Friday, December 20, 2013

Session #3 Recap - A Summons

Pathfinder - Reflections of Sin Campaign

Session #3 Recap:  A Summons

The characters have appeared outside the farm of the family Juliet had befriended from building the festival bonfire.  Also, this is the farm where the remaining orphans were sent by the party.  The farm is under attack by Cacodaemons, small flying heads of teeth.  Farm assistants and the three orphans are scattered around the farm, one by the water well, two in the doorway of the farmstead, one coming back from the fields, and two in the barn.  The party moves in and begins to fend off the monsters, realizing quickly that these daemons are immune or resistant to many things, including fire, cold, acid, poison, electricity, and weapons which are not silver or infused with the power of good.  After great struggle, they destroy 4 of the 6 cacodaemons, but two get away and two of the farmhands are killed.  The orphans are rightfully traumatized, as they have been attacked in their former home in the church, seen the priest and one of their own killed, and now been attacked on the farm.

While the party calms the children down, Juliet suddenly realizes that Mell is not with them.  She did not end up being transported with the rest of the party to the farm.  The party is concerned, as Mell also has the evil side, Poshmora, who is allied with Syren and Krune, seemingly, and her missing presence could be detrimental to the party if and when they find her again, especially if Poshmora has become ascendant and works against the party.

The party also is concerned that the orphans might be attracting the monsters as the attack on the village and on the farm have the orphans’ proximity in common.  But the party also realizes that the monsters could be attracted to the party itself, although the attack on the farm took place before their arrival.  They talk with the farmers, who have gathered from the fields, and it is decided, for stability, to keep the orphans with the farmers for the time being instead of yet another move of location.  The party then heads for Clearwater’s Gate, an hour to the west.

They arrive at the village in the late morning, having been only a few hours absent since going into the cistern, and they head straight for the Inn.  Cenn is there with his wife, and he is very concerned that Gerrett, the tanner, still has not returned from his trip to investigate the ruins on the lake and to see if there have been attacks on other outlying farms.  Cenn does confirm that Delix has taken charge of the investigation, and is with his guards at the remains of the church.

Morgrym leaves to go to the lake to see if he can find Gerrett while the rest of the party stays at the Inn to eat.  A little while after Morgrym leaves, though, Delix comes into the Inn and tells Cenn to send the party up to his room for a discussion.  He then walks up the stairs.  Cenn follows with the rest of the party, and leaves them standing before Delix, who is sitting at a desk.  He definitely acts as if in charge, and also begins to question the party in a none-too-friendly manner.  Did the party bring these creatures, whether on purpose or because they were being followed?  Where are they from?  What did they discover in the cistern?  What was said?  By whom?  What other information?  He has absolutely no fear of the party or of ramifications if he angers the party.  He knows, as does the rest of the village, that if anything happens to him, Korvosa will send investigators to the village, which will not be good for the village.  At best, they will likely lose several of the stronger farmers and villagers to conscription in the military forces.  Such is the price of services from the city. 

The party is at first recalcitrant with Delix, and Aean tries to only give part of the information of what happened in the cistern.  Delix is not buying the story, and demands the rest of the story.  He is the lawful representative, and he needs all of the information to make certain things are taken care of properly with the best benefit for the village.  The party reluctantly tells the whole story, and Delix arrogantly thanks them. 

Delix does state that he will return to Korvosa directly with the information, as he is the authority figure, knows who to talk with, and will be listened to seriously.  Anyone else will likely be ignored as liars or dismissed out of hand.  For the city watch to take this situation seriously, Delix needs to be present.  As arrogant and pig-headed as Delix is, he has genuine concern and interest in the villages under his charge, and the villages know this. 

As someone will need to tell the next villages on his route of his unexpected delay and detour, Delix charges the party with this effort, if nothing else to prove themselves as wanting the best for the village and the regions surrounding.  The party asks for compensation, and he says he will give them each 100gp in the morning before he leaves as compensation.  Delix then dismisses the party until the next morning, and asks Cenn to stay for further discussions and wrap up items.

The party goes back down into the common room and eat, on the dime of Delix.  Cenn descends after a little while, and says he will draw up a map of the villages which are next on Delix’ itinerary, and what should be said to them.  He thanks the party for helping the village in this way as well as for what they’ve done up to this point.  He also says that though Delix can be difficult, he really does have the villages’ best interests in hand.  The party discusses if they could possibly swing by the lake and investigate on their way to the villages tomorrow, but it is off on a different direction that would delay them by at least a day.

