Looting the hut if possible and/or safe?
2 = Yes, and…
Final Result = There is a huge battle with the OH hut, but the PCs and G make it out without any major wounds. The hut is sacked, and the Genie does not attack a seriously weakened PCs
Scripted Scene #10: Can Beedel get the remainder of OH hogs (7) to go with?
3 = Yes, and…
Final Result = G starts a fire, and the party slaughters one to get the advantage of a Long Rest. There are 6 left.
Scripted Scene #11: Return to the tower encounters – ice and snow revenge?
4
Final Result = Eliash can sense the loss of OH and as the group makes their way to Catherine, vowing to ensure she lives (this has become a short of moral rally point – its time to return all the normal people home, and leave the feywild to its crap problems. A blizzard comes down on top of the party, doing a lot of damage. [Arabus] -1 hp permanent; [ERIC] -1 hp permanent; [MARC] -1 hp permanent; [LJ] -1 hp permanent; [SEAN] -1 hp permanent
Scripted Scene #12: Freeing Catherine
3
Final Result = Argument with Catherine, she gets triggered and starts screaming hysterically but Rabat is able to sooth her wounded pride after she runs off and party catches up just in time before she goes out into the storm – Rabat and B’hein together have surmised her gown may not protect her from the wrath of Eliash now the he knows OH is dead. Catherine warns the party about the “ghost level” in the tower – a place where only she and Eliash can pass through without 3 ghosts attacking. The party decides Eliash needs to be dead before they try and sack the upper reaches of the tower – his “lair”.
Scripted Scene #13: Confronting Elaish = Final battle (wont close gate)
6 = Yes, but…
Final Result = Holy shit, its the most disturbing fight with weirdness you can imagine. Beedel slaughters another hog to gain Long Rest benefits both before. Beedel manages to save 2 hogs from dying, and slaughters 1 after for Long Rest effects. [Arabus] -1 Constitution; [ERIC] -1 Strength, weapon ruined, -5′ movement; [MARC] -1 Dexterity; [LJ] armor ruined, weapon ruined, off hand crushed (-1 attack/damage/init with weapons used in the off hand in addition to all other penalties); [SEAN] armor ruined, Essence lost.
Scripted Scene #14: Leaving the Honey Pot Tower
> Find tower charm? The dragon kin reborn wants his stuff back? Bargain?
3
Final Result = A dragon born character shows up claiming to be the incarnation of the dragon the party killed. He attempts to brace the party and intimidate them. He offers to tell them where the charm is to control the permanent unseen servant dog in the tower. Obviously there is something in the tower that it wants, but the party stands firm. They take another run at the tower after it leaves, finding no tower charm, but they do finally figure out the use for a unicorn hair rope they found on the top parapets of the tower. They find the young dragons hoard and sack it after fighting a elemental creature in the freezing mist of the cloud lair. [SEAN] frostbitten knee/tissue damage -5′; [LJ] loses his right pinky finger to frostbite; [ERIC] loses his right pinky finger to frostbite

Scripted Scene #15: Into the misty mounds
> Encounters to find the boat? Tazia moved it thinking party dead, realized she could not sail it by herself
5
Final Result = The party finds the storm dying and the tower melting as if it were made of ice. They make it out of the cold Tower mist ring, and back into the haunting mist of the Grim Downs. Beedel manages to find and slaughter yet one more hog. It is eaten after to gain the effects of a Long Rest. They are attacked repeatedly by goblins and hobgoblins that are obviously searching for them. [ARABUS] weapon ruined; [MARC] weapon ruined
Scripted Scene #15: Lost in the mist; goblin squad; unicorn ghost riders from fey court return – goblins ridden down or directions to boat
> Goblins are fresh, angry, and looking for a fight. PCs might get injured?
5
Final Result = The goblins and unicorn riders kill each other
[POSSIBLE, NOT GUARANTEED] Scripted Scene #16: horned devils bar the way w/compact (PCs can sense Steel Realms again) talk about compact with everdark
3
Final Result = Horned Devils lead to the boat’s new location on the river bank upstream (strange!)
Scripted Scene #17: Tazia missing – she left a note she was out of food, was weak, can’t sail, and went to look for food
4
Final Result = > another note written in her blood “i found her” in Orrish; Tazia is dead, her body eaten. All thats left is a bloody robe, and her items – including the hag’s bag of dreams she was carrying.
Scripted Scene #18: Boat arrives at Athlapoole in silvery fog – the affected area grew! Angry crowd at dock might attack
1
Final Result = The treasure ladden boat wows the folk of Athlapoole!

