2011-02-24
*9142, Month 8, Day 15*
Pegren Whitehall is held captive by them, in return for the party’s good behavior and help.
The group decides it would be best to burn the candles of favor they had. Beedle and Belim buide a short wall around the candles as a wind break and Jiles burns one of his for Ace. With the favor of the gods, the enter the dead town – and the favor they quickly use!
The body turns to grey ooze as the party steps over it and pseudo pods stretch out and burn the flesh they touch!
Attack of the Minor Spirit of Wrath! It seems as if only Grumwell’s searing darts can damage the creature. Afterwards, Jiles remembers his religious studies and says that often such spirits are used in the armies of demon lords! They come from hate, fear and anger. Jiles is overcome by one of them.
*Searching the Graveyard > * Beedle and Ace search for signs of recent disturbance on the mausoleums. The rest of the group waits at its edge, behind the short protective fence.
Zombie Attack! Two of the shambling nightmares – moving faster than normal – come from the area where the group was originally searching when taken by the elves. They come across the road but Grumwell makes short work of one, with his searing dart – it collapses right in front of him with Grumwell not taking one step backwards!
Exploring the ruins, Belim leads the group from the graveyard back to the Church of Gaia. At the corner of a home a few meters from the church Jiles is attacked by a yellow blossomed creeper from above – it tries to haul him up and strangle him.
Jiles’ armor is finally ruined, leaving him only with his buckler.
She says her pwers have been limited by the curse, and she can heal the group seven more times before her energies are exhausted. The grove will be safe as long as she is alive – and there is enough natural foods and water for weeks for a single person here.
The group attempts to make its way north towards the well. A crowd of zombies pushes them into a trap to the east – back towards the graveyard. Beedel gets part of the group safely into a mausoleum they explored earlier but Grumwell and Jiles are overwhelmed and killed by the horde of zombies and skeletons. The group drags their bodies back to teh sacred Briarwood and Willema ensures they will not rise to fight their own companions. They will be buried as heroes.
Samedi is caught by the elves just wandering around, and simply given a choice – fight or be locked up. [[:hayden-matheson | Hayden Matheson]], caught by the elves trying to deliver the parcel to Vraxen. He is sent to deliver messages from the elves that time is running out; in addition they deliver fresh armor, weapons, clothes food and water they had collected from scouting the town. Amidst the heap on three mules is something everyone can use. Hayden also brings word from your masters, [[:pekki-netherwood | Pekki Netherwood]] and his servant [[:grak | Grak]]. Your efforts are being followed closely and are well applauded. His own hand-written note reads “Hayden himself has been sent directly by those above me. Know that he is more than he appears – his skills are those of none other than a wizard, though he covers himself as a superstitious warrior. The Organization has sent him to learn the ways of the world here with you – though he is to remain hidden from the prying eyes of the crimson colors of House Malor in Dunstrand – his visit here is unsanctioned. Guard him well and he will look over you in return.”
The well turns out to be shallow and the market is more of just a cheap market and gathering area. There are bodies in the real market to the north it appears as if the gris may have attempted to go down the well as some bodies died – all trying to get away from the direction fo the well.
The market area is a mess – obviously a panic started here because stalls are tipped, blood is in a few places and signs of combat are obvious. Then the group moved to the mercantile area north of the well – shops and homes: Stepping cautiously between the homes, you are not surprised when a single corpse, dripping brown slime, shuffles out from a shadowed alley. While everyone was occupied, Samedi (screaming) is attacked by a gelatinous zombie “thing” in a rain barrel. The zombies tries to absorb him, but the barrel is finally broken and the thing oozes out, unable to hold its shape.
*Finding the First Elf Corpse*
Continuing to explore, the group finds the first Fay elf corpse… from which they pull the sword and heart stone gem to return to the elves when they see them next
> Ahead, glinting in the sun is a spidery web of crystallin thread. Around this strange covering is an area littered with pieces of corpses which are mouldering. Fungi and mould of various types creep over splotches of the area. Lines, like veins, lead away from what appears to be a skeletal body trapped in the crystallline structure. Inside, a pale elven face in a rictus of death agony can be seen. Above the elf is a glass like spider, impaled by a silver slim blade from below. It is from this corpse that springs the crystalline webbing – covering the elf, encasing it like ice.
*Visit from the Elves*
Ahead, the air shimmers and an elf seems to spring from nowhere. He… or possible she, makes a sweeping gesture and bows slightly. “Lady Belia prays that you take heed of this warning humans. We know that one of our kind, of the three which she spoke to you about who have gone Fay has met there end here. Another has gotten away, back into the Grebell Forest…” (the elf hangs its head in obvious despir) “Yet one remains. Beware, for one of these creatures is a match for all of you combined. IF this creature has drawn any power for the horrid spirit yet trapped in this cursed town you must kill it as swiftly as possible. This is the only way the spirit can escape – to have this twisted creature carry it forth!”
From there they investigate the richer area of town and discover the exotic gardens of the rich overgrown. Its impossible to tell exotic from poisonous without a botanist expert.. the priestess Willema is needed here.
The group spies some sort of cyclone of dirt rising in the distance on the NE of town and goes to investigate. From the treeline they see one of the Fay Elves…
> Ahead, in the street, a lone figure stands. The wind howls around him yet no breeze stirs near you. A cyclone weaves a wall of branches, dust, and debris around him. He holds a staff, dragging it with slumped, defeated shoulders. His mouth moves but you cannot hear the words he speaks. His eyes flash, darting left and right, up and down. He glares at the sun and hunker away from it for a moment before noticing you again – starting on his lone trek and dragging his staff towards your group.
– Its a brutal fight with elf and his elemental allies. Bodies are flung through the air, Belim is knocked unconscious from a staff blow straight to the chest. Samedi and Hayden are both knocked away repeatedly. It takes everything the group has to take out the elf, who beats them all to hear death. Afterward, they return again to the Briarwood and deplete Willema of healing.
Over the course of 2 days, all 6 of the rich homes are searched and the last one, with unknwo violet creepers has fire used to burn back the vines and hacking used to gain entrance. Willema was able to tell the group which homes have only exotic plants and which were mystical mutations. In the cellar is a sub-cellar.. connecting a set of smuggler tunnels going under the town to various places – but in this case leading to the *Blue Gris*.
Burning candles of favor, spending blessings and drawing upon all their power the group attacks the malignant spirit! It takes everything the group has in a battle against despair, wails of doom, lashes of pain and misery and insanity. At the end, the group is disoriented and near to coming to blows with each other when Belim finally strikes the critical killing blow.
The group leaves town and avoids all contact with anyone they see, seeing only the elves gathered on the edge of the Grebel Forest south of town.