Sessions 131 & 132 - "An Uneasy Truce" & "The Sudden Siege of Crove Asylum - Part 1"
General Summary
Moonday, 17 Gozran 4711 AR
Deep underground in a cavern, in the midst of luminescent fungus and three petrified, seemingly undead trees, the Unworthy Soul makes his way to a flat, primitive stone altar upon which rests a tome as the Fellowship watches anxiously.
More ghouls surface to attack followed by another, this one having a semi-canine, humanoid appearance with rancid green flesh and hoof-like feet. Its eyes sparkled with a gleam of intelligence and communication was soon established. Bargaining begins with Yareesh who offers a scroll of Il’setsya Tears for Neferu’s wounds for a set vials from Drago. He reveals that he is looking something called the “Eyes of Yog-Sothoth” and that the trail of slime from the creature is evidence of what he seeks.
He will allow the group to study the tome, the very Pnakotic Manuscript that they seek, in exchange for this component of the creature.
After spending some time with the Pnakotic Manuscript, Neferu and Kyrrn are only able to determine that it is a copy that is predominately written in Aklo with annotations in Common script, and that it radiates strong necromatic energy. Additional there is an inscription on the inside cover of the tome written in Varisian:
It is the bodies of Keepers Baskerwhel and Marshan that lay within the chamber and it appears that the cult is responsible for summoning the creature. Yareesh allows the group to take more books found on the dark tapestry, but they must leave the Manuscript. Yareesh provides a ghoul named Tobin to lead them up another way to the surface so that they may meet with Mayor Haggry and seek additional aid for Neferu. A drunkard named Zord Mumply leads them back to Crown Manor.
With a list of names in hand, the Fellowship listens as Mayor Heggry provides additional information about some of the Keepers: Rupman Myre is the main producer of middenstone in the city and is suspected of practicing illegal necromancy, and Waldur Crove is none other than Dr. Crove who runs the asylum that houses inmates that are considered too dangerous to be housed with common prisoners. The Fellowship also learns that there have been two additional attacks since journeying underground.
Toilday, 18 Gozran 4711 AR
As the hour draws into the next day, the Fellowship is led to the site of the last attack. It is an utterly destroyed house covered in the telltale stinking slime in the center of which is a collapsed sinkhole. Kyrrn is able to discern that creature is an otherworldly being about the size of a house and that it is seeking something, but was unsure of what. The creature also appears to be traveling underground through the tunnels.
With no discernible pattern and reason to the creature’s attacks and tantalized by Dr. Crove’s involvement with the Keepers and obvious connection to Kyrrn’s past, the Fellowship decides to wearily push on to the asylum. They approach the squat, square building in the continuing rain only to have their summons at the door ignored. They enter and their senses are immediately assaulted by three inmates bound and chained to the floor. Continuing deeper into the asylum, the group is assaulted by orderlies who appear to have gone mad themselves. After concluding their search of the first floor and finding no sign of Dr. Crove, the wary heroes journey downward into a fresh level of damp, cold hell where they find even more lunatics chained to a table in a large open area…
Deep underground in a cavern, in the midst of luminescent fungus and three petrified, seemingly undead trees, the Unworthy Soul makes his way to a flat, primitive stone altar upon which rests a tome as the Fellowship watches anxiously.
As the hour draws into the next day, the Fellowship is led to the site of the last attack. It is an utterly destroyed house covered in the telltale stinking slime in the center of which is a collapsed sinkhole. Kyrrn is able to discern that creature is an otherworldly being about the size of a house and that it is seeking something, but was unsure of what. The creature also appears to be traveling underground through the tunnels.