Scripted Scene #19: Uneasy peace; speech by mayor once they disembark and get settled
= no one can leave, they get turned around and arrive back in athlapoole.
6
Final Result = EACH CHARACTER WILL HAVE TO MAKE A SAVE OR BE PERMANENTLY AFFECTED BY FEYWILD SYLLY
> TBD

Scripted Scene #20: LJ has to get an atonement – no spell slots or lay on hands until then
> attack of the mud mephits trying to leave town to test the theory of being turned around; lj must fly to avoid getting trapped in the mud
3
Final Result = The mud mephits are beaten soundly,
Scripted Scene #21: First Goblin attack on Athlapoole outskirts attack = the curse of the Grim Downs MUST get solved now!
6
Final Result = The PCs have a general negative Reactions outcome – someone has to be blamed and its them. However, the massive treasure hoard brought into town offsets this, though the townsfolk are expecting the PC’s to be spending money in their town.

Treasure from the Feywild Honeypot Tower

Pile of 15 packs in hag hut; 1-3 on d6 = mundane; most items spoiled
4 potions: 2 healing 2d4+2, 2 superior 8d4 +8;
1 pinch dust of disappearance
1 ring of protection +1
Scroll: bless x2, aid, detect good/evil [cleric] Scroll: magic missile [wizard] Scroll: detect magic x2, levitate, gust of wind [wizard] Ornament of Warding x5: 1 use of resistance: acid, acid, fire, radiant, necrotic
Bracer of Endless Knives: holds 3 knives d3/2. Each other round, it replenishes and previously thrown ones vanish. DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) = +1 extra Attack (thrown knife from bracer)
Bottle of dreams: fumes that fill 50×50 and is Phantasmal Force
3 magic poultices; 3 pt on short rest, leaves a marshmallow taste in mouth until next Short Rest. Until then +2 on saves vs hold or sleep

Catherine’s “Dowry” upon releasing her: All the toys and projects that Eliash has delivered or had Old Hag deliver to keep her occupied. Multiple spinning wheels, skeins of yarn, sewing kits, dress forms, bolts of silk, linen, wool, and cotton. Buttons, jewelry, games and musical instruments

The highest room in the tower is the treasure trove of Eliash.
—–
Longsword +1, prevents sprite poison, levitate, charm person, and faerie fire spells on wielder, green light 20′ Concentration, bonus action.
Spear of Throwing +1; when thrown the spear has x2 normal range, doing a thunder blast if it hits its mark with the effect of the spell Thunderwave 1/Long Rest, double the area affected

Chain shirt (damaged), 3 long swords, 8 long spears (2hd only /2d4), 1 2 handed sword, 2 battle axe, 3 daggers, 1 light crossbow w/11 bolts, 2102sc, 1000sc worth of jewelry, scroll of bless and word of healing (Balthazaar dedicated), Here too is a grappling hook and a white horse hair rope (Unicorn actually) = Rope of Climbing while in Feywild.

Dragon Treasure: Chain Shirt x2 (damaged; no resilience), large shield (decorated 100 sc), 2 open faced helms, 4 long swords (decorated 400 sc each), 2 adventurer packs, 14 trinkets, 5 daggers, 6 purses (1: 40sc, 2: 29sc, 3: 77sc, 4: 100sc, 6: 50sc), 5 minor keepsakes @ 50sc each, 1 silver flask @ 20sc, silvered longsword (Concentration of white light 5m; detects undead 5m) – sacred to Ikribu the god of the crafters; 3 decorated saddles (150 ec), center pavilion text pole with silver inlay (100), 3 pieces jewelry @100sc

The Dream bag of the Old Hag

Return to Athlapoole and Seeking Info

After calming the crowd on the docks own, the party informs them of their intent to solve the mess of the Grimdowns.

Catherine chooses to abandon the group and latch onto Addoye – the older scribe/”master of records”.

“The Grimm Effect” is expanding – its at the eastern gate, sometimes spilling over into the town inside the palisade.

Lots of interviewing townsfolk. Only about 130-140 left.

The magical power of the boat that took the party upriver dissipates once it docks back in town.

Frederick the Foole is finally heard about – he stumbles around the edges of town, mutters about three keys.

