Session 77
“So, as I was about to totally hand a guy a coin he definitely dropped, an out-of-breath gnome busted into the tavern. In all the excitement, I forgot to return the coin and accidentally used it to buy a drink for the gnome, chatting him up for info:
“‘You make some very wise points, sir,’ he said to me. ‘Anyone in your company should surely give you more respect. Still, I am troubled by some stupid prophecy or something going down in Gade, a village to the south. Allow me to give you the history in excruciating detail… ah! But, of course, you are so wise, I do not question that you already know the stories. For your aid, your deeds will certainly be remembered, and there may be some cash reward but who really cares about that of course.’
“And then he said he’d meet us here near the south road today if we were still interested. I feel we should help him out of the kindness of our hearts.”
“It would be nice to know what we are actually doing though,” Gante says, “but I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”
“You heard me. Some kind of prophecy deal. The gnome was shady on details. Plus you can ask him tomorrow if you’re really that concerned.”
6th of Land’s Blessing
It’s an overcast day in Karkin. After gathering their things, the adventurers head to the south road in the village. There, a small figure stands by the signpost, pacing nervously.
“Hey there,” Kerwyn calls out.
“Hmm? Oh ho! You weren’t pulling my leg after all… Thank Garl.”
Epona whispers to Glod: “who exactly is Garl?”
“Gnomish deity. This guy looks like a cleric,” Glod says, pointing out the purple robes and golden belt.
“I’ll admit, I figured all that boasting about your exploits was just drunken gibbering, what with the slurred speech and the falling onto the floor…”
“Ah… Just an act to blend into the crowd. Moving on… I believe there was an urgent matter to attend to.”
“You’ll have to forgive our less-than-trustworthy friend here, but he does have a point. How can we be of service?”
“We seek brave warriors in our time of need. It is rumored that at the harvest festival in Gade, a powerful and evil wizard will rise from the grave, seeking vengeance on those who wronged him.”
“Ah, no need to worry then,” Epona says. “Undead are our specialty.”
“It’s troubling,” Glod says. “Seem to be a lot of necromancers about these days.”
“Like I said last night, nothing we can’t handle.”
“Are we to assume that you are one that he would feel wronged him, or is this a whole village type of thing?” Gante asks.
“Or does he just hate everything?” Glod adds.
“Though it was long ago, I myself was alive during the proceedings. I hope he has- err, had nothing against me, but I cannot say for certain.”
“Are you sure you’re telling us everything we need to know?” Gante asks.
“Anything else you need to know, I can tell you. It is, however, a time-sensitive matter. We can speak on the road.”
“Sounds good to me,” Epona says. “Let’s get going.”
“Great! I’ve already introduced myself to Kerwynsh, but for the rest of you, I am Hoople.”
“I am Epona. I will quickly scare off your little undead wizard friend.”
“I am Gante… I try to keep ‘Kerwynsh’ in line.”
—
Along the way, Hoople and Glod begin talking amongst themselves in their native language.
“So, Hoople, anything you didn’t care to say in front of the tallfolk? They’re decent people but I know how it can be at times.”
“Ah yes, tallfolk so rarely appreciate jokes as Gnomes do…”
“Heh… as an illusionist I’ve played a few from time to time.”
“The shady fellow… is he trustworthy at all?”
“In large things, if not in small. Keep an eye on your purse, but not on your back.”
“I kind of got that vibe… He was a bit out of it last night so I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, I do see plenty of opportunity for fun with him, heh heh.”
“Oh?”
“Yep. Just watch.” Hoople switches to common. “Again, I do appreciate you so much for agreeing to help out. I admit I was skeptical, but when Kerwynsh agreed to help without any reward, I was just taken aback!”
Gante heartily pats Kerwyn on the back and laughs. “That’s just the kind of guy he is deep down inside.”
“Oh… right… We just love to help out of the goodness of our hearts.”
It takes a full day to get to the village of Gade. The town is nestled among a small forest in the hilly countryside. A bright half-moon illuminates the darkening sky as they follow the path to the lamp-lit streets at the base of the hill. Through the trees, they see a large lake extending to the south, just beyond the town. The few clouds left from morning cast hazy gray reflections on the still waters.
“So what has this necromancer been up to so far?” Glod asks.
“Well, for the past several decades, decomposing, I assume.”
“So is this just stories passed down, or has something happened that has worried the town recently?” Gante asks.
“I would think it’s just coincidental, but the town is up in arms about it. Fishermen have seen that every morning, dozens of dead fish are all along the dock. Then there’s the failing crops east of town. Mostly strange since scarecrows keep popping up that no one put out. Not to mention occasional ghost sightings in the hills north-west of here. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about, but people get a little jumpy, what can I say?”
“I wonder if someone not-so-undead is up to this,” Epona says. “Any place to stay around here?”