Suddenly, Gerrett bursts into the Inn with Morgrym.  Morgrym found the beat-up Gerrett about an hour or so out of town along the road to the lake.  The surrounding farms are under attack by foul monsters which someone is summoning, using the ruins by the lake.  Gerrett is not acquainted with arcane magic enough to understand the how and what of the summoning area, and he has no idea who is doing the summoning or why.  He was able to see creatures come out of the ruins, though, and move off into the surrounding forests and regions.

Gerrett is pretty beat up, but he insists that he is going to continue to run to the surrounding farmsteads and assist in protection, as he is able.  Gerrett begs the party to set out straight away for the lake and ruins to see if they can discover who is summoning the creatures and also to find a way to stop any more creatures from coming through the portal.  He then runs off to go bring in folks from surrounding farms back into the village for better safety.

The party takes off for the lake.  Some notice that the forest life is deathly quiet on their way, as if the creatures of the forest are holding their breaths in fear.  Occasional screams of some foul creature(s) can be heard at times in the distance on their way to the lake.

At the lake, they travel around to the ruins, basically 3 large worked stones toppled over.  Before the final approach, Io sees what look to be dire rats lurking around the beach area in front of the ruins, weaving around the beach, but he can’t get a good number of how many due to vapor rising out of the lake water from the chilly air.  The party begins an attack, and soon are attacked in return, not only by the rats, but also by two swarms of scarlet-colored spiders with painful bites.  The kill the creatures, but Aean and Juliet both feel sick from bites from the creatures.

Aean checks out the ruins and finds a rune inscribed in the rock:  an eye with 5 branches coming off of it.  He also finds a cubby hole with a bag holding 4 rubies, likely material components for summoning creatures.  Io comes over and realizes the rune is what is directing the summoning, and after taking an etching of the rune, he chisels it out of the stone face. 

Juliet is standing next to Robinn when a wind starts whipping around them and kicks up dirt and debris.  Robinn’s eyes have rolled back in his head, and he starts to speak.  “It wants to continue what it started.  A thousand pillars.  It will be free.  Must change one, kill one, to help loosen the bonds that bind.  A thousand pillars.  Preparations were made eons ago.  Time to harvest.  The time is ripe to reap the harvest and let loose the flood.  A thousand pillars, and death will fall upon the world.”

Robinn then wakes and sits on the ground hard, but is okay and conscious, just shaken.  He has no idea what just happened, but assumes it comes from his abilities of being an oracle and is a connection to future things.  The party gathers together, and set off back for the village.

On the way back, while crossing a small stream via a wooden bridge, they begin to hear the sounds of children crying all around them.  They have a sense of confusion enter their minds, and they are suddenly unsure of the path.  Are they supposed to travel the road to the village, or cut through the forest?  And which direction?  It is unnerving to them to be suddenly lost on a path they have taken before.

Then creatures, ghastly white things crying tears and with sharp claws and teeth, come at them, 3 creatures from 3 different angles.  The creatures use magic to try to hold some of the party members in place and unable to move, but those affected soon break free.  Io realizes that these are Lacridaemons, and he relays to the party some of the creatures’ abilities.  The party fights back, and resist the poison of these foul monsters, but one gets away.  Now there are 3 monsters the party know are on the loose still:  2 cacodaemons and one lacridaemon.  They arrive back at the village, very worn out and drained, with Aean greatly affected by poisoning and disease from the various creatures they have encountered.  They rest overnight and are up to meet with Delix first thing in the morning.

Gerrett is not back yet, but Delix is in front of the Inn with Cenn, getting ready to depart.  The horses are being saddled and Gerrett is having a final discussion with Cenn.  The party explains the circumstances at the lake, and Delix, although still brusque, thanks the party for its assistance with the village and seems genuinely appreciative, if still arrogant.  He says he realizes he comes across harshly, but he has a job which he takes seriously, and they were unknown agents just as bad things began to happen.  He could take no chances on the safety of those in his charge.  He does his best by the villages, even as he hopes to move on to work which is more meaningful and of greater responsibility. 

Gerrett suddenly breaks out from the trees on the other side of the Village Green, yelling and waving his arms as he full out runs towards the group at the Inn.  He is running alongside a dusky-skinned female with yellow eyes, who is also trying to get the attention of the folks at the Inn.  Delix suddenly stumbles into Juliet, and has a puzzled look on his face.  Black tracings run up from his neck into his face and eyes, and he collapses dead in Juliet’s arms, a huge arrow jutting out from his back and his face melting from poison.  Gerrett is pointing past the group into the trees behind them, and when the turn, they see a Leukodaemon with a bow in hand as it steps back into the forest and disappears.

End of Session

Friday, December 13, 2013