Session 24 - The Horned Man
General Summary
In the chaos of the night’s battle, a strange, horned man with glowing green eyes besieged the church and broke down the gate. The horned man shouted “Where is he?” at the nuns, and when Ivan and Hamal Armanuli approached, he became fixated on Ivan. He attempted to restrain the young man, but Ivan resisted. Ivan agreed to speak with him, and then led him toward the bridge and then away from the the village. Meanwhile, Hamal regrouped with the priestess Irina, and the two pursued with stealth.
Following their own encounters with the horsemen, Vashti and Prokhor brought an injured Lada to the church for healing. Lada, who had suffered a serious blow to the leg, was healed by an aged nun, the Hegumenia. Though her wounds were healed, she would limp for some time. When Lada came to, the Hegumenia explained what had happened. Vashti decided to follow after Ivan and Irina. The group tried to prevent Lada from going out on her injured leg, but she proved too stubborn. Prokhor carried her after her friends.
Ahead, Ivan led the horned man to the woods to speak. As soon as they reached the edge of the woods, the horned man grew to the size of a giant, and demanded Ivan follow deeper. Ivan followed for a moment, and then attempted to hide in the forest. The giant grew sick of Ivan’s games, and plucked him from the ground. As things escalated, Ivan attempted to strike the giant, and the party tried to stop him. In the chase that followed, Ivan realized that there was only way out for him from being the giant’s prisoner: he doused himself in holy water and attempted to cut his throat.
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Ivan's companions followed the sounds of the giant's bellowing and Ivan's voice, but had trouble negotiating the paths in the woods, and became separated from one another. When the party finally found Ivan he was bloody and battered, dying beneath the trees. A little healing brought the stubborn man back to his feet, but far worse for his wear. During the chaos, Hamal caught sight of Ivan’s stranger features, but chose to keep it to himself. After a crazy night of fighting and fleeing, the party finally regrouped, and returned to the convent to sleep and coalesce.
When morning came, Ivan still struggled to carry himself, and attempted to make himself useful at the church. Lada found her leg terribly infected from last nights injuries. Irina and Hamal set out to count the dead and get rid of the cursed bodies. 6 militia were struck down, and at least one peasant. Supplies were gathered from the riders to arm the party and the militia. The graveyard was searched, but there was no sign of what the giant had done in it. Minor repairs were made to the southern bridge, but Vashti was finally able to return to her cave, only to find Light-Heart hiding there.
Rewards Granted
- Weapons, armor and incidental coins taken from the bodies of the slain Nezhit' riders
Report Date
05 Feb 2023
Primary Location
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