Session 25: The Blackthorn House

General Summary

Arriving at Sweetvine, Firion, Vaegon, and Tif purchased new draft horses from the stables to replace their now deceased ones. While at the stables, Vaegon noticed two hidden Thieves Cant symbols; one denoting the presence of illicit activity, and the other denoting the presence of the Meridian, the largest criminal syndicate in the world. After returning to the rest of the party who'd been waiting with the cart, they packed up camp and returned to Sweetvine once again, where Tiblamir purchased a riding horse to replace the one he'd taken from the Merry Men.

The party decided to split into two groups: Firion, Luca, and Tif would look into the folk tales of Weingarten while Tiblamir, Vaegon, and Jess looked into the rumors surrounding the Blackthorn House, a "cursed" house on the outskirts of town that the townsfolk avoid. Tif and Jess had also mentioned that Niccolo had visited the Blackthorn House, appearing to be on friendly terms with the owner. Firion also gave Jamboree 200 gold to fund the creation of a new pastry idea he had in mind for the party. While in the town square, Firion's team was approached by the guard captain, Sergeant Elira Mossbrook, who inquired about their business in town. After speaking with Mira Thornbloom (the innkeeper), Firion's team visited the chapel to hear about the folk stories from Father Alwin. Father Alwin told them stories about the Candle Keeper, the Goat Shepherd Ronan, and even gave them history on the curse of the Blackthorn House, but suggested they see the town's vineyard caretaker and herbalist, the leonin Seren Oakwhisper.

Meanwhile, Jess led Vaegon and Tiblamir to the Blackthorn House, where they were turned away by a pair of guards (one with a prosthetic brass hand) who were guarding it. They learned from the guards that Hildred Pierce, the owner of the house, had recently passed away from an unexpected aneurysm, leaving his son Ambrose an orphan. Although Father Alwin and Mira have been bringing him food and trying to convince him to come into town to stay with someone, Ambrose, barely 6 years old, has refused to leave the house and has remained inside by himself. The guards also mentioned that a woman matching Genevieve Artois' description had visited the Blackthorn House, but had quickly left after learning of Hildred's death. The tro returned to town, planning on returning at night, when the guards would be gone. On the way back to town, they encountered Firion's group, who were on their way to visit Seren Oakwhisper. Luca, Firion, and Vaegon decided to call on the herbalist while the others returned to town. After speaking with the herbalist, who made it very clear that she had strong feelings about the Empire's expansion into the tribal lands of Seraphix, they inquired some more about the legend of Mother Gloam Eyes and Bell's Canyon. Seren remained tight-lipped, but mentioned that the Elder Tree that Mother Gloam Eyes had channeled power through was called the Gildergloam, and had ties to the Shadowfell. Before leaving her cottage, Vaegon for bartered 10 bottles of her special "Oakwhisper Reserve" from her private stock, and Firion bartered for 3 Red Amanita Mushrooms and a jar of Sweetvine jam. Back in town, Firion and Vaegon went in search of Sergeant Elira at the guard barracks and secured a private meeting with her. At the barracks, they also encountered the guard Constable and a half-elf who's accesories identified him as a Smuggler for the Varied Trades. Firion revealed his true identity to the Sergeant and disclosed their mission in Weingarten. However, the Sergeant admitted that she wouldn't be of much help, fearing that the Meridian had bought off many of her guards including the Constable and Liutenant "Brasshand" (who Vaegon and Tiblamir had encountered ). Although her loyalty is to Sweetvine and the law, she can't prove anything without risking her position or life. During the conversation, Vaegon noticed that Constable Reva Halloway had been standing outside the door, though she claimed she was there to drop off some patrol route forms. Firion and Vaegon soon departed, with Sergeant Elira suggesting they ask the other common folk and wished them good luck in their hunt.

Rendezvousing with the others at the inn, they decided that Luca and Jess should stay outside once the other four snuck into the Blackthorn House. After waiting for night to fall, they headed back out to find the house unguarded. After making themselves known, Ambrose let them into the house and they introduced themselves to him. Ambrose was surprisingly cheerful, welcoming them into the house and inviting them to play with him. He mentioned that his father liked to play with animals and mix them up, and had left a gift for him in his study, and he couldn't leave until he got in. Hearing this, Vaegon and Tiblamir went upstairs to investigate, finding Hildred's room in a state of disarray. Using information from a picture in a locket found in his room, they were able to bypass the Arcane Lock placed on his study door and they entered, finding a mess of loose papers, research journals, notebooks, a locked chest, and a shattered class cylinder staiend with a black resin. After skimming the papers, they found mention of disturbing subjects:

• paranoid notes about “growth cycles,” “host bodies,” and “containment failures.”
• The Brutoris Rebellion, Mistress Genevieve, and Marquess Abrahm Caerlight.
• "Glutton worms", slaughter gas, malformed hybrids
• "Tears of the Hungerer"- arcane, unstable, not ready for field testing, testing on perytons.
• "I'm sorry Kaylie, it's all my fault."

Through another door in the study marked with a note denoting it as Ambrose's gift, they discovered the observatory room of a madman. Hildred had been observing the skies through telescopes situated at windwos throughout the entire room, scrawling the same constellation pattern on every surface possible, along with the word "Carcossa." For whatever reason they also found a torn paint canvas in the observatory room along with a set of fresh paints. Among the rambling notes on the desk in this room, they found a strange note, written in binary code, which they took before returning to the others. Lying to Ambrose that his father's gift had been a tender portrait of him as an infant, they sent him away with Tif and Jess, bringing Luca in to assist them as they investigated. Returning to the study, they opened the locked chest, finding an organized drawer full of decomposing organic material, dead animals, insects, a cooling chamber of live Glutton Worm samples, and several flasks and beakers of unidentifiable fluid. From the chest, they took an emerald colored potion as well as an unmarked bottle of wine matching the ones they'd come across before Vaegon burned the rest of its contents. In the observatory room, Tiblamir began splashing paint on the canvas, triggering them to see images in the paint: a jagged balack cityscape, a yellow sky full of black stars, before they heard a familiar voice within the paint say Hildred's name. Luca however, seemed to be more affected by the paint, finding it hard to tear himself away from the observatory room. 

Once outside the house, Luca was able to decipher the binary code: "Kythorn Suneday 8- Aneurysm, Kythorn Ilmaday 17- IMMOLATION," bringing them to the horrifying conclusion that Hildred had somehow predicted his own death, and that something horrible was going to happen today, Kythorn 17. Despite the others' pleas, Firion elected to remain behind at the Blackthorn House in case anything transpired there while the other three raced back to Sweetvine, worried about Ambrose. In town, they pushed their way through a throng of fleeing townsfolk screaming about a monster in the square. Arriving at the square at the same time as Sergeant Elira and some of her guards, they saw the desecrated form of Hildred Pierce's corpse clinging to the chapel bell tower, having somehow reawakened in a new, eldritch form.