Session 284 - A Cursed Locket
General Summary
25th to 27th of Peonu (Second Month of Spring) 726TR
The Story So Far
Five years ago, a wealthy merchant died and was interned with a golden locket containing a lock of his beloved late wife's hair. This locket was cursed and has been stolen. The thief sold it to a knight, Sir Brant Croll, a zealous worshiper of the goddess Larani, who intended to give it to his mistress.
Queen Mistress Silena Ekiar of the church of Halea has hired the heroes to recover the locket as its curse, Sadura's Rash, will ultimately destroy whoever owns it.
However, this may be more complicated, given Rycon knows Sir Croll by reputation. He volunteered to serve in the Solora Crusade and performed with enthusiasm and distinction. Rycon joined the crusade the following year before he resigned in disgust.
This is the continuation of Session 282 - Eye Eaters and Angry Bees.
Location - The City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.
Part 1 - Scouting
The Party decides to observe Sir Croll’s residence. It is located near the guildhall of Arcane Lore, so Valeria’s discreetly cast Detect Magic yields confusing results. While Dryueh slinks into the background near a couple of trees, Rycon and Valeria visit the business directly opposite, owned by the mason Satris of Meralen. Satris is a talented sculptor and is quite taken with Valeria. They spend a couple of hours discussing a commission for a small stature of Thalia, one of the goddesses Halea’s handmaidens. From this, they have a good view of the comings and goings of the Croll residence. They observe Sir Croll, his Mistress, an elderly man, and a young woman, both servants. While the old man and the Mistress leave on an errand, Dryeuh sneaks in, avoiding being spotted by hiding under beds and scoping out the building. He finds no evidence of the Locket.
Part 2 - The Truth
That night, while Sir Croll attends mass and the nearby cathedral, Dryueh sneaks in again. This time only the servants are in the building; they are complaining and gossiping, mostly about “His Lordship.” Dryueh overhears that Sir Croll is suffering an embarrassing ailment and is receiving elixirs from an apothecary to treat it. The servants joked that he should have taken up the Halean's offer, but "His lordship is too proud to accept help from one of those whores. He shouldn't have thrown the locket down the drain,” they laugh.
Part 3 - Vermin
Outside the residence, the characters note an access point into one of the city’s ancient sewer systems. When the coast is clear, the heroes sneak, lift the grate, and go down by rope. Rycon finds himself dangling in darkness; when he lights a torch, the light reveals his friends being overwhelmed by a massive Swarm of Cockroaches. These vermin are challenging, and the roaches are hard to eradicate; nonetheless, the swarm is eventually dealt with as Dryueh spots masses of sludge moving toward them. The Sewer Oozes are more easily disposed of.
Part 4 - The Bell
The characters continue and note a side passage filled with accumulated debris from decades of flooding. This includes a rusty broke metal object shaped like a bell and a more recent but badly mangled corpse clutching a large leather bag.
Suddenly, strange violet-colored fungal creatures emerge from the sewer water. Their long tendrils reach out and rot the hero’s flesh, and both Dryueh and Rycon are severely injured and dizzy from the nasty fungi’s poison. The Dryueh's medical skills are pressed to the limit to mitigate the poison’s effect while the heroes battle. However, luck seems to be suspiciously going his way. It is a close-run thing, the severely weakened Rycon slicing the last of the Violet Fungi in two.
The corpse appeared to have been a thief, and the bag contained some loot and the Cursed Locket. The old rusty bell is just as interesting. Valeria's Detect Magic reveals it is magical and is covered with the symbology commonly used by the Church of Peoni. Dryueh, who volunteers to help at the Peoni temple’s infirmary triple, will investigate this later. But first, the heroes must get rid of the Locket as soon as possible, lest the curse pass on to them.
Part 5 - Holy Rewards
At the Church of Peoni, Dryueh asks about the bell and learns that when the city was under siege during the Baronial Revolt a century ago the church elders feared that the Temple's two bells would be confiscated and melted down to make weapons. The bells were hidden, and in the chaos that followed, one of the bells was lost. The Church is keen to recover the bell and see it repaired.
To be continued.NPC Interactions
Satris of Meralen - Sculptor.
Challenges
Discovered the location of the Cursed Locket.
1 x Cockroach Swarm.
2 x Sewer Ooze.
2 x Violet Fungi.
Rewards
Coins of Fortune.
Created Content
Related Reports
Temple of Halea - Church of the Bygone Dream.
Player Characters
All characters gained a Level.
Valeria - Human Magical Experiment - L2 Shadow Sorcerer - Beastmaster.
Rycon - Human Rebel Knight - L2 Fighter - Liberator Champion.
Dryueh - 1/2 Elf Scout - L2 Thief Rogue - Medic.
Next Session
Rycon
Dryueh
Valeria
Order of the Silken Voice
Clan Croll
Holders of Rylsla manor from the Baron of Tonot.
Sadura's Rash
This curse inflicts a painful rash on the victim’s private parts, first appearing in 3 days. The rash spreads over the body and changes to open sores; unless the Patient is cured, they will likely die in agony.
Coins of Good Fortune
These are also called Thalia Coins, named after Halea's Handmaiden Thalia, the Princess of Fortune.
These Magical Silver Coins have a bell inscribed on one side and a dice on the other. They will bestow luck and good fortune on the holder.
The holder rolls d10+10 when acquiring the coin. When making a Skill Check, Saving Throw, or Attack Roll, the holder uses this number rather than rolling. After use, the coin will lose its magical properties and turn into a standard silver piece.
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