Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
View
23rd of Kythorn, 1481 DR

A Truly Horrible Experience

by Morthos Art

As if yesterday’s eve was too harmonious and peaceful, todays events seemed to act as a counterpoint in this pure beauty. As if to remind us of the colder, harsher side this world so well knows to offer.
 
I think I can speak for all of us if I say that given the task set for today of facing an ancient presence, a ghost clinging to her despair about her own death. Conversing with a banshee is nothing a common tiefling is recommended frequently, quite the opposite. Yet our destination was the abode of the one named Agatha, hoping we could reason with her spirit without a martial confrontation that would most certainly lead to our death. On our way through the forest, I did my best to keep moral as high as possible, playing a quiet, encouraging tune. With moderate success, as we delved deeper and deeper between the gloomy, old trees.
 
While the forest was as beautiful and lively as one can hope for this time of the year, after a couple of hours of marching, it grew increasingly darker, cooler and quieter. Soon after we found what we were looking for – Agatha’s lair. It appeared to be grown into an ancient tree, it took us a while to discern it’s equivalent of a door. Inside the depressing atmosphere was even more dense. It looked as if time had not passed in this place, as if it was only waiting for its occupant to return and live here once more. Yet it was cold as ice and dark. Our calls soon brought forth the banshee a white, translucent figure hovering in the room. Her face was contorted into a grim, disregarding look that emerged from half rotten features. In life she might have been beautiful once yet now only death, hate and regret emanated from her.
 
As we were told, we quickly stated our purpose, our inquiry for the spell book of Bowgentle and our own task of finding Cragmaw castle. We presented to her the comb we were given as present in an attempt to appease her. I felt torn between her lifeless eyes capturing mine and drawing me to an edge there would be no return from and an impulse to run from this place. I managed to steady myself, focusing on the task at hand and our purpose to help Gundren and after a seemingly endless moment under her hard eyes, she allowed us to ask one, and only one, question, she would answer truthfully to the extend of her knowledge. In our struggle to fit both reasons for our visit into one single enquiry, we came up with the idea to ask for a route. And so I asked, where we would have to search to first find the location of the book and ultimately travel to Cragmaw castle. She seemed taken aback by our little play but kept to her promise. Thus, she told us, the place we were looking for was located somewhere within Neverwinter wood, while the book came into the hands of a necromancer. Before we could ask about any more details, she vanished into thin air, leaving us wondering, yet relieved to be still alive.
 
We quickly headed back to Conyberry, feeling not much wiser than before. Maybe sister Garaele could do something with the knowledge of the name of this necromancer. But we cannot search the entire forest for a place for which we don’t even know what we are looking for! We have to gather more information… Maybe, the old druid Reidoth can help us further along once we reach Thundertree. For now, we simply were glad to leave this oppressing place.
 
As we already are in the area, we reasoned, we might well see to the events playing out in the area around Old Owl Well, therefore we packed our cart back at the ruins and headed south into the hills and mountains. Grum and I luckily found a path that once must have served to connect our destination and Conyberry without having to loop around the entire mountain chain, where we made good pace. Now we already are near the old ruins and resting for whatever may lie ahead. The prospect of having to deal with more undead creatures does not sit well with me, hopefully we are equipped well enough to deal with anything we are facing. I dread the upcoming night, fearing to revisit an old withered tree with a menacing ghost in my dreams. Let me try to repel such haunting nightmares with some of the music, Anataea taught me back in Neverwinter before we will all sink into our slumber.

Continue reading...

  1. The Backstory
    10th of Myrtul, 1481 DR
  2. The Gathering of the Four Misfits
    15th Kythorn, 1481 DR
  3. Straight into the Adventure!
    17th Kythorn, 1481 DR
  4. On a Quest - For Quests!
    18th Kythorn, 1481 DR
  5. Dead End for the Red Bands
    19th Kythorn, 1481 DR
  6. On the Road Again
    22nd of Kythorn, 1481 DR
  7. A Truly Horrible Experience
    23rd of Kythorn, 1481 DR
  8. Dealings with Death
    24th of Kythorn, 1481 DR
  9. A Killing Word
    25th of Kythorn, 1481 DR
  10. Wand’ring and Trading
    29th of Kythorn, 1481 DR
  11. A Flying Visit in Neverwinter
    3rd of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  12. Of Small Trees and Large Spiders
    4th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  13. An Attempt to End Them Rightly
    5th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  14. Finally - Charge!
    5th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  15. A Twisted Rescue Mission
    6th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  16. How to Clean a Castle
    7th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  17. The Return to Phandalin
    8th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  18. The Eluding Spider
    11th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  19. Two Hangovers and a Funeral
    12th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  20. The Flame Rekindles
    12th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  21. Reclaiming the Forge
    13th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  22. When Past, Present and Future Meet
    19th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  23. Riddles and New Friends
    20th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  24. Midsummer Carnival
    21st of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  25. Investigations in the Dark
    23rd of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  26. Whatever, We’re Still Standing in Shit!
    25th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  27. The Haunted Marshes
    26th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  28. Dismembered Corpses – and a Cauldron
    28th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  29. Arising Tensions
    29th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  30. From the Dungeon to the Sewers
    30th of Flamerule, 1481 DR
  31. The Ritual
    Midsummer, 1481 DR
  32. A Devil and Repercussions
    Midsummer, 1481 DR
  33. How to Civilise an Orc Tribe
    1st of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  34. Towards Unknown Caves
    5th of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  35. Of Pacts and Mushrooms
    7th of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  36. The Dragon
    13th of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  37. The Birth Of The Green Scales
    16th of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  38. Forth To New Adventures
    19th of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  39. The Madness of the Dark
    24th (?) of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  40. Fishy Business
    30th (?) of Eleasis, 1481 DR
  41. Out of the Dark
    8th of Eleint, 1481 DR
  42. Into the North
    13th of Eleint, 1481 DR
  43. Everything Is On Fire!
    16th of Eleint, 1481 DR
  44. Ever North Goes the Road
    25th of Eleint, 1481 DR
  45. Always Keep A Door Up Your Sleeve!
    27th of Eleint, 1481 DR
  46. First Steps in Mirabar
    1st of Marpenoth, 1481 DR
  47. On The Search For Quercus
    2nd of Marpenoth, 1481 DR
  48. Reunited
    4th of Marpenoth, 1481 DR
  49. The Hyenas of the Forest
    6th of Marpenoth, 1481 DR
  50. Family Reunion and Ill Omens
    8th of Marpenoth, 1481 DR
  51. The Path of Darkness
    9th of Marpenoth, 1481 DR
  52. A Fateful Return
    11th of Marpenoth, 1481 DR

Find your way!

Resources

WHO WE ARE

LEGAL

Get the news

Listen to our Podcast

Our Allies

Dungeon Fog
Gold Ennie 2019 for Best Digital Aid
by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 14:49, May 22 2025