Shadows in the Harbor Session 40
General Summary
To the Monastery!
The party, having decided that they would check in on the Solemn Hill Monastery, headed out immediately. It was an uneventful five and a half mile walk along the coastal road to the small village of Windy Nook. The townsfolk that the party passed failed to greet them, but not so much out of malice or spite. It would be another three and a half miles northward to the monastery. Along the way, however, the party ran across a halfling standing in the middle of the road. For one so small, he easily imposed a large presence. As he began to talk, a lute player came out from the woods. The elf woman looked around at the party and immediately grew pale. She recognized them and Keck recognized her as one of the robbers they met on the way to the Fairshield. The elf gave the halfling a look of concern, seemingly attempting to convey that these folks were not to be trifled with. At that moment, the ground beneath the halfling began to bubble and the air turned into a swirl of dust. All that could be heard were the screams of the halfling coupled with the grotesque crunches of an unseen creature. The dust cleared and, standing there with the halfling in its jaws, stood a large creature resembling some kind of land shark. It slammed the halfling to the ground, stepped on his chest, and ripped him in half with little effort. A gulp later and the lute-playing elf took off into the woods. The creature launched itself at the party and landed a solid blow on Fel'Shu. The beast was incredibly fast for something so big. The monk and Damakos attacked in kind, each landing several strikes against it. Keck fired his bow to little avail. Malark fired from the treeline, landing several arrows in the creature. Fel'Shu made a desperate attack and shoved his fist straight into the creature's nostril. The creature seemed stunned for a moment and that was just enough time for the monk to leap on top of it, his arm still stuck in its face. Damakos took his axe and slammed it into the creature repeatedly. The rest of the party joined in the fray and quickly drove it back into the hole. As it began to slide back into the ground, Fel'Shu gave it one final finishing blow. It was enough to send it sliding back into the hole and Fel'Shu began to pick through the corpse. Meanwhile, Damakos searched the corpse of the halfing and found a vicious shortbow which he promptly claimed as his own. Since the monastary was just over a mile away now, the party figured they'd continue and seek sanctuary in its walls.Rock Da Bells
Fel'Shu recognized the body of Brother Kaito hanging from the gate at once. His heart filled with rage and a sense of urgency. He had known Kaito to be an excellent brawler; who could have done this? Damakos noticed a symbol carved into Brother Kaito's forehead: the mark of the Cult of Baal. Fel'Shu immediately needed to get to the abbess's office to ring the bell. Kaito would have to wait to be burried; the other monks must be warned. Keck carefully pushed open the gate and crossed the courtyard. No sign of life anywhere. All the doors were closed. They checked out the well briefly, noticing another body hanged at the bottom. They pulled him up and Fel'Shu identified him as Phillipe Westbrook, a monk around Fel'Shu's age. He and Phillipe used to sneak into the brewery together after they thought everyone had gone to bed back in their younger days. This was no way for such a kind soul to die. Fel'Shu directed the party towards the chapel. All the rooms and paths came rushing back to him in a flash. Memories of discipline, exercise, and education. The air in the temple was heavy with the scent of blood and smoke. The altar at the back was stained with blood splatters as benches lay shattered across the floor. Fel'Shu and the others snuck up the stairs to the left to the abbess's office, careful not to alert any who may be laying in wait. The abbess spun around in her chair as Fel'Shu pushed open the door. A dagger bearing the mark of the Cultists had been plunged into her chest. The abbess had somehow been turned into a zombie. She lunged at Fel'Shu and Damakos, ripping at their clothing. Keck and Malark pierced her with arrows from a distance. The abbess, a woman who Fel'Shu remembered as firm but fair, clawed at him as he rang the bell sending out the alarm to all who could hear it. Fel'Shu fell, suffering a lacerated leg that would reduce his speed for the next few days. Keck's arrow pierced her skull, dropping her instantly. Damakos and Malark tended to the fallen monk while Keck looked around. He saw that the room had been ransacked. After Fel'Shu had stabilized, he remarked that an item called the Tears of the Marty had been taken from its case, but he couldn't remember what it did. Damakos thought hard about it and recalled that it contained the tears from a long-forgotten saint that had healing powers and, if corrupted, could raise the undead in great numbers. The party needed to rest. Some had been beaten and bruised by the fighting. So they barricaded the room and took turns standing guard.Rewards Granted
- 400xp per player for advancing the plot
- 500xp each for Fel'Shu, Damakos, Malark, and Keck for combat
Report Date
10 Jan 2025
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