The Terror of Point Saril

Orrish Goblin Orrish Hunting is part of the Transformation of Crestwold campaign. The Terror of Point Saril is a small scene where the Orrish hunted for a Moorcat and now they are terrorizing the town.
> NOTE: Originally, it was integrated into the main campaign, but all encounters were broken out into its own arc for secondary characters.

Current Date: CY month 2, 9169

Verel Blackthorne, the baron of Crestwold’s herald, reiterates the offer for 50sc a week, a double Bounty on the Orrish, and supplies along with healing. Hazard pay for direct fighting is negotiable and commensurate with the threat.

Background

The relative calm of Point Saril has been broken. The place is mostly ignored by Torrelson’s Ford, but its is claimed as a subject territory. Nominally a few of “taxes” is paid to the baron, but mostly its just to keep legal entanglements away. However, several people have been killed. The Moorcats have been heard screeching and trade has slowed due to their rumored predation – which is out of the ordinary. A group has been sent to get aid from the baron. Nothing is going north along the Black Shore of Dwindor Swamp. The group’s remains are found by the PCs and so they are enjoined on a task to provide assistance to the town.

Setup

Once again you head out, seeking to chase the invading Orrish on the edges of Yarans Vale in the Barony of Crestwold. You are weary and the weather has been rough on you. The smell of Dwindor Swamp has generally kept you from going towards the Black Shore, but a couple travelers told locals that there is some conflict going on in or around the scavenger/smuggler town of Point Saril. You head over the river and travel along the ancient winding road through The Black Shore. The old road is framed by withered plants and a cold salty stench often blows from the Moorland Cut to the west.

Getting There

After an hour of travel, you can see something on the road ahead about 75m. The buzzing of flies hits you first, and the stench of opened bowels soon follows. From a distance, it looks like a spinning blade went through a group of travelers.

View 1: Far Away

Looking closer, you can see the remains of bones and equipment of human sized humanoids. This has happened within a day’s time – it is fresh. The bodies of what seems to be about 3 humans are torn apart as if by something huge. One even still holds his weapon but is missing its head. The slashes and savagery can only be from one source – a Moorcat. You watch for any movement and after a few minutes, nothing stirs.

A single Moorcat. It wasn’t killed. Not even sure it was wounded. A long sword, a short sword, and a lt. crosssbow with 9 bolts can be salvaged. A bone scroll tube can be found with a missive in it: “To: The Baron of Crestwold; The folk of Point Saril, who pay our taxes, ask that you send a force to alleviate the menace of Orrish that plague us. The goblins of Dwindor have finally shown their true colors, antagonizing the Moorcats, and their threat must be ended. Many have died. Trade going north has ended and several merchants wait for the threat to be removed. This is bad for our ability to pay taxes. Please send assistance quickly.” It is written plainly, swiftly, and without the proper honorifics even. Someone was desperate. The town sits about a days journey along the winding road.

Point Saril

Point Saril

@Night Brazers light the cleared ring around the town where there are entrances into the town.
A bell rings as you approach – from the lighthouse.

Armed men greet you. They are wary and while they do not ask you to disarm, you are boxed in and several crossbows are pointed in your direction.
“you do not wear the livery of the baron – who are you?”

“You will want to see George. We’ve been waiting for aid to be sent.” They hurriedly push you to a long house with a clear sign of Teamsters hanging above the door.

Teamsters Hall

George Crowsbeard is the current ‘speaker’. He sent his brother and two others on the mission to the baron.

Well, regardless of how you managed to make your way here, you are here and we need help. For the last several weeks, the Moorcats have been picking off any… uh, ‘merchants’ going north along the Black Shore. We sent an empty cart to see if it was some cargo, but they were killed too. Then they started preying on the townsfolk a couple weeks ago. Now, nothing goes north, and no one traps or fishes or goes anywhere outside of town unless in groups of a half dozen or more. Now a week ago we found a spot where some goblins tried to ambush one of the cats. It was old, a couple weeks or so. There was nothing left, especially after scavangers go to it. We figure the Orrish are trying to hunt a Moorcat – now thats just not fucking acceptable. The group doing it has got to be hunted themselves and wiped out. Them filthy Dwindor goblins need to pay for this after its all said ‘an done too.

We’ve been seeing a lot of those giant bats of Dwindor. They make strange noises as they fly over at night.

Well, there was a strange lot from over a month ago that were looking to capture a Moorcat. They were laughed out of town and told not to come back. They came from Torrelson’s Ford – or so they said. They did not even have gear or men, it was just a pair.
“Old Manway told them to go hunt in Jance’s Canyon as a joke, as they were leaving. He’s dead now, was with one of the groups going north with some goods.”

Theres no way anyone with half a brain would hunt these things.

