Slaverin: 04 - Why the Rotisserie Chicken Crossed the Road
General Summary
Brother Joseph warns us to stay within the protective wards that the mages have set up to provide the Order with a sanctuary on the island. We try to question him but he brushes us off, saying that the messenger arriving later will have more answers for us. Later that day, Loretta arrives via a boat and tells us that we're number one on the Silk Guard's Most Wanted list. Apparently farmer Greenfield was pretty well-connected. Loretta has 2 envelopes with her, giving one to Borin and one to Rooster. Neither contain foam fingers. After reading his, Borin grabs the foldable boat and sets off to collect our payment. He should return tomorrow. As Rooster reads his note, Loretta tells us more about the history of the island.
About 200 years ago the town of Pemberfield was supporting this island in their battle against the forces of darkness from another plane of existence. They set up a fortress on the island which became a battlefield where troops rounded up the dark forces and mages sealed them on this island. Loretta explains that if a being is killed on another plane of existence, it is not truly killed but merely transported back to it's original plane. The mages used a powerful evil artifact called the Book of Vile Darkness to seal the dark forces (along with themselves) onto the island, trapping them in this realm. The arch mage herself had to give up her soul for the spell to work. If the forces are killed in this plane, they re-spawn within a day, unable to return to their home plane. The island was a powerful protection set up that won't allow anything of evil alignment to leave the island. The soul of the arch mage is still powering the spell, although they know it won't hold out forever.
Arcon finds Loretta's talk to be too fantastic and attempts to prove it wrong by walking off the island, noting his evil disposition. As he steps into the water, he feels an invisible barrier blocking him from going any further.
Rooster calls out attention to the letter and ring he received. He and Brother Andrei apparently both work for an Order of Evil Snuffers who snuffs out evil. The letter instructed him to vanquish the dark forces from the island. Realizing that this may bring us closer to understanding our purpose here, and that Arcon can't leave until we do, the group agrees. We plan to leave the protective ward and scout out to try to find the book. Once we find it and cancel the ward, we'll kill everything else on the island so they stay dead. Or something like that.
Traveling the outer edges of the island, we are thwarted by dense forests on both sides and are forced to cut down through the path in the center of the island. We come upon a nasty looking rotisserie chicken with teethy wings that's wandering around the road. Rooster spots a large vrok in the distance sitting on the roof of a structure. After shooting the vrok with and arrow, another vrok appears and both vroks attack the group. Grimgar chip shots the chicken, while the rest of the group turns fire on the vroks. Harding mocks them viciously while Arcon swings his battleaxe near them. Igan suddenly grows gills and runs back for the pond. Fortunately Rooster and Tiemann are able to land some solid blows and the vroks are killed. Harding takes 12 talons worth 1 G each from them.
Turning the corner, we come across four more chickens and easily dispatch them before coming across a large stone wall with a gate in the middle. We scout the wall while Harding detects that the gate is cursed and opening it will be tricky. Igan casts mage hand which is able to pull the door up long enough for us to sneak under and into the abandoned fortress. We dispatch a few demons that attack before heading down into the catacombs.
Beneath the fortress we see several tunnels filled with spiderwebs. Rooster sends a few firebolts down the passages to burn our the webs and small spiders. We navigate the mazes, killing off a few large spiders and looting them along the way until we come to a set of stairs leading down. Sneaking down we come out into a large chamber with series of levels and stairs, all well-lit with burning torches. We see a gate across the way and a pit in the center. Attempting to stealth our way across the room, we make it down the first flight of stairs when Grimgar trips and falls over, his plat armor clanking and reverberating throughout the space. Suddenly, a group of several monstrous humanoids start crawling out of the pit. This can't be good...
Rewards Granted
Group
- Darkwood Shield
- Lapis Lazuli
- Potion of shield of faith
- Masterworks Sling
- Jade (80 G), Aquamarine (800 G), Sardonyx (50 G)
- Potion of Invisibility
Individual
- 12 Vrok Talons (Harding)
- 2 vials of Spider venom (Rooster)
- 300 G (Rooster)