“Yes, the Pine Dock inn’ll have room for you. They also serve up some pretty nice fish, if you get hungry. Can’t get it much fresher.”
“Wait a minute. They aren’t serving the dead fish they find every morning are they?” Kerwyn asks.
“I don’t think so, but now that you mention it, I’ve kind of lost my appetite…”
“Yeah, I think I’m going to pass on any fish for now,” Kerwyn says.
“Well, I’ll probably stake out a field for the night,” Glod says. “Anyone care to join?”
“I may as well,” Epona says. “I don’t need much sleep, and you probably shouldn’t go alone.”
“Sounds good; I’ll ask the innkeeper about the scarecrows.” Glod asks around, getting some interesting information.
“Nobody’s tried movin’ ‘em since the first guy… poor fella.”
“Oh?” Glod asks.
The innkeeper nods. “We ain’t quite sure. ‘Bout when all this started, he got it in his head he weren’t gonna take it. Said he was chucking the thing out his field. They found him the next morning half-naked, running scared like a chicken without ‘is head bein’ on. He’s calmed down, but he won’t go back in his field with that thing sitting it. No one else daring to try the same thing.”
“Hmm, thanks.” Glod relays the information to the team. They decide Epona and Glod will stake out a field overnight.
7th of Land’s Blessing
Glod climbs a tree, getting a good view of a few neighboring fields. However, he doesn’t notice anything going on during the night.
On the way back to the inn, he and Epona pass by the docks. A few dead fish are bobbing in the waters nearby. Glod examines some under torchlight.
“Oh man, we need to tell the others about this…”
—
“Good morning, everyone!” Glod says loudly, waving a couple of dead fish around. “Good call on not trying fish last night at dinner. I found some trace amounts of quicksilver on these. It’s a noted toxin.”
“Great,” Kerwyn says. “Could you get it out of my face, then?”
“Er, right. Anyway, I want to get a better look at one of those scarecrows.”
“Sounds like as good a plan as any.”
Outside, the adventurers are greeted by Hoople. “Morning, everyone! I was thinking over the night, and there are a few more locations you might consider investigating. This particular wizard had a sort of workshop in the hills, not far from where the ghost sightings have been reported. And, cliché though it may be, his grave is in a cemetary to the east. I’ll let you know if anything else comes to mind.”
“Thanks for the tip. We might check those out.”
The team first heads for the graveyard.
“Here it is,” Epona says. “Gravly Steep Snapjaw McFroot Puddlestamp – died in 372. Definitely a Gnomish name.”
“My question is, who would bother burying a known necromancer in a graveyard, AND give him a marked grave?” Kerwyn says.
After searching the area, the party checks out one of the scarecrows while on their way to the woods.
“My guess is that it’s a fear-based enchantment,” Gante says. “Hopefully, I won’t be affected by it.”
“Surprisingly clever deduction,” Glod says.
“I don’t detect any evil save for some kind of faint spell…” Gante walks up to examine the scarecrow.
“So?” Glod hollers from across the field. “What do you make of it?”
“Lemme check the inside.” Gante slices the scarecrow horizontally, splitting it open. Inside, there are several slips of paper, each with runes written on them. “Some kinda runes.”
“Gante, do NOT read those. I’ll check ‘em out in a safer manner later.”
“Well, then let’s head down to that old workshop of his.”
A small path leads north-west from town through the trees. A dilapidated shed of a building sits quietly at the base of the hill. An old brick chimney, long since unusable, leans uneasily on a nearby branch. The rotting wooden door barely hangs on the rusted hinges.
“Looks cozy,” Kerwyn says.
Kerwyn walks up to the door. The interior is actually well-lit by the series of holes in the ceiling. Weeds creep through the old, wood floor. A fireplace on the left holds a rusty poker. A hallway leads back to the right, and a broken table sits on your left. Kerwyn bends down to walk inside, being careful not to hit his head on the low ceiling. The team spreads out, searching the rooms. Gante finds old, rusted cookware in the kitchen. Kerwyn spies an old moneybag and four very old silver coins inside. Epona, checking the bedroom, finds a passage hidden behind a dresser. The opening is about three feet tall, opening into a small passageway.
Glod follows the passage. The tunnel leads to a sort of wizard’s study, though time has taken its toll. Spellbooks lie open with most of the pages crumbling away. Beakers are stained with unusual fluids. A cauldron has rusted through. Glod begins examining the spellbooks, when Mathus forces his way into the cramped room.
“What are you looking for, Glod?”
“You know, stuff. I’m sure the gnomish details would be beneath you.” Glod picks up one of the vials. “Hmm…”
“What?”
“Let’s head back out. It’s getting crowded in here.” Back outside, Glod explains what he found. “The spells appeared to be necromantic in nature, no surprise there. But I did find some mercury residue in the vials. Might be a connection.”
