Session 4: The Dream Whisperer

General Summary

In the Lair of the Cultists

Odrinsday the 8th of Harvestide in the year 3024 Evening   After shattering the mirror in the cultist leader's lair, the heroes completed their search of the room. Malcor opened the chest to reveal a pouch with 10pp, a sack with 120gp and another sack with a collection of rings, necklaces and bracelets that he estimated could be worth around 50 gp. There was also a leather carrying case with 5 potions in it. The heroes decided to sample the potions and discovered that there were two Potions of Healing, a Potion of Heroism, a Potion of Resistance, and a Potion of Invulnerability. Malcor looked through the sack of jewelry and decided to take a gold bracelet with a Salamander on it for himself.   Having stormed into the cultist's lair and thwarted their ritual the heroes decided that they needed to rest for the night. They felt uncomfortable staying in the ritual chamber, so they decided to return to the barracks they had found on the way in. They removed the dead bodies of the cultists that they had slain there and then they returned to the prison and carried the caravanners into the barracks along with the ritual subject they had saved. When all of this was done, they then settled down for a long rest.   Galensday the 9th of Harvestide in the year 3024 Morning   The night passed without incident. The caravanners were still asleep as Zodak considered the book that Volu had discovered on the cultist leader's desk. He had seen Volu's face as he had torn the book away from him and was concerned. The book was covered in stretched human skin. Just touching the vile thing made Zodak's skin crawl, but as he held it in his hand he too was tempted to open it and learn it's secrets. Calling on his religious training, he was able to resist the temptation. Sensing the evil nature of the book, Zodak decided to burn it.   He returned to the ritual chamber with Volu and Malcor while Creek remained in the barracks with Lyra to watch over the still sleeping caravanners. Zodak threw the book into one of the braziers. It erupted in flames and an inhuman scream echoed throughout the lair. Four shadows then sprang to life and attacked.   Zodak stepped up and banished one with radiant damage from a guiding bolt. Two of the shadows retaliated, attacking Zodak and Malcor, the blows sapping them of strength. Volu hit one with an Eldritch Blast causing the creature to release an inhuman scream. Creek heard the sounds of combat and rushed in from the barracks, killing a shadow with a critical blow. Then Zodak presented his holy symbol and as he spoke words of banishment, electrical energy crackled around his holy symbol and the shadows were compelled to flee from his divine power. The shadows retreated to the cult leader's chamber. There the heroes were able to corner them and dispatch them with ease. In the aftermath of the battle with the shadows, Malcor tries to convince everyone that they need to go back to the shrine they had seen the day before. There was a huge gem there that he thinks could be very valuable. Creek counsels against it, pointing out that it could only lead to trouble. Even though Malcor knows these cultists worship the god of Death he feels compelled to get the gem. Creek and Zodak do what they can to convince their halfling friend to stay away from it. Malcor would not be deterred and decided to go on his own to get the gem, so he pulls a torch off the wall and heads off to the shrine.   Volu, Creek and Zodak, unable to convince Malcor not to go to the shrine, returned to the barracks. The prisoners they had saved were stirring. The woman that was being sacrificed woke up first. Her eyes were opened wide with fear. She seemed to be mentally drained by the ordeal and would not say much. Creek was able to learn that her name is Lorna. She asked them for something to eat and then immediately went back to sleep.   The two male caravanners introduced themselves as Halpern and Harlow and they hail from Iron Watch. They are merchants that were taking their goods to Hilltown. They spoke excitedly about how the caravan was attacked by gnolls who butchered the guards and then beat the rest of the caravanners almost to death. When they awoke, they were in a caged wagon unable to escape. Then the cultists came and piled them each into two wagons. One of the wagons was taken to another location and the other, the one they were in, came to this place. They thank the heroes and ask them to help them get to Hilltown.   The remaining prisoner introduces herself as Brelina the herbalist from the caravan. She is wearing a bandage made with Creek's sister's clothing. She corroborates the story of the two brothers. Creek asks her about his sister, the Songbird That Sings at Dusk. Brelina remembers that his sister was in the prison wagon and that is when she bandaged Brelina's leg. She tells Creek that his sister escaped from the wagon when it was on the way to this place. She could not free the others as they were all too wounded. As far as Brelina knows, The Songbird that Sings at Dusk was being taken to Hilltown as an indentured servant to a merchant there. She does not know the merchants name.   Creek removed the bandage from Brelina to recover the scrap of his sister's clothing and replaces it. He then began to wonder aloud to his companions. Was Songbird injured? No, she was strong enough to escape when the others could not. Where had she escaped to? She had to have escaped on the way from the caravan to this place as the brothers had not seen her escape. Lorna may have, but she is out of it for now. They all agreed that there was no way for them to find Songbird with the leads that they have so they agree to get back to the road and continue on to Hilltown.   As his friends prepared to leave, Malcor found his way back to the shrine. His eyes were immediately drawn to the glowing ruby. He ignored the fact that it was floating at the top of a mysterious red liquid in a basin held by an evil looking idol. Finding no traps on the shrine, he decided to try to grab the gem, trusting to his reflexes to do it without touching the strange liquid. Readying himself, he snapped his wrists out to grab the gem. As he closed his fist around it, he could not avoid the liquid and it touched the back of his hand. His hand immediately started to burn and the red liquid slowly began to coat his hand. It was a slick, red color and looked almost like blood. He rubbed his hand but could do nothing to get rid of the liquid as it eventually covered his whole hand. He soon realized that he was unable to pick up anything with the coated hand. He pocketed the gem with his other hand which he valued to be worth at least 750 gp. Malcor rejoined his friends, as they were leaving the cultist's lair. They could do nothing to help him. Zodak urged them all to leave and they were soon back out in the ruins. There was a light drizzle. They put Lorna on one of their horses and started to head back to the chapel.  

