The party has the opportunity to enter and be trapped by the forces at work on the farm. They may also
discover its history in conversation once they reach Tadeus, choosing to explore it later. The breif history can be gained through such manners, though anything more will require either a paid service, or a deal with those who may know. It will grant those who study and question the locals a Lore level of 2 in regards to Applebottom itself. Those with local lore already will gain a +1 on any details surrounding Applebottom.
Settlement/Brief: Long ago this farmsted was one of the first prosperous farms after the river changed course (7950). Settled by the Dashire family in CY 8002, they took control of the damaged land and worked it for 2 generations before it started to produce in CY 8027. A rich set of gulches with some run off came through fertile washout fields were cleared and planted and began to produce legendary quantities of apples. The farmhouse was originally built on the top of the hill, but most of the family died in a mudslide. The second farmhouse was built and the family carried on, but each anniversary ghosts of family lost in the mudslide were seen to rise and wander the fields, amid pale green mists. Despite this strange happenstance, the farm did well, employing many. They never harmed anyone though, and were mostly forgotten. Something attacted the attention of the forces of the dark, and the family was murdered, and many folk were killed nearby – few remember the details. Once the local lords men chased off the dark-fiends, they discovered the land was haunted. Many have tried to re-settle it, and paid for their efforts with their lives or sanity. Everyone avoids it now.
Production/Details: Over the years, the Dashire family was strong with the Wyld Faith. Their home became a place of refuge for many priests of the faith seeking refuge from troubles stirred with the church of light in neighboring fiefs. Even in lean times, the farm seemed blessed with unnatural bounty. There arose a saying – "Only the dark lord himself could stop the apples from growing." This quote was said to be their undoing. One year, about two hundred years ago, a priest of Everdark came to the farm, his orrish minions slaughtered the inhabitants, poisoned the apples and posed as family to merchants – many folk died form the apples and the local lord came to arrest them and found the decomposing bodies. They tracked a couple groups down, but the priest escaped. The soldiers of family
Oihgnan were attacked by a red mist in staying over night on the farm. The lord tried to take direct control, but animals stayed spooked and the farm grew to have a black reputation. It is said that ‘Applebottoms Boast’ brought the fury of the dark lord upon them, and references to the boast began to be synonymous with pride and bad luck.
Curse’s Legacy: The curse of Everdark slowly overtook the farm. No matter who worked it, accidents befell them, the ghosts of the old family terrified workers, and the fields slowly began to wither. Several new buyers over the years came and went, leaving when the curse could not be broken. The families that tried to stay had their goods and valuables taken by those that had died before – the jealous and greedy dead held on to them as a link to the living. Accidents and death frights got to be so bad that in 9002 the road was dug up, sign struck down and marker stone placed to warn travelers – several peddlers, merchants and travelers had gone missing – but to no avail. The stone would be sunk, sign restored, and road (though worn) smoothed… a lure to new victims. Soon word spread and it became a shunned place. Travel roads were routed away from it, but the general disrepair of all roads in the ‘dans makes it difficult to make out. Locales all know to avoid it.
The Curse: The curse of Everdark is old and fading. The land has become overgrown, but the
sacred Brierwood maintained its connection to the wylds and has slowly overcome the power of the curse. The curse is ripe to be broken with the right combination of events.
Approaching the Farm:
there is a fog that prevents people from leaving; Lore to know how it was defeated – walk backwards in the opposite direction, invoking the name of Sira ___ – last of the line. Ghostly figures touch and chill, but that is all. In the fog is during the day is all spirits of those poisoned and killed ring the farm if seen from the inside – they prevent getting out. Otherwise:
Confusion and Anger:
one spirit in particular – you can see the earth cough up bones, which knit themselves into a skeleton of human or Orrish, the skeleton bows before the man (last master of the house), and then walk, trying to find party members – a couple of nights cat and mouse can serve to heighten tension
clever party can build a trap in the old stone house so that only one at a time has to be fought the remains of the farm otherwise are not enough- too many holes in the barn and out structures.
Each day the pieces reform – cursed by everdark. white bones easily seen on moonlight, except orrish – they are dirty and dark
On the other side of the tallest hill is a stand of trees covering about a square mile. The woods are all overgrown and full of devil’s club, briar and thorn bushes. The other undead avoid it, except for the spirits of the original family.
Sacred Place:
Woods from Afar:
The Haunted Wood: Man dressed in black is a spirit – he was secretly and initiate of Everdark and he tought he could tame the dark lords curse and work the land for a cost of next to nothing. He also died – trying to burn out the old woods sacred to the Wyld Faith. He guards this place now, and can summon a skeleton each night that will kneel to him and do his bidding.