Jance’s Canyon

Jance’s Canyon is a rough path. It is not level by any stretch. It is filled with carve outs and caves, overhangs and pits. It is an ideal place to defend, but also one to strike an ambush in. A small but steady stream flows down the bottom, meandering its way following the crevasse that is the canyon itself.

Jance’s Canyon
1-4 on d6 its raining – the strange fog, clouds, and mists roll through the shores around the area.
1 on d6 = Wash out
Goblins have no sun bane taint

Net traps… good quality is suspect
3 off spawn captured, turned into slavebots, berserker
Goblin… eyes glow, are cameras and slavebots
11 goblins

Canyon Entrance

Canyon Encounters

  • 2 goblin party kill sites, hunt moorcat; Attack site where 20 killed but a capture made; Goblins are downed comrades, not enough left to id; Strange metal water tank, stinks till wash
  • Giant Bat (its a drone from the space ship); [i] PERception for pattern flying. HP 20/AC 14 + 5 Resilience (sparks when hit!)

    You hear a strange whooshing sound. You cannot make it out, but it appears to be a dark form, like a bat but much bigger. It flies with quick movements, like a bat.

Saril’s Roost

This area of the canyon widens out to about 35m at the top and 12m at the bottom. This is the most common “roost” for female moorcats in the breeding season. There are multiple caves here. It is also a place where the cats will not fight. Females choose their mates, there is no fight for breeding ‘rights’. Sometimes the place is used by wounded cats to heal – it is basically neutral ground. The caves are given up for females in breeding time.

this place smells odd. There is a strange feeling about this place.

Moving some of the rubble, it slides down, pieces tumbling everywhere. Mixed in it are heavily rusted and corroded pieces of metal.

[ i ] DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) > d8 bludgeoning damage

[ i ] > DC 16 wisdom (perception)

At the back of the cave is a pile of rubble that looks like it does not belong.

Crumbling Keep Catacombs

At the back of the broken cave complex is an entrance to half of the catacombs under the ancient keep that was sundered when the canyon formed.

Broken Corridor

Store Room 1

Store Room 2

Crumbling Jail

Crumbling Secure Room

This is where items from those serving time would be stored securely to be given back to them upon release.

Shield +1, Rekindle (currently @-1). It appears to be bent and under a bunch of rubble. Once it’s pulled out from under the rubble, it will gleam and reflect light. Overnight will appear to have healed itself somewhat.

Horn of The Golden Platoon + Charm of heroism, 3 tine trident, one broken 2 left

Matriarch Moorcat

You are startled awake. You are sure someone is watching you.

In your mind, you see the yellow eye of a cat. then you hear a female voice… “Strangers. You do not smell like the those who took my young mate or the disgusting trash-dumping two legs in the place you call Point Saril. you are not involved… yet. This is why you are alive. I also sense your distinct and painful shield of ignorance. Speak.”

“My name is unpronounceable to you. In your crude gargling, it is close to the words “Black Mist”, and so you may call me that. You are safe while you are ignorant of so many things. I will give you enough knowledge to serve the cause you desire – to return the relations between my people and your rancid trash heap to normal. ”

“The Orrish you refer to have holed up ahead in our sacred nesting ground. They have polluted it – we cannot enter, nor can they leave. Strange… creatures… keep them supplied. They are planning something big. Kill them. Free my mate. My gratitude will consist of the peace we both want. You may walk freely anywhere along the Black Shore, including what your kind calls the slurry for all your days. My kind will never touch you unless you do violence first. ”

“One final agreement. You must capture one of them for me. I will come when you send the signal.”

DENIALS:
“No, you do not need such knowledge.” “Ask otherwise, such is not yours to know.” “Move away from such thoughts, this is not for you.”

Detect Thoughts will betray the one overriding thought she cannot hide that she is pregnant and does not want to risk her litter.

Holed Up Hunters

Hobgoblins x2
Goblin x14
No tribe marks
Stun stick

Thermos
5 tablets purify food and drink
3 ration packs mre
Flares x7
IR strobe
Stimdose patch 24 hrs 6pt x3
Shock mesh with gloves, shock grasp
On a avg hit half dmg shock grasp
10 micro disc seu
1 net gun with shock

Kill Sites

From a Safe Distance

The area ahead is a wreck. Flattened foliage, broken branches, even chunks of rock and divots of dirt sit scattered around. Some sort of a fight happened here.

Getting a Better Look

Looking closer, you can see the remains of bones and equipment of humanoids. The bones have been cracked for their marrow, and all meat has been stripped.

Up Close and Personal

Sifting through the site, the bones are small – like diminutive human sized. The equipment was crude. It appears something was trapped here and fought. Its accounting seems to have taken out a dozen of its attackers. There is no blood not completely washed away. There are scorch marks, tiny, all over the area.

Crude but new; not from Dark Lands. Blood burned from Sun Bane. Goblins. Moorcat.