A Haunting Nightmare

As they trudged along toward the chapel, the rain continued. Malcor was very upset because he could not pick up or hold anything in his right hand. Frustrated, he played with a coin with an orange faced man on it in his left hand. He was approached by Halpern who was looking for his salamander bracelet. Malcor returned the bracelet to him, but then tried to convince Halpern to trade it back. Halpern refused telling him that it held sentimental meaning to him. His mother had made for his coming of age. Malcor then asked him if there are any feeble jewelers in Hilltown. Feeling uncomfortable, Halpern shook his head and walked away.   As he traveled, Creek was on the lookout for a small animal or bird as he wanted to cast Animal Friendship on it. He saw a hawk circling above, but he could not entice it down. The heroes settle down to lunch as the sun came out from under the clouds. After lunch, Creek was able to get the hawk to come down into the clearing and he was able to cast his spell on him. He was able to train the hawk to come to him when he calls.   After lunch the heroes continued to travel. Creek noticed that the corruption that had taken hold of the forest was not expanding. They searched for tracks as they went and were able to find only their own, the cultists and also some blights. By the end of the day, they had made it back to the ruined chapel in the woods.   They did not want to set up camp outside, so they decided to barricade themselves inside the chapel. They gathered some firewood and managed to coax the horses to come inside as well. They closed and barred the doors and prepared for a night's rest.   Malcor had the first watch and began practicing throwing his dagger with his left hand. He noticed that Halpern was not sleeping, so he once again started to talk too him about the shops in Hilltown. Halpern quickly said he was too tired and went to sleep.   Volu had the second watch, he heard a scratching noise at the back door of the chapel. He went to investigate and noticed the clawed paw of a raccoon reaching in from under the door. He decided to give the animal a treat, but even after eating it the beast continued to scrabble at the door. Volu did not want to go outside so he ignored the creature until it left.   Zodak had the third watch. It was mostly uneventful, but near the end he noticed that Creek was tossing and turning and then the ranger sat bolt upright. Zodak asked him what happened and Creek tells him he had a terrible nightmare where he imagined that he saw his sister being killed in many different ways. They sit together for the remainder of Zodak's watch talking about what the dreams might mean.   Creek had the final watch. Nothing happened during the early morning hours. As he watched over his friends, Creek realized that his nightmare was so bad that he gained no advantage from the long rest.  

Crypt Walker Assault

  Tyrsday the 10th of Harvestide in the year 3024 Morning   The heroes and their charges wake up to a sunny day with light cloud cover. Zodak stretched out his limbs after rising and discovered that he had finally shaken off the effects of the wound he had taken from the infected hyena. His arm was whole again.   Malcor begged Zodak to find out what happened to his hand asking him to help in any way he could. Zodak told Malcor that he did not have the skill to help him and that he would just have to suck it up until they got to Hilltown.   Lyra comes over to Creek and asks him what is wrong. He tells her that he had terrible nightmares last night and that he could not sleep. In the nightmares, he saw his sister dying time and time again. Trying to comfort him, Lyra tells Creek that he should keep a positive attitude. After all, Brelina had told them that there was a merchant in Hilltown that bought her as an indentured servant. Perhaps he would know how to find her? Creek responds by telling her that he Great Spirit will do things as he wills.   They broke camp, determined to get back to the caravan road and head back to Hilltown. They hitched the wagon outside to one of the horses and allowed the prisoners they had rescued to ride in it. Lyra jumped up on the other horse and rode ahead to scout. Creek and Volu walked a bit ahead of the wagon as Zodak drove.   About an hour into their journey, Lyra comes galloping back to the wagon and sounds the alarm. She warns that just ahead a group of foul ghouls are attacking an old women, a child and two female guards. Leaving the wagon and their charges behind, the heroes charged forward intending to rescue the women.   The battle was horrific. The ghouls showed no mercy, killing the two women and turning their claws on the old lady and the child. Creek, Malcor and Zodak rushed forward to engage the ghouls, while Lyra and Volu attack them from range. The old lady and the child begin to back away, but then, inexplicably, the young child turned to fight one of the ghouls without even having a weapon. The heroes could not save her as the child was mauled by the ghoul. Volu was paralyzed by one of the ghouls and landed face first in the dirt. Working together the heroes were able to slay all the ghouls, but only the old lady survived. Creek rushed over to comfort the old lady. Between sobs, she tells him her name is Marianna. Two of the victims were her daughter and grand daughter. Marianna then begins to sob uncontrollably and Lyra comes over to comfort her. Zodak goes over to help Volu who got a bloody nose from falling face first to the forest floor. Malcor and Creek begin to pile up the dead bodies and then they gather some wood and set them on fire.   Zodak brings the wagon over and the people are very disturbed by the aftermath of the battle and cower within the wagon. Volu and Malcor move the old lady into the wagon attempting to console her. Malcor tries to convince woman things will be okay and he gives here 2 GP. Volu asks her of they have seen another caravan and she tells them yes, she has seen Jerek's caravan. Marianna also mentions that Songbird helped them. They had been attacked by gnolls and she led them away equipped only with a spear she had made from a branch. Later they were attacked by the ghouls.   The heroes decide that they still need to return to the caravan road. Once there, they plan to make camp and set up a bonfire hoping to draw someone's attention.   End Session 4