17. Aberrant Seed - Part III
Following the slaying of the last monster, Bal’Aur tended to his wounded comrades. There was a close call when he searched their unconscious bodies for healing potions, nearly mistaking the vials of Bloodflower poison Eberond and Brutalithops had on them.
Thankfully, the other potion in the steel case Eberond had found in the Salt Mine was a true healing draight and enough to revive them to consciousness. The immediate danger was over, but the smell of smoke and sounds of crackling turned their attention to the house fire they had started, which had now spread to the trees. The summer had made the trees and scrub prime for a bushfire.
Their attempt to use the old buckets lying about and the water from the brook brought no success, though they found something of interest.
In the small raised hillock next to Babushka’s ruined house was a hole where water emerged and fed the creek. Gnarled tree roots had bored down through the earth and into small spring opening, where they wrapped around an ominous object, the size of a large, misshapen yam. It was partially submerged in the water and emitted a purplish glow. The adventurers quickly recognised it as another wild weave crystals, similar to the ones they had found in the salt and smolder mines in the last two weeks.
Out of curiosity Catsby went to disentangle the crystal from the roots but was stopped by Bal’Aur, who said it was too dangerous to handle with bare hands.
With the guiding bolt had come a dream of a young boy in the banquet hall, and in front of them an unmoving person clad in full plate armour – they seem to emit a state of forlorn sadness. Flocks of people cried to the armoured warrior and demanded something from their lord. The boy beside said Gilles said that this lord freely gave, but at what cost, for the lord was so busy giving that the stores of food were running out.
Yet boy was insistent, and before Gilles woke up it was spoken that the lord could receive help, for there were other nobles that would share the burden of lordship. From Zahtonia's from porch, Gilles snapped out of his reverie and saw the black smoke rising from the woods and thought his compatriots could be in trouble. He gathered his wits and set forth.
Following the brook as Zahtonia had suggested, he came across his friends’ tracks and signs of a fight, a large carcass of a mutated bull with multiple gashes across its smashed body. He continued further and could now smell the smoke. What wildlife was left in this forest ran past him and away from the fire, and he noticed that the animals were strange and mutated. Gilles took no chances and blasted anything to cross his path.
They showed him the crystal in the spring and Gilles could hear the growing humming of The Vial artefact in his pouch. Gilles pulled it out of his pouch and took off the stopper. Eberond didn’t think this was a good idea, but Gilles ignored him and used the vial to absorb the crystal. The second thing of interest was a latch on the ground floor of what remained of the house, which would lead underneath. It had a bulky lock that nobody was familiar with, with a strange dial contraption. Regardless, Eberond’s proficiency with locks managed crack it open. They made their way into the basement and found the babushka. She was large and misshapen, arms ending with claws and her mind overcome to feed on the adventurers. As she hurled bolts of arcane energy at them, the heroes retaliated. Bal’Aur managed to wrap her chain around her fat neck, whilst Catsby thrust the tip of an arrow into her cataract filled eye, and continued to push it deeper into the skull. Brutalithops had charged in as well, stabbing repeatedly into the mutated woman’s guts, which spilled to the floor in a ropey mess. When the babushka stopped moving and was certainly dead, the adventurers searched the basement. There were dusty work stations with beakers and vials of chemicals. There were also various books, though mostly rotten away. Of interest was the babushka’s journal.
It seemed that the babushka’s was researching the wild weave and its influence. At the end of the journal, the babushka realised she was infected, her mind grew mad and her flesh started to turn. She decided to lock herself up in the basement, lest she hurt someone. Now that the adventurers had slew her, she would definitely not hurt anyone else. The adventurers then made their way to escape the burning woods. With Gilles' arcane control over flames, this was relatively easy.
They left behind them a fiery inferno that spread across the acres and acres of wood, and continued on toward Trg, the next step towards their current destination, Rez Isle.
Behind the scenes
Thankfully, the other potion in the steel case Eberond had found in the Salt Mine was a true healing draight and enough to revive them to consciousness. The immediate danger was over, but the smell of smoke and sounds of crackling turned their attention to the house fire they had started, which had now spread to the trees. The summer had made the trees and scrub prime for a bushfire.
Their attempt to use the old buckets lying about and the water from the brook brought no success, though they found something of interest.
In the small raised hillock next to Babushka’s ruined house was a hole where water emerged and fed the creek. Gnarled tree roots had bored down through the earth and into small spring opening, where they wrapped around an ominous object, the size of a large, misshapen yam. It was partially submerged in the water and emitted a purplish glow. The adventurers quickly recognised it as another wild weave crystals, similar to the ones they had found in the salt and smolder mines in the last two weeks.
