Strange Aeons / The Rushton Terror pt. 8 / Eire the 11th, 3592 CE / 8-18-20

General Summary

The party members awaken in their borrowed cottage in the town of Rushton to find that their captive, the dream witch Darla Coronet, is still comatose after her psychic battle with Esp. As they confer about next steps, there is a knock on the door. It is a local girl named Hollister. She tells the party that she has heard they have looking into the disappearances, and asks them if they will send word through the Temple of Accuris if they should locate her older brother, Sholem. Like many of the other victims, Sholem disappeared while walking alone through the streets of Rushton. The party agrees to send word to Hollister, and sets out to find some breakfast, but not before Esp informs them that she is staying behind in the cottage. She is concerned over the damage she unleashed upon Darla Coronet when she utilized the Tatterman. She says she wishes to spend some time meditating and investigating her psychic powers further. The party heads out, leaving Esp to watch over the comatose druid. They head back to the Smokehouse, where they once again encounter the elderly proprietress, Lyssa Brill. Upon this meeting, Hemlock notes that the woman has strangely colored eyes, implying a possible inhuman bloodline. However, the only threat she seems to present is her incessant flirting with the party, who decide to partake of their portions of smoked fish outside the shop. There they are met by one of the Stonebriar refugees, who asks them to come back to the church to speak with Winter on an important matter. At the Temple of Accuris, the changeling cleric shares with them once again her true mission in Rushton; to accompany an agent of the Blackguard named Lady Romana to investigate the troubles. Winter tells them that prior to her own journey to Stonebriar Asylum, Lady Romana and her retinue had been planning to go to Fort Hailstorm to attempt to locate the Constable Bryn Kessel and Magistrate Phineas Patrick. Winter tells the party that there has been no sign of Lady Romana since their return to Rushton, and asks if they will investigate her disappearance, as it could lead to clues concerning the disappearances of the Rushton's other citizens. The party agrees and heads up the hill to the fort where the local militia was housed before the troubles began. It seems that most of the Drammish mercenaries departed the fort, and the constable and magistrate have not been seen in some time. When they reach the gates, Sigvald notes the fort seems unusually quiet. After knocking on the front gate, the spyhole opens up revealing a harried-looking woman who identifies herself as Bryn Kessel. She provides only vague answers to the party's questioning before growing impatient and closing the hatch. Gleorn sends his companion Scout through one of the forts arrow slits, where he spots two guards who appear to be undead! The only other feature of note in the fort's lobby is an oddly placed mirror The party springs into action, with Gleorn and Sigvald breaking down the doors with mighty blows from their weapons. A fight breaks out with the guards, whom Hemlock notes move with unusual speed and deadly accuracy, deducing they must be the more type of undead known as juju zombies.

Character(s) interacted with

Hemlock Shores, Garrok the Brute, Gleorn Bearheart. Sigvald of Northwell, Esp Platyrhynchos, Hollister, Lyssa Brill, Nysa Wallace, Winter, Sitarii (as Bryn Kessel), Darla Coronet, Scout, Stonebriar refugees, undead mercenaries

Report Date

19 Aug 2020

Primary Location

Fort Hailstorm

Secondary Location

Rushton