STATIC 47: The Ruins of Awarth, Tarnmuck Reach

General Summary

Wherein the Blinkertons traverse the brine-choked desolation of Tarnmuck Reach and venture into the ruins of a city-state called Awarth.

The Shifting Bones

The Blinkertons began their journey into this ruined city called Awarth with a climactic battle against the Shifting Bones, the mighty "Guardian of Awarth," a towering mass of skeletal forms that defended the entrance to the lost city. After a brutal fight, they claimed victory, earning the Stillbone, a jagged femur etched with glowing runes and whispering faintly of death and decay. Skipjack took possession of the artifact, whose purpose remains mysterious. With the Guardian defeated, the way forward into Tarnmuck Reach and the ruins of Awarth was open.

Tarnmuck Reach: The Sinking Graves

Navigating the desolation of Tarnmuck Reach, the Blinkertons pressed deeper into the mire. Known as the Sinking Graves, Tarnmuck Reach is a grim expanse of shifting mud and brine, punctuated by eerie bone formations rising like gravestones. Every step threatens to sink the unwary, while skeletal trees and collapsed ruins evoke a sense of long-forgotten decay. The Reach presented several ominous features:

• A sunken hut lined with bone charms bearing indecipherable runes.
• Skeletal trees entwined with pulsing bone vines.
• A leaning watchtower with a rusted, disintegrating bell.

Drelka Mireheart: Warden of Bones

In this foreboding landscape, the Blinkertons encountered Drelka Mireheart, a gaunt and haunting figure standing knee-deep in the muck, surrounded by skeletal hands clawing out of the mud. Her piercing, glowing eyes locked onto the group as she chanted in an eerie rhythm, halting her ritual the moment they approached.
Drelka introduced herself as the self-proclaimed Warden of Bones, a caretaker and guardian of the shifting dead within Tarnmuck Reach. Despite her unsettling demeanor, the Blinkertons were able to persuade her of their good intentions. Sharkbait was entrusted with a fetish from Drelka—a charm imbued with protective power, though its full properties remain unclear.
Drelka hinted at deeper forces at work within Tarnmuck Reach, tied to the enigmatic substance that permeates this place, but offered few concrete answers. The group left her behind, her skeletal sentinels half-buried in the shifting mud, to continue their exploration of the Reach.

Croaklord Ribbask

The Blinkertons soon came upon Croaklord Ribbask, a toad-mounted monarch flanked by swampguards. Paying homage, they presented him with a dragon figurine imbued with ancient-old magicks, earning his favor and the gift of Tarnmuck Sap—a potent potion capable of restoring vitality and preventing death in critical moments.
A vision later revealed the grandeur of Old Awarth, surrounded by strange energies tied to a viscous black substance. This enigmatic material appears to power much of the phenomena within Tarnmuck Reach and Awarth. Questions remain about its relationship to The Displacement. The party resolved to investigate further.

Battles in the Mire

As they ventured deeper into Tarnmuck Reach, the Blinkertons faced numerous foes. They battled Mudrot Monstrosities, hulking entities of brine, oil, shattered bone, and mud. Later, they were ambushed by skeletal Boghusks. Although the fight was fierce, the party prevailed, securing two vials of diluted "substance" for analysis.

And That's Where We Left It

The Blinkertons survived Tarnmuck Reach, and are before the outskirts of Ashrow, a decayed settlement marking the boundary of Awarth. We'll discover what secrets Ashrow holds during our next session.

Varied and Sundry Details

• The Stillbone emanates faint whispers, which seem to intensify near death or decay.
• Croaklord Ribbask cryptically mentioned the sap is "best used when the air stinks of endings."
• Drelka Mireheart hinted at deeper forces at work in the Reach and Awarth but offered few specifics.

Rewards Granted

• Level 14!
• The Stillbone
• Tarnmuck Fetish
• Tarnmuck Sap (2 potions)
• 2 vials of dilluted "substance."

Character(s) interacted with

• Drelka Mireheart--The Warden of Bones in Tarnmuck Reach
• Croaklord Ribbask--the "monarch" of the Reach

Report Date

15 Dec 2024

Primary Location

Bonefields