Strange weather effects sometimes. The crops east of town are surrounded by fields of multi-colored grasses.

The foods all look and smell odd, but taste the same so far – disconcerting at this point.

Hunting is now restricted – only domesticated livestock is eaten – and that supply is almost gone. People are hiding the few mounts they have left.

Trip to Zerburre city across the western bridge. Massive wave (from storm goddess Elancil?) kills all trying to flee. Party is partially swept into the river.

De’vosa does penance and Atonement in the Lightbringer chapel at Zerburre castle – his transgression is removed.

The Burren family hears out Belim and agrees to a promise of Constable, Warden maybe, of Athlapoole or even Sheriff of the Athla Hill Country if the Gridowns is restored to its former state and the effect fully banished.

B’Hein tries to study the library but the changing disguises confuse and put the guards on edge. He angers and frightens with his flagrant use of magic, the library access must be done later.

Whispering in Feyloise for Rabat and Beedel who stayed behind – “Listen”, then “Find”, faintly there are more words, but seem distant. Perhaps if you went east/northeast they would become clearer.

Mayor talks about the Cunaigh family – like the townsfolk, he seems to be holding something back about them. They are an old family, and founded the Ostenhome Abbey and the Areboard Tower (really a ruined fort with a single tower standing) along the trade road that follows the river.

Visit to the Cunaigh family in town – they have taken over a large house and all 13 of them are there now – behind a barred door with a child lookout in the second storey window.

Matriarch Edea (think Ogra from Dark Crystal) senses Beedel’s connection to Dunstrand and with that trust, explains they are older than the Burren family, but lack of opportunity and the original Duke gave the land to the Burren’s – nothing to be done. The encroaching Feywild might be an opportunity for the family – she and her eldest son are Wyld Faith druids – the family has agreed to let it play out. He convinces them to help the party uncover what’s really going on here and she gives them a token (CLUE: Cunaigh Token) that should allow them into its ruins and family crypts of the Abbey to see if the Dew Gate is there and can be closed. That should protect them from the Spiritus of their ancestors that may be hostile with the Fey-Awakening going on from the Dew Gate.

One animal cannot be convinced to go when leaving town, the group gets a trade from the Cunaigh family for a mule.

More strange weather. There is a breeze they cannot feel but the plants and animals do.

Half mile down the road, on the south side, is the town cemetery. Many graves exploded outward.
B’Heim makes a minor illusion of an ogre – that takes form and attacks.

From the tops of mausoleums in the graveyard the party is surprised by 2 goblins on hang gliders screaming and howling – 1 is shot down in flames, the other escapes south over the graveyard – winds seem to lift it into the sky ever higher! The ogre beats up Belim, but he keeps his horse calm and the group finally kills it with combined attacks nd disabled from Tasha’s Laughter.

As the group leaves, skeletons crawl out of graves and march behind them about 30m singing and playing pipes made of bone.

@ end = 9142, Month 11, Day 14

A Non-Violent Solution!

…

@ end = 9142, Month 11, Day 17

Party goes to Zerburre to get a copy of the family lineage and let Burren family know the Grimm will fade. Holy man gives his holy symbol because he sees some great evil in their future.

Clean Up

Cunaigh family alliance, mayor and Addoye alliance – get settlers, spread reputation of party, to Zerburre and Burren family – Warden of Athla Hills – pick a village and name it, take control over it as Warden. Warden allows the character to imprison and execute the Lords orders in the entire Hill Country, as well as collect taxes in the village and steadings within 1km of the village. Cleaned out Gromesby hamlet (strange feywild effects – talking goat, ravens, mastifs begging, old man tree and his shrubs) and found founding Cunaigh family evidence – it is now claimed for them. Killed the hag Stoneberry in the ruins of Arebor tower of the Cunaigh family. Explored compound and valley. Marriage Eligible for Belim: Mary-Ellen Cunaigh; age 12 (she cannot be blooded until 15); Marriage Stipulation: Must see her every three months for a week as part of courting; tithe 5% to family. You take her name = matrilineal and matriarchal; Once married = Lord of Arebor – a knightship (granted by the Burren family). Propose to go to Grebel Forest and elves on way to East Torbin and to the next riverdan of Tuflim. 30 days for Belim to learn etiquette.

@ end = CY 9142, Month 12, Day 29

Prepare to leave athlapoole. A great crowd cheers you

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