The Haunting:
Ruins: All that remains of this farmhouse is the foundations and a large hearth with chimney.
Up Close: it appears that this burnt down
Ruins: The walls still stand to this farmstead – proud brick with a faded cover of white wash.
Up Close:
Ruins: A dilapidated house, boarded up but for the fornt door (ripped open from the outside). The one story structure is an L shape with stun ted, twisted tress on the west side that were once a wind break. About 50 meters away is a 3 story barn that has collapsed.
Up Close:
spirits blow and throw things at party
Ruins: This crumbling old wood structure looks unsafe even from a distance. Dried wood fence posts marka coral next to the sted, and a barn oon its left has its roof caved in, a menacing danger itself were it not for the added reminder of a bleach white skeleton caught in the rafters, exposed from the chest up.
Up Close:
– The remains of the chimney have a goats head carved on the outward facing side, the eyes of which stare at the entrance to a hidden goat path up to the first steadhouse.
Ruins:
Up Close:
– The remains of the chimney have a goats head carved on the outside, the eyes of which look directly at the well.
With the curse in activation, the lands of the farm have become a haven for the Drunnad folk – their connection to The Wyld makes them near impervious to the spirit’s effects. When the party arrives, they will stay at a distance. When the time is right, or if the PC’s find the goat path, they will try and make contact with them.
The Goat Path: Red eyes peer out at you from the darkness.
The well sits in the middle of a set of massive flag stones which run around it, irregularly shaped but fitting perfectly – it is a marvel of stone cutting perfection. As you approach, strange echoes can be heard.
A mild (level 1) sense of Djubahthi (vertigo) – The Deeping. Once the first victim fails a SAN check, the effect will spread to
10m radius.
Deepwort in the well – takes on the outward appearance of a being, but is totally black and slimy. The face will always be a rictus of terror as it staggers, writhes, shakes, and twists in a series of screams as it attacks – FEAR. Its attacks are a series of physical blows that strike the target, leaving a brown sludge that attacks flesh. It has a chance of getting through armor equal to 50% + the damage it does in % – a percent equal to the AV of the armor. It necrofies the flesh in addition to the superficial acidic burning. HLT check to resist the effect or 5 points per failed degree deep damage over the next hour.
RES: 90, SIZE: 16, MUS 4, Melee 4, Evade 5, 2 AM attack, base 6
Its skin and composition grant it damage absorbtion
the rumor should be sketchy
Treasure Rumors – The old farmstead was said to be the scene of a battle; a pair of fallen knights with their treasure and gear were scooped up by the family. The knights were of the ___ order, traveling north from Umbak; they were said to be carrying the standard of Umbaria – Sir Faerim Umbar, of the Umbar family – Storm Lords – who defeated the forces of Gwinn on his shores. The standard was being carried north in order to rally troops to stand against Valdysean Isle invasion
Fire Place Ruins: Shadow Spiders still haunt this place, but the curse is so weak, they are more spider than shadow now. blackened box in fireplace with map and some scavenged pieces or armor map – showing where the find was on property; the standard is there – the tip is a meteorite tip + wood/rotten/ with the three bands and a blessing prayer all allies fighting under a banner attached gain a level of unit tactics (team or appropriate) for 10 minutes
If the characters head back towards the road and try and warn the peddlers, award each an AP. After a day – plenty of time for them to catch up – they should figure out they are not coming. If any player figures they may have been set up, remind them that the men they met were not from around here – their accents were different than the folk of the ‘dans.
:
Curse – Black Waste: The powerful priests of can call down the wrath upon a place that their god(s) have animosity for. The priest which does this will have no control over the specifics, but some sort of blight and reduced ability will become evident as outward manifestations. It requires the priest to make a conviction check -4; it is the strongest of the curses. If it fails, they are drained of 4 points of vitality permanently. the curse has a binding itself – some physical object or effect which must remain constant. This binding will evade any attempt to mystically divine its source directly.
Those seeking to break the curse must find the curse’s trigger. They can search for it physically, which can take lifetimes and may never be found. Alternatively, those of great conviction, or those empowered somehow can ‘travel the dark road’; to cross through the Land of Shadow into the black swirling vortex which can only be seen there. To physically combat the power of the curse and defeat it symbolically. The curse is seen as a massive black vortex, a tornado with the spirits of all it has claimed swirling, screaming in its midst.