Session 022 - Curses
General Summary
Date 23th to 26th Agrazhar (6) 720TR (Summer)
The story so far
Athena's family was slaughtered as part of a conspiracy carried out by Clan Hamlen. She has learned that the Hamlen's have been having troubles of their own with their much-valued fishing harbor suffering from blight. What is going on and can it assist in her plans for revenge? Athena travels home to the Kingdom of Rethem to Investigate.
Additionary Athena learned that the Order of the Eight Demons has been investigated her background, and sent a messenger to inform the Hamlen's of her presence in the City of Coranan. She hopes to intercept this messenger.
Killer Plants
On the lawless northern road, the heroes are ambushed by strange murderous plants, who manipulated the vegetation around characters attempting to strangling them. They were resistant to fire but were eventually cut to pieces.
The Curse and Courier
The party arrives in the Barony of Ithiko. Given it is likely that any courier would have already arrived at Hamlen's Keep, there is the possibility that they may have missed him completely. They decide to ready an ambush for a few days, just in case. If no courier makes an appearance, then they will proceed on with their investigation into the Blight. Using Athena's local knowledge, they find a promising ambush spot and lay in wait. Luckily the next morning a courier on a riding horse comes into view. Using trickery and magic the young man is struck unconscious with a Sleep spell. Feeding him some sleep poison the characters have an hour to plot and prepare.
They find in his travel satchel a sealed note from Baron Hamlen addressed to the High Priestess of Coranan's Temple of the Eight Demons, thanking her for the information and warnings her that Athena comes from a long line of traitors and is dangerous. He recommends that she should organize an assassination as soon as possible. Yureb hastily forges a reply minimizing Athena threat and insulting the High Priestess using his Cursed Ink Well. The party substitutes the forgery into the courier bag then make it appears as though bandits have robbed him, but leaving him alive and ignoring the written papers.
DM's note - Yureb failed his saving throw when using the Cursed Inkwell, and the character unknowingly transferred a curse onto the forged document. It now says something entirely different than intended, something very detrimental to Athena's fortunes.
Bloody Mists
The party decides to investigate the Looted Mounds, the site upstream of the Hamlens's manor and what they believe is the source of the Blight. They find a devastated region filled with ancient burial mounds all with holes or trenches dug through them. In this cursed region, they decide to make camp and not long after midnight a number of strange mist like wraiths strike. When they come into contact with the living, they sucked the blood and life essences out through the skin which was added into its misty form. However, they proved no real threat to the heroes.
At the Accursed Mounds
Athena, believing that who or whatever is blighting the Hamlen's Fishing village could be a potential ally, she starts shouting and attempting to attract attention. This evil location has an abundance of threats, one of which is an angry Aklash. The fat blubbery monster expels near lethal poisonous breath incapacitates and nearly kills both Kalin and Yureb. The remainder of the party enters battle, noting the monster's rapid regeneration. Athena attacks with lance on horseback dealing considerable damage while Quazzy used her magic to slow the monster's healing. Yureb is given a powerful healing potion, wakens from near death and strikes the killing blow when the monster brain exposed from its blubbery gut.
Almost immediately a pack of Ghouls, attracted by either the combat or Athena's shouting, race toward the heroes. They are eventually are all hacked to pieces with the battles only notable feature being Athena's squire Lucia accidentally misfiring into the party with her crossbow, twice.
DM's note - I use the following House Rule when firing into melee. If a Natural 1 is rolled, the missile will hit a random adjacent combatant rather than the target. This is particularly amusing when it happens twice in a row.
Missions/Quests Completed
Intercepted the courier and successfully substituted a message.
Character(s) interacted with
The Courier - captured and released.
Created Content
Related Reports
Notes
Players Character Status
Athena - Level 7 Paladin of Vengeance.
Yureb - Level 7 Arcane Trickster.
Quazzy - Level 4 Necromancer and Level 3 Warlock Disciple of Desridaen.