Out of curiosity Catsby went to disentangle the crystal from the roots but was stopped by Bal’Aur, who said it was too dangerous to handle with bare hands.
The Lord, the Boy & the Cleric
Meanwhile, Gilles who waited around at Zahtonia’s farm, stirred from the vision he had witnessed the preceding night. He had found out this morning that the cleric who introduced himself as Tahir, had accidentally struck Gilles with a holy bolt, which had been intended for the flying horrors they had fought at Havenlok’s banquet hall. The bolt had hit Gilles instead, and now faint lines traced across his entire body, arcing like lightning, except for the pale circle where the bolt of energy had struck him.With the guiding bolt had come a dream of a young boy in the banquet hall, and in front of them an unmoving person clad in full plate armour – they seem to emit a state of forlorn sadness. Flocks of people cried to the armoured warrior and demanded something from their lord. The boy beside said Gilles said that this lord freely gave, but at what cost, for the lord was so busy giving that the stores of food were running out.
From the east, a dark storm brewed and swept across the fertile lands – the crops grew twisted, corrupted. When the lord’s stores were empty, the flock would greedily feast upon the corrupted fruit, for it was all there was left. What madness would be borne from this and claim the minds of mortals?Gilles realised this was all a dream. He dismissed the boy and sought to wake up.
Yet boy was insistent, and before Gilles woke up it was spoken that the lord could receive help, for there were other nobles that would share the burden of lordship. From Zahtonia's from porch, Gilles snapped out of his reverie and saw the black smoke rising from the woods and thought his compatriots could be in trouble. He gathered his wits and set forth.
Following the brook as Zahtonia had suggested, he came across his friends’ tracks and signs of a fight, a large carcass of a mutated bull with multiple gashes across its smashed body. He continued further and could now smell the smoke. What wildlife was left in this forest ran past him and away from the fire, and he noticed that the animals were strange and mutated. Gilles took no chances and blasted anything to cross his path.
Hello, Babushka!
The wizard cleric finally reached his friends in the clearing, who were lounging whilst the forest fire spread around them. They were glad the cleric had reached them, and told him that they had found two things of interest.They showed him the crystal in the spring and Gilles could hear the growing humming of The Vial artefact in his pouch. Gilles pulled it out of his pouch and took off the stopper. Eberond didn’t think this was a good idea, but Gilles ignored him and used the vial to absorb the crystal. The second thing of interest was a latch on the ground floor of what remained of the house, which would lead underneath. It had a bulky lock that nobody was familiar with, with a strange dial contraption. Regardless, Eberond’s proficiency with locks managed crack it open. They made their way into the basement and found the babushka. She was large and misshapen, arms ending with claws and her mind overcome to feed on the adventurers. As she hurled bolts of arcane energy at them, the heroes retaliated. Bal’Aur managed to wrap her chain around her fat neck, whilst Catsby thrust the tip of an arrow into her cataract filled eye, and continued to push it deeper into the skull. Brutalithops had charged in as well, stabbing repeatedly into the mutated woman’s guts, which spilled to the floor in a ropey mess. When the babushka stopped moving and was certainly dead, the adventurers searched the basement. There were dusty work stations with beakers and vials of chemicals. There were also various books, though mostly rotten away. Of interest was the babushka’s journal.
It seemed that the babushka’s was researching the wild weave and its influence. At the end of the journal, the babushka realised she was infected, her mind grew mad and her flesh started to turn. She decided to lock herself up in the basement, lest she hurt someone. Now that the adventurers had slew her, she would definitely not hurt anyone else. The adventurers then made their way to escape the burning woods. With Gilles' arcane control over flames, this was relatively easy.
They left behind them a fiery inferno that spread across the acres and acres of wood, and continued on toward Trg, the next step towards their current destination, Rez Isle.
GM: I wasn't actually planning for any basement encounter, indeed as the adventures had set fire to the ruined house, all evidence was going to be mostly destroyed. But given the player's interest in finding the babushka and some kind of closure to this whole encounter, I made up the encounter on the spot. The stats for the babushka were hastily grabbed of a suitable CR4 creature from the monster manual that had some spells - which ended up being a Deathlock.
Location
East Havenlok Woods Date
Sune 12th, 5249AC
East Havenlok Woods Date
Sune 12th, 5249AC
"7. And the Hero replied, "Helm is our protector, and only He is worthy of devotion.5
False men and women will tell you otherwise.6
Their lies deserve not your ears, but the strikes of your swords." 7Chapter: Visits, The Book of Helm
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